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ST. LOUIS SECTION H. A. BUEHLER, Chairman, CHARLES T. ORR, Vice-Chairman., THOMAS T. BREWSTER, Vice-Chairman, L. L. HUTCHISON, Vice-Chairman, W. E. McCOURT, Secretary-Treasurer, Washington University, St. Louis. CHARLES J. ADAMI, EUGENE MCAULIFFE, A. C. TERRILL, JAMES A. CASELTON, JAMES D. ROBERTSON. The annual meeting of the St. Louis Section was held at the St. Louis Club, Saturday evening, Mar. 10, 1917. Philip N. Moore, President, and Bradley Stoughton, Secretary of the Institute, were the guests of the Section. The meeting was preceded by a dinner, at which 70 were present, and was presided over by F. W. DeWolf. Addresses were made by Mr. Moore and Mr. Stoughton. The routine reports of the officers were- presented and the Executive Committee named above was elected for the current year. The special business of the meeting was a report of progress concerning the arrangements for the Institute meeting to be held in the St. Louis Section district, Oct. 8 to 13, 1917. The general program for the meeting met with the cordial approval and cooperation of the members of the Section. It was evident that the members are united in an endeavor to arrange a successful meeting. W. E. McCOURT, Secretary.

Jan 4, 1917

For the year ending February, 1918 PRESIDENT PHILIP N. MOORE ST. Louis, Mo. PAST PRESIDENTS WILLIAM L. SAUNDERS NEW YORK, N. Y. L. D. RICKETTS, NEW YORK, N. Y. FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT SIDNEY J. JENNINGS NEW YORK, N. Y. TREASURER GEORGE C. STONE, NEW YORK, N. Y. SECRETARY EMERITUS ROSSITER W. RAYMOND, NEW YORK, N. Y. SECRETARY BRADLEY STOUGHTON, NEW YORK, N. Y.

Jan 4, 1917

(Under this heading will be published notes sent to the Secretary of the Institute by members or other persons introduced by members) Member, aged 32. Fifteen years' experience in the mining, quarrying, and manufacture of gypsum and gypsum products, as purchasing agent, designer, operating manager and managing executive. Thoroughly familiar with the business in all branches, especially the organization of efficient producing forces and machinery and the value of cost and their application to manufacturing. Desires responsible position with a financially reliable concern in the same or similar business in which an interest may be obtained at a later date. Now doing consulting work, but free for appointments after April 1. New York or Philadelphia. No. 345. Member, technical graduate. Unmarried. Aged 32. Seven and one half years' experience in mining, timbering, and mine sampling. At present, and for past two and a half years, mine sampler for well known and highly successful mining company. Desire change. Go anywhere. Prefer assisting Mining Engineer. No. 346. Member, 40 years old. 18 years' experience in examinations and operation in the United States, Mexico and South America. Especially successful with poor class of labor. Open for engagement in any part of the world, in technical, administrative or consulting work. No. 347. Member, technical graduate. Sixteen years' experience as engineer, superintendent, and manager in metal mines. Exploratory . work, developing and equipping new properties. Operation of large mines, and various systems of mining. Low costs. Specialized in iron and copper mining, but have had some experience in zinc, lead and pyrite mining. No; 348.

Jan 4, 1917

By C. R. Hayward

CARLE R. HAYWARD.-I do not want it understood that I think that the conclusion that the time of tempering temperature is immaterial has been definitely proven, but since these are the first definite figures put out, I thought before continuing on more work ourselves, it would be well to present them as progress and for information. J. A. MATHEWS, Syracuse, N. Y.-I think that if Prof. Hayward would consult the paper of Profs. Barus and Strouhal,1 1885, he would find about 250 pages, mostly figures, on this subject, in which they investigated the tempering effect by electrical and magnetic methods. There are so many figures in the paper that it is very difficult reading. One point particularly brought out was that even at a low temperature, such as the boiling point of alcohol, about 60° C., there is a tempering effect, increasing up to 4 hr. One reason they obtained those results, with which the present authors are at variance, was that they started with a high-carbon steel which hardens thoroughly, whereas the steel Prof. Hayward and his collaborator used was a comparatively mild steel which does not take a great deal of hardening. About 3 years ago Mr. Stagg and I published 2 a few figures bearing on the same subject, but we used .a low-carbon alloy steel of high tempering qualities and found a great deal of improvement, particularly in ductility, by continuing the drawing up to 4 hr. We used a chrome-vanadium steel showing after heat treatment 250,000 tensile strength. On short drawing, we got almost no ductility, but by continuing to 4 hr., we raised it to 12 per cent. I believe Prof. Hayward's results are due to using comparatively mild steel, whereas Prof. Barus used drill rod and carried out a, wonderfully exhaustive

