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By D. W. Loucks

There is plenty of evidence to indicate that at least one of man's chief interests in life is to make himself as comfortable as possible. If you doubt this, just watch the fellow next to you for the next half hour trying to find the most comfortable position that a hard chair has to offer. Comfort, however, does not always mean an easy chair. To some, it may mean a wealth of money: to another, freedom from worry. But to most of us, it means first of all a comfortable atmosphere in which to live, and to a great many of us it probably also means freedom from that annoying task of firing the furnace. Today more than ever before, automatic heat is one improvement that is placed high on everyone's list. Perhaps this is because automatic heating is becoming relatively cheaper. Perhaps it is because of a good publicity campaign on the part of the oil and gas men or maybe it is just that we are getting lazier day by day. At any rate, almost every issue of Better Homes and Gardens, House Beautiful, or your other favorite home magazine carries an article extolling the virtues of this or that automatic heating system.

Jan 1, 1949

NEW MEMBERS The following list comprises the names of those persons who became members during the period of June 10, 1918, to July 10, 1918. ALLPORT, JAMES H., Cons. Engr Barnesboro, Pa. ANDERSON, G. E., Engr., Exploration Dept., American Smelt. & Refin. Co.,Tucson, Ariz. BAKER, HARRY A., Capt., Co. M, 53d Pioneer Infantry, Camp Wadsworth, Spartanburg, S. C. BEALL, ROBERT STEPHENS, Supt., Empire Zinc Co. (of Colorado), Canon City, Colo. BLAYLOCK, SELWYN GWILLYM, Mina & Met. Engr., Asst. Gen'l Mgr., Cons. Min. & Smelt. Co. of Canada, Ltd., Trail, B. C., Canada. BOTTERILL, THOMAS CLARK, Min. Engr., Belmont Surf Inlet Mines, Ltd., Surf Inlet, B. C., Canada. BOWMAN, MAURICE Asst. Supt., New Idria Quicksilver Min. Co., Idria, San Benito Co., Cal. BROOKS, EARL W Chief En r. Inland Collieries Co. Harmarville Pa. BROWN, DEWITT W Chief Chem., Prime Western Spelter Co., Iola, Kansas BUISSON, ARTHUR Min. Engr., Dept. of Mines, Sussex St., Ottawa, Canada. BUNYAN, F. W Chem., Southern Pacific Railway Co., Sacramento, Cal. BURNETT, ARCHIBALD Supt., Swansea Lease Inc., Swansea, Ariz. BURTON, GEORGE E., Resident Geol., Empire Gas & Fuel Co., Varsity Shop Bldg., Norman, Okla.

Jan 8, 1918

By NEWTON B. KNOX

THE war has forced the principal industrial nations of the' world into the strait jacket of a closely controlled economy; taxes have been heaped upon all enterprises in order to maintain the armed forces and to deprive the people of the ability to bid for goods now unavailable. These restrictions, controls, and taxes are unlikely to disappear entirely after the war has been won, for debts will remain to be paid with a long period of difficult readjustment. Although the new economy will doubtless offer plentiful opportunities for the advantageous use of capital, no investor can ignore the favorable conditions offered by industry in Latin America, where taxes are relatively low and the restrictions on free enterprise comparatively mild. In mining in South America, the great international corporations have

Jan 1, 1944

By Guy N. Bjorge

HOMESTAKE'S mining methods today are of necessity controlled to a considerable extent by that which has been done in the past. This may be shown by the fact that our two main operating shafts now, the B. & M. and Ellison, were begun in 1878 and 1896 respectively, so that-the loca-tions of shafts, locations of all the drifts on the upper levels, and a great deal of sloping was done before any of us now connected with the mine had anything to do- with it. Anything that I may say is not to be construed as criticism of those who have gone before for it would be a sad commentary indeed on us if we had not learned something from their experience. The levels down to the 1100 in the Homestake mine are spaced at 100-ft. intervals, and below that at 150-ft. intervals. The general plan of develop-

Jan 1, 1934

By Joseph B. Umpleby

PROGRESS in the petroleum industry in 1929 has been characterized by outstanding accomplishments in the fields of new discovery of supply, economic control of production, increased efficiency and reduced costs of recovery, and lowered costs and greater flexibility in manufacture. Resources have been developed in an outstanding degree in the Kettleman Hills. California, the Oklahoma City field (which adds a large potential area in central Oklahoma), the discovery of Woodbine sand production in East Texas, and the discovery of Wilcox sand production in west-central Kansas. Engineering technique has progressed both along the lines of development and production, with a net result that costs have been reduced and extraction increased in notable degree, although it is impossible to give a close measure of either. In the field of re- fining crude oils variations to the end of promoting reduced cost and greater flexibility has been more important than genera! acceptance of innovations in practice.

