Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-05-04
PROCESS A SUCCESS
Major Llewellyn Talks Entertaining
ly Of the Peletin-Clerici Plant
Operating at Andrews.
HOW THE ORES ARE REDUCED
Practicable Hints from Practical Mar
Which Will Prove Of Value to Terri
torial Mine Operators the
Mines Are Doing.

Major w. H. H. Llewellyn, superinten
dent of the mining operations on the Fres
no, Homestake, Happy Jack and Ell Or
groups of mines at Andrews, Serr
county, is in the city, and yesterday ful
nished New MEXICAN reporter wit
the following interview, relative to tn
operations of the Palatin-Clerici elec
tro-cyanide plant at that place unde
his charge:
'"The plant was completed but recent
ly, and this is the second week of its
operation. Tests of the pulp, prior tc
entering and of the shines as they leave
the mill, determine that it is doing al
that was expected of it in the matter OF
saving the values.
''The ores are low grade, talcy por
phytic and highly oXydized by iron. The
values range from 50 to $40 per ton, ant
are secured from the dumps of the Fres
no, Homestake, Happy Jack group ant
El Orc group. About next week or,
will be mined from new ground. Th'
mines and mills are owned by Hon. w
H. Andrews of Titusville, Pa. Th'
deepest workings in the mines is 25t
feet and the width of the veins range
from two and half to six feet.
"The Palatin-Clerici treatment can be
best described as follows:
1.-The ore is first ground to the proper
mesh by the rolls, stamps or Huntington
process. A Huntington mill is best
adapted to oXydized ores because the
securing the ore receives has tendency
to relieve the gold of the oxide. The
pulp is distributed automatically by
launders to the tanks. The most practi-
cable size of tank is nine feet in diam
eter and four and a half feet in height.
Each tank holds two and half tons Of
ore and plant having capacity Of 40
tons per day requires seven tanks. Each
tank is equipped with set of agitators
run from a shaft fitted with bevel-
tooth, geared wheel, making from IS to
% revolutions per minute. The agitators
keep the pulp moving and allow the
solution to attack the values.
Each tank is fitted with a copper
sheet entirely covering the bottom,
which is given a dressing of quicksilver
and supplied with 400 pounds of quick
1t is necessary to use from IS to 100 per
cent of water to 100 per cent of ore. We
use about ten pounds of salt and very
weak solution Of cyanide to each charge.
1t requires about six hours treatment for
each lot of ore Electricity is the pre-
cipitating agent. The tanks discharge
and recharge automatically. The quick
silver is strained and retorted and the
percentage of loss is very small
'Prior to entering the vats, the pulp
is tested for acidity, to determine wheth-
er an oxydizing agent is required or not.
''The process will save from 90 to 90
per cent of the assay values and the cost
of treatment is reasonable.
sit is matter of great Importance to
find treatment for highly oxydized
iron ores, as straight ANA algamation will
only save about one-fourth of the values.
Concerning other properties in Las
Animas mining districts, the old time
producers are steadily pounding away,
yet we need lots of capital for intelligent
development. There is an inexhaustible
quantity of well-paying mineral there
and the veins are strong. The ore
chutes are remarkably continuous, rang
ing from $50 to 500 feet. The district is
on the water shed of the Rio Las Animas
and Rio Percha, and is a dry mining
region, the deepest workings supplying
water enough only for actual mining
operations.
"a Cleveland and Pittsburg syndicate
known as the Mesa del Orc Placer COM
pany has purchased 1000 acres of placer
ground in that locality and will pipe
water distance of IA miles from up the