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By Olin G. Bell

At the beginning of the year 1935 the older fields in Southwest Texas, and particularly those discovered during 1934, had been practically delimited and only normal development continued. As a result, operations in this area were somewhat slowed down. Shortly after the first of the year, however, activity in the area was greatly accelerated, due largely to the fact that the Loma Novio field, discovered during the last few days of 1934, indicated the presence of a new productive trend east of and parallel to the Government Wells field and also indicated the presence of a new productive horizon, the Loma Novio sand, approximately 100 ft. lower than the Government Wells sand zone. Other discoveries during the year greatly augmented the activity in the district. During the year there were 651 oil wells, 53 gas wells and 275 dry holes drilled in this area during the year. Most of the operations were in the Government Wells, Cole, Loma Novio, Seven Sisters and Lopez fields. New Fields Four new fields were discovered during 1935 as follows: Seven Sisters and Piedra de Lumbre in Duval County; Loma Alto in McMullen County; and Lopez in Webb County. Seven Sisters Field.—The Seven Sisters field, opened in May, was the direct result of a systematic search for new productive areas northeast of the Loma Novio field. The first producer, Harvey & Henderson NO. 1 Chernosky, survey 226, was completed in the Labbe (Chernosky) sand at 2220 ft. However, the second producer, Santa Clara Oil Co. No. 1 Welder in survey 385, drilled about one mile south of the discovery well, failed to find production in the Labbé sand and was carried on down and completed in the Government Wells sand at 2473 ft. with an initial production of 20 bbl. of oil per hour. These two discoveries, in the Labbé and Government Wells sand, started an active leasing and drilling campaign in this part of Duval County and drilling operations continued especially active throughout the remainder of the year.

Jan 1, 1936

By H. R. Hanley, Charles Y. Clayton

One of the most important contributions to the art of electrolytic zinc production has been the aluminum cathode. This has been used in all major production since its commercial development in 1916. The literature is replete with important contributions, some of which may have been replaced by better ones, but thus far there appears no other metal to take the place of aluminum as cathode material. Credit for this innovation goes to Sherard Cowper Coles, of England. When experimenting on the extraction of zinc from Broken Hill ore at Hayle, Cornwall, in 1893, he introduced the aluminum cathode, and in 1895 obtained British Patent No. 20073. The reason for this dominant position of aluminum as cathode material in zinc sulphate electrolytes is its unique surface, to which electro-deposited metals usually do not tightly adhere. The metal must, be of high purity for best results. It is possible to develop a starting-sheet method by which thin electro-deposited sheets of cathode zinc are made and stripped from a smooth aluminum plate. Such thin sheets of cathode zinc may be used as are the copper sheets in standard electrolytic copper-refinery practice. However, complications arise because of extreme warping of the zinc starting sheet after a few hours of deposition, and thus special arrangements must be made to compensate for this abnormality. Reasons advanced for the ease with which deposits may be stripped from the aluminum surface are: (1) presence of a permanent oxide coating on the metal, (2) failure of aluminum to alloy with the deposit, (3) differences in coefficient of expansion, (4) high position of aluminum in the electromotive scries of metals. Of these reasons for nonadherence, which may have some application in general deposition, probably the oxide coating has the greatest bearing on the subject of zinc deposition. Adherence of zinc deposits has occasionally had serious effect on tonnage and production costs. Opinions have differed as to the specific

