New-York tribune., 1906-11-04
GOLD FROM BLACK SAND
And PLATINUM also.
n Source of Boundless Wealth
Nezcly Turned to account.

| vrenchng from Nature all important secrets she
has hitherto successfully kept locked in her
bosom. BeneHcent ard wise. she has probably
reserved them. though, for mans greater needs.
and little by little. he exhausts her
less easily ohtainabie gifts his rapidly broadening
and deepening scientific quest is discovering in the
by-products of human industry sources OF
supply for the maintenance and progress OF the
! race. The search does not always stop at the
thing sought for but frequently opens up to view
| others of even greater moment. Thus. when the
! Japanese-Russian War menaceG oUT platinum sup
ply from the chief mines of the world. which sit
uated in the Ural Mountains. the borders of ST.
berta-they controlled by trust. which practi-
( rally furnishes its product to at it's prices
and 50 sreaty alarmed our manufacturers that they
petiioned Congress To instruct the Interior Depart
ment TO look up platinum the United States. little
was dreamt Of the wonderful effect this search
would have the worlds gold output.
But here word as to platinum and its uses may
not be out of place. it win explain the read
mands. compliance with which has brought forth
/ such great and unexpected results. Platinum is
steel gray metal hard iron and yet quite MALE
able With the exception OF iridosmium. it is the
heaviest metal occurring in nature. Platinum does
not amalgamate with quicksilver, is not dissolved by
potassium cyanide when cold and is attacked by
acics, except the mixture OF nitric acid and hydro
! chloric acid known aqua regia 1t is
difficult to melt than gold. II is used In all eee-
, trio machinery-its coeficient OF expansion is the
same as glass, and it is the only metal which San
carry the electric current through the globes OF
| incandescent lamps-the hairlike wires that
! Ney the fluid to the haments in the bulbs of
Platinum; it is also in laboratories. for
clbes and other utensils TO which its infusibility
and its ability TO resist acids peculiarly adapt il.
and in dentistry, especially for the pins which attach
porcelain teeth. 1t is aoyed with other metals for
many purposes. and it is almost always more
( valuable than it's weight in gold-
The examination conducted by the Geological
Survey, them for platinum mainly. although
1t was hoped discover, in quantities that
would give them a commercial value, other min
| erals in the so-caled black sands OF placer
/ mines These black sands the heavier particles
which are worn away by abrasion Of the elements,
/ from the mineral bearing rocks OF course. all
sand comes from rOCk-the better part, such as the
white and light brown sands OF our Atlantic shores.
! from quartz These light coored sands are scat
| tered also throughout the country many Of these
are in the West. where, however. they have. mixed
with them the black sand-though. more often. the
latter lies In great beds apart. The dark color of
| tha-seashore the Pacific Coast, from the
/ ocean. is due this black sand.
Space viii not admit of following. step by step.
the progress Of the Geological Survey In its search
and experiments. 1t will suffice TO explain that in
| these. conducted under DIR. David T. Day. Chief
| OF Division OF Mining and Mineral Resources, II
/ gathered large number of samples from placer
miners in some thirty-four states and territories
and in Cuba, the interest shown being attesed by
the great quantity of samples and the wide extent
| OF country from which they In exhaust
i've series OF laboratory tests number of minerals
useful in the arts, platinum in paying and gold in
extraordinary quantities were found I'm certain OF
these samples The department then prosecuted field
work in OF the promising placer regions
thus indicated, and afterward it conducted series
of elaborate separation experiments with the black
sand at the Lewis and Clark Exposition Portland
| Ore The result of these amply demonstrated the
tremendous value OF these black sands to the
try those along several OF the rivers OF Colorado
and Of the Snake River. in Idaho and Oregon,
being found to be especially rich in platinum and
| gold.
Up to now, in placer mining. gold has been saved
in the sluices by mercury. but great deal OF Il.
/ being coated with copper. other metals which
resist the action OF the mercury. really thrown
away waste. Dr. Day is authority for the state
ment that there is a great deal OF gold I'm black
| sand which has never been gotten out. and that
| by running it and by handling it with the
proper concentrating machinery, 95 to 9S per cent
| Of gold and platinum can be saved. and, at the
time, separate the ether metals, that
J they be reduced
Miners generally have long known that black
sand contains platinum. but ignorant its value.
| have made no attempt TO save IT, They have still
longer known that there gold in it, for this fact
was pointed out in Shellrocke's Voyages to Call
forna,' published in London in 1872: but the diff
Guilty OF getting at it has discouraged all attempts
! to save il; and they have contented themselves
until recently with saving the gold in placer
mnes, letting the black sands 60 with the gravel.
/ to waste
! As with other great discoveries. those who have
eventually demonstrated 10 the world the possibi-
tiles OF the black sand the first to have fully
recognized them. Fer the last twenty years they
have been known to at least genius. who has
been steadily work for that period, in the effort
10 perfect n process which should get all the gold
and platinum out of the grains OF black sand. and
| with the most economy His process differs-to de-
scribe II generally for part CT q IS trade secret
from thar employed by DR.. Days experts. in that II
/ is chemical instead of electrical: simply dsi:-
/ tegrates. not dissoves. the metalods contained
| the black sand.
| 4 company capitalized at two million dollars
! and controlling several thousand acres on the
| Snake River. in the bed and IN the coves-former
bedsof which vast quantities OF this metalbearins
1 black sand to be found formed a couple OF
years since utilize this process; but the small
coterie of gentlemen comprising it did open its
stock subscr otion until the said process was
| treiy past the experimental stage, and until il
| could speak with certainty as cost of handling,
returns, etc; and that has only been recently. 1t
is now. however, preparing for active operation. s
| assembling its dredges and equipment and will
| probably be work few weeks time.
This companys-the Empire State Dredging
/ Company. No. 2s9 Broadway-machnery, para
phernalia and methods for handling these black
| sands may be briefly described thus; \ dredge
especially constructed for It by the Aiis-Chamers
Company is used, the dredge proper being accom-
| panied by a scow. tender: the latter
| tains the rifles and the concentrating equip
ment-a series of Washburn tables These latter
of iron. twelve inches wide by twelve feet long.
! and have perfectly smooth surface. they
arranged that they be used as ''concentrators,
or after the sand has been treated BY the chemical
| process. 'separators The washburn table has
| fore and aft movement operated by centrifugal
| power can be run ct speed OF three thousand.
ii should be stated that these tables-when used
as separatoTs-are inclined and that the said in
saved PToRortiOnsd 70 The weight Of water ussdI
greatest