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By E. A. Lawrence

The experiences of Canex Placer Ltd. in establishing vegetation on a lead-zinc tailing pond are presented, hoping others with similar challenges will be benefited. History The tailing ponds are the result of 23 years of mining and milling operations, which ceased in August 1970. Roughly 7.9 million tons of lead-zinc ore were removed in that time. The ponds are located between Salmo River and B.C. Highway 3, about 8 miles north of Nelway near the Canada-U.S. border.

Jan 1, 1975

By Robert T. Walker

Robert T. Walker and Woodville J. Walker (Walker Engineering Corp., Salt Lake City)-Mr. Kinkel's article embodies, in condensed form, the results of the first detailed and complete geological survey that has ever been made of the long neglected but potentially very important West Shasta Copper-Zinc district, in Shasta County, California. In view of the difficulties of the terrain and the complexity of the geological structure, this represents a notable achievement, and it is with regret, therefore, that the writers find it necessary to differ from Mr. Kinkel's conclusions on two important points. The first has to do with the interpretation of two members of the stratigraphic column of formations in the district; for purposes of comparison, the description of these two members according to Mr. Kinkel is shown parallel to the description of these members according to the writers, see Fig. 14, Mr. Kinkel's nomenclature being used

Mar 1, 1956

Frank L. Bader has been appointed to the sales staff of Lehigh Navigation Coal Co. in the Philadelphia territory. H. C. Burrell, former coordinator of raw materials, Pittsburgh, Penna., has been made manager of raw materials for Columbia-Geneva Div. of U. S. Steel Co., San Francisco. J. H. Cazier has resigned as general superintendent of Bagdad Copper Corp., Bagdad, Ariz., to devote full time with E. A. Scholz to the operation of the Copper King, Phillips and Black Pearl Mines near Bagdad. They have operated the Copper King zinc mine for more than two years.. Production started from the Black Pearl and Phillips tungsten mines during the past year. Robert T. Chapman has resigned from Reynolds Mining Corp. to join Westmoreland Manganese Corp. as general superintendent. Annan Cook, with Kennecott Copper Corp.'s exploration dept. for the past three years, has been appointed district geologist for the eastern states.

Jan 1, 1952

By H. L. Hollis

The paper read by Mr. George J. Snelus, in 1894, before the Iron and Steel Institute of Great Britain* so fully and ably described the Walrand-Leghisel process that there remains very little to add beyond recording some changes in practice, made since that date, and observed by the writer last summer, at several continental works, and the further fact that the process has now been for some time in successful operation in this country. Briefiy stated, the Walrand-LegBnisel process is an addition to the Bessemer operation, with the object of obtaining quiet and more fluid steel, and consequently sound castings and ingots. This is achieved by adding ferro-silicon at approximately the time of flame-drop in the ordinary Bessemer operation, and making an after-blow. The high calorific power of silicon is well known, and the rapid combustion of it immediately before

Jan 1, 1897

PERSONAL (Members are urged to send in for this column any notes of interest concerning themselves or their fellow-members.) Members and guests who registered at Institute headquarters during the period June 10 to July 10: J. C. Ralston, Spokane, Wash. E. P. Ashmore, So. Porcupine, Ont., Can. William H. Yeandle, Jr., Mexico City, Stuart Croasdale, Denver, Colo. Mexico. W. E. Hopper, Houghton, Mich. W. C. Minsch, Mexico City, Mexico. D. W. Brunton, Denver, Colo. H. V. Winchell, Minneapolis, Minn. Fred Crabtree, Pittsburg, Pa. W. G. Swart, Denver, Colo. Robert S. Lewis, Salt Lake City, Utah. D. F. Schindler, Madison, Wis. Noel Cunningham, Timmins, Ont., Can E. R. Pettebone has just been elected a Trustee of the Pennsylvania State College, being supported by the votes of the delegates of the Pennsylvania Anthracite Local Section of the Institute and the Engineers' Society of Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Jan 8, 1914

