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By A. W. Faheneald, Lewis S. Prater

By taking advantage of the fundamental difference between screening and classification—namely, that specific gravity has no effect on screening but is one of the important factors in classification—a combination of the two may be used as a process of mineral concentration. Although this fact is not new, so far as is known it has had little or no commercial application. The scheme is not presented now as a process for producing finished products but rather as a preliminary operation rejecting part of the barren material from an ore before it is subjected to more costly treatment. That is largely the function of the new heavy-media concentration processes that have been widely accepted. Original installation costs for the present sink-float processes are relatively high, however, which confines their use to operations where large tonnages are handled. Sink-float has been successful on only the relatively coarse (approximately plus 10-mesh) portion of an ore, and it is in this same range that classification screening can function most satisfactorily. Theoretically, there is no upper limit to the size of particles that can be handled in a sink-float operation, but the degree of liberation in the very large pieces usually limits this. With classification screening, particles from % to % in. would be the largest that could be handled, but the lower range could be extended somewhat below 10 mesh. In order to take full advantage of the difference in specific gravities of the minerals being separated, sorting in the classifier should be under as extreme hindered-settling conditions as possible. Laboratory tests have been made on a galena ore and on an artificial mixture of quartz and magnesite to determine the separations that may be expected. Although more than one scheme may be followed, in these tests the separations were made by cutting the underflow from the classifier as a concentrate and then screening the overflow. The screen oversize was rejected as a tailing. Classification was done in a hindered-settling teeter column and screening was done by hand, using the standard 4 2 series. The accompanying flowsheet gives the testing procedure followed.

Jan 1, 1947

By A. W. Faheneald, Lewis S. Prater

By taking advantage of the fundamental difference between screening and classification—namely, that specific gravity has no effect on screening but is one of the important factors in classification—a combination of the two may be used as a process of mineral concentration. Although this fact is not new, so far as is known it has had little or no commercial application. The scheme is not presented now as a process for producing finished products but rather as a preliminary operation rejecting part of the barren material from an ore before it is subjected to more costly treatment. That is largely the function of the new heavy-media concentration processes that have been widely accepted. Original installation costs for the present sink-float processes are relatively high, however, which confines their use to operations where large tonnages are handled. Sink-float has been successful on only the relatively coarse (approximately plus 10-mesh) portion of an ore, and it is in this same range that classification screening can function most satisfactorily. Theoretically, there is no upper limit to the size of particles that can be handled in a sink-float operation, but the degree of liberation in the very large pieces usually limits this. With classification screening, particles from % to % in. would be the largest that could be handled, but the lower range could be extended somewhat below 10 mesh. In order to take full advantage of the difference in specific gravities of the minerals being separated, sorting in the classifier should be under as extreme hindered-settling conditions as possible. Laboratory tests have been made on a galena ore and on an artificial mixture of quartz and magnesite to determine the separations that may be expected. Although more than one scheme may be followed, in these tests the separations were made by cutting the underflow from the classifier as a concentrate and then screening the overflow. The screen oversize was rejected as a tailing. Classification was done in a hindered-settling teeter column and screening was done by hand, using the standard 4 2 series. The accompanying flowsheet gives the testing procedure followed.

Jan 1, 1947

By Samuel S. Arentz, Dorsey A. Lyon

Introduction % •................. 789 The Present Sources of Zinc ..:.......... 791 Zinc Ores.................. 791 Lead-Zinc Ores................. 793 Loss oF Zinc at the Mine.............. 793 Present Method oF Extracting Zinc From Ores....... 795 Class oF Ores Suited to Zinc Retort Smelting....... 795 Concentration Processes Used for Treating Zinc Ores .... 795 Hydro-Mechanical Processes............. 795 Electro-Mechanical Processes............. 796 Flotation Processes............... 797 Losses of Zinc in Lead and Copper Blast-Furnace Smelting .. 798 Possible Future Sources oF Zinc Supply.......... 800 The Problem oF the Metallurgist and the Present Status of New Processes................. 801 Introduction A great deal of attention has recently been given to the metallurgy of zinc, and much of that which has been said and written on this subject has been in the nature of a criticism. For instance, we are quite accustomed to hearing it said that the metallurgy of zinc has stood still, that it is antiquahed, out of date, etc. We are, however, inclined to agree with George C. Stone1 when he says that, although there have been no such spectacular and radical changes as were worked in the metallurgy of copper and iron by the introduction of converters, there has nevertheless been a decided and marked progress in the metallurgy of zinc, and especially during recent years. However, it must be admitted that, due to the fact that the chemistry of zinc is so different from that of the other metals, the retort process is the only process by which zinc is produced commercially; and, moreover, that losses which occur in the zinc industry— that is, in the mining, milling, and smelting of zinc ore—are very great, for it is stated2 that probably less than 50 per cent. of the zinc mined, even

