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By W. A. Ver Wiebe

The year 1940 was singularly unmarked by sensational developments in Kansas. Routine operations were carried on in a systematic, orderly fashion and the efforts of oil producers were concentrated on extending known fields. In Kansas an arbitrary yardstick for wildcats has been set up. A well drilled mile or more from a known pool or well is now considered a wildcat. A "rank wildcat" is one that is drilled at least 2 miles from any known producer. During 1940, rank wildcats resulted in the completion of 116 test wells, among which 16 were successful in finding new oil pools and the remaining I00 were dry holes. The ratio of successful wells to dry holes, therefore, was approximately I:6. During the year, 1890 wells were completed in eastern and western Kansas. This figure is somewhat lower than that given in several trade journals, because it does not include wells that were deepened or wells that were recompleted in a different geological horizon. About three fourths of these (1423) were completed as commercial oil wells (I220 in western and 203 in eastern Kansas). The commercial gas wells completed number 58 of which 10 are in eastern Kansas and 48 in western Kansas. Of the remzining completions 147 are dry holes in eastern and 262 are dry holes in western Kansas. Based on daily potential capacity, the new discoveries of the year account for a cumulative initial production of 46,000 bbl. in eastern and 2,128,000 bbl. in western Kansas. The state of Kansas attained a new peak in production, with the total of 66,245,000 bbl. for the year 1940, the number of contributing wells being 20,779. Thus the increase over 1939, when about 58 million barrels was produced, is considerable. The previous peak occurred in 1937, when 70,761,000 bbl. was marketed. In another still earlier peak, in 1917, slightly more than 45,000,000 bbl. was produced and sold. The production of gas probably reached a new peak also during 1940, with its total of 85 1/2 billion cubic feet. Between the peak of the year 1908, when over 80 billion cubic feet was produced, and that of 1940, the production dropped to a low point of 16 billion cubic feet in the year 1921. The number of test wells drilled was larger than in 1939; that is, 1890 compared with 1458. The first peak was reached in 1904, when 2782 wells were drilled. The number dropped off rapidly, to 368 three years later, but rose to the second and highest peak in 1918, when 4671 test wells were completed. In the period between 1904 and 1912 more gas wells were completed than oil wells. Between the high peak of completions in 1918 and somewhat lower peak of 1937, the low point was reached during 1931, with the completion of only 470 test wells. In the number of new pools discovered, Kansas again ranks high among the states. The exact number depends somewhat upon the interpretation of a "new" area— whether it should be called a new pool or a long extension of an old pool. Unfortunately, the matter of securing the right kind of production allowable also enters into this question. Often the decision regarding a new pool cannot be made until other wells

Jan 1, 1941

By JOHN A. MALONEY

AS noted in the February issue of MINING AND METALLURGY, an advisory committee to the Museum of Science and Industry of Chicago was authorized by the Institute's Board of Directors, with W. R. Wright of Chicago, former Director of the Institute, as chairman. Since that time the committee has been undergoing organization, and held its initial meeting at the Museum offices in Chicago on April 11 and 12. Functioning as consultants to the Geology and Mineral Industries branch of this new institution, the advisory committee is aiding in building an exhibit which will tell the story of geology, mining, and metallurgy to millions of visitors a year. Although patterned to some extent

Jan 1, 1932

By William R. Chedsey

IN the last two years the E.C.P.D. committees having to do with the inspection of engineering schools for possible accrediting have been concerned with the engineering content of some of the mineral industries courses. Originally the discussion arose with regard to engineering geology, or geological engineering, afterward broadening to metallurgical engineering, ceramic engineering, agricultural engineering, and other branches not pertinent to this discussion. Some members of visiting committees took the attitude that they probably would have to accredit these types of training as included in the engineering group if they met the average standard set by the mining schools, though they questioned -whether they were really engineering.

