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By John Hays Hammond

The Transvaal comprises about 120,000 square miles (nearly • the size of the United States Territory of New Mexico). Besides the famous Witwatersrand, which will here be de scribed in detail, there are two quartz-mining districts of some importance, viz., Lydenburg and De Kaap. The Lydenburg district first attracted attention in 1876, when the alluvial deposits of that section began to be exploited. At a later period vein-rnining was started, and at the present time several companies are operating in that district. The product in 1898 of five companies, running 137 stamps, was 154,560 tons of ore, yielding 108,884 crude ounces of gold (an average of 14.09 dwt. crude gold per ton) valued at £392,378. The De Eaap gold-fields were discovered in 1884. In 1898, seven companies, running 200 stamps, produced 89,760 crude ounces of gold, valued at £314,792. I. Mining Titles in the Transvaal. The mining laws of the Tranuvaal are most excellent in char acter, and while the claims cover every square foot of land for an area of nearly 40 miles long by from 2 to 3- miles wide, there have been practically no conflicts over extra-lateral rights. Notwithstanding the change in the political status of the Transvaal likely to follow the present war, it may be coufi dently assumed that the main features of the mining law of the South African Republic will be retained, and certain op pressive featureu of monopolies, etc., bearing with special weight on the mining industry, will be abolished. The dynamite mo nopoly was one that bore most heavily on the mining industry; and, according to the Reports of the State Mining Engineer, explosives, including fuse and detonators, amounted to nearly 10 per cent. of the total working costs of the mines. Further more, it was impossible to obtain the proper quality for the most economical working, and often 80-per-cent. or 40-per-cent. gelatine had to be used- in many instances where 60-per-cent.

Jan 1, 1902

By Samuel M. Cassidy, John A. Garcia

In some districts of the bituminous coal field the problem of constructing bulkheads to seal off water under pressure is becoming increasingly important. Recently this matter has been brought very much to the front by the loss of a large Illinois mine due to failure of a bulkhead that separated it from several old, flooded mines. As this great misfortune has provoked much inquiry about proper bulkhead design, it is felt that a description of the successful and extensive water-sealing practice at three mines that have different natural conditions will be of considerable interest to those connected with properties having a present or future water problem and to engineers that may have to design safe bulkheads of economical construction. These three mines are the Saxton and Dresser, near Terre Haute, Ind., and the Hegeler, near Danville, Ill. All three have water conditions that make it necessary to regularly seal off all worked-out sections of the mine, and there are considerably over a hundred bulkheads in each. AS far as the writers know, these three mines are the only ones in the bituminous coal fields of the United States with anything like so large a number of water seals and experience, although a number of other mines are known to have a few bulkheads. More detail will be included herein on the Saxton mine than on the others, as the writers are more familiar with it. General Mining System All three of the mines use the same general panel room-and-pillar system, which consists of rooms turned both ways off room entries and a solid block of coal left on all sides of the completed panel except on the cross-entry side, where a heavier pillar is pierced by two entries for haulage and air. On completion of the panel the two entries arc sealed and the panel is then isolated from the rest of the mine. Owing to water conditions, no pillars are pulled; recovery inside the panel barrier pillars is approximately 65 per cent.

Jan 1, 1938

By J. E. Pollock, W. R. Hicks, E. Camp

In the oil-refining industry, steel comprises by far the greatest proportion of the materials used in construction work, but with an enormous number of alloy steels and nonferrous alloys available, and a greater knowledge of their properties and corrosion resistance, a substitution first in the "hot spots" and then in locations of moderately severe corrosive conditions will be made as the greater expense can be justified. In new construction work, advantage is taken of the experience already gained and appropriate materials used, whether for high temperatures and pressures demanding additional strength or for corrosive conditions. The locations, however, where equipment in operation constantly requires replacement will soon become evident, as will the necessity for replacement in more resistant materials, if considerable down-time is to be avoided. In what direction and how far to go in the matter of alloys then becomes a question of the highest importance. Obviously, any replacement with more costly material must be justified economically by the promise of longer life, thereby saving both material and installation costs besides the reduction of loss of production. Where the equipment is overcapacity and a regular schedule of cleaning periods is in force, the last item frequently must be ruled out and justification made on the basis of the first two only. Installation of material that will outlast the remainder of the equipment and have no recovery value must also be avoided; this is particularly important in temporary construction or in old equipment that will soon become obsolete. Test Methods Either one of two methods or a combination of both, in the absence of reliable data in similar services, may be adopted to determine to what extent replacement with other, and perhaps more expensive, materials is justified. A unit may be constructed incorporating different metals or alloys so that comparative service may be obtained under the same service conditions; this has been applied in many instances, such as condenser and tank construction, but the opportunities for inspection may be few and