Jan 1, 1915

By S. G. Dixit, A. K. Biswas

The flotation and adsorption behavior of ilmenite, monazite and zircon have been studied with sodium oleate as the collector and pH as the principal variable. The maxima in the flotation and adsorption properties of any of the above minerals fall within similar pH ranges. The bell shaped pH versus adsorption magnitude (r) curve is explained on the basis of collector concentration (Co and the concentration of hydroxyl ion (COH-) acting as the depressant. An equation of the type: 1 =KiCor~K2 Coh-/Coi-is proposed to account for the experimental data. The beach sand deposits along the sea coast in Southern India contain ilmenite, monazite, zircon, rutile and sillimanite as valuable minerals while quartz, garnet, shells and traces of hornblende form the gangue. A typical composition of the deposits is reported to be as follows:' Ilmenite 75%, Zircon 4-6%, Rutile 3-4%, Monazite 2 - 4%, Garnet 2 - 5% and the rest 8 -10%. Selective flotation of beach sand constituents has been reported by many workers.2-4 The fatty acid soaps have been invariably used as collectors. It is seen that all the valuable constituents of the beach sand are efficiently floated by soap collectors such as sodium oleate. In order to selectively float the beach sand constituents, it is necessary to use some depressants such as sodium silicate.3 The physicochemical parameters that govern the flotation of these minerals are yet to be studied in detail. In the present article, the findings on the parallel studies on the flotation and adsorption of the systems — ilmenite-sodium oleate, monazite-sodium oleate and zircon-sodium oleate — are being reported. In these correlative studies on adsorption and flotation of beach sand minerals, ilmenite (FeTiO3), monazite (Ce, Dy, Nd) PO4 and zircon (ZrSiO,) have been selected because they represent three important

Jan 1, 1970

By John Ryan

SIR HUMPHREY DAVY'S epoch-making treatise delivered on Nov. 9, 1815, before the Philosophical Society of London, first announced and demon¬strated a flame safety lamp for detecting methane in mine air. Coal mining was known in England as early as 1180, more than 600 years before the advent of a safe lighting and gas-detecting appliance. Mining, no doubt, took place first in outcrop coal, and danger from gas did not become apparent until the workings became deeper and more extensive. Davy's lamp did much to increase the safety of miners, and a modified Davy lamp is still widely used for detecting the presence and approximate amount of combustible gas in mine air. No factor in coal mining has improved more rapidly during the past 15 years than safety measures. This progress came about not only as a result of the work-men's compensation laws now in force in most of the states of the Union, but because the research work of the U. S. Bureau of Mines has demonstrated some dan¬gers incident to coal mining which were not considered to be serious matters prior to that time. Electric power and explosives are necessary but 1-potential hazards in American coal mines. A general mechanization program is now under way, while the mines are growing deeper and more extensive. Conse-quently ventilation problems are more complex and a demand has been created for positive detecting devices for carbon monoxide as well as methane. Scientists and manufacturers, working hand in hand during the past 10 years, have invented and developed appliances which make systematic and effective examination of mine air possible. The object of this paper is to describe briefly the approved testing devices in use today, with the hope that they may lead to the saving of life. Dangerous coal mine gases may be placed in two groups: (1) those that are dangerous because of their explosive properties, and (2) those that are dangerous because of their toxic properties. Methane (CHI) is the important gas of the first group, and in so-called gaseous mines constantly exudes from the coal and rock; it may accumulate and form an explosive mixture.

