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By Arthur V. Corry

GOLD was discovered in Alder Gulch, Virginia. City, Mont., on May 26, 1863. In a short time some 6000 people flocked to the new discovery, and on the banks of Alder Gulch six settlements sprang into existence, the principal one, Virginia City, alone surviving. This town today has a population of 800, and is the county seat of Madison County. It is estimated that between forty and fifty million dollars in gold was produced up to 1904. Virginia City is situated at the mouth of Alder Creek where that stream leaves the narrow canyon that cuts the steep foothills flanking Old Baldy Mountain, elevation 9572 ft., 12 mi. south. Virginia City itself is 5700 ft. above sea level.

Jan 1, 1936

By JOHN W., E. C. SARCENT

The South Texas area discussed herein represents districts 2 and 4 of the Texas Railroad Commission. It extends from Jackson, Lavaca and Gonzales Counties on the northeast to the Rio Grande River, and comprises a total of 26 counties.

Jan 1, 1946

By George T. Hansen

WHY try to find oil in Utah? Why try to find oil anywhere? Isn't there too much oil already? Answers to these questions involve general oil conditions but are pertinent to my subject. In the first place oil produced in Utah up to the total amount of local consumption would not be subject to nor concerned with the national oil situation. An oil field in this State capable of producing up to 15,000 bbl. per day would have a large value and prompt realization. In the sec¬ond place, there is not too much oil nationally although the markets have been upset temporarily from time to time. Petroleum is so necessary and is in such general demand that an oil field anywhere, anytime, is a valuable and live asset. The oil business in general shows the best condition of any major industry. It has never been hit as hard as most industries and 1932 was a large improvement over its low spot of 1931. It can be and probably will be the one to lead the country back into business stability. Consumption of its products has been reduced less than that of any other important commodity. There are good and valid reasons why it should have been making a normal profit continuously. It has the oil and the processes and the facilities and the policies and the consumption of its products. There is only one reason why it has not been profitable recently and that is the lack of intelligence of from five to ten per cent of the producers. An op¬erator lacks intelligence when he cannot see that it is better for him to sell one barrel of oil at $1 than two or three barrels at 25 or 35c. per bbl.

Jan 1, 1933

By Richard H. Mote

The endlessly changing pattern of mineral supply and demand offers opportunity to the alert and can bring disaster to the unwary. The discovery of ore bodies, the invention of extractive processes, the provision of new transport facilities, the political stabilization of underdeveloped areas, and many other changes can increase supply dramatically. Such new outpourings of mineral wealth from ore bodies bring fortunes to their developers, and consumers frequently find their competitive positions decidedly improved by new and cheap sources of supply. On the other hand, operators of marginal properties can find competition from newly opened high-grade mines intolerable. Consumers that have depended on the products of nearby, high-cost mines may find new, remote, low-cost supplies advantageous only to their competitors. The invention of new prospecting methods can have spectacular effects. Shortly after World War I the discovery rate of petroleum pools began to decline. The leading prospecting technique of that day, the projection downward of surface reflections of geologic structure, was proving less rewarding. Prophets foretold an oil shortage in the near future. But at that very moment scientists were perfecting the application of seismic waves to reveal underground oil-bearing geologic structures. As these geophysical methods were put into commercial use the whole outlook changed-the problem of the 1930's became how to cope with the surplus from discovery, not how to meet the ever rising demand. Many lead mines were being abandoned as unprofitable about this same time because the penalties charged by smelters for the zinc in the ores and concentrates more than counterbalanced the payments for lead and silver. Then selective flotation (at the time called differential flotation) appeared,

