The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1922-12-09
IMMENSE DEPOSIT
OF SILICA FOUND
A Deposit of More Than Eight
Hundred Acres of Pure Silica
Said to Be Lying on Sur
face of Earth Found

A recent find in the hills a short
distance northeast of Millers, on
the boundary line between Nye and
Esmeralda counties, is generally
conceded one of the most import
ant discoveries made in Nevada. For
the past 25 years or more, prospec-
tors have traversed over that sec
ton, little suspecting that beneath
their feet Jay untold wealth. Some
time ago field scouts in the employ
of certain interests visited the hills
north of Millers and took samples
of a white material which showed
there in great profusion. Analysis
disclosed that the white material is
a deposit of the softest, the smooth
est and purest white silica known to
biologists. This deposit is of huge
dimensions, covering an area of
800 acres, more than a mile square,
and is apparently inexhaustible and
entirely free of organic matter.
This discovery means much to
this section of Nevada, and espe-
cially to Tonopah, as from 20 to 80
men will be given employment in
the near future in the development
of the deposit. The discovery was
brought to the attention of C. M.
Fagenbush and Sol Camp, well
known mining operators and after
making several examinations of the
character and quantity of the de-
post they made a thorough sam
ping, taking hundreds of samples
from various points in the area.
Analysis of the silica made by
chemists of the highest repute con-
firmed the opinions of Fagenbush
and Camp and that it was just what
they were looking for, and they
lost no time in taking over the
property on a bond and option at a
purchase price of $4,000, on which
a first payment of 900 has been
made, three months time being
granted to complete payment in
full.
1t is the intention of the pur-
chasers, the Silica Superior syndi-
cate, to install at the earliest pos
sible moment the first unit of a
plant for pulyerizing the silica and
making it a marketable commodity.
The first unit of the plant, which
later will be enlarged, will consist
of one 57-inch Fuller Lehigh dread
naught pulverizing mill. These mills
have a capacity of from 20 to 80
tons per hour in pulverizing ma
terial as soft as this geyserite silica.
Pulverizing 20 tons per hour for
16 hours means the production of
800 tons, of which 272 tons will be
air float, an impalpable power which
commands ready sale in San Fran
cisco, Los Angeles and other coast
points at from $25 to $35 per ton
in carload lots, the price in the
eastern markets being considerably
higher.
The many uses for high grade
silica such as is this geyserite is
constantly being added to. Among
the many uses for pure white silica
are the following: Electric products,
glass, ceramics, refractories, abras-
ives and very extensively in con-
nection with building industry, for
flooring, roofing, fire proofing, stuc-
co, hollow tile, insulation, paints,
and pipe covering.
One firm in Meridian, Conn.,, en-
gagged in manufacturing insulator
and pipe covering, has announced
it can use 10000 tons per month.
With production of 272 tons of
air float each day of two 8-hour
shifts and its sale at lower than the
present market price, say $40 per
ton, means daily return of
$5440. AS it will not cost to ex-
coed $12 per ton to produce the
air float and land it in San Fran
cisco or Los Angeles there will be a
net profit of So per ton, amount
ing to $2176 per day, $65,2s0 per
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