River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1873-12-05
FLOATING METALS.
DivisibiIiiy Of Quick liver. silver and
Gold.

/
The Virginia City New Enterprise
says: THE divisibility of quicksilver. and
also of silver and gold, as shown by the
milling operations conducted in the State. is
almost incomprehensibly great, and would
seem TO be almolt illimitable, particularly
in the case of the metal first named. 4
| globule of quicksilver may be divided until
no longer visible to the naked eve, and, in
| deed, until scarcely visible under powerful
microscope, yet even the most minute sub
| division shall be found TO contain silver or
| gold, perhaps both. How enthusiastically
small, then, must be the particle of silver or
gold contained in one of the invisible and
immeasurable globules of mercury In re-
gard to the astonishing divisibility of the
metal mentioned, we have Just learnt some.
interesting facts of Buncher, Super
intendent of the Rock Point Mill, Dayton.
This gentleman informs us that some time
since, when working in his mill for con
| siderable period an ore in which gold largely
/ predominated, he used every precaution to
guard against loss. In addition to the usual
settling tanks, he caused to be dug in the
ground number of large pits, into which
the waste water flowed after leaving tanks.
4 After leaving these pits, tn water passed
/ off in a small fiume, and 10 the eve appeared
as clear as the water of the purest noun
tain stream. For the sake of the expert
ment, Mr.. Buncher coated a copper bowl
/ with quicksilver and placed il in such a
/ position that the water Of the hume should
jail in it. He also placed in the fume, be-
low the bowl, some copper rifles, properly
coated with quicksilver. Although the
/ water passing through the Aume seemed to
be perfectly clear, yet at the end of three
months the bowl and rifles were cleaned
ND and over 800 worth Of amalgram OBJ.
tanned. His mill is driven by water taken
from Carson River, aud carried for con-
siderable distance through large wooden
/ tume. A month or two since 1t became
necessary TO shut off the water and repair
a portion of this hume. In making the
needed repairs il was found that in many
/ places the heads of the nails driven Into its
/ bottom had been thickly coated with ANAL
gam Within the distance Of about three
rods along the bottom of the fume the
workmen engaged in making the fume coll
lected over an ounce of amalgam. This
was where there were no copper plates or
other special facilities for catching the float
ing PARTICLES of quicksilver. The water
/ flowing through the fume was taken from
the river below a number OF large mills, and
though far from being clear would never
have been suspected of containing floating
quicksilver in such quantities as to ANAL
gamate the heads Of iron nails. In order
10 amalgamate iron it must be scratched or
polisl while immersed in quicksilver;
therefore, it will be seen that such ANAL
gamation must have passed by before the
occurrence of the accidents required for
the commencement OF the accumulations
found on the nails. As another evidence
that quicksilver in considerable quantities
floats in the water Of fumes and streams
below reduction works in state Of invsi-
bic division, and Vet carries with IL the
precious metals. Mr.. Buncher gave MS this
additional instance: "On certain occa-
sion one Of his workmen required a piece of
copper. Remembering 20 have seen some
old sheets Of that metal living near the
waste gate OF the main tlume, he went 10
the spot, and hauled them out Of puddle
in which they were lying, and found them
so heavily coated with amalgam, and so
eaten up that they we're hardly thicker
than writing paper. The water poured out
through the waste-gate had fall Of about
fifteen feet. II dil not fall directly upon
the copper plates, but IN such a manner a.
10 keep them constantly splashed and wet.
DIR. Buncher thinks the plates had lain in
the place four Of five years. Over pound
Of amalgam was scraped of them. IL AZ
pears 10 us that in these several striking in-
stances Of the treacherous and unsupported
floating away OF the precious metals there
Is for mill.men food for reflection, and for
inventors a field in which 10 reap both pro.
tit and distinction