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By E. A. Stevens

In a low and gently sloping ridge extending some 1500 ft. southward from Squaw Mt., and now.covered by the buildings, or crossed by the railroads and streets, of a portion of the city of Victor, there is an ancient volcanic vent or crater, which exhibits one of the most interesting phenomena of the great upheaval and volcanic disturbance that built up the hills of the famous Cripple Creek gold-field—of the period when mass was piled on mass to form the mountains and foothills; when fissures and craters opened, and lavas, welling up, overflowed the surface, until, finally cooling, they effectually choked their vents, thus forming many of the ridges that stand out in bold relief, and the dikes that seam the Continent. This particular occurrence, though limited in dimensions, shows in miniature certain stages of the eruptions of Etna and Vesuvius,* Kilauea and Loa; and illustrates what was (with the exception of the penetrating dikes) the closing chapter of the early volcanoes whose emanations have contributed to the

Jan 1, 1901

By T. A. Rickard

The Cripple Creek district occupies a cluster of foot-hills on the south side of Pike's Peak and is a portion of an extensive, though uneven, plateau which unites the eastern range of the Rocky mountains with the Sangre de Cristo. It is essentially a small volcanic area, of about 20 square miles, amid the granite of the Front range. But though, when regarded as a rich mining district, it may be considered as an isolated area,* yet, geologically, it is, as Whitman Cross has pointed out, only an outlying portion of a much larger volcanic region, which stretches to the south and west, around Silver Cliff and the Rosita hills, forming the picturesque country cut by the deep cañons of the Arkansas river and its tributaries. The mines are situated amid a volcanic complex, consisting of tuffs and breccias which have been penetrated by an extensive system of dikes and other intrusive masses. The prevailing formation is an andesite breccia, which lies upon the worn surface of the granite and fills the deep basin around a volcanic vent. The breccia, since its deposition, has been broken into by several eruptions of phonolite and, later still, by a series of thin dikes of basalt and other allied rocks of a highly basic composition. The successive sedimentary formatione which, elsewhere in Colorado, lie upon the basal granite, are not represented in the district; whatever sediments were laid down before the volcanic period must have been removed by erosion, and there is very little evidence which affords a datum-line whereby the geological age of the volcanic eruptions can be determined. Whit-

Jan 1, 1901

By Clemens Catesby Jones

One of the achievements of the present century has been the development of brick-making from the crude and humble handicraft of the individual to a potential industry employing machinery, requiring immense capital, and now demanding that scientific direction which will finally raise it to the importance and dignity of a modern industrial process. It is as yet in the first stages of progress in this direction. The constant obstacle to a fully developed process has been the treat-

Jan 1, 1901

By B. F. Fackenthal

At the session of the Bethlehem, Pa., meeting of the Institute, held in the Durham Cave, at Durham Furnace, on the afternoon of May 20, 1886, I exhibited some specimens of a fibrous white efflorescence which had exuded from the pig-iron at that time being made at Durham Furnace. As some of the members expressed an interest in the matter, I promised to have complete analyses made, and to report the result in a paper to the Institute. The presentation of the paper has been long delayed, but there appears to be no other literature on this subject, and it may still be of interest. The efflorescence was found to exude from the pig-iron where the pigs were broken hot from the sow; the entire fracture of both pigs and sow often being entirely coated with this material. Sometimes there was only a white surface, as if the ends had been daubed with white paint; but in most cases the material was found in small globules and in thin sheets. If the iron had been broken a little too hot, arid in consequence had " bled " on separating from the sow, some of the efflorescence would be found deposited 011 the iron-drippings, and on the incrustations of sand in the pig-bed. The globules were irregular in shape, some of them equivalent in mass to spheres three-eighths of an inch in diameter, but most of them much smaller. The thin sheets were also irregular in shape, and, although they were not porous, were often riot thicker than a spider-web. Some of them were produced by the peeling-off' of the thin coating on the pigs above referred to. They were opalescent in appearance, and some of them had an area equivalent to two square inches; but the largest pieces would fall apart in handling. Several ounces of the efflorescence could often be picked up, or scraped off the pigs, after each cast.

