The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-11-23
QUICKSILVER.
Where it Comes From and How it is
Manufactured.

Few Of our readers probably have any
idea where quicksilver comes from or how
it is made, but the following very excel
lent letter from q correspondent of the
american Grocer throws much light upon
the subject:
California, in addition to being the
largest producer of silver and gold in the
world, also has the richest quicksilver
mines, and the name New Almaden has
become synonymous with quicksilver all
over the world.
The mine is situated nearly at the
summit of one the foot hills of the "Coast
Range" of mountains, and was originally
discovered by the Indians, resorting to
this place to procure the red paint with
which they smeared their faces, and
which was here found cropping out of the
ground. It was discovered that this ma
terial was vein of cinnabar or crude
quicksilver. In course of time q COM
pany was formed to work it, and, for
many years, it has been one of the prin-
cipal producing quicksilver mines of the
world. Being furnished with guide, we
stepped into the bucket or cage, and in
moment were lowered l 400 feet into the
bowels of the earth. Here we were con-
Quoted through a long and tortuous tunnel
to the point where the miners were work
ing the vein. We found set of swarthy
fellows drilling and blasting, and filling
the small cars which are run over the
tramway leading out to the shaft. After
witnessing their operation for a short
time, and securing some rich specimens
of ore, we retraced our steps to the shaft,
and were hoisted to what is known rs the
1920 foot level" and here got into a
somewhat larger car than those used on
the lower level, and, propelled by mule,
were soon again out in the daylight.
The reducing works or furnaces are
situated down at the bottom of the hill,
and, proceeding there, we were shown :he
most interesting part of the process The
ore is put into vast furnaces or retorts,
and roasted at white heat for three or
four days. The fumes from the furnaces
are conducted through a number of little
rooms known as "condensers," in which
they condense into quicksilver, and run
down through channels provided for the
purpose, into iron kettles or receptacles
below. From these kettles It's drawn off
into iron kegs or "hasks," as they are
called. These are about twelve inches
high and from four to five inches in
diameter, yet they contain about seventy
FIVE pounds of quicksilver, from which
an idea may be formed of its great densi-
ty and weight.
Much of the quicksilver produced here
is used in amalgamating with, and thus
collecting the gold and silver produced
in the mines of the Pacific slope but
large quantities are shipped to all parts
of the world for use in the mechanic arts.
China takes considerable quantities most
of which is manufactured into vermillion
for it is an interesting fact that the red
color which shows in the ore, but disap-
pears in the refined product, can again be
made to appear by pursuing certain
chemical formula. The Chinese are very
expert at this, and Chinese vermillion has
been celebrated for years. OF late,
however, the universal Yankee nation
have begun to manufacture vermil-
lion; and it is now said of this,
as of many other articles, that our
manufacturers can "0eat the world" in
producing it. Of course everybody is
familiar with the use of quicksilver Tor
mercury as it is often called) in thermom-
eters; but its sepsitiveness to heat has
lately been utilized for new purpose
that of giving fire alarms. In the Palace
Hotel, San Francisco, every room has
glass bulb filled with mercury let into
the ceiling, and, in event of fire origi-
mating here, as soon as the heat reaches
10 degrees the mercury rises, connects
two electric currents, and the news is
instantly telegraphed to the Office that
there is fire in No. -. The number
of uses for which quicksilver is employed
is constantly increasing; but the produc-
ton has also largely increased, and, in
consequence, the price has fallen largely.
Two years ago it was worth $3.50 per
pound; to-day sales were made at forty
cents, from which it will he seen that it
has more than kept pace with the decline
in other articles. At present prices, how
ever, it is said that it does not pay to
mine il.