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By W. C. Krumbein

GEOLOGICAL problems are approached from a geometrical (space relations) viewpoint, a kinematical (time sequence) viewpoint, or a dynamical viewpoint. The first two require sound training in conventional geology and in field methods. The third approach requires a solid foundation of chemistry, physics, and mathematics. Modern training for geologists should include close integration of basic sciences with geological principles. INTRODUCTION Our knowledge of the earth has increased tremendously during the last half century. We know more about its surface configuration, the distribution of its natural resources, the procession of living forms that inhabited it in the past, the chemical composition of its oceans, the areal distribution of its surface rocks, the movements of its atmosphere, and so on. Not only do we know more facts about the earth, but we have a better understanding of the processes that take place on and within it, such as the nature of earthquakes, the thermodynamics of the atmosphere, the chemical equilibria involved in the formation of igneous rocks, the mechanics of stream flow, the dynamics of the earth's origin, and so on. Many sciences contributed to the sum total of this knowledge, including such established disciplines as geology, geography, physics, chemistry, astronomy, biology. Out of this accumulation of new knowledge grew also a group of new sciences, such as seismology, oceanography, meteorology, volcanology, hydrology. Collectively these latter are known as the geophysical and geochemical sciences, and to a large extent they began as branches of geology. Until the turn of the century, for example, the study of earthquakes (seismology) was a part of geology, although as early as 1846 Mallet, a physicist, had suggested that the subject could be investigated by elastic-wave theory. Comparatively little progress was made along these lines until the seismograph was developed near the turn of the century; since then, additional earthquake data have accumulated rapidly, but more important, the interpretation of these data essentially has kept pace with their accumulation. In similar fashion, meteorology was generally considered a branch of geology as recently as one or two decades ago. Considerable progress had been made in such aspects as weather forecasting, but the science dates its recent rapid rise from the year 1911, when Bjerknes first applied the principles of dynamics to the analysis of air masses. The rapid development of such disciplines as oceanography, volcanology and hydrology was due in part to the application of principles of chemical equilibrium, of dynamics, and of thermodynamics to earth problems, by men who were essentially physicists or chemists by training. The last half century, therefore, and particularly the last two decades, saw the influx of numerous chemists and physicists into the realm of the earth sciences. In the meantime the main body of geology itself showed a marked growth, and

Jan 1, 1941

IT will be recalled that when educational instruction for the mineral industry began at Freiberg, at the beginning of the eighteenth century, the original aim was to organize and systematize the procedures previously followed by young men in gaining familiarity with the technology then in use. There must have been many other ideas current, even then, as to just what a young man needed to learn in order to become capable of assuming responsibility for the supervision and direction of such technical work. The problem in Europe was decidedly different from that in nineteenth-century America, because some of the European mines were actually owned and operated by the governing authority and the others were supervised, regulated, and taxed by it. The American problem was the efficient performance of technical operations; the European one was regulatory supervision. It was natural, therefore, that in the development of educational processes in Europe stress was laid on those factors which conserved and protected the interests of the state. The study of mineralogy and geology, leading to correct judgments as to the workability and value of mineral deposits; assaying, which gave the means of quantitative measurements, as did surveying; chemistry, which furnished a better basis of understanding for assaying, mineralogy, and geology; and physics and mathematics, which are the bases for the understanding and efficient use of mechanical appliances, became the core of systematic instruction for the mineral industry. It was early recognized that men could learn more than was already known about all of these subjects and education took on that dichotomy which still characterizes it; the teaching of established knowledge to the unlearned, and that of extending of the bounds of knowledge, now loosely termed research, which after two and a half centuries of work still shows

Jan 1, 1941

By E. R. Borcherdt

METHODS and equipment are subject to study in the Butte district at all times in order that advantage may be taken of any new developments that might serve to increase efficiency and lower costs. Detailed time studies of each operation involved in the entire mining process have been of invaluable assistance in analyzing the individual operation for possible improvement. In other words, the fact that a practice has been in vogue for many years does not exempt it from change provided an easier and cheaper method can be found. EXPLORATION Ore occurs in the Butte district in such manner that structures must be drifted on, no matter how small or unimportant they appear when intersected by a crosscut. Parallel structures also add to the crosscut requirements. This prospecting work, which formerly was done entirely by drifting and crosscutting, is now being supplemented by diamond drilling, to aid in greatly decreasing the amount of waste. In long-shot prospecting, or in second or third class prospecting, where the chances of developing commercial ore are not very great, diamond drilling is of particular value. In prospecting where chances of encountering commercial ore are certain or where crosscuts can be used later for haulage or ventilation, drilling obviously is not applicable. Improvement in drilling machines and bits has contributed greatly to the present success of diamond drilling. STOPING For many years square-set filled stoping was the principal mining method used in the Butte district. Later timbered and untimbered rill stopes were used, also some horizontal cut-and-fill stoping where both ore and walls were particularly strong. Because of the amount of timber required for square-set stoping, and the relatively low production per stope unit, experiments with horizontal cut-and-fill stopes were begun in ore bodies of which many had fairly weak walls. It was felt that increase in the speed of the stoping operation, followed closely by filling, to avoid weight being produced by permitting ore and walls to remain insufficiently supported over comparatively long periods, would maintain the walls and backs in safe condition without the use of timber and without ore dilution from wall slough. Cycles of drilling, scraping ore, and filling were devised, which have materially increased stope production and decreased timber consumption, so that both stope labor and supply costs were lowered appreciably without materially affecting grade control. In the larger mines of the district, where wide veins favor this stoping method, half of the total production is now being mined by horizontal cut-and-fill stopes (Fig. I). The increase of the filling rate demanded by the increased stoping rate was the greatest obstacle encountered in the accelerated stoping operations. Finally this problem was solved by replacing the time-honored method of transferring filling waste by small cars, which were hoisted or lowered in the auxiliary shaft, by a transfer