Jan 1, 1901

By S. S. Hartranft

FuRnace-men of the present day agree very nearly as to the best cooling-devices for the protection of blast-furnace hearths and boshes, and the best location of the cooling-system in the brick-work for the maintenance of favorable furnacelines throughout the blast. The replaceable bronze and copper plates are practically faultless; and there seems to be no reason why a furnace-hearth and bosh should not be held in good condition, by intelligent management and the use of replaceable plates, for a period several times the length of the average blast of to-day. While furnace-men have taken these .precautions to protect the hearth and bosh beyond the life of the lining, the portion of the lining above the mantle has been partly protected by some and wholly neglected by others. Some would not construct a furnace without mantle-plates, and others would not construct a furnace with them. In most cases, furnace-men have either trusted to Providence or to the bosh-plates for the continuance of favorable working-conditions above the mantle, and the prolongation of the life of the lining; consequently furnaces are constantly blown out for repairs to the lining, or for relining, when the hearth and bosh are in good enough condition to last through another blast. The following extract from one of Mr. James Gayley's con-

Jan 1, 1901

By C. Willard Hayes

One of the most productive iron-ore districts of the southern Appalachians lies in the vicinity of Cartersville, in northwestern Georgia, where the ore-deposits are so directly related to the stratigraphic and structural features of the region that a description of its geology possesses economic as well as scientific interest. Stratigraphy.—The area shown on the accompanying map, Fig. 1, occupies the southeastern portion of Bartow county, Georgia. It is about equally divided between the older crystalline and metamorphic rocks which occupy the Piedmont plateau and Appalachian mountains on the east, and the Paleozoic formations which occupy the Appalachian valley on the west. The line separating these two groups of formations enters the mapped area near the northeastern corner, and, pursuing a somewhat irregular diagonal course, leaves it, as shown on the map, near the southwestern corner. This line marks

Jan 1, 1901

Jan 1, 1901

By Walter Harvey Weed

In a previous paper upon the enrichment of mineral veins by later metallic sulphides,? the writer has shown that certain masses of rich ores, such as are found in many mines, either near the water-line or as bonanzas in depth, are of secondary origin, and are due to a leaching of lean ore and the concentration of the material by reaction between the solution and the unaltered ore below. The geological and mineralogical evidence is believed to form an adequate basis for a chemical and physical explanation of the phenomenon. In the present paper the writer will give a brief synopsis of this theory, and will apply it more particularly to deposits of the precious metals, laying special emphasis upon the dependence of such enrichments upon the presence of iron sulphide (as pyrite, etc.) in the primary ore, and upon structural features which control the circulation of the enriching solutions below the water-level. It is believed that many, though not all, of the bonanzas arid pay-shoots of rich sulphide ores, especially those carrying gold and silver, which are encountered in ore-deposits, are of such secondary origin. Apparently it is essential that the occurrence and structural relations of such ore-masses should be understood, as the success of the mine is often dependent upon the finding and extraction of these ores. A legitimate deduction, too, is that such ore-deposits decrease in value With depth. As my own studies have been mainly in Montana, my illustrations must be drawn from the ore-deposits of this and adjacent States, with such as I have noted in hurried visits else-

Jan 1, 1901

By T. M. Chatard, Cabell Whitehead

The Republic mine, situated forty miles from Marcus, a station on the Spokane Falls and Northern Railroad, in the northeastern part of the State of Washington, was located in 1896, but no development-work was dolie until the spring of 1897. While much of the ore mined since then has been rich enough for shipment to smelters, a method of locally treating the lower-grade ores soon became a matter of prime importance, because only about 40 per cent. of the values could be recovered by plain amalgamation, even with ores assaying 4 to 5 ounces of gold per ton. Experiments with cyanidation, in various ways, led to the adoption of the Pelatan-Clerici process and the erection on this system of a 10-ton experimental plant, which was later increased to a capacity of 35 tons per day. The extractions by this process showed much improvement over previous work, especially when the ore was crushed to

Jan 1, 1901

By T. A. Rickard

In " The Genesis of Certain Auriferous Lodes "* Dr. Don makes a reference to a curious vein-formation known as the "Indicator," which characterizes a portion of the Ballarat mining district,, in Victoria, Australia. During 1890 and again in 1898 I had an opportunity of making a few notes, which, although somewhat belated,t may be worth adding to the observations recorded in the Transactions of the Institute. The country of the Ballarat gold-field consists of the Lower Silurian slates and sandstones, which also enclose the reefs of Bendigo; but it is noteworthy that the successive anticlinal folds, and accompanying saddles of quartz, which distinguish Bendigo are not characteristic of Ballarat, the geological structure of which presents greater complexity. That part of the district known as Ballarat East became famous early in its history on account of the large nuggets which were found in the alluvium, and subsequently it became further known because of a peculiar persistent black seam, traversing the bed-rock underlying the alluvial deposits, which was found to be associated with rich bunches of gold-ore, not only in the gravel that capped it at the surface but also in the quartz-veins which crossed it underground. The name of " Indicator " was early given. In 1871 Mr. Morgan Llewellyn directed attention to it as influencing the distribution of the gold. In the government quarterly report for December, 1888,

