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By R. N. Hunt

GEOLOGICAL and exploration work of the United States Smelting Refining and Mining Company are handled by the mines geological and the exploration divisions of a geological department under the direction of the chief geologist. The mines division at present includes, in Utah. a geologist in charge, resident at Bingham, assisted by a geologist stationed at each operation, and a small group of geologists resident at the Bayard unit, in New Mexico. The duties of the mines division include the mapping and delineation of the geology of the mines, direction of sampling and diamond drilling, and the periodic calculation of ore reserves. At Bingham an amount of underground drilling within the limestone and porphyry formations which are hosts to the ore bodies supplements and completes development by mine workings. At Bayard, five to seven drills are kept busy underground, and eight to twelve drills operate on the surface. The mines division men live at the mine and work in close co-operation with mine superintendents and foremen. Development work is discussed, initi-

Jan 1, 1948

By R. W. Raymond

THE death of Privy Councilor Bruno Kerl, on March 25, 1905, terminated a distinguished and useful career. Bruno Kerl was born March 24, 1824, at St. Andreasberg in the Harz, and entered in 1840 the mining school of Clausthal, where he studied for three years, working at the same time in the mines and stamp-mills. After an additional year of practice in the silver-reduction and iron-works of the Upper Harz, he passed his examination as a metallurgical graduate, and studied for a year at Göttingen under WV filer in chemistry, Hausmann in mineralogy, and eminent teachers in other branches. In 1846 he was employed at the Oker works, but very soon left this post, to become a tutor in chemistry, metallurgy, etc., at Clausthal, where he continued to labor until 1867. During this period the Clausthal school became a completely equipped Mining Academy, and Kerl was made in 1862 a full professor. Meanwhile, in addition to the work of instruction, he discharged, simultaneously or successively, the duties of many responsible official positions in the Royal Hanoverian administration of mines and smelting-works, and also published many valuable books and treatises. Among these were professional guide-books to the Upper and Lower Harz, and their characteristic metallurgical processes; a manual of qualitative and quantitative blow-pipe analysis; another of metallurgical assaying ; and, most important of all, a Handbook of Metallurgy in four volumes, the second edition of which was issued in Leipzig, 1861-1865. This book was speedily recognized as the leading authority in its field. In this country, the English translation and revision, by Crookes and Röhrig, published about 1869, had a large circulation. In addition to these literary labors, Prof. Kerl became in

Jul 1, 1905

R. V. NorHis, Wilkes-Barre, Pa. (communication to the Secretary*) : The electric-haulage plant of the Short Mountain Colliery of the Lykens Valley Coal Co., mentioned by Messrs. Stoek and Harris as the earliest underground electric plant in the United States (and, I believe, the second in the world), was started July 23, 1887. The plant, designed by W. M. Schlessinger, consists of two motor-cars, each weighing about 5 tons and equipped with a 32-h.p. Union Electric Go. motor. The original general construction of the motor-cars is shown by Mr. Stoek; but they were rebuilt, the same year, with some important improvements in design; and, except for strengthening the frames and replacing the original pig-iron weights by a casting, they have not been greatly changed since that time. The generating-plant consists of two Union Electric Co. dynamos of 65-h.p. each, driven by an old 18- by 48-in. plain slide-valve engine; the ordinary voltage is 450 and the amperage varies from 40 to 200; the average indicated h.p. of the engine is about 75, with a steam-consumption of about 75 lb. per i.h.p. per hour; and as the cost of steam at this colliery is 8.11 cents per 1,000 lb.,the steam-cost per day is about $4.56.

Jan 1, 1904

THE John Fritz Medal Board of Award, at its regu¬lar annual meeting Oct. 19, awarded its gold medal to Herbert Clark Hoover. Thus ended a process of selection begun a few years ago. The award was tentatively made a year ago by the Board, which is composed of sixteen recent past-presidents of the four national societies of Civil, Mining and Metallurgical, Mechanical, and Electrical Engineers, having together a membership of nearly 60,000. The sixteen members of the Board are: American Society of Civil Engineers : C. E. Grunsky, Robert Ridgway, George S. Davison and John F. Stevens ; American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers: William Kelly, J. V. W. Reynders, Samuel A. Taylor and E. DeGolyer; American Society of Mechanical Engineers: Fred R. Low, D. S. Jacobus, Dexter S. Kimball and Charles M. Schwab; American Institute of Electrical Engineers: Farley Osgood, M. I. Pupin, C. C. Chesney and Bancroft Gherardi.