Jan 1, 1939

By H. W. Turner

Lying to the east of the Rio Grande, in central New Mexico, is a long N. and S. mountain range, broken into separate ridges at several points. These have received separate names; the mountains at the south end, near El Paso, being known as the Franklin mountains, and then, following successively, to the north, the San Andreas range, Sierra Oscura, Manzano and Sandia mountains. At the eastern base of the Sierra Oscura there are several low ridges, remarkable for their red color. All of these red ridges contain reefs of copper-ore. The eastern flanks of the Sierra Oscura are composed of limestone. Some fossils in the limestone were examined by Prof. J. P. Smith of Stanford University, who says they are Fusulina and indicate an Tipper Carboniferous age. The sandstones and shales containing the copper-reefs directly overlie this limestone (Fig. I), and are very likely of Permian age, like the similar beds in Texas, described by Mr. W. F. Cummins.* Overlying the copper-beds are red sandstones and shales in which very little copper has been found. The cupriferous zone and the red sandstones and shales are everywhere associated, and as one stands on a high point, he will see that these rocks form three main belts or lines of hills. These may be referred to as the northern, middle and southern belts. The northern belt was not visited by me, but is known to contain copper-deposits. The middle belt has a trend of N. of W. and S. of E. The copper-reefs have been traced for a distance of more than 2 miles. The southern belt has a trend of about N. 30' W. and S. 30°

Jan 1, 1903

By W. J. Romanow

RECENT papers by Williams, Sherwood, and Boothby,1 Seybolt et al.2 Heikes; and Roberts4 attest to the increasing importance of the hexagonal ferromagnetic compound MnBi. Since the magnetic properties of MnBi crystals are highly anisotropic, it is useful and necessary to have appropriate aids for determining their orientations—a (00.1) standard stereographic projection and a corresponding table of crystallographic angles for this structure. The tables of crystallographic angles for the hexagonal system available in the literature5 are computed for c/a ratios greater than that of MnBi and cannot satisfactorily be used to find the crystallographic angles of MnBi. A table of angles between the crystallographic planes (HK.L) and (hk.1) was calculated for MnBi from the formula0 F=are cos Hh+Kk+ 1/2(Hk+hK) + 3/4 (a/c)2Ll/v(H2 + K2 + HK + 3/4 (a/c)2L2) (h2+ k2+hk + 3/4 (a/c)2l2) on an IBM Type 650 Magnetic Drum Data Processing machine. The lattice constants used are listed in Table I and are those determined by Willis and Rooksby7 at 20°C. More recently published values obtained by both X-ray and neutron diffraction"' show no difference from these significant to the calculation. From the crystallographic angles between the basal plane (00.1) and the general plane (hk.1) in Table I, an (00.1) standard stereographic projection was made for MnBi which is shown in Fig. 1. Acknowledgments The author wishes to thank R. G. Treuting and J. N. Hobstetter for their technical assistance, and Miss D. P. Booth for programing the IBM machine for the calculations. He appreciates the opportunity to read the paper of B. W. Roberts of General Electric Co. prior to its publication. References 1H. J. Williams, R. C. Sherwood, and 0. L. Boothby: Bulletin Amer. Physical Soc., 1956 vol. 1, p. 132. 2 A. U. Seybolt, H. Hangen, B. W. Roberts, and P. Yurcisin: AIME Trans., 1956, vol. 206, p. 605: Journal oF Metals, May 1956. 3R. R. Heikes: Physical Review, 1955, vol. 99, p. 446. .B. W. Roberts: A Neutron Diffraction Study of the Structures of Manganese B.W.Roberts:ANeutronDiffractionBismuthide, Physical. Review, 1956, vol. 104, p. 607. 5 A. Taylor and S. Leber: AIME Trans., 1954, vol. 200, p. 190; JouRNal of Metals February 1954. « C. S. Barrett: Structure of Metals, 2nd Ed., p. 635. McGraw-Hill Book Co. New York and London, 1952. 7B. T. M. Willis and H. P. Rooksby: Proceedings Physical Soc., London, 1954, vol. 67B, p. 290.

Jan 1, 1958

By Charles Berkey

CONTENTS PAGE C. P. Berkey-Responsibilites of the Geologist in Engineering Projects (with discussion) 4 Kirk Bryan-Problems Involved in the Geologic Examination of Sites for Dams 10 0. E. Meinzer-Relation of Ground-water Conditions to Leakage of Reservoirs (with discussion) 19 Charles Terzaghi-Effect of Miner Geologic Details on the Safety of Dams (with discussion) 31 G. H. Matthes-More and Better Geologic Data for Use in Hydraulic Projects (with discussion) 47 L. W. Fisher and R. D. Ohrenschall-Geologic Examination of Dam Sites in the Tennessee and Cumberland River Basins 60 C. K. Wentworth-The Geology of Dam Sites (with discussion) 78 L. C. Glenn-The Geology of Dams and Reservoirs 97 H. T. Stearns-Success and Failure of Reservoirs in Basalt (abstract) 111

