Class I.]
20
M. Louis Fiolet, of St. Omer (2ll, p. 1184). Variousclays for the manufacture of fiue and coarse pottery.
M. A. Basis (758, p. 1216). A kind of tripoli called“ tellur ine” being a very fine silicious deposit from themines of Mayaune, department of the Drome.
M. Favrel (835, p. 1236). For the beating of goldleaf.
M. Maehly (915, p. 1223). For a model of apparatusfor the distillation of oils from schist.
M. Seguin, marble manufacturer, Rue d’Assas, Paris (1G93, p. 1257). Most of the objects exhibited byM. Seguin are sculptured, and the Jury have onlytaken into consideration the rough marble and sawn orpolished slab.
"We think it desirable to offer a few remarks on theobjects exhibited by M. Chenot, and on the apparatus ofM. Maehly for distilling oil from schist.
M. Chenot has endeavoured to solve a very importantproblem, which has for its object the obtaining of iroudirectly from the ore without passing through the inter-mediate condition of pig, as in the Catalonian method,or without being obliged to perform two operations, andsmelt the cinder.
To do this, the ore is deoxidised in a closed vessel at adull red heat by the contact of a reducing gas, and thereis thus obtained a porous iron described under the nameof metallic sponge. M. Chenot hopes to be able to bringthis into a massive form by simple compression at theusual heat employed in forging, but hitherto his ex-pectations have not been crowned with success, or hewould have obtained a much higher reward. The Mentionhas been made in consideration of the remarkable pro-perties presented by his metallic sponge, which burnswith flame at the simple contact of a lighted match,the iron being transformed into oxide. Owing to thefacility with which oxidation takes place, the sponges,mixed with certain substances aud moistened, form averv solid cement.
The apparatus of M. Maehly, for the distillation ofoil from schist, consists of a kind of sheet-iron box placedin a muffle, and made to slide along a little railway,which extends to the sole of the muffle. In this box aresheet-iron plates, placed horizontally at distances of aboutfour inches apart, aud forming a kind of stage, which areintended to receive the schists about to be distilled, andequalize the temperature throughout the retort. Theschists are then all exposed to the same current of hotair,and the oil is distilled under similar conditions. It thusresults that no part of the schist is calcined before therest has been exposed to a similar and sufficient heat.
When the distillation is completed, the box full of cal-cined schist is removed and replaced by another; theinventor considering that this arraugement causes a greatsaving of fuel, since there is no need to cool the furnaceafter each operation, as is the case with the ordinarymethod.
The investigations carried on in Algiers within the lasttwelve years by the mining engineers charged with thisduty, and by several industrial companies, have provedthe existence of a large number of metalliferous localities.The operations conducted at these places are not yetsufficiently complete to ensure profitable returns, althoughmany observations render this result probable.
In 1850 the Government had already granted conces-sions for eight metal mines, four of which^in the provinceof Constantiue, have for their object rich and good ironores. The difficulty of obtaining fuel in abundance at amoderate price lias hitherto been an obstacle in the wayof opening these mines with advantage, and only oneestablishment has been started. This is situated near theconcession of Meboudja, in the neighbourhood of
The four other coucessions, those of Mouzaia, CapeTenes, Oued-Alleah, and Oued-Taffiler, are situated inthe province of Algiers , and have for their object theworking of mines of copper and lead.
The mines of Mouzaia include three groups of veins,composed of sulphate of barytes, carbonate of iron, andgrey copper ore. They are situated on the southern sideof the first mountains of the Atlas range to the north of
Medeah, and have been worked since 1844, employing, 600 persons.
The veins of Cape Tenes are altogether different, theveinstone being a ferriferous dolomite, mixed with bedsof clay and. ore, consisting of copper pyrites. Thesei veins have been worked for two years, and are remarkable: for their great number and for the space over which theyI spread, a circumstance which renders the preparatory' operations very costly. They, as well as those of Mou-; zaia, occur in sandstones and cretaceous clays, which| appear to correspond to the macigno of Italy .
The mines of La Calle are worked in a fine vein of; argentiferous galena mixed with ferruginous clay, thei veinstone being quartzy. They have been worked withactivity for about two years, aud have already yieldedresults of some importance.
The province of Algiers , where these mines are situ-ated, is as barren with regard to supplies of fuel as thatof Constantine; but the ores are more valuable, and canreadily bear the cost of transport to Europe . There arealready two works erected in the neighbourhood of Mar-seilles for reducing the ores of copper and lead, the richcoal basin of Alais offering favourable conditions for theseestablishments, and there is every reason to hope thatthey will become flourishing in a very short space oftime.
In order to show the interest they have felt in thedevelopment of the mineral industry of Algeria , the Juryhave granted Honourable Mention to—
The Company of Mines and Forges of Bona (20,p. 1261), for their forged and cast steel.
And they also award Ordinary Meution to the interestingspecimens exhibited by-r-
M. Beauregard de Philippeville (4, p. 1259). Oresfrom Mount Tilfilali.
Mining Commission of Mouzaia (18, p. 1260). Greycopper ore.
Mixing Commission of the Province of Algiers ,(45, pp. 1261, 1262). Sundry ores of copper, lead, andiron.
Mining Commission of the Province of Constan-tine (46, p. 1262). Geological collection from the pro-vince, and sundry ores.
The Zollverein (customs’ league ) includes all thosemining districts of Germany which are regarded as clas-sical either by the antiquity of their works, or by thecareful attention with which the mining has been carriedon. Of these the Ilartz in Hanover, Freiberg in Saxony ,Silesia, and the Rhenish provinces, are the principalcentres. Within this range all the metals are worked,even those being included which are generally most rare,such as mercury and tin ; and thus the study of the mineralindustry of this part of Germany offers an interest notinferior to thatof England, since if, on the one hand, someof the deposits are less rich, the ores, on the other hand,are more varied, so that the metallurgical processes aremore complete. Most of these mines are known by nume-rous and detailed accounts; but perhaps it may not beamiss to recall some facts relative to their products.
The Hartz mines chiefly produce argentiferous galena,and their yield is estimated at upwards of 2,100 tons(42,000 quintals*) of lead, and 10,000 lbs. (20,000 marcst)of silver, employing more or less directly a population of30,000 persons. The skill with which they are conducted,the inineralogical and geological studies to which theyhave given rise, and the advance which they have occa-sioned in the art of mining, have deserved a high repu-tation. It was here that machines were first constructed,by Chief Mining-Captain Albert, for lowering aud liftingminers ; and one of these machines (that at Andreasberg )is employed in a shaft upwards of 1,500 feet deep.
* The quintal may be calculated as nearh’ equal to ourhundredweight. The metrical quintal, however, is equal to100 kilogrammes, or about 2 cwt., and the ton is, therefore,taken as equal to 20 common quintals, or 10 metrical quin-tals.—I. W.
f The marc of silver is equal to about 8 oz. avoirdupois.-I. W.