Jan 1, 1935

By R. E. Head, E. L. Tucker

In the metallurgy of precious metals, it has been standard practice for years to use cyanogen compounds, so it was but natural that early investigators in the field of flotation should consider these compounds as possible flotation reagents. In Australian Patent 9508, of 1913, alkali cyanides were described as suitable reagents for the separation of heavy sulfide minerals, the reagents being employed either in an alkaline or neutral circuit. In U. S. Patent 1236501, of 1917, to John M. Tibbet, the use of cyanide in conjunction with soda ash or lime is described. One of the claims of this patent reads, "An improvement in the cyanide process for the treatment of ores comprising, mixing the ore with cyanide solution and oil and alkali: emulsifying the oil in the presence of the ore, the alkali and the cyanide solution, floating a portion of the values in the pulp by producing gas bubbles in the mixture and removing the values floated." More recently, Sheridan and Griswold, in U. S. Patents 1421585 and 1427235, describe a somewhat similar process and have successfully introduced it in the mill of the Timber Butte Milling Co. U. S. Patent 1429544, of 1922, to Stevens, describes the use of double cyanides of copper, zinc, and lead. The success of cyanide as a reagent in the differential flotation of lead and zinc sulfides in highly complex ores is proof that these patents have a solid foundation. Although the technique of their application to particular ores has been worked out in many cases, no one, so far as is known, has attempted to describe the nature of the action of the cyanide or to determine the ideal conditions for its application. It was the purpose of the present investigation to gather information on these points. Naturally this would have been an exceedingly ambitious program had the attempt been made to study the effect of cyanide

Jan 1, 1926

By Donald D. Carr, Lawrence F. Rooney

Perhaps no other mineral commodity in this volume has as many uses as limestone and dolomite. These carbonate rocks are the basic building blocks of the construction industry, the material from which aggregate, cement, lime, and building stone are made. Carbonate rocks, and their derived products, are used as fluxes, glass raw material, refractories, fillers, abrasives, soil conditioners, ingredients in a host of chemical processes, and much more. Although the use of limestone and dolomite goes back before recorded history, new uses and products are continually being found. Carbonate rocks form about 15% of the earth's sedimentary crust and are widely available for exploitation. Found extensively on all continents, they are quarried and mined from formations that range in age from Precambrian to Recent. Reserves of carbonate rock are large and will last indefinitely, although high-purity deposits may be absent or have limited avail- ability in certain areas. Limestone and dolomite are so useful and so abundant that in 1972 more than 690 million tons were produced in the United States. In fact, about 75% of all stone quarried or mined in the United States was carbonate rock. Sand and gravel was the only mineral commodity produced in greater quantity. In this chapter we have sought to provide the general reader an overview of carbonate rocks, their composition, distribution, production, and uses, with emphasis on developments since 1960. In doing so we borrowed extensively from our recent report on the applied geology of limestone and dolomite (Rooney and Carr, 1971). The literature on the limestone and dolomite resources of the United States and Canada is so vast and diverse that one can easily become mired down in print. We tried to list those references that are easily accessible and that provide the economic geologist with a starting point for more intensive study. The table listing selected references on limestone and dolomite resources in Canada and the United States reflects our attempt to be selective rather than exhaustive and to direct the reader to the best sources of detailed information.

