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By Arthur F. Wendt

In the manufacture of charcoal-blooms, washing or cleansing of the ore from adhering gangue has been practiced for many years. A sluice-box is even to-day used for that purpose in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. For the Lake Champlain bloomaries hard magnetic ores are crushed with stamps and then sluiced or jigged in hand-jigs. The stamps used in the Lake Champlain region are of the most primitive kind. They consist of a trip-hammer, dropping on a perforated cast-iron plate, through which the crushed ore escapes. Only friable rock can thus be successfully treated. To render the raw ore friable, a calcining or burning in piles on a bed of cordwood is resorted to. An expense of 35 cents per ton of crude rock treated is thus incurred. The crushed ore is shovelled or otherwise fed into jigs without previous sizing, except such as is incidental to crushing through the perforated bottom of the stamping-machine. In jigging this ore, it is allowed to pass through the bedding into the "hutch." The tailings are scraped off and wasted. They contain a large percentage of fine ore. In many instances, this is regained by subsequent sluicing. Such was the condition of the industry, when the writer's attention was first called to it in 1882. No attempt had been made to introduce into thiS branch of ore-dressing the notable improvements adopted in concentrating the ores of other metals. The result of the writer's investigations was the building in 1882 of the "Crown Point Separator." At the Crown Point Mines, N. Y., lean ore unfit for the blastfurnace (containing less than 331/3 per cent. of iron), was concentrated and used in the bloomary connected with the mines. The ore was burned here as elsewhere, and treated as described. The plant designed by the writer for Crown Point, is nearly a counterpart of that since erected by Messrs. Copeland and Bacon, contractors, for the Theal mine, Putnam County, New York, which is illustrated by the accompanying plate. The only difference is in

Jan 1, 1885

By W. H. Meyer

Although an aerial photograph is not a map, most of the information that is necessary for compiling a map is recorded in the photograph provided some form of radial-line method is used to determine the true position of images. The slotted-templet method, which is based on the well-established radial-line principle, has made it possible to construct accurate mosaic maps at a cost comparable with that formerly charged for the average mosaic. It makes possible the securing of these results with far less ground control, which is always expensive. It has expanded widely the possible use of aerial photographs for mapping. Although a vertical or oblique aerial photograph is not a map, most of the information that is necessary for compiling a map is recorded in the photograph. Some ground controls or data are needed, the number and accuracy to be governed by the mapping method to be used and the scale and final accuracy desired in the finished map. Radial-line Control It is essential that the principle of radial-line control in the use of vertical aerial photographs be understood and accepted before any confidence in the slotted-templet method can be gained. A simple sketch and some enlargements showing the Empire Stale Building will serve to illustrate the cause of displacement of an image that is above the datum plane as recorded in the photograph. The top of the tower of the Empire State Building is directly above the base, and when the image of the top is shown almost two blocks away from the center of the base, it is evident that the image of the top of the tower is not the true location, and in this particular case we know where the true location is; namely, over the center of the base of the tower. If the top of the tower were the top of a hill 1250 ft. high, we would have no way of knowing by inspection the true position of the top of the hill, so it is very important to have a method whereby the true location of any such point can be determined, and thereby make it possible to convert the detail of an aerial photograph into accurate information for mapmaking.

Jan 1, 1941

By J. P. Lesley

The old do not love to see the young pass away from the light of the sun before them. Fathers would fain keep their sons by their side to the. end of life ; but the old Greeks, who loved the old gods, were wont to moderate their grief with the sweet superstition that only those whom their gods especially loved died early. The Christian church found consolation in that superstition applied in a new form to its new sorrows, and paid its most enthusiastic devotion to the memories of its young and beautiful martyrs. The natural science of our century is robbing us fast of this and all other superstitions, sweet as well as bitter, and leaving us for consolation to the teaching—colder, yet kinder—of personal fortitude and that optimism Which intelligently translates the Cosmos of Humboldt back into its old name of the Harmonia of Pythagoras. The Homeric Kataclothes, the three fates, are dead and gone for us, with that old world which comprehended none of the laws of cause and effect, and sorrowed for those who were cut off from the land of the living without hope of more than a shadowy existence beyond the river of death. All the more the ancients cherished the memory of their dead and lavished their choicest art upon their monuments. We moderns have lost the monumental arts, but we better keep the monuments which our dead leave behind them. No one of us who has done good work can fail to be remembered; and in an Institute like this, which keeps the press at work, an immortality in the memory of men is more possible, more certain, for every one of its members than the greatest heroes of antiquity could anticipate for themselves. In old apocalyptic times the works of men followed them through death to the throne of God to be their advocates in judgment, but in these modern times our works remain this side the grave, to follow the name of the departed one as it takes its course along the history of his peculiar art or science advancing slowly to perfection. We write the epitaph, not upon the mouldering stone of a tomb, but on the pages