Jan 4, 1917

By Dorsey Hager

DORSEY HAGER, Tulsa, Okla.-I have been asked why the Dexter region is dry. I would like to know myself. I drilled two dry wells on that same anticline which has production to, the east and west and south and north. That same anticline has seven domes that have been drilled and only three have proven productive out of the seven. In other words, you have one well-defined anticline with seven domes along its length, all mappable, all checked carefully, and only three of those seven have produced. Now why the others did not produce, I do not know. L. L. HUTCHISON, Tulsa, Okla.-There is no appreciable difference in the character or structure of the sands? DORSEY HAGER.-NO, I have never .been able to see any appreciable difference in the sands where we got production and Where we did not get it. I will say that the deepest wells we drilled, in the vicinity of Dexter, had no sands at the point where they got the production farther north. I. N. -KNAPP, Ardmore, Pa.-I first went to the Kansas-Oklahoma field in 1895 and occasionally thereafter until 1899, when I began drilling; for oil. I started close to wells that were producing gas and which, when drilling, lead made good oil showings in a sand above the gas. I thought these showings were good enough evidence of an oil pool for me without looking for any anticline and I made a paying development in what' I was afterward told by geologists was probably a synclinal trough. If I remember correctly Dr. Orton's report on the lola gas pool (about 1898) he distinctly said that he found no evidence of anticlinal structure and concluded from the records of a large number of wells that there, was a terraced structure of the productive gas sands, of which there were no surface indications.

Jan 4, 1917

In accordance with the usual custom, manuscripts to be presented at the next meeting of the Institute must be in the hands of the, Secretary before July 1, 1917. Manuscripts to be properly distributed in advance of the meeting must be in the hands of the Secretary before June 1, 1917. At the last meeting of the Institute 45 papers were presented, and 42 of them were actively discussed. This experience makes us believe that advance distribution is the best possible means of getting a good discussion of papers and of securing for them the interest of the members of the profession. It will be impossible, however, to give the papers proper distribution if they bare not received before June 1, 1917.

Jan 4, 1917

NEW- MEMBERS The following list comprises the names of those persons who became members during the period Feb. 10, 1917 to Mar. 10, 1917. ANDERSON, .LAWRENCE W., Min. Engr., Boston Mine, Utah Copper Co. Bingham, Utah. AUSTIN, JOHN W., Assayer, Magma Copper Co., P. 0. Box 101, Superior, Ariz. BARNARD, C. W., Treas. and Resident Mgr., Arizona Asbestos Assn., Globe, Ariz. BIERMAN, A. C : Geol., Producers Oil Co., Box 75, Houston, Tex. BOCHERT, W. C., Prof. of Mining, South Dakota State School of Mines, Rapid City, So. Dak. BROOKS, FLOYD R., Shift Boss, Mond Nickel Co., Ltd., Worthington, Ont., Can. BROWN, CECIL J., Draftsman &,Surveyor, Wallaroo SC Moonta Min. & Smelt. Co., Wallaroo, South Australia. BURRAGE, ALBERT C., Vice-Pres., Chile Copper Co., 85 Amos Bldg.; Boston, Mass. BURGESS, JOHN ALBERT Genl. Supt., United Eastern Min. Co., Oatman, Ariz. CARLOCK, JOHN BRUCE, Supt., O'Neall Oil Process Co., - 608 Haas Bldg., Los Angeles, Cal. CARPENTER, BYRON H., Min. Engr., . . Willoughby, Ohio.

Jan 4, 1917

By F. H. Willcox

THE CHAIRMAN (HENRY D. HIBBARD, Plainfield, N. J.).-This paper is timely because of the changed conditions due to the great war, but apparently its scope is limited to oxidation process steels. Referring to the four numbered observations on page 199: No. 1 seems to ignore Johnson's discoveries about oxygen in cast iron. No. 2 ignores crucible steel. No. 3 ignores red short steel containing enough gas solvents to make it solid, while No. 4 assumes that a deoxidizer is necessarily a gas decomposer or solvent and vice versa, which it not always is. From these observations it is deduced. that the only hole-forming gas in steel is an oxide of carbon (CO presumably is meant), which is not true.