Jan 1, 1975

By D. C. Seidel, M. C. Fuerstenau, R. J. Roman

The existence of a surface charge on the alkali halide salts is shown, and a flotation mechanism involving surface charge and collector solubility is developed. Data suggest that KC1 is positively charged and that NaCl is negatively charged in saturated brines, and that the neutral molecule RNH,Cl is the collector in the amine-KC1 system, RSO, is the collector in the sulfonate-KC1 system, and RCOONa) is the collector in the fatty acid-NaCl system. A number of hypotheses have been advanced to explain the mechanism of soluble salt flotation; one of these involves exchange between collector ions and surface cations. With this mechanism Gaudin1 suggested that the differences in flotability of halite and sylvite with primary amines are due to the ionic size of the RNH;, Kt, and Na t ions. Fuerstenau and Fuerstenau expanded this hypothesis to include many other alkali halide salts. Several exceptions to this hypothesis are known. That is, this model does not explain why salts containing the same cation, or why salts of different degrees of hydration, respond differently to flotation. For example, why NaI is floated with an amine whereas NaI .2H,O is not. Further, no correlation between ionic size and flotation response can be made with sulfonate or car-boxylate as collectors. In addition, this hypothesis does not explain the effect of magnesium or lead activation, nor does it offer any explanation of the role of temperature in salt flotation. Rogers and Schulman3 realized some of the inadequacies of the ion exchange mechanism and proposed another mechanism based on the heat of solution of the salts. They concluded that weakly hydrated salts can be floated with alkyl amines and sulfonates, that strongly hydrated salts can be floated with fatty acids, and that excessively hydrated salts cannot be floated at all. Their work was not limited to the al-

Jan 1, 1969

By J. B. Warriner

Stripping is the name given to the process of removing clay, rock, or other cover from deposits of coal or ore. In this paper it is intended to cover the methods used in carrying on this operation in the anthracite coal regions of Pennsylvania. In doing this, attention will be chiefly devoted to those methods wherein practice in different sections of the region differs, or is susceptible to change or improvement, though it is intended to give as complete data as possible concerning all stages of the operation. The data from which this paper has been prepared have been collected and submitted by a committee† representing the larger users of stripping methods, of which committee the writer has acted as chairman. Data and assistance have also been obtained from various mining men, engineers, contractors and manufacturers of stripping equipment, to all of whom our appreciation is due. Early History and Statistics The earliest mining operation on a commercial scale in the anthracite region was a stripping operation. This was the famous Quarry mine at Summit Hill, where this method was used only because no other method of mining a deposit of the nature found there seemed feasible to the early operators. A description of this stripping from a report published in 1821 is as follows: "The coal mine at present worked by the company lies on the top of a mountain, and appears to extend over some hundred acres of land covered by about 12 ft,. of loose black dirt resembling moist gunpowder, which can be removed by cattle with scrapers, and thrown into the valley below so as never to impede the work. The thickness of the coal is not known, but a shaft has been sunk in it 35 ft. without penetrating through. More than an acre of mine has been uncovered and presents a huge rock of coal, which is easily quarried without blasting."

Jan 1, 1918

By Alden Greninger

IN a recent study1 of the deformation of metastable beta copper-zinc and beta copper-tin crystals, it was established that the parallel markings that appear on the surface of these crystals after slight deformation represent lattice transformations. Stereographic analysis showed that in beta copper-tin, the poles of these markings deviated one or two degrees from poles of the form { 133 } . In beta copper-zinc the plane delineated by the markings corresponded to no one crystallographic plane of the matrix lattice; the marking poles deviated from 5° to 11° from poles of the form {110}, and were displaced only a few degrees from (110) zones. Inasmuch as the new transition lattices produced as the result of the deformation are different for each alloy, it was thought at first that the habits of the markings might be the result of a cooperation between matrix lattice and transformed lattice. (Both matrix lattices are body-centered cubic.) Such a cooperative effect is thought to obtain in the formation of Widmanstätten figures, for it is well known that the matrix lattice alone does not determine the habit assumed by a segregate phase. On the other hand, it is not inconceivable that the dissimilarity in mark-ing habit might be due to differences in deformation characteristics of beta brass and beta bronze. Barrett and co-workers2 have shown that slip-line habits in pure iron are markedly different from those in high-silicon ferrite; and although it has been repeatedly demonstrated that plates of a segregate phase do not necessarily form on the slip planes of the matrix lattice, deformation characteristics may be more intimately allied with plate formation when a transformation is made to occur as a result of plastic deformation. However, there is the fact that the orienta-tion of markings in metastable beta copper-zinc is the same whether the markings be produced by quenching, deformation, or liquid-air cooling; likewise, quenching and deformation markings in metastable beta copper-tin are oriented in the same way with respect to the beta matrix.