Jan 1, 1929

By R. W. Raymond

Under the names of Conservation, Social Justice, the New Nationalism, and Progressive Democracy, many earnest reformers are calling for a new system of Federal government to replace the one which they ascribe to our fathers, and declare to have been outgrown. They are proposing the lease by the United States of certain natural resources on the public domain, for the profit of the U. S. Treasury, instead of the sale of such resources to private citizens or associations of citizens. In the present paper, I shall try to show that this notion is neither new nor good. It is clear that the United States is owner, as well as sovereign, of public lands acquired through conquest or purchase from other nations, as it was owner of the public lands expressly ceded to it by the original thirteen States. Its policy with regard to such lands involves, therefore, two entirely distinct questions: What shall it do as owner ? and, What shall it do as sovereign ? The latter question, it must be confessed, has played but a small part in our history. All the prerogatives of sovereignty which were not explicitly conferred upon the Federal government by the original States were retained by them. The ownership or control of precious or other metals or minerals in the earth, for instance, was thus reserved to the several sovereign States. New York, South Carolina, and other States have passed laws on this subject, without regard to Federal authority. As new States have been successively admitted to the Union, the tacitly accepted theory has been, that they thereby acquired all the reserved rights of the original States. These newer States largely outnumber the first thirteen; and it is inconceivable that they would submit to any deprivation of sovereignty based on historical grounds. One of them—Texas—came into the Union by its own voluntary

Jan 1, 1913

By J. J. Beeson

For the past fifty years or more, the structural features of the Cordil-leran mountain system of western United States have presented some most interesting problems. Any geologist or engineer living in this region, or even making occasional examinations of the mines, will lose much of interest and importance if he is not familiar with the literature. Some of the greatest works on geology have been the result of studies carried on in sections of this region. Among the more important of the earlier works are those of Dutton,l King,2 Gilbert3 and Powell;4 of the more recent Lindgren,5 Ransome,6 Spurr,7 Butler8 and others have contributed much. Many of the papers are largely of scientific interest but even these lay the foundation for the commercial application of the broader features of the geology. I have read many of these works with the keenest interest and pleasure; in fact, some have been read until some of the more important findings seem to be my own. In this paper, however, it is my aim to accept credit for little more than the labor of assembling some of the ideas of others. This is done with the hope that an interesting and valuable discussion will be the result. If some of the ideas presented should