Jan 1, 1941

By P. de Vitry, Oliver Bowles

THE conventional wire saw, introduced in the slate district of Pennsylvania by the Bureau of Mines in 1927, and used thereafter with remarkable success, consists of a three-strand steel cable having a diameter of 3/16 or 1/4 in. The equipment, methods used, and accomplishments have been described in previous reports.1-7 Similar wire saws have been used extensively in Europe, in quarries and in shaping blocks and slabs. During the period 1932-1937, competition in European marble quarries was keen, prices were declining, and orders were not abundant. When orders were received, there was generally an urgent call for speedy delivery. Because of the diversification of demands, it was impossible to maintain in stock marbles of the color, size, and thickness called for, therefore the material generally had to be fabricated after the order was received. The wire saw enabled stone mills to fill such orders promptly. With skillful handling, 7/8-in. slabs could be cut accurately and rapidly with this equipment. It was found, however, that, as the three-strand wire became worn, the cutting speed dropped rapidly and the cut became less accurate. To overcome these difficulties the junior author of this paper, after much experimentation, developed a new type of wire consisting of a single ribbon-shaped strand, twisted as shown in Fig. 1. To ensure straight sawing, the twist of the ribbon is reversed from right to left and vice versa every 25 ft. The reversal of the [ ] twist is shown in Fig. 2. This is not a new feature; it has been used to advantage with the three-strand wire both in Europe and America for several years. However, some difficulties arise in splicing the three-strand reverse-twist wire, and the claim is made that cutting is less accurate as the wire becomes worn. To make an endless belt, the ends of the single-strand wire are brazed together with

Jan 1, 1941

By Gilbert Soler

Producers of alloy steels recognize the importance of chemical composition in relation to the hot-working properties and the typical surface defects found in their product. Each analysis of steel has its own peculiar characteristics. Under conditions of standard mill practice each analysis is susceptible to certain types of defects. Mill practice must be varied to obtain the best combination of surface and internal quality in the product. Chemical composition influences the cast structure and crystallization characteristics of the ingot. It also determines the rate of heating and cooling, the plastic hot-working range, and the phase structure of the steel at various temperatures. as well as the tendency toward scale formation and decarburization. This paper endeavors to emphasize the manner in which chemical composition affects the various properties of steel, and to indicate the relative importance of these factors in relation to the hot-working properties and surface characteristics of killed steel. The influence of chemical composition may be outlined as follows: I. Effect on the cast structure of steel, including: A. State of deoxidation, and type of inclusions. B. Gas content of steel. C. Freezing point and melting point of steel. D. Crystallization characteristics and segregation. 11. Effect on the hot-working properties and surface characteristics of steel, including: A. Plastic hot-working range. B. Phase structures at hot-working temperatures. C. Rate of heating. D. Cooling characteristics. E. Scale formation. F. Surface decarburization. EFferect of Chemical Composition on Cast Structure of Steel State of Deoxidation and Type of Inclu-sions.—The state of deoxidation is limited by the final chemical analysis desired in the finished product, and is controlled primarily by carbon, manganese, silicon, and aluminum, and to a lesser degree by chromium, titanium, vanadium, or other deoxidizing elements. The degree of deoxidation affects the density of the cast structure and broadly classifies the steel as killed, semikilled, or rimming. This in turn manifests itself in surface characteristics. The manner and extent of deoxidation also controls the amount, type, and distribution of nonmetallic inclusions formed. The equilibrium of manganese, silicon and aluminum with the slags and pouring refractories with which the metal comes in contact is important, especially in regard to inclusions of fire-clay origin. Some surface Seams and hot-working difficulties can be traced to nonmetallic inclusions.

