The Mercur miner. [volume] (Mercur, Utah) 1895-1913, 1904-02-24
CON. MERcURs BIG IMPROVE.
MENT.
UTAH's GREAT GOLD CAMP
What Others Have to Say Of Mercui
From the Deseret News.
Continued From Our Last)

The filters consist OF series of parallel
plates 4 inches apart. Each plate II 20
feet long and feet high and is simply
"A light framework with canvas on both
sides. A suction pipe passes through
the top at the center down to within a
half inch OF the bottom. while two blow
ing pipes also enter at the top. each one
half way between the center ends and
extend barely through the top. Eighteen
OF these parallel plates at firmly at
tached TO channel iron crossing their
tops, thus forming one basket Of filters
that is, one unit. We thus have In one
machine total fltering surface OF $3.50
square feet. on top OF these plates and
connected to their suction pipes by g.
Inch cross header pipe, rests 5is-inch
and S-inch by 7-inch vacuum pump. The
whole basket hangs by eight wire cables
from an electric crane with raises and
lowers the basket and carries II from
one compartment of the tank to an
other. This tank has three compart-
ments. containing shines, weak cyanide
solution, and wash water. Just beyond
the wash water compartment is the dis
charge point simply an open square I'M
der which the tailings cars stand tn re-
ceive their load.
TN operation the filter basket Is low
cred In the shines compartment and the
vacuum pump In started. The shines are
suction has proceeded from one to two
hours. varying with the character OF the
shines and with the thickness OF the
emulsion. there II a coating OF shines on
all parts Of the altering surface OF from
three fourths to one inch In thickness.
representing from 3 to ~ tons OF shines,
dry weight. The motor on the crane is
then started and the basket with It's
load II lifted out of the shines compart-
ment. this operation requiring four sec
onds The crane Ii then moved along
its track until over the weak cyanide
compartment and the basket Il lowered.
Twenty minutes In this tank and ten
minutes In the wash water tank Ii sufii-
Client for a complete displacement OF the
valuable solutions. During all this time
the pump II In operation and the
vacuum produced prevents the cakes
from dropping on during the trans
ferring. Having arrived at the dis
charge point the vacuum pump is
stopped and blast OF air turned into a
pipe connecting with the blowing pipes
OF each plate. The air passing through
the cloth from within the plates dis
lodges the slime cakes and they drop at
! once In the cars below, ~ that from 10
II tons are discharged and loaded In a
mute, Each filter handles about as
q. Is per day and one man operates the
,uur filters. so the cost OF labor II about
I
almost nothing. cloths In use six months
IN the experimental plant showing no
deterioration. The power required II
very small a 1h-horse power motor
does the raising OF the basket and h In
operation only 4 minutes during the
cycle OF two hours. The vacuum pumps
are run by air and hold vacuum OF
from rs TO 20 degrees OF mercury, The
discharge solution In as clear as spring
water.
"The advantages OF this sytem are
obvious. first, a saving OF from 20 to go
cents per ton In labor; second. a saving
Of a like amount In extraction; third. a
saving OF over so per cent In the cost OF
installation. The saving In extraction
ls due 10 the fact that, while the filter
IL In the shines tank and the suction In
operation an equalizing action II taking
place, rendering all parts OF the cake OF
equal resistance TO the flow OF solution
and wash-water. so that when placed In
the washing tanks perfect displace-
ment OF solution II accomplished. For
example We might consider that Il
would be possible for one spot on the
$500 square feet OF slime cake 10 have
more OF the coarser shines, or fine sands,
than the other parts; then there would
| be less resistance TO the How at this
point. therefore, the flow would be ac-
celebrated here the shines would be
brought up and would cover this point
more rapidly than the other parts until
by this increased coating, the resistaacS
/ TO the flow OF solution and wash water
so other points This equalixing infu'
ence IT, In fact, 80 continuously In oper.
alton that at no instant II there anS
less resistance to the flow at one poini
than at all other points. Thus. whef
lifted out from the shines compartment
the entire basket OF filters r. IN perfec
condition for washing and IN practice
all the soluble gold Is extracted.
CONTINUED Next Week.