Jan 1, 1943

A. V. ADAMSON,* New York, N. Y. (written discussion).-The experience of users of pulverized fuel in metallurgical work, particularly for open-hearth furnaces, has demonstrated that high ash and sulfur in pulverized fuel are a detriment, the sulfur in the coal entering into the finished product; hence, in this class of work it is extremely important, when pulverized coal is to be used, that the coal be selected with care, and only those having low percentages of sulfur be used, in combination with proper means for combustion. I have found that no general statement can be made as to the cost of pulverized coal, each installation being an individual engineering problem and necessitating a varying capital expenditure; as each installation has its own power cost, the actual cost of pulverizing varies between wide margins. It has been found that no general rule can he laid down as to either fineness or dryness; for some uses a wide range is permissible in both factors, while some classes of fuel require different treatment from others. Anthracite, coke breeze, and lignite ash will, under certain conditions, form slag, the melting point of the ash from fuel of this character being practically the same as of that from bituminous coal; furnace temperatures above the melting point of ash must therefore cause the formation of slag. However, it should he noted that furnace temperatures attainable with this class of fuel are not usually so high as those from bituminous coal, which probably explains the statement that the former do not slag. In a well designed furnace, temperatures above 2250° F. (1235° C.) will be obtained with that class of fuel, and slags will be formed. Too much attention apparently has been centered on high CO2 contents of stack gases. A high percentage of C02 is frequently obtained at the expense of the brickwork, the furnace temperature being increased by diminishing the excess air; a high percentage of C02 thus simply means a small proportion of 02.

Jan 12, 1918

By John F. Brass

INTRODUCTION The Jim Walter Corporation is a Florida based organization with diverse interests. They have operations in many states and overseas, but the heart of the company is in the southeast. The major part of the corporation's business is home building and everything that is related to it. In 1969, the Jim Walter Corporation gained an interest in coal mining through the acquisition of the U. S. Pipe & Foundry Company which had two slope mines to supply its requirement of metallurgical coal. In the early 1970's it was decided to enlarge the coal mining activities and work was started on the Blue Creek project. This involved sinking four new deep mines (originally there were to have been five but it was later decided that the property could be satisfactorily worked by four mines). They are all located in west central Alabama between Tuscaloosa and Birmingham. They have a combined projected output of 7314 million tons of very high grade metallurgical coal per year to be reached by the mid 1980's. These new mines are all to work the Blue Creek seam which is a very gassy seam and in the area to be mined is found at between 45m (1500 ft.) and 731m (2400 ft.) below the surface. Longwall is the only practicable method of mining to produce the planned outputs in the conditions prevailing and each mine is planned to have three longwalls as the primary production system. Continuous miners will be used just to do the development work for the longwalls. No. 3 Mine is the most advanced of the mines and started the first longwall early in 1979. The second unit started in the middle of 1980 and the third is scheduled for mid 1981. The first longwall at No. 4 Mine is expected to commence production early in 1982. This paper attempts to relate some of the problems that have been encountered and the lessons that have been learned.

Jan 1, 1981

By Ernest Darby

WHEN bronze is melted in open-flame furnaces a considerable amount of slag is formed during the melting operation. This slag may be incidental to the melting practice or it may be formed intentionally by slag-forming constituents added to the furnace charge to provide a covering for the melted metal. When this slag is removed from the furnace, it contains, in addition to the free metal carried with it by the skimming operation, a considerable amount of metal as oxide either combined or mechanically mixed with it. By the usual crushing and washing methods this metallic oxide generally goes to the tailings pile, so diluted by other foundry waste that its recovery is economically impossible. If this furnace slag is not mixed with other foundry waste, practically all of the metal oxide as well as the free metal may be recovered by some form of smelting operation. The first side of the problem to be considered is the amount of slag produced. It may not be true that the majority of foundries have no record of the amount of slag made, but it is certainly true that a very great many either have no record or pay little attention to it. Usually the collection of furnace slag for one normal week's run will be sufficient to determine the advisability of its being handled in a different manner from the crushing and concentrating generally employed. If a large representative sample of the accumulation is crushed and concentrated and the recovery compared with the results of a careful assay, it will be found that a large percentage of the total metal content was lost in the washing process. The percentage of loss will be greater than the metallic oxide content, as some free metal in extremely fine particles always is carried away in grains of slag. From such a comparison, it may be determined whether or not the slag should be melted, sold or treated as before. An example of an actual test of this kind is given below.