Jan 2, 1927

By Cyril Smith

IN the study of the structure or the properties of a series of alloys or nonmetallic compounds, it is often advantageous to express the com-position not as percentage by weight, according to which the material is always made up and analyzed, but as the atomic percentage of the two constituents. The conversion from the one to the other is repre-sented by the formulas: 100A 100x Y x 100 ? x/A A [1] A+ B x + A/B(100-x) X _ 100yA 100y [2] yA+(100-y)B or y+A(100-y) where x and y are the weight and atomic percentages respectively of the element of atomic weight A, and (100 - x) and (100 - y) are the per-centages by weight and by atoms respectively of the element of atomic weight B. While calculations according to these formulas are simple, they are' time consuming if several conversions have to be made. In 1931 Water-man' constructed a nomograph for performing the conversion, but this did not permit an accuracy greater than about 1 per cent to be obtained in the neighborhood of 50 per cent. Olander2 has proposed a graphic method simpler than Waterman's and one that gives a uniform precision throughout the entire scale. The possible accuracy is about 0.5 per cent of the whole, depending on the size and accuracy of the coordinate paper used. Recently, Hermann3 has described a slide rule for making the calculations. These devices make use of the simple rearranged equation:

Jan 1, 1933

By W. L., Yerkes

AN interesting study of the application of air-, conditioning to the problem of mine ventilation and cooling can be found on the Witwatersrand in South Africa. Here there are a large number of deep mines in a relatively small area. Due to the nature of the reef, many mines are working at a depth of 6000 ft. and some have gone down to 8000 and 9000 ft. below the surface. At such depths, even in a country geologically as old as Africa, the virgin rock temperature approaches 110°F. The flow of heat from the- rock to the ventilation air is tremendous though the shaft or drift may have been open to ventilation for some years. In addition, there is the heat produced by machinery, lights, and men at work and the heat of adiabatic compression of air introduced into the mine. The difference in atmosphere pressure between the collar of a shaft and a level 6000 ft. below is nearly 3lb. per sq. in., resulting in an increase in heat content of nearly four B.T.U. per pound of air delivered to the mine at surface. Further the exclusive use of wet mining to reduce the incidence of miner?s phthisis increases the latent- heat content of the air.

Jan 1, 1941

By Stanley Arnot

THE Mother Lode district in California is probably better known as the land of Bret Harte and Mark Twain than as a gold-producing district, although in this respect it holds an important place. The history of . quartz mining on the Mother Lode dates back to the '50s, when, after the first fever of the gold rush, men began to look for something more permanent, if not more lucrative, than the placers. Since that time,: the discoveries, shutdowns, and reopenings of the many mines, together, with the varying fortunes of their numerous operators, constitute an: interesting chapter in California history, but one too long to include in a description of mining methods. The district is well situated, so far as physical conditions are concerned. The Mother Lode extends along the western slope of the Sierra . Nevada Mountains, about half way between the crest and the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys, the country traversed consisting of low rolling hills-typical foot-hills. The elevation varies from 1000 to 1800 ft. and the climate is most desirable. There is an abundance of water, timber is easily obtained from the higher foot-hills a few miles east, and: cheap hydro-electric power is generated practically on the Lode. These natural conditions are conducive to low costs in mining and have been the deciding factor in allowing profitable exploitation of the comparatively low-grade orebodies. Transportation facilities are, not bad. Five branch railroads, from the main trunk lines in the valley, tap the district at intervals of from 10 to 30 miles, the roads connecting these are fairly good for trucking purposes. Labor is made up of several nationalities, the principal ones being American, Spanish, Jugo-Slav, Italian, and Mexican. There were few Mexicans on the Lode prior to 1919, but the shortage of labor, experienced generally by the mining camps of the country in the years following the war, made necessary the hiring of some. The percentage of Mexican labor rapidly increased in 1920 and for a year or so thereafter, but it has now diminished until at most of the mines only a few Mexicans are working. Of the different nationalities, Americans are the most efficient and Mexicans the least.

