Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1899-12-16
ORE REDUCING MACHINERY.
Progress Feing Made In DayirInK Effective
Processes

Machinery Tor the reduction OF ores
has bothered the minds of men ever
since it was known that gold and silver |
were infinitely combined in hard mat |
rix, but It is only within the past fifty |
years that the greatest progress has |
been achieved by way of successful |
designs, and here II is safe to say that |
more advancement has been made In
the past fifty years than III the proceed
ing $500.
Stamps were used fifty or more years |
ago, but the STAMPS of the past were
crude, cumbersome and really unme-
chanic8l as compared with those OF
the present day. Gradually. and as the
Americans began to handle them. they
evolved into a more effective machine,
and to-day the stamp batter of the min
ing world Is M unlike the battery of
fifty years ago ns il is possible 10 CON
ceiye, and 10 Californians largely be
longs the credit of this great advance.
As time passes progress in all things
comes with II. Time has perfected the
stamp battery 10 such degree that 1t
seems nothing more can be added.
With all this has come also advance
ment In interchangeable manipulation
and extraction OF the precious metals.
With the stamp battery and its ac-
companying machinery for the extrac-
ton of the precious metals not over 65
per cent. on the average. has been the
yield. while with the advance OF the
solution processes from ~ per cent. 10
20 per cent under suitable conditions,
is as readily and more economically OBJ
tanned. The stamp battery performs
Its crushing part completely. where
simply crushing Is required, yet for
the solution system II produces too
much Shiny material. which increases
the expense per ton of manipulation as
we'll as reduction. What is demanded
for gold and silver ores. and more es-
pecially gold is plant that produces
uniform product. free from shines.
| and by which more perfect and
speedy percolation can he had.
1 In the effort TO gain this higher per-
centage obtainable by solution process
es new and economical questions arise,
which begin 10 show that as a profita-
| BILE machine the stamp battery has
reached it's eliminating point OF use
! fulness for ores containing gold and
/ silver. and especially for gold. and that
new method of reduction must he
adopted for economically gaining the
high percentage ohtainabie which all
/ up-io-daie mill men know can he had.
/ The progress OF the times In metal
lurgy demands that M least 80 per cent.
OF the gold values and 50 per cent. II
not So per cent. of the silver values
should be extracted on an economical
basis. and this edict is RELOCATING the
4 stamp battery for ores OF the precious
metals 10 the past. and upon the simple
proposition that il is inapplicable to the
economical working of advanced solu-
ton systems. 70 say nothing OF the
eheHpening of machinery and expense
of reduction by this method.
The cyanide processes. of which the
Macarthur Forrest Is the original. are
the advance steps in metallurgy OF the
present period. and great advance Il
is. when we consider the imperfect ey
traction of gold of even twenty years
ago
The question that calls for con
sideration in the change of machinery
for the extraction of gold is. shall We
hold 10 the stamp or shall we break in
TO the operations Of the past and oh
tain. as we can. a higher percentage OF
gold values at less expense?
In some sections. notably Australia
this Idea of change Is largely actet
upon. and has proved acceptable b,
J proving profitable.
When we give our thoughts for criti
cally considering the stamp battery W,
see cumbersome collection of heav.
material. requiring large space 70
buildings, heavy expense for excavat
: lug. erection. etc. above what It shoul'
: be for the amount of work to he exc
cuted.
, The coming system not only gives
higher percentage of the metals ut
, less expense. but the machinery fo
! doing 1t. where freight, time. excava
tons. buildings. etc. are considered
will in the majority of instances cos
all of one-third. II not one-half, less
This coming system for reduction @
gold and silver ores is the use of crusl
ers. rolls and barrels. or. as they ar
more properly termed. ball mills. A
of this class of machinery has been /
use separately, as every mill ma
knows. and they have proved in thei
| separate operations practical and ei
! fective.
, The newer feature is the comhinatio
. of the more perfected machinery G
this special kind To make more clea
l will say:
! First-Will be suitable crusher fo
9 reducing the ore down TO say I inc
) In size.
a Second-The use of steel rolls for n
eeiving this 1-ineh ore and bringing
. down to say h-inch or coarser, as ma
he desired. and agreeable to rock bein
J reduced.
!, Third-The ball mill. for receivin
/. the ore from the rolls and reducing
4 TO any desired fineness, say from 3
. mesh 600 wire to S0-mesh tozo1l. n
: of uniform grain and free of an
amount of Shiny material.
This system of reduction Is direct
. In line-in fact is the most desirah
where base gold or silver ores repuil
Y the use of furnaces or where furna'
\ work may be required TO better Il
+. percentage for any of the solution pr
cesses.
!. When an increase of capacity is d
!. sired the plant is simply duplicate
u IL we look clearly into the science
o reduction of heavy ores into atom
s we find the operation of crushers. rol
q and ball mills In accordance with VIII
: may be considered n natural principl
and without any extra work on a give