Jan 1, 1938

By G. S. Rice, J. A. Davis

The Péchelbronn oil field is located in the province of Alsace, in the Rhine Valley, about 30 miles north of Strasbourg. It is approximately 4 miles wide and 12 miles long, extending from the villages of Lobsann on the north to Wintershausen and Ohlungen near Haguenau on the south. (See Fig. 1.) The productive area includes about 44,000 hectares (107,680 acres). The name Péchelbronn signifies "pitch-spring" or "pitch-fountain." The first exploratory galleries were driven in from the hillside in 1735; and in 1745 the first official concession was granted by the French government and the first pit sunk to a depth of about 30 ft. Extraction by drilled wells was begun in 1879, supplementing the mining operations, and during the next 10 years 200 wells were drilled to an average depth of 172 m. (568 ft.). The bringing in of two "gusher" wells, in 1882 and 1888, respectively, was followed by the abandonment of all underground work. Underground mining, with a view to increasing the production of petroleum by recovering the oil left in the sands after drilling wells, was resumed in 1916. This mining operation started by sinking shaft No. 1 to a depth of 150 m. (495 ft.). The underground developments were pushed during 1917 and 1918 and the annual production of the Péchel-bronn field was increased to about 50,000 metric tons or 350,000 bbl. On the signing of the Versailles Treaty the province of Alsace, which had been taken by Germany as the result of the war of 1870, was returned to France, and the proprietary rights were taken over by the French Government. Concessions or leases, which embraced all the known oil-bearing territory of the field, were granted to the present operating company, Mines de Péchelbronn. This company followed both the drilling and the mining methods of the previous company.

Jan 1, 1927

By Earl S. Greiner, Bradley Stoughton

As a part of the systematic study of the alloys of iron under the auspices of the Engineering Foundation, and preliminary to the commencement of comprehensive work on this larger subject, the authors have undertaken an investigation of the available literature dealing with the alloys of iron and silicon. The purpose is to collect all the data in English and foreign languages and present them in two monographs, one of a more scientific and the second of a more industrially useful nature. Of course, a great deal of information upon the constitution of the iron-silicon alloys was found specificially upon the changes of phase in the equilibrium diagram and the different phases present, such as solid solution, chemical compounds (iron silicides), etc. While no extended research was contemplated in the particular study undertaken, nevertheless the data collected proved to be so contradictory in many respects that a simple study of some of the outstanding problems involved in the constitution and equilibrium diagram was undertaken. Because research was not a primary object of the work, and also because of the extreme industrial importance of the silicon alloys between 0.80 and 14 per cent. silicon, and finally because of the unsatisfactory state of knowledge existing as to these alloys, the experimental investigation was limited entirely to alloys with less than 10 per cent. silicon. Discussion oF Continuous Series It has often been said in print that the iron-silicon alloys form a continuous series of solid solutions from 0 to 15 per cent. silicon. This claim the authors are inclined to doubt: first, because the alloys from 0 to 4.25 per cent. silicon are ductile and malleable at atmospheric temperature, while those with 5 per cent. or more of silicon are comparatively hard and brittle. Furthermore, the alloys with more than 4.25 per cent. silicon are comparatively hard and low in ductility at atmospheric temperature, but become much more ductile when heated slightly. It is well known, for example, that the alloy containing 4.75