Jan 1, 1941

By H. W. III Straley

SOME ten years ago the writer1 made a survey of college catalogues to determine what sort of training geologists were receiving in basic sciences. In the light of this compilation and subsequent experience, he made the statement at the 1939 meeting of the Institute that apparently only in schools offering a curriculum in geological engineering or in the geological option of mining engineering curricula could geologists hope to receive the training advocated by Hubbert.2 In the former study, schools of engineering were excluded because the preparation was known beforehand. The present study aims to consider engineering schools in an effort to determine not only what basic studies are required but what use is made of them in geological courses of the third and fourth years. The present study combined the method of consulting catalogues with a questionnaire. Letters were mailed to officials responsible for supervision of mineral industries curricula requesting information on: (I) the extent to which the engineering preparation of the first two years is actually used in the work of the last two; (2) the extent to which the engineering of the last two years is used in courses in geological engineering or geology; and (3) whether geologists or geological engineers teach descriptively or analytically. Both methods of securing information are open to criticism; the former on the basis of the incomplete information supplied by university catalogues concerning prerequisites and curricula and the latter on the ground that the questions may be phrased poorly or given insufficient consideration by replying officials. Fifty-six questionnaires were mailed and 39 (70 per cent) replies were received. Of the replies, 6 (11.3 per cent) were from colleges of liberal arts unconnected with engineering schools, 11 (20 per cent) were from schools having curricula in geological engineering and 22 (39 per cent) were from departments of mining engineering. The number of replies and their distribution were satisfactory in spite of the receipt of only six from liberal arts colleges. It should be understood that the universities of which the catalogues were examined were not necessarily the same in both compilations. No departments that are admittedly or known to be acting solely as service departments were recorded in the second study. Table I shows that all professional schools require mathematics through calculus, whereas only 7 per cent of the liberal arts curricula expect the same level of preparation; only 73 per cent require trigonometry and 40 per cent college algebra. The proportion of geological engineering curricula requiring differential equations is higher than mining. All of the engineering schools require general and analytical chemistry, whereas only 77 per cent of liberal arts curricula require general and 18 per cent analytical. Twenty-two per cent of the mining and 40 per cent of the geological engineering

Jan 1, 1941

By Roy A. Hardy

The Getchell mine is a comparatively recent discovery in the old Potosi mining district, Humboldt County, Nevada, a district organized in the seventies and eighties, in which some prospecting was done in several metamorphic zones along a monzonite-sedimentary contact. The district had no production in the early days and no further work was done until the same metamorphic zones were prospected for tungsten (scheelite) in 1917 and 1918, when a few small lots were shipped. It again lay dormant until 1934, when prospectors investigated a large siliceous escarpment at one end of the old district where outcroppings were a prominent feature of the topography. Undoubtedly, during the early prospecting of the district, the outcroppings had been investigated for mineral, probably by panning, with negligible results because the gold later found is invisible in the concentrate and is refractory. A fire assay revealed the presence of sufficient gold to warrant development work. The outcroppings were easily prospected by short tunnels having their portals in the siliceous material on the hanging-wall side, with a maximum distance to crosscut to the footwall of 135 ft., or a distance at right angle to dip of 60 to 90 ft. Development work, reaching a depth of over 600 ft. on the dip of the vein, was done by means of various crosscut tunnels, winzes and laterals. A churn-drill hole was also sunk, which intersected. the vein at a depth of 1100 ft. on the dip. Sufficient development work of this character was completed by 1937 to justify the erection of a reduction plant to roast the sulphide ore and cyanide the calcine, and to treat the oxidized ore by straight cyanidation, to make a doré bullion for shipment to the mint. The erection of the plant was started that year and finished early in 1938; with a combined capacity of about 800 tons per day. It has operated continuously since erection and recently was enlarged to handle 1000 tons per day. The vein dips with the slope of the mountain, and by stripping the hanging wall the ore may be mined by power shovel for several hundred feet below the outcrop. Thereafter underground methods will be necessary.

Jan 1, 1941

By Maurice C. Fetzer, Charles R. Austin

It has long been known that plain high-carbon steels may be susceptible to graphiti-zation below the A1 critical, but no data have been available to indicate what factors cause and tend to inhibit graphite formation. Two recent publicationsl,2 have shown that the factors controlling graphitization below the A1 are different from those operating above the A1 inversion where commercial graphitization of malleable iron begins. Furthermore, for plain high-carbon steels graphitization below the critical point does not appear to be related to ordinary chemical analyses. Many years ago it was recorded3 that the rate of graphitization at subeutectoid temperature is not a maximum just below the A1 critical, but at some lower temperature, which Austin and Norris have shown to be about 670°C. Indeed, work done in our laboratory has demonstrated that it is impossible to spheroidize certain steels in the temperature range of 650° to 710°C. without the formation of considerable amounts of graphite. However, if the temperature is maintained just below the A1 (720°C.) these same steels may be completely sphe-roidized at constant temperature. In previous studiesl,2,4 on I per cent plain carbon steels graphitization was encountered during prolonged tempering. The limited number of steels studied did not provide sufficiellt data to permit adequate study of the factors controlling this graphitization. Accordingly, a limited statistical investigation was undertaken, utilizing 18 steels of similar chemical analyses, furnished by four steel companies, who also supplied information regarding the history of manufacture. An extensive program of research is being carried out on these steels, including the effect of pretreatment and atmosphere on the nature and extent of graphitization, and the possible correlation of graphitization with such characteristic properties as hardenability, grain size and mechanical behavior. In the present paper discussion is restricted to a study of the correlation between graphitizing tendency at 670°C. after quenching from several temperatures above the critical, and (I) the minor variations in the chemistry of these steels of "similar" chemical composition, and (2) the deoxida-tion practice employed. The state of the lead bath, oxidized or protected from oxidation by charcoal, used in the tempering treatments is also considered. Materials Eighteen plain carbon steels of about I per cent carbon, and containing similar amounts of each of the other common elements usually found as impurities, were obtained in the form of rods % in, in diameter from four steel manufacturers. The analyses for ordinary and special elements of all the steels were made on the rod stock as received in the laboratory, and the re-