Jan 4, 1917

By J. M. Callow

H. A. MEGRAW, New York, N.,Y.-One interesting thing that might be brought out in this connection is the cost of making sulphide gas. I had a communication the other day which suggested that, in view of the high cost of oil, sulphur and sodium sulphide, we might make use of a well-known chemical reaction to form this sulphide gas by the use of aluminum sulphide. It is difficult to see any advantage in this, however, since aluminum has been affected just as much as any other commodity by the rise in prices, due, to war conditions. RUDOLF GAHL, Miami, Ariz. (communication td the Secretary*) Mr. Callow refers to my paper, History of Flotation at Inspiration, which was presented at the Arizona meeting of the Institute. These notes of Mr. Callow's contain much valuable information on flotation practice, as is to be expected from an article written by an author of Mr. Callow's experience in this branch of metallurgy. Nevertheless, I cannot help contradicting a number of the statements made in the references to my paper. In passing, I will also say a word about the reference in Mr. Callow's paper to the article by Messrs. Laist and Wiggin entitled "Flotation Concentration at Anaconda, Mont." Mr. Callow calls attention to the fact that evidently Callow flotation machines are not very sensitive, inasmuch as one man per shift handles four 800-ton sections of Callow machines or 3,200 tons per day at the Inspiration plant. While-it has been the experience of the Inspiration company that the four sections of Callow machines in the Inspiration concentrator are easily handled by one American operator per shift, it is only fair to state that each man operating four sections is assisted by two Mexican helpers who constantly clean the bottoms of the machines. The tonnage per section, by the way, whether equipped with Callow,, Inspiration or Minerals Separation machines, is considerably in excess 4 800 tons.. Mr. Callow further says that local opinion at Inspiration is that, two 800-ton sections consisting of two 10-compartment and four 6-compartment Minerals Separation machines (these machines are of the Hebbard type) is the limit that one man can properly attend. I do not hesitate to say that I consider it perfectly feasible to have four such sections operated by one man, perhaps assisted by "one helper. The Minerals Separation machines of this type have undoubtedly an advantage as far as easiness of operation is concerned,

Jan 4, 1917

By A. L. Field

WOOLSEY McA. JOHNSON, Hartford, Conn. (written discussion).¬When ;we regard the number of British thermal units running into the billions that-must be applied to metallurgical slags in the United States, we cannot but conclude that the physical chemistry of-slags is a very important subject when measured in dollars and cents. A further contemplation of the subject shows us that it has been hitherto treated in too purely a practical manner. It is needless to comment at length on the cost of these heat units and on the cost of fluxes to produce these metallurgical slags, for, it amounts to tens of millions of dollars annually. Accordingly, this research is of value to the country. But we must,all balance our results against our efforts. Therefore, while the speaker is unwilling to criticise unduly this meritorious research, lie does criticise it in the interest of the profession for the reason that it seems to him too highly theoretical. The article is much too, scientific to produce results at a minimum cost. Let us explain our meaning. It has been said that there are always two sides to a question. It may be further said that there are always three sides to a question, the two extremes and the middle ground. In any industrial research there are the highly theoretical side, the purely practical side, and the theoretico-practical side. To study a slag and be practical in the studying, there is something needed that represents in the laboratory (or in microcosm) what actually happens macrocosmically in the blast furnace. There is such a thing as the art of metallurgical research occupying the middle ground between theory and practice.

Jan 4, 1917

By Henry Howe

W. E. RUDER, Schenectady, N. Y.-In 1913 I presented a paper before this society on Grain Growth, and at that time it seemed to me that the only explanation for grain growth was that of critical strain. I do not think I published the photographs at the time, but I made some experiments on the effect of stretching sheets of metal. This allowed for fairly accurate determinations of the amount of cold deformation, At the time I worked-with silicon steel because one could see the change in grain growth with the naked eye. I stretched about 10-samples from 0.5 per cent. to 10 per cent., and, after heating to 1,050° C., I found that the maximum grain growth occurred at about 2 ½ per cent. cold deformation. This I designated "the critical strain" for maximum grain growth. About a year ago I talked with Prof. Jeffries, who explained to me his ideas of grain growth. It occurred to me that it would be a very easy thing to check the strain hypothesis against the strain and temperature hypothesis, if we took a certain number of these strips, strained exactly alike and heated to different temperatures; in that case the maximum grain growth ought to appear at a different percentage of deformation for each temperature. These experiments showed that there was, as Mr. Jeffries shows in his present paper, a decrease in germinative temperature with increased cold deformation. The samples were stretched from ½ to 8 per cent. and heated for 10 hr. in hydrogen. Samples were introduced into a furnace previously heated to temperature. A maximum grain growth was obtained at 5 per cent. deformation, when heated to 750° C.; at 2 ½ per cent. when heated to 800' C.; at 1 1/4 per cent., if heated at 950°C.; and at 5/8 per cent.. when heated at 1,100° C. This shows very clearly that the germinative temperature decreases with the increase in cold deformation. The growth was very much more marked, however, at the high temperature, i.e., the grain grew more rapidly and attained a much larger size than at lower temperature. In considering the photographs (Fig. A) those along the lateral edges should be ignored because.

