1and a
breadth of a foot and a half; it is connected with a transverse launder,
which then extends to a settling pit outside the building. A boy with
a shovel or a ladle takes the impure concentrates or impure tin-stone from a
heap, and throws them into the head of the strake or spreads them over it.
A washer with a wooden scrubber then agitates them in the strake, whereby
the mud mixed with water flows away into the transverse launder, and the
concentrates or the tin-stone settle on the strake. Since sometimes the
concentrates or fine tin-stone flow down together with the mud into the
transverse launder, a second washer closes it, after a distance of about six feet,
with a cross-board and frequently stirs the mud with a shovel, in order that
when mixed with water it may flow out into the settling-pit; and there
remains in the launder only the concentrates or tin-stone. The tin-stuff
of Schlackenwald and Erbisdroff is washed in this kind of a strake once
or twice; those of Altenberg three or four times; those of Geyer often
seven times; for in the ore at Schlackenwald and Erbisdorff the tin-stone
particles are of a fair size, and are crushed with stamps; at Altenberg they
are of much smaller size, and in the broken ore at Geyer only a few particles
of tin-stone can be seen occasionally.
which then extends to a settling pit outside the building. A boy with
a shovel or a ladle takes the impure concentrates or impure tin-stone from a
heap, and throws them into the head of the strake or spreads them over it.
A washer with a wooden scrubber then agitates them in the strake, whereby
the mud mixed with water flows away into the transverse launder, and the
concentrates or the tin-stone settle on the strake. Since sometimes the
concentrates or fine tin-stone flow down together with the mud into the
transverse launder, a second washer closes it, after a distance of about six feet,
with a cross-board and frequently stirs the mud with a shovel, in order that
when mixed with water it may flow out into the settling-pit; and there
remains in the launder only the concentrates or tin-stone. The tin-stuff
of Schlackenwald and Erbisdroff is washed in this kind of a strake once
or twice; those of Altenberg three or four times; those of Geyer often
seven times; for in the ore at Schlackenwald and Erbisdorff the tin-stone
particles are of a fair size, and are crushed with stamps; at Altenberg they
are of much smaller size, and in the broken ore at Geyer only a few particles
of tin-stone can be seen occasionally.
This method of washing was first devised by the miners who treated
tin ore, whence it passed on from the works of the tin workers to those of the
silver workers and others; this system is even more reliable than
washing in jigging-sieves. Near this ordinary strake there is generally a
canvas strake.
tin ore, whence it passed on from the works of the tin workers to those of the
silver workers and others; this system is even more reliable than
washing in jigging-sieves. Near this ordinary strake there is generally a
canvas strake.
In modern times two ordinary strakes, similarly made, are generally
joined together; the head of one is three feet distant from that of the other,
while the bodies are four feet distant from each other, and there is only one
cross launder under the two strakes. One boy shovels, from the heap into the
head of each, the concentrates or tin-stone mixed with mud. There are
two washers, one of whom sits at the right side of one strake, and the
other at the left of the other strake, and each pursues his task, using the
following sort of implement. Under each strake is a sill, from a socket in
which a round pole rises, and is held by half an iron ring in a beam of the
building, so that it may revolve; this pole is nine feet long and a palm
thick. Penetrating the pole is a small round piece of wood, three palms
long and as many digits thick, to which is affixed a small board two feet
long and five digits wide, in an opening of which one end of a small axle
revolves, and to this axle is fixed the handle of a little scrubber. The other
end of this axle turns in an opening of a second board, which is likewise fixed
to a small round piece of wood; this round piece, like the first one, is three
palms long and as many digits thick, and is used by the washer as a handle.
The little scrubber is made of a stick three feet long, to the end of which is
fixed a small tablet of wood a foot long, six digits broad, and a digit and a
half thick. The washer constantly moves the handle of this implement
with one hand; in this way the little scrubber stirs the concentrates or
the fine tin-stone mixed with mud in the head of the strake, and the mud, on
being stirred, flows on to the strake. In the other hand he holds a second
joined together; the head of one is three feet distant from that of the other,
while the bodies are four feet distant from each other, and there is only one
cross launder under the two strakes. One boy shovels, from the heap into the
head of each, the concentrates or tin-stone mixed with mud. There are
two washers, one of whom sits at the right side of one strake, and the
other at the left of the other strake, and each pursues his task, using the
following sort of implement. Under each strake is a sill, from a socket in
which a round pole rises, and is held by half an iron ring in a beam of the
building, so that it may revolve; this pole is nine feet long and a palm
thick. Penetrating the pole is a small round piece of wood, three palms
long and as many digits thick, to which is affixed a small board two feet
long and five digits wide, in an opening of which one end of a small axle
revolves, and to this axle is fixed the handle of a little scrubber. The other
end of this axle turns in an opening of a second board, which is likewise fixed
to a small round piece of wood; this round piece, like the first one, is three
palms long and as many digits thick, and is used by the washer as a handle.
The little scrubber is made of a stick three feet long, to the end of which is
fixed a small tablet of wood a foot long, six digits broad, and a digit and a
half thick. The washer constantly moves the handle of this implement
with one hand; in this way the little scrubber stirs the concentrates or
the fine tin-stone mixed with mud in the head of the strake, and the mud, on
being stirred, flows on to the strake. In the other hand he holds a second