Te Aroha Silver and Gold Mining Company's Reduction Works, Waiorongomai.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 365, 4 May 1889, Page 2

Te Aroha Silver and Gold Mining Company's Reduction Works, Waiorongomai.

En our issue of Saturday last we stated wit'i reference to the reduction works .erected by the above Company, that : It, was by fir the largest ami most complete general ore reduction woiks in the Australian Colonies. No other works anything like so extensive existing souHi ufthe Line, where provision has been made for treating ores of any description, as at these works ore can be tieatod l>y any of the following methods : ( J )By means of sinnipeis, tables, etc, ; (2) by concentrating ; (3) by desulpherising, ( chlorodysing and amalgamating ; (<i) 'by smelting by means of blast I'urnac . ,The Company ate therefore in a position, by means of these vat ions methods of trea'meut, to save the gold, silver, lead, ,and copper,, and will be prepared fee purchase for ctiah all desciiptfons of i mineral ores, for reduction at the Waiorongomai works. Tho capacity of the < present, plant is 100 tons per day, and the Works are capable of being enlarged to double or treble the present size. In the report which appears in our col-u-niins to-day respecting the visit o£ the Eon Minister of Public Works and others to these works On Wednesday last, will be found some further information respecting the Co. 'a plant. We now wi?h to add a few u partieu'lan9 y viz. : In a Idition to working base and free gold ores, the Co. will also s-hertly complete the necessary ar'raugemefits for treating silver ores by the cho'odysing and amalgamating process. The new twenty head of stamper?, constructed on a greatly improved principle, will be U3ed principally for dry Crushing, and in the redaction of silver ores. The Boss pan plant will be used for the general amalgamation of all descriptions of ore,, that do not need to be smelted. The Fru«; concentrators wi'l be utilised principally for the concentrating of base sulphide ores. The various kinds of ore will be treated as follows \ — Free milling ores, by means of ordinary stampers and pan amalgamation. By this process the gold and silver is obtained in the form of amalgam, then retorted, and subsequent^ melted into bar bullion. Base sulphide ores, by stampers and then concentrated ; the concentrates, as well as all high class gold, silver, and lead ores, being destilpheiised (by means of the Howeli revolving furnace), slagged (by being passed through the reverberatoiy furnace), and subsequently smelted by water jacket furnace. The result of this method Of treatment is that the gold, silver and lead is saved in the form of bullion ; and also a hi-proluct, technically known as { mat,' and which is composed of gold, silver, and copper. Silver ores, by desulpherising and chlorodising by means of the Howeli levolving furnace, the subsequent treatment being by pan amalgamation. Tho gold and silver is obtained in this case in the form of amalgam, which is retorted and then melted into bar bullion. We may add, it is the intention of tho Co. to erect a complete gold, silver, and lead refinery in conneefciou wild these works.