Jan 1, 1901

Jan 1, 1901

By S. B. Christy

The practice of the cyanide-process of gold-extraction has brought to light many important contradictions of familiar chemical analogies, which still obscure both the theory and the practice of the art with distinctions subtler and more difficult to make or follow than those which delighted the heart of the old-time metaphysician. Yet Nature herself has drawn these distinctions; and if we hope to succeed in this modern search for the Golden Fleece, we must be able to follow her through the winding labyrinth. There are so many phases of this question that I shall attempt to touch on only one of them at this time, but it is one that lies at the root of many others. In reviewing my paper on " The Solution and Precipitation of Cyanide of Gold,"* Mr. E. B. Wilson contends† that" in the solution of gold by means of alkaline cyanides the various reactions are determined, as to their order and intensity, by the relative position of the elements concerned in the electro-chemical series, or series of voltaic tension." In a modified form this statement is probably true. That is to say, the difference of electrical potential in any closed electrical circuit determines the nature of the reactions which ensue. But the matter is not so simple as Mr. Wilson assumes. Recent investigations show that the order of the metals in the electro-chemical series depends not only on the nature of the elements themselves, but also on the chemical composition of the solution in which they are placed; its degree of concentration; its temperature; and, in the case of gases, on the pressure. Unless all these conditions are taken into account, inferences drawn from the electro-chemical series are likely to prove more

Jan 1, 1901

Alfred C. Young† (communication to the Secretary): Before the appearance of Mr. Scott's paper in these Transactions we were not specially interested in the investigation which he has started; but at his request we have endeavored to collect from musty records and the recollection of our old friends a brief chronicle of the progress made by this house. As 3000 instruments were manufactured by us before any descriptive record was kept, and 2000 more before the record contained more than a statement whether the instrument was a transit or a level, and sometimes its size, we approach the task with timidity, trusting that the reader will bear the difficulties in mind, particularly as the writer's predecessors, from whom, no doubt, the information desired could have been obtained, have passed away. Instruments for surveying were manufactured by David Rittenhouse, of Philadelphia, as early as 1760; but it was not until late in the first quarter of this century that there was any American market for an instrument outside of the ordinary surveyor's compass. With the advent of canals and railroads, and the more extensive development of the Pennsylvania coalfields, arose a demand for surveying-instruments to meet problems in engineering beyond the limited field of the compass. On May 1, 1820, in which year the practical mining of anthracite coal in Pennsylvania began, William J. Young, who had served his apprenticeship with one Thomas Whitney,

Jan 1, 1901

By J. F. Wilkinson

A high degree of accuracy is often required in mine-surveying, in order that expensive mining work may not be misdirected. The making of underground connections by drifts or shafts located as the result of surveys presents a crucial test of correctness not usually involved in any other class of surveying. In view of these considerations, the present notes and description of a survey made in June, 1890, for the San Francisco shaft of the New Almaden quicksilver-mines, may be of interest to members of the Institute who are surveyors. The purpose of this survey was to locate on the surface a vertical 2-compartment shaft (3.5 by 7 ft.), to connect with another vertical shaft, of practically the same size, which had been sunk a number of years before from an adit-level about 240 ft. vertically below the surface, to a deeper, so-called 600-ft. level. It will be seen, of course, that the most important matter was to secure an exact coincidence in vertical line, so that the resulting continuous vertical shaft from the surface should have no offset or irregularity at the point of junction between its two parts. The levels were of less importance; but, as the hoisting-works were to be placed in position and the new shaft permanently timbered from the start, its correct alignment was an essential requirement. The important features of the work, therefore, were the methods used in determining with certainty : 1. That the shaft was located in the right place in a general way; 2. That the ordinary inaccuracies of linear and angular measurements were so reduced as to insure correctness of location within certain defined and allowable limits. Instruments.—Thc instruments used were: a Buff and Berger transit-theodolite, with a 6-in. horizontal plate, reading to 10 seconds; a Heller and Brightly Y-level; a Chestermán steel tape, graduated in tenths and hundredths of a foot; and New York leveling-rods, graduated to thousandths of a foot.

