254 On the Zinc Mines of Franklin, N. J. 



chief difficulty is owing in the smelting process. In working the 

 zinc ore of Sussex County, the only substance to be driven off is 

 oxygen, and this is now effected by a very easy method in com- 

 mon cast-iron vessels, requiring only care, and attention to a few 

 first principles in chemistry and metallurgy. Its reduction by the 

 ordinary process of sublimation, per descensum, has proved but 

 partially successful, owing to the imperfect methods adopted ; but 

 the late Mr. Hassler, of Washington, obtained it in a very pure 

 state in this manner, and employed it in the fabrication of the 

 beautiful weights and measures which he made for the United 

 States government. At the same time, Mr. Ballou, of Franklin, 

 was prosecuting his experiments, and obtained the metal in a 

 pure state, while he employed the white oxide, or flowers of zinc, 

 as a substitute for lead paint. Within the last year, a company 

 in Boston has become largely interested in these zinc ores, and 

 has instituted experiments which show that the metal can be 

 profitably obtained in the manner already mentioned. A con- 

 ditional offer of the whole property has been made to a French 

 company, who have also satisfied themselves of the practicability 

 of separating the metal in a large way ; and this company, through 

 the agency of a practical mining engineer and metallurgist, Mr. 

 Hitz, is now engaged in exploring the mine more extensively, 

 before accepting the terms of the offer. The old openings, made 

 in Lord Sterling's time, afford but little means of judging of the 

 nature or extent of the ore, as they were made without any true 

 knowledge of the subject of mining ; some of them even pene- 

 trate the limestone in a contrary direction to the dip and line of 

 bearing of the metalliferous beds, which are remarkably uniform 

 in their course. They are perpendicular shafts sunk from fifteen 

 to twenty feet into the limestone, and some have supposed that 

 silver has been obtained from them and carried to Europe ; but, 

 on removing the rubbish that had been thrown out, and enlarging 

 one of them (at Sterling) for several feet in a horizontal direc- 

 tion towards the zinc, there were occasionally seen a few small 

 particles of galena, with flakes of graphite, and stains of carbonate 

 of copper. We have thus no reason to suppose that any silver 

 was ever found, though it may have been the thing sought for by 

 the earlier explorers.* 



* The date of these openings is not recorded, so far as I know, nor does the 

 fact, that pines and cedars more than fifteen inches in diameter, have grown up on 

 the edges of them, give us much clue to it. 