Jan 1, 1928

By H. R. Hanley, Charles Y. Clayton

One of the most important contributions to the art of electrolytic zinc production has been the aluminum cathode. This has been used in all major production since its commercial development in 1916. The literature is replete with important contributions, some of which may have been replaced by better ones, but thus far there appears no other metal to take the place of aluminum as cathode material. Credit for this innovation goes to Sherard Cowper Coles, of England. When experimenting on the extraction of zinc from Broken Hill ore at Hayle, Cornwall, in 1893, he introduced the aluminum cathode, and in 1895 obtained British Patent No. 20073. The reason for this dominant position of aluminum as cathode material in zinc sulphate electrolytes is its unique surface, to which electro-deposited metals usually do not tightly adhere. The metal must, be of high purity for best results. It is possible to develop a starting-sheet method by which thin electro-deposited sheets of cathode zinc are made and stripped from a smooth aluminum plate. Such thin sheets of cathode zinc may be used as are the copper sheets in standard electrolytic copper-refinery practice. However, complications arise because of extreme warping of the zinc starting sheet after a few hours of deposition, and thus special arrangements must be made to compensate for this abnormality. Reasons advanced for the ease with which deposits may be stripped from the aluminum surface are: (1) presence of a permanent oxide coating on the metal, (2) failure of aluminum to alloy with the deposit, (3) differences in coefficient of expansion, (4) high position of aluminum in the electromotive scries of metals. Of these reasons for nonadherence, which may have some application in general deposition, probably the oxide coating has the greatest bearing on the subject of zinc deposition. Adherence of zinc deposits has occasionally had serious effect on tonnage and production costs. Opinions have differed as to the specific

Jan 1, 1943

By Stanley C. Herold

At the present time five localities in the Argentine Republic are known to bear direct evidences of the presence of petroleum. The segregation of these localities is more or less arbitrary inasmuch as minor indications may be found to extend from one locality to the other at no regular distance apart, especially in the northern and western part of the republic. These localities are listed as follows: North Argentine-Bolivian region, Salta-Jujuy district, provinces of Mendoza and Neuquen, Comodoro Rivadavia, and the Gallegos-Punta Arenas region. Economic conditions attract us to the possibilities of developing these and other regions of countries in the southern hemisphere. Development work will, naturally, be undertaken first in such localities as present direct manifestations of the presence of petroleum; "hidden fields" may exist, but, unless discovered by accident, their development will be left to the last. The problems to be solved in the development of the petroleum resources of the Argentine republic are mainly of stratigraphy, structure, and transportation. We are not here concerned with the unfavorable climate of the countries to the north in the tropics where, for us of the "far north," life hangs by a thread ready to be severed by a mosquito, gnat, or tropical germ. North Argentine-Bolivian Region The North Argentine-Bolivian region has already been described by the author.' Geographically and geologically this is admittedly one field extending from Argentine into Bolivia. It is not necessary to repeat here the various conditions pertaining to this field, though the summary may be quoted as follows: Extending from northern Argentine northward into central Bolivia is a belt of petroleum seepages. On account of the remoteness of the district it has, heretofore, been little considered by oil operators. The regional geology is comparatively well understood but the local features have not been carefully detailed. Development work in the past has been done on an unscientific basis and has led to failures. At the present time, access to the region is somewhat difficult but, no

