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By BLABIEY STEVENS

THE object of this paper is to present a theory of the formation of fissures which seems to be supported by all available data. The investigation is, in the main, an exact one, and irregularities of the rock-structure are generalized. From the conclusions drawn a general classification of fissures is made, and this should be of practical use in the comparison of mineral deposits. The theory also throws some light on the equilibrium of the earth's crust and the depth of action of surface-waters. Incidentally, additions are made to the theory of earthquake-slips. Former Theory. It has been previously pointed out that the '"jointing" of homogeneous rocks occurs in two sets of planes, at right angles to one another, and making angles of 45° with the directions of greatest and least principal stress.' The theory by which this fact is explained does not, however, account for fissures and faults, because normal faults are usually more vertically, and reverse faults more horizontally, inclined than 45°. The "jointing law" is based on the following axiom: "In a homogeneous mass under pressure, rupture must take place on the lines of maximum tangential stress." 2 This law applies, with fair approximation, to the tests on jointing which can be made in the laboratory, and as nearly as can be expected to the natural jointing-planes in rock-masses, where the stresses are not very great; but it entirely fails to account for fissure-fractures.

Aug 1, 1909

By C. K. Leith, W. J. NEAD

(Glen Summit Meeting, June, 1911.) . ONE Of the most significant developments in the iron industry in recent years has been the discovery and opening of enormous reserves of low-grade ore in eastern and northeastern Cuba. The two principal fields are the Mayari and the Moa, situated on Nipe bay, in the Province of Oriente. A less well-known district of the same type is that of Baracoa, at the east of the island, and another is in Camaguey province in central Cuba. In the comprehensive estimates of the iron-ore reserves of the world, published during the summer of 1910 by the International Geological Congress in Sweden,' these Cuban deposits are estimated at about 2,000,000,000 tons. Certain it is that the reserve is a large one. The Spanish-American Iron Co., the Juragua Iron Co. (Bethlehem Steel Co.), the U. S. Steel Corporation, and others have been active in this exploration.. The Spanish-American Iron Co. has established a port for the handling of these ores at Felton, has built a railway 16 miles to the ore-fields, and has opened up deposits for steam-shovel mining. Its expenditures have reached an aggregate of about $6,000,000 in preparation for the handling of these ores. Shipment of the ore to Sparrow's Point, Md., has begun and may be expected to rise to a considerable amount in the near future. The ore reaches this point at a cost per unit of iron considerably lower than Lake Superior ores, and the presence of a low percentage of nickel gives a desirable steel. It is not the purpose of this article to consider these ores from a commercial stand-point, but rather to discuss their-origin. If our conclusions are correct, they throw light on the character of the deposits which should have some commercial significance. 1 The Iron Ore Resources of the World, an inquiry made upon the initiative of the Executive Committee of the Eleventh International Geological Congress, Stockholm, vol. ii., p. 795 (1910).

Mar 1, 1911

By Robert T. DeGavre

The $650 million financing for Into Ltd.'s Soroako nickel project is a story worth telling-not only because the project itself represents a significant achievement but also because there are certain important lessons that can be derived from our experience in financing the project. A critical appraisal of the methods and successes in the financing plan is presented in this article, in light of goals which Inco sought to achieve. A technical assessment of the project is not included, since Inco Ltd. has submitted a series of papers on this subject at the International Laterite Symposium as part of the 108th Annual Meeting of AIME in February 1979. Progress in developing and financing the project is encapsulated in the accompanying project factsheet.

Jan 3, 1979

By C. K. Leith

IN telling the story of Canada's minerals many interesting and spectacular details will be passed over to permit pointing out some of the significant inter- national aspects. No country now has enough of all minerals for its own use. The problems of satisfaction of both national and world demands under these conditions have become international in scope, and history supplies no obvious solutions. The minerals of Canada are coming to play a prominent part in such problems. Production and Reserves In the last decade Canada has rapidly advanced in mineral production. In 1928 the total value of mineral products from Canadian sources reached 273 millions of dollars. Canada ranks first in production of nickel, first in asbestos, second in cobalt, third in gold and silver, fourth in lead and copper, and sixth in zinc.

