Scenes and adventures in the semi-alpine region of the Ozark Mountains of Missouri and Arkansas . Pi^ METHOD OF WORKINa THE MINES. 181 before it gets hot, which is detrimental. If the ascent be too low, thebottom of the flue next to the basin will soon be eaten away by the heat,and thus in a short time undermine and destroy the furnace. The flux employed is also a matter of moment. Sand, and pulverizedflinty gravel, are mixed with the lead-ashes before smelting. The objectof this is to promote the vitrification of the slag, which would otherwiseremain stiff; the particles of revived lead w
Scenes and adventures in the semi-alpine region of the Ozark Mountains of Missouri and Arkansas . Pi^ METHOD OF WORKINa THE MINES. 181 before it gets hot, which is detrimental. If the ascent be too low, thebottom of the flue next to the basin will soon be eaten away by the heat,and thus in a short time undermine and destroy the furnace. The flux employed is also a matter of moment. Sand, and pulverizedflinty gravel, are mixed with the lead-ashes before smelting. The objectof this is to promote the vitrification of the slag, which would otherwiseremain stiff; the particles of revived lead would not sink through to thebottom, but remain entangled with it, and thus be lost. Lime is alsosometimes employed for the same purpose; and indeed any earth wouldoperate as a flux to the scoriaceous part of the lead-ashes, if added in adue proportion, particularly the alkaline earths. Lime and barytes, bothof which are afiorded in plenty at the mines, might therefore be advan-tageously employed, when no sand or easy-melting silicious gravel couldbe obtained. Good fusible sands are readily attacked a
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Keywords: ., bookauthorschoolcr, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1850, bookyear1853
