The teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1876-1878, 1877-02-10

Since We published an article the
other day upon the Secor Process, we
have obtained more detailed descrip-
tlon of its workings. The machine it.
self is strong iron closed cylinder with
the gearing on top and a shaft passing
down through with mullers at an angle
OF forty five degrees, something like the
blade of propeller. The action Of
these mullers is peculiar. AS they turn
they send up the mixture of water and
ore in the machine towards the top.
Their action is precisely the same as
that OF the propeller of ship aud their
force may be estimated easily by reflect
ing tor one moment on that exerted by
a propeller. Their effect is to most
thoroughly mix the whole mass together
The ore to be treated, often being
crushed wet or dry, is charged into the
machine in quantities of one ton of g.
900 pounds, there being sufficient water
IN the. cylinder to receive the ore and
the mpllers making their usual turns
The man-hole plate is then put on, the
ore submitted to the disintegratinc
power OF steam under pressure of from
ten to sixty pounds to the square inch
This is done to thoroughly prepare the
charge fer inflammation, and the press
ure and the degree of heat that accom-
pany 1t are put on according to the gen
eral character Of the ores to be treat ed
Alter being worked for one or two hours
at the high pressure required the steam
IS shut off and the pressure reduced
through pipe for that purpose. Quick
silver is put in the charge, everything
made tight and amalgamation com,
mences and ends in one or two hours.
When finished all is discharged into a
settler and new charge put Immediate
ly into the machine. Work is going on
all the time, for while cleanin. up the
settler more ore is being treated. This
treatment vt ores does not necessarily
take the length of time mentioned, but
varies according to the class. Some
ores car. be charged in the machine and
thoroughly treated as above in one hour
and half. For saving very fine gold
in ores, gold that floats and cannot be
precipitated, it can be easily understood
that in amalgamation the heat of the
steam agltates the quicksilver, the null
lers carry it up in the charge, bringing
it in perfect contact with the metal it is
searching for. Ia treating a sulphuret
pressure Of sixty pounds is put on to
thoroughly disintegrate, decompose, de-
sulphurize or drive off the sulphate that
holds the gold prisoner. That effected
amalgamation is easy. A very heavy
sulphuret will have to be roasted prior
to amalgamation by this method, but it
will not be necessary to crush the ore
tine before roasting. Desulphurizing in
common lime. kiln furnace, the ore
broken to the size of an egg, is all that
will be required, and ore in this way
can be roasted in large quantities.
Very base ores can be treated in this
machine raw and made to yield to about
seventy per cent. of fire assay, but with
the assistance Of plain fire treatment
in addition, the yield will be sufficient
to satisfy all reasonable men. With sill
YER ores the treatment is the same ex-
cept the very moderate use of chemicals,
the cost of which is very much less than
the ordinary open pan process. The
supposition is that gold is mechanically
combined in the ore; silver with keep
tons, chemically combines with other
metals or minerals in the ore hence the
use at times Of the addition of lie treat
ment and chemicals for the successful
working and yield of silver ores by am
algamating process. The quantity of
steam used in this machine is merely
nominal, the steam once through the
pulp with the first pressure on is the