Jan 1, 1927

By K. Tanaka, J. D. Mote, J. E. Dorn

It) an attempt to ulLcoce.lP the operative strain-rate-contl-olliy: dislocation nieclzanistns, specially oviented sizgle clystals of the intel-nzediate 1zexagonal phase containing Ag plus 33 at. pct A1 were tested in tension over a wide range of temperatures. Slip was observed to take place by the {0001} <1120> {l100} mechani fracture took place across the(i100) plane and winning occurred by the (i01Z) ?lechanisn. Basal slip exhibited a strong yield point over the -alzge from 77 to 450°K, the upper ,esolved shear st]-ess having the exceptionally high value of 10,500 psi over this entire ?-a?zge of tenzpei,atuves. The critical 9-esolved shear stress for prismatic slip decreased f7-om 48,000 psi at 4.3"K to 23,000 psi at 170°K (Region 1) follozcirg zt:lzich it decl>eased sloz&ly to 21,500 psi at 475°K (Res&apos;on II); from 475" to 575°K (Regioz III), the c7-itical esolced shear stress dec&apos;-eased precipitously to 2000 psi; and from 575" to 750°K (Region IV) it decreased less afi&apos;dly to a low value of about 500 psi. Pvistintic slip in Region I was pobably controlled by the tliel-nally activated riecharzisui of nucleation and g,-ozcth of kinks in dislocations lying in Peierls potential troughs. In Region II for prismatic slip the critical 1-esolved shear stress was slzocn to be deteemined by sh0l.t-range 01-dering, Overall the forgiorz fo basal slip, 7.c.lre1-e a Strong yield-point phenorlienu ia7as observed, the critical vesolved slzea?-stress was shoztn to be determined by n conibirzation 0-f Szizuki locking and short-range-order Izavderzizg, The precipitous decrease in the critical resolved shear stress with increase in ter,/pe7-atrir-e over Region HI was tentatively ascribed to a decrease in the degree of slort-)ange 07-del;iqq (0)- clusteing) and also the effect of fluctuations the degree of o?der, It is at pgreser2t zrtzce)taitz as to 1t1hethe1- these or other possi1)le effects are also ,esponsible. fo- the data obsel-ved 172 Region IV. 1NTEREST in inter metallic compounds stems not only from their role in dispersion hardening of polyphase alloy ystems but equally from their potentialities for high strength, hardness, and stability not only at atmospheric temperatures but especially at elevated temperatures. As summarized in a re- cent symposium of the Electrochemical Society on "Mechanical Properties of Inter metallic Compound", most of the experimental evidence regarding the mechanical behavior of intermetallic compounds centers about the effect of temperature on the hardness and ductility of polycrystalline specimens. The available data reveal that the plastic behavior of intermetallic compounds might be rationalized in terms of the usual dislocation mechanisms appropriate to a solid solutions providing the additional complexities arising from crystal structure, long-range ordering, short-range ordering, and defect lattices are taken into consideration. It is apparent, however, in terms of the history on a solid solutions, that a complete detailed mechanistic rationalization of dislocation processes may not be possible until the deformation processes are studied in single crystals of intermetallic compounds. The present paper contains a preliminary report on the plastic behavior of single crystals of the hexagonal Ag-A1 intermetallic phase over a wide range of temperatures. The results confirm the thesis that single crystal data provide a most effective method of identifying operative dislocation mechanisms in intermetallic compounds. EXPERIMENTAL TECHNIQUES Several factors prompted the selection of the hexagonal Ag-A1 intermetallic phase for this preliminar investigation on the plastic properties of single crystals of intermetallic compounds: 1) This phase has a wide solubility range5 which would permit future investigations on the effect of composition and axial ratios on slip mechanisms. 2) Although it undoubtedly exhibits short-range ordering (or clustering) this intermetallic phase is free from complexities arising from long-range ordering.6 3) Since the atomic radii of aluminum and silver are practically identical, the possible complications due to Cottrell locking are minimized. 4)Whereas the dislocations on the basal planes are expected to dissociate into Shockley partials and are thus susceptible to Suzuki locking, those on the prismatic planes probably remain complete. 5) The axial ratio, being 1.61, is almost ideal, suggesting that short-range ordering may be almost spherically symmetrical. The present investigation was conducted exclusively with the hexagonal Ag-A1 alloy containing 33 at. pct Al. Preliminary investigations revealed that this alloy undergoes basal slip by the (0001)

Jan 1, 1962

By R. A. Wagstaff

SINCE the time of the early Egyptians, the use of copper has been a boon to the life of most of the civilized world. Its use has been varied; in many connections, the art by which it attained its greatest usefulness has been lost. In this paper an endeavor will be made to take into consideration some of the many changes that have occurred during the last 40 years of copper-smelting operations. During that period the copper blast furnace has been almost forced out of existence by new methods of ore concentration-first, gravity concentration, and then flotation. These new methods of concentration introduced many new factors into the metallurgy of copper. The product was wet, it was fine and it was high grade. To overcome all these factors many changes have been necessary throughout the smelting agenda. New equipment has been necessary for transportation, unloading, sampling, bedding and moisturing in all smelting plants, especially the custom smelter. During the early days of "flotation," little was known about filtering or the use of an alkaline circuit; often the concentrate going to the smelter contained 20 to 25 per cent moisture. It is easy to imagine the difficulty arising with a product of this nature when it had to be shoveled by hand labor. To meet these conditions, mechanical unloading and sampling devices were soon developed. In many instances such good progress was made that actual costs for handling this unfavorable product were lower than those formerly incurred on the old product. Today most sampling of copper ores and concentrates is being done by mechanical sampling, pipe or augur sampling, or shovel sampling. Where concentrates are uniform in metal content, a great many of the plants now use pipe or augur sampling. For spotty ores, the old shovel sample with cone and quartering during the final stages is still in use. Where big tonnages are handled, mechanical sampling of concentrates is being done, with satisfactory results. To curtail slow and tedious cutting and mixing procedure, mechanical mixing boxes, splitters and cutters are used to cut down labor costs. MILLING As crude ores become scarcer, the use of milling operations increases. The few crude ores that are still smelted are used as fluxing types. To use these ores finer grinding has been found advantageous. This has made for better bedding and fluxing conditions, which in turn makes for faster smelting, lower fuel consumption and better metal recovery. The degree of fineness is more or less determined by the nature of the product. Most plants have set a standard of through ¾ -in. mesh screen for roaster- reverberatory smelting and through ¾ in. mesh screen for converter fluxes. For some refractory ores; even finer grinding has been found to be advantageous for good reverberatory smelting.

