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Jan 1, 1951

By B. Silliman

The regions of New Mexico referred to are in Socorro, Grant, and Dona Ana counties, and a portion of Lincoln County, embracing in the aggregate a very large area, of most of which our knowledge is as yet very fragmentary and superficial. It is only very recently that large portions of this region have been accessible. It has been full of danger from hostile bands of wandering Apaches, whose murderous raids have slain many adventurous miners and seriously prevented developments. But this evil has now been largely abated, and in many of the mining camp of this region there is no longer any danger from this cause. SOCORRO MINES. About three and a half miles back of the old Mexican town of Socorro, on the Rio Grande, chief town of the County of Socorro, are two or more large veins of heavy spar, cutting across the fat* of Socorro Mountain in a northeast and southwest direction, and dip ping at an angle of about forty degrees into the body of the mountain. These veins are in rhyolite, and, so far as could be seen in openings on the Torrence Mine, which I examined, are without any clay parting or selvage. The average thickness of the Torrence rein may be about five feet, the thickness varying from pne or two feet to thirteen feet. Upon the cleavage planes of the heavy spar occurs, in visible patches, of a waxy Iustre and gray color, silver chloride, which gives value to the vein, from a few ounces up to one hundred and twenty ounces to the ton, averaging about forty ounces, as I

Jan 1, 1882

By Stanley D. Michaelson, Norman Weiss

This was a year of realization. Some years are for planning and development, some for designing and building, others for fulfillment. With greater hopes and plans for the future than ever before, the year 1954, nevertheless, will be remembered principally because of project completion. Among copper mines, for example, there were Silver Bell, Copper Cities, Bisbee, Yerington, and White Pine. In iron, there were the Humboldt, Coleraine, Cerro Bolivar, and Eagle Mountain. In asbestos, Johns-Manville's new mill at Asbestos, Que. In uranium, completion of the ninth mill on the Colorado Plateau-Kerr-McGee's at Shiprock, N. M. In research, 1954 marked the completion of Kennecott's Research Center in Salt Lake City, one of the historic forward strides in the science of minerals beneficiation. The year was fruitful in other directions as well. Investigations of a fundamental nature were on the upswing, and pilot plant projects have also increased in size and number. Progress in new reagents and equipment was greater than normal. It can already be conservatively predicted-from the technological point of view-that 1955 and 1956 will be tremendous years.

Jan 3, 1955

Jan 1, 1951

By E. F. La Vigne

ON Aug. 10, 1884, the Retsof Mining Co. began the sinking of an 18 by 12-ft. shaft at Retsof, N. Y. Rock salt was reached in 1885, in September, at 1008 ft. below the surface. The first salt was shipped in the fall of 1885. A timber breaker was built in 1886. In July, 1895, there was a consolidation of the Retsof Mining Co., the Greigsville Salt & Mining Co., the Livonia Salt Co., and the Lehigh Salt & Mining Co. These consolidated salt companies are now known as the Retsof Mining Co., a subsidiary of the International Salt Co. Eventually all of the mines were closed except the mine of the Retsof Mining Co., at Retsof, Livingston County, New York. On July 6, 1921, about ½ mile south of the original shaft and plant of the Retsof Mining Co., a new 9 by 28-ft. concrete-lined shaft was started. The shaft is 1063 ft. deep from the top of the shaft collar to the bottom of the salt bed. At the same time a reinforced-concrete breaker and other buildings were erected. This new plant began opera-tions on Dec. 15, 1923. It was designed for a capacity of 3000 tons in 8 hours.