Jan 1, 1941

By I. W. Alcorn

THE cost of drilling in the past few years of proration and ever decreasing allowables has received increasing thought and study. It seems to parallel the strides made with respect to pumping problems in 1932 and 1933. Low profit margins stimulate the search for economies. Any discussion of slim-hole drilling involves a multitude of abstract values, and the problem can be attacked only by a study of records and rational thinking. In a measure, traditional methods must be studied with a questioning attitude. The words "slim hole" may be somewhat misleading, as the term is entirely relative. For that reason I wish to define it as used in this discussion. On the Gulf Coast, I would define a normal hole as one in which 10 3/4-in. surface casing has been set and below which a 9 7/8-in. hole is dug. With this as a datum, holes of larger diameter below surface would be called "large holes," with 12 1/4 in. as the "extra large" class and holes of smaller diameter classed in the slim-hole range, 6 1/4 in. representing about the minimum size. The optimum size has not been definitely determined, but the preference is for a program that would call for setting 8 5/8-in. surface casing and digging a 7 3/4-in. hole. Different sections of the country might very properly deviate from this practice because of differences in depth, formations, regulations, or other factors. This paper will be confined to a discussion of the drilling of exploratory wells, as the drilling of this class of wells is quite a different problem from that of drilling a proven field, although many of the same considerations apply in both cases, as will be apparent. Although for many years shallow slim-hole and core-test holes of small diameter had been dug, it was not, I believe, until the fall of 1937 that serious consideration was given to its application in drilling wells 7000 ft., 8000 ft. and 9000 ft. deep on the Gulf Coast. This does not mean that nearly all such wells drilled on the Gulf Coast now are of the slim-hole variety, but only that efforts have been aimed in that direction with very encouraging results and there has been a very definite trend to reduce the size of holes, a trend that probably will continue. As to exploration policy, there appear to be two distinct and opposite views. The one usually followed in the past was more or less designed to "shoot the works" on one well. Generally on the Gulf Coast, the depth at which production might be obtained is limited by the drilling equipment and economics. With this thought in mind, wildcat wells are often planned with the idea of carrying the depth to 10,000 ft., or even 15,000 ft. All of the possible hazards are anticipated and the general drilling and casing programs are so predicated. Such wells contemplate the drilling of large-diameter holes; the setting of at least one protective string of casing and an extensive coring policy, all of which finally adds up to an expensive well. As opposed to this general policy is the slim hole. This, on the Gulf Coast, recognizes that new discoveries represent gam-

Jan 1, 1941

By H. H. Reamer, B. H. Sage

Attempts have been made to predict the volumetric and phase behavior of naturally occurring hydrocarbon mix-turesl-6 but these methods have not been extended to the higher pressures and tem-peratures that are currently encountered in some producing formations. Furthermore, the methods of prediction at present avail-able have not been tested in a sufficient number of cases to ensure their applica-bility to all naturally occurring hydrocar-bon mixtures, even at the lower pressures and temperatures. For these reasons the behavior of a number of hydrocarbon mix-tures from a field in which the subsurface pressures are above 4500 lb. per sq. in.t and the temperatures are in the neighbor-hood of 250°F. was investigated. Method The objective of this program was to determine the volumetric behavior of ma-terial as it existed in the reservoir as a function of pressure, temperature and com-position. Strictly speaking, this cannot be accomplished in any simple fashion. How- ever, the variations in composition that are encountered within a producing reservoir may be approximated roughly by means of mixtures made up of two arbitrarily chosen constituents. Experience indicates that the liquid and gas phases from a high-pressure gas trap afford a simple source of material for this purpose. Throughout this discus-sion the samples of the gas phase and liquid phase from the production trap will be called the "trap-gas sample" and the "trap-liquid sample," respectively. The volumetric behavior of both of the trap samples was determined throughout the temperature interval between 100" and 250°F. at pressures up to 5000 lb. per sq. in. In addition, the behavior of eight different mixtures containing varying proportions of the two trap samples was studied throughout the same temperature and pressure intervals. The experimental results yielded information concerning the specific volume of the material as a function of pressure, temperature and the relative quantity of the trap samples. The relative amount of each of the paraffin hydrocarbons of lower molecular weight than n-hexane was determined for each of the trap samples. In addition, the specific weight, viscosity and average molecular weight of the hexanes-and-heavier fraction of the trap-liquid sample were determined as well as similar information for each of five fractions separated from this material by distillation. From these data the weight fractions of each of the components from methane through pentane were determined for the trap samples and eight systematically chosen mixtures. Materials The gas and liquid samples were obtained from the production trap of a well in the Rio Bravo field in California during the fall of 1939. Information concerning the condi- 70