Jan 1, 1890

By W. R. Finney

THE formation of scale in boilers and other industrial equipment, and the corrosion of such equipment, are closely related problems. Since in the petroleum industry these problems cover a very broad field, this paper has been confined to the effects of scale and corrosion on gas engines, compressors, pipes and fittings, used in plants extracting gasoline from natural gas, and the steps taken in arriving at a workable plan for combating these evils at the Midwest Refining Co.'s plants in the Salt Creek field, Wyoming. Eliminating, or at least minimizing, the many deleterious effects occasioned by the use of bad water in jackets and cooling systems of gas engines and compressors has been the subject of much study for many years but no generally accepted plan has been evolved. The problem was unusually difficult at Salt Creek, as the severe winters of Wyoming bring operating conditions quite different from those encountered in warmer states, and the water available was especially bad. While the conditioning of water to prevent scale and to lessen corrosion may not be a particularly difficult problem in plants in large industrial centers, it becomes much more difficult when attempted at plants remote from railroads and by men without previous experience to guide them. In fact this difficulty has been so great in the Wyoming oil fields that until comparatively recently it has been the practice to allow much equipment to be ruined rather than to attempt corrective measures. At the Midwest plants this problem was given attention first by the plant men and later by both plant men and laboratory staff. To the latter it was simply one of many problems which arise in connection with field and plant operations, which must be studied and, if possible, solved. Many mistakes were made during the course of this investigation, but since mistakes, properly interpreted, are of value in guiding one's steps aright, it is believed that a review of the different stages of development which have led up to the present method of handling this problem will prove of interest to the industry.

Jan 12, 1926

By P. R. Martin, R. B. Kelly

Drilling in Central Texas during 1933 was confined, for the most part, to the search for new serpentine plugs. Bastrop County led in this particular activity, with 50 completions during the 12 months' period, 12 of which were productive. Only one new field was opened in Central Texas during the year, it being known as "Hilbig" (Bastrop County) and was discovered by the Humble Oil & Refining Co. The finding of commercial production in the serpentine at 2500 ft. led to further search in this and surrounding counties, but without success. Bexar County actually provided the greatest amount of drilling but the activity was limited to shallow development from 400 to 2000 ft. The Edwards limestone pay, which has been such a factor in past years, received but slight attention during 1933. Unsuccessful exploration was carried on in Lee and Burleson counties. With the exception of Freestone County, the Woodbine sand area was given even less consideration. This county, because of its close proximity to Anderson and Leon counties, saw a very active leasing campaign and several important tests drilled. In Central Texas, 252 wells were completed in 1933, and of this number 52, or 21 per cent, were productive. Hilbig Field The discovery well, Humble Oil & Refining Company's Annie Hassler No. 1, was completed Feb. 16, 1933, for an initial production of 65 bbl. the first hour, through tubing and 1/2-in. choke. The production was found in serpentine at 2468 ft. and tested 37.2" A.P.I. gravity. Twelve producing wells were drilled during the year and served to indicate that not more than 300 acres would comprise the entire field. Daily production at the end of the year was 775 bbl., although the field potential was 18,240 bbl. daily through 1-in. choke. The field adapts itself to pressure maintenance, and this scientific handling is being undertaken by the Humble Oil & Refining Co. through one injection well. It is the only area in the district where work of this nature is under way. Proration of Oil The more stringent application of proration in 1933 did not affect materially the producing fields in Central Texas. This is accounted for

