WOOL WASHING WITH MINING TAILINGS.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3052, 7 April 1881, Page 4

WOOL WASHING WITH MINING TAILINGS.

Under the heading of "Wool Washing with Dirty Water," the Mount Ida Chronicle gives the following description of the operations at Kyeburn Station:—We recently ■visited the scene of the wool wash, and Mr Mackenzie kindly explained everything to us. The wash is situated in Spec Gully, about six miles from Naseby. Down this gaily thd water from several claims flows, and it is collected and lodged in a small dam about a mile from the wash, to which it was taken in a race. The race is connected with the boilers by a small flume. From the boilers it is conveyed by a tap to the first trough (which has perforations at one end to allow the water to escape) is supplied by means of one length of iron piping. Thi 3) having a fall of abemt, 12 fee*, clisnlmrges the water into two zinc pipes, on each of which are three or four short tubes, pointing upwards. These pipes lie parallel to each other in the bottom of the trough. The water, on account of the pressure given by means of the fall in the iron pijjing, is ejected through these tubes with considerable force, and until the trough becomes full, it spouts up to a height of several feet. When the trough becomes full, the water bobbles in the manner observable in the geyser washing machines, now so much used. By the side of the cold water trough is a straining box, into which the wool is thrown after being passed through the two troughs. The box is about 3ft iong, 2ft Bin high, and 2ft 6in wide at the top. narrowinsr down to 6in in the bottom, where are apertures to allow the wafer to escape. Tn consequence of the shape of the box. the wool nutoniatieallv presses the water out, 11 that the" remains to be done is to dry the wool on sheets. The modus opp.rav.di is simple. ' ill the work clone by three men, who ftna -M£Th, on an average, 3i bales per put ■ -i time we were at the wash the day. At the or odd and exceptionally second pieces--v operated on. A dirty pieces—were i.. into the hot-water quantity was thrown ... ->thing but the trough —which contained n«,. -which some dirty sludge water, heated, with . --1 been of the usual soft-soap preparation hn». •■» a mixed —and after it had been stirred fo. few moments it was taken out, to all intent and purposes clean. It was then thrown into the cold-water trough—which contained nothing but sludge water. After being •worked about for a short time, it was taken up and put into the box before mentioned, from whence it would be passed on to the Bheots. We examined some of the ■wool lying on the sheets, and without doubt it was in fine order, being white, soft, and unknotted. The process is a most interesting one, as it proves that dirty water will wash a eubstance clean, and it also shov/3 that the water from mining claims is not the unmixed evil to sheep farmers that it was supposed to be. We understand that the idea suggested itself to Mr Mackenzie through noticing that' tail water' was what is known as ' soft.' Being aware that' soft water is better than ' hard' for wool washing, Mr Mackenzie tried some wool in two buckets of sludge water, and the result surprised him. After further testing the matter, he felt justified in going to some expense to make races and dams, and his enterprise has been signally rewarded. We DudeiNtiinrf that for some years Mr. Roll and hus washed his wool in the waters of the Manuherikia with exceedingly satisfactory results, but the difference between a compamtively clear stream like the Manuherikia and an absolute sludge channel, which Spec Gully really is, is of course very great. '\ he water, as it is used in the latter place, is a dark chocolate colour, and the fact that both stations wash their wool so well seems to indicate that tail water oontains some vi>'hie for washing purposes* hitherto unknown,