Jan 1, 1921

By Clemens Jones

THE analytical history of phosphorus in its relation to the metallurgy of iron is an interesting study, the progress of which runs parallel with the development of the greatest industry in the world. Without the means of finding out how much phosphorus crude pigiron contained, the Bessemer steel process would have been impossible. To do this was originally tedious and slow work. On the other hand, the " direct" process of to-day, as well as the various special processes for steel or iron, have demanded the utmost rapidity in the operations of analytical chemistry. In general, any rapid process for the conversion of unrefined metal into a product of standard composition depends upon the rapidity of some accurate means employed to control it. Moreover, in our modern practice, it is not improbable that the differences in physical properties among the various makes of iron or steel are affected, if not produced, by the use of different methods of analysis. Recourse is always had for correction to the ((standard methods," but I incline to think that these methods are susceptible to error. It is very certain that the system of duplicates would not be resorted to, if the fact were otherwise. Even when duplicated, under the most careful and skilful manipulation, these standard methods produce disagreements. In proof of statements like these, which may sound. heretical, I hope, further on, to cite some evidence worthy of attention. I do not now mean to lay claim to the distinction of discovering the ultimate corrective. That result will come, no doubt, in. time, as the product of the experience of many workers. In the case of phosphorus, as of the other ingredients of iron or steel, a great deal has been done to accommodate the methods of analysis in rogue to the growing necessity for more rapid procedures: Much of this work has concerned what might be called the incidents of method. There is no better example of the accumulation of these incidental improvements than the work done on phosphorus; and I

Jan 1, 1890

By Thomas Downing

WHEN examining a coal property it is customary for the engineer to take channel samples at several coal faces. In doing so the extraneous matter, or partings, which can be removed by hand, or mechanically, with the facilities at hand, or proposed, is rejected. Where there is doubt concerning a stratum it is usually rejected from the main sample but part is taken for separate analysis. The samples are forwarded to a chemist for proximate analyses and determination of British thermal units, and, sometimes, ash fusion. Consideration is given all available commercial analyses but frequently the owner presents only the favorable ones. From the results thus obtained a general evaluation is made, monies are loaned or expended, markets are determined, and realization is estimated. In many instances, such grades are not substantiated and it is time we looked deeper for a basis which will prove more practical. Institute committees are working hard on analytic and use classifications and much valuable information has already been assembled and distributed. However, no single grade can be applied to any particular bed or region. Much study has been given the Pittsburgh No. 8 seam, yet that bed is subject to material differences in a single section; i. e., some strata of a face may differ from others in structure and analysis, particularly in sulfur content. From some localities it yields a good carbonization fuel, while in others it is chemically unfit for such use. Traveling south to the Logan, W. Va., field we find the Cedar Grove (Island Creek) seam a hard, gray splint coal. In the same field, and not far distant, the same bed changes, both structurally and chemically, and consists of excellent gas coal. In Illinois the moisture content of a bed may vary greatly in different localities. We have seen mines in which part of the coal is excellent for special purpose use but is spoiled by the product from another part of the same mine.

Jan 1, 1931

By H. R. Hanley, Charles Y. Clayton

ONE of the most important contributions to the art of electrolytic zinc production has been the aluminum cathode. This has been used in all major production since its commercial development in 1916. The literature is replete with important contributions, some of which may have been replaced by better ones, but thus far there appears no other metal to take the place of aluminum as cathode material. Credit for this innovation goes to Sherard Cowper Coles, of England. When experi¬menting on the extraction of zinc from Broken Hill ore at Hayle, Cornwall, in 1893, he introduced the aluminum cathode, and in 1895 obtained British Patent No. 20073. The reason for this dominant position of aluminum as cathode material in zinc sulphate electrolytes is its unique surface, to which electrodeposited metals usually do not tightly adhere. The metal must be of high purity for best results. It is possible to develop a starting-sheet method by which thin electrodeposited sheets of cathode zinc are made and stripped from a smooth aluminum plate. Such thin sheets of cathode zinc may be used as are the copper sheets in standard electrolytic copper-refinery practice. However, complications arise because of extreme warping of the zinc starting sheet after a few hours of deposition, and thus special arrangements must be made to compensate for this abnormality. Reasons advanced for the ease with which deposits may be stripped from the aluminum surface are: (1) presence of a permanent oxide coating on the metal, (2) failure of aluminum to alloy with the deposit, (3) differences in coefficient of expansion, (4) high position of aluminum in the electromotive series of metals. Of these reasons for nonadherence, which may have some application in general deposition, probably the oxide coating has the greatest bearing on the subject of zinc deposition. Adherence of zinc deposits has occasionally had serious effect oil tonnage and production costs. Opinions have differed as to the specific