Jan 1, 1930

By J. E. Burke, C. S. Barrett

The fine lines shown in Fig I are typical of markings that ma): be detected after polishing and etching deformed specimens of alpha brass and other alloys. Although they have long been the subject of discussion by metallurgists their nature is still uncertain and the names that have been applied: to them, such as deformation line4 or strain markinas, indicate this uncertainky. In this paper which repotts the results of a furthcr investigatinn of their nature, they will be called strain mxrkings. Introduction Mathewson and Phillips1 described strain markinps in 1 916 and concluded that they appear only after 20 pet deformation. They objected to the markings being called slip tines believing this term should be sewrved for surface markings protluced by plastic deformntion. In 1921. vogel² described similar striations which appeared after polishing and etching the roughly ground surface of numerous alloys. He reported that the markings were crystallo-graphic in nature, and since they resemble Seumann hands in iron, at least superficially, he assumed them to be mechanical twins. In 1928, Matherwson reported work by Phillips which indicated that the lines were more readily produced by impact than by slow deformation and that in many cases the twins inside recrystallized grains were parallel to strain markings in the original deformed grains. This was taken as cvirlence that the markings coalesce into anncaling twins. and hence that they themselves are mechanical twins. Many attempts have been made to demonstrate directly that the markings are mechanical twins. In 1934, Samans described the results of X ray studies of two defomed crystals of alpha brass. Evidence was obtained which could be interpreted to indicate that the strain markings arc mechanical twins, and this remains the only direct evidence to this effect. Several other attempts to obtain similar evidence by X ray diffraction have failed5.8.7 although in no Ease was the original method of Samans employed. An

Jan 1, 1949

By C. S. Barrett, J. E. Burke

The fine lines shown in Fig I are typical of markings that ma): be detected after polishing and etching deformed specimens of alpha brass and other alloys. Although they have long been the subject of discussion by metallurgists their nature is still uncertain and the names that have been applied: to them, such as deformation line4 or strain markinas, indicate this uncertainky. In this paper which repotts the results of a furthcr investigatinn of their nature, they will be called strain mxrkings. Introduction Mathewson and Phillips1 described strain markinps in 1 916 and concluded that they appear only after 20 pet deformation. They objected to the markings being called slip tines believing this term should be sewrved for surface markings protluced by plastic deformntion. In 1921. vogel² described similar striations which appeared after polishing and etching the roughly ground surface of numerous alloys. He reported that the markings were crystallo-graphic in nature, and since they resemble Seumann hands in iron, at least superficially, he assumed them to be mechanical twins. In 1928, Matherwson reported work by Phillips which indicated that the lines were more readily produced by impact than by slow deformation and that in many cases the twins inside recrystallized grains were parallel to strain markings in the original deformed grains. This was taken as cvirlence that the markings coalesce into anncaling twins. and hence that they themselves are mechanical twins. Many attempts have been made to demonstrate directly that the markings are mechanical twins. In 1934, Samans described the results of X ray studies of two defomed crystals of alpha brass. Evidence was obtained which could be interpreted to indicate that the strain markings arc mechanical twins, and this remains the only direct evidence to this effect. Several other attempts to obtain similar evidence by X ray diffraction have failed5.8.7 although in no Ease was the original method of Samans employed. An

Jan 1, 1949

By M. Gensamer

A RECENT paper1 described, by means of stereographic pole figures, the preferred orientations produced by cold-rolling low-carbon steel of automobile-body grade. It was found that the surface of the sheet exhibited a deformation texture significantly different from the texture possessed by the inside of the sheet. Efforts to produce the surface texture by buffing a sample exhibiting the normal or inside texture, using a copper lap, have not been successful. In view of the data collected, by Kurdjumow and Sachs2, it was suggested that the surface texture might be the result of partial recrystallization of the normal or inside texture. The recrystallization texture of cold-rolled mild steel was studied by Goss3, but he did not use the pole-figure method, so that his conclusions were in need of verification. For these reasons the work reported in the present paper was undertaken. It had two objectives: (1) to study the general behavior of cold-rolled mild steel on recrystallization below the critical temperature A,, and (2) to attempt experimentally a demon-stration of the genesis suggested above for the surface texture in cold-rolled steel. The material was that used by Gensamer and Mehl, cold-rolled to 97.5 per cent reduction in thickness. Fig. 1 is an X-ray pinhole photo-gram of this material, taken with the beam transmitted perpendicular to the plane of the sheet, using a molybdenum target at 35 kv. with no filter. It is typical of the inside texture, but in it the deformation texture is better developed than in the samples that showed a well developed difference between the inside and surface samples. Specimens from this sheet, which was 0.005 in. thick, were annealed for 5 min. at various temperatures in a lead bath. After about 0.0005 in. had been etched from both surfaces, X-ray photograms were prepared, using the technique described in the earlier paper'.

