Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-07-15
Ex,,aAzErTE &vlRa1N1A ADVERTISE
Gold Mining in Virginia.

The Bancroft mine is located about four miles
north OF RappahanDock river, and ten miles
eas, of Rappahannock station, on the Virginia
Midland railroad, and two miles northwest from
Pine View, iD Fauquicr county. 1t was for
merv known as the MASON Tract" aud was
rprcbased over a year ago Of Stanton Z. Em.
brew, ESQ.,, by Samuel Bancroft Of Medea, Ia.
The tract contains two hundred and sixty seven
arres. not much broken 90 the surface, aud Is
well watered and tlmbered.
Shortly after the purchase mining operations
commenced, aud from the main shalt there nave
h,eu raised about Que thousand tons or ore,
which il is calculated will yield ten dollars per
ton. The erectoo of mill house and other
buildings was also begun, and they are now
nearly completed The new machinery is IN po.
sition. and will suon commence running Iegu-
larlY. -, !,
Through an invitation Of the accomplished
superintendent, Mr.. s. II. Stafford, made an
inspection OF the machinery and apparatus Tor
the working of gold and silver ores. The build
ing enclosing the works is substantial struc
ture, forty feet square. aud the highest part Is
forty feet above the floor. -.
The most attractive objects 10 the building
consist ofthe "Lightnug Pulverz or quartz
mill, aud the ''Lightniog Amalgauator The
.ormer was invented by Thomas Walker, of the
firm OF Walker Bros. & Co.. Philadel phia. The
latter was Invented by Joseph w. Bancroft
and Thomas Walk r, OF the same place. The
smalgamator was not quite ready working
when I was there, but the process '7as clearly
explained by Mr.. Stafford, and VII, be given
further ou A description of these two iuVen-
tons will be interesting 10 the public generally,
as they seem to he so full of promise for our
gold and silver mines.
The puve4Fzer consists Of two wrought iron
aries which are each about eight inches loug
and four inches wide, aud are faced with the
hardest kind of steel plates. These arms are
enclosed ln heavy cast iron casing, circular 10
form and having suitable openings for feeding
aud discharging the ore. The inside OF the
casing IS lined with sectIops o! white cast iron
to prevent wear and tear. The wearing parts
are easily replaced when worn out The cas-
ing is cast 10 halves and put together by bolts,
so that it can be readily taken apart or put to-
gcthcr aod handled or transported. The pull
vtrizer requires 90 expensive foundations, aod
when set up occupies but little over cubic
yard OF space.
When 10 motion the arms of the pulverizer
have speed of two thousaod revolutions per
minute, and are driven by belts. The ore must
be dry when it is fed to the pulverizer The ln-
vcutors claim capacity OF Is to 80 tons per
day, depending of course on the character OF
the ore. The test made 10 my presence would
seem to Justify the c.aim Some ore was run
through, and | must say that was more than
pleased with the result The ore was rapidly
reduced to very fine powder. In comparison
with an ordinary ten stamp mill this one Is
cheap, its cost being but $500. aod 1t requires
from six to eight horse power only to run 1t.
The amalgamatOrs consist each OF wrought
iron tube inches 10 diameter aud 253 feet long.
There are two Of these, which are placed 10 a
vertical position. just above these tubes or
retoris is large ore hopper, to supply them
with ore whco in operation. The lower part
of the amalgamators IS surrounded by tur
mace for yaporlzlng the mercury. Ihe coz
s,ruction of the amalgamators shows great
deal Of ingenuity, aud it IL hoped that the
claim of the inventors as to their efficiency may
be realized
The rationale of the process may be explain
ed thus The ore goes from the pulverlzer to
a cooveyer, which carries 1t to an elevator that
supplies the ore hopper above spoken OF. From
the hopper the ore enters the amalgamators 10
charges Of one hundred pounds each. The
mercury being supplied, it is vaporlzed, aud 10
this condition permeates the entire mass or
ore, completely enveoping every particle OF
ore or metal no matter how small. These va
pors arc formed at 662 degrees f., and having
an affinity for gold and silver, they unite and
form anna gam.
1t takes from three to five minutes to complete
the analgamatiou with this apparatus The
ore then passes down to the coolers in some
what heated state, where the vapors are en-
tirely condensed Couveyers carry the ore to
pans or settlers. where the amalgam Is sepa-
rated irom the residues.
Should this process prove success at the
Bancroft Niue it will at once create revolu.
ton in gold mining in the South, as well as
elsewhere. Low grade ores can be worked at
profit, where with any other method they
would not pay expenses.
When the ore goes into the pulverizer the
manual labor is ended, the machinery aod
water completing the manipulation. After the
ore gets to the mill the whole cost OF treatment
should not exceed one dollar per ton.
The success of this machinery aud apparatus
Is based upon practical experiments by the IN
vcutors thr r,ugh series OF years. A good
many tests o! different kinds of ores have lately
been made with most gratifying resu Its, some
Of which have been kindly furnished me by
MIR. Stafford, showing a product of over 50 per
cent. above the yield given by the best pro-
ce>Ses in Nevada on refractory silver ores.
Other tests have been made which worked
up 10 the mint assays. MIR. Stafford will soon
be ready to test his machinery at the Bancroft,
aud his success is earnestly desired by every
one interested in gold and silver mining. Cor,
respoalence Richmond Wing.
TNHE CHEAPEST SUGARS
l. THE CHEAPEST COFFEESi
THE CHEAPEST TEAS,