CHAPTER XV. 



METALLURGY OF THE EUREKA ORES. 



Reduction of ores. — Almost all the ores of Eureka District are reduced either 

 at the Richmond or Eureka smelting works, which are situated, respectively, 

 at the south and north ends of the town of Eureka. At different periods 

 other companies have smelted their own and custom ores, but it has usually 

 been found most advantageous to have ores reduced at one or the other of 

 the above-mentioned works, as the large scale on which their operations are 

 conducted enables them to smelt at a less cost. 



No exhaustive investigation of the metallurgical processes carried on 

 in Eureka is intended in this report, and only such a general description 

 will be given as will enable the reader to compare the general methods and 

 apparatus with those employed in other districts. The ores have already 

 been described in a separate chapter, and an analysis of those of the Rich- 

 mond mine, which closely resemble all others in Ruby Hill, has been 

 added, so that a further description of them will be unnecessary here. 



Description of Richmond works. — The works of the Richmond company, which 

 are the largest and in some respects the most complete, are situated in the 

 southern part of the town of Eureka, and are connected with the company's 

 mine on Ruby Hill by a narrow-gauge railroad, about three miles in length. 

 The distance to the mine by wagon road is somewhat shorter, as, on account 

 of the difference in elevation between the town and the hill, the railroad 

 could not be built in a straight line. These works have a capacity of from 

 250 to 300 tons per day, according to the nature of the ore to be reduced. 

 A refinery is connected with these smelting works, in which the furnace 

 lead is calcined and the silver and gold are separated from it. 



Description of furnaces. — In the smelting department there are four shaft fur- 

 naces with an individual capacity of from 50 to 100 tons of raw ore per day. 



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