Jan 1, 1936

By G. S. Scott, G. W. Jones

ECONOMIC waste caused by mine fires may become considerable,15 especially if a fire is allowed to spread or temporarily to get beyond control. It is important, therefore, to act promptly whenever a fire is suspected and to make every action count. To contribute toward its extinction effectively it is necessary to know at the earliest possible moment, and continuously thereafter, what is happening at the seat of the fire, which may be in a remote or inaccessible area, and also to recognize what may be expected as a result of any proposed combative measure. In combatting a fire the mining engineer and the chemist should cooperate, first deciding upon the course of action to be taken and then drawing upon the mining engineer's intimate knowledge of the physical structure of the fire area, the cost and time required to carry out proposed operations, and the probable efficiency with which these operations could be performed, and upon the chemist's knowledge for the results to be expected therefrom. After the initial steps to be taken have been decided, it devolves upon the mining engineer to see that they are carried out and upon the chemist to evaluate the results and to keep the mining engineer continuously informed in regard to a variety of matters-such as the composition and toxic or asphyxiating properties of the atmosphere in which the men may be working, whether the fire is increasing or decreasing in intensity and its probable temperature, the quantity of air leakage and the explosion hazards of the fire area. The purpose of this paper is to discuss what the chemist can and cannot contribute as a member of the fire-fighting personnel. The technical literature contains several hundred papers relating directly and indirectly to mine fires, and this fact alone is testimony to the complex nature of the phenomena involved in the birth, life, and final demise of a fire. A fire may be stopped (I) by preventing oxygen from reaching the coal or (2) by removing the conditions necessary for the rapid reaction of coal with oxygen; i.e., decreasing the temperature. All methods of prevention or control. necessarily must be based upon one or the other, or both, of these two principles. . The chemistry of a fire may be understood readily if the low-temperature oxidation of coal is considered as a starting point; then oxidation at higher temperatures (or combustion) ; and with these, the composition of the solid and gaseous products resulting from the oxidation or from the effects of the heat liberated. This discussion refers particularly to Pennsylvania anthracite, although much of the material applies equally well to coals of lower rank. OXIDATION OF COAL Oxidation of coal fundamentally is confined to the surface; that is, the rate at which oxygen penetrates into the interior of a solid block of coal is so slow that it may be ignored.6,16 Oxidation starts when a fresh surface is exposed, and the rate is

Jan 1, 1942

By A. F. Meston

Centrifugal force has been used for centuries for separating liquids but machines for doing this are a comparatively recent development. The use of these machines is being extended into many industries but this paper is confined to their use in the oil industry. The centrifugal machine is found at the well where "cut oil" is dehydrated for acceptance by pipe lines; and in the refinery and byproduct plant. In fact, wherever finely divided suspended particles should be removed from an oil, there is a possible use for a centrifugal machine, if the particles have, or can be made to have, a specific gravity different from that of the oil. Centrifugal machines are also used for cleaning fuel and lubricating oils and dehydrating transformer oils. Applications and Results When oil comes from the well mixed with water, it is spoken of as cut oil. Settling often does not remove sufficient water for the oil to be accepted by pipe lines, thus necessitating chemical or other treatment. Centrifuging alone, or following chemical treatment, effectively prepares such oil for pipe lines, as is shown by the following data: WateR, Etc. Wat~R. Etc. Temperature, Oil to Pipe Line, aT StUt at Finish Degrees F. Bel. Per HouR PIE Cent. PEECent Oklahoma lease.... 160 10 10 0.25 Kansas lease....... 125 4 20 0.25 to 2 On the Oklahoma lease, the machine was cleaned of solid material once in 12 hr. At first, it was thought that chemical treatment was necessary to start separation and 1 qt. of prepared compound was added to each 100 bbl. of the cut oil before centrifuging. Later it was found that

Jan 1, 1924

By F. P. Dewey

The first systematic attempt of the National Museum to gather material representing the economic geology and metallurgy of the country was made in connection with the Centennial Exhibition. The department may be considered as having originated then, althongh it was not formally inaugurated until December, 1882. Previous to the Centennial, all the illustrations of economic geology had been included in the mineral collection, and the illustrations of metallurgy were so very few that they had also been included with the minerals. When the museum began its collections for the Centennial, the subject of the mineral resources of tile United States was placed in the hands of Professor Wm. P. Blake, who was eminently fitted to undertake the work by his experience at various international exhibitions and his extensive acquaintance with the mining industry of the country. Professor Blake prepared a broad and exhaustive plan for this purpose, and the very large collection shown at Philadelphia was well calculated to set forth the vast mineral wealth of the country. The history of the department proper may conveniently be divided into three periods : first, the formative period, during which the Centennial material was mainly administered upon, ending Jnly 1, 1884, with the beginning of the preparation for the New Orleans Exposition; second, the New Orleans Exposition period, from July 1, 1884, to June 30, 1887, during which the collections for the New Orleans Exposition were made, exhibited at New Orleans, returned to Washington, and installed permanently in the museum; third, the southwest-court period, from July 1, 1887, to October 1, 1889, during which the collections were arranged in the southwest court of the museum.

