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For the year ending February, 1920 PRESIDENT HORACE V. WINCHELL MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. PAST PRESIDENTS PHILIP N. MOORE ST. Louis, Mo. SIDNEY J. JENNINGS NEW YORK, N. Y. FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT A. R. LEDOUX NEW YORK, N. Y. TREASURER GEORGE D. BARRON NEW YORK, N. Y SECRETARY BRADLEY STOUGHTON NEW YORK, N. Y.

Jan 12, 1919

R. W. NEWCOMB,* New York, N. Y. (written discussiont).-On page 1638 mention is made of a new -instrument with an exceptionally high resistance that has been developed by Charles Engelhard. All friction and wear of moving parts of the moving system has been elimi-nated by replacing the hardened steel pivots and jeweled bearings, commonly used on other instruments, by a double metallic filament, one at the top and One at the bottom, under slight tension. Any pos-sible distortion of the moving coil, because of tension, has been eliminated by introducing a solid spindle as the axis of the coil between the points on the coil where the metallic filament is attached. The filaments serve not only as a support for the moving coil; but also to lead in the current from the binding posts to the moving coil, and as a source of counter-torque; instruments so constructed, do not require leveling, and are mechanically very robust. The clock of the recorder serves only to drive the chart at its specified rate and -to operate a small contact-making device; i.e., there is no other mechanical load on the clockworks. The contact-making de-vice is so constructed that there is a quick-make, a quick-break, and a wiping effect while the contact is being made. Contact surfaces on this switch are of platinum platinum-iridium. The operation of this contact, which occurs once each minute, sends a current, from a 6-volt supply; through a solenoid magnet, which operates the depressor bar mechanism in the case of the single-record instrument; in the case of the multiple-record instrument, it operates the automatic switch and color-changing features, as well as the depressor bar.

Jan 12, 1919

Arrangements have been made for a cooperative investigation of the fatigue phenomena of metals by the University of Illinois, the Engineer-ing Foundation, and the National Research Council. The work will be done in the laboratories of the Engineering Experiment Station, the Committee on the Fatigue Phenomena of Metals of the National Re-search Council acting as an advisory committee.

Jan 12, 1919

The Raymond Memorial Volume, which the Members of the In-stitute have been so anxiously awaiting since the beloved man's death, is nearly ready for publication. It will contain about 45,000 words and some illustrations and a frontispiece portrait. This book promises to fill every expectation of the contributors to the volume and the host of admirers of the genius who so long guided the destiny of the Institute. It will contain one of Doctor Raymond's best stories, entitled "James and Jim;" his famous article on "Job on Mining;" and one of his poems entitled "The Grand Canyon." A biography of Doctor Raymond has been written by his daughter, who is the wife of a member of the Institute. The memorial addresses delivered by Dr. Henry F. Drinker and T. A. Rickard at the annual meeting in New York in 1919 will be included. There will also be very interesting reminiscences by H. M. Howe, A. S. Dwight, C. W. Goodale, R. W. Hunt, Lyman Abbott, J. F. hemp, T. A. Rickard. The volume has been edited by T. A. Rickard, which promises all that can be wished for the volume from a literary standpoint. The edition will he limited so that it is very desirable that orders for this volume be sent in to the Institute as promptly as possible. The price will be $5.00.

Jan 12, 1919

The plan recently started for the organization of a Division of Re-search and Statistics in the American Petroleum Institute will probably shortly be consummated. It is proposed to expend $500,000 annually for this research work. The organization's work, as now outlined, pro-vides for a Technical Director, who is to be in general charge of all the work. He is to be assisted by Consulting Technical Experts, who are to be distinguished specialists in the industry and are to serve without pay. In addition, there is to be an advisory committee made up of one representative from the Bureau of Standards, Bureau of Mines, Geo-logical Survey, American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engi-neers, Society of Automotive Engineers, National Automobile Chamber, of Commerce, American Society for Testing Materials, American Chem-ical Society, and the National Research Council. This committee is to meet regularly to discuss the problems of the petroleum industry. An engineer and chief economist are to assist the Director.- The econ-omist is to be in charge of statistics, economic phases of the industry, and publicity. It is the intention to centralize in the Institute all infor-mation that may be required by the States or Federal Government, which would be of value to members of the Institute. This includes prices of crude oil, refined products, and natural gas. The engineer of the division is to coordinate the research work to be undertaken by, the subdivisions of production, chemical engineering, utilization, and special research. Systematic study is to be made of the

