of brass by galvanic means, we employ a solution containing the two component metals, copper and zinc, in the proportions in which they would form brass, there will only be produced by the action of the battery a deposit of real copper; the zinc, more difficult of reduction, remains in solution. What must be done, then, to obtain a simultaneous precipitate of the two metals in the proportions required, is either to retard the precipitation of the copper or to accelerate that of the zinc. This may be accelerated by forming the bath with a great excess of zinc and very little copper.

Dr. Heeren gives the following proportions as having perfectly succeeded:

Each salt is dissolved in its prescribed quantity of water, and the solutions are then mixed; thereupon a precipitate is thrown down, which is either dissolved by agitation alone or by the addition of a little cyanide of potassium; indeed, it does not much matter if the solution be a little troubled. After the addition of 250 parts of distilled water, it is subjected to the action of two Bunsen elements charged with concentrated nitric acid mixed with one tenth of oil of vitriol. The bath is to be heated to ebullition, and is introduced into a glass with a foot, in which the two electrodes are plunged. The object to be covered is suspended from the positive pole, whilst a plate of brass is attached to the negative pole. The two metallic pieces may be placed very

near.

The deposit is rapidly formed if the bath be very hot; after a few minutes there is produced a layer of brass, the thickness of which augments rapidly.

Deposits of brass have been obtained in this way on copper, xine, brass, and Britannia metal; these metals are previously well pickled. Iron may, probably, also be coated in this wsy; but cast iron is but ill adapted for this operation.Mittheilungen des Hannov. Gewerbevereins, through Dublin Journal of Industrial Progress.

IMPROVEMENTS IN SMELTING, AND IN APPARATUS TO BE USED THEREIN.

BY WILLIAM TRURAN, of Marazion, Cornwall.

In his improved method of smelting, the patentee divides the internal bore of the blast nozzle or nozzles in such a manner that it or they shall deliver a divided jet, or two or more jets of blast, into the interior chamber through the same tuyere; the pressure, temperature, and general qualities of the blast delivered by the respective jets being either alike or dissimilar, as may be advisable, and of such form and relative proportions as the peculiar circumstances of the furnace and materials may require. The throat and mouth of the interior chamber, through which the decomposed blast escapes into the atmosphere, and of so much of the interior chamber as lies above the boshes, is constructed of a breadth equal to or in excess of the breadth of the chamber at the upper bosh line, and of an area in the plane section equal to or in excess of the area at the upper bosh line.

The form of the jet and the intensity of the blast delivered by the respective divisions of the divided nozzle-pipe may be varied by substituting other nozzles differently divided, and the general dimensions of the nozzle likewise may be adapted to local circumstances; but it is preferred to form the nozzle of two cylindrico-conical cases of different size, the lesser being inside the larger, and maintained in its position eccentrically or concentrically, as may seem best, by suitable connecting pins or pieces-care being taken that such connections do not materially impede the delivery of the blast. When it is desired that the blast issuing from the circular central orifice shall be of equal

pressure and intensity with that issuing from the annular orifice, the proportion of taper, if any, in both inner and outer cases may be nearly similar.

By means of the improvements herein described, iron ores are smelted with greater economy of fuel, blast, and other materials than heretofore, and iron ores of every description are smelted with raw or uncoked coal, which hitherto has been coked before use in the blast furnace; and iron of fine quality is produced without passing the ore through the preliminary operation of calcination, which has not heretofore been accomplished with the ores known to geologists as the carbonates of the coal formations, and to practical smelters as the clay band and black band iron stones.

SANDERSON'S PROCESS FOR REFINING AND IMPROVING THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON.

The object of refining iron is to deprive it of the deleterious matter it may contain, and also a portion of its carbon. To effect this, the usual plan is to melt pig-iron upon coke, with the addition of a strong blast, the oxygen of which acting upon the fluid iron, which is mixed with the various alloys, oxidizes them, and during the time necessary to decarbonize the metal a quantity of slag or cinder is formed, containing from 60 to 70 per cent. of iron, thus causing a great waste of metal, varying from 2 to 4 cwts. per ton. Besides this loss, the metal so produced is not uniform in quality, sometimes being too much blown and at other times too little, thus affording no means of obtaining a regular quality of malleable iron. Coke is used as a fuel, which is expensive, and the necessity of using a strong blast increases materially the cost of production. The objects of this process are

1. To reduce the loss of metal, and to use coal as a fuel instead of coke. 2. To effect a uniform decarbonization of pig-iron without the aid of blast. 3. To use a chemical re-agent capable of giving out oxygen during its decomposition, which taking up and uniting with the carbon evolved from the metal produces carbonic oxide gas, which acting upon the earthy compounds contained in the pig-iron, precipitates the metal contained in them.

