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By W. A. Thatcher

Nearly three years of experience in Spanish Honduras has placed the writer in possession of many facts concerning its resources which may be of interest to the Institute. According to the most trustworthy surveys, Honduras is bounded on the north and east by the Caribbean Sea; southeasterly by the river Segovia (or Wanks), which flows into the Caribbean at a point called Cabo Gracias a Dios (Cape Thanks be to God), long famous as the favorite hiding-place of the celebrated pirate, Morgan ; southwardly by a corner of San Salvador, the Bay of Fonseca, and the Republic of Nicaragua; Guatemala and San Salvador form tile western boundary. It is one of the five republics composing Central America, has a population of about 310,000 and an area of 150,000 square miles, lying between the 13th and 16th degrees of N. latitude, extending from north to south 200 miles, between the Atlantic and Pacific, and 400 miles from east to west, between Guatemala and Cape Gracias a Dios. It is composed of 13 States or Departments, under one common law. The principal resources are valuable woods, hides, rubber, tobacco, coffee, fruit, cattle, silver and gold. It is of the mineral resources of the country that I will speak, calling attention to the most noted mines, and their relative position to Tegucigalpa, the capital. The introduction of foreign capital into the country dates back about eleven years, and to-day there are at least twenty-five well organized companies.

Jan 1, 1892

By D. Pearson

INTRODUCTION In 1975 278x10 3 tonnes of zinc was consumed in the United Kingdom, of which 69.3x10 3 tonnes was obtained from secondary sources. Of this secondary zinc 37.7x10 3 tonnes was used in brass making, the remainder was used in non metallic applications - eg oxides and salts. Many forms of zinc-bearing wastes arise, for example as galvaniser's drosses and residues, fumes from ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgical processes, and filter cakes from rayon manufacture and metal finishing. In the case of zinc-bearing dusts and fumes, the quantities available for recycle are at present restricted by the failure to collect them efficiently, hut environmental factors are leading to improvements in gas cleaning, with the result that quantities collected will increase and then exceed those required for the production of chemicals, so that some dusts may either have to be dumped or processed to metal. The recovery of zinc from steelmaking dusts is practised in W. Germany (1) and Japan (2) employing processes based on reduction in rotary kilns in order to produce sponge iron and a zinc- rich oxide suitable for feeding to the zinc-lead blast furnace. Although the zinc-lead blast furnace is the only zinc-making process used in the UK, no similar treatment of steelmaking dusts is carried out, a pilot scheme was tested by the British Steel Corporation, but development was abandoned for economic reasons. It appears to be cheaper to pelletise suitable dusts and export them for treatment elsewhere.

Jan 1, 1981

By Ezequiel Ordoñez

The two mining districts of Pachuca and Real del Monte, well known for their antiquity and the extraordinary richness of their veins, are situated, 3 miles apart, only 62 miles north of the City of Mexico—the first being on the western, and the second on the eastern slope of the Pachuca range of mountains which bounds the great valley of Mexico. Close to the celebrated mining region of Pachuca is located the city of the same name, capital of the State of Hidalgo, at 2460 meters above sea-level and 20° 07' 35" North latitude, with 35,000 inhabitants, the majority of whom work in the mines; the remainder being Government employees, merchants, and a small number engaged in less important industries. The city extends along both sides of the canada which carries the waters of the river called "Avenidas de Pachuca," the banks of which are united by four bridges at regular intervals. The attention of the traveler approaching the city is first attracted by the appearance of the mountains, barren of vegetation, bounding the city with rocky cliffs and steep declivities, the grades of which serve as foundations to the irregular and varied groups of houses. Above these are the dumps, and, close by them, the mouths of the shafts, covered with conical tile roofs. The smoke of the chimneys, the noise of the mills and the appearance of some of the constructions reveal at first glance the industrial character of the place. At the left of the entrance to the canada, the mountain of San Cristobal, celebrated for the famous vein of Xacal, one of the richest and earliest exploited in the district, rises 450 meters above the city.