Jan 12, 1919

The General Committee met in the Treasury Building at Washington on Oct. 6 and 7. At the first meeting, Cornelius P. Kelley was appointed chairman, and Paul Armitage, secretary. Sub-committees were ap-pointed on Invested Capital, Mine Valuation, and Depletion and De-preciation. On Oct. 7, the reports of these committees were submitted to the General Committee and were referred to the Executive Committee. A motion was carried that the Executive Committee he constituted a permanent committee to continue the work of the Committee, with full power to acid to and increase its membership, that. as thus increased, it should constitute a permanent organization to act- and cooperate with the Treasury Department in matters of mining taxation under the Federal Income and Excess Profits Tax Laws. Thereafter the Executive Com-mittee met and formed a permanent committee as follows: Cornelius F. Kelley, chairman, 42 Broadway, New York City. J. L. Darnell, office of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, Wash-ington, D. C. J. Parke Channing, 61 Broadway, New York City. Walter Douglas, 99 John St., New York City. R. V. Norris, 542 Second National Bank Bldg., Wilkes-Barre, Pa. J. E. Spurr, Engineering and Mining Journal, 10th Ave., and 36th St., New York City. W. G. Swart, 808 Selwood Bldg., Duluth, Minn. J. P. Finley, 45 Cedar St., New York City. W. A. Williams, Bartlesville, Okla. F. S. Peabody, Peabody Coal Co., McCormick Bldg., Chicago, Ill. Matthew C. Fleming, 71 Broadway, New York City. H. B. Fernald, 54 Wall St., New York City. William G. Mather, Cleveland, Ohio. Walter Fitch, Eureka, Utah. Arthur Thacher, 900 Security Bldg., St. Louis, Mo. John P. Gray, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Paul Armitage, secretary, 233 Broadway, New York City.

Jan 12, 1919

A. 0. ASHMAN, Palmerton, Pa. (written discussion?).-Owing to the conflict of the terms thermometry and pyrometry, in numerous cases the entire field of temperature measurements has been divided under these two headings. This confusion is probably clue to the fact that originally a pyrometer was understood to be an instrument for measuring temperatures above the range of a mercury thermometer. In modern practice, however, pyrometers are not only used to measure the temperature over the range of the thermometer, but also to a much

Jan 12, 1919

JOHN H. NELSON, Worcester, Mass.-At our plant we have done considerable work on notch-bar testing and are farther at sea now than when we started. So far, we have been unable to get the notch-bar test to be consistent with any other known test. Lately, I have been investi-gating the effect of the position of the notch-bar specimen in a, bar. To do this I took a 3, ½ in. square bar and quartered it, then heat treated the four quarters. Each of these pieces was again quartered and a specimen machined and notched. "In this way we would have notch-bar tests from the exterior to the interior of the bar. These were made of such lengths that it was possible to make four impact tests on each speci-men. Extreme care was taken in marking the position of these test speci-mens in the original bar. The notches were then cut with relation to position of the specimen in the original bar. The second notch was cut 90° from the first, and so on around the specimen. In this way, we have found that, with a 3 ½ in. bar of 0.4 or 0.5. per cent. carbon steel when properly heat treated, we could get impact values ranging from 15 to 100 ft.-lb. Just why this is the case we are unable to state; but it does appear to be a fact that along the outside of the original bar the notch-bar test seems to be low and increases toward the center, but it is not always consistent. For instance, we may have, on a single specimen; one notch-bar test giving us 15 ft.-lb. and another 100 ft.-lb. We have not found such inconsistencies in alloy steels. Alloy steel is consistently good or consistently bad. If it. is good, you cannot readily destroy the impact value, no matter what you do; if it is bad-that is, if it is a poor notch-bar steel-and you have sufficient latitude in your draw, you may correct it. In other words, if the hardness you are working to will allow you to draw to about 1050° F.(561° C.) or over and then quench this steel from the draw heat, you. can raise the im-pact value of the steel from about 4 or 10 ft.-lb. up to-40-or 50 ft.-lb: Just what occurs I do not know. There is evidently a critical-point in steels that have poor impact value, in the neighborhood of 1000 F. to 1050° F. (536° to 561° C.).