Jan 1, 1928

By Charles E. Heinrichs

IN the last decade one of our oldest and largest non-metallic metallic mineral industries has been the subject of persistent technical research, the results of which are another example of the benefits following the systematic application of scientific principles. The consequent improvement in the technique of phosphate recovery represents the greatest material advance in the industry since the discovery of phosphate in Florida in 1881. Moreover, these successes have stimulated interest and development in numerous other nonmetallic industries. Strange as it may seem, and despite the fact that the phosphate deposits of Giles County, Tennessee, together with those of Polk and Hillsborough Counties, Florida, have yielded more than 50,000,000 long tons in the last twenty years, the mineralogy of phosphates has been given scarcely any space in our technical literature. For many years it was the general consensus that these so-called phosphate rocks represented a physical mixture composed principally of tri-calcium phosphate, together with smaller quantities of calcium carbonate, calcium fluoride, iron phosphate, aluminum phosphate and other less important constituents. More recent investigations, however, led to the conclusion that these phosphates really represent a complex mineral in which calcium, iron, aluminum, phosphorus pentoxide, carbon dioxide, and fluorine all form a definite part of the molecule. Colony, after a careful study, utilizing chemical, microscopic, and X-ray diffraction methods, reported that American phosphates consist principally of calcium-carbono-phosphate of the staffalite type.

Jan 1, 1933

By Thomas V. Falkie, Robert Stefanko

Recently The Wall Street Journal featured a series of articles titled "The Dirty Work-Brutal, Mindless Labor Remains a Daily Reality for Millions in The US.-Mining Coal, Shoveling Slag, Gutting Hogs Pays Bills But Can Drain Spirit, Hope." The article was devoted to describing how tough and dangerous is mining (and some other jobs) and how rough life is for miners and their families. Similarly during the past few years some psychiatrists and sociologists have devoted increased attention to the attitudes and life styles of miners. Unfortunately most of their approaches have been neither scientific nor objective, and very little good clinical research has been done on the subject.

Jan 1, 1971

By Homer Turner

COALS, other than anthracite, have been so thoroughly studied under the microscope during recent years, that we now know what kinds of plants and what parts of plants form the bulk of lower rank coals from peat to bituminous coal. The microscope has also shown the state of preservation of such vegetation as well as the nature and distribution of products of plant decay. These and further details have been ascertained mainly through the employment of two methods of attack, section cutting and maceration. Anthracite has failed to respond to these methods, so well adapted to the study of lower rank coals and, therefore, has been neglected by investigators to such an extent that there is much doubt as to its microscopical characteristics. The object of this paper is to lift anthracite from its realm of obscurity by demonstrating the wealth of microscopical detail that is revealed when reflected light is used on a properly polished and etched surface and, further, to show the relationship between anthracite and bituminous coal.

Jan 2, 1925

By F. Pošepný

Part I.—General Facts and Theories. PAGE 1. Systems of Classification Employed Hitherto, . . 199 2. Standpoint and View of the Present Paper, . . . 206 3. The Xenogenites in General, ...207 4. The Subterranean Water-Oirculation, . . . 212 A. The Vadose Underground Circulation, . . . 213 Filling of Open Spaces Formed by Vadose Circulation, . . 217 B. The Deep Underground Circulation, . 220 Ascending Waters Encountered in Mines, , 222 Related Phenomena near the Surface, . 225 Mineral Springs at the Surface,. . 230 Chemical Constitution of Mineral Waters, . 232 Minute Metallic Admixtures in Mineral Waters, . . . 238 Alterations Produced by Mineral Springs, . 240 Structural Features of the Deposits of Mineral Springs, . . 244 5. Origin of Ore-Deposits in the Deep Region, . . . 247 Manner of Filling of Open Spaces in General, . . . 254 Part II.—Examples or Classes of Deposits. 1. Ore-Deposits in Spaces of Discission, .. 264 General Features and Illustrations, a. Ore-Veins in Stratified Rocks, .. 269 Clausthal, 269; Andreasberg, 270. b. Ore-veins in the Neighborhood of Eruptive Masses, 271 The Erzgebirge, 271; Przibram, 272. c. Ore-Veins Wholly Within Large Eruptive Formations, 274 Hungary, 274; Dacian Gold-field. 275; Verespatak, 276; Vulkoj, 276 ; Comstock lode, 278.