Jan 1, 1964

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Jan 1, 1938

By W. J. Taylor

Nature has furnished us with fuel in three forms, solid, liquid, and gaseous; solid, the most common; liquid, containing the greatest energy; gaseous, the most convenient for use. The tendency of the day is to the conversion of solid and liquid fuel into the gaseous form. There is magic in the word gas to many men who through ignorance or indifference imagine that by mere conversion into gas an immense quantity of energy can he added to fuel of other forms, forgetful of the law of nature, that. the conversion of any substance from one form to another involves a loss of effective energy, and therefore that if in certain cases more duty can be obtained out of the gas resulting from a given amount of coal than the coal itself will supply when used direct, the cause lies solely in the more efficient utilization of the fuel in its gaseous state. Nevertheless, new processes for making gas are constantly crowded upon our notice with claims of less cost for manufacture and delivery than natural gas, and often of far more energy for the product than is contained in the coal or oil from which it is made. I was recently asked to examine a new process of this kind. From an analysis shown me the calorific energy of the gas approximated 375 heat-units per cubic foot; on ascertaining the quantity of gas claimed to be made from a given amount of solid and liquid fuel, it appeared, that for every 325 heat-units contained in the latter 900 heat-units were alleged to he delivered into the gas, or nearly three times as much energy as the original fuel really held. The extravagant claim of some oil-gas advocates is still frequently heard, that by vaporizing oil with steam and then passing the mixture through a coil of hot iron pipe, an oil-water-gas containing 26,600 heat-units is formed from 1 pound of oil carrying originally 21,000 heat-units, while the only energy expended on the gas has been by the introduction of a -little steam and a little extraneous heat. Theoretically, 1 pound of oil converted into water-gas carries 26,600

Jan 1, 1890

By Stephen Krickovic

THERE is today no proven continuous mining machine that can be used under all the varying conditions found in most bituminous coal mines. During the last five years, however, both the machines and methods of using them have been improved. Coal operators can now exercise a fair degree of selectivity, except those who must struggle with thick and hard partings and operate in seams less than 40 in. thick. It must be realized, then, that more than one type of continuous miner may be used advantageously in the same coal mine. Although this appears to violate the standardization generally sought after, the gain can more than offset added maintenance and, to a lesser degree, operating problems.

Jan 12, 1957

By L. L. Oriard

In order to predict the influence of blasting on slopes, one must first understand the action of explosives, the manner in which rock is broken or displaced, and how seismic waves are transmitted, and the nature of these seismic waves. In this paper, the author describes the action of high explosives on rock masses, beginning at the source of the explosion, extending through the zone of rupture to a distance where only elastic waves of low energy persist. The paper describes the relationships between explosives charge quantities and distances, including the character and intensity of the seismic waves in various types of terrain. In looking at the analysis of slopes subjected to seismic waves, it has been common practice to assume a simplified model in which the anticipated acceleration is applied horizontally to the slope as an equivalent static force, or a model in which there is a rigid base subjected to mechanical shaking. Such models do not accurately portray blasting activity taking place within or near the slope in question. In dealing with blasting effects, it is important to under- stand seismic wave types, wave lengths, attenuation and transmission paths, as well as vibration intensity. In most cases, those slopes that are the least stable under static loading will also be the least stable under dynamic loading, although there may be rare exceptions. Thus, the more that is known about a slope statically, the better will be the assessment of it dynamically.

Jan 1, 1983

By Herbert W. Graham

IRON ORE is widely distributed throughout the world. Ores sufficiently high in iron content to be practical for the operations of iron and steel making occur in so many places that it is only by the accident of political subdivisions that any given nation does not have adequate and suitable iron ore. Data prepared by various authorities show that in the Lake Superior region alone there are reserves of 1,200,000,000 tons of iron ore of an iron content and at the level of production cost to which the industry has been accus tomed. At an annual consumption of 80,000,000 tons these reserves will last fifteen years. Taken alone these figures would be alarming, but over a considerable period of years the total reserve tonnage has been more or less steadily increased by improvement and extension of mining and beneficiation methods. The rate of depletion of reserves has been only about one third of the rate of consumption. On this basis the cheap high-grade ores of Lake Superior would last 45 years.

Jan 1, 1947

Charles Catlett, Staunton, Virginia (communication to the Secretary*): I have had occasion to examine a few of the irondeposits in the immediate section of which Mr. Watson speaks, but have not had an opportunity to visit any of the well-known manganese-deposits. I find the former can be very safely read in light of the information which it is possible to get from the same measnres farther. north, where they are less completely decomposed. In the same way all of his conclusions in regard to the geology of the manganese-deposits bear out their occurrence in Virginia, when we allow for the far more complete decomposition in the section he has so carefully studied. Judging from the same measures farther north, I think he will be safe in agreeing even further with Penrose as to the origin of these ores. Some years ago I carried on prospecting work in these measures in Virginia, in which the iron-ore and manganese-ore were followed down to undecomposed material, and in which their occurrence along a definite line of stratification, and apparently a part of the original bedding, was plainly shown. This is unusual, however, even in the section of which I speak. At Crimora, Virginia, the decomposition is quite complete; at the same time the results of some hydraulic work, which has been done there, disclosed, at the time of my last visit, the manganese interbedded in the residual clay along a definite and distinct plane parallel to the bedding of the underlying quartzite, and which, as is shown at other points, corresponds with the plane of the original material. In view of the phosphorus reported by Mr. Watson as existing in the Cartersville ores, and the not uncommonly prohibitive amount in southern ores, I am interested to know whether