Jan 1, 1901

By F. C. Schrader, Alfred H. Brooks

Last fall (1899) we had the good fortune to be able to spend a few weeks in the new placer gold-mining region of Alaska, which is known as the Nome region. Cape Nome, after which the region has been named, and which forms the southeastern corner of the Nome Mining District, is an unimportant promontory on the southern coast of the Seward Peninsula (see map, Fig. 1). The name Seward has recently been given to the great peninsula which forms the northwestern extremity of Alaska. To the north of it is the Arctic ocean, to the south Bering sea, while its wesbernmost extremity, Cape Prince of Wales, is separated from the Asiatic coast by the Bering straits. The coast line of the peninsula is of a cuspate character, consisting of a succession of sandy, crescent-shaped beaches and rocky headlands. The interior has been but little explored; but we know that it is comparatively rugged, the higher mountain peaks rising probably from 4000 to 5000 feet in elevation. The mountains have an easterly and westerly trend, and the water-shed between the two oceans probably nearly bisects the peninsula. At Golofnin bay, the southeastern part of the Seward peninsula, some spruce is found, but to the west the region is entirely timberless, except for a sparse growth of stunted

Jan 1, 1901

Jan 1, 1901

By Lester Strauss

The fact that the loss of silver in the slag of the smeltingprocess increases with the amount of silica in the furnacecharge, was probably the ground of a general opinion that the silver is present in the slag as a silicate. Dr. Iles, in his inter-

Jan 1, 1901

By Porter W. Shimer

The device here described has been found useful in sampling foundry-iron, and there is no reason why it should not be equally useful in sampling other metals, which are not too hard to be drilled with a breast-drill. It consists, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, of an ordinary plumber's gas T (without bead) of about 1/2-inch in internal diameter, over the leg of which is snugly fitted a small tin cup, about If inches deep, to catch the drillings which are made by use of a breast-drill with a 1/4-inch twist bit, working through the arms of the T. The forward arm of the T is filed down to a blunt edge, over which is stretched a short piece of rubber tubing projecting a little beyond the end. The bottom of the inside of the front arm of the ? is filed down to a slope, to facilitate the passage of drillings into the tin cup. The rear arm of the T is fitted with a tin ring, projecting about 1/4-inch, for the purpose of holding in place a stiff spiral brass spring, which serves to press the sampler firmly against the metal to be drilled. The other end of the spring is supported against a shoulder of the breastdrill. The projecting rubber prevents the loss of any drillings, and also the falling of sand from above into the sampler. With ordinary care there need be no risk of getting particles of rubber into the sample. It is, of course, not possible to get a fair average sample of drillings, representing a pile of foundry-iron, by taking drillings from any one or two pieces, because of the frequently mixed character of the iron. This observation applies more particularly to the sampling of iron as it is broken and piled at the foundry, than to sampling at the works, where, if the furnace is working regularly, a few pigs may fairly represent a whole cast. By the use of this device, it is possible for a sampler to pass

Jan 1, 1901

By Erwin S. Sperry

The oxidation of metals melted in contact with air takes place with dissimilar results. Tin, lead or zinc are examples of a class, the oxides of which float on the surface of the melted metal. First a film is produced, which covers the surface; then, if agitation from any cause exposes new metal to the action of the air, additional oxidation takes place, and the film is increased in volume. This change goes on until a considerable quantity of oxide (or " dross," as it is technically called) is formed; depending, of course, upon the duration of the exposure of the metal to the atmosphere. When such metals are poured, the dross may be skimmed off; and clean metal will be left underneath. The removal of such oxides is, therefore, merely a mechanical process. In the case of copper, however, the result is quite different. The sub-oxide of copper (Cu2O) is readily soluble in molten copper; and therefore, instead of the formation of a film of oxide, to be finally removed as dross, the surface of the metal remains bright and clear, because the oxide has been dissolved as soon as it was produced. It is customary in the process of copper-refining to leave a small quantity of oxide in the metal, in order to oxidize any traces of bismuth, arsenic or antimony which have not been entirely removed. As a result, these metals exist in the commercial product as oxides, and not as metals, which would form an

Jan 1, 1901

By T. A. Rickard

The lodes of Cripple Creek, Colo., partake of the composition of the geological formation which they traverse. The prevailing rocks are andesitic breccia, lying upon granite, and also bodies of phonolite, trachytic phonolite, nepheline-basalt, etc., penetrating both the granite and the breccia. At Kalgoorlie, in West Australia, the prevailing rock is schistose, and has not been certainly identified, though microscopic sections indicate the probability that it was originally an acid eruptive. The lodes are essentially bands, more highly schistose than the encasing rock, and impregnated to a notable degree with disseminated pyrites and secondary calcite. During 1899 Cripple Creek produced 425,590 tons of ore, having a gross value of $15,658,254; during the same period the output of Kalgoorlie was 467,048 tons, valued at $17,724,587. In chemical composition, the ores at Cripple Creek and Kalgoorlie, respectively, present differences equally interesting to the petrographer and the metallurgist. In both cases we have to deal with altered eruptives as the matrix of the ore; but the much older rock of Kalgoorlie has undergone more decompo-

Jan 1, 1901