Jan 1, 1941

By Frank Foote, E. R. Jette

Precision lattice-constant measurements have been widely used in the study of cubic solid solutions but as yet have been rarely applied to noncubic solid solutions. (See, however, references I and 2.) With the high precision at present attainable in the measurement of lattice constants, the X-ray method should be readily applicable to noncubic solid solutions. In the work reported here, hexagonal close-packed magnesium was used as the solvent and either lead, bismuth or gold as the solute. In the magnesium-lead and magnesium-bismuth systems the a and c lattice constants were determined as a function of composition, densities were calculated from these lattice-constant data, these theoretical densities were compared with those directly measured and the solid solubility limit was determined on quenched specimens over a considerable range of temperature. In the magnesium-gold system, the solid solubility is very small but we have obtained an indirect check on the solubility limit previously reported. Materials and Preparation oF the Alloys The magnesium used was obtained from the Aluminum Company of America and was 99.987 per cent pure. Impurities as reported On the label were: Fe, Al, 0'004 per cent; Si, 0.009 per cent; Zn, trace; Cu, Pb, nil. The bismuth was Merck's analytical grade, minimum purity 99.95 per cent. Maximum impurities as listed on the label were: Fe, 0.008 per cent; Pb, 0.010 per cent; Ag, 0.010 per cent; Cu, 0.005 per cent; Sn, 0.003 per cent; Sb, 0.00; As, 0.000; S, 0.01 per cent. The gold was purified by double precipitation with sulphur dioxide. The lattice constants of these three metals have been previously reported.3 The lead used was test lead, silver free and with a maximum of 0.10 per cent heavy metal impurities. The lattice constant 01 this lead has been measured and found to be 4.94057 ± 0.00016 at 25°C. The alloys were prepared by melting together weighed amounts of the constituent metals in magnesia-lined alundum crucibles under an atmosphere of hydrogen purified by passing over magnesium heated to 500°C. The magnesia lining prevented contamination 01 the alloys with aluminum. Vacuum melting could not be used because of the volatility of magnesium. A high-frequency induction furnace was used for the melting operation and the stirring action of the current resulted in thorough mixing of the constituents. The melts were allowed to freeze in the crucible, the ingots obtained weighed about 10 grams. An extremely thin white film formed on the surface of the melts, sometimes covering only a part of the exposed surface. The ingots were filed clean, placed in small iror crucibles with close-fitting lids and indi. vidually sealed into Pyrex glass tubes Before sealing off, the tubes were alter

Jan 1, 1941

By Walter H. Bucher

THIS symposium is designed to lay the basis for a general discussion of the place of geophysics in the training of geologists. As there is danger that in the ensuing debate individual interests may be given emphasis out of proportion to their place, we shall do well to view the whole field of geological inquiry in order to see the problem in true perspective. THE NATURE OF GEOLOGICAL INQUIRY "Basic" and "Complex" Sciences It is convenient to divide all science into two major divisions, the basic and the complex sciences. The basic sciences separate out from reality such entities as "substances" and "movements," describe their behavior in terms of arbitrary units of measurement and derive from them by progressive abstractions concepts and patterns of behavior that exist between them, so-called general "laws" and "properties" of nature. The complex sciences, on the other hand, deal, with little or no abstraction, with those objects of reality that are accessible to man in the atmosphere, the hydrosphere, the lithosphere and the biosphere.† Their work comprises two types of inquiry. One is concerned with abstractions to the extent of dealing with types rather than individuals-that is, with such things as plants, animals, protoplasm; clouds, streams, glaciers; volcanoes and mountain ranges. It comprises the search for general properties and patterns of behavior or "laws" that characterize the objects and their reactions to each other. These properties and laws apply always, everywhere. They are independent of the stream of time. We may call the results of this sort of inquiry timeless knowledge. The other type of inquiry is concerned with the objects themselves-that is, with this animal and that plant; this river system and that mountain chain; this glacier and that valley. Like all concrete objects in nature, they are subject to change with the passage of time, especially when it is measured in years, centuries, eons. The characteristics by which we recognize them -indeed, their very existence are dependent on their position at this point in the stream of time. This we may call time-bound knowledge. The so-called descriptive sciences are all bound to the past of which the objects of their study are the product and through which alone their present properties can be understood. They are historical sciences. This obvious fact is easily overlooked, which leads to serious misunderstanding, as we shall see later. Dynamic Geology With this broad picture in mind, let us now examine the nature of geological inquiry, defining, for the purposes of this discussion, geology as the science of rocks. Air is not a rock; water is. Meteorology and climatology are, correspondingly, gen-