Jan 1, 1902

For the year ending February, 1926 PRESIDENT J V W REYNDERS, District 0 NEW YORK, N Y PAST PRESIDENTS E P MATHEWSON, District 0 NEW YORK, N Y WILLIAM KELLY, District 5 IRON MOUNTAIN, MICH FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT E DEGOLYER, NEW YORK, N Y TREASURER , CHARLES F RAND, NEW YORK, N Y SECRETARY FREDERICK F SHARPLESS, NEW YORK, N Y

Jan 1, 1923

By G. Gutzeit

METAL-ORGANIC INNER COMPLEXES AN inner complex is a cyclic chemical structure containing an inorganic cation that is bound simultaneously to several atoms in a single organic molecule; on the one hand by means of ordinary valence bonds (electron exchange), on the other hand through the action of the electric field thus created, which satisfies the so-called secondary valences. The relative positions of the salt-forming and complex-forming groups are such that most frequently a four, five, or six-membered ring results through this double attachment of the cation.1-6 The formation of inner-complex ring systems depends not only upon the nature and suitable position of the salt-forming and complex-forming groups for ring closure, but, to a great extent, also on the nature of the metallic cation entering the reaction. This selective character of chelate-forming organic compounds is one of their most interesting and most valuable properties. As a matter of fact, the largest number of their practical applications is based upon their specificity. 4,1-13 Once a chelate compound is formed, its character is definitely "organic" in nature. In other words, its properties are conditioned to a much larger degree by the carbon chains or rings than by the metallic atom. Many inner complexes are soluble in nonpolar solvents such as benzene, paraffin oil or carbon tetrachloride, while the chelate-forming reagent before closure of the metal-organic ring is water soluble. (Example: copper complex of salicyl-aldoxime.) It is obvious that such particular properties as those indicated above can be utilized whenever specificity and practically complete binding of inorganic ions into an undissociable complex are required. One of the well-known applications of chelate-forming compounds has been the development of specific reagents in analytical chemistry,, creation of the spot-test method,4,14-16 and the application of the same principles to the contact print method for determining minerals.17 CHELATE-FORMING COMPOUNDS AS COLLECTORS In the field of flotation, where selectivity is often a quality of paramount importance for the collector, various workers have lately attempted to apply their knowledge of specific organic analytical reagents to this purpose. A. C. Vivian18 has concentrated cassiterite by using ammonium nitrosophenylhydroxylamine (Cupferron) C6H5NO(=NONH4). Holman19 has tested dimethylglyoxime for the flotation of nickel oxide minerals, while deWitt has shown in a series of systematic experiments that alpha-dioximes were generally selective collectors for nickel ores. Taurin NH2(CH2)2SO3H has been proposed for the concentration of oxidized lead ores.19 Diphenylthiocarbazone

Jan 1, 1946

By W. W. Fowler

ORIGINALLY designed for copper smelting only, the reduction works of the Cerro de Pasco Copper Corp. have been expanded over the years until now twelve different metals are produced, together with some seven other items which are used locally. Although the total tonnage treated is comparatively modest, as smelting plants go, the variety of operations makes one of the most complex and interesting metallurgical problems in the world. The original plant, at La Fundicion, operated from July 1906 until September 1923. In 1922 a new copper smelter was built at La Oroya, which produced its first copper on Nov. 23, 1922. It is in this plant, greatly enlarged, that metallurgical operations now center. La Oroya is situated at the junction of the Cerro de Pasco Railroad and the Ferrocarril Central del Peru, at an altitude of 12,175 ft.-well over two miles. Many of the various operations stem from two principal smelting circuits which are themselves of conventional types. Copper ores and concentrates are roasted, smelted in reverberatory furnaces and converters, and blister copper produced. Lead ores, concentrates, and other materials are sintered, smelted in blast furnaces to crude lead which is partially fire-refined, and finally electrolytically refined by a modified Betts process.

