Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1882-03-26


The most reliable stimulant for the growth
of infants and children, and the one most
gentle in its soothing effect, is Browns
Iron Bitters.
How Zinc is Made at the Richberg Zinc
Works.
The kindness of Mr.. John G. Richberg,
the owner of these works, enables the writer
to give description of..zinc making, that
may interest those who are curious for in
formation on the subject. The ore is
brought in fiat boats seventy miles down the
Clinch River from the mines near Tazewell,
in Claiborne County /; it is then hoisted up
the bank to the furnace, by a curious con-
trivance, which may be described as follows:
A double track on an inclined plane, with
car on each track, having a water tank
above it which can be filled with water
from a reservoir while at the top, and then
by wire rope made to raise the other car
loaded with ore in place of the water, which
was let out at the bottom of the track.
Being first broken, into pieces no larger than
a mans fist, the ore is roasted In an oven
to remove the sulphur which is
naturally in zinc ore; it Is then
crushed fine in mill for the purpose aud
again roasted, to extract as much of the
sulphur as possible. Being now nearly free
from sulphur, it is mixed with powdered
coal, by means of another machine, and car
ried to the furnace building. The furnace
is built of brick, with small openings on
two opposite sides, in which are placed the
clay retorts, which are about three and
half feet long and eight inches in dame
ter Tier on tier, these tubular openings
RICE to the top of the furnace. A hot fire
is kept up all the time and these retorts are
filed with mixed ore and coal about four
times a day by means of long, narrow,
| scoop shovels.
After being filled, funnel-shaped con-
denser is placed over the end of each re-
tort and the melted zinc runs into them
and remains, while flames and smoke, with
oxide of zinc, pass through the small open
ing in the ends; another pointed tube,
called "prolong," is placed over the end
of the condenser, and some fine dust, con-
tanning zinc, that would else be lost, is thus
condensed and saved from the oxide of zinc
in the smoke.
| At the proper time the prolongs are re-
moved, and the dust emptied in a heap, to
mix with the ore; then, by means of a
| Il Ii IL ~ y, l.a,
and small iron instrument, the melted
zinc and cinders are removed from the con-
densers, and, as the zinc goes to the bottom,
the cinders are seraped out with paddle,
and the zinc is poured into moulds,
! which make bars about seven inches wide,
| eighteen inches long and one and half
| inches thick; with the brand, ''Richberg
Mines and Zinc Works." moulded on each
of them. The bars are bright and shiny,
and many of the ''unsophisticated, who
visit the place, go away fully convinced
that they have seen large amount of silver
! bullion.
MIR. Richberg says he is now mining
about one hundred feet below the surface.
He has been delayed by bad roads, as he is
obliged to haul the ore about four miles to
the river. Steady and reliable hands are
scarce, but all his furnacemen are
good; the most experienced being native
Belgians. The furnaces have a capacity
for about seven tons of raw ore daily.
They run night and day, and present a
very pretty sight at night, and all who Wis
it Clinton can easily see for themselves, as
the works join the railroad depot and are
easily accessible.