Jan 9, 1925

By Stanley L. Arnot

The Mother Lode district in California is probably better known as the land of Bret Harte and Mark Twain than as a gold-producing district, although in this respect it holds an important place. The history of quartz mining on the Mother Lode dates back to the '50s, when, after the first fever of the gold rush, men began to look for something more permanent, if not more lucrative, than the placers. Since that time, the discoveries, shutdowns, and reopenings of the many mines, together with the varying fortunes of their numerous operators, constitute an interesting chapter in California history, but one too long to include in a description of mining methods. The district is well situated, so far as physical conditions are concerned. The Mother Lode extends along the western slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, about half way between the crest and the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys, the country traversed consisting of low rolling hills—typical foot-hills. The elevation varies from 1000 to 1800 ft. and the climate is most desirable. There is an abundance of water, timber is easily obtained from the higher foot-hills a few miles east, and cheap hydro-electric power is generated practically on the Lode. These natural conditions are conducive to low costs in mining and have been the deciding factor in allowing profitable exploitation of the comparatively low-grade orebodies. Transportation facilities are not bad. Five branch railroads, from the main trunk lines in the valley, tap the district at intervals of from 10 to 30 miles, and the roads connecting these are fairly good for trucking purposes. Labor is made up of several nationalities, the principal ones being American, Spanish, Jugo-Slav, Italian, and Mexican. There were few Mexicans on the Lode prior to 1919, but the shortage of labor, experienced generally by the mining camps of the country in the years following the war, made necessary the hiring of some. The percentage of Mexican labor rapidly increased in 1920 and for a year or so thereafter, but it has now diminished until at most of the mines only a few Mexicans are working. Of the different nationalities, Americans are the most efficient and Mexicans the least.

Jan 1, 1925

By R. B. Woodworth

Discussion of the paper of R. B. Woodworth, presented at the New York meeting, February, 1916, and printed in Bulletin No. 107, November, 1915, pp. 2247 to 2312. R. B. WOODWORTH, Pittsburgh, Pa.-This is a very long paper. It is a structural engineer's contribution to the art of mining and is written from his standpoint rather than from that of the mining engineer, and is, therefore, a study in the development of drilling structures by one who has made it his business to design structures rather than mechanism and machinery and rather than to utilize those structures in the actual exploitation of oil and gas. Drilling practice varies widely in different oil and gas fields. The , problems of western Pennsylvania are much simpler than the problems of the Mid-Continent and of the Gulf Coastal Plain and these again are simpler than problems of the Pacific Coast. The history of the commercial development of oil and gas is recorded in the annual publications of the U. S. Geological Survey and other bodies whose business it is to make record of statistics. The mechanical and structural features of the art of drilling have not yet received adequate treatment by the historian. Scattered references may be found on the subject in almost any work dealing at large with petroleum and its production. These references, however, are to those particular aspects of the matter that were contemporary with the publications themselves, but so far as I am aware there is no continuous and comprehensive account written of the development of drilling structures from their beginnings down to the present time, and certainly the more modern application of steel in the construction of such structures has not previously had an adequate discussion. With this latter phase of the subject I have been intimately associated, indeed, taking to myself the credit for having, in a way, been responsible more than any one else in the United States for the application of steel in the manufacture of drilling structures, and the purpose of the paper which is now before you is to record particularly the steps in that development while the subject is still fresh and the data available.