Jan 1, 1934

By M. L. Haider

Much has been said and written on the shortcomings of the open-flow and restricted potentials of oil wells to determine their relative ability to produce. The oil industry in general is agreed that the open-flow potential in particular is grossly inequitable, wasteful and expensive, but that potential is still used in many pools. This is partly because no thoroughly satisfactory substitute has been found and partly because operators are reluctant to adopt other methods that have been suggested; or, as Hamlet would say, we would rather "bear those ills we have than fly to others we know not of." In a great many pools the use of tubing potentials has been substituted for open-flow potentials, but open-flow potentials through casing are still being used in many pools, particularly. in Oklahoma, although the expense of such potentials has been pointed out many times. In one of the most recent pools in Oklahoma it is the practice to take open-flow potentials through the casing with the tubing out of the hole. The well is usually tubed after it is drilled in for the purpose of washing it in and cleaning the hole. After preliminary tests are run the tubing is pulled under pressure preparatory to taking the potential. After the potential is taken the tubing is rerun, under pressure. In order to accommodate the large capacity of the wells, it is customary to set three separators, six vent lines and large oil-storage tanks. It is conservatively estimated that the equipment not needed for producing the well currently but which is installed solely for the purpose of establishing large potentials costs the operator at least $5000 per well—approximately 35 per cent of the cost of equipping a well for production. Such needless expenditure constitutes an economic waste in addition to the gas that is wasted in taking potentials. Meaning of Productivity Index A method of measuring the relative ability of wells to produce without open flow that shows considerable promise is the Productivity Index. This method was first suggested by T. V. Moore1, and has since been

Jan 1, 1937

By Hamilton Bell, E. W. Webb

RepressuRIng, or gas drive, was first tried in the Seal Beach oil field during the fall of 1927, and was carried on until the spring of 1928. This experiment in the Upper or Bixby zone was highly successful in proving the feasibility of compressing gas to high pressures and also showed great increases in production. The project was discontinued because there were not enough wells to protect the property lines. In the development of the second or Selover zone, many more wells were drilled and after 2½ years of production the gas was depleted so that all producing wells in the zone were either pumping or on gas-lift. Edge-wat'er encroachment and the deepening of wells on neighboring properties to a third zone practically isolated the lease, so that during the spring of 1929 it was considered feasible to repressure the Selover zone on the Bixby lease of the Continental Oil Co. (Marland). As shown on Fig. 1, the main Seal Beach structure is an elongated dome with a northwest-southeast trend, and the north flank is cut by a fault nearly parallel to the axis of the structure. Bixby well No. 24 was chosen for the injection well on account of its location, as it is backed up by the fault and is surrounded by wells that protect the property lines. The results of the test made in the Bixby zone indicated that an injection well on the flanks of the structure would drive oil quickly to up-structure wells but would have a tendency to cause by-passing, while the drive to down-structure wells would be slower but more evenly distributed. Preferably the injection well would have been located on top of the dome but property divisions made this inadvisable. Well 24 had been completed in November, 1928, but on account of gas depletion the well failed to flow naturally. On gas-lift the well had an initial production of 1000 bbl. of oil with 30 per cent. emulsion. This well is 4825 ft, deep, penetrating 200 ft. of oil-bearing formation. At the time the well was prepared

Jan 1, 1930

By Nelson W. Taylor

With the extensive deposits of potash minerals which have been discovered in the southwestern states, and their rapid development, a permanent American supply of potassium compounds is now assured. The 325-year history of the potash industry in this country has been told by H. I. Smith1, of the U.S. Geological Survey, and the more recent activities of the Survey and of American potash companies were described last year by the same author2. In fact, it may be stated that so great is the productive capacity that two mines in New Mexico and one in California are able to supply more than half a million tons of crude and refined salts over and above that produced for agricultural purposes. The era of scarcity has given way to an era of superabundance. This situatiori makes it desirable for the potash producer to look for other applications for his product, and it is with this in mind that the writer presents some information pertaining to present and possible future uses for potassium compounds in the ceramic industry. Ceramic Products Ceramic products are essentially solid materials containing one or more oxides such as SiO2, Al2O3, CaO, MgO, FeO, K2O, Na2O, TiO2, which are the oxides of greatest abundance in the earth's crust. The typical ceramic process is that of firing or burning the batch, and the product may be glassy, crystalline or mixed. In the glassy or vitreous group come glass, porcelain enamel and glazes; in the crystalline group, refractory materials such as silica brick, or chromite or magnesia; and in the mixed group, porcelain, chinaware, stoneware, tile, brick, etc., which contain both a vitreous and a crystalline phase, in variable proportions. The ceramic industry of the United States is a billion dollar industry, and is important not only because of its magnitude but also because of the key position occupied by certain ceramic products in the whole manufacturing structure. From the standpoint of use of potash, the field of refractories is of no great interest, since K2O lowers the melting point of a refractory oxide and

