The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1920-07-31
RENO STATION OF THE
BUREAU OF MINES
Work Planned Will Investigate
Many Problems of Economic
Importance Regarding Ne
vada Ore Deposits.

4
Golden, Colo. to Reno. in this State.
VIII result eventually in helping to
solve many perplexing questions re-
garding the profitable extraction of
metal values from ores in various
portions of the State. While the sta
ton will be known as the Rare and
Precious Metals station, it's expert
ments will not be confined to these
subjects alone, but Investigations Of
| all classes of ore and metals, and the
problems attending their reduction
Will be made. In a recent issue Of
the Engineering and Mining Journal,
their Washington correspondent gives
the following problems as being al
ready considered as in need of i'm
mediate attention. In Nos and IL
1t will be noted that Eureka ores are
among those to be experimental on,
| and as the Salt Lake station and
many private investigators are now
working on similar ore material with
exceedingly promising results in ex-
traction of values, 1t is probable that
In a very short time the many mil
lions of tons of oxidized ores in this
camp carrying from s to 80 dollars
per ton in gold and silver, will be
profitably treated In local plants.
While three or four properties in this
district produce ore whose values are
successfully extracted by cyanide,
there are vast quantities awaiting
some method of treatment that is, as
yet, not perfected.
l. A study of mining methods in
narrow veins and the determination
of the limiting factors of the various
methods with regard to inclination of
vein, pitch of ore shoot, strength of
walls, width of vein, etc. Especially
good opportunities are presented for
the study of this type of mining in
Nevada. In some cases, as many as
three different mining methods are in
use simultaneously in the same mine.
drilling in Nevada porphyry and the
invention of a suitable drill for this
purpose. At the present time 1t is
practically impossible to use the dia-
mond drill in western Nevada because
the porphyry has alternate hard and
soft streaks that render its operation
uncertain and expensive. Other States
have the same problem in individual
instances but it is more serious in Ne
vada than anywhere else.
-
tion of silver ores with a view to re-
ducing the losses. This would be
fine problem for Nevada since Nevada
is the greatest producer of straight
silver ores in the United States. Low
extractions mean great annual losses.
They are due in some cases to un-
known factors, as at Rochester where
but SS per cent can be obtained in
place of 93 per cent, at Tonopah, and
to known factors such as the presence
of manganese which reduces the ex-
traction at Candelaria and elsewhere.
There is no other station doing work
of this character.
4. Discovery of cheap method of
extracting lead and silver from low
grade oxidized ores. There are great
quantities of such ores throughout
Nevada, as for example in the neigh
borhood of Eureka.
5. Investigation of processes for
the extraction of oil from shale.
6. Discovery of a cheap method of
extracting copper and silver from
low grade oxidized ores. There are
immense quantities of such ores
throughout Nevada and in Mono and
Inyo Counties, California, which
would be tributary to the Reno sta
tion.
z. Commercial methods of treat
ing low grade lead-zinc sulphide ores
like those at the Simon Lead mine.
These ores are fairly widely distrib-
uted in Nevada and in adjacent parts
of California.
s. Investigation of methods for the
extraction and recovery of all metals
of value in base ores, i.e.. ores con-
tanning gold, silver. copper, lead, zinc
and iron.
8. Slime settlement, use and con-
servation of lime, regeneration of cy-
anide, problems of fouling solutions,
improved methods of precipitating
silver, and of treating material swept
up on failing ponds.
10. Treatment of antimonial and
arsenical ores carrying gold and sill
yer. A large amount of this type of
ore is reported to exist at Manhattan
and at Northumberland. Nevada.
IL. The treatment of low grade sill
ver-lead ores. These are said to oc-
cur in large amounts at Eureka, Ne
vada, also in the Yellow Pine district
in Clark County.
IL. Treatment of the concentrate
produced in such mills as those at
Tonopah. A similar problem would
be the treatment of fiotation concen-
trate.
13. Treatment of complex sulphide