Tonopah bonanza. [volume] (Butler City [i.e. Butler], Nev.) 1901-1909, 1905-12-16

AINfA
The following is an analysis Of Tono-
pah ore made at Nevada State Uni
versity:
Per cent.
Ferric oxide and alumina ABS
Manganic oxide 2.95
Gold and silver los
Moisture 2.70
1864
From a considerable acquaintance
with similar ores, | would recommend
dry crushing and pan a~malgamation as
the most feasible and cheapest, and
likely to give the highest results.
'As an illustration I would say that
the Garfield Mining company, in Es-
meralda county, treating a similar ore,
excepting that it carried some lead, for
two years saved 92 per cent, using a
pan charge as follows:
Ore pulp, 1000 pounds; sulphate of
copper, 21-2 pounds; salt, 62 pounds;
sulphuric acid, 2 IL pounds.
''Their loss in iron was 4 pounds per
ton.
''Their loss of quicksilver was l 1-8
pounds per ton Of ore. This was with
out roasting, and as the Tonopah ores
are much simpler, and without any
considerable amount Of base, a higher
extraction than 80 per cent should be
o~btainable. A slight oxidizing roast
may materially increase the extraction.
A subsequent treatment of tailings by
cyanide or chloro-cyanide would prob
ably render the tailings practically
valuelesa.
''The principal elements involved in
this process being fuel, water and salt,
it is probable that they can be com
bined most economically at or near the
southwestern extremity of Lone Noun
tain (by using a railway line). For
fuel, the choice lies between Utah coal,
California fuel oil, and the Columbus
coal.
water is available in the fiat in I'M
limited quantity, and salt from Silver
Peak marsh is at hand.
"0ther combination methods may be
presented, but with the very consider
able amount Of granular fine chloride
present in the large amounts of sur
face ores now known, it is almost a
certainty that dry crushing must be re-
stored to to avoid a heavy loss.
Properly constructed mills of this
character are not deleterious to the
health of workmen.
Under date of December1, 1905 1.-TWO
weeks ago. Mr.. Knapp adds to his for
mer report as follows:
"Nearly 8 IL tons of fuxing ores,
produced in this section, are required
to reduce each ton of the s%ilicious Tono-
pah ores, and explains the difficulty
found in handling same by the smelters,
and as well the fundamental reason
against establishing smelters locally, at
least until sufficient fluxing ores and
Auxes carrying values are developed to
warrant same.
"Up to the present time no bodies of
fuxing ore have been found in South
western Nevada, capable of yielding
sufficient to smelt any considerable
quantity of Tonopah ore. The output
of this class of ore up to the present
time, has been comparatively small and
much of it is barely self-huxing (car.
rying considerable ~silica). In view OF
these facts, milling must necessarily
be resorted to and a great deal of ex-
perimenting has been done to discover
the best methods. The ores of the
Tonopah district carry both gold and
silver, the proportion generally being
n and one-half ounces Of gold to one
hundred ounces OF silver. Thus the
relative quantity Of silver present is 90
per cent Of tile gold and silver. While
its value is about two thirds Of the
total, and any process adopted to secure
best results should lie essentially a sill
yer process, incidentally recovering the
gold.
Taking all the different types and
characters Of Tonopah ores into consid-
GRAFTON, we elieye that the best gem
eral result will lie obtained by adopting
a process Of dry crushing, an oxidizing
roast. fine grinding, and pan amalga-
nation. The tailings can be subse-
quently treatedif they contain sufficient
value to warrant II.
rs. A. KNAPP.
Dec. /, 1906"