Jan 1, 1938

By Sidney L. Wise, Walter Strache

While the installation of mine bulkheads to retain water under high pressure is by no means a rarity, the following points which arose in the designing and placing of two of these bulkheads may be of interest: The Hibernia magnetite mine, located about 40 miles west of New York, in the State of New Jersey, is partly fillcd with water. This mine is located on an ore lens, the outcrop of which is over a mile long. The ore has been mined from this lens from the surface to a depth of more than 1,500 ft. It was held desirable to separate the old workings from the new, and to allow the former to fill to the 850-ft. level. Two weak places existed between the new and old workings below this Ievel: namely, a temporary bulkhead on the 10th level and a rock bulkhead of indeterminate thickness on the 16th level. When the matter of allowing the old workings to fill was investigated, the fact was developed that if these old workings were filled, the bulkhead on the 10th level would be subjected to a water pressure of about 50 lb. per square inch, and that 200 lb. per square inch would act on the 16th-level bulkhead. As the above-mentioned barriers were not deemed of sufficient strength to permit of these pressures, it became necessary to design and install new bulkheads. Design As the 16th-level bulkhead was required to withstand a pressure of 200 lb. per square inch, it presented some difficulties. A careful consideration of the various types of mine dams now in use led to the adoption of a design of the form of a truncated wedge. In this, the pressure side of the dam is of greater area than the hack, so that the resultant action is similar to driving the wedge. By cutting generous skewbacks in the walls, roof, and floor, this type in reality becomes an invisible arch. The wedge feature tends to compress the materials in the bulkhead, thereby adding to its imperviousness.

Jan 1, 1915

By John C. Fowle

Having had for many years the management of magnetite mines, and having noted the various admixtures, such as jasper, " green rock," actinolite, etc., that occur so frequently in the deposits and make the fine ore so difficult as well as expensive to sort by hand, I studied the different ways of mechanical sorting, but found none eatisfactory—the universal objections being the expense, the small quantity that could be handled per hour, and the low grade of ore produced after all. Feeling that some means would be discovered ultimately for concentrating the small ore, I began at the Michigamme mine, at Michigamme, Lake Superior, Michigan, to separate it from the larger and richer lumps, by placing in all the shaft-houses screens of round iron bars set 1/4-inch apart, on which the skips were dumped as they were hoisted; the coarse ore going into one stock-pile or into cars, and the small ore, from 2 or 3 inches diameter down to powder, going into a special stock-pile, to be treated as soon as some proper means was found to separate the ore from the rock and ether impurities. Careful investigations showed that neither dry nor wet concentration was the right process for us; and I finally studied the magnetic process. Not knowing of any magnetic separator in this country that would handle such large pieces of ore as I wished to treat, I looked abroad and found in Sweden the Wenstrom separator. One of these machines was brought to the United States and tested in New Jersey and other places. (See the papers of Messrs. Cook and Birkinbine, Trans., xvii., 599 and 728.) This original separator, having 15-inch face of drum, I brought to the Michigamme mines, and, no one having confidence in it, placed it in operation at my own expense. Finding that in this way large ore could be treated much better by magnetic separators than by hand, and with much greater enrichment of the product, I put up a small, crude mill with several series of screens, so as to size the material and