Jan 1, 1944

By J. W. Richards

Plating iron with copper has received great attention from practical and scientific men, but, aside from the deposit secured by immersion of iron in copper salts, by electro-plating, or by welding together thin sheets of iron and copper, these efforts have met with no success. Failure of these efforts, in the production of copper plating, has been due to the fact that the conditions normally and necessarily present in the plating operation are antagonistic to the production of copper-plated iron. In most, if not quite all of them, a bath of molten copper has been used. The temperature of a molten copper bath is so high that the iron becomes oxidized before it can be immersed in the molten copper, and unless a protective flux for the molten copper is used, the surface of the copper will become oxidized, and, in any event, the plated iron will oxidize immediately on its being withdrawn from the molten bath. I recently had the pleasure of visiting the works of The Metals Plating Co. at Elizabeth, N. J., where I witnessed the plating of iron sheets with copper by a new process.l The plating metal is applied to the sheet in the form of a liquid mixture by means of rolls, such as inking rolls. The sheet, after being coated with the mixture, is automatically carried forward and deposited on a link-belt conveyor, which carries it through a furnace maintained at a temperature well above that of molten copper. The basic principle involved in this method lies in the application of the plating metal to the sheet while the sheet is cold and then melting the metal in place on the sheet under conditions which are favorable to the formation of the plating. Plating Mixture The liquid plating mixture is composed of either copper oxide or finely divided copper, or a mixture of both, ground to the consistency of a light varnish in a crude oil having an asphaltic base, of a specific gravity of from 14" to 16&apos; Be. The plating mixture which gives the best results

Jan 1, 1919

By H. W. Hitzrot

THE new 4800-ton fine-grinding plant at the Hollinger Consolidated Gold Mines property at Timmins, in the Porcupine district of northern Ontario, went into operation in November 1937, and represents the culmination of an experimental program. The plant is a moderately low rectangular building of hollow tile on a steel frame, large enough to house four 7 by 15-ft. ball mills, with a 12 by 27-ft. classifier beside each mill. At one end is space for the addition of another mill and classifier or a mill and classifier for the regrinding of table concentrates. This regrinding is now done in the old grinding department of the main mill building. Also within the new building are the four 6-in. sand pumps for lifting the product from the low-dis- charge ball mills up to the classifier feed launders and the containers and appurtenances of a complete dust-collecting system. Together with the usual overhead crane, these constitute the major units of equipment within the new plant. The location is at the lower end of the main mill buildings toward the old tailings pond, now so neatly leveled off and sodded to rival the very best of our own W.P.A. projects. Close by the new grinding plant is a large dome-shaped structure-the new fine-ore bin designed arid built by Mr. Longmore and the Hollinger milling and engineering staffs. There are four separate automatically loaded inclined belt conveyors leading up from the bottom of the bin to the grinding plant. Each belt is equipped with a recording weightometer, in the grinding building. The whole structure and the machinery within it give the impression of permanence and a carefully integrated design with close attention to details, giving the operators every advantage for consistently good work. The many ideas and opinions behind this achievement were all ably organized and executed by the Hollinger milling and engineering staffs, anti not a few were directly initiated by them. Excellent cooperation was afforded by the Hollinger staff to the engineers helping to conduct the grinding and classification test program. It was the author&apos;s privilege

