Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1881-09-30
THE HAMILTON PROCESS.
A New and Cheap Process of Reduc-
Ing Ores.

A e and Cheap Process of Reduc-
lag Ores.
The American Exchange OF Sept. II has
the following relative to q new method of
working ores, which is now being prac-
tically tested in New York City: The
inventor Of the machine and the general
manager Of the company, which is known
as the Hamilton Reduction Works, is
Walter Hamilton, o mineralogist and
assayer Of many years. experience. and a
graduate Of the University Of F~reiberg.
He has devoted nearly ten years to the
perfection of his process. He claims that
it will reduce any quality OF ore. be it what
it may, at a cost Of about 81 per ton, leav-
ing tailings from which not a vestige Of
metal can be extracted afterwards, and
furnishing as a result Of its operation a
perfect amalgam, every part OF which will
be equally charged with the precious
metal. The works now in course Of cree
ton, and the smaller machine, which has
previously been in operation and with
which numerous experimental tests have
been made with the most satisfactory re- |
suits, have been examined by experts and
pronounced perfect, not only for the COM
pleteness of their details, but as well from
the simplicity Of their construction and
the fact that neither water nor chemicals
are called into use in the process of educ
ton. The machine heretofore used at the
works was little more than q working |
model, although it had a capacity of reduc-
inc Inn nnnn1a ~ n.a 10 4uAlv,1 ..u.kA. 4
With this machine ores from the Com |
stock, Silver Cliff and other mines have
been worked to the best advantage, and II,
as is hoped, the larger works will perform !
the work as well the success of the compa-
ny is assured. So we'll satisfied are those
who have examined it of its ultimate and
complete success that orders rave already
been received for 500 machines Of capaci- |
ties varying from 25 to 100 tons per day. |
these orders, Of course, being all made de- |
pendent upon the success of the works
now in course of erection, and of which
the following is a brief description: The
ore to be reduced is first passed through
the'ordinary Blake crusher, after which it
passes between q series of discs, which re-
volve together with a curious movement,
and placed at varying distances above each
other. This reduces the most refractory
ore to a powder as fine as ordinary -four,
in which condition it falls into a channel
and is carried along an endless belt q dis
lance Of perhaps forty feet. Here it
is taken up by elevators into the dust
chamber and conveyed by a revolving
serew-shaft into a rotary furnace, con-
structed of iron and lined with re-brick,
where it is thoroughly heated, the fur
mace, by means of shafting, being kept
constantly revolving. Thence it is con-
veyed to the top part Of a vacuum ma
chine, in which it passes through a pecu-
liar and entirely new process, and then
passes into a bath of 25 tons Of molten
lead. From this point it is made to pass
between a curious system of plates,
whereby the ore is brought into intimate
and absolute contact with every part of
the lead, which occupies a little over one
minutes time. The actual capacity of
this portion Of the machine is 25 tons, but
as the lead becomes i~mpregnated with the
precious metals, a portion Of the base bull
ion is drawn off and more lead is supplied,
by a peculiar automatic arrangement, as
as required. Another popularity
OF this part Of the process is the fact that
after the precious metals are extracted from
the lead, the latter is run into pigs and
used over again, thus saying any waste
whatever. In working sulphurated ores q
peculiarly manufactured gas is run into
one portion Of the machine and carries off
sulphur, thus leaving it free from that
substance when it reaches the bath, and
the necessity Of extracting after
One Of the greatest features OF the
process is, that from the time the ore is
placed into the crusher until it leaves the
machine q perfect amalgam, ii is not ham
died, and hence q great saving in labor ia
Besides this, after 1t enters the
rotary furnace it is never allowed to cool,
and here again comes in q saving Of fuel.
The entire machinery necessary to the per-
OF the process is built within
q space Of 52x30 feet, including
the spaces between the furnaces, which
are built Of brick, and so formed as to be
of furnishing all the heat required.
devices enabling 1t to be d.
rected to any point where it is most need
cd. The works have been built in the
most substantial manner, on Q foundation
Of seven feet OF solid masonry. Their ca
pacity will be at least 100 tons q day, and
all the power required to run them is a
l5-horse engine. They are expected to be
completed about Oct. l, and will at once
be put in active operation. The company
mining companies to send 1t sam
Piles of their ores in quantities OF not less
than five tons, so that they may satisfy
OF the merits of the process.