Jan 1, 1929

By Frank Haas

THE public generally has-become aware that there is something wrong with the coal industry and a clamor has arisen for an explanation if not a remedy for this disorder. It is only reasonable that this Institute be looked to for a diagnosis to show the way for some other .agency to prepare the patient for prescription or operation. The subject is extensive, widely diversified, and beyond the efforts of an individual to cover completely; one of the objects of this paper is the initiating of a symposium on the non- technical factors essential to an understanding of the bituminous coal industry. The present condition of the coal industry cannot be described in a few words but, in effect, it resolves itself into a simple statement: The average coal operator is losing money notwithstanding a firm conviction on the part of the consumer that he pays too much for his coal. Without enumerating the many and varied. factors which contribute to this condition, this paper will be devoted to the interrelation of taxation and ownership of coal and its effect on finance

Jan 1, 1930

By John A. Gann

WITHIN a very few years magnesium has sprung from oblivion, from classification as a technically unknown, little appreciated, and expensive material to front-page importance in many fields of engineering. Bunsen may be considered the real founder of our present magnesium industry. In 1852; he prepared this metal by the electrolysis of fused magnesium chloride in a porcelain crucible. In the following years the electro¬lytic process became recognized as superior to chemical reduction methods and Germany became the world's chief producer, installing the first electrolytic magnesium plant in 1886. ' Thirty years later, national defense requirements, occasioned by the outbreak of the World War and the cutting off of imports, caused France, England, and the United States to begin production. Most of this magnesium was used for military purposes so the close of the war resulted in a large curtailment in production. A few companies, however, encouraged by the early success of the Germans and by the rapid developments taking place in aeronautics, and confident in the certain future and ultimate value of this metal, undertook extensive re¬searches in its production and utilization. A variety of production methods, both chemical and electrochemical, were investigated and some of them operated on a commercial scale. Reduction of the oxide with carbon at high temperatures and the electrolysis of the oxide in a fluoride

Jan 1, 1932

Secretary's Note.—M. Beutter's introductory remarks, being simply a resume of Prof. Hone's paper, with a disclaimer of the intention to criticise it, have been omitted, and the remainder of this contribution lias been somewhat condensed, without omitting any essential statements. M. Beutter, St. Etienne, France* (communication to the Secretary†):—Professor Home observes in $ 47 of his paper that the fluid-compression of steel diminishes piping by forcing the liquid and viscous metal, while the pipe is forming, or after it has formed, into the space so produced, and proceeds to study the different systems of compression, alluding to the four principal ones: Whitworth, Illingmorth, Williams, and Harmet. Having now for many years had in use the last-named process, that of M. Henri Harmet, I shall attempt to explain the difference between it and the three other processes named. The Harmet process does not diminish or close the pipe after it has formed, but prevents it from forming; and I may add that it is the only one of the four which produces this result. It is true that the Whitworth process diminishes the interior hollow by localizing it around the central axis of the ingot, which is afterwards removed by trepanning the hollow forg-ings for which this process has been, I believe, always exclusively used. The Illingworth and Williams processes, which, in my opinion, are applicable only to small ingots, of necessity allow the pipe to form, or (to use the expression of Professor Howe) they allow the surface of the lake of liquid steel to sink into the interior of the ingot, since they involve waiting a certain time before compression, so that (in the case of the Williams process) the ingot-mold can be opened without danger, or (in the case of the Illingworth process) so as to avoid the risk that the steel may enter the grooves produced by the removal of the distance-bars. During the time required for