Jan 1, 1938

By A. W. Ambrose, C. E. Beecher

It is the purpose of this paper to summarize data on unitization projects in Oklahoma and Kansas as obtained from replies to questionnaires sent out by the A. I. M. E. committee for these states. The information received indicates that unitization is growing rapidly in this area, but has not been in operation for a sufficient length of time to develop production history. It was impossible to obtain a record of all unitization projects in the time available. The magnitude of such projects is indicated by the fact that reports were received covering a total of 171,420 acres in Kansas and 49,350 acres in Oklahoma. Most of these units have been formed during the past 2 years, the greater number having been completed in 1929. It is anticipated that even more will be formed during the present year. The following important facts have been emphasized by answers to the questionnaire and discussion with various operators: 1. Unitization is growing rapidly, as evidenced by the number of units and the large total acreage now included in units as compared with practically no acreage 2 years ago. 2. Operators are convinced that unitization is reducing development and operating cost and they anticipate greater reductions as experience is gained in unit operation. 3. Producing units have not been in operation for a sufficient length of time to give significant production history from which to estimate the ultimate recovery of oil, but the general opinion seems to be that more oil will be recovered. 4. In view of the benefits to be derived from unitization, many operators are refusing to carry on wildcat operations unless a unit has been formed. If this attitude continues to grow there will be no large pools developed in Oklahoma and Kansas in the future except under unit control. Summary The following tabulation gives a condensed summary of the information received on unit operations in Oklahoma and Kansas, but does not include all units, because many were not reported.

Jan 1, 1930

Technology has no recognized rank in what is called polite literature; the subject-matter of engineering is not supposed to lend itself to artistic treatment; we are the hewers of wood and drawers of water to the high-priests of learning that live on the cold summit above our humbler dwellings. Therefore the hierophants smile at the notion of 'style'- “that curiously personal thing”--in technical writing. The "great art" of Pater, the "inevitable phrase" of Raleigh, the "note of distinction" that Arnold demanded are said to be beyond the scope, as they are supposed to be beside the need, of a writer on geology or engineering. This is a narrow view. Science, no less than belles lettres, calls for the best exercise of the human intelligence; the art of writing should be employed as skilfully and as earnestly in a description of the structure of the Sierra Nevada, or of the construction of a tunnel through the range, as in a rhapsody welcoming the rosy fingers of the dawn. The idea still lingers that fine writing does not befit technology, even though the masters of the Victorian period- Huxley, Tyndall, Ruskin-proved that science is worthy to be arrayed in the best robes that the looms of thought can weave. At the beginning of these lectures I quoted Barrie's remark touching the inability of the scientific man to express himself. That imputation has been passed to the technologist, whose utilitarian pursuits are supposed to make him too clumsy for the refinements of human speech. We may not have acquired the self-consciousness of those writers on Art whose "power of expression is so cultivated that their sensual caterwauling may be almost mistaken for the music of the spheres"; nor can we imitate the politicians, who have the ability to speak far beyond anything that they may have to say; but we too have a litera-