Jan 4, 1917

By W. G. Matteson

BENJAMIN L. MILLER, So. Bethlehem, Pa.-In discussing the question personally with Mr. Matteson I have found that he simply proposed this as a suggestion and he recognizes, as well as a great many other oil geologists and oil operators, that to put into practice such a suggestion would mean the overcoming of many difficulties. Yet perhaps it may be possible to overcome the various objections that may be offered. Undoubtedly one of the most serious objections is that of incomplete and inaccurate well records. Faulty records are worse than no records at all. Perhaps, however, definite instructions and insistence on their observation may remedy this defect after a time. THE CHAIRMAN (M. L. REQUA, San Francisco, Cal.).-This subject is a. very important one, but just how far the National Government can go in .taking action is a question: It involves, of course, the question of State rights. California, I .think, has done very well up to date and probably will do better in the future. The law that was passed at the session of the Legislature 2 years ago is working as satisfactorily as anything of that kind can work with so little experience to guide the framers of the statute. We recognize in California the vital necessity of conserving the oil of the State. We have come to the conclusion that there is not as much oil ,in California as we thought there was. In the month of December the State drew on its oil stocks to- the extent of 1,800,000 bbl. and I think that the January statistics will show probably as much more. There is more or less of a.: panic at the present time among the large marketing concerns regarding the question as to where they are going to get their oil for future requirements

Jan 4, 1917

ROESLER MAX-Geology of the Iron-Ore Deposits of the Firmeza District, Oriente Province, Cuba. Discussed by William Kelly, J. T. Singewald, Jr., B. L. Miller, J. D. Irving, L. C. Graton, C. P. Berkey 439 SINGEWALD, J. T., JR., AND MILLER, B. L.-The Manganese Ores of the Lafayette District, Minas Geraes, Brazil. Discussed by L. C. Graton, J. T. Singewald, Jr., F. Lynwood Garrison HARDER, E. C.-Manganese Ores of Russia, India, Brazil, and Chile. Discussed by J. T. Singewald, Jr., E. C. Harder 454 SCHRADER, FRANK C.-Geology and Ore Deposits of Mohave County, Arizona. Discussed by J. C. Anderson McDOWELL, J. SPOTTS-A Study of the Silica Refractories. Discussed by J. W. Richards, H. D. Hibbard, W. F. Rochow, J. B. Umpleby-: 460 PHALEN, W. C.-The Conservation of Phosphate Rock in the United States. Discussed by E. G. Spilsbury 462 NORTON, S., AND LEFEVRE, S.-The Magnetic Concentration of Low-Grade Iron Ores. Discussed by G. C. Foote, J. L. W. Birkinbine, F. L. Nason 462

Jan 4, 1917

By J. B. Warriner

S. A. TAYLOR, Pittsburgh, Pa.-What was the distance of haul? J. B. WARRINER.-There is practically no limit to the haul. The length is determined entirely by the feasible location for a dump. -I have known of hauls up to 2 miles in length. R. V. NORRIS, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.-This paper was originally presented to the Anthracite Section as the result of the appointment of Mr. Warriner as the Chairman of the committee to study this matter and present this paper. As he has stated, he obtained data very freely from all the stripping operations in the region, and it is a type of paper of which we should have more in the Transactions. Two or three things in it strike me as particularly valuable. The two tables, 1 and 2, showing the coal remaining, have been the result of a great amount of study, as it is not an easy matter to obtain data as to the amount of coal left in mining. As an example, one of the, anthracite mines was mined and robbed out in 1850, so the maps show. That mine is today producing 250,000 tons of coal, over 50 per cent. from the bed which on the maps is marked as exhausted. What actually happened is that the seam was on a light pitch inconvenient to mine. There was ample thickness of coal and the chambers were driven at a convenient pitch through this 30,-ft. bed, leaving top and bottom, taking out about 10 ft. The pillars were removed and the working caved and marked as gone. That is the type of area that is now being stripped, which explains the reason for the enormous amount of coal left in, and the fact that Mr. Warriner has worked out the actual results from a large number of strippings is of great interest to the operators in any region handling thick coal which has been mined over in the past, generation. The modern mining, of course, is different. We do not have all the coal we want in big veins, and we do not mine it that way. Another interesting feature of the paper to me was the study of losses. It is not uncommon to assume that after you have stripped off the overburden all the coal goes to market. Mr. Warriner has shown that there is a loss ranging up to 10 or 15 per cent. that does not go, so 'that estimates made on stripping, figuring on all the coal, are subject to this very material correction.