Jan 1, 1891

By George Burgess

NOTE BY THE EDITOR.-This resume of a Technologic Paper which is published in full by the U. S. Bureau of Standards, is brought before the membership of the Institute with the object of affording an opportunity for the open discussion of results of an investigation by the authors named above, of some phases of the manufacture of steel rails which are of great importance to manufacturer and consumer alike. This resume will be presented at the Pittsburg Meeting of the Institute. Discussion is invited, by either members or non-members of the Institute. The discussion may be sent in writing to the Editor, in advance of the meeting, or should preferably be presented in person at the meeting. To those who desire to discuss, copy of the full Technologic Paper (No. 38), as published by the Bureau of Stanaards, will be sent upon request addressed either to the Bureau of Standards, Washington, D. C., or to the Editor, American Institute of Mining Engineers, 29 West 39th Street, New York, N. Y. Summary of Researches and Conclusions The main objects of this investigation were to determine, from measurements taken at representative rail mills, the present American practice regarding the temperatures at which rails are rolled; to demonstrate the ease and accuracy with which such temperatures may be measured, without interfering in any way with the manufacture of the product; to find out what the "shrinkage clause" in rail specifications really means; and, finally, to determine some of the physical properties of rail steels, particularly those of interest in manufacture, some of which seem to be insufficiently known as yet. 1. Ingot Temperatures.-Measurements made in four mills show that ingots for rails are rolled at temperatures ranging from 1,075° to 1,150° C. (1,965° to 2,100° F.), and that, in a series of 20 to 40 ingots, the variation in temperature from one ingot to another is only 10° to 20° C. 2. Finishing Temperatures.-Rails are finished at temperatures ranging broadly from 880° to-1,050° C. (1,615 to 1,922° F.), but usually ranging within 50° C. of 935° C., and occasionally above 1,100° C.

Jan 9, 1914

By Arthur L. Flagg

The Elk City mining district of Idaho occupies a position near the geographical center of Idaho county, a region of moderate elevation in the western foot-hills of the Bitter Root mountains. The district comprises an area of approximately 350 Sq. miles, bounded on the west by the Newsome district and on the south by the Dixie and Oro Grande districts. There are no mining districts to the north or east. Elk City, the principal town and the seat of the mining office for the district, is situated in a hydrographical basin surrounded by low hills. The elevation is 4,200 ft. above sea-level. Through this basin flow Elk Creek, Red river, and American river, which unite west of town to form the south fork of the Clearwater. The one township is set out from the Bitter Root Forest Reserve. Though a railroad starting from the Stites terminus of the Clearwater Short Line of the Northern Pacific railroad has been under consideration for some years, the camp is yet without railroad facilities. The projected road would follow the south fork of the Clearwater on easy grades, but would be very expensive to build and maintain. While such a road would greatly benefit those who are now operating in the camp, and in a sligh degree stimulate interest in its possibilities, there is hardly business enough to warrant its construction. At present all supplies and equipment are hauled in by wagon from Stites, a distance of 58 miles, over a wagon road constructed by the State in 1904, following in the main the old Nez Perce trail. While this is not a bad road, it is not all that might be desired. Starting at Stites at an elevation of 1,327 feet above sea-level, the road runs through low hills to Clearwater, a distance of 10 miles. In the next 16 miles the climb is steady until the Mountain House is reached, which is near the summit of Mount Pisgah. This is the highest point passed on the road, having an elevation of 6,500 ft. From the

Jan 1, 1914

By C. F. Dietz

WHEN thinking of industrial relations, we must not confine the term to what is ordinarily called "welfare work;" viz., organizing baseball teams, departmental parties, athletic contests, and such things. These are all of interest but not very helpful in solving the problems of industry. We must think of industrial relations as that understanding developed between workers and management that permits of harmonious progress because of a mutual understanding of each other's problems. Most of the industrial unrest, discontent, mistrust, or antagonism is due to misunderstanding; and that misunderstanding is the direct result of not having taken the workers into our confidence. If they are merely cogs in a machine, employed to do certain things, and have no interest in anything but the receipt of the pay envelope, we cannot expect intelligent harmonious progress. There are still some people who think that the interests of management, or capital invested in a business, and the interests of the worker are diametrically opposed. That is an unfortunate belief; the interests are identical. If the worker does not understand what his part of the work represents, what the management's part represents, and what the invested capital's part represents, he is bound to have a misconception, of the matter and will think only in terms of the pay envelope. The methods used for producing a better understanding between workers and management do not much matter so long as the end is attained. Some plants prefer shop committees; others attempt to work through the foremen in the various departments; others, by personal contact-between the management and the men, especially if a shop is small. It does not really matter how the end is attained as long as the object is accomplished. The best type of industrial relations can probably be attained when the mystery is taken out of industry-when the workers understand what they. are a part of, what their function is, what they are contributing. They should also understand something of fundamental economics-that it is not just a question of getting all they can and giving just as little as possible but that their contribution makes for expansion, progress, and permanence, and opens a field of activity for themselves that other-wise would probably be blocked.

