Alluvial Prospecting and Mining

Alluvial Prospecting and Mining (Second Revised Edition) focuses on the emergence of improved mining techniques and methods used in the excavation of alluvial deposits. The book first offers information on the prospecting methods, sampling, and valuation. Discussions focus on preliminary systematic prospecting, drilling in difficult ground, supervision of drilling, rate of excavation, pitting and drilling compared, sampling of bore holes, and calculation of reserves. The publication then examines water supply, including earth dams, spillways, leats, ditches, or canals, and design of pipelines. The manuscript ponders on sluicing and dry concentration of minerals. Topics include rock pavements, undercurrents, false bottoms, glean up, tailings, ground sluicing, water required, exploitation of plants, electrostatic separation, and high intensity magnetic separators. The book also reviews forward preparation of overburden, hydraulic mining, and gravel pumping. The publication is a dependable reference for miners and readers interested in alluvial prospecting and mining.

Preface to the Second EditionPreface to the First EditionI. Introduction Alluvial Deposits Classification Tests for MineralsII. Prospecting Methods Scout Prospecting Preliminary Systematic Prospecting Layout of Line and Grid Methods Holes Per Acre and Spacing Close Prospecting Pitting Drilling Banka Drilling Banka Tools and Their Uses Mode of Operation Drilling with Casing Type of Tool Used Drilling without Casing Withdrawal of Casing Fishing Tools General Hints Supervision of Drilling Banka Power Drill Conrad Pit Digger Tools Used Operation Withdrawal of Casing Rate of Excavation Pitting and Drilling ComparedIII. Sampling and Valuation Washing Appliances Gold Pan Cradle or Rocker Long Torn Sluice Box Diamond Washer Joplin Jig Sampling of Pits Field Book Sampling of Bore Holes Calculating Results by Pipe Factor Method Field Book Calculating Results by Box Measurements Field Book Boring Plan Calculation of Reserves Reports on Alluvial DepositsIV. Water Supply Water Measurements by V-Notch Weirs Water Measurement by Rectangular Weirs Velocity of Approach Dams Earth Dams Loose Rock Dams Concrete Dams Timber Dams Stake Dams Outlet and Gates Spillways Maintenance of Dams Leats, Ditches Or Canals Survey of Leats Construction of Leats Maintenance of Leats Spillways Drops Turn-Outs Flumes Pipes Pipe Joints Design of Pipe Lines Hydraulic Gradient Bends Length, Head and Diameter of Pipe Lines Friction HeadV. Sluicing Sluice Boxes Grade of Sluice Boxes Water Required Drops Riffles Block Riffles Rail Riffles Angle and T-Iron Riffles Rock Pavements Undercurrents False Bottoms Length of Sluices Starting Sluices Clean Up Tailings Prevention of Theft Details of Practice Deposits in Swamps Working of Terrace and Eluvial Deposits Ground Sluicing Hushing or Booming Willoughby Concentrator Records Exploitation PlansVI. Dry Concentration of Minerals General Principles Pneumatic Tables or Air-Float Separator Electrostatic Separation Sturtevant and Kipp Kelly Electrostatic Separators High Intensity Magnetic Separators Exolon SeparatorVII. Forward Preparation of Overburden Description of Methods Drilling Practice Blasting Practice Types of Drill EmployedVIII. Hydraulic Mining Giants or Monitors Operation of Giants Nozzle Pumps Potential Energy of Jets Duty of Giants Hydraulic Elevators Water Required Maximum Height of Lift Capacity of Elevators Efficiency of Elevators Sluice Boxes for Hydrauhcking Bedrock Cuts Sluice Boxes for Hydraulic Elevators Bedrock Ditches Tailings Disposal Records Exploitation PlansIX. Gravel Pumping Method of Operation Sluice Boxes for Gravel Pumping Water Required Conditions for Successful Working Records Exploitation PlansX. Miscellaneous Methods of Mining Drift Mining Placer Mining by Excavating Machinery Dragline Excavators Power Shovels Slackline Draglines Multi-Bucket Excavators Tractor Equipment Rotary Excavators Washing Plants Transport of Material Dumpers Belt Conveyors Maintenance of EquipmentXI. Selection of EquipmentXII. Alluvial Diamond Mining Occurrence, Mining and Treatment of Diamonds in Gold Coast South-West Africa Belgian Congo Angola, Portuguese West AfricaXIII. Mining of Beach Sands Occurrence Mining and Treatment Methods in India Australian Methods of Mining and DressingBibliographyIndex