Jan 1, 1908

By E. Gybbon Spilsbury

(Pittsburg meeting, March, 1910.) THE recovery of gold and silver from their ores by means of the cyanide process has been so successful in the last few years that any radical improvement would seem impossible; yet the appliance to which I wish to call attention in this paper is really a radical departure from the methods now in general use. The most modern and approved of these, known as the all-sliming method, depends for its success on the grinding of the. ore so fine that practically 90 per cent. of it will pass through a 200-mesh screen. The slimes thus produced are then agitated and aerated in tanks of various types. The main object of this treatment is to insure such a thorough admixture of the pulp and solution that every particle of the ore is surrounded by a volume of solution sufficient to insure the dissolving of the whole of the gold- and silver-content. In addition, in order to expedite the action of the cyanide, and to oxidize such elements as would, if left in their active state, become cyanicides, air is blown in under pressure. In the Pachuca tank, this air is the active and sole means of agitation. The chief objections to all the methods off agitation used heretofore are the expense of operating and maintaining the mechanical devices for keeping the pulp in suspension, and the length of time required to obtain a fairly complete extraction. of the values. These objections are inherent to any method of agitation effecting a circulation of the pulp and the solution together, by giving the whole mass a circular movement, as in the low-tank system, or a vertical circulation, as in the Pachuca-tank system. In both methods, the particles of ore are kept traveling in the same direction as the solution, and with very little difference of speed; so that, while the whole mass is in

May 1, 1910

By H. M. Chance

STRETCHING from New York southwestwardly to Georgia is a great range of hills and mountains consisting of pre-Palaeozic schists, slates, and gneissic and granitoid rocks, known locally by many different names; in Pennsylvaniaa as the South mountains, the Berkshire or Durham and Reading hills, and in Virginia and farther south as the Blue ridge. To the northwest of this range lies the " Great Valley," underlain by Lower Silurian limestones, and known as the Lehigh valley, Cumberland valley, Shenandoah valley, valley of Eastern Tennessee and Georgia and by other local names, but all these are parts of one valley, geologically and geographically continuous from New Jersey to Georgia. Lying upon and along the northern flank of this range of mountains, and dipping northwestwardly under the limestone of the valley, is the Potsdam formation (Primal or No. 1 of the Pennsylvania Geological Survey), which consists of sandstone or conglomerate overlain by slates. The latter are sometimes arenaceous and occasionally are replaced in part by sandstone. This formation varies from a few feet to several hundred feet in thickness. At the outcrop the slates are completely decomposed, oxidized or disintegrated, forming a belt of clay several hundred feet wide occupying the interval between the outcroppings of the sandstone and limestone. This clay-belt includes a more or less continuous series of iron-ore (brown hematite) deposits, which have been, and still are, extensively worked. The belt is more or less continuously mineralized with iron throughout its length, and hundreds of large deposits of ore have been developed and worked, producing many millions of tons of ore.

Sep 1, 1908

By J. E. Johnson

(Cleveland Meeting, October, 11,1912.) THE subject of blast-furnace slag is one which has had much consideration, particularly from the scientific standpoint, and several years ago technical literature contained many learned discussions on the oxygen-ratio of the acids and the bases, all on the assumption that acids and bases must be present in a ratio depending on molecular weight and chemical valency. Much work has also been done, sometimes in conjunction with the former, on the total heat and the temperature of initial fusion or softening of various slags. A wider knowledge of the blast-furnace now enables us to say that for practical purposes this work has been of almost no value. It is now generally admitted that on the physical side the important point of a given slag is neither its total heat of fusion nor its softening-point, but its free-running temperature, since this is the critical temperature of the furnace. This temperature bears no definite relation to the softening-temperature, as determined by Seger cones, for instance, because some slags melt relatively like ice, with a very short viscous-range, while others melt relatively like tar, with a very long viscous-range. In one the difference between the softening- and the free-running temperature may be very small, as little as 100° F., while in another this difference may easily be 200° or 300°. The importance of this difference is so great in practice as to destroy completely the value of exhaustive investigations, even such as those of 0. Boudouard, published a few years ago.1 * Presented also at the Joint Meeting of the Institute with Section IIIa, Metallurgy and Mining, of the Eighth International Congress of Applied Chemistry, New York, September, 1912. 1 It may not be amiss at this point to call attention to the excellent suggestion of Woolsey McA. Johnson, made several years ago, for determining the temperature at which different slags have the same practical fusibility. This suggestion

