Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1903-05-05
EDISON PROCESS
The Wizard To Make Further
Experiments With Wash
ing In Southwest.
GAINS TO HAVE PfpfftTtD SYSTEM

The Edison process of dry washing
for removing gold from placer or the
coarse gravel beds OF the southwest
that are i~mpregnated with the golden
grains, is being talked of again. The
experiment was pretty thoroughly
tried near Los Cerrillos a few years
ago, and not with the most shining
success in the world. The works there
were guarded with the greatest vigil
lance and the utmost r was taken
to prevent the not particularly san
guine of the anxious public from
nnatching the fruit of the great inven
ton from the wizard of Menloe Park
When the experimenters folded their
tents like the Arab and a. surrepti'
tiOusly departed for the classic re
gions of Boston. they didn't hint that
the Investigations had been a failure.
But they had, as The Optic is In q
position to know, as far as demonstrate
ing a practical process for treating
placer earth at a profit without the
use of water was concerned. Up to
the present it a be said that no sys-
TEN in existence has accomplished
this result. Now Mr.. Edison comes to
the front again, and declares that the
results OF his experiments in New
Mexico have been to enable him to
perfect his dry washing system. Mr..
Edison again sees golden visions OF
the untold billions he a extract from
the auriferous beds of the southwest,
Various metropolitan papers have as
serted of late that Mr.. Edison's pro
cess at Cerrillos was successful and
claim that the solution of the great
problem has already been made. This
is not correct. According to informa-
zion furnished The Optic, Mr.. Edison
has modified his plans n has had
new machinery for further practical
tests. The public generallv. and
mining men to some extent will trust
Mr.. Edison as quickly as any one 70
make the seemingly impossible pos
gihle. He has done il before. But to
many the solution of the dry wash
ing problem is about as hopeless as
the achievement Of perpetual notion
Mr.. Edison proceeds with less mys-
Yery this time. His machinery Will
be covered by patent, but he allows
Some idea Of his method to 80 ouf j.
seemfs that an air blast is employed
by Mr.. Edison in his solution of the
problem to separate the gold from the
mass. His machine is simple in con-
struction and requires a minimum OF
attendance and supervision.
Costs Eight Cents a Ton.
In hydraulic mining it was thought
remarkable if rs per rent of the gold
was washed out. Mr.. Edison's system
cannot compete With this system
where water is available, because the
latter can be operated at the cost OF
three cents for each ton OF gravel
washed, while it costs eight cents to
separate the gold from the gravel bv
Mr.. Edison's process. He estimates
that 25 cents in gold should be yielded
by a ton of the poorest gravel. and
saws his machine will reclaim 95 per
GENT of the gold contained in seven
sons of gravel every hour. One man
can run scores of separators.
The gravel is first dug out OF the
hank with a steam shovel. Conveyors
then carry it to sleeves that separate 1t
into particles of uniform size. Each
separator is designed to handle gravel
of a certain size, and the gravel is
automatically distributed to the hop
per of its proper machine. The gravel
falls through a narrow slit before a
rotary blower, which drives a powerful
blast of air against the falling gravel.
Blows the Dust Away.
The gold. bearing heaviest, falls to
the bottom Of the machine, but all the
tighter gravel and sand is blown into
a separate compartment.
No patents have been taken out yet,
out the papers will be filed soon. The
new machines are nearing completion,
and they will be shipped to the ore
~ soon as they are ready.