Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1877-08-31
WORKING THE FLUE DUST.

T, The Lennon mill has been shu
down since Tuesday last ia order to
make some necessary alterations and
changes In the machinery. In al
new enterprises much Is learned in the
practical workings, aud suggestions as
to Improvements are gathered by ex-
perience. Messrs. Clark & Wallace
have had many obstacles to contend
with in their endeavors to profitabIy
work the waste that pours out OF the
furnaces, and have very nearly
achieved a success. Starting in with
an ld-fashioned mill, and one that
was hardly calculated for the peculiar
york necessary for the roasting aud
amalgamstion Of the fine particles that
had escaped from the smelling fur
naces, they found that a complete
overhnuling and reimbursement of tie
rooster, pans, COMMENTATORS, etc., was
the first step toward the successful
prosecution Ut the work. They were
still further retarded by the rust that
had accumulated on the iron work,
and the decay of the wooden portion
OF the mill, a consequence OF a long
period Of disuse, some five years hxv-
ing elapsed since the mill was in oper.
alton. The dust has been hauled to
the rear of the works, screened, and
passed through the rooster, and from
thence taken to the pans, c~oncentrators
and sgitstors for smalgamation. The
Chief trouble heretofore has been x
periencsd In the COMMENTATORS. The
dust during its exposure has become
mixed with a large quantity of small
pebbles that have been sluiced in dur
ing the washing out of the iume ar
roster and blown ia from the neigh
boring hillside. These passed through
the rooster and pans without trouble,
but OH reaching the concentraiors set
tied to the bottom aud formed a hard
layer. The quicksilver. sinking Into
this bottom, remained sluggish and
failed to ON in contact with the prec-
ious particles. thus interfering with the
Ainalgamating process IL an added
motion were given sufficient Il keep
the pebbles suspended. the result wa
that the quick silver failed to gather
and was drawn off st the discharge
holes. Another obstacle to successful
amalgamation lies in the fact that the
gold and silver escaping from the fiue
had become oxidized 10y contact with
the fumes in the furnace. aud in conse
quence the coating prevents the quick
silver from taking hold of the precious
metals. The proprietors propose to
overcome both Of these difficult les 10y
grinding the dust To an impalpable
powder. The dust will be screened,
passed through the roasting furnace.
and then spread out on the floor to
cool. At this point they have put in a
couple Of burr stones, and it will be
crushed and ground between these be-
fore going into the pans. This will do
away entirely with the nuisance Of tn g
pebbles and foreign matter, and the
process Of grinding will present new
polished surfaces, not oxidiZed, and
thus the silver and precious metals
Will amalgainate readily. Mr.. Clark
Is very sanguine that the improvement
will overcome all difficulties and make
the enterprise a perfect success. We
heartily hope that he has struck the
right method, ~ everybody in the dis
trict is Interested in the economical ex-
traction OF the gold aud silver from All
article that, up To the present time, has
been considered a. waste.