Show MILL PRACTICE AT THE HOMESTAKE special correspondence since the extraction of 95 per cent and over of gold values in a little mill not the best in its arrangement and construction is not an every day occurrence in milling in this western country filled as it is with gold mills your correspondent felt that a statement of what is being done at the homestake Home stake mill operated by the newport nevada mining company at deer lodge nevada would be of interest to the review readers the mill was constructed a year ago under the direction of mr E H hackett the superintendent of the property and was intended only for amalgamating purposes it was found that too large a proportion of the values were lost by not having a cyanide department and at the close of the year four tanks were put in and the services of mr G R yearsley of salt lake is followed by a second solution in twelve hours and a third solution in twelve hours later this is followed by two wash waters and is four days the tank is ready for emptying with practically all of the gold values taken out the slimes are run into tanks with a capacity of fifteen tons and settled the solution is drawn off and run through the precipitating tanks A wash water is then put on and the slimes agitated again they are allowed to settle and the solution decanted and sent to the circulating tank and the slimes discharged the precipitating tanks are the ordinary wooden boxes and zinc shavings are used in precipitation the average daily extraction of the values from the ores milled is 95 per cent and many times has run higher thirty tons of ore are put through the little mill daily RU A sr C IV 4 V also ana i 01 f at 4 THE HOMESTAKE MILL an experienced chemist and metallurgist were secured to install and start the plant after thorough tests were made of the ore it was found that it was not base and could be very successfully treated by the cyanide process the crushing apparatus of the mill consisted of a blake crusher and a calumet chilean mill at first the ore was put through a 30 mesh screen from the mill and later this was reduced to a 14 mesh and now very successful work is being done with an 8 mesh screen the ore is crushed in a one tenth of one per cent cyanide solution and is passed over the amalgamating plates where about 60 per cent of the values are saved the pulp then runs into the percolating co lating tanks where the sands settle and the slimes are run off into settling tanks for special treatment the slimes and sands are about equal in proportion the sands are first t treated r with a solution of the same strength as that in which the ore is crushed in fact no other strength is used in th the mill this is on oil for two hours and that average 10 per ton this is done with a force of eleven men which includes the superintendent the gold from the plates is retorted at the mill and the gold bullion is of such fineness that it is sent direct to the mint and the auro cyanides cranides are among the best in value sold on the salt lake market the success of the homestake Home stake mill is the result of a thorough knowledge of his business and the ability to put into practical use possessed by mr the superintendent having spent several years with chas butters in his laboratory and in mill work in central america and other places he was well prepared for the worl work here that has proved so successful mr yearsley has been well supported by mr E H hackett the superintendent of the property and the management and all concerned have cause for congratulations congratulation s for having one of the most successful milling plants in the west I 1 C A SHORT |