Jan 4, 1917

By Luther B. Eames

J. V. N. DORR, New York, N. Y.-I have read Mr. Eames' excellent paper on this' subject with great interest, for besides being connected with the design and installation of the first modern countercurrent decantation plant, he was associated with me in the development of the thickener in the Black Hills some years earlier, and has now been operating the largest plant that has used this method of treatment. His, discussion, of the influence of different factors on the results obtained is quite thorough, but several features I think may not be apparent to the reader who has not studied the subject carefully. 1. Grade of Ore That Can Be Treated.-Mr. Eames has shown graphically that' the assay of all solutions increases directly as the grade of the ore treated. He has not emphasized, however, the fact that, as most operators prefer to keep the assay of pregnant solutions down below a certain figure in order to insure complete precipitation, an increase in ore value beyond a certain point means a proportional increase in solution precipitated and therefore not only an increase in the percentage of dissolved gold recovered, but an actual descrease in tailing loss. The importance of the influence of the percentage of moisture in the underflow on loss is made clear, and I. may add that unless it is quite evident that pulp can be safely settled to 50 per cent. solids, or more, it is usually advisable to use a continuous filter at the end of. a decantation plant to reduce losses in cyanide and gold. Dissolution in Thickeners.-The influence of a change of solution on silver dissolution has long been emphasized and most gold operators have. recognized the annoying way in which a gold ore after being agitated until nothing more can be dissolved will loosen up again when almost ready for the dump after the dissolved metal has been removed by decantation or filtration. Continuous decantation gives favorable conditions for this additional dissolution and a chance to recover most of what is thus dissolved. This is especially true if an extra tank is used in the series and barren solution added at the second tank from the end instead, of the first, as shown in Mr. Eames' Fig. 1. It can be calculated that the use of this tank will reduce the mechanical loss of cyanide by one-third and cut the gold loss as well; but the saving in gold or silver that may dissolve when the pulp is first diluted with weak solution may be as important.

Jan 4, 1917

By G. F. Comstock

H. M. BOYLSTON, Cambridge, Mass.-It might be asked, since this test is so simple, why it was not discovered before. It seems to me the explanation is that when we have used the sodium picrate solution, it has .generally been on a very, high-carbon or hypereutectoid steel; to detect . the presence of free cementite, and when we have looked for sulphides, it

Jan 4, 1917

By John H. Bell

R. B. T. KILIANI, New York, N. Y.-I wish to present some figures based upon actual observation extending over a few months time which seem to prove the author's conclusions. It is a comparison of two machines operating on the same ore, in the same plant, one taking the undersize of ½ -in. screen and the other taking the undersize of 8-mesh. Each of the machines was first operated as a pebble mill, with flint pebbles, in open circuit, then with metal pebbles in open circuit and, finally with metal pebbles in closed circuit. For the first case, the percentage of oversize on 48-mesh, Tyler screen, in the discharge, varied, in the mill taking ½ -in- feed, from 37.2 to 19.9 per cent. The second mill, taking the 8-mesh feed, had a variation in oversize on 48-mesh, from 36.8 per cent: to 0.5 per cent.; so it is seen there is considerable variation in these figures. I have computed the tons per kilowatt-day reduced through 48-mesh for each machine under each one of these conditions, giving 6 sets of figures. The first of these I called 1.0 and determined the ratio of the others to this.. In the snipe way, I figured the relative mechanical efficiency according to Kick's law, using' the figures given by Mr. Taggart in his paper, for ordinal numbers of the Tyler screens. I have also figured the efficiency in mesh-tons per horsepower according to Gates' method by plotting the screen analyses of feed and product and multiplying the area by a constant dependent on the scale used. The commercial efficiency of tons per kilowatt-day reduced through 48-mesh checks very closely with the efficiency by Rittinger's law, within 1 per cent. except in one case. By Kick's law, the efficiency checks fairly closely, within about 5 per cent., with the commercial efficiency of the mill grinding feed, but when we start to grind a finer, 8-mesh material, and especially grinding very fine; with a