Jan 1, 1936

By J. C. Jaeger

The study of brittle fracture of rocks has been a much neglected subject until quite recently and now is in a state of transition and rapid development. Historically, three methods of testing were used by engineers: uniaxial tension, bending, and, by far the most common, uniaxial compression of cubes. This latter was probably adequate for engineering requirements, but from the last century onwards there has been a demand from geologists for a study of the properties of materials under conditions comparable with those at depth in the earth's crust. King1 remarked that "in engineering practice a cube of the material is put into a testing machine and the stress required to crush the cube is measured. This gives the limiting stress difference for the material so long as the boundary conditions are similar to those existing during the test . . . this may by no means be the case when the boundary conditions are very different from those existing in the test, for instance, in the case of rupture in the neighbourhood of a cavity. . . ." Despite this very clear statement of principle, many writers until recently (e.g. Jeffreys2 used the uniaxial compressive strength as a measure of the 'strength' of rock. In the last century (Becker 3, it was both conjectured and, for some rocks, known qualitatively, that plastic deformation could occur under confining pres- sure; the demand from geologists has been for the study of flow rather than fracture of rocks.. From the time of von Karman (1911) and Böker5 (1915) onwards, apparatus has been built which could provide confining pressures sufficient to make some rocks plastic. Many experiments tended to be made on rocks such as marble, which readily become plastic, and the general tendency was to make relatively few experiments in the brittle range. This is particularly true of many experiments on combined stresses. As a result of this, there is not sufficient data to provide adequate information

Jan 1, 1967

By Richard D. Hagni

Although the ore microscopist routinely examines polished sections to determine the mineralogy and texture of ores, his importance to the solution of problems peripheral to geology is not always fully realized. The techniques which he uses can be applied with little modification to the solution of a wide variety of beneficiation problem. By extending his studies beyond those normally considered to be of interest to the geologist, he can include examinations of polished sections of selected mill products. This is a logical extension, because the minerals and textures in the polished sections of ores are the same as those in millproducts. The mill dressing engineer should be more aware of the types of beneficiation problem that can be solved by the ore microscopist and what the ore microscopist can do for him. A greater degree of cooperation between the ore microscopist and the mill dressing engineer can be of significant mutual benefit. Ore microscopy holds an advantage over chemical analysis, because the interrelations and combinations ofthe mineral constituents of an ore or mill product can be visually determined. This advantage provides solutions to many beneficiation problem. Locking is a type of beneficiation problem that is particularly amenable to ore microscopy. The percentage, type, and distribution of locked particles can be readily determined with the aid of an ore microscope and an estimate made of the extent of additional grinding required for liberation. The extent of intimately locked types, which no reasonable amount of grinding will liberate, can also be evaluated. Mineral coating conditions, free particles of a deleterious mineral, and free particles of a valuable mineral held in flocculated clusters of gangue are other features that can readily be observed. In some instances, visual examination may show that the problem is not one of locking. Photomicrographs illustrate the variety of beneficiation problems for which the ore microscope is applicable. These problems and their resolution demonstrate the importance of the instrument and show the value of close coordination between the mill dressing engineer and the ore microscopist.