Jan 1, 1904

By James T. Wood

Stratigraphy, structure and closure of the Paloma field are discussed, with some details regarding the present state of development. The Paloma anticline, a large dome modified by faults, is the largest single closed dome in the southern San Joaquin valley without surface outcrop or topographic expression. It owes its discovery to geophysics. Of nine wells drilled to the Stevens sand, seven are productive. The ultimate productive area may approximate 3000 acres when the limits of the field are determined. Introduction The Paloma field derives its name from the Paloma school, ½ mile north of what is now the center of the field. The field is 17 miles southwest of Bakers-field, in the south central part of the San Joaquin Valley (Fig. I). The present developed area and its expected extensions are in townships 31 and 32S., R.26E. It is the most southerly of several fields that produce from the Stevens sand zone. The first well to produce condensate was a joint test drilled by the Western Gulf Oil Co. and The Texas Co. near the center of sec. 3, T.32S., R.26E., well No. 54-3. This well was completed on Aug. 31, 1939, at a depth of 10,178 ft. The initial production was 2280 bbl. a day of condensate and 14,750,000 cu. ft. of gas (½-hr. gauge) through a ?-in. bean. Prior to the drilling of this well, the Ohio Oil Co. discovered and developed a small gas field, which embraces a part of three townships about their common corner but lies chiefly in secs. 31 and 32, T.31S., R.26E. The first well was completed on July I, 1934, at a plugged depth of 5239 ft. after having been drilled to 7957 ft, production was found in a 59-ft. zone IIO ft. below the Fourth Mya bed, within the Sari Joaquin clays. Until recently this field was known as the Buena Vista gas field. It is now carried by the Division of Oil and Gas as the Paloma gas field. Production within the Paloma gas field is derived from six wells, producing from several different zones in the interval from 4177 to 5548 feet. Geology Stratigraphy The sediments penetrated by wells in the Paloma held range in age from Recent to Upper Miocene. The entire section, which exceeds 10,000 ft. in thickness, conforms generally to the standard section of the south central San Joaquin Valley. The producing zone, sometimes called the Paloma sand, is the approximate equivalent of the Stevens sand zone of the Ten Section, Canal, Coles Levee and other fields. The stratigraphic section is shown in Table I. Paloma Producing Zone* (Stevens Sand Zone, Upper Miocene) .-The Paloma producing zone (Fig. 2), frequently referred to as the Paloma sand, is encountered at depths ranging from 9950 to 10,300 ft. In general, it is a massive, firm to hard, not too well sorted, fine to medium fine sand. It is interbedded with thin, hard, calcareous sand shells of similar texture and cherty