Oct 1, 1912

By L. E. PORTNER

INCREASING military demands on the petroleum industry have brought into bold relief the crude-oil reserves now available to meet combined military and civilian demands, emphasizing the necessity for a greater efficiency in recovery from what has been discovered than ever before, particularly in light of the absence of new discoveries. This situation-and the fact that the industry, as well as members of the Government charged with governing oil production, desire to meet all crude-oil demands made of the industry with the least loss in tangible reserves through production practices-paves the way for increasing application of sound principles of production engineering and conservation.

Jan 1, 1944

By J. B. Dilworth

OUTCROPS of coal have bees discovered is many localities is the Philippine archipelago, and practically all of the larger islands contain deposits of this mineral. Very little prospecting has been done to determine the value of the various coal-bearing areas, but so far as known, the largest and most promising fields are found : (1) is northern Cebu; (2) is the small island of Batan, a part of the province of Albay is southeasten Luzon; (3) is the somewhat larger island of Polillo, off the east coast of Luzon, and (4) is southern Mindoro, sear the small coast tows of Bulalacao. Northern Panay, south-central Cebu, and various localities is southern Luzon, Masbate, Negros, and Mindanao also afford evidences of the existence of coal-beds, the extent and value of which have not yet bees proved. The general position of these islands and districts is shows on the map of a portion of the Philippine Islands, Fig. 1. Some of these coal-fields have been known for many years (coal was discovered is Cebu 1827 and is Batas is 1842),1 and several futile attempts were made by the Spaniards to operate mines is these districts. But owing to many circumstances, chief among which were indifferent management, the political unrest of the islands, natural difficulties of transportation, and those inherent in the mining of steeply-inclined and somewhat irregular seams, no considerable output was ever obtained from any of these mines, and the fuel required is the many departments of industrial and political life has continued to be drawn largely from Australia and Japan. These conditions exist to a great degree at present, and though much interest is the coal-deposits of the Philippines

Jan 1, 1909

By Eugene McAuliffe

THE last obtainable figures of the value of the coal mining investment are those contained in the U. S. Census Reports, from data gathered in 1919. The values shown therein and set forth below cover lands and equipment and do not include distribution and marketing facilities. The working capital necessary to meet pay rolls to purchase material and supplies and workmen's compensation insurance are likewise excluded.