Jan 1, 1891

Jan 8, 1951

By Walter S. Tower

IN making comparisons of steel industries, one country with another, the convenient common denominator is annual capacity to make raw steel in the form of ingots. It is always necessary, however, to remember that there are different methods of figuring such capacity. For most countries no official figures on capacity are available, and the only authentic data on production are now six or eight years old. But in spite of those limitations on the accuracy of statistical comparisons, any flaws in the figures are probably not serious enough to alter materially the larger conclusions which may be drawn from them.

Jan 1, 1944

By Roshan B. Bhappu

This is the Centennial year of AIME and many of us reading this issue of ' will be getting ready to attend the Centennial Celebration in New York from February 26 through March 4. The officers of the Division sincerely hope that a large number of our members will attend the fine technical sessions and social functions arranged for this really big meeting. The year 1971 will be a crucial one for MBD. This SME Division is a working group organized "to furnish a medium of cooperation among those interested in the basic unit processes and unit operations of minerals beneficiation; and to promote the advancement of this branch of mineral technology through meetings for professional intercourse, and to stimulate the preparation, reading discussion and circulation of papers connected therewith." No one can deny the worthiness of these objectives or minimize the efforts that Division officers and members have made to attain them. Much has been done over the past several years to achieve a smooth-running and effective MBD organization. However, there is still room for improvement and much more needs to be done in order to provide the best possible services for the membership and the profession.

Jan 1, 1971

Claims of 16 gold mining companies seeking damages from L-208 will be heard in Court of Claims starting Jan. 26. Earlier this year, judges ruled that 3 gold mining companies could sue for damages from the wartime order closing their mines. Congress later waived the statute of limitations thus permitting other gold miners to get in their claims. Despite power shortages third quarter production of aluminum exceeded that of the previous period by 2.2 pct. However, September production was 16 million lb less than in August. Hewitt-Robbins, Inc. dedicated a new $1 million addition to the company's Buffalo, N. Y. belt conveyor plant. New equipment, including a $220,000 press, will make belts up to 70 in, wide, compared with the former limit of 60 in. Charges of a tin cartel in Malaya are not backed up in the latest U. S. Government report according to the Malayan Tin Bureau. The U. S. mission reported that it "did not discover any evidence of curtailment of tin output by the mining and smelting industries." It noted that guerilla activity had halted exploration and expansion attempts by producers.

Jan 1, 1952

The new Ceramic Engineering Building of the University of Illinois is to be formally dedicated on Nov. 20 and 21. The occasion will be made one of great interest to the clay-workers of the country. It is expected that the exercises will be attended by many representatives of the architectural, structural, mining, geological, chemical, and manufacturing interests. In connection with the dedication exercises, an industrial conference will be -held, in which a number of topics of current interest to the ceramic engineer, the clay-worker and the manufacturer will be discussed by well-known experts. : The number of students registered in the College of Engineering of the University of Illinois eleven days after the beginning of registration - for the new year, is as follows: Architecture, 116; Architectural Engineering, 167; Ceramic Engineering, 46; Civil Engineering, 190; Electrical Engineering, 266; Mechanical Engineering, 273; Mining Engineering, 25; Municipal and Sanitary Engineering, 26; Railway Engineering, 34; total, 1,143. The enrollment of students in the whole University, not including the College of Medicine, the College of Dentistry and the School of Pharmacy, which are located in Chicago, is 5,21.4.

