GOLD-SAVING APPARATUS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 542, 6 September 1872, Page 3

GOLD-SAVING APPARATUS.

The Ore;/ River Argus: —Wo have had the opportunity of inspccling the plan of an apjaratus invented by Mr. Crossley, now of this town, which seems highly necessary for adoption by the mining companies who are crushing or a’’Out to crush at the reefs. In its very simpliicity its excellc ce is const!" tuted, as it neilher requii es extra gear or runs any danger of breakage or stoppage to the works by getting out of order. It is simply a patent ripple wherein the quicksilver is made to act as wanted, despite of cold or atmospheric influences. As it is well known Ihatmercuiy at ISdep. below zero freezes harder than solid iron, ard cannot act as a recipient of gold, and then also contracts to one-third of its dimensions when active and well disposed, we can easily imagine that any means that can remedy such inactivity in this most necessary aid to gold saving must he of great importance to the district. Such a want Mr. Crossley’s ripple profe-ses to meet. Thi- plan has been sue' cessfully adopted at. Wood’s Point, where the atmospheric influence exercises such a deprtssion upon the mercury as to render it almost totally inactive. The same affair was experienced upon some of the c’aims on the Thames,and it was not until Mr. Cross’ey’a apparatus was brought into use that the real value of the stone was known. The deterrent influences that operated against the true testing and amah ama'inn oftlie quartz, gold, and quicksilver- in hoth these places are much in excess in the Reeftnn district, inasmuch as the cold is greater and the humidity is more. We also know, from spec-inn ns shown, that gold of a very fine floury nature is obtained in many of the claims, and, when such is the case, unless it is canght by some very strong and powerful recipient, the merest trickle of water will carry it away. In the design we have mentioned all such difficulties are met by merely being able to keep up a requisite temperatuie of such a heat as to enable the mercury to act as wanted. The ripples are kept in a continual state of agitation during the crushing, and receive all the matrix into a nine inch Dough, through which the mercury is at times running. Attached to' this is a pips which receives a continual supply of steam, which traverses through tbe throe or four-troughs which may constitute the apparatus. Along with this there are other appliances of a substan tial nature that act in conjunction to keep the mercury alive, while attached to them arc the usual boxes and plates iu ordinary use It has, however, In en prove din every i ase where these ripples have been tried, that from ninety-five to ninety-eight percent. of the gold produced Inis been got in them, and this result has been where there have been silvered plates, blankets, and plush used in long flaming to catch what might have been missed in the first instance. In crushing by this process, as we have already observed,, cold and like deterring ii.flneucics upon the mercury aie combatted, and we should iherefore welcome the introduction of such an idea as Mr. Crossley has invented. It is simplicity i: self, and when once looked at by experienced miners, it will, in our opinbn, be immediately adopted.