Jan 12, 1919

CHARLES E. GUILLAUME,* .Sèvres, France written discussion?).-Referring top. 2052, experiments made at the end of the year 1884showed a remarkable agreement between the indications of various verre dur thermometers of which all the corrections had been determined with the greatest possible precision. The maximum deviations not attributable to the comparisons themselves were then about 0.002 to 0.003 degree. Much later, greater differences began to show. They were caused by the fact that the glassmaker-had modified the composition by adding to it a small quantity of lead. Efforts are now being made in France to obtain a regular, supply of glass made according to the old formula. The determination of the boiling point of sulfur made by Chappuis,1 444.5°, accords very well with the value noted on p. 2054. The International Committee of Weights and Measures and the General Conference have already considered the future abandonment of the hydrogen scale in favor of the thermodynamic scale. The hydro-gen scale appears to be, in their estimation, a transitory one, happily so closely approaching the final scale that no correction should be necessary for all measurements of temperature made during the last 30 years.

Jan 12, 1919

Engineering Council has been elected to membership in the Chamber of Commerce of the United States. Its representative will be Mr. Harold W. Buck, of Viele, Blackwell & Buck, Consulting Engineers, New York City, Past-president of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers, his alternate being Mr. Irving E. Moultrop, of the Edison Electric Illum-inating Co., Boston, member of American Society of Mechanical Engin-eers and American Institute of Electrical Engineers. The Chamber of Commerce of the United States was formed in 1912 and now consists of more than 1100 organizations in every state of the union, in the out-lying possessions, and of all the principal American chambers of commerce abroad. One of the chief aims is to obtain the best business thought on national questions that concern business. Members of the National Chamber have the privilege of using all the facilities of the Chamber's offices in Washington when information is desired.

Jan 12, 1919

ARTHUR L. PEARSE, London, Eng. (written discussion*).-In the last paragraph Professor Baskerville correctly sums up an important position. The paper was probably written some months ago, as is indicated; if it were written today he would have further emphasized these conclusions. The oil-shale is a great industry, has been for many

Jan 12, 1919

WALTER N. CRAFTS,* Toronto, Canada (written discussion?).-During the forging of 9.2-in. shells -for the United States Army, it was noticed that better results were obtained in certain instances when test bars had been held sometime before pulling. An investigation, therefore, was made by our metallographer, Mr. F. M. Arnold, to determine the effect of seasoning. The forging consists of a single operation, piercing a solid cast blank. The test sections were cut from the walls by an oxyacetylene flame, one piece from the nose end and one from the base on the opposite side. The test pieces were not heat treated in any way and the tests and seasonings were carried on at normal atmospheric temperatures. The specifica-tions were as follows: Standard 2-in. test bar, 0.505 in. in diameter; elastic limit, over 19 long tons, or 42,500 lb.; ultimate stress, 39.6 to 49.1 long tons, or 87,500 to 110,000 lb. per sq. in.; elongation, over 13 per cent. As a preliminary test two heats were selected; BP555, which was tested and reported failed on elongation on Aug. 20; and B01771, which was tested and reported failed on Aug. 24. On Aug. 29, retests were cut and machined from the same shells and held till Sept. 3 (5 days) when they were pulled. Both sets of results are given below.

Jan 12, 1919

R. F. WOOD,* Sandusky, Ohio.-I made a few tests of gun-metal specimens, after I noticed the results on quenching -reported by the Bureau of Standards. The data of one such test are given herewith. The bars were heat treated and quenched before they were machined, and in all cases they were brought up to 700° or 800°. They became extremely brittle,, showed almost no elongation, except such as was caused by the failure of the pieces to fit together after they were pulled, and the tensile stength was reduced from around 35,000 to about 13,000 lb. per sq. in. In addition, the weakening effect of the quenching seemed to be almost as marked when the bar was allowed to slowly air-cool from red to black, and then quenched, as it was by quenching directly from the red heat. Test Bars.-Rough size, 9/16 in. diam. over test section, grips 13/16 in. diam. Cast two in a flask, one on each side of a block 8 by 4 by 1 in. and fin-gated thereto from the grips but not from the test section. Poured with flask in inclined position, with gate to lower end of block and riser from upper end of each test bar. Bars were machined to ½ in. over the test section, after heat treatment. Casting the Bars.-Charge of 1500 lb. consisting of 400 lb. of new metals and 1100 lb. of G turnings and scrap was melted in open-flame oil furnaces and then poured into a 1-ton ladle. From the ladle 150 lb. was poured into a preheated No. 50 crucible, land from this the flasks of test bars were poured. The six flasks are indicated below by the numbers 1 to 6 and the bars in each flask by the letters a and b, thus 4a and 4h, for instance, were the two bars in flask No. 4.