Jan 1, 1941

ANY discussion of State-supported schools of mining and metallurgy needs to be prefaced by a definition, since the first school to offer a mining curriculum, the Pennsylvania. Polytechnic College, was established by a grant from the State. But, so far as can be determined, it received no further State support. It would be tiresome to go into precise details, and it will be enough to stipulate that by State schools are meant those which derive their main financial support from regular appropriations made by a State legislature. The University of Michigan was the first of these to. offer a mineral industry curriculum; its story, as well as those of Wisconsin and Illinois, has been related in the preceding chapter.* Arranging the others in chronological order involves making a decision as to what weight to attach to plans for giving instruction, as contrasted with its effective initiation. This may appropriately be illustrated by the history of mineral industry education in California. CALIFORNIA Among those who came to California in 1849 and the following years were many New Englanders who had a keen interest in education. Some of them, mostly Congregationalists and Presbyterians, sought to establish a school of higher education around San Francisco Bay and eventually succeeded in opening the "Scientific and Classical School at Contra Costa" in Oakland, at Broadway and 5th St., on June 90, 1853. This prospered so well that it was chartered by the State as the College of California" on April, 13, 1855. Developing so rapidly that its quarters became. cramped, in 1864 it not only bought a tract of

Jan 1, 1941

By Karl L. Konnerth

THE rapidly increasing use of machinery for the mining of coal and operations incidental thereto has materially changed conditions from a safety standpoint. A few of the coal-producing states have recognized the need for specialized electrical equipment for use in mines and have introduced certain requirements in their State safety regulations, notably Pennsylvania. This paper discusses the principal problems involved in maintenance of such equipment. PERMISSIBLE: EQUIPMENT "Permissible" electrical equipment is equipment that has met certain prescribed standards for use in mines where hazardous conditions may occur and has been recommended by the U. S. Bureau of Mines. Such machinery is available on the market for most coal-mining operations--for instance, coal cutting, transportation, drilling, loading, working-place illumination, shot-firing and pumping. A notable exception is the trolley-reel gathering locomotive which, although its parts may be explosion-tested by the Bureau, has not been approved as permissible for the following reasons: I. The trailing cable is subjected to more severe service than on other equipment. 2. State regulations do not require that a working place be examined for methane before a locomotive enters it. 3. Even with two-conductor cable, imperfect or inadequate bonding may cause the emission of sparks at the wheels of the locomotive and at rail joints. 4. As the locomotive is equipped with a trolley pole, and as the trolley wire may be installed and used in unsafe territory in spite of rigid State regulations, a trolley-reel gathering locomotive is always a potential hazard. MAINTENANCE The proper procedure for maintenance of permissible equipment may be divided into three parts: (I) inspection, (2) actual maintenance and (3) changes or improvements to existing machines. To secure the fullest benefits through the use of permissible equipment it is necessary that all men involved understand the principles underlying the safety features of this equipment and realize the significance of defects, so that neglect and indifference in the maintenance thereof may be eliminated. Inspection From the standpoint of safety it is desirable no doubt to make a suitable inspection of permissible electrical equipment once a week, but the opening of every enclosed compartment at each inspection may do more harm than good. The openings to such compartments are closed with various types of covers very accurately machined, often made of the softer alloys to reduce weight, and fastened with a multitude of bolts, screws, washers, and other small parts. Frequent handling of these covers may cause sufficient damage to defeat their original purpose and intent.

Jan 1, 1941

By Thomas T. Read

MINING, which is at least twenty centuries old, was at first, and long, wholly a practical art. Little more than two centuries have elapsed since the inception of the idea that general education and a knowledge of natural science would be of advantage to those engaged in the mining industry. Though schools of mining began to develop in Europe early in the eighteenth century the concept of educational preparation for technical conduct of the industry was slow in winning general acceptance in the industry itself. John Hays Hammond, in his autobiography,1 recalls that when he sought employment with a mining company after he had graduated from Yale and Freiberg he had to assure its executive, before being even considered for employment, that he did not consider that he had learned anything about mining. This was as late as 1880. Existence in the industry of a prejudice against education of the academic type is perhaps an explanation why inadequate provision has been made by the mining industry for the continuing education of technical employees after they enter employment, although engineering education prior to engaging in industry has now won general acceptance. I am familiar with the existence of "loop" courses for engineering graduates in metallurgical plants, of schemes for giving mining graduates "practical experience," and of the interest in vocational courses for workmen which sprang up in the period of labor shortage during and immediately following World War I (but which quickly died when the depression of 1921 again made experienced workmen available in sufficient supply), having been chairman of a committee appointed by the Mineral Industry Education Division to make a survey of existing provisions for post-employment training for engineers in our industry. The results of that survey, reported elsewhere, clearly indicate that it is inadequate as to amount; the aim of this paper is to present evidence for belief that it is also inadequate in quality. To avoid becoming too involved, no reference will be made here to post-employment vocational training for workmen, which is a subject differing so much from post-employment education for engineers as to require separate treatment. Neither will postgraduate education for metallurgical engineers be discussed, because a distinction must then be made between training for research work and for plant operation, whereas mining engineers engage almost exclusively in operations. Since the situation in the coal-mining industry has been discussed at several recent meetings, that also will be passed over, and what follows should be taken as a discussion applying exclusively to the metal-mining industry. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT In the operations field (both in mining and metallurgy) the work to which a beginner is assigned is seldom closely related to previous academic education. The contrast is almost as great as between