Jan 5, 1916

By A. W. Fahrenwald, Lewis S. Prater

BY taking advantage of the fundamental difference between screening and classification-namely, that specific gravity has no effect on screening but is one of the important factors in classification-a combination of the two may be used as a process of mineral concentration. Although this fact is not new, so far as is known it has had little or no commercial application. The scheme is not presented now as a process for producing finished products but rather as a preliminary operation rejecting part of the barren material from an ore before it is subjected to more costly treatment. That is largely the function of the new heavy-media concentration processes that have been widely accepted. Original installation costs for the present sink-float processes are relatively high, however, which confines their use to operations where large tonnages are handled. Sink-float has been successful on only the relatively coarse (approximately plus 10-mesh) portion of an ore, and it is in this same range that classification screening can function most satisfactorily. Theoretically, there is no upper limit to the size of particles that can be handled in a sink-float operation, but the degree of liberation in the very large pieces usually limits this. With classification screening, particles from 3/8 to 1/2 in. would be the largest that could be handled, but the lower range could be extended somewhat below 10 mesh. In order to take full advantage of the difference in specific gravities of the minerals being separated, sorting in the classifier should be under as extreme hindered-settling conditions as possible. Laboratory tests have been made on a galena ore and on an artificial mixture of quartz and magnesite to determine the separations that may be expected. Although more than one scheme may be followed, in these tests the separations were made by cutting the underflow from the classifier as a concentrate and then screening the overflow. The screen oversize was rejected as a tailing. Classification was done in a hindered-settling teeter column and screening was done by hand, using the standard [v2]series. The accompanying flowsheet gives the testing procedure followed. [ ]

Jan 1, 1945

By R. H. Hawkins

AN investigation of the applicability of geophysical methods to north-ern Ontario lignite deposits was undertaken early in 1930 by the Ontario Research Foundation at the request of the Ontario Department of Mines TABLE 1.-Formations Associated with Moose River Basin Maximum System Formation Lithology Observed Correlation Thickness, Ft. Pleistocene Marine clays 150 Glacial till (Minimum Interglacial 30) clay and peat Glacial till Lower Cretaceous or Mattagami Fireclay, sand 138 Kootenay (?) Upper Jurassic. and lignite Devonian (Upper) Long Rapids Petroliferous, 50 Portage and black and gray Genesee shale Williams Limestone and 87 Tully (?) Island calcareous shale Devonian (Middle).... Abitibi River Gray fossiliferous 65 Onondaga limestone Devonian (Lower) ?... Moose Rive- Limestone and 50 gypsum Devonian (Loner) Sextant Arkose, clay, etc. 50 Pre-Cambrian Syenite, granite gneiss, etc. Igneous intrusives. . Lamprophyre dikes cut the Abitibi River and lower formations. (Permission of Ontario Dept. of Mines) and was financed in part from a research grant made by the latter organ-ization. The work to date has included gravitational, magnetic and electrical resistivity studies. The gravitational and magnetic measure-

Jan 1, 1933

By J. J. Beeson

Fox the past fifty years or more, the structural features of the Cordilleran 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,1. King,2 Gilbert,3 and Powell;4 of the more recent Lindgren,5 Ransome,6 Spurr,7 Butler,8 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 9, 1925

The primary purpose of the Institute is to advance the technologic and engineer-. in- arts embraced by it through inter¬change of knowledge. This can best be clone by the presentation and discussion of technical papers by its members. Short " practical papers are especially welcome. An author should always satisfy himself that his material is of a quality that Will be a credit to him and to the Institute. The preparation of a good paper fre¬quently leads to a reorientation of the author's thoughts, and publication con¬tributes much to the professional standing of the author. Members are urged to submit papers presenting the results of their work. Attention to the following sugges¬tions will greatly further the prompt and efficient handling of manuscripts. 1. SUBJECTS: The subject must be within the field of the Institute.

Jan 1, 1943

By E. C. Robertson

Observations of faults in mines, at outcrops, and in the laboratory lead to the conclusion that the displacement d of a fault increases irregularly but monotonically with the thickness t of its associated fault gouge and breccia, not including adjacent undisplaced jointed rock. The general trend of data points has a slope d/t of about 100. (The correlation coefficient of a logarithmic regression line is r = 0.94.) The rather wide scatter of the points can be accounted for by inaccuracies in measurement of d and t, and by variation in the conditions at faulting of confining pressure, rock type, water pressure, and deformation history. Limestone is an exception to the relation. Until the data can be corrected and refined, the relation should be used only qualitatively for estimating displacement of ore bodies in mines. The suggested relation is based on observations of 48 steeply- dipping normal and reverse faults and nine small flat-dipping thrust faults, with displacement less than 5 km (3 miles). It does not apply to large strike-slip and low-angle overthrust faults because their large displacements are poorly determined and their breccia thicknesses are widely variable.