New York Meets first Wednesday after first Tuesday of each month. J. E. JOHNSON, JR., Chairman EDGAR RICHARD, Vice-Chairman D. M. LIDDELL, Secretary, 7 Wall St., New York, N. Y. C. A. BOHN, Treasurer JOHN V. N. DORR LEWIS W. FRANCIS Boston Meets first Monday of each winter month. R. L. AGASSIZ, Chairman JAMES G. CARLETON, Vice-Chairman E. E. BUGBEE Secretary-Treasurer, Mass. Inst. of. Technology, Cambridge, Mass. W. E. C. EUSTIS G. A. PACKARD Columbia Holds four sessions during year. Annual meeting in September or October. W. H. LINNEY, Chairman OSCAR LACHMUND, Vice-Chairman LYNDON K. ARMSTRONG, Secretary-Treasurer, P. O. Drawer 2154, Spokane, Wash. STANLY A. EASTON S. SHEDD Puget Sound Meets second Saturday of each month SIMON H. ASH, Chairman I. F. LAUCKS, Vice-Chairman PERCY E. WRIGHT, Secretary-Treasurer, 2012 L. C. Smith Bldg., Seattle. Wash. GLENVILLE A. COLLINS JOHN N. POTT

Jan 11, 1917

New York Meets first Wednesday after first Tuesday of each month. J. E. JOHNSON, Jr., Chairman EDGAR RICKARD, Vice-Chairman D. M. LIDDELL, Secretary, 7 Wall St., New York, N. Y. C. A. BOHN, Treasurer JOHN V. N. DORR. LEWIS W. FRANCIS Boston Meets first Monday of each winter month. R. L. AGASSIZ, Chairman JAMES G. CARLETON, Vice-Chairman E. E. BUGBEE Secretary-Treasurer, Mass. Inst. of Technology, Cambridge,Mass. W. E. C. EUSTIS G. A. PACKARD Columbia Holds four sessions during year. Annual meeting in September or October. W. H. LINNEY. Chairman OSCAR LACHMUND, Vice-Chairman LYNDON K. ARMSTRONG, Secretary-Treasurer, P. 0. Drawer 2154, Spokane, Wash. STANLY A. EASTON S. SHEDD Puget Sound Meets second Saturday of each month SIMON H. ASH, Chairman I. F. LAUCKS, Vice-Chairman CHARLES SIMENSTAD, Secretary-Treasurer, 425 Lyon Bldg., Seattle, Wash. GLENVILLE A. COLLINS JOHN N. POTT

Jan 10, 1917

Organization Place _ Date 1919 American Iron and Steel Institute New York, N. Y. May National Fire Protection Association Ottawa Can. May 6-8 American Zinc Institute :.. St. Louis, Mo. May 12 American Association of Engineers Chicago, Ill. May 13-14 Natural Gas Association in America Cleveland, 0. May 20-23 American Institute of Electrical Engineers.... Lake Placid, N. Y. June 24-27 American Society for Testing Materials Atlantic City, N. J. June 24-27 American Institute of Min. and Met. Engineers Chicago, Ill. - Sept. 22-27 American Steel Treaters' Society, First Annual Convention Chicago, Ill. Sept. 22-27 National Safety Council Cleveland, U. Sept. 29-Oct. 2 American Foundrymen's Association Philadelphia, Pa. Sept. 29-Oct. 4 Institute of Metals Division, A. I. M. E Philadelphia, Pa. Sept. 29-Oct. 4 American Ry. Bridge and Building Association Cleveland, 0. Oct. 21-23 Geological Society of America Boston, Mass. Dec. 29-31

Jan 5, 1919

(Members are urged to send in for this column any notes of interest concerning themselves or their fellow-members.) Members and guests who called at Institute headquarters during the period Mar. 10, 1916 to Apr. 10, 1916: R. C. Blanchard, London, England. George H. Packard, Boston, Mass. F. Lynwood Garrison, Philadelphia, Pa. Harvey B. Small, Mangangue, Colombia, S. A. S. A. Horton, Altoona, Pa. H. De Witt Smith, Kennecott, Alaska. J. S. Lane, New York City. Richard Tarantous, Terlingua, Tex. Harry T. Mercer, Painesdale, Mich. S. A. Taylor, Pittsburgh, Pa. A. L. Blomfield, for many years in the employ of Bewick, Moreing & Co. as metallurgist, and for the last eight years mill superintendent of the Golden Cycle mill at Colorado Springs, has become associated with The Dorr. Company as consulting metallurgical engineer, with headquarters at Denver. He retains his connection with the Golden Cycle mill as general superintendent.