Jan 1, 1926

By John M. Kelly

New Mexico produced 39,475,388 bbl. of oil in 1944, the greatest amount in one year in the oil history of the state. This production was 593,046 bbl. or 1.25 per cent more than in 1943. New Mexico retained its position as the seventh largest oil-producing state. The maximum per well allowable on Jan. I, 1944 was 48 bbl. daily and at the end of the year it was 45 bbl. daily. Allocations as set by the New Mexico Oil Conservation Commission closely followed the recommendations made by the' Petroleum Administrator for War. The average daily pipe-line runs were within 4 per cent of the allocation. Production by counties was as fol1ows;Lea County, 33,509,548 bbl.; Eddy County, 5,504,498; Northwestern New Mexico 461, 342. Drilling activity for New Mexico in 1944 was well above that of 1943, with 362 completions. Of these, 283 were oil wells, 12 gas wells and 67 dry holes. The ratio of dry holes to producers, about I to 4, was an improvement over 1943. Wildcat drilling during 1944 was responsible for the discovery of six new fields and the extension of two present producing areas. Drilling records were established in New Mexico during 1944 with the deepest producer ever completed, the Humble Leonard Oil Company's No. I at 11,969 ft., in the Ellenburger section of Ordovician age near Jal, Lea County. The discoveries in Lea County during 1944 were as follows: West Lovington field, where Fred Turner, Jr. drilled his No. I State B .in C SE SW sec. 4-17-36 and completed it for 122 bbl. of oil in 8 1/2 hr., in the San Andreas section of Permian age. The Tonto field, where the T-exas Company completed its No. I Baskin at a total depth of 3586 ft. in Seven Rivers lime of Permian age, with an initial production of 254 bbl. of oil in 21 hours. The Drinkard area, where the Gulf Oil Corporation's Drinkard No. I flowed 782 bbl. of oil in 14 hr. from the Yeso section of lower Permian age, thus opening the first lower Permian production in the state. The total depth of this discovery was 6508 ft. and oil was 38.8" A.P.I. gravity. The Dublin area, where the Humble Oil and Refining Co. established a drilling depth record of 11,969 ft. drilling and completing its No. I Leonard Oil Co. well in the Ellenburger lime of Ordovician age. This well flowed 221 bbl. of oil per day, of 48.9º A.P.I. gravity oil. It is in sec. 12-26-37. The new pay horizon discovery of the Continental Oil Co. in the Skaggs area, where the company completed its Skaggs B-23 No. 2 in sec. 23-20-37 for 236 bbl. of oil in 21 hr. from the Wolfcamp section of lower Permian age, at a total depth of 7725 ft. This well was drilled to granite at 10,465 ft. and plugged back to the Wolf-camp for a new pay zone completion.

Jan 1, 1945

By Persifor Frazer

INTRODUCTION For various reasons I have not specified the locality where the research indicated in the following pages was undertaken. It will suffice to say that it was on the grounds of a villa once remote from, but now completely surrounded by, its neighboring city, and in close proximity to an industrial establishment of great extent and importance manufacturing many kinds of steel articles and employing upwards of thirty chimney-stacks for power and process work. The problem was to discover the cause or causes of the mortality to trees and plants on the place, and to trace these causes to their origin. Before undertaking this experimental work, the bibliography accompanying this paper was compiled and studied. It appears from an examination of the careful scientific work performed by the ablest French, German, and English chemists during the last 25 years that they are unanimous in assigning the principal-in fact, the overwhelmingly predominant-cause of the destruction of vegetation to sulphur oxides, resulting either from direct- oxidation of sulphur in oil of vitriol works, etc., or from the oxidation of the sulphur from the minerals associated with commercial coal. Schröder and Schertel showed in 1884 that the sulphates deposited upon the leaves are not injurious to the plants; and Freytag proved that free sulphuric acid could not be found

May 1, 1907

By Kalervo Rankama

UNTIL a few years ago, geological mapping, the study of ore boulders, and different geophysical methods were the principal means used in the systematic search for mineral deposits covered by a layer of disintegration products or soil. These methods have been developed to a high stage of perfection as far as the geometrical definition of the conductor is considered. Use of geophysical methods in prospecting is based on the fact that an ore body differs from the country rock not only geologically but also in its physical properties. The general drawbacks and complications included in the use of geophysical methods are well known to everyone who has been using them, so need not be entered into here in detail. One of the more important ones is the fact that geophysical methods are unable to furnish information concerning the chemical composition of the ore bodies responsible for the indications. Further, the ores of many metals, such as silver, gold, beryllium, zinc, mercury, tin, lead, vanadium, antimony, chromium. molybdenum, tungsten, manganese, cobalt, nickel, and the platinum metals cannot be directly located by known geophysical methods, owing to lack of physical characteristics suitable for distinguishing them from the country rock. Thus it is quite natural that efforts have been made to develop direct methods for prospecting and locating ore bodies of the elements named. Known as chemical, biogeo-chemical, and geobotanical methods of prospecting, these have been much improved during recent years. A brief review of these methods and of some results obtained with them will be presented in the following, on the basis of available information and my own experience.

