Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1895-05-30

oA VIC Laluuls III i-iSAhh
are the remains of once
famous copper mine. For
twenty-eight years it proved the rich
est mine in the country, says writer
in the London Graphic.
The lode then gave out and the mine
would have been abandoned as worth
less had 1t not been accidentally dis
covered that it was exceedingly rich in
arsenic. Copper is still produced in
the mines, but in comparatively small
amounts, and is despatched to South
Wales, there to be smelted.
The material brought up from
underground is crushed in machine
called the stonebreaker that resem-
bles huge pair of jaws, which liter
ally chews up the stone until it has
reduced its proportions sufficiently to
pass into another machine, the
crusher, wherein it is pounded into
pieces about the size of walnut.
The material is now conveyed in bar
rows to the dressing floors, and each
barrow load is turned out and washed
in a running stream that carries off
the small particles The nuts are then
thrown up with fork upon table,
behind which recline ON sloping
board, the mine girls who assert them.
AS soon as the arsenical pyrites is
completely separated from the COM
mon ore and from the earthly matter,
then it is conveyed to the first cal
elmer, where it is burned with low
class coal, and produces ''arsenic
soot;" that is to say, arsenic so mixed
with smoke SCOT from the coal as to
be of gray color. The arsenic and
SCOT are deposited combined in the
chimney or condenser. This is
scraped out and taken to the second
calciners to be purified.
The method consists of arotary iron
like amill-stone, convex in the middle,
under surface studded with iron
tlukes in three ranges, five in each.
The arsenic to be refined is admitted
from above. A fire is kept up in
furnace at one side, and the flames are
swept in between the rotating mill
stone and its fuke studded cover. All
are brought to a glowing red heat.
The arsenic on falling in blazes as
stars, and, dropping on the burning
milestone, is TUNED over by the fukes
and gradually slips away over the fiery
bed to the edge, when, reaching that
there is naught but earthly matter left,
the vapor zed arsenic being carried
off in the tiue.
The calcining of arsenic is let out
to the workmen. Three men in four
weeks will make 100 tons of arsenic;
if they make more they receive extra
premium; if they burn the arsenic
badly, so that it is wasted, they are
fined, and the fine has been known to
amount to thirty shillings. Some
years ago arsenic SCOT fetched from
half a crown to fifteen shillings ton;
it is now worth from ct to Ell los
The arsenic is refined till it is, to use
the local term, Gas white as hounds
tooth"
1t is deposited in the condensers.
These are neither more nor less than a
mile of chimney carried on an incline
up the hill, with doors of iron in the
side. AS the hot blast passes up the
chimney it deposits crust of arsenic
crystals on the brickwork all around
to the depth of from two to three in
ches, and it deposits minute dust of
crystals on the floor. Before the smoke
passes into the upright chimney, the
height of which is 1875 feet, it has to
traverse rain of water which catches
what remains of the arsenic, after
which what passes forth is nothing but
sulphurous acid.
The crystals of arsenic are scraped
out of the flue or condenser while still
warm and are ground in mill to
flower of arsenic, after which it is
packed in small barrels containing a
little over three hundredweight.
The men who work the arsenic,
either raking up the arsenic SCOT or
scraping out the condensers or grind
ing it in the mill, are obliged to wear
muffiers over their mouths and noses
to prevent inhaling the particles. The
arsenic workers are obliged to wash
themselves thoroughly every day on
returning from the works, AS the ar
senic is liable to produce sores wher-
ever it lodges in wrinkles and folds of
the flesh, especially about the mouth
and nostrils, the wrists and ankles and
under the arms; in fact, wherever per-
SEPARATION lodges. AS rule it only
does this when the worker is careless
about his personal cleanliness. Other.
wise the work is healthy.