Jan 1, 1941

By George W. Bain

Some problems concomitant with commercial exploitalion of marble are presented as examples of interesting, useful and profitable fields for application of scientific knowledge. The marble industry is only one such field and is selected because its varying new aspects are familiar to the author. However, what is true for marble is equally so in principle for many industrial minerals. The problems of any stone industry are to maintain markets, create new outlets for stone already in demand, and develop varied uses for varieties that are not so popular. Here the geologist has a different role from most of his colleagues in metal mining. The producing branch may ask about the expectable variation in thickness or size of a deposit as development proceeds. The stock department may call for the available amount of a given type of stone before accepting a large order. The sales force requires data on the use for stone from certain parts of deposits in order to divert grades to the most suitable use. The service department wants defects rectified and the cause determined to avoid recurrence The mills want data on durability and cutting quality of abrasives. The geologist occupies no special department; he is on general call, as may be illustrated by a few types of problems that may be classified as: (1) dominantly geological in character, (2) dominantly chemical in character, (3) dominantly physical in character. Geological Problems The geological problems deal almost exclusively with the size of blocks. Size across the deposit is limited by thickness of individual beds. and along the strike by the space between crosscutting joints. Frequently the vertical depth of a block is reduced by exfoliation shells arising from spontaneous expansion. All these factors require consideration in developing a deposit to fill an order. Thickening of Marble Beds The limestone beds that became the marble deposits of the northern Appalachians and of the Yule locality in Colorado were seldom homo-

Jan 1, 1941

By Henry R. Joesting

DURING the past year and a half, the Territorial Department of Mines in Alaska has conducted a modest experimental program for the purpose of determining the extent to which magnetic and resistivity methods can be used in interior Alaska in connection with prospecting, mining and geological studies. Since little information is available concerning previous work,1,2 and since conditions differ considerably from those in most other regions, it was considered advisable to make a general study of the possibilities and limitations of the two methods, rather than a detailed study of any single problem. PROBLEMS One of the most serious handicaps to prospecting and geological study in interior Alaska, especially in the mature regions, is a cover of unconsolidated deposits ranging in thickness from a few feet to several hundred feet. These deposits, some of which are permanently frozen, consist of silt with varying proportions of vegetation and windblown material in the valleys and of residual deposits on the hills.3,4 The problems treated here are caused by the existence of this overburden: I. Location of buried placers. 2. Determination of depth and areal distribution of permanently frozen and of thawed unconsolidated deposits. 3. Location of water-bearing beds under unconsolidated deposits. INSTRUMENTS AND METHODS Magnetic and direct-current resistivity methods were used because they are relatively simple, rapid and inexpensive and because generally they are well suited to the study of the problems indicated. The instruments used were a vertical Schmidt-type magnetometer and a direct-current resistivity instrument similar to those used by the Geophysical Branch of the U. S. Geological Survey.5 For placer surveys with the magnetometer, a sensitivity of about 25 gammas per scale division was found suitable. For resistivity studies of frozen and thawed overburden and of underground water, the Lee partitioning method6 was found to be most generally suitable. In the Lee method a central potential electrode is placed midway between the two potential electrodes of the Wenner four-electrode configuration.7 Nonpolarizable electrodes were made from unglazed porcelain pots about 10 cm. high and 5 cm. in diameter. In order to retard evaporation of the electrolyte the sides of the pots were glazed, inside and out, with clear Duco lacquer. For resistivity work in cold weather, a nonfreezing electrolyte consisting of equal parts of ethylene glycol and a saturated water solution of copper sulphate proved satisfactory. Stainless steel rods of 3/4-in. diameter made excellent current electrodes because their bright finish enabled good ground contacts to be made.

Jan 1, 1941

By John Chipman, Eric R. Jette, O. B. Ellis

In the study of the chemical reactions orcurring in the open-hearth furnace, it is frequently assumed that a condition of equilibrium between slag and metal is attained. In order to test this assumption it is necessary to have dependable operating data as well as an exact knowledge of the equilibrium state. Considerable progress has already been made in the study of slag-metal equilibria, notably in the earlier work of Hertyl and of Oberhoffer and Schenck2 and in the more recent researches of Krings and Schack-mann3 and of Koerber and Oelsen.4 None of these investigators, however, have employed basic slags comparable to those encountered in basic open-hearth practice, so that up to the present time our only information regarding the equilibria of these slags is based upon observations drawn from steelmaking practice in which there is little assurance that actual equilibrium was attained. The original plan of this investigation was to secure simultaneous slag and metal samples at intervals during the making of an open-hearth heat, recording the heat history in detail and obtaining complete allalyses of slag and metal, then to bring these slag samples into equilibrium with liquid iron in the laboratory induction furnace and thus to determine directly whether or not the observed relationships in the open hearth represent conditions approaching equilibrium. This plan was only partly successful. While slags were obtained from the open hearth under satisfactorily recorded conditions and these were re-melted in the laboratory under equilibrium conditions, changes in slag composition, which accompanied the remelting operation, were so great that the final slag from the induction furnace bore little resemblance to its open-hearth parent and the direct comparison was therefore abnndoned. The results, however, lie within a range of slag composition that is of interest in the making of low-carbon steel. As far as we are aware, they represent the first published laboratory study of equilibria involving slags that contain all the con stituents of basic open-hearth slag. Experimental Heats The first set of measurements on slag-metal equilibrium was made in the Research Laboratories of the American Rolling Mill Co, at Middletown, Ohio. This will be known as series A. The second set was made in the Metallurgical Rescarch Laboratories at Massachusetts Institute of Techology, and will be referred to as series B. Series A.—The induction furnace used has been described. Approximately I kg. of a special ingot iron containing less than