4. To effect a greater facility, and also to produce a greater economy in the cost of manufacturing refined metal, by decarbonizing it, and at the same time clearing away the unreduced or earthy matter with which pig iron necessarily becomes mixed during its descent through the blast-furnace; and, further, to effect an economy (by using a purer metal so obtained) in the manufacture of malleable iron, causing less waste in puddling, and also in the subsequent re-heating required for producing bar, rod, or sheet-iron.

The furnace used is a common reverberatory, having a bed large enough to contain 2 to 3 tons, or even more of fluid metal.

The crude iron may be operated upon either by melting pig-iron upon the bed of this furnace or by drawing it direct from the blast-furnace. When the metal is melted and at rest, the slag must be skimmed from the surface, and a chemical re-agent is then added, capable of disengaging oxygen during its decomposition. Carbonic acid, or carbonic oxide gases, will be produced by the decomposition of this substance, and by the union of the oxygen contained therein with the carbon contained in the fluid iron from which it is eliminated, the gases so produced being unable to re-enter the metal, either pass off in vapor, or act upon the silicates or other earthy compounds which the crude iron may contain, precipitating the metallic part and allowing the earthy matter to flow away as slag, containing comparatively but a very small percentage of iron. Thus, by adding such chemical re-agent, which by its decomposition will evolve elements capable of combining with the carbon contained in the iron, and of producing carbonic oxide gas, which, acting upon the earthy compounds or other deleterious matter contained in the iron, causes such deleterious substances to separate from the iron, obtaining very clean, pure, crystalline metal, capable of being manufactured into superior malleable iron.

Many hundred tons have already been refined by this process direct from the blast furnace, and also by re-melting the crude iron; in both instances the

result has been uniform-the loss in metal not reaching 100 lbs. per ton upon re-melted iron, or 60 lbs. upon that operated upon in a fluid state from the blast-furnace. The malleable iron is also very materially improved in quality, being entirely freed from red shortness, and when broken cold presenting a clean, tough, elongated fibre. The loss in puddling averages 84 lbs. per ton, taken upon a furnace working 12 days; and a proportionate waste is experienced in the mill furnaces, according to the kind or size of iron required. For producing a variety of castings, it has also been found very useful, giving them greater strength, arising from the discharge of the earthy matter contained in the pig, and bringing the metallic particles in close contact.-London Jour.

PROGRESS OF THE IRON MANUFACTURE.

We have before us the "Address of the Western Iron Association," organized May 13, 1856, in Cincinnati, for the purpose of exciting mutual interest, and communicating information among those interested in the iron manufacture. We notice in this some of the more interesting portions of it:

Looking to the magnitude and increase of the production of American iron we have the following results, viz:

In 1840, the production of American Pig Iron was

In 1850,

In 1955,

Increase from 1840 to 1855,

66

46 66

225

286,903 tons. 563,755 900,000 per cent.

This is sevenfold the increase of American population, yet it is not so rapid as the importation of foreign iron, which in the same period was about 300 per cent. These facts show a most remarkable state of things; that the increased consumption of iron, from new uses, is so very great, that no increase of production, however great, has been able to keep pace with it. This does not prove the inability of the American manufacturer to supply the demand, for his resources are inexhaustible, but does prove that, for many years to come, the demand for iron will be sufficient to secure a ready market and good profits to the American producer. This is a very satisfactory conclusion to all persons engaged in that business, and one which may be relied on. The following aggregate of iron consumed in the United States, at different periods, will prove the general proposition yet more conclusively:

This shows an aggregate consumption equal to an increase of 250 per cent. in 15 years—a ratio altogether beyond the increase of the population, or of any other great interest in the country.

From this general view of the subject, we may turn to a more special examination of the iron business in our own immediate vicinity. The first column in the table shows the increase of the furnaces in Ohio alone; and the second, in the Iron Region around Hanging Rock.

We should have said that about 22 of the furnaces in the Hanging Rock region, or doing business at Portsmouth, are in Kentucky and Western Virginia. For a list of these we are indebted to Mr. Conway, of Portsmouth. That gentleman has also furnished us with the statistics of each furnace, the aggregate of which is as follows, viz:

Taking into view, all the incidental branches of business necessary to support such a population, we cannot suppose that less than 50,000 persons are dependent on this branch of business, or nearly one thousand to each furnace. Pursuing the pig metal, into blooms, bar, and rolled iron of all description, we find that the value of manufactured iron, produced from these 56 furnaces, amourts to six millions of dollars.

