A Testing and Crushing Plant.

Thames Star, Volume XIX, Issue 5824, 29 September 1887, Page 2

A Testing and Crushing Plant.

The question of the erection of a testing plant at the Thames in connection with tbe.School of Mines being one in which everyone is deeply interested, an account of how a somewhat similar plant is about to be worked at Silverton, N.S.W., may be useful. The want of a sampling and crushing plant there has long been felt where mine owners could hare their ore tested, and Messrs Harrold Bros, are now erecting it at Cockburn, as being a site to which ores from all parts of the field may be conveniently parried. The works will be connected with the railway by a sliding, to enable the loading and unloading of trucks direct. It is proposed that ores should be sent to the works in bulk, to save the expense of bagging, which will be included in the cost of sampling and crashing. The 6re will be carried from waggons and trucks by elevators direct to the top floor of the building, whence it will be passed through improved crushing mills, each of 50 tons per diem capacity. As it passes from the mill to the bags, it will be thoroughly sampled, the sample being crushed to a powder and the assay sample being drawn therefrom. The cost is not yet made public, but it is stated that a few shillings per ton will cover the expense of receiving, crushing, sampling, bagging, and delivering into trucks, the only extra expense to owners being the bags and the cost of the assay, and the total cost will not exceed the expense of bagging the ore at the mine, which in the scheme undertaken by this firm will in many cases be saved to the owners. Liberal allowances will then be made on its value, and the ore shipped to the European or other markets for prompt sale and return. Messrs Harrold Bros, undertake to submit samples to the local smelting companies, thus protecting owners as to sampling and assay, and ensuring a good competition for the parcels 10 submitted. They recognise the fact that it has not been possible to work a large number of the mines through a paucity of capital, and by means of these works, whioh will ensure prompt advanoes and enable owners to be present at the eruabing and sampling of their ores, they reasonably anticipate that a large number of claims will be brought into profitable work. Owners will also be supplied with a sample, Jas a check; this they can draw themselves if they choose. To assist struggling miners they offer to pay the carriage on ores from the mines to their works, making the cost a ;first charge against the ores.