Jan 10, 1916

By G. C. Stone

AS the term "hardness" is used with many different meanings, it should be understood that it here means resistance to deformation by compression. It was determined by measuring the pressure, in pounds per square inch, necessary to reduce by 20 per cent., the length of cylinders 1 in. (25 mm.) in diameter by 2.6 in. (66 mm.) long. The tests were made at Columbia University on an Olsen 400,000-lb. machine, the load being applied at a constant rate of speed 0.0319 in. per min. The results were obtained by Messrs. Rigg and Williams, and some of them were given in a paper read at the Sixteenth Annual Meeting of the American Society for Testing Materials, in June, 1913. The remainder of the results were obtained in subsequent experiments by the same authors. In all cases, the results given are the averages of three or more closely concordant tests. All of the spelters tested were of standard commercial grades and all were of compositions making them good deliveries. The accompanying table gives the results arranged in the order of increasing hardness:

Jan 1, 1919

Meeting of June 26, 1914.-The President was authorized to appoint Advisory Committees to co operate with the United States Bureau of Mines. The President announced the appointment of Edward H. Benjamin and W. C. Ralston as additional members of the Committee on Arrangements for the San Francisco meeting, 1915. H. T. Van Ells and Judd Stewart were appointed to represent the Institute on a joint committee of several technical societies to consider the standardization of graphical methods for the presentation of statistics. The President announced the appointment of H. Foster Bain to succeed Edward H. Benjamin, resigned, on the Committee of Management of the International Engineering Congress, 1915. The Secretary was authorized to issue a new circular advertising the sale of back Transactions and to sell back Transactions, bound in cloth, at a price of $35 for 46 volumes, provided sufficient orders were received to warrant the special binding. The sum of $177.50 was contributed to the San Francisco Local Section. Upon recommendation of the Committee on Membership, 70 Members, 4 Associate Members and 7 Junior Members were elected to their respective classes; there was also one change of status from Junior Member to Member.

Jan 8, 1914

Meeting of Mar. 26, 1915.-The following Committee on Nominations was appointed: Fred W. Bradley, Chairman; James F. Kemp, Past President; Frank M. Smith, Chairman Montana Section; R. C. Gemmell, Chairman Utah Section; Frank A. Ross, Chairman Columbia Section; Louis S. Cates, Arthur Thacher. The Committee on Precious and Base Metals and the Committee on . Coal and Coke were appointed, the personnel of which is shown in another part of this Bulletin. The President was authorized to appoint a Committee on Welfare with J. Parke Channing as Chairman. W. P. Cutter, Librarian of the United Engineering Societies' Library, was appointed a representative of the Institute on-the Committee oh Classification of Engineering Knowledge to co-operate with similar committees of other engineering societies. A vote of thanks was extended-to Edward B. Sturgis for his excellent work in arranging for the Annual Dinner. in February, of this year. The suns of $57.30 was appropriated to the New' York Section. It was resolved that in response to the courteous invitation from 36 members of the Institute in Arizona and the neighborhood, the 1916 summer meeting of the Institute be held in Arizona.

Jan 5, 1915

THE Lehigh Valley Section is planning with a num-ber of other organizations a three-day conference, April 25, 26 and 27, with field visits to cement, slate and steel plants in the vicinity of Easton, Pa. W. B. Plank is chairman and D. Knickerbocker Boyd is sec-retary. Headquarters will be at Hotel Easton. Wednesday' will be cement day. In the forenoon A. S. T. M. Committee D-16 will meet and after luncheon the delegates will visit the Martin Creek plants of the Alpha Portland Cement Co. An evening dinner and general session on cement is being arranged. Thursday morning will be devoted to a technical ses-sion on slate, and the breaking of ground for the new John Markel mining building at Lafayette College. After luncheon various slate quarries will be inspected, the visitors being guests of the companies. In the eve-ning there will be a conference dinner at Hotel Easton with a number of distinguished visitors. Friday will be given over to steel and will include a visit to Lehigh University, an inspection of the plant of the Bethlehem Steel Corp., and a luncheon as guests of the latter.