Jan 1, 1945

By J. S. Bryner

In the study of metallographic specimens in the electron microscope, there is need for a method of locating the same field in both the light microscope and the electron microscope. This need arises chiefly from the fact that in the electron microscope the magnification and degree of resolution are so much higher, and the field so much smaller than in the light rnicroscope that it is often difficult, if not impossible, to identify positively what is being observed. The difficulty is increased by the fact that, because a transparent film replica of the metal surface must be used in the electron microscope, micro-constituents can be identified not by their color but only by their texture and contours. For these reasons it is desirable to obtain a series of photographs showing the same field in both microscopes in order that the appearance of common microstructures and micro-constituents in the electron microscope may be identified and catalogued for future reference. The need for a method of locating the same field in both microscopes arises also when it becomes desirable to enlarge in the electron microscope for more detailed study a particular interesting structure observed in the light microscope. Using the standard polystyrene-silicalJ replica technique, in which the silica film replica is fished from the ethyl bromide on a 1/8 in. diam zoo-mesh specimen screen, the possibilities of locating a particular area on the film in the electron microscope are rather remote. The desired structure may be obscured by the wires of the specimen screen or unrecognizable at the high magnification. A solution to the problem would be provided if a specially designed specimen screen, containing an opening which could be absolutely identified and quickly located in the electron microscope, could be fastened to the silica film replica in such a position that the desired field on the specimen would be located at the identifiable opening in the specimen screen. The design for such a specimen screen, a method for producing it, and a technique for fastening it to the silica film replica are described below. Description OF Method The Specimen Screen A simple design for a specimen screen containing an opening easy to identify and locate in the electron microscope is one with two lines of openings at right angles in the form of a cross. Such a screen is shown in Fig I. The opening at the center of the cross is identified easily and can be located quickly in the light microscope and in the objective image of the electron microscope. The specially designed specimen screens for this work were produced in quantity by electroforming. On both sides of a polished strip of copper I X 3 X 1/8 in., twenty patterns of the cross of openings were punched with a diamond point micro-hardness tester, using a load of magnitude

Jan 1, 1949

By D. L. Pentz

The use of "probability" methods in slope stability analysis has been practised by geotechnical engineers for some time. This paper questions whether the term probability has been properly used since in many cases the term is used in a classical statistical manner only to describe frequency distributions of data. This paper proposes a definition of the term probability which includes the engineers' subjective state of confidence for all critical parameters. Such parameters may include the slope stability model, undetected structural features, strength, groundwater pressure distribution, and geological framework. This process does not make a "better" analysis but it does force the geotechnical engineer to state his opinion in such a manner that others can understand and if necessary, criticize the assumptions. Further, this technique forces the question, "What impact would failure of a slope have on the production schedule or costs of a mine?" The level of risk taken in adopting a particular slope design strategy in a mine is not a question of what Factor of Safety should be selected but, rather, what trade-offs result from steeper slopes and the associated costs of failure. This paper also presents several simple probabilistic techniques which, though widely used in other fields have been all but ignored in geotechnical slope stability analyses. These include the use of stratified sampling to optimize Monte Carlo uncertainty approaches, and the use of simple functional approximations rather than complex stability models in probabilistic analysis. The author presents a case example of this technique and discusses the results in comparison with more traditional methods.