Jan 6, 1925

By Roland D. Parks

To construct a yieldable metal prop of demonstrated practicability has been the aim of the writer of this article for a period of years. Such a prop is herewith described; it involves a yielding principle not previously utilized, to the best of the author's knowledge, in any of the numerous types of props which are in use in Europe and England or on record at the United States Patent Office.' No attempt will be made in this paper to analyze the situation in regard to the economics of timber substitutes. Suffice it to say that shortage of suitable timber combined with high freight rates has already presented a problem in some mining districts, and in the relatively near future will probably demand considerable attention from the mining industry as a whole. In order to understand the problems involved in the design of timber substitutes for underground support, it will be well to review briefly the fundamentals of ground subsidence and of the action of timber as props. The forces encountered in the support of mine openings are not computable. As a rule subsiding ground moves slowly; but it moves with an irresistible force. The only way to be certain of stopping ground movement is to completely fill up the openings below such movement. This is, obviously, an impracticability from the mining standpoint. The ordinary procedure is to put in timber to hold up the loose back and permit the natural arch above to resist its own loading. Under these conditions the timber rigidly supports the loose; but if the natural arch fails, the timber is then called upon to resist this additional pressure. Usually it cannot do this. The result is a crushing of the supports. Efficient timbering is that which will last just long enough to complete in safety the mining operations necessary to extract the ore. Wood has a cellular structure. It has great longitudinal strength for its weight. Further, it possesses the ability to maintain a high percentage of its strength while it is being crushed. In other words, it rigidly supports loads up to its capabilities and then continues to sustain

Jan 1, 1934

By Paul Bechtner

THE name bentonite formerly was applied solely to a peculiar clay occurring in Wyoming and South Dakota, which was distinguished from other clays by its unctuous feel when wet and the property of swelling in water. In the last decade scientific studies of clay have recognized that bentonite is composed mainly of the clay mineral montmorillonite and the name bentonite has been extended to cover the entire family of clays that have montmorillonite as their chief constituent. Montmorillonite has the chemical formula of A1203-4Si0-xH2O, With Fe203 and MgO replacing part of the A1203. The montmorillonite crystal is an Si-Al-Si clay mineral, being formed of two silicon-oxygen sheets with an aluminum-oxygen sheet sandwiched between them. In contrast, kaolinite-the chief clay mineral of most clays other than bentonite-is Si-Al, one silica and one alumina sheet. The unit crystal of montmorillonite is much thinner than that of kaolinite, with greater surface area. These differences in crystal structure patterns are leading factors in the dissimilar properties and commercial uses of bentonite compared with other clays. Mineralogically, bentonites are 85 to 90 pct montmorillonite with fragments of feldspar, gypsum, calcium carbonate, quartz and traces of other minerals. They vary in color; the widely used Wyoming type is creamy white when dry and a light shade of tan when wet; the low-swelling bentonites of the southern United States and elsewhere are found in many shades of gray, blue, yellow, red, and brown. Pure white bentonites are rarer and generally of the medium or low-swelling type, though there are a few exceptions to that general rule. PROPERTIES Bentonites may be divided into two general classes: (1) those that adsorb large quantities of water, "swelling" greatly in the process, and that remain in suspension in thin water dispersions; (2) those that adsorb only slightly more water than ordinary plastic clays or fuller's earths, do not swell noticeably, and settle rapidly in thin water dispersions. Another distinction is that some varieties of the No. 2 type

