NEW CRUSHING MACHINERY.

Marlborough Express, Volume VI, Issue 296, 10 June 1871, Page 8

NEW CRUSHING MACHINERY.

Nothing is of so much importance to the welfare of Cornwall in connection with its staple industry, than the improvement of various processes of mining, particularly those which concern the preparation of the ore. The Cornish pumping engines have long been noted as the best in the world; the underground arrangement and working of the Cornish mines in their best form, leave, perhaps, little to be desired, with one exception, the adoption of some mechanical means of boring. But the dressing operations are as rude in principle now as they were centuries ago. The stamps, although improved in their method of working, are stamps still; and the cost of preparing the ore for the smelter—especially the ore—is so much greater than it ought to be that mines have been abandoned which with a more perfect—and by this we mean a more mechanical—-system of dressing might be worked at a profit,' whilst others that might be flourishing concerns are dragging on a miserable existence. Several methods have of late years been proposed for the impnmment - of tin dressing, but among them there has been none of a more original character than that applied by Messrs Dingey, of the Truro Foundry, ,: in their “ pulveriser.” This machine consists of four iron plates revolving rapidly in an iron pan, which turns slowly in the con-

trary direction, and its special purpose is the bringing down of the “ rows ” or roughs.” It was shown at the last meeting of the Koyal Cornwall Polytechnic Society (when a full description appeared in the Western Morning News), and there obtained a first silver medal. Since then the machine has been put in practical working at Wheal Jane Mine, near Truro, where it has been in use about a month; and yesterday a large number of gentlemen interested in mining assembled at the mine to witness its public trial. The company included Messrs Ferguson, C.E., Henderson, C.E., Hockin, C.E., Davey, (steward to Lord Falmouth), J. H. Collins, F.G.S. (secretary to the Cornwall Polytechnic), N. Sara, Captains Piper and Craze (Wheal Francis), Eow, (Nangiles), Giles and Hill (Wheal Jane), Toy, S. Williams, Yincent, and Lean.

The machine was tested with the hardest “ rows ” to be found at Wheal Jane, and passed half a ton through in twenty-eight minutes. Captains Giles and Hill reported that they were thoroughly satisfied with it, and that with the consumption of eight to nine cwt. of coal a day it would do the work atleast of thirty-two head of stamps. Some of the company thought it equal to fifty. After the trial there was a dinner, over which Mr Dingey presided; and after the dinner most of the practical gentlemen present expressed their opinions of the new machine, which without exceptions were of a favourable charater. Captain Piper remarked that the pulveriser brought the stuff to a very fine and uniform size, which was just the thing for the subsequent operations. In this view the other captains generally concurred. Mr Hockin alse remarked, with reference to a doubt expressed at the Polytechnic meeting in regard to wear and tear, that the wear and tear in the pulveriser was not equal to half that of the i stamps. The trial therefore must be regarded as an unequivocal success. It is satisfactory to note that for this last improvement, in mining operations Cornwall is indebted to local engineers. [We understand from experienced Cornish miners that the tin ore in the district alluded to is infinitely harder than the quartz found in New Zealand.]