Jan 1, 1939

By W. A. Ver Wiebe

Under the impetus of new demands caused by the war, the oil and gas industries of Kansas established new records during the year 1942. In all, 1513 test wells were drilled, which is somewhat of a drop from the figure of 2113 for 1941. The 1513 tests yielded 800 new oil wells, 85 new gas wells, and 628 dry holes. Thus there was an increase in two categories, the gas wells and the dry holes. Considering that last year only 592 dry holes were completed out of a much larger total, the figure of 628 dry holes causes some concern among local operators. The increase in unsuccessful tests illustrates once more the fact that each year it is becoming harder to find the remaining oil pools. When the figures are broken down, it appears that western Kansas accounted for 1177 tests, of which 689 were oil wells, 33 gas wells, and 455 dry holes. The total potential daily initial production uncovered by the successful wells amounted to 753,178 bbl. of oil and 619,734,000 cu. it. of gas. The figures for new initial production indicate a substantial drop from last year&apos;s figure of 1,691,000 bbl., and the figures on gas are slightly higher. In 1941 the new gas as based on a daily potential was 508,000,-000 cu. ft. In eastern Kansas, 336 wells were drilled. Among these in were oil wells, accounting for a daily initial potential production of 16,199 bbl. The new gas wells numbered 52 and added 253,725,000 cu. ft. per day to the gas potential production of the state. The remaining tests, 173 in number, were dry. It is interesting and perhaps significant that about half (630) of the wells drilled in western Kansas were drilled by the independent operators. Among the large companies, the Cities Service Oil Co. drilled 163 wells; the Stanolind Oil and Gas Co., 52; the Skelly Oil Co., 39; the Continental Oil Co., 48; and the Shell Petroleum Co., 21 wells. In eastern Kansas the independent operators drilled 297 out of the total of 336 wells. Among the major oil companies the Cities Service Oil Co. drilled 19; the Phillips Petroleum Co. 7; and the Sinclair-Prairie Oil Co., 6 wells. The figures based on relative percentages of dry holes to successful oil or gas wells are revealing. In western Kansas almost one half of all wells drilled by the independent operators were dry holes. The major oil companies drilled approximately 547 wells in western Kansas, of which 379 were successful in finding either oil or gas. It thus appears that the major companies fared better than the independents. In eastern Kansas the major companies drilled 39 wells, of which 29 were successful in finding commercial quantities of oil or of gas. No less than 329 wildcat test holes were put down in western Kansas and 105 in eastern Kansas, or 434 in all, during 1942. Considerably more than half of these were drilled by independent operators; 223 in western and 99 in eastern Kansas. An exploratory hole 56 mile or more from production is regarded as a wildcat well in Kansas. On a percentage basis, about 80 per cent of wildcat wells were failures. In western Kansas only 20 per cent found either oil or gas. The failures were about equally distributed among the major

Jan 1, 1943

By W. A. Ver Wiebe

Under the impetus of new demands caused by the war, the oil and gas industries of Kansas established new records during the year 1942. In all, 1513 test wells were drilled, which is somewhat of a drop from the figure of 2113 for 1941. The 1513 tests yielded 800 new oil wells, 85 new gas wells, and 628 dry holes. Thus there was an increase in two categories, the gas wells and the dry holes. Considering that last year only 592 dry holes were completed out of a much larger total, the figure of 628 dry holes causes some concern among local operators. The increase in unsuccessful tests illustrates once more the fact that each year it is becoming harder to find the remaining oil pools. When the figures are broken down, it appears that western Kansas accounted for 1177 tests, of which 689 were oil wells, 33 gas wells, and 455 dry holes. The total potential daily initial production uncovered by the successful wells amounted to 753,178 bbl. of oil and 619,734,000 cu. it. of gas. The figures for new initial production indicate a substantial drop from last year&apos;s figure of 1,691,000 bbl., and the figures on gas are slightly higher. In 1941 the new gas as based on a daily potential was 508,000,-000 cu. ft. In eastern Kansas, 336 wells were drilled. Among these in were oil wells, accounting for a daily initial potential production of 16,199 bbl. The new gas wells numbered 52 and added 253,725,000 cu. ft. per day to the gas potential production of the state. The remaining tests, 173 in number, were dry. It is interesting and perhaps significant that about half (630) of the wells drilled in western Kansas were drilled by the independent operators. Among the large companies, the Cities Service Oil Co. drilled 163 wells; the Stanolind Oil and Gas Co., 52; the Skelly Oil Co., 39; the Continental Oil Co., 48; and the Shell Petroleum Co., 21 wells. In eastern Kansas the independent operators drilled 297 out of the total of 336 wells. Among the major oil companies the Cities Service Oil Co. drilled 19; the Phillips Petroleum Co. 7; and the Sinclair-Prairie Oil Co., 6 wells. The figures based on relative percentages of dry holes to successful oil or gas wells are revealing. In western Kansas almost one half of all wells drilled by the independent operators were dry holes. The major oil companies drilled approximately 547 wells in western Kansas, of which 379 were successful in finding either oil or gas. It thus appears that the major companies fared better than the independents. In eastern Kansas the major companies drilled 39 wells, of which 29 were successful in finding commercial quantities of oil or of gas. No less than 329 wildcat test holes were put down in western Kansas and 105 in eastern Kansas, or 434 in all, during 1942. Considerably more than half of these were drilled by independent operators; 223 in western and 99 in eastern Kansas. An exploratory hole 56 mile or more from production is regarded as a wildcat well in Kansas. On a percentage basis, about 80 per cent of wildcat wells were failures. In western Kansas only 20 per cent found either oil or gas. The failures were about equally distributed among the major