Jan 1, 1983

By A. M. Skov, L. F. Elkins

First response to large-scale water flooding in the fractured very low permeability Spraberry sand has led to a new unique cyclic operation. Capacity water injection is used to restore reservoir pressure. This is followed by marly months production without water irzjection and the cycle repeated. Expansion of the oil, rock and water during pressure decline expels part of the fluids but capillary forces hold much of the injected water in the rock. At least with reservoir pressure restored and with partial water flood development, field performance has proved this cyclic operation is capable of producing oil from the nzatrix rock at least 50 per cent faster and with lower water percentage than is imbibition of water at stable reservoir pressure. INTRODUCTION The Spraberry Field of West Texas presents unusual problems for both primary production and water flooding. Extensive interconnected vertical fractures in the fractional-md sandstone permitted recovery of oil on 160-acre well spacing, but they made capillary end effects dominant. Primary recovery by solution gas drive is less than 10 per cent of oil in place. The concept of displacement of oil from the sand matrix by capillary irnbibition of water has led to field techniques which promise greatly increased oil recovery. Free exchange of laboratory research, reservoir information and results of field pilot tests among the various companies has been very important in development of this technology. Five units covering a total of 170,000 acres have been formed for water flooding, and 10 other areas covering an additional 175,500 acres are in various stages of unitization. Part of the Driver Unit reaching fillup first has demonstrated very unusual waterflood behavior and indicated numerous operating problems that will develop within and among the various units. SPRABERRY ROCK AND PRIMARY PERFORMANCE The Spraberry, discovered in February, 1949, is a 1,000-ft section of sandstones, shales and limestones with two main oil productive members: a 10-15 ft sand near the top and a 10-15 ft sand near the base. In part of the field some thinner intermediate sands are oil productive, and others are water bearing. All sands have permeabilities of 1 md or less and porosities of 8-15 per cent. Ordinary core analysis and electric and radiation logs are ineffective in differentiating between oil productive and nonprcductive sands. Sands capable of containing producible oil are best identified by mercury injection capillary pressure measurement and, in some cases, by core water saturation. About 3,500 wells have been drilled in the 500,000-acre trend. Vertical fractures were observed in practically all Spraberry cores. Continuity and interconnection of fractures were confirmed by pressure interference among wells during early development.' Major fractures trend northeast-southwest as indicated by oriented cores and confirmed by five fluid injection tests, by analysis of the pressure transients observed during development,''' and by three interference tests in the Driver Unit Water Flood reported herein. Fracture spac- ing probably averages inches to a few feet. Spraberry wells typically produced 100-400 BOPD initially after hydrauLic fracture treatments. By 1962 oil production had declined to an average of 12 bbl/well/day, near the economic Limits of operation. Reservoir pressure had declined from 2,300 psi initially in the Upper Spraberry and 2,500 psi in the Lower Spraberry to 500-1,000 psi. Partial closing of the fractures with declining reservoir pressure is believed to be the cause of such low oil production rates at these relatively high reservoir pressures. Cumulative recovery of 208 million bbl of oil is 80 to 90 per cent of that recoverable by primary means. Performance of the entire reservoir is summarized in Fig. 1. IMBIBITION WATER FLOODING By 1952 reservoir performance indicated low primary recoveries. Most engineers, expecting serious channeling of injected fluids through the fractures, held little hope for secondary recovery. With its extensive background of research on the fundamentals of fluid flow within reservoir rocks, Atlantic's Research and Development Division on short notice in 1952 conceived that displacement of oil by capillary imbibition of water into the rock might significantly increase Spraberry recovery. Laboratory data reported by Brownscombe and Dyes scaled to probable reservoir conditions showed potential waterflood recovery equal to or greater than primary recovery with a 10-15 year flood life.= A pilot test using three 40-acre injection wells, one central producing well and 18 surrounding observation wells demonstrated technical feasibility of the process. Injection of 1.5 million bbl of water from November 1952 to August 1955 proved water entered the rock and displaced oil

By Robert Bedford

THE objects of this paper are: 1. To give cost data on drilling obtained at the North Star mine in California; 2. To describe the methods of testing drills employed there, giving the results of shop tests, and the correlated data obtained underground; 3. To demonstrate that these tests form a satisfactory basis upon which to judge rock drills. The rock at this mine is either close-grained diabase in the upper levels, or tough grano-diorite in the lower levels. The vein, which has an average dip of 23°, consists of about 5 ft. of "formation" lying between walls of unaltered country rock. Of the 5 ft., solid quartz and stringers make up 18 in. of pay ore. The formation, which consists of but slightly altered country rock, is almost as hard as the unaltered walls. From 4 to 42 ft. is sent to the mill. One-third of the holes are drilled in the quartz; two-thirds in the formation. The holes are about 42 ft. deep and break on the average of 1.15 tons per hole. The average number of holes per stope drill shift is at present 5.65. The number of drill shifts throughout the mine in 1913, was 18,679, and the cost of labor for drilling, power, supplies, upkeep of machines and air lines, tool sharpening, and distribution, amounted to 33 per cent. of total mining expense. To do this work there are in commission 43 No. 12A, three No. 17V and eight No. 16V Waugh stopers, three Jackhamers, two Waugh pluggers, and 17 No. 8 ,and two No. 7 water Leyners. For the past three years a record has been kept of the repairs on each machine and number of shifts operated by it. The figures given in Tables I and II for the cost of repairs per drill shift have been taken from this record. The underground air pressure is about 90 lb. The air consumption per drill shift was measured by, aerometers. The leakage of pipe lines between compressor and meter is not included. From the number of pieces of steel sharpened for each type of drill during the year the average used per drill shift has been ascertained. For other supplies the figures given represent a year's average.