Jan 1, 1984

By R. R. Angel

Drilling rate is a parameter that should be considered in determining the volume requirements for air and gas drilling. The use of past methods which ignore the effects of the solids content upon the pressure and velocity of the annulus flow stream can result in undercalculation of the required volurne by as much as 50 per cent. A vertical-flow equation is presented for determining volume requirements. This equation includes the effect of the solids that are transported up the annulus in the flow stream by incorporating the drilling rate as one of the parameters. The effect of down-hole temperature on required circulation rates is also ana-lvzed. A simple approximate method of determining volume requirements is presented. This method is more accurate than the methods used in the past. Hole cleaning difficulties are analyzed for a recent air drilling job where past methods indicated that - excess air was being used. Sample curves of calculated boitom-hole pressures are presented for air and gas drilling in several hole sizes. INTRODUCTION In certain areas the use of air or natural gas as a circulating medium for drilling oil and gas wells is becoming a common practice. Large increases in penetration rate and bit life are achieved through the use of these media in preference to mud or water. Drilling rates as high as 90 ft/hr have been obtained in shales. The importance of maintaining adequate circulation rate is generally recognized; however, much disagreement exists among drilling operators as to what constitutes "adequate" circulation rate. In quarry drilling, where annular velocities can be accurately determined, an annular velocity of 3,000 ft/min of standard air is required for best results in rocks having approximately the same density as those commonly penetrated in drilling oil or gas wells'. Although this standard air velocity has proven satisfactory for quarry drilling, some oil and gas well drilling operators believe that an equivalent annular velocity of more than 4,000 ft/min is required; others believe that as little as 2,000 ft/min . is sufficient. Much of this disagreement results from determining the required circulation rates with methods which fail to incorporate the drilled solids in an equation which is applicable to vertical flow. Hughes Tool Co. Bulletins No. 23' and 23-A3 present data for determining circulation rates based on the Weymouth formula. These data do not include the drilling rate as a parameter and, therefore, neglect the effect of the solids being transported up the annulus. In spite of this apparent defect and the fact that the Weymouth formula is not applicable to vertical flow, the Hughes data have well served the drilling industry in many areas and are important and timely contributions to the science of air and gas drilling. The Hughes data purposely omit a correction for increasing down-hole temperature. At slow drilling rates this effectively compensates for the use of a formula which is not valid for vertical flow; however, volumes determined by the Hughes method are not sufficient to support rapid drilling rates at moderate and great depths. For example, Phillips Petroleum Co.'s Cauthorn "D" No. l in the Vinegarone field for Val Verde County, Tex., was air drilled from 1,500 to 9,300 ft using a compressor delivering 1,400 cu ft/min. The 8 3/4-in hole was drilled with 5-in. drill pipe, and drilling rates as high as 90 ft/hr were obtained between 7,000 and 9,300 ft. No water or caving hole was encountered. At 7,728 ft it was necessary to wash-out 60 ft of cuttings to reach bottom after a trip to change bits. At 8,130 ft a twist-off occurred and the drill col-lars were stuck in drill cuttings. These difficulties indicate that the 1,400 cu ft/min of air was not sufficient to keep the hole clean. Hughes data indicates that 1,180 cu ft/min is sufficient to produce an annular ve-