Jan 1, 1931

By Carl Thieme

INDUSTRIAL specialization has rapidly created a demand for new and better alloys. A more thorough understanding of the requirements of specific industries and the discovery of processes by which it has been made possible to utilize certain metallic elements in larger quantities, together with greater purity in most virgin metals, has resulted in a great increase in the number and variety of alloys. This increase in the number of elements entering into non-ferrous alloy manufacture has increased the contamination in secondary metals, as received by the smelter. In order to successfully refine scrap of a much more complex nature it has been necessary for the smelter to install new equipment and to constantly search for new methods of refining as well as to improve the methods already in use. In some instances it is largely responsible for specialization in the secondary metal industry. It is usually necessary to remove the contaminating impurities in scrap or eliminate to a degree not objectionable, no matter how introduced. In order to know what metals or elements are of an objectionable nature, the smelter must make a study of the effect of single elements and combinations of elements on many of the physical and mechanical properties, such as strength, ductility, color, hardness, casting soundness, etc. The smelter of secondary metals must be able to utilize scrap materials of all kinds, for, sooner or later, most fabricated metal parts and the waste products formed during the process of manufacture find their way to the smelter. In addition, the smelter, in contracting for salvaged material from the producer, gets some undesirable and unusual materials. The value of secondary metals and the importance of their recovery has increased in recent years and it is no longer sufficient to recover the base metal only, such as copper from copper-bearing material, but it inessential that other elements present be recovered and converted into useful form.

Jan 1, 1928

By J. W. Ristori, V. R. Garfias, R. V. Whetshel

During the past eight years, in trying to estimate world consumption of petroleum and related products, the authors have been unable to account for all the supplies available in any one year. There has remained at all times a balance, which at first was thought to represent almost entirely additions to stocks in foreign countries. But as this discrepancy continued year after year-over 148,000,000 bbl. in 1937—it became unreasonable to conclude that corresponding additional foreign storage capacity was continuously being made available. It became therefore clear that the balance in question was due to other causes than to additions to stocks. Last year Mr. A. G. White, Chief Economist of the Petroleum Economics Division of the United States Bureau of Mines, pointed out to one of the authors that an unknown and important factor in consumption of petroleum and related products is to be found in the requirements for military purposes in foreign countries. This paper is the result of Mr. White's timely suggestion. There are no reliable data available either on the storage capacity, and therefore oil stocks, or on the petroleum consumption for military purposes in foreign countries. This information is so closely related to national defense that its divulgation is forbidden. One can therefore but surmise as to these facilities and needs in line with the relative strength of the military land, air and sea forces of the various countries. The authors have assumed many of the component factors that go to make the tables herein presented, such as fuel consumption of fighting ships in relation to tonnage and horsepower, gasoline consumption of air fleets in relation to number of planes, and the consumption of petroleum products by mechanized armies; but in making these assumptions they have availed themselves of the advice and counsel of those whose wide experience in these questions make their views authoritative. The opportunities for error in an estimate of this nature are obvious and ever present; to illustrate: The air fleets in Spain no doubt consumed

Jan 1, 1938

By W. F. Boericke

NOT the least interesting sights that New York has to offer the visiting mining engineers are the extensive tunnel operations that are being pushed in connection with the subway construction. While a "hard rock" man might feel at home on these jobs, the engineers driving the subway tunnels have necessarily had to encounter some new problems pe-culiar to the largest permanent mining camp in the country. To drive a heading 36 by 18 ft. in hard rock, with a station section to follow 52 by 27 ft. across-and to do it in the midst of a city's traffic-demands engineering skill of a high order. Not the least of the problems overcome by the engineers in charge was to provide adequate ventilation for the men at the face at all times, so that there would be no delay in the work. With a crew of 40 men (32 drill runners and helpers on the machines alone, working two shifts) a hold-up due to inability to get back promptly to the face after shooting would affect costs quickly. AIR VITIATED BY EXHAUST FUMES FROM MOTOR TRUCKS A complication not encountered by metal miners, but which the subway engineers had to meet, was pollution of the air in the tunnels by fumes from the exhaust of the motor trucks used to haul away the broken rock. As shown in the cut, motor trucks were constantly em-ployed to remove the heavy tonnage broken as the tun-nels went ahead, amounting, according to R. J. Van Wagner, chief engineer of the Del Balso Construction Co., to 48 cu. yd. per ft. of tunnel advance. As the length of the tunnel under his management was 900 ft., it was essential for the safety of the men that suffi-cient air be introduced to dilute the poisonous fumes so that no ill effects would be felt for the entire distance that the trucks had to travel. The presence of the ex-haust fumes was especially noticeable on foggy days.