Jan 1, 1941

By Thomas A. Read

The internal friction of single crystals of metals is affected markedly by a variety of factors, which, according to the literature, are without influence on the internal friction of polycrystalline metals at strain amplitudes less than 10-5. For example, the internal friction of a suitably oriented zinc single crystal is multiplied by a factor of ioo when the vibration amplitude is slightly increased, and the internal friction of a copper crystal is markedly increased by the application of a stress of 30 lb. per sq. in. for one minute. In this paper it will be shown that these, together with the other phenomena associated with the damping of mechanical vibrations in metal single crystals, can be satisfactorily explained, at least qualitatively, in terms of an atomic mechanism that has been proposed for quite another purpose—that of accounting for slip in metals. The extraordinary agreement between the observed behavior of the metal single crystals and the behavior that could be predicted on the basis of this atomic mechanism leads to the belief that the latter is probably essentially correct. If this is so, it follows that valuable information about the slip process in metals may be gained from measurements of internal friction on single crystals. In this paper the results of the only study to date on the damping of mechanical vibrations in single crystals of metals mill be presented. Experimental Procedure The internal friction of a material is a measure of the rate at which the energy of mechanical vibrations is converted into heat. The measure of internal friction used in the present paper is the decrcment A, which is defined as the fraction of the energy of vibration lost per half cycle. The measurements described here were made for longitudinal oscillations at a frequency of 33.5 kc. for the copper crystals, and at a frequency of 39 kc. for the zinc crystals. The method used is that of the composite piezoelectric oscillator. The single-crystal specimens are in the form of circular cylinders M in. in diameter and I 1/2 to 21/2 in. long. The crystal rods are waxed in a V-block and sawed to the proper length with a fine jeweler's saw. The ends of the specimen are ground flat, and one end is cemented with a very thin film of beeswax and rosin to the end of an x-cut quartz rod which is 1/4 in. in diameter and 3 in. long. The length of the specimen rod is determined by the condition that its natural frequency for longitudinal vibration be the same as that of the quartz rod, within 0.5 per cent. The lengths of the specimens are thus different for different orientations of the cylinder axis with respect to the crystallographic axes. When the specimen and quartz rods are thus matched in frequency the adhesive is at a node of stress, and it has been shown experimentally that under these circumstances

Jan 1, 1941

By H. K. Work

The Bessemer process is one of the most interesting methods of making steel. At one time it was by far the most important. In recent years, however, it has steadily lost ground to the open-hearth process. The forces working against this method of stccl-making are partly economic and partly metallurgical.1 In this paper, dealing as it does with the control of the process, the metallurgical factors alone will be considered, although it is obvious that economic factors must play a part in determining the ultimate status of the Bessemer process. This discussion has been limited in another respect—it deals primarily with the acid Bessemer process in bottom-blown converters, although much of the information is applicable to basic and side-blown converters. The fact that open-hearth steel has superseded Ressemer steel to a large extent has tended to create an impression that Bessemer steel is inferior. As a matter of fact, Bessemer steel is actually superior to open-hearth for many applications.2 There are, however, definite metallurgical limitations to the use of Bessemer steel, resulting largely from two factors: (1) the physical properties conferred by nitrogen and phosphorus, and (2) the variability from blow to blow. These, of course, are not entirely independent, since some of the variability covered in the second item is undoubtedly due to nitrogen. But the variability is also caused by other factors. One of these is the relatively small size of the Bessemer heats. Because of this, a given shipment of Bessemer steel is more likely than a shipment of open-hearth steel to contain the product of several heats, each with its own distinctive and slightly different characteristics. Added to this is the fact that the refining of Bessemer steel proceeds so rapidly that the timing of the end point is limited to a matter of seconds, whereas the finishing period in the open hearth extends over a period of one or two hours and the timing of the end point may vary by several minutes without seriously affecting the product. There is no doubt that this has contributed to the variability of Bessemer steel and has led to the use of open-hearth steel in many optional applications. That Bessemer steel may vary is not necessarily objectionable, and it may even prove an advantage, providing a precise control is available to secure the desired qualities for any specific application. With this in mind, a comprehensive research program was undertaken, one phase of which was directed toward securing more accurate control of the blow. The results have been encouraging, and it is the purpose of this paper to describe a method in which modern scientific instruments, based on photocells, are currently being employed to assist the blower. The Control Problem In this day of scientific control of technical processes, where the operating

Jan 1, 1941