Jan 4, 1917

By J. Spotts McDowell

J. W. RICHARDS, So. Bethlehem, Pa.-The paper is certainly an exceedingly, valuable one and it gives detailed information which should be utilized in the following way. There are probably twenty different circumstances or conditions under which silica bricks are used. Sometimes they are used under high pressure, at others under low pressure, at times for low temperatures and others for very high temperatures. If the methods of this paper are followed out, and if the precise mechanical and thermal properties are determined and can be reproduced, the industry can furnish the proper brick for any particular purpose. There is at present only an imperfect classification made as to properties and uses, but we need a "much more scientific classification of the uses to which the bricks are to be put and then should manufacture the bricks suited particularly for each of those purposes. There is one property which is not mentioned in the paper and which is of considerable importance, that is, the 'electrical conductivity. There may be other properties besides, which a good research laboratory can determine, and when we have listed all the various properties and noted the way in which they can be reproduced, the maker can then specify his exact requirements and the corresponding quality of brick can he selected or made to meet them. H. D. HIBBARD, Plainfield, N. J.-About a year ago I had some experience in another country, in melting steel, where silica bricks made in that country failed, but in a different way from those in America. Here, when the bricks get too hot, they are partly melted and string down

Jan 4, 1917

By Henry Fay

THE CHAIRMAN (ALBERT SAUVEUR, Cambridge, Mass.).-In forcing us to face and to discuss the important question of erosion of steel guns, Prof. Fay is performing a public service. His investigation has been fruitful and his results illuminating and suggestive. It is not in a spirit of adverse criticism, therefore, that I venture a few remarks suggested by his paper, but rather to add my mite to the discussion in the hope that it may not be entirely without value. Prof. Fay considers it conclusively demonstrated that the hard layers forming in the inside of guns of large calibers after they have been fired a number of times consist of martensite. Still, he admits that he never was able to detect in the hard layers the structural characteristics of martensite. This leads him to conceive the existence of amorphous martensite. We may well hesitate before accepting this theory on the strength of the evidence offered. Martensite, as we know it, is essentially a crystalline condition assumed by a close association of iron and carbon, possibly if not probably of the nature of a solid solution. Lacking this crystalline character we are hardly justified in calling it martensite on the ground, merely, of its being very hard.

Jan 4, 1917

By E. M. Chance

HERBERT M. WILSON, Pittsburgh, Pa. (written discussion).-Permit me to endorse the author's conclusions and their form of presentation as ,being, in my judgment, the last word 'on the subject of lights for the illumination of coal mines. I also feel that the open-flame oil lamp has outlived its usefulness, and that it should go, in the interests not only of safety but of efficiency. Where an open-flame lamp can be used with safety in non-gaseous mines, the acetylene light adds materially to efficiency by its better illumination, and to safety for the numerous reasons given by Mr. Chance. The latter, however, lays chief stress on the value of the acetylene because of its non-fouling and non-obscuring effect on the atmosphere. Another important advantage over any other form of illumination is the clear, bright light projected at the point where the workman may look for danger. The better illumination materially safeguards the worker against obstacles over which he may stumble when traveling, and against dangers from falls of roof or of coal, weakness in timbering, and similar conditions. The acetylene lamp, where it may be used with safety, has advantages even over the present electric cap lamp, in that it gives a higher luminosity; and when the miner comes to learn its signals, as he will in time, just as he learns those given by the open-flame or the safety lamp, he will find that the acetylene lamp is a fair detector not only of methane but of carbon dioxide, as clearly shown by Mr. Chance. The only, serious objection, raised against the use of carbide lamps. has been recently in Pennsylvania, due to the belief of the State Mine Inspection Department that it endangered miners working on pillar work, or other places where carbon dioxide might accumulate, or where there is lack of sufficient ventilation, and because it was believed that the indications of the carbide lamp would not give the miner sufficient warning. On this point Mr. Chance has clearly shown the fallacies of the objections. I may add that for those unable to detect carbon dioxide with the acetylene lamp, the maximum of protection would be afforded by using an open oil lamp or a flame safety lamp in such places; or, because the miner might not watch his oil light, a better, protection still would be offered by a sufficient number of daily inspections of such working places by a fire boss or other official, with flame safety lamp.

Jan 4, 1917