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By Robert M. Lewis

Can wet-ground mica be produced from mica schist ores, and if so, would its properties be comparable with products now on the market? This was the problem which prompted the development of a flowsheet for the beneficiation of mica schist. The fine-ground mica industry relies on weathered pegmatites and alaskite ores as sources of raw material. The mica concentrates obtained from these ores are relatively clean and require moderate beneficiation to meet color and bulk-density specifications. Mica obtained from mica schist is iron-stained and decrepitated and requires additional beneficiation to produce a wet-ground mica product. Despite these adversities, there are several advantages to be gained by mining and processing mica schist ores. The mica content of these ores is considerably higher than that of the pegmatites and alaskite ores now being mined, often containing in excess of 40% mica. This higher-grade mica feed should promote a lower mining and milling cost. The mica schist ores with their higher mica content would mean less tailings to handle; however, there would have to be a means for disposing of acid and sulfate wastes. A flowsheet was developed whereby mica could be recovered from mica schist ores and beneficiated in a way that would result in a high-quality end product.' The essential phase of the process involves using reducing reagents to increase the magnetic susceptibility of iron contaminants which then can be removed with a magnetic separator. General Treatment Procedure The mica is floated by either of two methods, an amine float in an acid circuit' or the U.S. Bureau of Mines (USBM) amine-fatty acid float in an alkaline circuit' The flotation mica is ground in a pebble mill to liberate contaminated particles and expose iron-stained surfaces. The concentrate is then conditioned with a reducing reagent and passed through a Frantz Ferrofilter for the removal of magnetic material. The nonmagnetic product is acid-leached to further reduce the iron contamination. The leached material is then ground to product size and checked for specifications. Discussion of Flowsheet and Its Development Flotation: The mica is concentrated by flotation using either of two methods: an amine float in an acid circuit, or the USBM amine-fatty acid float in an alkaline circuit.' The writer does not wish to elaborate on the relative merits of the two flotation procedures; however, after investigating ores from various localities, it was felt that the amine float in an acid circuit was more consistent when using a standard procedure. Iron Reduction and Magnetic Separation: This phase of the flowsheet may be considered the key to the process. It was developed when it became apparent that hot acid leaching had just about reached its maximum effective¬ness for color improvement. S. C. Sun and William Hirsh in "Hydrochloric Acid Leaching of Iron From Pennsylvania Aluminous Clays,"` reported iron extraction for -20-mesh minerals of 82.20% for hematite and only 33.46% for magnetite. The test procedure employs a 19% hydrochloric acid solution, 104°C temperature, and 10% solids. It was felt that magnetic removal of some of the iron contaminants before leaching therefore would be advantageous. Since the iron minerals present as contaminants vary in magnetic susceptibility, it was decided to experiment with reducing reagents as a means of influencing their magnetic properties. Zinc hydrosulfite or sodium hydrosulfite were the reagents used throughout the tests. The procedure developed consists of conditioning the mica concentrate in a closed container at approximately 5% solids with a reducing reagent. Approximately 10.0 lb of zinc hydrosulfite per ton of mica concentrate is used. The ferric iron is reduced to the ferrous state (magnetic) and oxidation is retarded by isolation from the atmosphere in a closed container. After the desired conditioning time has elapsed, the material is passed through a Frantz Ferrofilter where the magnetic particles are retained and discarded as

Jan 1, 1972

By George Moore

IN spite of many investigations of the occlusion of hydrogen in iron, the nature of the process and the reasons for the accompanying effects upon the metal are still open questions. This is in large part due to three causes: (1) the difficulty of obtaining iron of adequate purity as starting material; (2) the occurrence of allotropic transformations, which compli-cate the effects; and (3) the fact that the body-centered cubic modifica-tion does not lend itself readily to crystallographic investigation. The present paper attempts a critical review and correlation of the somewhat scattered and disconnected existing observations, and an experimental determination of the extent to which the conclusions that appear to follow from these are applicable to iron of really high purity, studied under well-defined conditions.