Jan 8, 1914

By William M. Bowron

Thirty years ago, when I stood on the cliff of red fossil iron-ore, on Red mountain, Jefferson county, Ala., I asked what were the geological relations of this remarkable deposit. In reply I was told that it was a limestone, colored and saturated by some unknown but wholly external influences, and that at a reasonable distance from the surface the color would disappear. I could find no satisfactory explanation, either of the nature of this wonderful external permeating influence, or of the cause of such a ferrous impregnation selecting this one particular bed of limestone, to the exclusion of the higher and lower beds of the same material which are not even stained. I. The Present Theory. Referring to this subject, Dana says :' "The clays, clayey sandstones and limestones of the Clinton epoch, through New York and the Appalachians, show that the mud-flats and sand-banks, and hence the shallow seas of the coast region, still continued.... The beds of argillaceous iron-ore, which spread so widely through New York and some of the other States, west and south, could not have been formed in an open sea; for clayey iron-deposits do not accumulate under such circumstances. They are proof of extensive marshes, and, therefore, of land near the sea-level. The fragments of crinoids and shells found in these beds are evidence that they were, in part at least, salt-water marshes, and that the tides sometimes reached them." At first, this explanation seemed satisfactory, but the more I studied the ore the less satisfying the explanation became. 1. In the ore itself, I found associated with the small particles of rounded matter (now consisting of iron oxide in which organic structure, if ever present, has become lost, though the

Jan 1, 1906

By H. E. N. Stone, B. L. Daniell

This paper examines the cracking behavior on chemical reduction of three types of ore/oxide briquette mixtures. The complex sintering/hardening atmosphere was replaced by 100% oxygen and the blast furnace atmosphere by a 5/95 hydrogedsteam mixture which was used isothermally at 700°C for a constant, arbitrary time. Cracking has been assessed by measurement of reduction expansion or increase in specimen diameter as a result of chemical reduction and a subjective index based on appearance and friability. Oxidized briquettes of iron ore concentrate crack on reduction'-3 in a manner which parallels the degradation of sinter in the Linder test. In the present work, the cracking behavior on chemical reduction of three types of ore/oxide briquette mixture has been studied. Firstly, LD converter fume with additions of silica; secondly, Oxfordshire ore with ferric oxide; thirdly, ferric oxide with separate additions of silica, alumina and lime. Motivation for the first-mentioned experiments lay in the improvement of the fume as furnace feed; for the second, in assessing the tolerance of a finely divided ferric oxide as a base for low melting point additions. The third series provided additional information. In this work, the complex sintering/hardening atmosphere is replaced by 100% oxygen and the blast furnace atmosphere is replaced by a 5/95 hydrogen/ steam mixture used isothermally at 700°C for a constant arbitrary time. The particular reduction conditions were known from previous experience3 to be capable of disclosing any tendency to cracking. Cracking has been assessed by measurement of reduction expansion (i.e., increases in specimen diameter as a result of chemical reduction) and a subjective index based on appearance and friability. Generally

Jan 1, 1970

By C. G. Dunn, J. L. Walter

A study has been made of the nature of the slow growth or nucleation stage of secondary recrystallization to the cube texture in sheets of high-purity 3 pct SiFe. Cube-oriented nuclei were identified and their growth observed, using surface markings together with micrographic and X-ray techniques to provide information on grain boundary interactions and the driving forces for growth. FACTORS that promote growth of certain grains during the early stages of secondary recrystallization have been considered theoretically1 but have been little explored in a direct experimental way. In certain cases,2'3 it has been reported that the primary recrystallization grains (nuclei), which eventually become secondaries, were found to be larger than the other grains into which they grew-Factors such as grain boundary "mobility" and differences in strain energy may contribute to the