Jan 12, 1919

W. P. PUTNAM,. Detroit, Mich.-There is one company that is heating these tubes in an upright position by passing electrical energy directly through the tube itself. The lower connection is attached to an indicator, which shows the point at which the steel passes through the critical range At that point the clamps are released and the tube is dropped into a well of oil. This method simplifies the heat treatment of tubes in long lengths. H. J. FRENCH.-I am not entirely familiar with. the method outlined, but it appears to have one serious disadvantage; that is, the length of tubing that is directly connected with the electrical contacts is wasted and must be cut off due to either heavy oxidation or burning. That is a serious difficulty, if true in all cases, and cannot be overcome, inas-much as it is very difficult to draw long tubes of thin wall. Having once obtained a lot of tubes, to cut, say 14 ft. in length, there is often little excess metal available to discard. Am I correct concerning the burning or heavy oxidation of the metal where it comes in contact with the tube.

Jan 12, 1919

A. 0. ASHMAN, Palmerton, Pa. (written discussion *.).-Mr. Newcomb's paper has interested me greatly, as I have had numerous experiences along this line. I do not think enough emphasis can be put on his warn-ing to keep platinum couples free from contact with quartz tubes, as silica shows a tendency to alloy with platinum to a surprising degree even at low temperatures. I have frequently had evidence of silica contamination in a perfectly good tube, in which there was seemingly no possibility of a reducing atmosphere. This is rather important as it seems to be common practice to insulate, as well as protect, the wires by means of- capillary silica tubing, thus allowing the entire wire to be in contact with the silica. The best way to mount a couple in a silica protecting tube is by means of double-bore porcelain insulating tubes, the protecting tube being slightly longer than the couple so as to leave a space between the couple and the end of the tube. In this way there is no possibility of contamination from silica. In no case should silica capillary tubes be used to insulate platinum wires. Mr. Newcomb states that there is still much to be desired in pyro-meter protecting tubes; this is in keeping with my experience. From a practical standpoint there is not a satisfactory pyrometer tube on the market for high temperatures; with all clue respect to the many improve-ments and good work recently done in this line. I believe that the whole future development of pyrometry is dependent on the development of suitable refractories. With suitable refractories, for example, Darling's1 work with liquid couples could be developed to a practical basis, making possible the use of base-metal couples to replace platinum.

Jan 12, 1919

We have received from L. S. Cates, the following translation, by S. W. Mudd, of early mining methods in India: In Herodotus one finds a description how Darius by aid of his good horse and his good groom Oebares got himself the Kingdom of the Per-sians. He then set up in Persia twenty satrapies assigning to each a governor and fixing the tribute which was to be paid to him by the several nations. The following description of the method of getting the gold demanded of the Indians as tribute is copied directly from Book III Thalia, paragraphs 94 to 105 omitting the diversions of Herodotus which in one case consisted of a lapse of two pages following a semicolon before the author returned to the subject. The Indians, who are more numerous than any other nation with which we are acquainted paid a tribute exceeding that off every other people, to wit, three hundred and sixty talents of gold-dust. The way in which the Indians get the plentiful supply of gold, which enables then to furnish year by year so vast an amount of gold-dust to the King, is the following: Eastward of India lies a tract which is entirely sand. Here, in this desert, there live amid the sand great ants, in size somewhat less than clogs, but bigger than foxes. The Persian king has a number of them, which have been caught by the hunters in the land whereof we are speaking. These ants make their dwellings under ground, and like the Greek ants, which they very much resemble in shape, throw up sand-heaps as they burrow. Now the sand which they throw up is full of gold. The Indians, when they go into the desert to collect this sand, take three camels and harness them together, a female in the middle and a male on either side, in a leading-rein. The rider sits on the female, and they are particular to choose for the purpose one that has just dropped . her young; for their female camels can run as fast as horses, while they bear burdens very much better.

