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By James Quigley

As the outcrop mines in the West developed into underground operations, systems of ground sup- port were gradually evolved. In the early coal mines there was little need for support except near the dirt line in portals, where stone masonry was common. Where the top was shaley or broken, native pine props with light cross bars and legs furnished enough support even in Utah's 25-ft coal seams. As depth of workings increased, roofs and backs of the same general nature as those near the surface became more and more unstable and required more and more support. Some coal airways show this tendency very clearly. From the surface down the same type of roof shows deterioration which an experienced eye can translate into a measure of depth under surface rather than change in rock characteristics. Rock bolts, developed by various companies and by the U. S. Bureau of Mines, have become an effective substitute for timber in sections of some metal and nonmetal mines formerly requiring excessive timber support, and further use of war surplus landing mats, chain link fencing, and a new punched channel developed by one of the steel companies has enabled other mines to operate deposits where costs of timber and lack of clearance for timber support would have prohibited mining. The block caving mines have made extensive use of reinforced concrete underground to achieve similar ends under difficult conditions. Steel sets are standard in many Bureau of Reclamation projects, although these are usually covered in with concrete to make the permanent structures the Bureau's reclamation projects require. But the use of steel in mining operations is limited and has been confined principally to the iron ore mines of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. Some mines have installed used rail as posts, caps, and crossbars, but a rail section is not suited for load carrying, and used rails are generally brittle, having a tendency to fail without warning when overloaded.

Jan 7, 1959

By B. B. Gottsberger

HAVE given considerable thought during the past year to the subject of licensing of engineers and par-ticularly to the position which the mining engineer should take on this question. I have found, however, that it is not a subject which yields much result for the thought expended on it. So far as any published record will show, mining engineers have been either ignorant of the extent to which the movement for the licensing of engineers has progressed or else indifferent to it. It is true that the Mining and Metallurgical Society of America, by a questionnaire sent out to its member-ship, did a great deal in calling this matter to the atten-tion of the mining profession, and so far as I know, the report of its committee, which analyzed the replies received, is the only published statement of the feelings and opinions of our branch of the engineering profes-sion. It is to be hoped that the conclusions shown by that report, namely, that mining engineers are almost unanimously opposed to the principle of licensing and consequently any legislation dealing with it, has received serious thought and that we are ready for an even more thorough consideration of the subject.

Jan 3, 1922

By L. R. Smith

BUTANE OPERATED drilling rigs are a recent innovation in the petroleum industry, so extensive data on their operation are not available. However, experience indicates that, within limitations, as much can he accomplished with butane as with steam, at a decided reduction .in expense of installation and cost of operation. Commercial butane is a liquid motor fuel similar to gasoline, but much more volatile, so that it has to be stored under pressure. At 10° F. it is liquid at atmospheric pressure, but at 100° it has a pressure of 70 lb. or more. As soon as the pressure is reduced, it turns to vapor and in that state is far more easily mixed with the air necessary for combustion. Butane occurs as a by-product in the absorption process of natural gasoline extraction from casing-head gas. The product has been used to some extent 10 raise the octane value of gasoline. However, because of its volatile nature, such admixture is stable only to a limited degree. Attempts also have been made to introduce the product in a gaseous form into oil- hearing formations in repressuring work. It has, however, until recently, for the most part been wasted.

Jan 1, 1937

By M. D. Curran

AS applied to coal, the term processing is subject to many interpretations. To some it means preparation of coal for the market by mechanical means such as crushing, sizing, washing, or treating with oil or chemicals to eliminate dust or improve combustion quality. To others it means conversion of the coal to other commodities as in carbonization to produce coke and by- products, or to liquids by application of the hydrogenation process. I prefer to classify the various forms of mechanical treatment under the heading of beneficiation and apply the term processing to those methods of treatment that destroy the coal sub- stance through distillation or hydrogenation.

Jan 1, 1939

By D. S. Nilsson

Small-scale mines are today expected to provide much of the increased production of metals and coal this county demands. But in fact the category of larger mines tends to grow in number and size faster than the category of smaller mines. Larger mines show the highest productivity, the lowest injury frequency, and the lowest costs. Lower cutoff grades can be wed in larger mines. The paper describes how the production level affects the choice between different types of loading, haulage, and hoisting equipment; how the increased production level in a mine results in lower production costs per ton; and how this affects the profitability of mining deposits with various ore grades. The future trend is expected to favor larger and larger operations.