Jan 1, 1979

By William E. Greenawalt

Ever since electrolytic copper refining gave promise of success, about a half century ago, efforts have been made to apply the idea to the extraction of copper from its ores. The methods of attack have, usually, been to leach with a dilute acid and then to deposit electrolytically the copper from the resulting solution with the simultaneous regeneration of the solvent used in the process. Many efforts have been made, and many patents have been taken out, both in the United States and abroad, to give this idea practical application, but only within the past few years have the difficulties been surmounted. Leaching and electrolysis, as applied to copper ores, are among the most promising fields in modern metallurgy. New conditions are arising, which will bring the wet methods into prominence; while high freight rates and increasing cost of fuel will tend to limit smelting to highly favored localities. The possibilities offered by the installation of hydroelectric plants and the greatly enlarged range of power transmission will greatly widen the field of electrolytic methods. Electrolytic methods are ideally adapted to hydroelectric development, for the load is constant throughout the full twenty-four hours, and the cost of both installation and operation of hydroelectric plants is not appreciably greater when operating for twenty-four hours than when operating for eight or ten hours; whereas, in fuel-power generation, as also in smelting, the cost is more or less in proportion to the fuel and power used. Nevertheless, fuel-power generation presents advantages in electrolytic methods, as the power plant may be located in a favorable place while the leaching and electrolytic plants may be located at the mine. The ultimate possibilities of the wet methods have yet to be determined. The possibilities of smelting have been thoroughly worked out; there is no unsolved major problem in copper smelting, and it has practically reached the limit of its possibilities. It seems hardly probable that any future improvement, either of method or apparatus, will greatly

Jan 1, 1924

By L. G. Huntley

I. HISTORY OF OIL DEVELOPMENT IN MEXICO THE occurrence of oil or "tar" in Mexico was mentioned as early as the seventeenth century by Friar Sagahun, who gives the Indian name "chapopote," by which these asphalt seepages are still called. This asphalt was apparently used, as it has been used by primitive people in many parts of the world, in religious ceremonies and for medicinal purposes. Travellers also report that the ruins in Yucatan and the pyramids in southern Mexico show traces of the use of "chapopote" as a building cement.1 DeGolyer says that the first attempt to exploit oil or gas in Mexico in a commercial way is shown by the records of the Memoria de Fomento of 1865, when permission was granted to a Senor Ildefonso Lopez to exploit the deposits of petroliferous substances in the San Jose de Ias Rusias area in the State of Tamaulipas. Other concessions follow, and probably refer to surface seepages which occur in that district. This was several years after the discovery of oil in Pennsylvania. In 1868, a well 125 ft. deep was drilled by a company organized in Mexico City, in what is now known as the Furbero district, and a little oil was refined there. In 1873, residents of Tampico denounced seepages along the Tamesi River, and asphalt was mined near Tempoal in the Canton of Tantoyuca. No drilling was attempted. But between 1880 and 1883 several shallow wells were drilled for oil in Mexico, two of them being near the present Potrero de Llano field west of Tuxpam. The wells were drilled by a Boston company with Canadian rigs, and are said too have reached a depth of about 400 ft., while one is reported to have flowed. Several other abortive attempts were made to drill for oil between 1885 and the beginning of the present century, about which time the Mexican, Petroleum & Liquid Fuel Co., Ltd., in which Cecil Rhodes was interested drilled 24 wells unsuccessfully, several of them as deep as 1,500 ft., in the State -