Jan 1, 1949

By Paul C. Ragland, P. Geoffrey Feiss

The Piedmont province of the southern Appalachians is the focus of interest for many exploration geologists. In the past, only those deposits with significant surface exposure were exploited. Thus, few deposits have been found and relatively little exploration has been conducted in recent years. Modern geochemical and geophysical techniques can alleviate this problem of concentrating on exposed ore bodies by allowing us to "look through" the soil and saprolite to detect the presence of significant mineralization at depth. This paper will attempt to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of several geochemical exploration techniques in the Piedmont province of Cabarrus and Stanly counties, N.C. The area chosen for study is shown in [Fig. 1], lying almost wholly within the Mt. Pleasant quadrangle, N.C. The area is on the eastern boundary between the Charlotte belt, a zone of plutonic and intermediate grade metamorphic rocks, and the Carolina Slate belt, a series of complexly interbedded volcanic and sedimentary rocks of predominantly low metamorphic grade. The area is considered to be an early Paleozoic active, continental margin. l As is typical of most of the piedmont, outcrop is sparse. [Figure 2] is a sketch map of the general geology of the area under study, showing the Charlotte belt rocks in the northwestern quadrant and slate belt rocks to the east. Within the area are a number of old mines and prospects, the most famous of which are the Furniss and Phoenix mines in Cabarrus County. All are reported to have contained Au and Cu. Ag and Pb were reported from some. A summary of the deposits is given in [Table 1]. Data used in this study are from three Master's theses completed at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hi11. 3, 5, 6 In separate studies, well waters, 5 B-zone soils,3 and vein and float from the area were sampled and analyzed. Each study concluded separately that geochemical anomalies in the vicinity of the ores justify use of that specific sampling technique in a geochemical exploration program. However, no comparative study of the methods has been made. It is our intention

Jan 1, 1980

By E. P. Pfleide, L. W. Gibbs. J. R. Gross

A method using computer techniques is described for the comparative evaluation of truck performance over any given haul road using readily obtainable manufacturers' data. An additional computer program is utilized to calculate individual cycle times for each truck and shovel combination, fleet requirements for any desired production rate, and to estimate comparative costs. The introduction of a large number of variables into the program permits management to determine the critical system factors having the greatest bearing on costs. Thus, the method described can be used not only for analysis of needs for a new surface mine but for cost improvement in existing mines where changes in truck and shovel operations are contemplated. The systems analysis approach to the solution of problems in the mining industry is gaining in industry acceptance. This is a logical development in view of the fact that a mine constitutes one of the most dynamic systems of production. In contrast with a manufacturing plant, situated in a location selected through choice and utilizing a regulated source of quality controlled raw materials, the miner must go where the ore is and he is faced with ever changing physical conditions. He is subjected to the vagaries of nature, and he can never mine the same ore twice. What is systems engineering? There seems to be no concise and universally accepted definition of the term and its meaning is still fairly local. It deals largely with trade-offs of subsystem characteristics to achieve some desired result in an overall system. This concept of suboptimization can be explained by an example. If the objective of a mining company is to produce a certain quality ore at minimum cost, the optimum operation is not achieved by minimizing all costs, since all phases of mining are interrelated. Reduction of blasting costs might well increase loading, hauling, and crushing costs out of proportion to the resulting saving in explosives. Hence tradeoffs are necessary. It is evident then that an optimum system is achieved through a blending of suboptimal components which taken together yield the desired result. OBJECTIVE For our mathematical model we will assume the existence of a hypothetical new organization called Taconite Mining Co. (TMC). TMC has made an analysis of their orebody, their proposed operation, and

Jan 1, 1968

By Walter H. Voskuil

Illinois supplies coal to seven states in the Upper Mississippi Valley —Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and portions of the Dakotas, Nebraska and Kansas. In this same area are marketed large quantities of coal from West Virginia, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and elsewhere; fuel oil from the crude petroleum supplies of the Mid-Continent fields, and natural gas from Louisiana, Kansas and the Texas Panhandle. The boundaries of this "Illinois coal-market area" are determined by competition from other coal fields and from other forms of fuel. Within the area so described 90 per cent of Illinois coal is marketed. Thus in the Southwest, an abundance of fuel-oil supplies and natural gas dominates the market almost to the exclusion of coal. The westward movement of Illinois coal in Kansas, Nebraska and the Dakotas is met by an eastward flow of high-grade coals from Colorado, Wyoming and Montana. In the lake-shore counties of Minnesota and Wisconsin, the market is dominated by Appalachian coals, cheaply carried over the Great Lakes and reaching the ports of Lake Michigan and at the head of Lake Superior. Illinois coals find their largest market in the southern and western sections of these two lake states. Only small quantities of Illinois coals are shipped east of the state line. This market area is occupied entirely by the neighboring coal fields of Indiana and the Appalachian coal fields in Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky and Pennsylvania. Illinois Coal-makket Area , With these factors in mind, the map of the Illinois coal-market area may be drawn. Within this boundary is the area that is logically and economically served by Illinois coal. However, this area is by no means exclusively dependent upon coal from Illinois mines. The preponderance. of Appalachian coal in Wisconsin and Minnesota has been mentioned. Appalachian coal, also, moves in large tonnages into Illinois itself, particularly the Chicago district. The Iowa and Missouri local coals share the market with imported coal from Illinois; throughout the market area, fuel oil and natural gas are important factors in the total energy supply.