Jan 1, 1983

ADVANTAGES OF LIFE MEMBERSHIP The Institute calls the attention of members to the following advantages of obtaining life membership: 1. One payment avoids the trouble of future payments. 2. The interest on $150 is less than the annual dues. 3. Provision is thus made early in life for the less productive years. 4. In case of in increase of clues at any time in the future life members are exempt from increased payments. Excerpt from, By-Laws. Article III. Section 3 Any Member or Associate not in arrears may become, by the payment of one hundred and fifty dollars at one time, a Life Member or Life Associate, and shall not be liable thereafter to pay annual dues. The money thus received shall be invested and only the income thereof used for current expenses of the Institute.

Jan 1, 1916

By A. L. Engel

IN the treatment of complex ores by flotation, one of the most important steps is conditioning the feed. Conditioning primarily consists of the addition, in the grinding circuit, of an alkaline reagent, for example sodium carbonate, which neutralizes any acidity of ore and mill water, counteracts the effect of 'harmful soluble salts, disperses colloids, and provides the necessary alkalinity for the best metallurgical results. The several minerals of the ore should be put in such condition that they may be floated or rejected as desired, through the action of further reagents thereafter used.

Jan 1, 1932

[Allen -Sherman-Hoff Pump Co Third Cover Dee Carlton Brown. Advertising Allis-Chalmers Mfg. Co 228, 228,241 Compton Advertising, Inc. American Cyanamid Co James J. McMahon. Inc. American Manganese Steel Div., American Brake Shoe Co; 246 Fuller & Smith & Ross, Inc. Anaconda Copper Mining Co 229 Kenyon & Eckhardt Inc.]

Jan 1, 1952

[Allen-Sherman-Hoff Pump Co Third Cover Dee Carlton Brown,-Advertising Allis-Chalmers Mfg. Co. 8 Compton Advertising, Inc. American Cyanamid Co. 18,19 James J. McMahon. Inc. American Manganese Steel Div. American Brake Shoe Co. 20 Fuller & Smith & Ross, Inc. Anaconda Copper Mining Co. Kenyon & Eckhardt Inc. Atlas Powder Co. 11 The Aitken-Kynett Co..]

Jan 1, 1952

[Acker Drill Co., Inc. 1267 Bauer Advertising Inc. Allen & Co. Ltd., Edgar 1275 Allen-Sherman-Hoff Pump Co. Third Cover Dee Carlton Brown, Advertising Allis-Chalmers Mfg. Co. 1116 Compton Advertising, Inc. Allis-Chalmers Mfg. Co., Tractor Div 1131 Bert S. Gittins American Cyanamid Co. 1117 James J. McMahon, Inc. American Manganese Steel Div., American Brake Shoe Co. 1130, 1160 Fuller & Smith & Ross, Inc. Anaconda Copper Mining Co. 1173-1174 Kenyon & Eckhardt Inc. Atlas Car & Mfg. Co., The 1279]

Jan 1, 1952

[Allen-Sherman-Hoff Pump Co. Third Cover Dee Carton Brown. Advertising Allis-Chalmers Mfg. Co. 533,540 Compton Advertising, Inc. American Cyanamid Co. * James J. McMahon. Inc. American Manganese Steel Div., American Brake Shoe Co. 548, 548,549 Fuller & Smith & Ross, Inc. Anaconda Copper Mining Co. * Kenyon & Eckhardt Inc. Carlon Products Corp. 528 Penn and Hamaker, Inc. Chicago Pneumatic Tool Co. 558 G. M. Basford Co. Colorado Fuel & Iron Corp. * Doyle, Kitchen & McCormick, Inc.]

Jan 1, 1952

[Allen -Sherman-Hoff Pump Co Third Cover Dee Carlton Brown. Advertising Allis-Chalmers Mfg. Co 436,519 Compton Advertising, Inc. American Cyanamid Co * James J. McMahon. Inc. American Manganese Steel Div., American Brake Shoe Co 444 Fuller & Smith & Ross, Inc. Anaconda Copper Mining Co 449 Kenyon & Eckhardt Inc. Carton Products Corp. * Penn and Hamaker, Inc. Chicago Pneumatic Tool Co 431 G. M. Basford Co.]

Jan 1, 1952

[Allen-Sherman-Hoff Pump Co. Third Cover Dee Carlton Brown. Advertising Allis-Chalmers Mfg. Co. 110 Compton Advertising, Inc. American Cyanamid Co. * James J. McMahon. Inc. American Manganese Steel Div., American Brake Shoe Co. 138 Fuller & Smith & Ross, Inc.]

Jan 1, 1952

By NONE NA

[Allen -Sherman -Hoff. Pump Co Third Cover Dee Carlton Brown, Advertising Allis-Chalmers Mfg. Co 733, 750 Compton Advertising, Inc. American Cyanamid Co James J. McMahon. Inc. American Manganese Steel Div., American Brake Shoe Co 746 Fuller & Smith & Ross, Inc. Anaconda Copper Mining Co Kenyon & Eckhardt Inc. Carlon Products Corp 748 Penn and Hamaker, Inc. Chicago Pneumatic Tool Co 744, 745 G. M. Basjord Co.]