Jan 1, 1942

By James T. Wood

Stratigraphy, structure and closure of the Paloma field are discussed, with some details regarding the present state of development. The Paloma anticline, a large dome modified by faults, is the largest single closed dome in the southern San Joaquin valley without surface outcrop or topographic expression. It owes its discovery to geophysics. Of nine wells drilled to the Stevens sand, seven are productive. The ultimate productive area may approximate 3000 acres when the limits of the field are determined. Introduction The Paloma field derives its name from the Paloma school, ½ mile north of what is now the center of the field. The field is 17 miles southwest of Bakers-field, in the south central part of the San Joaquin Valley (Fig. I). The present developed area and its expected extensions are in townships 31 and 32S., R.26E. It is the most southerly of several fields that produce from the Stevens sand zone. The first well to produce condensate was a joint test drilled by the Western Gulf Oil Co. and The Texas Co. near the center of sec. 3, T.32S., R.26E., well No. 54-3. This well was completed on Aug. 31, 1939, at a depth of 10,178 ft. The initial production was 2280 bbl. a day of condensate and 14,750,000 cu. ft. of gas (½-hr. gauge) through a ?-in. bean. Prior to the drilling of this well, the Ohio Oil Co. discovered and developed a small gas field, which embraces a part of three townships about their common corner but lies chiefly in secs. 31 and 32, T.31S., R.26E. The first well was completed on July I, 1934, at a plugged depth of 5239 ft. after having been drilled to 7957 ft, production was found in a 59-ft. zone IIO ft. below the Fourth Mya bed, within the Sari Joaquin clays. Until recently this field was known as the Buena Vista gas field. It is now carried by the Division of Oil and Gas as the Paloma gas field. Production within the Paloma gas field is derived from six wells, producing from several different zones in the interval from 4177 to 5548 feet. Geology Stratigraphy The sediments penetrated by wells in the Paloma held range in age from Recent to Upper Miocene. The entire section, which exceeds 10,000 ft. in thickness, conforms generally to the standard section of the south central San Joaquin Valley. The producing zone, sometimes called the Paloma sand, is the approximate equivalent of the Stevens sand zone of the Ten Section, Canal, Coles Levee and other fields. The stratigraphic section is shown in Table I. Paloma Producing Zone* (Stevens Sand Zone, Upper Miocene) .-The Paloma producing zone (Fig. 2), frequently referred to as the Paloma sand, is encountered at depths ranging from 9950 to 10,300 ft. In general, it is a massive, firm to hard, not too well sorted, fine to medium fine sand. It is interbedded with thin, hard, calcareous sand shells of similar texture and cherty

Jan 1, 1942

By B. Silliman

THE remarkable outflow of natural gas recently developed in Western Pennsylvania, and along the valley of the Ohio and its tributaries, has called attention to an important series of patents for improvements in glass-fnrnaces and the manufacture of glass, which the brothers Siemens have made since 1872. The basement-patent of this series, is No. 127,806 of the U. S. Patent office, and is of date June 11th, 1872. This has been followed by eleven other patents (including one re-issue), all for improvements in glass-furnaces, or methods of manufacture, of which the latest is of date July 11th, 1882. Nine of these patents were issued in 1880-82. The following is the list of these patents, in order of dates, viz.: 1872. June 11th. No. 127,806 (U. S. office), Improvement in glass-furnaces; 17 sheets drawings, 5 pages text. This is the basement-patent. 1877. April 17th. No. 139,800. Improvement in the manufacture of glass; 3 sheets drawings, 2 pages text. Boats and floating vessels swimming in the liquid glass of the tank-furnace. Re-issued in 1880. q. v. 1880. April 27th. No. 226,931. Furnace for annealing and tem pering glass. " July 13th. No. 220,846. Glass-melting-furnace. " August 3d. No. 230,668. Glass-melting-furnace; 4 sheets drawings, 2 pages text.

Jan 1, 1885

By N. H. Jensen

SINCE the sixties, Utah has been one of the leading metal mining states of the Union. During the last fifteen years its mines have supported the largest smelting center in the world. Its rank as a metal producing state is reflected by its 1924 production which had a value in excess of $65,000,000 making it the leading silver producing state, third in both copper and lead and sixth in gold production. During the past year, metallurgical developments for the recovery of zinc contained in lead ores has made rapid progress so that the future zinc output will be of substantial importance. The largest silver mines of the nation and the world's largest open cut copper mine are within its borders. Settlement of Utah started in 1847, with the advent of the "Mormons," and originally the area of the state was much greater than now. The first metal mining

Jan 1, 1925

By Walter F. Bradley

CLOSE to 300 members and guests were registered at the Regional Meeting of the Institute in San Francisco. Oct. 3-6, and many other mining men were present at some of the sessions, but failed to register. Headquarters were at the Palace Hotel. Technical papers for the Metals Session were sponsored by the San Francisco Section, whereas the program for the Industrial Minerals Session was arranged by the Southern California Section. Walter W. Bradley, Chairman of the San Francisco Section, opened the General and Metals Session, introducing President Buehler, who gave a hearty welcome to those present. Clyde M. Eye, of the. Benguet Consolidated Mining Co., presented the first paper, entitled "The Economic and Strategic Value of Philippine Metals to the United States." In closing, he urged. that this country retain and control the Philippines because their large