Jan 3, 1928

Accessions AMERICAN ELECTROCHEMICAL SOCIETY, TRANSACTIONS, vol. 33. Bethlehem, Pa. 1918. AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PETROLEUM GEOLOGISTS, BULLETIN, vol. 2. 1918. (Gift of the Association.) AMERICAN YEAR BOOK: 1915. Edit by Francis G. Wickware, New York. 1919. (Gift of D. Appleton & Co.) ANNUAIRE DE LA HOUILLE BLANCHE FRANCAISE. ` By M. Auguste Pawlowski. 2d year. 1918-1919. Paris. (Gift.) BLACK DIAMOND, Vol. 60, Jan.-June, 1918; vol. 61, July-Dec., .1918. (Gift.) Chicago. CANADIAN MINING INSTITUTE, TRANSACTIONS, vol. 21. 1918. Montreal, Quebec. COMPTES-RENDUS DE L'ATHÉNÉE LOUISIANAIS, vol. 4, No. 3. (Gift of Wm. Beer.) EFFICIENCY OF NATURAL GAS AT Low PRESSURES. Abst. of testimony of Samuel S. Wyer before the Corporation Commission of Oklahoma, February 4, 1919. Printed by Empire Gas & Fuel Co., Kansas City, Mo. GEOLOGICAL. INSTITUTION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF UPSALA, BULLETIN. Edit. By Hj. Sjögren. vol. 14, 1917; vol. 15, 1916; vol. 13, pt. 2, 1916. (Gift.) HYDROGENATION OF OILS. Catalyzers and catalysis and the generation of hydrogen and oxygen. By Carleton Ellis. 2d edition. New York. 1919. (Purchase.) INSTITUTE OF METALS, JOURNAL, vol. 26. No. 2. Edited by G. Shaw Scott. London. 1918.

Jan 6, 1919

[Separates of all the Technical Publications published in 1.929 ,are available at Institute headquarters. All the papers are on file in public, university and technical libraries, and when so indicated in the list, maybe found in the TRANSACTIONS.] METAL MINING TECH¬ NICAL PUBLI- TITLE AUTHOR MEETING TRANS. CATION VOLUME No. AND PAGE 182-A-23 The Royal Commission on Mining Henry Louis New York Subsidence Feb., 1929 183-A-24 Cycles in Metal Production D. F. Hewett New York T29t, 65, 93 Feb., 1929 199-A-25 Ventilation ?at the United Verde Oscar A. Glacscr New York T29, 114, 141 Mine Feb., 1929 206-A-26 Air Conditioning in Deep Mines R. W. Waterfill New York T29, 99, 112, Feb., 1929 245-A-27 Bumps in No. 2 Mine, Springhill, Walter Herd New York Nova Scotia (with discussion) Feb., 1929 257-A-28 Misfires: Their Causes, Prevention ? New York and Treatment on Occurrence Feb., 1929 Misfires in Anthracite Coal T. D. Thomas Mines (With Discussion) Misfires in Bituminous Coal W H. Forbes Mines (With Discussion) Misfires in Non-metallic Mining A. W. Worthington (Limestone) (With Discussion)

Jan 1, 1929

By Robert R. Walden, LeMont West

K ENTUCKY'S first acid-grade fluorspar flotation Kmill, shown in Fig. 1, was placed in operation Aug. 1, 1952, by the Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. at Mexico, Ky. During 1951 a critical shortage of acid-grade fluorspar developed and it became necessary for the company to produce part of its fluorspar requirements. In 1951 the company purchased the Crider and Lennen metallurgical fluorspar mill and an adjacent stockpile of tailing at Mexico, Ky. The tailing, assaying about 26 pct calcium fluoride, originated from log washer and jig mill concentrators in the area. As the mill did not have a fluorspar dryer or convenient rail facilities, the company leased the Burleson concentrator at Marion, Ky., where these facilities were available. At Marion, Ky., on the Illinois Central Railroad, dry acid-grade fluorspar is transported direct to the company's Calvert City, Ky., hydrofluoric acid plant. The Mexico flotation plant was reconditioned and designed to produce acid-grade fluorspar from the jig tailing stockpile. The new plant flowsheet is shown in Fig. 2. The ore feed, old tailing, which contains 10 pct of waste rock and coarse gravel assaying approximately 8 pct CaF,, is bound together by sticky clay

Jan 1, 1955