New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-09-18
GOLD FROM Low Ora DE ORES
THE GREAT MERIT OF THE CYANIDE
PROCESS
TT HAS COME INTO EXTENSIVE Use WITHIN THE
LAST SIX YEARS.


In the old days there were only two methods Oh
lberating gold from the material win "nO i,
was associated In the placer fine particles (and
perhaps small nuggets Of the precious metal were
found mixed with gravel. the two haVlhs "een
washed out OF disintegTating rock huho'e"s "a
miles away These accumulations were al"a'7
discovered In the beds Of streams, Nheh pay
dirt" had once been discovered by The prospec'or It
was an easy matter to separate the gold from the
$50, yer, crude APPARATUS would serve the
roIne-'s nurpose 4 pan and some water IN "n'r'
10 wash his gravel sufficed. Gravitatoh uiu tHe
work The dirt was carried off by the water an"
the gold being heavier. sank TO the bottom o' ''ie
pan Mining under these circumstances was U.s."
ally conducted with shovel
Rut many OF the richest deposits OF goid are !"
rock that has not been torn 70 pieces by inc
veothor and is still hidden In the bowels Oh III.
earth Quartz IS the customary ACCOMPANYING" %
the metal and Il must be removed from us reS''s
Mace by costly and laborious means Inc quarN
&c then crushed I'm a stamp mill" water Is adde'
and the compound is allowed TO run over sh""o"
recen,acIes containing quicksilver. peculiar
affinity exists between mercury and goid' III" il"
consequence the former Geizes upon ana tetnpo'"'S
retains all particles Of the latter as they CONF j."
contact with the matchmaking plates NN'e'
ward the two are easily separated. This general
method Of recovering gold is called 'aina'E"'i'T-
.,on 7, does not remove all OF the precious metal
nronorion that often reaches 30 or 10 per cent II
always lost going out with the ta1ngs' or 'ci"9o
rock from the mill 4,
A third process more modern than the others u
called reformation" II Is employed win q ems
OF ores TO which the first two are not appno""'
Tho gold in such exists. In part or "ho''E ~
tho form OF a sulphlde and is not native me
rock having been crushed and roasted j. o"''' =
into huge barrels. where water. suphuilc "''" anu
chloride OF lime have been placed. INC ch'''',a
mentioned produce free chlorin" gas an" -,
as
mercury does in the arnalsamat!on process. So'u-
lion ~ chloride Of gold having thus been ob'aiHeu'
a comparatively simple method OF seph' @""e '
metal from the chlorine Is pursued.
Many ores however, contain such S'lh'' %
certare OF gold that It does not pay TO WORK theH
nv the chlorination process ana Ut" anna -'''
g out Of the question for other reasons ie "s,u
h. long exlstod therefore. for system mat
would be efncacious and AZ the same time cheap
This has been found in the cyanide process IL
is now IN use at forty mines IN IN" l."'''
twenty-five IN this country. and several III "'7'' 10
and New-Zealand II Is useful not onF lh wv"
ores Of low grade but also In recovering "e
ros,ad gold from heaps OF tailngs around ola
stamp mills. ,... -,
That cyanogen has n partially Tor the S|'''S
gold has long been known 70 chemists an" "e'"'
nrgisis In electro plating with gold ior instant
th. gold is prepared by putting It I'M" Ho'u'',
c,.anide OF uo,assium The article 20 be coAeu ~
bug O., The bath from one OF the terminals "f an
aloc,rc battery and the other termin" U.s. ''T" ''i
MERGED Then the operation known as eleriroys's
bey,ns The partnership formerly existing p'."t 10
tho eva nide and gold Is dissolved ana th' ih''' '
deposited on the suspended object NJ non 49,. =
ore bv the cyanide process IL J. J. .--'I9
~ ard 10 select only porous rock Ih, acllon ~
the cyanide is slow even under iaN''"'' CIV ''''
s' IN r.c.n, discussion q this subject tn as
co. "uarnzinc'' by Dr Joseph ". Richards IL N
~. 80 .I.f g. j. much easter 20 go fh" cfa'ia
10 TAX. up the gold than 90 Induce ~ - i...f. -
latter again. In fact this - ii" cil', "'l" 49, ID,
stead 81 a simple compound ~ cy"h"t'n nm ~. :, -
"a ryaride OF gold one nnd@ hero a iiI"" Fhit' "
un,on o. cyanide - gold and cyhhd" OF p,,,, -,,
/ This is a harder combination 20 unlock INA" "''
Ten or eleven years have elapsed since tho plt"n,
~ Macarthur md Forrest were thh'i D'' ".'.''t,i
Nv tho courts O. the Transvaal. ana Only * y.aI
since tho process Itself came int" use Pui Is
thai time several improvements have i"'n M ~
I, aome Of those relate 10 tho ncchanlcH pt, Ittt"
80, -, 80. ores Another consists % the ADDITION
~ sodium peroxide 20 the solution 20 hhs''h W.
work ~ dissoiying ont M. Eoid 81" "'.',i .,.,
/ which illustrate. the common industrial ~" i.a'
an Increased demand for any suh-i hhc, "f"ttt - ,
/ suits IN cheapeung Or fHc h.fnA i'n--
though that there H. still need ~ an lhlI"' ,I
method of efecfiug the pr"c ipiih'lnn OF N' E'n
after tho cyanide has once dissolved IT, ~" gay IT,.
Tho m ton. Offices bear record - N" h'ilNlS
which exists IN this direction 'heWl'Dl7 are neiiE
discovered which precpiiat" M" Hoid r"iul,i ,,,n
Chloride freshly precipi'ated copper sulphid" cup
/ rous chloride and others. and many 81 th'." "',
really promising but NOR dfa".A,K " ''hl ~, ?
a. Hoi ACT m the prcs'rc" Of free potassium
/ Nvanide which must. therefore, Doe hrst removed
/ thus complicating the method \ chemical p'''pi
ant which will work on the solution Juf' az u
/ NAV possibly be discovered IN the near future