Jan 2, 1928

By Frank A. Wilder

The most important process in a gypsum mill is calcining the crude mineral. There seems, however, to be little progress or change in calcining methods. This would not be surprising if the industry was not, in other ways, developing. The demand for gypsum in its various forms, however, is growing rapidly. The output has more than doubled in six years, while the value of gypsum products, through the introduction of higher priced. specialties like wall board, has nearly trebled in the same period. In other industries, under somewhat similar conditions, calcining in rotating cylinders, either by direct or indirect heat, has replaced the method that still prevails in gypsum mills. Efforts were made to use rotary calciners in manufacturing plaster of Paris in the early days of the industry in America; 25 years ago rotary calciners were in use in Germany. At that time there was great diversity of opinion in regard to their merit. In 1923, the output of calcined gypsum in the United States was 3,101,378 tons. About nine-tenths of this material was calcined in kettles, the remainder in rotary calciners. The ratio was about the same 10 years ago. During these 10 years, rotary calcining made relatively no gains, and there were no important changes in the construction of kettles. In their manipulation, the only change of consequence was in connection with the length of time that the gypsum is left in the kettle. For wall-plaster purposes, all producers who had not previously done so changed from second-settled to first-settled calcined gypsum, thereby reducing production costs and improving the plasticity and sand-carrying capacity of their plaster. Nevertheless, in the few mills in which they were installed, rotary calciners continue to operate, with possibly one or two exceptions, and to be highly successful. In these 10 years, the Cummer type of rotary calciner has disappeared. All rotaries now used are of the cement-mill type with a diameter of 6 or 7 ft. and length of 80 to 120 feet.

Jan 1, 1925

THE FRENCH occupation of the Ruhr valley and other districts on the eastern side of the Rhine continued during March to be the pre-dominating feature in European affairs. There were sporadic troubles and disorders, but on the whole the Germans were passive while the French were consider-ate. However, it became more and more evident that France is not in this way going to succeed in collecting the reparations, to which of course she is entitled. It appears to be a case of Germany being unwilling to pay what is claimed from her and France being unable to make her do it. However, as the month drew on it became reason-ably clear that both the French and the Germans were becoming more and more disposed to get out of an impossible and dangerous situation. It was suggested that the basic principles upon which Germany now is ready to resume reparations payment are as follows: (I) appointment of a commission to establish Germany's ability to pay and to fix limits to the reparations; (2) a series of international loans; (3) the amount to be paid cannot exceed approximately 30,000,000,000 gold marks. From Russia came numerous reports reflecting economic and political changes there. One of these told of a Cossack insurrection in the southeast of European Russia. Another reported that the expatri-ated Russians recognized the solidity of the Bolshevik government and would contest it no longer, and would reunite with other Russians if they would recognize the rights of private property and validity of former debts. This is the same position that is taken by most of the foreign governments, and especially Great Britain and the United States, with respect to recognition of the present government of Russia. Secretary Hoover announced that it is no longer necessary to give famine relief to the Russians, their present need being for credit, not food. Lenine was reported seriously ill and probably incapacitated for further activity. Administration of the government, in succession to him, by a triumvirate was suggested.