Jan 1, 1894

By HUBERT O. De

IN December, 1936, several drilling tests were made at the Hubert O. De Beck feldspar mine at Green Mountain, N. C., to determine the most efficient type of hammier-drill bit and drilling method for use at this particular property. This mine is well recognized as having the hardest rock in the Burnsville - Spruce Pine feldspar district and drilling costs always have been high. Local structural deformation has greatly distorted and warped the normal crystalline structure of the feldspar so the rock is much tougher than usual. In studying drilling methods and bit types, available literature was re¬viewed but little specific data could be found on the direct comparison of four-point and six-point drill bits so the following results may be of some interest.

Jan 1, 1937

The Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colo. M F Coolbaugh, President. Since 1906 the School of Mines has issued a journal, known as the Quarterly of the Colorado School of Mines, which carries many articles on matters of general interest as well as other articles of a technical nature There is no regular subscription price to the School of Mines publications Anyone interested in back numbers should write and find out the conditions under which individual copies may be obtained, whether a price is set on them or whether they are free Some back numbers are not now available but efforts will be made to supply copies from the files of alumni or other friends of the School Vol 23, No. 3 of the Quarterly (July, 1928) is an index of the publications complete from July, 1906 to July, 1928. A selected list of the technical articles appearing in the Quarterly is given here: Vol 3, No. 3, Rare metals. uranium and vanadium, by H. Fleck (1909), vol 3, No 4, Tungsten in Colorado, by H R Van Wagenen, vol 4, No 3, Preliminary report of the radioactivity of the carnotite of southwest Colorado, by H Fleck and W. G Haldane (1909), vol. 8, No 1 (1913), Some recent developments at Leadville, by G. M Butler, vol 8, No. 3, Physiography of

Jan 1, 1933

By J. W. Gwinn

The underground haulage system in the lead-silver mine of the Bunker Hill & Sullivan Co., situated at Kellogg, Idaho, is the most extensive in the Cæur d'Alene district, comprising about 35,000 ft. of tunnels, drifts, and cross-cuts where locomotive haulage is in use. The main working adit, known as the Kellogg tunnel, or No. 9 level, is approximately 10,000 ft. in length from the portal to the main working shaft and extends beyond that about 4,500 ft. in each of two directions. On this level all the ore from the Bunker Hill & Sullivan, the Sierra Nevada Consolidated, and the Caledonia Mining Co.—an average of 44,600 tons per month—is hauled to the mills, located a short distance from the portal. Electric haulage by the trolley-type locomotive is used on this level throughout. Below this level, at intervals of 200 ft. vertically, are five other working levels (Nos. 10, 11,12,13, and 14); and the total haulage distance on these, where electric locomotives are used, is approximately 16,000 ft. No. 13 level has but recently been opened up and is not working to capacity; while the main cross-cut on No. 14 has just been started, and has no need of power haulage. Of the four levels equipped with electric haulage, Nos. 11, 12, and 13 have storage-battery locomotives, and No. 10 still retains the trolley type by reason of the small and decreasing tonnage produced. Electrification - Electric power is supplied to the mine by two systems. The first, the 500-volt direct-current trolley, was installed in 1897 when the Kellogg tunnel was started, and was extended as the tunnel advanced, being used for the first trainload of ore on Nov. 17, 1902, since which time it has been in continuous service. The current for the line is transmitted on a No. 00 copper wire as far as the shaft, and on No. 0 wire throughout the remaining length of the Kellogg tunnel; and until the installation of the storage-battery locomotives it was used in practically all the cross-cuts and drifts on each level below No. 9.