Jan 9, 1915

By H. M. Ziesemer

PRIOR to 1909 that mountain of porphyry, known as. Sacramento Hill, had remained hardly touched but had always aroused suspicions as to the presence of ore within.. During that year, exploratory work was started by underground methods; drifting and raising continued until 1913. It was proved that a mineralized zone existed, the limits of which had not been determined; so, because of the lower costs of exploratory work and the greater desirability of vertical sections, it was decided to prove the extent of the ore zone by churn drills. Drilling continued until the year 1917, when it seemed almost certain that the horizontal limits of the orebodies had been determined. Ore continued in depth in one direction beyond a point where it was economical to explore by churn drilling; this extension is still being developed by underground methods. The irregularities of the boundaries of the ore zones, together with the variable grades of ore encountered, made it necessary to drill on the corners of 100-ft. squares. Two ore zones were proved, known as the East and West Orebodies. The Sacramento Hill porphyry stock intruded into the Dividend fault. The fault ran roughly east and west with a dip to the south, having pre-Cambrian schists on the north against Paleozoic limestone on, the south. This intrusion was accompanied by a silica breccia on the south periphery, along the limestone contact side. The ore lay in the silica breccia and in the porphyry, some distance from the breccia. No ore was found in the heart of the porphyry mass on the north side, along the schist contact. The West Orebody is elliptic in shape, having a major axis of 1200 ft. (366 m.) and a minor axis of 800 ft. (244 m.); these diminish with depth until, at 300. ft., the axes are 500 ft. and 300 ft., respectively. The ore consists of chalcocite, some bornite, chalcopyrite, and considerable pyrite in a silicious gangue. About 30 per cent. of the copper is caused by

Jan 2, 1922

By Henry Phelps Howland

During the last decade no topic has created more interest or received more thought among blast-furnace men than coke. One reason for this is, undoubtedly, the remarkable increase in the use of byproduct coke. Formerly our coke was made at a distance from the furnaces and by a distinct organization. There was little cooperation or development possible under these conditions. Today the situation is greatly changed. Much of our coke is made by the organization operating the furnaces and the coke oven is operated with the primary object of obtaining the best results in the blast furnace. The effect of changing the method of coke manufacture, even in some minor detail, is often felt almost immediately at the blast furnace. There naturally results one of the most valuable assets of the byproduct coke oven, i.e., the possibility of increased blast-furnace efficiency due to close observance and correct operation of the ovens. The results are evident, but often it is difficult correctly to account for them. In attacking the solution of a problem of as much importance as why one coke is better than another, there are facts which should be kept clearly in mind. The author hopes, in this paper, to bring out some points relative to the use of carbon in the blast furnace which will be of value in solving this question. GeÜner's Ideal Working Years ago GrÜner made a statement regarding the use of carbon in the blast furnace, which has been very generally accepted by metallurgical and blast-furnace men. I quote this theory as given by Prof. Richards on p. 248 of Metallurgical Calculations: "From the standpoint of the generation of the maximum quantity of heat in the furnace, GrÜner was right in formulating his dietum of the ideal working of a blast furnace, vie.: All the carbon burnt in the furnaee should be first oxidized at the tuyères to CO and all reduction of oxides above the tuyères should be caused by CO, which thus beeomes Co2."

Jan 1, 1917

By G. F. Comstock

THE subject of transverse fissures in steel rails has been discussed very thoroughly in recent years from various points of view and the final opinions expressed may be roughly classified into two groups: (1) That these fissures are the result merely of fatigue of the steel and are independent of the quality of the metal. (2) That the quality of the metal and the mill practice must have something to do with them. The first point of view was most-ably and logically presented by J. E. Howard,1 and in the discussion of this paper, as well as in several other preceding publications, Dr. P. H. Dudley, Consulting Engineer of the New York Central Lines, has strongly defended the other opinion.2 The steel makers of the country have naturally rallied under Mr. Howard's banner, hoping to place the entire blame for these. failures upon the railroads with their high wheel-loads, hard steel, heavy traffic, and sometimes inferior roach-bed; while the railroad men,, on the other hand, have been busy accumulating statistics and records in the effort to find an actual reason in the rails themselves that would account for the seemingly haphazard occurrence of transverse fissures under varying conditions and at widely separated points. The view that these fissures were due merely to normal fatigue under alternating stresses seemed most reasonable to the writer until quite recently, because from work clone in this laboratory, as well as the work of other investigators of the problem, no structural differences, in the vast majority of cases, were found between metal at the nuclei of transverse fissures and metal at similar positions in the same rails or in other rails that had not developed fissures. . Within the last year or two, however, since the method of etching polished sections for the microscope with a cupric chloride solution has been tried systematically. on lengthwise sections, passing through the nuclei of transverse fissures, evidence

Jan 11, 1918