Jan 1, 1936

By R. B. Kelly, Paul Martin

Central Texas added 76 producing oil and gas wells during the year, abandoned 378 wells in the same period, and produced 10,359,905 bbl. of oil in the 12 months under consideration. The oil production represents a decline of only 3 per cent as compared to 1934, but it must be remembered that much new production was added during the year. The activity in new work centered in Frio, Bexar, Williamson and Cald-well counties, with development in the Pearsall, Von Ormy and Byersville fields taking first importance. New discoveries in 1935 were confined to Pearsall area of Frio County and an extension to the Darst Creek field in Guadalupe County. The Red Lake field, in eastern Freestone County, proved itself of importance from the standpoint of a gas reserve but no oil production has yet been obtained. In Bexar County, the Von Ormy field, in which the discovery well was drilled early in 1934, completed 22 oil producers during the year. (A map of Central Texas showing location of oil and gas fields was published in Volume 114 of the A.I.M.E. Transactions.) New Fields Pearsal1.—The Amerada Petroleum Corporation, in developing its 60,000-acre block in Frio County, has definitely proved the existence of commercial oil production in four separate horizons; namely, the Navarro, the Austin Chalk, the Buda and the Georgetown. The discovery well, a two million cubic foot gas well, was tompleted in 1934. A test of the Trinity sand at 10,050 ft. found salt water but later was plugged back and finished as an oil well in the Navarro sand. Most recent of their discoveries has been in the Austin Chalk at a depth of 5666 ft., where a 24-hr. gage through 1-in. choke showed 2640 bbl. of pipe line oil. The oil has a gravity of 28.0" A.P.I. and is brownish in color. Because of lack of pipe lines in the area, the wells are produced only for short periods of time, and it is predicted that development will be slow until the district is entered by pipe line purchasing companies. Von Ormy.—In March, 1934, Umbren et al. completed their Wentz

Jan 1, 1936

By Hugh M. Roberts

The important place in the economic life of the country that is occupied by the United States Geological Survey and the various state surveys is appreciatcd by most members of our Institute. To the public at large, the functions of these surveys are no doubt largely unknown, and taken for granted. Possibly a realization of the value of the work of these government branches is brought home most fully to that group of our members whose duties as examining engineers and mining geologists take them to mines and prospects in many different parts. The examining engineer or geologist is usually seeking for a judgment on the value of an enterprise from the standpoint of the useful minerals that may or may not be present; he must also attempt some prediction as to future market prices. On his opinion rests the determination of the expenditure of money, which rendered into other language means the expenditure of human effort. An opinion on an exploring venture or the reasoning out of the probable extensions of an orebody requires among many other things a background of knowledge covering the geologic horizons not only of an immediate area but of the surrounding area, a knowledge of the structural geology and of the causes that have operated to form the ores as they are. The great storehouses of this knowledge are the statistics, reports and maps issued by the various geological surveys. They supply the groundwork for additional observations. To these, reference is always made when going into a new district. The technique of work in the field and laboratory, and to some extent the hypotheses that underlie our methods of approach, have been formed by men such as Van Hise, Leith, Kemp, Spurr, Emmons and Lindgren, who developed their powers in the service of the geological surveys. In addition to whatever originality of thought, or power to observe facts and analyze them, may be our portion, we require, in the application of the arts and sciences, a knowledge of what has already been done. We stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before, and the extent of our vision often depends upon the thoroughness with which we form earlier work into one whole and make use of it.

Jan 1, 1935