Jan 1, 1915

By Roy J. Helfinstine

One of the most urgent needs in the field of coal combustion is the ability to predict the performance of a coal from knowledge gained from small-scale tests. Numerous types of analyses and tests are conducted on coal, including the proximate and ultimate analyses, heating value, varieties of sulphur, ash analysis, ash fusion temperatures, free swelling index, petrographic analysis, and Gieseler plasticity. The Illinois Geological Survey has made an intensive study of the value of these tests for judging the performance characteristics of the coal as actually utilized. To date, three reports 1 2 3 have been is- sued, and another is being prepared. The present paper briefly summarizes some of the results found in the studies.

Jan 1, 1949

By AIME

ENGINEERS have long pondered the answer to the question of "How am I doing?" and in large measure the answer from the economics angle is provided by the 1946 survey of the engineering profession now being published by the Engineers Joint Council as an eighty-page bulletin entitled "The Engineering Profession in Transition." The survey, based upon a completely precoded mail questionnaire, aimed at three major objectives: (1) to determine the general impact of World War II upon the profession in the period 1939 through 1946; (2) to obtain re- R liable data from which valid findings could be derived to predict how active the profession would be after 1946; and (3) to determine if the war's upheaval had changed materially the pattern of professional activities, education, background, and earnings from those which existed prior to 1939. Abundant data on the economic status of the engineer based upon years of experience in his particular field, the specific branch of the industry in which he served, and his educational background are presented. Relationships between years of experience

Jan 1, 1947

By Albert D. Brokaw

THE accompanying chart was devised to provide a rapid and simple method of correcting for temperature and compressibility (deviation from Boyle's law) of gas under relatively high pressures and temperatures, such as are encountered in many deep reservoirs. The chart was prepared by interpolating for the desired values in the experimental data of Burke and Keyes1 and Kvalnes and Gaddy2 on the compressibility of methane, after adjusting their results from 0°C. to 60°F. and combining the correction factors for compressibility and temperature into a single multiplier, which, applied to the product of pressure and reservoir volume, gives at once the volume at one atmosphere (14.7 lb. per sq. in. abs.) and 60°F. The relationship 0f this multiplier to the compressibility factor Z, as used in most discussions, is simply: [Multiplier = 460° + 60°ZT –] where Z is the compressibility factor and T the absolute temperature (Rankine). Fahrenheit temperatures are shown on the vertical axis and pressures in pounds per square inch absolute on the horizontal axis. Correction factors or multipliers at intervals of 0.05 from 0.55 to 1.40 have been plotted on the chart and are calculated t0 give volume of gas at one atmosphere pressure (14.7 lb.) and 60°F. The operation is as follows: The reservoir volume, times the number of atmospheres pressure, times the multiplier, gives the volume of gas measured at one atmosphere (14.7 lb. per sq. in.) and 60°F. For example, a reservoir is estimated to have a volume of 10,000,000 cu. ft., bottom-hole pressure is 2940 lb. per sq. in. and temperature is 184°F To make the correction for methane, follow the 184° line horizontally to the 2940-lb. pressure line. The intersection lies between the 0.85 and 0.90 correction lines, and by interpolation we may estimate the multiplier at 0.863. The computation is simply: [ ] Using the chart for methane prepared by Prof. G. G. Brown3 and his associates, the multiplier is found to be 0.867. Details 0f computation are as follows: Correction factor to apply to PV to correct for deviation from Boyle's law and adjust to measurement basis of 60°F.: [ ]

Jan 1, 1941

By C. E. SWANN

NOT long ago an engineering study was made to determine if the time had arrived to lower the head of standing water in abandoned Rock Springs mines Nos. I and 3 of The Union Pacific Coal Co. so that this water would not become a menace to the future operations of adjacent mines or mines developed on seams lower in the coal measures. This survey resulted - in a decision to unwater the No. 1 mine workings and, incidentally, the old No. 3 mine workings by drilling a large-diameter hole from the surface to an opening in No. 1 mine at the sump below 21 entry, provided it was found practical to operate a large-capacity, vertical, deep-well pump under the existing conditions. This would relieve the static bead of 200 ft. of water at the fault that separates Rock Springs mines Nos. 1 and 4, which is the

Jan 1, 1935

Lead-zinc production in Canada accounted for 19% of the total value of metals and minerals produced in 1976, says Keith C. Hendrick, president of Noranda Sides Corp. Mine production of recoverable zinc w as 1. 158 million toils of 27.4% of free world production in 1976. Slab zinc pro¬duction was placed at 472,000 tons that year. Canadian mine production of recoverable lead was 247,000 tons or 10.6% of the free world production. Refined lead that year was at 177,000 tons.