Jan 5, 1916

(Members are urged to send in for this column any notes of interest concerning themselves or their fellow-members.) Members and guests who called at Institute headquarters during the period July 10, 1916 to August 1, 1916: W. A. Barnes, San Francisco, Cal. W. J. Mead, Madison, Wis. W. L. Bell, Davenport, Fla. Charles Mentzel, San Pedro, N. M. James P. Clarke, Jr., Little Rock, Ark. H. H. Miller, New York, N. Y. R. A. Carhart, Mitchell, S. D. W. E. Pomeroy, El Paso, Tex. G. M. Colvocoresses, Humboldt, Ariz. M. K. Rodgers, Los Angeles, Cal W. E. Defty, Phoenix, Ariz. S. C. Rodgers, Guanajuato, Mex. Carl F. Dietz, Worcester, Mass. John M. Baker and Hamilton W. Baker have resigned as general manager and mine superintendent respectively of the Baker Mines Co., of Oregon. After Aug. 1, their address will be 43 Emerson St., Denver, Colo.

Jan 9, 1916

Albin, B. R. Billings, Mont. '28 Amster, Nathan L 25 Broad St., New York, N. Y. '28 Bache, Jules S 42 Broadway, New York, N. Y. '28 Barrett, C. P 5338 Harper Ave., Chicago, Ill. '28 Baum, Frank G., Cons. Hydro-Electric Engr Cassel, Shasta Co., Cal. '28 Bayless, William S Russ Bldg., San Francisco, Cal. '28 Bean, Louis H., V.P., Dwight P Robinson & Co., Inc. 125 E. 46th St., New York, N. Y. '28 Beatty, Ross J 1105 First National Bank Bldg., Chicago, Ill. '28 Benwell, Oswald F 110 Gilpin St., Denver, Colo. '28 Beymer, Albert S., V P., Keystone National Bank Pittsburgh, Pa. '28 Blumenthal, Hugo 44 Pine St., New York, N. Y. '28 Boettcher, Charles Ideal Cement Bldg., Denver, Colo. '28 Bowlus, Thomas H Iola, Kans. '28 Brown, Colvin B. .. Chamber of Commerce, Washington, D. C. '28 Burt, Maxwell Struthers Southern Pines, N. C. '28

Jan 1, 1923

By H. R. MacMichael

IN the Chihuahua district of Mexico the first smelting was that inaugurated by the early Spaniards for the production of silver bullion. The ores treated were high in silver and lead. Silver-lead bullion was first produced and the lead then cupelled to waste, with the slag produced running from 5 to 10 per cent in lead and about 25 to 40 per cent silica. The ore was mined by peon labor, often being carried out of the mine on the backs of the men, and then transported by burros. Furnaces were of primitive construction, adobe or rock being used in the earlier period and some iron later when it became available. Blast was originally supplied by bellows manually operated. Such smelting was carried on to a greater or lesser extent until the latter part of the last century, and so extensive was it that many hundred thousand tons of leady slag remained to be treated in modern furnaces. In 1908 a smelter was placed in operation at Chihuahua by the American Smelting & Refining Co. At that time the ore was practically all oxidized and by a little selection, self-fluxing mixtures could be made, but with an average lead content usually under 10 per cent and sometimes as low as 7 per cent. The bullion produced would carry from 150 to 300 oz. silver per ton. The slag made approximated 30 per cent SiO2, 42 per cent FeO, 21 per cent CaO, and perhaps 3 per cent Zn. The ores varied from hard, coarse material which was passed through a crusher, to a considerable quantity of fines which had to be smelted as it came, as crushing the coarse was the only preparation for smelting.

Jan 1, 1933

By P. W. George

THE rapid increase in cost of discovering new orebodies by churn drilling in the Tri-State district has led to some attempts to lessen the expense by using geophysical methods. Electrical prospecting was tried three or four years ago, but no successful results were recorded. In 1926, the Federal Mining and Smelting Co. engaged the North American Exploration Co., of Houston, Texas, to make some tests with the torsion, balance. At first, it was thought that the most favorable conditions for discovery of ore deposits with the torsion balance would be in locations where the ore was known to occur at rather shallow depths, FIG. 1.-CROSS-SECTION OF DUENWEG LEASE. therefore the first trial was made at Duenweg, east of Joplin, where some zinc ore had been developed at a depth of 130 ft. The gravity gradients at 61 stations on a tract of about seventeen acres indicated plainly one large zone of maximum gravity and a smaller narrow zone of minimum gravity. Fourteen churn-drill holes, half of which struck .ore, show that all the ore found was located outside the zones of maximum and minimum gravity. In the zone of maximum, gravity the limestone beds were closest to the surface, and the first chert beds encountered were at the greatest depth. The results (shown in Table 1) indicated that the gravity of the limestone was greater than the gravity of the fractured chert together with its orebodies, and probably also greater than the bouldery soil and clay on top of the limestone. A cross-section of the Duenweg lease is shown in Fig. 1.