Jan 1, 1947

By AIME AIME

THE program of government drilling, conducted jointly by the U. S. Geological Survey and the Bureau of Mines, has demonstrated the presence in Texas and New Mexico of potash-bearing beds of considerable importance. Information regarding the ex- tent and location of the potash deposits as presented at the non-metallic sessions was of great interest to many engineers. These subjects will be covered in greater detail in later paragraphs. The first session, with about 50 in attendance, convened at 10 a.m. on Feb. 18, with Oliver Bowles, chair- man of the Committee on Non-Metallic Minerals, pre- siding. The first paper was on "Soapstone Mining In Virginia," presented by C. W. Ryan of Lynchburg, Va. The nature and extent of the soapstone deposits of Nelson County were described in some detail. In origin, the soapstone is undoubtedly related to a basic peridotite rock though its mode of formation is some- what uncertain. This main soapstone deposit occurs in three veins, the western, middle, and eastern, the middle vein being of greatest economic importance. Methods of stripping, quarrying and milling the rock were described and the uses of soapstone were enum- erated. In discussing this paper, C. P. Berkey, of Co- lumbia University strongly favored the theory of igneous origin of the soapstone and the need for further detailed geological study. J. L. Gillson of Cambridge, Mass., stated that the Vermont and New York talc deposits were always associated with characteristic minerals, such as, a chlorite of one particular variety, siderite, amphibole, magnetite, and biotite. C. H. Behre of Cincinnati, Ohio, raised the question of parallelism in the soapstone structure and Mr. Ryan stated that such parallelism was in evidence in some parts of the deposits. H. A. Wheeler of St. Louis, Mo., also took 'part in the discussion.

Jan 1, 1929

By S. Frederick Ravitz

IN most applied sciences there are two distinct methods of carrying out research and development work. One of these, the theoretical, attempts to solve problems that may arise and to predict facts of practical importance by the application of the various laws of science, the other, the experimental method, attempts to each the 'same goal by obtaining data and trying out various processes in the laboratory. Since individuals frequently find themselves better adapted for one or the other type of procedure, it is natural that -two groups should 'arise, both working toward the sane objective but with somewhat different points of view, although many in each group are thoroughly competent in both fields. Metallurgy, in particular, offers an excellent opportunity for a comparison of the two methods.

Jan 1, 1935

By Mara Kosovac, Sujan K. Kundu

The Iron Ore Co. of Canada (IOC) has developed a computerized plan analysis method for its open-pit iron mining operations which will eliminate much of the tedious manual drafting of pit design plans performed by engineers and geologists at its two major operational areas near Schefferville, Que., and Labrador City, Nfld. The new technique permits analysis of section or bench plans for a specific ore body, based on drillhole information; preparation of a three-dimensional unit profit matrix for pit design purposes, and storage of extensive ore-block information for other applications. Other advantages include enhanced design accuracy through reduction of human errors normally associated with preparation of large data masses, and by elimination of errors inherent in planimeter-prepared ore block diagrams.

Jan 7, 1978

By Howard N. Eavenson

DURING the past year, as in the preceding ones, prices continued to fall, production to decrease, and more mines were closed. Much attention is being given by the industry to suggested plans for betterment of its position, and if the scheme recently brought out for consolidation of sales agencies into district agencies is loyally carried out, it cannot but help to improve conditions. The progress in the anthracite industry is shown in the report of its chairman, E. H. Suender; changes in coal preparation are outlined in the report of J. B. Morrow, chairman of Committee on Coal Preparation, while increased mechanization of the western mines is described by Eugene McAuliffe, chairman of the Committee on Machine and Strip Mining. In spite of the depression, interest in the Coal Division has been increasing, its meetings have been well attended, and its committees are active and have been doing excellent work.

Jan 1, 1932