Jan 1, 1952

[Allen-Sherman-Hoff Pump Co. Third Cover Dee Carlton Brown, Advertising Allis-Chalmers Mfg. Co. 822, 831, 840 Compton Advertising, Inc. American Cyanamid Co. * James J. McMahon, Inc. American Manganese Steel Div., American Broke Shoe Co. 839 Fuller & Smith & Ross, Inc. Anaconda Copper Mining Co. * Kenyon & Eckhardt Inc. Carton Products Corp. * Penn and Hamaker, Inc. Chester Cable Corp. * George Homer Martin Associates]

Jan 1, 1952

[Allen-Sherman-Hoff Pump Co Third Cover Dee Carlton Brown, Advertising Allis-Chalmers Mfg. Co 625,654 Compton Advertising, Inc. American Cyanamid Co 638,639 James J. McMahon, Inc. American Manganese Steel Div., American Brake Shoe Co 642 Fuller & Smith & Ross, Inc. Anaconda Copper Mining Co * Kenyon & Eckhardt Inc. Carlon Products Corp * Penn and Hamaker, Inc. Chicago Pneumatic Tool Co 627 G. M. Basford Co.]

Jan 1, 1952

[Acker Drill Co., Inc. 997 Bauer Advertising, Inc. Allen -Sherman-Hoff Pump Co. Third Cover Dee Carlton Brown, Advertising Allis-Chalmers Mfg. Co. 911 Compton Advertising, Inc. American Cyanamid Co * James J. McMahon, Inc. American Manganese Steel Div., American Brake Shoe Co. 933 Fuller & Smith & Ross, Inc. Anaconda Copper Mining Co. * Kenyon & Eckhardt Inc. Carlon Products Corp. 910 Penn and Hamaker. Inc.]

Jan 1, 1952

By N/A NONE

[Acker Drill Co., Inc 1091 Bauer Advertising, Inc. Allen-Sherman-Hoff Pump Co. Third Cover Dee Carlton Brown, Advertising Allis-Chalmers Mfg. Co. 1008, 1009 Compton Advertising, Inc. American Cyanamid Co. 1018, 1019 James J. McMahon, Inc. American Manganese Steel Div., American Brake Shoe Co. 1036 Fuller & Smith & Ross, Inc. Anaconda Copper Mining Co. 1033 Kenyon & Eckhardt Inc. Carlon Products Corp. * Penn and Hamaker, Inc. Chester Cable Corp. * George Homer Martin Associates]

Jan 1, 1952

By Robert L. Kidd

ONE time or another placer mining attracts the attention of a large number of people, because of the possible low initial investment, low operating cost, and quick returns. Much has been said about sampling and operating placer deposits but many are still inclined to jump at a property without giving much, if any, consideration to proper sampling. This statement does not apply to experienced mining engineers but I am hoping that readers will tear out this article and pass it along where it will do the most good and thus help to preserve the reputation of legitimate mining. It would appear that some people have an ability to sink test pits in high-grade gravel that is positively uncanny. One pit showing high-grade values proves to some property owners and promoters that the entire property will do the same. This is

Jan 1, 1937

The members of the Institute have probably seen in the daily papers notices of the plans of the Secretary of the Navy to. form an Advisory Board to assist the Government to make available the latest inventive genius of the country. Secretary Daniels has appointed Mr. Thomas A. Edison Chairman of this Advisory Board and has officially invited the Institute to secure the selection of two of its members to serve. on this Board. The Secretary in his letter states: "I feel that the work your Institute has done has been such as to give it the right to be in a way officially represented, and the Navy Department desires in this way to testify to its own appreciation of the splendid work for our country that your Institute has done. I have the emphatic approval of Mr. Edison, and he agrees entirely with me that your Institute should he represented in this way and that no better method of getting the kind of men we need could be devised." The invitation of the Secretary of the Navy has been officially accepted and steps have been taken to nominate the two members. Since the Constitution provides for no meeting of the Board of Directors until September, and as Secretary Daniels urged early action, the matter was discussed at a special meeting of the Executive Committee of the Institute, at which were present as many members of the Board of Directors as were in New York City at the time. Invitations were also extended to other members of the Institute who happened to be in the vicinity. At this meeting it was decided to submit the matter by a special letter-ballot to the Board of Directors and in doing so to suggest or nominate five members of the Institute, accompanying this nomination with the statement that the Directors might vote for two of the members so nominated or for any other members of the Institute not so nominated. It was voted at this meeting that it. was the sense of those present that in view of the fact that this committee was an advisory one the type of men to be chosen should be men of administrative or executive ability, cap-

Jan 9, 1915