Jan 1, 1958

By S. S. Arentz

PLANNED health and safety programs have become an essential part of American industry because such programs lead to increased operating efficiency, improved labor relations, better public relations, and to substantial savings in compensation insurance. Those of you who have had the unpleasant duty of informing the wife or widow of one of your men of his serious injury or death while on the job, know that all the benefits of a successful safety program do not show on the balance S. S. ARENTZ, Member AIME, is General Superintendent, Nevada Operations, Combined Metals Reduction Co., Pioche, Nevada. AIME San Francisco Meeting, February 1949. TP 2741 A. Discussion of this paper (2 copies) may be sent to Transactions AIME before March 31, 1950. Manuscript received Jan. 6, 1949. sheet. These programs are of particular importance to the mining ,industry because mining's reputation as an unusually hazardous industry and the commonly isolated location of mining operations tend to focus attention on these problems. Description of Operations: Before proceeding with a discussion of our health and safety programs at Pioche, it may be proper to give a brief description of Pioche and of our operations there. Pioche is one of the early Nevada mining camps. It was founded shortly after the discovery of high grade silver ore in 1863 and mining has continued with more or less regularity to the present day. In an era of lawlessness, Pioche was notorious. The story persists that 75 men died with their boots on before one died a natural death, and old payroll records show that nearly as many gunmen were employed to stand off claim jumpers as there were miners working the mine. That was probably as close to a safety program as the times permitted. Pioche is situated in southeastern Nevada on the main highway between Ely and Las Vegas. The camp is on the flank of "Treasure Hill," near the original silver discovery, at an elevation of about 6000 ft. The present day population of about 2000 is primarily dependent upon the mines of the area, although Pioche also serves as the county seat of Lincoln Couqty and as the center of the surrounding livestock industry. The camp is served by a branch of the Union Pacific Railroad and receives power from the generators at Hoover Dam. The Pioche operations of the Combined Metals Reduction Co. were started in 1923 when the first complex lead-zinc ore was shipped to the company's mill at Bauer, Utah. The modern mill at Pioche was completed in 1941. The operations are medium sized in the nonferrous field, employing an average of 350 men in the mine, mill, and related works. The complex lead-zinc ore is mined from replacement deposits in a comparatively flat, extensively faulted, limestone horizon. Mining methods vary from stull-supported open stopes to filled square-set stopes. The thin bedded limestone and shale overlying the ore is allowed to cave as areas are mined out and caving frequently follows closely upon ore extraction. The relatively heavy ground and the numerous faults add to the problems of safe mining. The mine is well mechanized and the mill and surface plant are modern and well equipped. Labor is organized in a C.I.O. union and labor-management relations have been unusually harmonious. During most of the period since 1923 a competent supervisory staff worked to reduce safety hazards but the primary responsibility for safety rested on the individual workman. Accidents happened and all too frequently they were regarded by all concerned as unavoidable. In October 1939, the late Robert L. Dean became superintendent at Pioche. Most of his previous experience had been in the fields of iron and coal mining and from that experience he brought the concept that no accident is unavoidable. Many of the features of our present health and safety programs were initiated by Mr. Dean during his term as superintendent. Health Program: Our health program centers in Dr. Q. E. Fortier and his new, well-equipped, and well-staffed, modern hospital in Pioche. The program starts with a thorough pre-employment physical examination and is followed by yearly re-examinations at the expense of the company. The Pioche Mutual Benefit Association, to which all Pioche mine operators and employees belong, pays benefits covering hospitalization and surgery expense incurred by employee members and their families. The Association is governed by a board of directors elected by its members. The mine operators of the district donated the original capital and pay the monthly dues of the employee members. The employees pay the dues covering members of their families. Though not strictly a part of the

