The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-02-11
THE ANNUAL ASSAY.
The One rntian ut Ihc HiiHt on Monday Next
Names OF the commissioners.

IN "a tNtGl Monday Next
Names OF the commissioners.
On Monday next the annual assay OF tn
coins Of tie United States will be maze At tha
Mint on Chestnut street, near Thirteenth. Ihe
commissioners appointed by the President tOt
the purpose of making il are as folio W;
Professor Joseph Henry of the Smithsonian In
sute; Professor J0hn IoTrey, United ASSAY 9tllce;
bia College, New lOfk; J. E. Hugari, Assistant
SuporiDteBdent Of Weights aud Measures; Honor
abe II. H. Libderman, Philadelphia; JOhn Jay Knox,
Deputy Controller Of the Currency; HJnprahle
John p. Putnam, Boston; E r. Elliott, Esq, WaSh-
mptOn; Horace thompson, Esq st, Paul, Mime
sofa; Nj. c. Reed, Bsq.. Hudson, 0hiO and Colonel
Robert }. Stevens, of California
The laws of the United states which relate TO
the reservation of coins for the annual assay
and the duties of the commissioners make II
imperative that at every delivery ot coins made
10y the Chief Coiner to the Treasurer. IL shall he
the duty Of the latter u take lndiscrimulately
certain number of pieces of each variety for
the annual trial of coins, which shall he
labelled aud deposited in u chest appropriated
for the purpose, kept under the JOINT care ot
the Treasurer aud Assaver, aud so secured that
neither can have access ID its conteuts withou
the presence of the other. They are To be
tried III order to discover whether there - any
deviation IN their weight or purity from tue
standard fixed 10y law
According to law the standard gold OF the
United States is constituted that In 1909 parts
10y weight 800 shal he of pure gold aad lOl OF
an alloy composed of copper aud silver. The
process of assay requires that the copper and
silver bt DOM tHLlIElN TGulONtu lf'Ul bib Dli,
and To effect this two separate operations are
necessary. The first is for the removal of the
copper, and t0is is done by a mehod called
CnpettGtiOn. which IL conducted IN an assay fur
race, in n cupel composed of calclned bones.
To the other metals lead is added this metal
possesses the properties of oXidlZing and vItri-
lying under the action of heat of promoting at
the same time the oxidation OF the copper ana
other base metals, and of drawing with It into
the pores of the cupel the whole of these metals
80 as o separate entirely this part of the alloy,
aud to leave behind the gold and silver only.
The separation of the silver from the gold is
effected by process founded on the property
possessed hy nitric acid of dssolving silver
without acting upon gold. But that the gold
may rot protect the silver from this action
sufficient silver must first be added to make il
at least two. thirds of the mass. The process TO
he described is based upon the rule of qtGrtd-
ton, in which the proportion of silver is turee-
fourtls.
The standard silver of the United States is so
constituted that of 1000 parts by weight 900
shall he of pure silver aud 100 of copper. The
process OF assay requires that the exact proper
ton of silver in given weight of the compound
be asceraned, and this Is done by "a meth pd
called the humid assay, which may be explained
az follows:-The silver md copper may both be
entirely dissolved in nitric acid; and it To a
solution thus made, another of common salt in
water be added. the silver will he precpitated
in the form of n white powder, which is az
insoluble chloride, while the copper will remain
unaffected.
Here we have given the process by which the
purer metals are separated from the blser-
IL first step in the annual assay. The opera
tion is a delicate one and of great interest TIE
results of the operations of the commission wall
be published at the proper time.
THE "STAR" COURSE OF LECTURES The
| second series of the 'Star" course of lectures
| will commence Monday evening, February
| 20, when Mr.. Wendell Phillips will discourse
| upon street Life in Europe" The other lee.
| lures will he follows:-On Thursday, Febru.
airy 23 Mr.. James L. Murdoch, subject, 'Ar
actors view and impressions of the character o
| Hamlet illustrated by remarks and readings
on Monday, February 81, Miss Lillian S. Edgar
ton, subject, Marriage and Divorces" ON Thurs
dav March q Mr.. Josh Billings, subject
Natural lIistory;" on Monday, March 13, Mr.
Daniel Dougherty subject "Oratory;" or
Thursday. March l6, Rev. +. n. Chaplin. D ID.
subject, Modern Chivalry;" on Monday, Mlrcf
20, Mr.. A. Miner Grswold, subject, "Inii,
Neal" on Thursday, March %, General Xii
patrick subject, Battle Scenes of the Rebel
iion;" on Monday, March 81, Mrs. Uady Stanton
subject The True Republics" on Thursday
March 80 the season will conclude with a grant
musical entertainment. The sale of reservel
seats will commence on Monday morning mex
at Gould IL Fischer's piano rooms, No, 93
Chesuut street.
| PHILADELPHIA AND THE ALABAMA CLAIMS
In list of vessels captured and destroyed by
the Alabama and other foreign privateers durin!
the Rebellion, We find the names of the follow
| ing belonging to Philadelphia
| Rriu II II Martin