Jan 1, 1935

By C. H. Lieb

ONE astounding fact in the production of petroleum is the comparatively recent realization by producers that flowing production is the cheapest crude produced. About 1910 or even later, operators actually endeavored to get a producing well to pumping as quickly as possible after completion. A well was not really considered to be completed until it was operating on the pump. Remarkable progress has been made since then. It was not until about 1920 that producers began to take a serious interest in pressures and to think a little about proper methods of handling oil wells. Pressure gauges were installed, and records of pressures maintained, which was quite an innovation. Desultory experiments were made with tubing of different sizes, as well as experiments with placing the bottom of the tubing string at different levels in the well. Probably the first important departure from customary procedure was about 1926, during the Seminole development, when gas lift

Jan 1, 1936

By W. Rostoker, R. P. Elliott

TWO intermediate phases enter into equilibrium with the primary solid solutions of titanium.' The TiMn2 phase was identified by Wallbaum2 as of the C14 type isomorphous with MgZn2. Contrary to Maykuth, et al.,¹ the phase occuring at about the 50-50 atomic proportion has been shown to derive from a peritectoid reaction.:' A 30 day anneal at 900°C of an alloy containing 52 wt pct Mn developed sufficient of the new phase to give a clear and predominant diffraction pattern. The powder pattern was taken in a 14 cm diameter powder camera using filtered Cu Ka radiation. In all, 75 lines were recognized and measured. Interplanar spacing and observed intensities for the first 26 of these are given in Table I.

Jan 1, 1954

By Thomas T. Read

Jan 1, 1913

By J. V. W. REYNDERS

IN THE remarks which I am about to make concern¬ing the safety work of the Bureau of Mines, I want first of all to disengage myself from a disposition, which is frequently in evidence, to give spectacular emphasis to the hazards of mining operations. It is of the' utmost importance to the industrial welfare of our country that the enormous annual requirement of fuel be produced and be made available in our economic activities, with a minimum of distress and hardship. The safety of coal mining is a condition with which. we are all concerned in a fundamental way. And yet we should not rush to accept hastily conceived notions that laxity among employers in respect to safety measures exists to any outstanding degree. In fact in a large number of instances, the precautionary efforts of min¬ing companies, directed to the elimination of accidents are beyond all criticism, albeit the industry suffers in reputation from the carelessness of, its less effi¬cient constituents. The Bureau of Mines has been a leading influence in disseminating the doctrines of safety, in securing the cooperation of the miners themselves, and in stirring up ' the laggards, both among the employers and the employed. It is much to the interest of well-conducted mine operations that the industry, as a whole, observe safety regulations to the utmost.

Jan 1, 1925

By W. E. D. Stokes

THE application of aviation to mining and petroleum operations, on the basis of economy and attainment, has become a demonstrated fact. According to Dominion Government records, 30 Canadian companies engaged in air transportation with northland mining camps, carried 13,000 tons of freight in 1935, and in 1936 carried 16,000 tons. In addition, many mining companies used planes to transport prospectors with canoes, outboard motors, gasoline drums and supplies to remote locations, and one company maintained a plane to take radium-bearing ore from its mine on Great Bear Lake nearly 1000 miles south to the rail- way at Waterways, Alberta. Heavy pieces of mining machinery weighing 2 tons are being carried by Ford trimotor planes over the Andes, at an altitude of not less than 15,000 feet. At Bulolo, New Guinea, 17,500 tons of disassembled gold-dredging equipment has been flown over inaccessible terrain, while supplies and building materials for a community of 1000 whites have been transported by airplane. A 3 1/2-ton shaft was carried on one notable trip, while at another time an automobile, 2 tons of rice and a large safe went over the mountains in one plane. Fig. 1 shows an electric generator that was carried by plane to Bulolo. Many large American oil companies operated fleets of planes during 1936, ranging from fast, luxurious air liners for executives to elaborate geological prospecting units, ambulance planes, freight carriers and pipe-line repair crews. According to the U. S. Geological Survey, commercial firms photographed 16,291 square miles during 1935, while the Government compiled from aerial photographs by the Geological Survey in the United States 85,544 square miles. It was found that information could be determined in a fraction of the time required by surface methods. However, sounding a word of caution, a Commonwealth of Australia government report on aerial survey operations had this to say: It is necessary to repeat ad nauseam that aerial photographic survey is in no sense a substitute for geological investigation, though it is a very valuable adjunct thereto, and greatly facilitates and accelerates geological mapping. There are many details

Jan 1, 1937