The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-03
EDIsoN,s LATEST ACHIEVEMENT.
Magnetic Process for Separating Iron
Ore.
philadelphia Record

Mr. Thomas A. Edison long ago proved
himself to be an inventor with fertile
facility for overcoming obstacles to sue
cess. He has been regarded heretofore as a
student of physical science, including me-
chanics incidentally. He now comes before
the world in a new light. Many years be-
fore Edison invented the phonograph Helm
holtZ sought to produce a sound recorder
on analogous lines, but the records traced
by a pointer attached to diaphragm upon
a polished metal cylinder coated with lamp
black were so complicated that they could
not be deciphered. Edison made the pointer
indent tinfoil, which on reversing the ar
rangement caused the pointer to vibrate
5he diaphragm spontaneously with its orig
NAL motion when vibrated by the voice;
thus the machine was made to talk. Helm
Goltz'S dumb prototype of the monograph
reposed. like a mummiied corpse, IN the
cabinet of the physical laboratory at the
University of Pennsylvania for many years
before Edison gave life to his talking ma
chine, and 1t is even believed that he never
saw nor knew of the existence OF this IN
The photograph was an original discovery
md invention, although Edison's latest
achievement, the reclaimng OF particles OF
ron from a low grade ore called magnet
ite' by the Simple process of magnetic at
traction involves no new discovery in
science. 1t may be regarded as one OF ms
a discovery in the science of economics.
Whether or not his particular operations
p pended fortune Of PO about M saOoo CO., shall
succeed or fail, enough is known of this
work to enable us to predict that 1t VIII
revolutionize future methods of blasting
mountains, handling rock, concentrating
low-grade ore and producing a marketable
product by automatic appliances using ma
lures forces in the most economical fash-
ion. Never before has a new experiment
been undertaken upon such a gigantic
scale. and the very nature OF the problem
compelled its treatment in this wholesale
manner.
1t is an old amusement of children to
separate iron filings from sand with toy
machines
from brass filings have been used for years.
Everybody knew that iron mountains con-
tanning unlimited supplies of metallic iron
existed in New Jersey and in many other
places, but nobody believed that these rocks
were of even the smallest value. All the
great smelling operations have depended
upon ores in which the iron exists not in
the metallic form, but combined with oxy-
gen and other nonmetallic elements ROCK
or earth containing less than so per cent. of
iron was considered worthless. Edison OPP
crates successfully upon mountains con-
tanning about 20 per cent OF iron How
does he do what no man ventured to try to
accomplish? The admirable though some
what technical description of the concen-
tratng works at Edison N. j., published
in the Iron Age (Oct. 2S) shows that the Sc
cret lies not in any new discovery In ply
steal science, but in the practical appca-
method of operation has been swept away.
Machinery of gigantic size. of power never
before created performs this titanic work
almost without human aid. The writer OF
the description alluded to says:
''To our mind originality of the highest
type as constructor and designer appears
in the bold way in which Edison sweeps
aside accepted practice in this particular
field. and attainS results not hitherto APP
preached. He pursues methods in ore dress
ing at which those who are trained In the
usual practice may well stand aghast."
BY means of dynamite thousands of tons
of rock are dislodged from the entire % face
of mountain, and by the aid Of a 93-ton
steam shovel fhe largest ever made) the
broken rock is loaded on cars. and then Is
the rock passes through rolls capable of
crushing into powder 300 tons per hour;
buckets on an endless chain elevate this
powder tc q height of 100 feet. where 1t
falls to the ground. passing powerful mag
nets. These magnets defect the iron parti-
cles. which fall into separate compart-
perpendicular course. The concentrates"
or iron particles, are thea conveyed to mix
ers, where binder of pitchlike character is
introduced, and the paste is nodded under
heavy pressure into briquettes. In this
shape 1t is ready to be shipped to iron fur
naces and smelted.
was to be congratulated upon the success
full result of this most daring experiment;
achieved the greatest triumph of all-viz
the utilization of a hitherto useless material
by the practical application of economical
principles on grand scale. Not only has
Mr.. Edison created new sources of iron ore,
but he has shown the way to conduct other
mining operations on larger and cheaper
scale; and 1T is not at all unlikely that the
application of these principles will make
marketable vast deposits of low grade gold
ores known to exist in various localities in
the West in the South and in many other
parts of the world which have heretofore
def1ed the metallurgist in his puny efforts to
recover the precious metal with profit In
fact, to dwell upon the economic possibili-
ties of this latest and greatest achievement
of Edison would inevitably lead TO an ap-
pearance of exaggeration which we desire
to avoid Moreover, we are not in position
to say that the financial success of this
experiment has been proven, but we do not
hesitate to assert that its effect on opera
tons Of similar character will be pro-
digious.