Jan 1, 1961

By G. R. Wilms

In a recent investigation1 on the properties of chromium, and of Cr-10 wt pct W and Cr-5 wt pct Mo alloys at elevated temperatures, it was found that intercrystalline cavities developed in all of these materials during tensile creep at 950°C, and that the cavities led to intercrystalline fracture. There were some interesting differences, however, between the cavities produced in the pure metal and those in the alloys; these differences, moreover, were associated with a difference in ductility. The relevant conditions of creep testing are specified in the captions to Figs. 1 and 3. Chromium showed the presence of quite large intercrystalline cavities, Fig. 1, and these were more or less randomly distributed around the boundaries. The chromium alloys, on the other hand, showed the presence of both small cavities and cracks at the grain boundaries, Fig. 3; it is apparent that the cracks are formed by the linking together of the small cavities. Moreover, the cavities and

Jan 1, 1960

Jan 1, 1922

By Edwin Ludlow

For many years, coal has been known to exist in the valley of the Sabinas river, in the State of Coahuila, and for about 15 years it has been worked by the Mexican International Railway Co., which opened mines for its own fuel-supply when the railway was built, and has been mining continuously ever since. The coal-basin worked by this company lies along the Sabinas river, principally on the SW. side. It covers a wide area and has been carefully prospected, but only in a few parts have the beds been found sufficiently thick and regular for economical operation. This Sabinas basin was considered the only one in this field, until, in the Spring of 1899, the Las Esperanzas basin was found by Messrs. J. L. Elliot and E. D. Peters, who were in Mexico looking after some copper-properties. After a further examination by Mr. James T. Gardiner, of New York, the Mexican Coal & Coke Co. was organized in June, and active work was begun on Nov. 5, 1899. The coal-field of Las Esperanzas, situated in the State of Coahuila, about 85 miles SW. of Eagle Pass, Texas, adjoins and runs parallel with the Sabinas basin—an anticlinal separating the two outcrops by about 2 miles. Fig. 1 is a sketch-map of a part of the basin. The coal-formation is in the Upper Cretaceous, and corresponds with the Laramie measures of the United States. The following geological section, taken in Nogales canon, shows the measures between the massive limestones forming the Sierra de la Santa Rosa and the outcrop of the coal: Section. Feet. Limestone,...Unknown. Blue shale,.........110 Shale and sandstone,.. 60 Bed of fossiliferous shale,. 60

Jan 1, 1902

By Herbert E. Lindberg

Laboratory-scale intact and jointed rock masses were tested in field and laboratory experiments to investigate tunnel response in high stress environments. In most of the experiments the tunnels were modeled by a rigid-plastic foam polyurethane with a crush strength of 3.4 MPa (500 psi) and emphasis was placed on jointed rock parameters: joint sets (single set of parallel plane joints versus a double set of orthogonal parallel plane joints), joint plane angle with respect to the direct loading direction, and joint spacing. Other parameters were loading stress, loading direction, and tunnel reinforcement strength. Results show quantitatively the increase in tunnel deformation in jointed compared with intact rocks, double versus single joint sets, and large versus small angle between the joint plane normal and the loading direction. A surprising result was the decreases in tunnel deformation with increases in the number of joints across a tunnel diameter. The efficacy of scale modeling with laboratory-constructed rock was tested by modeling complex reinforced concrete and steel tunnel reinforcements in jointed rock masses and comparing the results with large scale tunnels previously fielded in highly jointed granite. Tunnel response was reproduced in surprising detail, including concrete fracture, steel liner bending and fracture, and critical load to produce these responses. The scale models also allowed sectioning of the jointed rock masses to observe gross sliding along the joints that accompanied tunnel failure.

