Year: 1876

specification for foreign patents, being httle different from the American patent in detaaS.

 The object of this invention IS more espec- tally to facilitate and reduce the cost of the extraction of the gold and silver which is contained in quartz, but 1t may also oe ap- piled to the separation of the noble metals from other ores in which they may be con- tai.ed with the base metals.

 The inyen ion consists in furnace Of up- right cylindrical form, which Las double wall or shell of boiler plate or other iron for containing water or steain, and . suspended inyertibie or removable bottom, and has m its upper part a cone, around which tie gas eous products of combustion in the furnace may escape to a stack above, and upon the exterior of which is delivered water, which falls over its edges and meets the gaseous and volatile products escaping from the fur mace. and copdenses certain metalic ard other portions of said products, which fall with the said water and are collected tL,rewith into a suitable receptacle, while the ore is being roasted in the furnace by the combus- ton of wood, upon which the said ore IS de- posiged therein. Air is freely applied to the said furnace through an annular opening provided around its removable or invertiole bottom. for the combustion of the fuel and the oxidation of the oxidizable portions ot the ore; and this supply of air Is or may be increased by the steam which Is generated by the heat of the interior of the furnace from the water in it's double shell, and intro duced in jets to the stack to act as a blower, tie water also serving to prevent the rapid burning or oxidation of the inner wall of the furnace. Thesuspended removable or nvert- ible bottom serves 10 permit the rapid dis- charge of the contents of the furnace alter the roasting has become completed. By tue roasting process in this furnace the noble metals are to such an extent separated from the mineral matters and the base metals which are oxodizcd by the roasting process, that their complete separation may be easily effected by pulverization and subsequent amalgamatlon, the ore wing been brought to such condition by the roasting process that its complete reduction to an exceeding ly fine powdtr is very greatly facilitated.

 The body of the furnace, constituting the furnace proper, is of upright cylindrical form, open at the top and bottom, and suspended on or in frame work by Jugs. This fur mace is constructed of boiler plate or other iron. with double shell. Between the shell water and steam pipe is provided. the object of which is, ill the first place, to prevent the inner shell, from rapidly burning out; and in the second place, to provide steam with which to supply a steam jet blower, located in the stack, above the furnace.

 The bottom of the furnace, made in the form of an open vessel of an internal diame- ter larger than the external diameter of the body of the furnace, and constructed with double shell, having water space to pre- vent rapid oxidation of the interior. The said bottom is suspended from the frame, by rods, connecting herewith by trunnions. and with apparatus overhead, by means of which the said bottom may be raised and lowered at pleasure. double shell cham Der is situated at the top of the body of the furnace, and through the inner shell of which the gaseous products of combustion and volatile matters from the furnace pass to the stack, which is erected above said cham Der. The space between the two shells of this chamber contains water, which prevents the burning out of the inner shell.

 A cone. which is located over the upper portion of the inner shell of the chamber, upon which is delivered stream of water through pipe, which water comes in contact with said products as they pass and afterwards falls into the space between the inner and outer shells of the chamber, an overflow pipe for conducting off the water from the space between the shells of the chamber. after it has performed the opera ton of condensing the volatile metallic and some other products of combustion which have been involved from the furnace and which are collected in the said space. A ! pipe for conducting steam from the space sur rounding the body of the furnace to the blower. pipe for feeding water to the above mentioned space.

 The operation of the furnace is as follows :: Wood is delivered to the furnace until the same is partially filled when the quartz or ore to be treated is delivered in tho same manner, in Jumps of any size that will enter the furnace, on to the top of the wood, which is then ignited at the bottom. The result is that the principal portion of the wood is converted into charcoal before a great amount 1.-the same Is consumed after | which the whole charge is gradually raised to | to very high temperature in the presence of large flow of air entering the furnace be- tween the body and the bottom, the influx of said air being urged by the action of the blower as soon as sufficient steam IS genera ted The effect is that the sulphur and | other VOlatlle matteVS dTc mOStIN tApeitu, while the base metals are converted into OK ides in the furnTce, leaving the noble metals in comparatively a free state for amalgama- tion.

 The relative quantities of ore-and fuel SUD- piled to the furnace may be about one and a quarter cords of wood to four tons of ore or in like proportion according to the capacity of the furnace; but these proportions may be varied according to the nature of the ore

 under treatment

 After the charge of fuel has completely burned out, the bottom is lowered and tunr- ed upon its trunnions sufficiently to precipi tate the contents of the furnace into a pit

 below, or into or on any other suitable place

 or receptacle, from whence it may be gath

 cred for further treatment. The bottom i:

 then replaced in position when it is ready tc

 receive another charge for a repetition of the

 operatiou.-IM Mining and Scientific Press

 January a9th.

 WHEN Bret Harte was featuring lately 1T 1 Pennsvlvania committeeman went behind

 the curtain to speak to him just before hs