Let us pursue this business a little farther-descending to Cincinnati, and examining the callings, business, and population to which iron gives rise, we may here add, that although Cincinnati consumes nearly all the pig iron raised in the Hanging Rock Region, yet she also consumes iron, from Pittsburg, from the Cumberland River (Tenn.), and even from Georgia. Hence, Cincinnati concentrates a great, profitable and important business in iron.

The following are the statistics of iron manufactured in Cincinnati for 1855.

These manufactures of iron are sold in every town and hamlet of the Mississippi Valley. They consist of every possible article fabricated of iron. To give some idea of this business, we state, that in one manufactory, there are not less than one thousand varieties of articles made from Iron !

This business is not likely to be diminished, by any changes, in the commercial world. It does not depend on fashion, but on necessity; the wants and uses of civilization. Hence, the American manufacture of iron will go on with increased vigor.

JOURNAL OF GOLD MINING OPERATIONS.

CALIFORNIA GOLD FIELDS.

Quartz Mining in Grass Valley.-We have been permitted to examine a memorandum of one of the principal mills in this district, which shows a gross amount of 1452 tons crushed, yielding an aggregate of $82,500, taken from thirteen different veins within two and a half miles from this place. The rock was crushed in 27 different parcels. The average yield per ton is within a fraction of $57. We noticed among the parcels that the highest yield was $370 per ton, one $180, and several of a hundred and upwards. The lowest yield of any one parcel was $23. The value of the gold is estimated at its market value in this place.

We learn that Messrs. Judd, Watts and Keefe, had 170 tons of rock crushed at the Gold Hill mill, last week, which yielded them $19,700-within a fraction of $116 to the ton. The cost of raising and crushing this rock will not vary much from $16 per ton, leaving a net profit of $100 per ton; or a gross amount of $17,000 on the entire lot! The same parties have another lot of about the same quantity already on the surface, which it is thought will pay

equally well or better than the above. This rock was taken from Massachusetts Hill, adjoining claims of Rocky Bar Company. The same parties have 150 tons from the Sebastopol ledge, now being crushed, which it is expected will yield over $100 to the ton.

Messrs. Judd & Co. hold a lease of the claim on Massachusetts Hill which has yet three years to run. If it continues to pay at this rate for the entire time of the lease, the lesses ought to become rich men. The proprietorship of the ground rests in Mr. Joseph Woodworth, of this place, who receives as a condition of the lease (or what is termed a royalty) one fifth of the gross products.

Grass Valley may well afford to dry up her Placer diggings, as long as she possesses such quartz mines as these. The business of quartz mining in this place never was so prosperous as at the present time. The business is now fairly under way, and immense fortunes must be realized within a few years of the present time.

The above will give some idea of the extent and value of the quartz mining interest of Grass Valley, and in fact of the entire State; for we presume there are many other locations which, if facts were collected, would exhibit results nearly, or quite equal to the above. The quartz veins generally of California, are of limited extent, and narrow, but they are found every where from the summit of the Sierra to its foot hills, and in many localities on the Coast Range. An entire century even will make but small progress in revealing their numbers and richness.

The reader, on a perusal of the above, cannot fail to notice the large yield per ton of the veins of California, when compared with the produce of other mines. Our article in this issue, on the Moro Velho mine in Brazil, will enable the reader to institute a comparison between it and the mines of California. In a future number we shall give some description of the mines of Russia as developed in the Ural mountains, and as fast as we can collect the facts from other mines in various parts of the world.

QUARTZ MINING SUMMARY.

Each successive month adds largely to the interest and extent of quartz mining in California. Scarce a mail arrives that does not bring us some reports of new and valuable discoveries in this branch of mining. The difficulties and delays attendant upon placer mining by reason of the insufficient supplies of water and limited extent of placer diggings, are having the effect to turn the attention of great numbers of our mining population to that sure and more permanent source of wealth the quartz veins. It is now becoming very generally understood that every man may, if he will, possess a gold mine of his own, and a mine too upon which he can settle down permanently, with his family about him, if he chooses, and find in one locality employment for a lifetime and his children after him. In every portion of the State, resting upon the western slope of the Sierra Nevada, and in many places upon either slope of the Coast Range, gold-bearing quartz veins exist unlimited in numbers, and in their general average of richness far exceeding any similar deposits on the globe. Never, until the mountain ranges themselves are brought down to a level with the plains, will the gold which they contain be exhausted. The placers may in time become worked out, but the gold-bearing quartz never. The time is not far distant when almost every valley and gulch throughout our mountain ranges will resound with the clank of the iron stamper, and where we now count our quartz mills by dozens they will be numbered by hundreds.

Our "Summary for the past month is full of encouragement for the present and hope for the future.

Butte County.-Quartz mining in this county, says the North Californian, has been rather in disrepute until within a year past, since which time, and particularly within six months, a very considerable degree of attention has