Jan 1, 1943

By L. O. Howard

L. D. RICKETTS, New York, N. Y.-The advance which has been made in Smelting has been in the line of cheaper cost of handling, due to larger units and decrease in losses. At the International smelter, Mr. McGregor designed everything to handle the ore under cover. But we do find an unaccounted for loss of 0.7 per cent. of our copper, which is serious. Mr. Wallace has made a suggestion that I think metallurgists ought to know of and think about. He made it years ago-and that is that one of the chief losses is undoubtedly in the charging and discharging of the calcine cars. His idea is that possibly the dryers and heaters might be put immediately over the reverberatories So that they could discharge in conveyors. They could feed on both sides, and thereby the dust raised by discharging in the cars from the hoppers could be overcome. E. P. MATHEWSON, Anaconda, Mont.-I might Say a few words on the plants we have visited So far. I was particularly struck with the cleanliness of the plants, which is next to Godliness. I noticed also that the skull-cracker arrangement they have for handling their converter slag is very good. And they have paid considerable attention to ventilation, and are taking steps to take care of the health of the men. "Safety first" has been well looked after in all the plants we have visited so far. The steel structures are right up to date, and the buildings are of the most modern type, and everything is conveniently arranged. I think the designers of the plants in the Southwest are to be congratulated on what they have done.

Jan 12, 1916

The following is an incomplete list of members and guests who called at Institute headquarters during the period July 10, 1919, to Aug. 10, 1919. Howard C. Arnold, Washington, Pa. J. S. Lane, New York City, N. Y. L. M. Banks, Denver, Colo. H. W. Lawrie, Washington, D. C. George S. Blair, Pittsburgh, Pa. J. L. McAllen, Latouche, Alaska. Richard H. Catlett, Newark, N. J. David F. McFarland, Urbana, Ill. George L. Clark, Council Bluffs, Iowa. James F. Magee, Lancaster, Pa. Capt. Frederick S. Cook, Portland, Ore. A. G. McGregor, Warren, Ariz. John J. Croston, Atlanta, Ga. Emory M. Marshall, Santa Fe, N. M. Thomas Davis, Seattle, Wash. Benjamin L. Miller, Bethlehem, Pa. J. C. Dick, Salt Lake Cite, Utah. 2d Lieut. C. 0. Noble, U. S. Army. Chris. G. Dobson, Vancouver, B. C. Irving Perrine, Hutchinson, Kans. H. S. Emlaw, Grand Rapids, Mich. Fred S. Porter, Seattle, Washington. F. A. Fahrenwald, Cleveland, Ohio. Capt. H. R. Robbins, Peking, China Lieut. James L. Head, St. Louis, Mo. Joseph P. Ruth, Jr., Denver, Colo. A. A. Holland, Napanu, Canada. William A. Simkins, San Francisco, Calif. W. E. Hopper, Washington, D. C. T .V. Smirnoff, Siberia. Harry Hotchkin, Chicago, Ill. Harrison Souder, Cornwall, Pa. L. L. Hutchison, Tulsa., Okla. F. J. Sur, Denver, Colo. Paul S. King, Wilmington, Del. Harry Wolf, Denver, Colo. George K. Anderson, Jr., lies accepted a position as manager for Wight & Co., producers of air-cooled blast-furnace slag, at Longdale, Va. J. M. Armstrong, with the Caribbean Petroleum Co., has been transferred from Philadelphia to Maracaibo, Venezuela. Fred Sherman Baker, who has been with the Oriental Consolidated Mining Co., at Unsankinko, Chosen, Korea, is now at Columbia City, Ind. Ray J. Barber has removed from Roxbury, Mass., to New York City, and is now consulting engineer for the Roxbury Cold Mines, Inc.