Jan 1, 1928

The age of specialization has made man increasingly dependent on a larger number of different metals and minerals. Overexploitation during World War II and lavish squandering of irreplaceable mineral wealth in the past has resulted in the rapidly approaching exhaustion of some of the major domestic ore sources. History clearly points out that the United States cannot continue to be a world power on an "import to survive" policy. A constructive program of development and appraisal of the nation's mineral wealth, including the planned conservation of her resources, must be adopted. Strictly speaking, conservation of minerals must mean the orderly exploitation of our resources and the prevention of waste in use, with due regard for the future. Real concern for the future may not extend beyond a few generations. Eventually science and invention should take care of the problems arising from shortages of some minerals, and the national defense aspects of domestic deficiencies can be provided for by stock piling and other measures. Early conservationists had this viewpoint; but with a rapidly developing industry and population, a farsighted policy that would deny full realization of immediate ambitions became unpopular. Consequently, the politically minded conservationist broadened the concept to include "prudent use of resources" and brought under the conservation umbrella

Jan 1, 1950

By Edward D. Thimons, Richard J. Kline

Converting the energy of falling water into useful work is a well developed engineering concept. Much of the electric power consumed in the United States is generated in this manner. It is easy to conceive that the water which flows down long vertical pipelines into deep nines could be utilized in a similar manner by allowing it to operate a turbine at the bottom of the pipelines. The mines in the United States are continually descending to greater depths in search of mineable deposits. Large quantities of water are carried down long vertical pipelines in order to be used for dust suppression, motor cooling, and refrigeration. Pumping the used water back to the surface is also required. The electrical costs associated with mining are also constantly escalating due to both increased demand and rising kilowatt hour costs. To help deal with this problem, the United States Bureau of Mines (USBM) has awarded a contract to Foster-Miller, Inc. of Waltham, MA, to investigate, evaluate, and demonstrate commercially available means of energy recovery for the deep mining industry. In other words, it demonstrates an efficient system for converting the energy of water flowing down vertical pipelines into useful mechanical or electrical energy.

Jan 1, 1982

The key-note of good writing, as of good manners, is B natural. Sincerity is the first requisite for effective writing. When a man says what he knows or believes, he is likely to be interesting, because each human being possesses an individuality, a point of view, or a range of sympathy that makes him different from his fellows. To say or to write what you do not think, for the mere sake of talking or writing, is a verbal exercise that must be performed with extraordinary skill if it is to be attractive. Affectations are rarely attractive, rarely effective. To be natural is to be yourself, not a poseur; to give the reader the best of yourself, instead of re-warming the baked meats of yesterday. Quotations-which are second-hand thoughts-will serve occasionally when the thing you want to say has been said so well by another that it would be waste of energy to try to say it better; gut, as a rule, the utterance of the writer himself is more interesting than the quotation, because the writer brings something of himself to bear on the subject, and for the moment is more in touch with the reader than any dear departed author. Therefore, say things as best you can in your own way, neither in borrowed words nor in the phraseology that mimics another. Write as if you were speaking to a person whom you desire to persuade or convince. You will then write better than you speak, because, in the first place, you can be more deliberate, and, secondly, you can revise what you have written. Speaking and writing are similar mental acts, with a difference: the difference between eating food raw and eating it cooked. Some kinds of food gain nothing by being cooked; likewise some kinds of utterance are not bettered by being written down first; but most expressions of thought, especially

Jan 1, 1931

By Robert D. Pehlke, Kazuhisa Okajima

ThE prediction of the activity coefficient for a solute in a multicomponent liquid metallic solution based on measurements in the related binary systems has been the object of study for some time, particularly in iron-base alloys.1,2 Very few measurements, however, have been made on nonferrous systems; furthermore, measurements made for the specific purpose of testing various prediction equations are almost nonexistent. The measurements here described of the activity coefficient of cadmium in liquid lead alloys were directed toward this goal. One of the most direct means by which the activity coefficient can be calculated has been based on the independent influences of each solute. When solute metals i,j, k, and so forth are present, the activity coefficient, y, of one of these (i for example) may be expressed as a product of factors which represent the effects of each of the other components:

Jan 1, 1964

By W. C. Knopf, I. M. LeBaron

In the Carlsbad area potash is dry-mined and wet-concentrated. Wet concentration involves recircu-lation of saturated brines, with resultant difficulties of brine disposal and inherent losses in recovery through solution of the KCl. A dry beneficiation process for potash minerals would offer many advantages over present methods. International Minerals & Chemical Corp. has been working on development of a dry process for some time. This article is a progress report. Potash ores available in this country are largely mixtures of halite and sylvite contaminated with slimes and often with many sulfate and magnesium minerals. Electrostatic concentration of KCl when the contaminating minerals are in low percentage has been accomplished. Continuous production of better than 60 pct K2O concentrate from high potassium sulfate ores has not been demonstrated at the present time. Laboratory Procedure: Laboratory work on electrostatic beneficiation of potash minerals has been carried out using both pure crystals and mined ore. Electrostatic separation of the two main components of potash ore, sylvite (KCl) and halite (NaCl), is accomplished by first heat-treating the ore to allow for electric charging of the particles. Preferential exchange of' electrical charges between different mineral particles through surface contact is the principal mechanism involved. After proper conditioning of the particle surfaces, the oppositely charged minerals are dropped vertically into a horizontal electric field having a field gradient from about 5000 to 15,000 v per in. The particles are free-falling in the field. A suitable power supply is used to produce the proper total voltage for the electric field. Total required voltage is, of course, a function of electrode spacing. A typical electrode arrangement with power supply is shown in Fig. 1. In general, the total voltage on any system is 75,000 to 90,000 v. Power consumption is negligible, as leakage at insulators and corona discharge are the main losses in the system. Optimum preheat temperatures for pure material components generally are not the same as for mined minerals. Fig. 2 shows clearly that maximum recovery on a 50 pct pure KCl, 50 pct pure NaCl mixture occurs at a preheat temperature of about 600°F. In this test the preheat mixture was allowed to cool to about 225°F before dropping through the electric field. The optimum temperature for sep- aration is practically never the optimum temperature of preheat. Optimum separation for mined Carlsbad potash ores occurs when a preheat temperature closer to 900°F is used, as shown by Fig. 3, which plots percent sylvite (KCl) in the concentrate and tails as a function of preheat temperatures. Here again the ore was allowed to cool to about 225°F before separation. It should be noted that efficiency of separation increases continuously with increasing preheat temperatures until incipient fusion of the ore takes place at about 950°F. The increase in optimum preheat temperature for Carlsbad ores over the pure minerals can be traced to the effect of the clay slimes intimately associated with the mined potash. If the slimes associated with the ore are removed by washing with alcohol or other non-aqueous material, the necessity of preheating to the high temperature is removed. This temperature range has been proved critical within these limits during continuous pilot plant operation. Concentrate and tailings grade and optimum recovery also are functions of the temperature of the potash mineral particles during separation in the electric field. Fig. 4 presents data indicating that feed to the rougher pass should range between 150°F and 275°F for best results. It has been found by subsequent pilot plant work that these temperatures can be maintained in actual operation.

Jan 1, 1959

Sixteen executives, technicians and operative personnel from the French mining industry, now touring mining operations in the U.S., will wind up their visit to this country at the AIME Annual Meeting. Traveling under ECA auspices, they will be in Denver on Feb. 5, Salt Lake City, Feb. 8 to 13, Bonne Terre on Feb. 16. Four of the group are engaged in bauxite mining, nine in lead and zinc, two in pyrites mining. All are interested in American mining equipment and methods, and hope to contact manufacturers' representatives in the various areas they visit. A $600,000 manganese pilot plant is expected to be put into operation by Sept. 1, by the Bureau of Mines at Boulder City, Nev. S. R. Zimmerly, chief of the Bureau's metallurgical div. for the region, recently completed the mill design and flow sheet; and the Bureau is awaiting steel priorities before building. Ore from the Artillery Peak area, 60 miles south-west of Kingman, Ariz., will be used in the mill. Construction will be handled by Rex Lloyd of Boulder City.

Jan 2, 1951

By L. K. ARMSTRING

ANYONE doubting prosperity in the mining industry should visit the Kootenays of British Columbia where the West Kootenay Power & Light Co. is kept busy running new power lines and connecting mines and mills with lines already in service. Quoting from an inspired statement "The four hydro-electric plants of the West Kootenay Power & Light Co. on Kootenay River have been in continuous operation." At the recent 35th annual meeting of the Eastern' British Columbia Boards of Trade held in Nelson, a two-day session indicated unusual activity. The following information was obtained through personal contact, through the press, and by hearsay. Much of it has been checked and proved accurate. Reversing the order of the flowsheet. Secretary J. R. Hunter reported as fol¬lows regarding the value of the 1934 production of the Consolidated Mining & . Smelting Company's metallurgical, plants at Trail and Tadanac:

Jan 1, 1935