Jan 12, 1919

ZAY JEFFRIES, Cleveland, Ohio (written discussion?).-The authors conclude that there is a certain average size of precipitated CuAl2 par-ticle which produces maximum strength and hardness in duralumin; that when the size of particle is smaller or larger than this particular size the hardness decreases. The writer agrees with this conclusion, because it seems to he directly indicated by the facts. Why does duralumin present this apparent discrepancy? Let us con-sider some physical aspects of the precipitation of CuAl2 from a saturated solution on cooling. When a molecule of CuAI3 is removed from the solvent, or matrix, and added to another group of CuAl2 molecules, as is known to occur on slow cooling, the forces of adhesion between the CuAl2 molecule and the solvent have been exceeded. Since a. change in tem-perature only is sufficient to cause precipitation, it must also be sufficient to cause the loss of adhesion bonds between the excess CuAl2 molecules and the solvent, or matrix. Lost adhesion bonds means loss of cohesion of the mass as a whole. When duralumin is cooled from 500° in a furnace, globules of CuAl2, large enough to be seen easily with a high-power microscope, are formed. There are, however, globules so small as to be hardly distinguishable, and others too small to be resolved are suggested by the non-uniformity of the surface appearance of the section. As the smallest globule of CuAl2 resolvable with a high-power microscope contains about 2,000,-000,000 molecules, it is evident that with rapid cooling submicroscopic particles of CuAl2 must be present in large numbers; in fact, after quench-

Jan 12, 1919

The Motor Truck Sections of the 20th Annual Automobile Shows of 1920, to be held in the 8th Coast Artillery Armory, New York, Jan. 3 to 10, 1920, and in the International Amphitheatre, Chicago, Jan. 24 to 31, 1920, will he the largest and most comprehensive exhibitions of the kind ever held. Approximately 125,000 sq. ft. of exhibition space has been alloted at each place and upward of seventy makes of motor trucks, together with trailers, pacts and accessories will be dis-played. In conjunction with these expositions, Highway Transport Conferences will be held, with sessions each afternoon and evening. Every important phase of highway transportation will be discussed by men recognized as qualified authorities. Various talks will he il-lustrated by motion pictures and stereoptican slides. Members of the Institute may apply for complimentary tickets to-S. A. Miles, Manager, 7 East 42d Street, New York City.

Jan 12, 1919

Owing to circumstances which are entirely unavoidable, the cost of rendering to Institute Members the services which they have been ac-customed to expect from the Institute has increased enormously, especi-ally during the past year. The cost of printing has increased 20 per cent. and another 30 per cent. is expected. There is no recourse; the Institute must pay this or cease publishing. The increase for supplies and office force will be very great. Justice to our employees, whose cost for living expenses has risen by leaps and bounds, demands an increase in. wages, wholly aside from the fact that the employees need not and will not stay. The Institute is, therefore, faced with the alternative of greatly re-ducing its service to the members or else of asking from them a small increase in clues. An amendment to the Constitution has been offered by the members increasing the clues to $15 per year, which cannot become effective until 1921. This still leaves us as the engineering society with the lowest annual clues, except only one, whose dues are $15 per year. To help meet the immediate emergency, the Directors have exercised the authority vested in them by the Constitution and By-Laws and requested the members to pay $3.00 for the Transactions to be issued during the year 1920, which is very much less than the cost of publication. It is the opinion of the Board that the members will prefer to pay this slightly additional expense rather than to have the Institute take a backward step in respect to the services which it is rendering, and which has been increasing constantly in amount, as well as in unit cost, during the past seven or eight years.

Jan 12, 1919

According to Vorwärts, the German Mining Commission sent to ascertain the damage done to the mines of France says that the work of restoring these mines will furnish work for all the unemployed in Germany for the next 8 years. The commission said the work of reconstruction would have to be clone from. "the ground up," especially in the Departments of Pas de Calias, Courriere, Lens, Lievin, Drocourt, Mourchin, Carvin, and Dourgas, where the destruction was pronounced "terrible." Most of the mines have been "drowned," and in rebuilding new shafts would have to be protected against the inward pressure of water. The Germans declared the work of restoration would not only be one of great difficulty, but that in many cases it was impossible to ascertain the extent of the damage clone to each mine. They also said it was not easy to fix responsibility for the destruction because it was done by nu-merous groups of troops and the records showing where each military unit was located and at what period were not complete or available.

Jan 12, 1919