Jan 1, 1930

By W. A. James

NATURE endowed the Niagara Frontier with great resources but it was the molding of these resources by the early pioneers that assured its future development. This great industrial district of New York stretches along about fifty miles of shore line on the eastern end of Lake Erie and the Niagara River, embracing the two counties of Erie and Niagara, with the city of Buffalo about in the center. This location at the junction of the eastern end of the Great Lakes and the western boundary of the State, a great focal point of land and water, transportation, guaranteed the development of the Frontier. Although the first white settlers came to this section in 1784, it was not until after the turn of the nineteenth century that real development started. Perhaps the most significant influence in the early days was the completion of the Erie Canal between Buffalo and Albany in 1825. This then monumental achievement gave Buffalo an advantage in the race for the best trade route to the Western

Jan 1, 1938

By Henry M. Howe

THE death of Sir Lowthian Bell removes almost the last of the group of heroic leaders who made their age and ours the Age of Steel-a group which his luster and the luster of his peers, Bessemer, Siemens and Tunner, made one of the most brilliant, perhaps even the most brilliant, in the annals of industry. Born on February 15th, 1816, in Newcastle-on-Tyne, he was the eldest son of Thomas Bell, an alderman of Newcastle, and of his wife Catherine Lowthian of Newbiggin, near Carlisle, in Cumberland, and was christened Isaac Lowthian, the name of his maternal grandfather. His father was born about 1788, and came in 1808 from Newbiggin to Newcastle, where he entered the office of the Cumbrian firm of Losh and Company, manufacturers of alkali and wrought-iron, at the Walker Iron and Alkali Works, at Walker, Dear Newcastle. Young Isaac Lowthian Bell was educated at Dr. Bruce's school in Newcastle, whence he went to Germany and Denmark, learning there German and Danish. On his return he studied at Edinburgh University, and then at the Sorboune in Paris. As a student he already showed the remarkable character and application which later gained him such distinction. After studying the manufacture of alkali near Marseilles, he returned, and when about twenty years old (A.D. 1836) was employed in his father's firm, then called Losh, Wilson, and Bell. After spending a year in their Newcastle offices, and after visiting the important iron-making districts of France, Germany, Poland, and Austria, he took charge of their rolling-mills at Walker, and profited so well by his opportunities, and especially by the teachings of his father and of Mr. John Vaughan (later one of the founders of the great firm of Bolckow, Vaughan & Co.), that he was made manager of the Walker works in or about

Sep 1, 1905

PROF RICHARD ÅKERMAN Stockholm, Sweden ANDREW CARNEGIR New York, N.Y. PROF HANS HOEFER Leoben, Austria PROF HATON DE LA GOUPILLIERE Paris, France PROF HENRI LOUIS LE CHATELIER New York, N.Y. M FLORIS OSMOND Paris, France PROF DIMITRY CONSTANTIN TSCHERNOFF St Petersburg, Russia PROF DR HERMANN WEDDING Berlin, Germany

Jan 1, 1910

By Clyde E. Williams

IN planning a postwar program for manufactured products, it is essential that the bases for the plans be wisely chosen. First we must make certain assumptions as to the war's ending. Let us assume: (1) complete victory by the United Nations, (2) peace terms that will ensure the direction of the economy of all nations of the world toward peaceful pursuits, and (3) an early ending of the war, that is, before the nations of the world, excluding the enemy, are near the point of physical and spiritual exhaustion. Thus, our manufacturing plants and transportation facilities will still be in good shape. The plants and transportation facilities, as well as the cities of a large part of Europe, however, will be badly crippled. The rich mineral and other raw material resources of the world, little of which was under control. of the Axis powers before the war or will be after the war, will not be used up. Control of these raw materials, or at least an important part of them, will remain in the hands of the strong peaceful nations.

Jan 1, 1943

By Wilfred P. Sykes

AT intervals in the course of history an event occurs which, though scarcely heeded at the moment, marks in retrospect the beginning of a new era in some one field of human activity. Such a happening is perhaps more readily spotted in the field of technology than in other realms of human endeavor. Here the span of years is relatively short and the records have been kept with some degree of precision. In the current scene of our social and economic drama the art and science of metallurgy is playing a major role. Off stage will be found the metallurgist in one guise or another aiding, he trusts, in the development of processes and products which will contribute to the happiness of his fellow men. The results of his efforts appear in the form of metallic substances known as alloys built up from any two or more of the wide variety of metals which have been extracted from the mineral deposits in the earth's crust. An alloy by virtue of its inherent physical properties may seem ideally suited for human use in a special way but until this material can be produced economically it will fail to attain a place of prominence as an article of commerce. In fact many commercial alloys are being continually replaced by new or modified compositions better suited to meet the increasingly severe demands of industrial service.