Jan 11, 1977

By Leo J. Miller

It is both an honor and a pleasure for me to be the keynote speaker for the Paul F. Kerr's Symposium on Applied Mineralogy. Professor Kerr was a man for all seasons to his students, and he treated all students as distinct individuals. Philip Bethke in his memorial to Dr. Kerr summed up our remembrance best by stating that "We have lost our most successful educator-administrator-scholar, who was our steadfast teacher-counselor-mentor-friend." His unique trait was the ability to bring out the best in a variety of individuals In order that their performance was at the peak of quality.

Jan 1, 1985

SUDBURY ore processed by International Nickel Co. of Canada Ltd. was recovered for many years as two mill concentrates, one primarily of copper, and the other mixed pentlandite-pyrrhotite, But, Since iron content of the nickeliferous pyrrhotite concentrate was ten times its nickel value, capacity of smelting was limited by the need for slagging the excess iron. A process for recovering the iron con- tent was developed after some years of research and a $20-million plant was constructed to employ the new method. Built near Copper Cliff, Ont., the plant started operation early in 1956, scheduled for separate treatment of 365,000 tons of pyrrhotite each year. It is only the first unit of an installation which will have a capacity of more than 1 million tons per year of pyrrhotite. By early 1958, production totaled more than 200,000 long tons of 68 pct Fe pellets containing 0.003 pct P, 1.5 pct SiO2, 0.01 pct S, and 0.15 pct Ni.

Jan 8, 1958

By Gregory L. Gullord

In September, 1975, production was begun at the new milling facility of ASARCO Incorporated, the Young Mill. The mill is located adjacent to the Young Mine 35 km (22 miles) east of Knoxville, Tennessee. The Young Mill replaced the obsolete Mascot Mill which had been operating since 1913. The basic flow sheet of Mascot was retained for the construction of the Young Mill, with a 20% increase in capacity included in the design. The Young Mill is capable of processing 7710 - t/d (8500 stpd) of crude ore from three underground mines (Young, Immel and Coy) yielding 300 - t/d (330 stpd) of 63% zinc concentrate. The Young Mill is unique in that 92.5% of the ore milled is recovered as saleable products, including zinc concentrate, construction aggregate, sand and agricultural limestone. Processing at the Young Mill is divided into five basic stages: two-stage crushing, heavy media separation, grinding-flotation, concentrate filtering and drying, and limestone by-products recovery. The ore bodies are located in the Knox formation, which consists of primary dolomite, secondary dolomite and limestone with silicas in the form of chert and jasperoid. The zinc mineralization occurs as an exceptionally pure sphalerite. The ore contains an occasional abundance of pyrite and traces of fluorite and barite. TWO STAGE CRUSHING Ore enters the crushing section from two points. The Young Mine ore is hoisted into a 816 ton (900 st) bin which feeds a 1.52m (60 in) conveyor via a 1.52 m (60 in) vibrating feeder. The Immel ore is trucked 10 km (6 miles) by an independent contractor and weighed on automatic recording truck scales at the entrance to the property.

Jan 1, 1977

By W. E. STOKES

SOME extension of flying service to the mining industry occurred in 1938, particularly in Canada, where freighting activity radiated from Edmonton into the new northern mining districts. Again the airplane demonstrated its usefulness in getting new equipment rapidly into the field and in decreasing shutdown time while waiting for repairs. An 18-ton Caterpillar tractor with shovel attachment was disassembled, brought in by plane, and placed in operation at Berens River, Ont., within seven days after its de- livery at Winnipeg. At Central Patricia a mill breakdown required the replacement of a full mill head and trunnion with ball bearings, weighing 2700 lb. The Canadian Airways Junkers, termed the "flying boxcar," was called in from Yellowknife, 1300 mi. away, and the new installation was completed three days later.

Jan 1, 1939