Jan 1, 1982

By Benjamin Tillson

To MOST mine operators, it seems evident that there is a drill-steel problem, although under certain conditions the amount f drill-steel breakage does not appear serious. What is at fault? It may be one or a combination of circumstances. The development of rock drills to the hammer-drill type in place of the old reciprocating piston drill, probably is one important cause for the greater steel breakage. Perhaps the manufacturers of drill steel have failed to realize what alloys are needed for this new service or have overlooked the changes in the art of rock drilling. Although suitable alloys are provided, they may not be so handled in the manufacturing process as to be in the best condition to withstand the demands of rock drilling. The mine operator may be at fault in desiring to use the smallest possible drill-steel section in order that the gage of the drill bits may be correspondingly small and the amount of footage drilled per unit of labor may be greater; or the black-smithshop practice at the mines may need improvement. The miner who uses the drill steel may also require more intensive supervision and education. Again, the manufacturer of rock drills may have failed to study the types of blows the steel alloys will withstand satisfactorily and which their tools are delivering and so he may not know whether or not a different design of rock drill would equal or excel their present drilling speeds without treating the drill steel so severely. All of these hypotheses probably have their supporters. On the other hand, perhaps we are seeking too much service from drill steel and we need a fuller realization of the fatigue strains developed and should prepare to relieve these by a periodic heat treatment of the steels. However, we do not find any proof that any of these suppositions may be held responsible for the drill-steel breakage attendant to mining. The proposed investigation of this matter by the U. S. Bureau f Mines is fully warranted in the promotion of the conservation of labor and material, and the safety of the workmen. The great range of field conditions, as well as the scope of the research, requires the energetic cooperative support of many interests. Various manufacturers of steel,

Jan 5, 1921

By David Reger

Introduction THE exhaustion of oil and gas in the United States is proceeding at a rapid pace. This is especially true in fields where the light oils that furnish the most fuel for internal-combustion engines are found, leading to a late estimate by Arnold that the petroleum resources are 36 per cent. exhausted.1 The further remark by Dr. David T. Day at the New York meeting of the Institute, in February, 1916, that the operators of the country are now scarcely able to supply the ever-increasing demand for gasoline, leads the writer to believe that a determined effort will soon be made to secure deeper producing horizons in those regions that now furnish high-grade oil, and in which pump stations and pipe lines offer convenient means for the economical handling of new production. A study of Arnold's table shows further that the States that produce paraffin oil exclusively are 45 per cent. exhausted, this figure being much higher than the average of paraffin and asphalt States altogether. The most extensive of all the paraffin-oil-producing areas is the Appalachian Field, extending with the Appalachian Geo-Syncline from western New York southwestward through western Pennsylvania, western West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee, where oil of high gravity is always secured. Of these States, Pennsylvania and West Virginia rank highest in. the quality of their product. In West Virginia, the oil sands dip to a lower level than in any other locality in the Appalachian Geo-Syncline, the Pittsburgh Coal of the Pennsylvanian being only 50 ft. above sea level along the Nineveh Syncline at Wileyville, Wetzel County.2 The very significant fact that the sands of the Mississippian and Upper Devonian Measures furnished the richest oil pools of the State along this

Jan 9, 1916

The first discovery of gold in Montana is credited to François Finlay, a half-breed, from the Red River country, in Canada; he went to California during the early days and learned there how to wash the gold from placer deposits; then, on his return, he crossed Montana and found gold on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains, on Gold creek, a minor tributary of the Hell Gate river, in what is now Deer Lodge county. That was in 1852.* Finlay did not find enough gold to induce him to continue at work, but six years later a group of miners, led by the brothers James Stuart and Granville Stuart prospected on this same creek, obtaining about ten cents to the pan. They, however, were harassed by the Blackfeet Indians, and they were also handicapped by lack of proper tools; so they too desisted from further operations. Two years later, in 1860, Henry Thomas started to work on Gold creek with three sluice-boxes hewn out of green timber that he cut on the spot. With this simple apparatus he won from $1.50 to $2.00 per day. This may be considered the fist instance of systematic mining in Montana. Meanwhile the Stuarts went to Fort Bridger, in southwestern Wyoming, where they remained as traders until 1861, when, again lured by the gleam of gold, they returned to the valley of the Deer Lodge and resumed prospecting, using 10 sluice-boxes that were brought from Walla Walla, in Washington, 425 miles distant. In the summer of 1862 they were joined by many others, chiefly from Colorado, in consequence of an exchange of

Jan 1, 1932