The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-07-24
George D.Burton'S New Electric
Process for Reducing Re-
fractory Ores.
IT MEANS ANOTHER REVIVAL.
A Promise That a Great Number of
Abandoned Mines VIII Now
Be Worked.

formation of company to put into use in
this State Mr.. Burton's simple yet re-
markable process of smelling refractory
ores by means of an electric current.
Only mining men can fully appreciate
what cheap and successful process of re-
ducing rebellious ores would mean to the
mining industry, to the fortunes of many
mine-owners and to the wealth and popu-
lation of many mining districts as well as
the whole State.
There are great many mines IN this
State the ores of which are rich in gold,
but the ores are of such nature and
composition and it so mingled with
other metals that the gold cannot be ex-
tracted by the ordinary processes. Some
of these refractory ores are worked by the
cyanide and other processes which in
volve unusual expense, and many mines
producing such ores are barely worked at
a profit or are not worked at all. One
mine may produce ore yielding far more
gold to the ton than another, but the
former may not pay to work and the latter
may yield handsome dividends.
So if Mr.. Burton's process does what is
claimed for it its value will be incalculable.
This method is a new one Just being
launched on the business and scientific
world, but the standing of Mr.. Burton as
an electrician, the results of using his pro-
cess elsewhere, and the practical demon
STATIONS Mr.. Burton is making every day
at % Stevenson street, promise that cleo
tricity is at last TO be successfully and
profitably applied to the smelling and as
saying of ores.
The process, which was briefly described
in THE CALL few days ago, is roughly
this: There is non-fusible receptacle of
about a half-bushel capacity, which is
filled with broken ore, and deep into the
ore is buried an electrode connecting with
a wire carrying an electric current. The
receptacle is sieve-hke, being full of holes
to permit the passage of molten metal, yet
retain the Stag.
Under this receptacle is a tank contain
ing a solution, and this solution is also
connected with wire. No current passes
until an electric connection is formed by
means of sort of force pump, which
raises the solution until it meets the
bottom of the pile of ore. The passage of
the current through the ore to the water
develops quickly such intense heat that
all metals in the ore are melted out of it.
The melted metal runs through the holes
and drops into the solution, falling to the
bottom of the tank in rounded globules.
That is the idea of the invention in its
simplest form as explained by Mr.. Burton.
IL WOu1u req ulTe long paper To Q6SCT1D0
all the mechanical and scientific details.
One feature of interest is the fact that cleo
trio arcs are formed by the current in pass
ing. The contact is not directly between
the electrode and the solution, but through
the loose pile of ore, and when the current
is sufficiently strong it leaps from one
particle of metal imbedded in the ore to
another: AS the current leaps through
the ore it is broken up, partly by chemical
action, and every particle of metal in the
non-fusible rock is freed and melted, to
run to the tank below.
This process is actually better adapted
to refractory than to free milling ores, be-
cause the distribution of metal through
the rock gives reader passage to the cur
rent.
One popularity and advantage of this
electrical process is that as the heat pro-
crosses different metals which melt at
different temperatures are freed by them
selves and drop into the solution ID indie
pendent globules instead of fusing in a
common mass.
The solution must be adapted to the
metals III the ores and to the nature of the
ores. Its specific gravity is one thing to
be regulated For gold, alum, borax and
soda are dissolved in the water; for silver,
salt and soda are used, etc.
Mr.. Burton also applies similar method
to the forging of metals. Electric forging
is now practical process in various ways,
but Mr.. Burton's process is one by itself.
His invention was described by him a few
months ago before the famous Franklin
Institute of Philadelphia, and for his in
vention he received from that body the
distinguished honor of the John Scott
legacy premium and medal. By Burton's
process a simply made apparatus is used,
and by turning on the current the ends of
two bars of metal are quickly heated to the
forging point.
This foregoing process is also to be intro
duced here. In any blacksmith shop it
does away with coal, furnace, bellows and
dirt. All any blacksmith need do is to Sc
cure connection with an electric power
wire, and outside his current his forge will
not cost him cents day.
The greatest practical progress toward
the use of these similar inventions has
been made in Canada, the entire rights for
Canada have been recently secured by
company with large capital, and smelt-
ing plant that has been set up in Toronto
has attained wonderful SUCCESS in the treat
ment of various ores, doing, for instance
with nickel ores in three hours what has
heretofore consumed three months of time.
Then it has been proved to be 80 per cent
cheaper than any other process.
Mr.. Burton has in many bottles samples
of gold, silver, lead, etc., which he has
quickly taken from ores by the small i'm
provised Smelter he has set up on Steyon-.
son street. supplied with inadequate power
for this purpose from an electric-light
wire.
''In the last few days l suppose 300
mining men have investigated my pro-
cess" said Mr.. Burton yesterday, land I
have already received many letters of in
Quiry from miners in this State, to whom
such a process would give fortunes.
81 learn that up in the Meadow Lake
district in Sierra County there are large
rich mines of rebellious ores that have
been abandoned. No process could be
found by which the ores could be worked.
Samples that were brought to me re-
duced in few minutes. | do not see any
reason why every mine of rebellious ores
in this State could not now be made valu-
able, and | expect to see great number of
abandoned mines revived.
"a company which is now being organ
lied will control the rights in this State.
The process can be used right at any mine
to which current, generated by water
power, can be carried and the operating
expenses will be very small. The plant it
self will not cost more than half as much
as an ordinary one of the same capacity
Many prominent men are interested in
Mr.. Burton's promising invention, and it
is expected to cut large figure in mining
operations in California before a great
while.