Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-01-23
rag MINING OF ARSENIC.
CARE Must ne Observed. bat the work Il
Cnn,idered Healthy.

CARE Must He Obncfved. but the WORN -
Considered Healthy.
Many points Of interest are brought out
IN a description In . technical journal Of the
way In which arsenic IL obtained from one
Of the most famous mines In England, the
Devon Great Consols The mine was orig
inaiiy worked for copper alone, and would
have been abandoned but for the discovery
that the waste thrown out rs worthless
when the copper was sought proved rich In
arsenic. Although copper is still raised. 1t
IS in small quantities. and the mine hns
been resolved into an arsenic works The
arsenic pyrites consist Of . 10 20 per cent
Of iron, icy to IA per cent Of arsenic and
The rest OF earthly matter.
After being crushed, this is sorted by girls
from 10 to 10 yean Of age. IL isthen washed
and ''jigged." or sifted, and passed on to the
first oalciner, where IL is burned with low
class ocal and produces arsenic SCOTT
that Is, arsenic 40 mixed with smoke SCOT
nom the coal as to be a gray color The ar
senie and scot, deposited in combination in
the chimney, or condenser, are scraped out
and taken to the second calciuer for purlh-
cation These caiciners consist OF revolving
iron drums, through which FIRE Of anthra-
cite coal Is carried on rotating iron furnaces
kept redhot Az the arsenic SCOT is subject
ed to the influence q this heas the arsenic
Is sublimed and condensed.
This operation has to be carefully
watched. and II the workmen burn the ar
teuic badly they have TO pay for 1t. Three
men in four weeks will make 100 tons ofar-
teuic. The chimney in which the arsenicls
condensed Is mile long II Is carried on
an incline up hill, with iron doors in the
side. As the hot blast passes upward It de-
posits crust OF hrsx.nic crystals on this
brickwork all around 20 a depth Of from
two % three inches, ana minute dust of
crystals falls TO the floor The smoke has
then 20 pass into an upright chimney 10
feet high. but just before doing ~ It has 70
traverse = shower OF water, which catches
what remains Of the arsenic, nothing but
tplphurous acid being allowed 10 escape
The arsenic is Liable to produce sores Il
permitted 20 lodge ia wrinkles and folds Of
the flesh or about the mouth aud nostrils
As rule. however. this only happens when
there Is oarelsssness as 10 personal eleanli-
ness, and the arsenic workers simply have
70 wash Themselves thoroughly every day
or returning from work.
Otherwise the work Is considered healthy.
Il prevents all eczema. and the fumes Of
sulphur.r acid a. well as the arscnical dust,
are fatal 70 germs u the disease. Most
woskmen remain ~ the works for mum
Der % years without suffering. but coca
fioualiy the symp t0ms OF Hr-snical poison
ing-luss Of appetite, nauses frontal head
ache and anmmiA declare tlemsclvc4
When this takes place, the work has 70 be
given UP entirely.
The greatest danger % which the work.
men are exposed b met when % is necessary
for any purpose 20 enter the upright shaft
The effect ca the eyes IL most painful. and
a further curious evidence Of the yirulence
Of the prrysding atmosphere becomes man
fest Tue men wear linen garments lined
with flannel, and the suiphuric acid fumes
completely destroy The linen In few mo.
meuts, leaving the flannel intact. so that
the men 60 into the shaft in linen and come
cot clad in wool Fortunately II j. seldom
necessary 10 enter the shaft or great loss Of
sight would snsus,