San Francisco Paper - The Cyanide-Plant at the Treadwell Mines, Alaska

The purpose of this article is not only to describe the plant and method of cyaniding the Treadwell concentrates, but to present some of the results of the experimental work obtained in the past three years for the Alaska-Treadwell Qold Mining Co., at Douglas Island, Alaska, under the direction of F. W. Bradley, Consulting Engineer, and Robert A. Kinzie, General Superintendent, of the affiliated companies. At the time the experimental work was undertaken the concentrates were being shipped to the smeltery at Tacoma, Wash., and the cost for treatment of 3-oz. (gold) concentrates was $11.95 per ton, divided as follows : Smelting-charges,......... $4.00 Loading, freight, insurance, etc., . 2.89 Interest due to time loat in transit and in settlement,... 0.05 Loss due to settlement for 95 per cent. of the gold at $20 per ounce, 6.01 Total,...$11.95 From the experimental work described later, it was estimated that 96 per cent. extraction could be made by treatment on the ground, and that the cost, when treating 80 tons per day, would be $3.25 per ton, divided as follows : Per Day. Per Ton. Labor,. $86.16 $@.827 Chemicals,.76.60 0.960 Power and steam-heat,... 67.60 0.845 Marketing-, refining- and other charges, . 49.36 0.617 Totals,.. $2.59.72 $3.250 Adding to this total the 4 per cent. treatment-loss, which on 3-02. concentrates amounts to $2.48, gives a total cost of $5.13 per ton. Comparing this with $11.95, the cost when shipping to the smelter, leaves a net gain of $6.22 per ton by the local