Jan 1, 1951

By S. S. Arentz

PLANNED health and safety programs have become an essential part of American industry because such programs lead to increased operating efficiency, improved labor relations, better public relations, and to substantial savings in compensation insurance. Those of you who have had the unpleasant duty of informing the wife or widow of one of your men of his serious injury or death while on the job, know that all the benefits of a successful safety program do not show on the balance S. S. ARENTZ, Member AIME, is General Superintendent, Nevada Operations, Combined Metals Reduction Co., Pioche, Nevada. AIME San Francisco Meeting, February 1949. TP 2741 A. Discussion of this paper (2 copies) may be sent to Transactions AIME before March 31, 1950. Manuscript received Jan. 6, 1949. sheet. These programs are of particular importance to the mining ,industry because mining's reputation as an unusually hazardous industry and the commonly isolated location of mining operations tend to focus attention on these problems. Description of Operations: Before proceeding with a discussion of our health and safety programs at Pioche, it may be proper to give a brief description of Pioche and of our operations there. Pioche is one of the early Nevada mining camps. It was founded shortly after the discovery of high grade silver ore in 1863 and mining has continued with more or less regularity to the present day. In an era of lawlessness, Pioche was notorious. The story persists that 75 men died with their boots on before one died a natural death, and old payroll records show that nearly as many gunmen were employed to stand off claim jumpers as there were miners working the mine. That was probably as close to a safety program as the times permitted. Pioche is situated in southeastern Nevada on the main highway between Ely and Las Vegas. The camp is on the flank of "Treasure Hill," near the original silver discovery, at an elevation of about 6000 ft. The present day population of about 2000 is primarily dependent upon the mines of the area, although Pioche also serves as the county seat of Lincoln Couqty and as the center of the surrounding livestock industry. The camp is served by a branch of the Union Pacific Railroad and receives power from the generators at Hoover Dam. The Pioche operations of the Combined Metals Reduction Co. were started in 1923 when the first complex lead-zinc ore was shipped to the company's mill at Bauer, Utah. The modern mill at Pioche was completed in 1941. The operations are medium sized in the nonferrous field, employing an average of 350 men in the mine, mill, and related works. The complex lead-zinc ore is mined from replacement deposits in a comparatively flat, extensively faulted, limestone horizon. Mining methods vary from stull-supported open stopes to filled square-set stopes. The thin bedded limestone and shale overlying the ore is allowed to cave as areas are mined out and caving frequently follows closely upon ore extraction. The relatively heavy ground and the numerous faults add to the problems of safe mining. The mine is well mechanized and the mill and surface plant are modern and well equipped. Labor is organized in a C.I.O. union and labor-management relations have been unusually harmonious. During most of the period since 1923 a competent supervisory staff worked to reduce safety hazards but the primary responsibility for safety rested on the individual workman. Accidents happened and all too frequently they were regarded by all concerned as unavoidable. In October 1939, the late Robert L. Dean became superintendent at Pioche. Most of his previous experience had been in the fields of iron and coal mining and from that experience he brought the concept that no accident is unavoidable. Many of the features of our present health and safety programs were initiated by Mr. Dean during his term as superintendent. Health Program: Our health program centers in Dr. Q. E. Fortier and his new, well-equipped, and well-staffed, modern hospital in Pioche. The program starts with a thorough pre-employment physical examination and is followed by yearly re-examinations at the expense of the company. The Pioche Mutual Benefit Association, to which all Pioche mine operators and employees belong, pays benefits covering hospitalization and surgery expense incurred by employee members and their families. The Association is governed by a board of directors elected by its members. The mine operators of the district donated the original capital and pay the monthly dues of the employee members. The employees pay the dues covering members of their families. Though not strictly a part of the

Jan 1, 1951

By K. E. Merklin, F. D. DeVaney

Students of the modern blast furnace seem unanimously agreed that they are observing a major revolution in practice. Rather than changing construction and operation of the furnaces, most of the great advances now under way deal with the raw materials feed. Prepared burdens have gained increasing significance during recent years. Sizing, concentration, and agglomeration have all become bywords to greater production and reduced operating costs. The remarkable results with test furnaces in which self-fluxing sinter makes up part or all of the ore charge foretell even greater improvements. Other investigators have reported many of these advances, and it is enough to predict here that more and more operators will turn to the use of self-fluxing sinter.

Jan 3, 1960

By A. S. M’Creath, E. V. d’Invilliers

The rapid development of the southern coal and iron-ore fields during the past few years, and especially in the latter half of the year 1886, and the avidity with which everything relating to the industrial situation there is read and absorbed by the professional and non-professional public, has led to the preparation of a brief paper for the Institute upon a comparison of the raw materials available on or about January 1st, 1887, at three prominent centers of consumption. While disclaiming any originality or priority in the treatment of the resources of these districts, where so much valuable and interesting work has been performed in the past by several members of the Institute, we hope that the presentation of some analyses of samples personally secured by us in the several districts selected, and prepared for a comparative study of the character of the materials actually used and to be used by the furnaces of the "New

Jan 1, 1887