Jan 1, 1939

By David E. Hyatt

The chemical attributes of cyanides have long been exploited in ore pro- cessing schemes for the recovery of copper, molybdenum, gold, silver, and other metal values. Blast furnacing operations are significant unintentional producers of cyanides which find their way into process waters. Many of the more than 20,000 electroplating facilities in the United States utilize cyanide plating baths and generate cyanide containing wastes. As social, political, and economic pressures for water quality attainment, maintenance, and preservation grow, the requirements for the development of treatment technology to control cyanide levels in wastewater become increasingly apparent. Just as the chemistry of the cyanide ion 1s an integral part of its industrial applicability, so must this chemistry be a fundamental part of any decomposition or removal technology used to control its level in effluent or recycled waters. The complexity of this chemistry is substantial and it cannot be considered in a superficial or cursory manner if control system design is to be both efficient and reliable.

Jan 1, 1975

By AIME AIME

THE following compilation of State bureaus and officials that deal with mineral resources is compiled in part from a new "Check List of State Agencies and Officials Concerned with the Management of Natural Re- sources," compiled for the National Resources Committee, Washington, D. C., by Clifford J. Hynning. Alabama-Geological Survey of Alabama, University. Walter B. Jones, State Geologist. Chief Mine Inspector: W. B. Hill- house, 614 Lincoln Life Bldg., Birmingham.

Jan 1, 1939

What is a conflict, as it is understood by men of the extractive industries? And what are the circumstances out of which these conflicts arise? A start can be made with the notion of economic conflict, which can be defined as rivalry over the use of economic resources. Such rivalry is a central part of all economizing activity. It is present within the individual, within the family, and within the business firm. In each of these units there are multiple goals competing for use of a limited income. And economic rivalry is present among individuals and firms who are competing with one another for use of the limited quantity of economic resources available to us as a society.

Jan 7, 1961

By WILFRED SYKES

IT is with particular pleasure that I welcome the members of the Open-hearth Conference of the I American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers to this meeting, as I feel this is one of the most useful activities of the Institute in the field of ferrous metallurgy. For the information of our other members I might say the Open-hearth Conference was organized by Mr. Reynders when he was president, and is made up of open-hearth superintendents and metallurgists. All the plants are invited to send representatives, and practically all do, with the exception of the U. S. Steel Corporation. It meets twice a year to discuss various problems in connection with the manufacture of steel, and its minutes are published for the benefit of those attending, the expense being defrayed by the participating companies. This conference, .1 believe, should be a model for activities in the other branches of the work covered by this Institute. It works, not by reading formal papers, which we all know is not a very satisfactory method to bring out the experience of others, but rather by a round-table method of discussion. The spirit of the meetings is such that each member feels perfectly free to state his experience, and he gets as much as he gives. A series of topics for, discussion is brought to the attention of the chairman and after one is exhausted the next point is taken up. In this way there is a real interchange of ideas and experiences which cannot fail l to be of the greatest benefit to those attending. That these meetings are beneficial is evidenced by the "continued growing attendance and lively discussions at these half-yearly meetings.

Jan 1, 1930

By AIME AIME

THE convention which met in Washington at the call of the Joint Conference Committee was called to order at ten o'clock on Thursday morning; June 3, by Richard L. Humphrey, temporary chairman, member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, who made a brief statement of the reason for the meeting. Lieut. Col. Charles W. Kutz, Corps of Engineers, U. S. A., and Engineer Commissioner of the District of Columbia, then welcomed .the engineers composing the convention on behalf of the District of Columbia and, the Washington engineers. Although an elaborate program had been prepared on which were many well-known speakers on interesting and important topics, , it was voted to intersperse this to fill in the usual and unavoidable hiatuses in the business program of such a convention[ Calvert Townley, president of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers, was elected permanent chairman, and J. C. Hoyt, of Washington, was elected secretary of the convention. The following committees were appointed: Consti¬tution and by-laws, Richard L. Humphrey, chairman; resolutions, Philip N. Moore, chairman; and program, F. H. Newell, chairman. Then, Gardner S. Williams, member of the, A. S. C. E. and the Grand Rapids Engineering Society of. Grand Rapids, Mich., and one-time member of the American Association of Engineers, offered the following resolutions:

Jan 1, 1920

By Walter Miller

NOW, after a year's continued impact of war, the task of the petroleum-refining industry stands out clearly and looms up in larger aspect. This time it is not, as it was so largely in the first World War, simply a matter of increased quantity- more and more of the same petroleum products that had substantially been standard for years. In this era the emphasis is largely on newer and improved materials which had been produced, if at all, in comparatively insignificant quantities, and for which manufacturing equipment was not available on a large scale. At the beginning of 1942 four great product needs (besides a number of lesser one-) confronted the industry: 100-octane aviation gasoline, toluene for T.N.T. production, high-quality lubricating oils for aviation and Army equipment service, and petroleum chemicals for synthetic rubber manufacture.

Jan 1, 1943

By Gilbert P. Moore

The production of petroleum in Argentina during 1932 was greater than in any preceding year. The total amount produced was 13,012,-756 bbl. This figure represents a decided increase in the production of oil in Argentina and can be attributed largely to the increased activities of the Royal Dutch operations at Kilometer 27 in the Comodoro Rivadavia district and those of the Standard Oil Co. of Argentina in the Salta region. Production from the Royal Dutch wells amounted to considerably more than 10,000 bbl. per day over quite a long period during the year. Of the 13,012,756 bbl. of oil produced during 1932, the Government Agency (Y. P. F.) was responsible for some 5,578,954 bbl., while 7,433,-802 bbl. were produced by private companies. Although in 1930 the Y. P. F. produced about 55 per cent of the total production and in 1930 50 per cent of the total, in 1932 its production had fallen to about 42 1/2 per cent of the total. This decrease in the proportion produced by the Y. P. F. was not due to a decrease in its production but to the decided increase in the production of private companies, particularly those two whose names are given above. One new discovery was recorded during the year. This was a well drilled by the Y. P. F. at Cacheuta in the province of Mendoza which came in pumping 80 bbl. of 15" gravity oil from a depth of 673 meters. This well was completed at approximately the same time that the provincial government of Mendoza granted a concession to the Y. P. F. and declared the whole province as a reserve in which no concessions may be granted for a period of 10 years. Under these conditions, the federally operated Y. P. F. will have no competition in the Cacheuta area from private companies such as they have in the other three fields of the republic. The Y. P. F. wildcat west of Comodoro Rivadavia at Pampa Maria Santissima on the Rio Senguerr was completed as a dry hole during 1932. This we11 was reported as a producer in 1930 by persons returning to this country from Argentina but it appears that they had been misinformed. The site of this test has been abandoned and a new location made north of the Rio Senguerr.

Jan 1, 1933

Jan 1, 1879

By J. A. Herbst

During the last decade it has been established that conventional mineral-processing control strategies based on classical control theory result in significant increases in plant throughput and operating-cost savings. It has, however, also been recognized that conventional strategies have important limitations for complex multivariable mineral-processing systems. These limitations center around the fact that single-input/single- output control linkings often result in highly undesirable interactions between controllers. During the last few years new and promising approaches to solving this problem have emerged. These approaches are based on the use of on-line dynamic models to make predictions which are useful for control decision-making. This paper presents a brief summary of the state-of-the-art for mineral-processing control in 1984. This summary is followed by a review of recent developments in model-based control strategies including those in optimal control, self- tuning regulators and decoupling control. Expected trends for the future in the control of mineral-processing operations are discussed.

Jan 1, 1984

By Spencer S. Shannon

This chapter is concerned with the uses, geology, exploration, evaluation, preparation for markets, and future of 90thorium and 39yttrium, along with 14 rare-earth elements. The rare-earth metals or lanthanides were divided into three categories by Berzelius. The cerium subgroup is comprised of 57lanthanum, 58cerium, 59praseodymium, 60neodymium, and 62samarium. 61Promethium does not occur naturally. The terbium subgroup includes 63europium, 64gadolinium, and 65terbium. The remaining lanthanides are placed in the yttrium subgroup. Strictly speaking, yttrium is not a rare earth. Because the properties of yttrium resemble those of heavy rare earths, its name has been used as a designating adjective. The yttrium subgroup includes 66dysprosium, 67holmium, 68erbium, 69thulium, 70ytterbium, and 67lutetium. Rare-earth elements, especially those of the same subgroup, tend to occur together rather than in discrete minerals.

Jan 1, 1975