Jan 9, 1919

By AIME AIME

COAL preparation will be the main topic discussed at the first fall meeting of the Coal Division at Pittsburgh, Sept. 11, 12 and 13, though valuation, mergers, safety, stream pollution and other topics will not&apos; be neglected. It is particularly appropriate that the great changes taking place in preparing coal for the market should be discussed at length where in the plants of the Pittsburgh Coal Co. and others the opportunity is afforded to see on a large scale just what is being accomplished. In wartime, the United States broke all records in coal production, but, as the late Franklin K. Lane pointed out, every fifth car shipped consisted of dirt. Obviously that constituted a big bur- den on industry and, in the remaking of the business which is now taking place both in the anthracite and bituminous fields, clean coal has properly enough be- come a watchward. Central coal-cleaning plants are being erected as a part answer to the puzzled inquiry of those familiar with metal mining as to why miners of coal have so long been content with what are relatively small units of production. Gradually big collieries comparable in tonnage output to the biggest copper mines are being built, and excellent examples are to be seen near Pittsburgh. Even the age-long tradition of the coal operator in favor of the single shift is

Jan 1, 1930

By J. P. Witherow

The Clapp and Griffiths steel-process may be considered a pneumatic system, similar to the Bessemer, with the difference that the converter is fixed or non-tilting, and that the blast is introduced around the lower section of the converter instead of through its bottom. Mr. Griffiths was engineer-in-chief of the Gilchrist & Thomas basic dephosphorizing process during all the time those gentlemen were experimenting and working up their system, as Mr. G. communicated to me. After separating from these gentlemen, he began developing the present Clapp and Griffiths type of converter. Dr. Clapp, of Nantyglow, Monmouthshire, was a prominent physician in a large iron district. Previous to his association with Mr. Griffiths, he took out some patents on a process of his own for the manufacture of steel, which patents stood in Mr. Griffiths&apos; way; hence the consolidation. Early in the summer of 1883, my attention was called to the experiments of Messrs. Clapp & Griffiths in Great Britain by a friend who had just returned from England. Later in that summer I went to Newport, on the border of Wales, where I met Messrs. Clapp and Griffiths and their friends. After visiting two small converters of their type which were in operation at different works, and spending a few days in the iron-districts of Wales, I went to London, where I met my friend Henry W. Oliver, Jr., who had already heard of the new steel-process. We decided to revisit Wales and examine more fully the process, more especially that Mr. Oliver might have the opportunity of coming practically in contact with the men and die process himself, so that his judgment might not be influenced by my sanguine feelings. On

Jan 1, 1885

Jan 1, 1924

Edgar Archibald Collins was born at Truro, Cornwall, Nov. 16; 1877. He was the fifth (and youngest) son of J. H. Collins, a well known Cornish geologist and engineer, who died in 1916. Edgar Collins spent part of his childhood at Rio Tinto, in Spain, and after returning to England was educated at Alleyne&apos;s School at Dulwich, near London. His technical training was acquired by practical experience in Cornwall, supplemented by private study and by his father&apos;s teaching. This method of training for the work of a mining engineer was preferred by his father to that of the technical schools then available, and judging by its result, was not unsuccessful. It is,-however, noteworthy that all members of the Collins family who were products of this system later sent, or planned to send, their own sons to technical schools. Edgar Collins came to Gilpin County, Colorado, in 1894, and returned there in 1898, after several intermediate years spent in Cornwall. In Colorado he worked, under his brother Arthur, in the California and other mines of the Gilpin County district, and thereby gained a practical skill and experience as a working miner, and a habit of minute observation of vein phenomena, which proved of the greatest value in later years. In 1899 he went to the Smuggler-Union it Telluride, as general assistant to his brother Arthur, and stood the brunt of 3 years of struggle with the Western Federation, gaining a reputation, for quiet courage and sound work under the most difficult conditions. After Arthur Collins&apos; assassination in the Smuggler-Union office, in November, 1902, Edgar left Telluride, and shortly thereafter entered the employment of a syndicate headed by Arthur Winslow, of Boston, to search for and develop new mines. While so engaged he spent several unsuccessful months near Parral, in Mexico, and later visited and sampled the- newly discovered district of Grandpa, afterward known as Goldfield, in Nevada. This led to the acquisition by the Winslow syndicate of the Combination mine, at first under lease and option; and Edgar Collins was placed in charge. The Combination was really the starting point of Goldfield. It was a profitable mine before the discoveries at the Jumbo were made; and while the Combination, being a "Company-account" mine, controlled by a few responsible men, never attracted the publicity that centered around the sensationally profitable leases on the Jumbo and Mohawk, which publicity was used to further the feverish stock-dealings that characterized the new district. The Combination was really the pioneer mine, made the first shipments of rich ore, constructed the first water-line, and built the first mill (designed by F. L. Bosqui, an old friend and associate); and while it pursued a quiet and unobtrusive. career up to the time of its sale to and incorporation with the Goldfield Consolidated, was probably, in ;proportion to the amount of money risked, the most profitable bonanza in the recent history of gold mining.

Jan 11, 1918