Jan 4, 1923

By C. M. Young

WHEREVER salt is extracted from the ground as an artificial brine produced by pumping down fresh water to dissolve the salt, subsidence of the overburden is a possibility, though apparently few cases of such subsidence have been noted and detailed records are wanting. This description is intended as a record of subsidence that may permit the forcasting of similar occurrences in other cases; the data were supplied largely by R. B. Lee, city engineer of Hutchinson, Kans. About eleven years ago, ground movement occurred at a neighboring salt plant, when the surface assumed the form of a shallow funnel. Movement was probably due to a flow of sand into a well through a poor seal or a broken casing. The salt deposit increases in thickness from the east until at Hutchinson, where the subsidence occurred, it is about 310 ft. think. The interbedded layers of shale vary in thickness from mere traces to about 7 ft. While knowledge of the shale content of the beds is not exact, the log of a shaft 3 miles east of Hutchinson indicates that shale forms about 25 per cent. of the total thickness. This shaft does not reach the bottom of the salt by about 60 ft., but there is no reason to think that the lower part of the bed is different from the upper. Logs of wells sunk to the bottom are not sufficiently detailed to be of much value. Above the salt is the shale of the well-known Red Beds. The thickness of this is variable, principally because of its eroded surface, but at the mine it is 340 ft. This shale is variable in character and strength, but contains no strong members of limestone or sandstone. If the support is removed, very probably it will subside. The Arkansas River flows across the salt district and Hutchinson is situated on the flood plain. Between the top soil, which is about 8 ft. thick, and the shale is 60 to 100 ft. of water-bearing sand and gravel.

Jan 2, 1926

By Ernest Darby

WHEN bronze is melted in open-flame furnaces a considerable amount of slag is formed during the melting operation. This slag may be incidental to the melting practice or it may be formed intentionally by slag-forming constituents added to the furnace charge to provide a covering for the melted metal. When this slag is removed from the furnace, it contains, in addition to the free metal carried with it by the skimming operation, a considerable amount of metal as oxide either combined or mechanically mixed with it. By the usual crushing and washing methods this metallic oxide generally goes to the tailings pile, so diluted by other foundry waste that its recovery is economically impossible. If this furnace slag is not mixed with other foundry waste, practically all of the metal oxide as well as the free metal may be recovered by some form of smelting operation. The first side of the problem to be considered is the amount of slag produced. It may not be true that the majority of foundries have no record of the amount of slag made, but it is certainly true that a very great many either have no record or pay little attention to it. Usually the collection of furnace slag for one normal week's run will be sufficient to determine the advisability of its being handled in a different manner from the crushing and concentrating generally employed. If a large representative sample of the accumulation is crushed and concentrated and the recovery compared with the results of a careful assay, it will be found that a large percentage of the total metal content was lost in the washing process. The percentage of loss will be greater than the metallic oxide content, as some free metal in extremely fine particles always is carried away in grains of slag: From such a comparison, it may be determined whether or not the slag should be melted, sold or treated as before. An example of an actual test of this kind is given below.

Jan 1, 1928

By R. R. Wilson

THE Cassidy Colliery operated by the Granby Consolidated Mining, Smelting & Power Co., Ltd., is situated about 9 miles in a southerly direction from the city of Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. The coal seam worked, which is called the Douglas bed, outcrops in the western part of the property, clipping easteyrl, and is opened by a slope 7 by 14 ft. in the clear, and is timbered by 12 to 14-in. framed sets of timber, 4 ft. center to center. A separate manway provides for a traveling road and at the same time forms an intake airway. The general average of the dip of the seam at Cassidy is 18°, and varies in thickness from 1 to 25 ft., averaging about 8 ft. The main slopes follow straight down the dip a distance of 4545 ft. At the bottom of the main slope two rock tunnels were driven a distance of 1500 ft. to the south, cutting through a fault, and opening up an area in the same seam which is known as No. 7 South Section. The coal is found in this section at a vertical depth of 1560 ft., and is very soft and friable. The immediate roof is a strong, sandy shale overlain by massive sandstone while the floor is a light-colored shale, hard when freshly exposed. It does not soften materially oil exposure. In the folding of the coal measures a great thrust caused a movement along the coal seam as indicated by the slickensided nature of the coal. The floor has buckled and this has rolled and squeezed the coal-so that with rare exceptions it shows no normal bedding but curved slip planes, which frequently start at right angles to the floor, curving upward and then in the direction of the dip. As such planes are slickensided it is probable that there is a coating of clay which is more or less impervious to gas.

Jan 1, 1927