Jan 1, 1939

By A. N. Mitinsky

Discussion of the paper of A. N. MITINSKY, presented at the San Francisco meeting, September, 1915, and printed in Bulletin No. 104, August, 1915, pp. 1697 to 1705. LAWFORD H. FRY, Burnham, Pa. (communication to the Secretary*). -The author assumes that the proportional limit and the elastic limit are coincident or very nearly so, and then further assumes that the stress corresponding to these two points is the least stress which if repeated will cause failure. The point is extremely interesting and it is to be regretted that the author did not quote experimental data to show the relation between the limit of repeated stress and the other properties of the material. The author's suggestion that a steel of poor quality may have a normal value for the yield point and tensile strength (see Fig. 2) and an abnormally low elastic limit, and that this will correspond to a low resistance to repeated stress, may account for a number of failures of axles in which the tensile tests show normal physical properties. If so and if a determination of the proportional limit would have eliminated the material before it was put into service, this determination will merit most earnest attention. It appears, however, that considerable further research is necessary before any definite conclusion as to the quality of a steel can be drawn from its proportional limit. Mr. Mitinsky's paper is extremely interesting and if it stimulates thought and work along the lines indicated, it may prove of considerable practical benefit. H. V. WILLE, Philadelphia, Pa.-The paper discusses the difference between the proportional limit, or elastic limit, and the yield point, and refers to the fact that much harm results from confusion of the terms yield point and elastic limit. Similar confusion has arisen in this country; the American-Society for Testing Materials does not even consider the elastic limit and proportional limit to be identical and recently adopted the following definitions:

Jan 12, 1915

By Richard P. Rothwell

Though coal has been mined in this country for more than a century, no systematic effort was ever successfully made to ascertain the total amount produced. The production of the Cumberland Basin, Md., and the shipments from the anthracite fields of Pennsylvania, have been placed upon record, thanks to the intelligence and foresight of Mr. C. Slack in the former case, and to the late Mr. B. Bannan in the latter. For some of the years between 1822 and 1842, the production of the Richmond Basin was reported by Mr. R. C. Taylor, but since that date till the author undertook this work it was impossible to obtain any statement of the production of this field. A few of the newer fields, such as that of Mt. Diablo, Cal., have been fully reported, and a few of the newer States have also had this service performed by some intelligent private individuals; but no statistics of coal production have ever been collected either by the State or General Government, if we except the returns for the years 1869—70 of the census report. During the year 1875, by great exertions, I succeeded in obtaining, and July 3d, 1875, gave in the Engineering and Mining Journal what, " though not an accurate statement of our coal production," was " by far the most full and reliable that had ever been published." Though that report showed the production of bituminous coal to be 23,630,094 gross tons, or about six million tons more than had ever before been reported, it was in reality two and a half million tons below the actual output. The more full returns I obtained for 1875 gave many figures for 1874

By Oswald J. Heinrich

THE serious objections to the Leblanc soda process may be enumerated as follows : 1st. The total loss of sulphur employed, equal to about one-third of soda produced. Various processes have been proposed to regain this sulphur, but none have come into practical operation on a large scale. 2d. The great bulk of waste products, equal to nearly twice the amount of soda, which forms a serious annoyance about the works. 3d. The complicated series of operations necessary. 4th. The large amount of labor and fuel required. 5th. The production of noxious gases which necessitate extensive condensing arrangements. 6th. The large capital necessary for the erection and maintenance of the plant. These objections have long been recognized, and many attempts have been made during the last thirty or forty years, to discover and introduce a cheaper and more direct method for the manufacture of this important staple. The reaction between bicarbonate of ammonia and common salt, whereby bicarbonate of soda, insoluble in a solution of chloride of ammonium, is precipitated, has been closely studied for the last twenty-four years, on account of its simplicity and the purity of the product it affords. This ammonia-soda process is now so far developed, that while it is not .in position to entirely replace the Leblanc process, yet it can successfully compete with it where the conditions and localities are favorable. The advantages of the ammonia-soda process may be summed up as follows : 1st. It is independent of the essential agent in the Leblanc process, viz., sulphuric acid, and hence can be established in those localities where salt is abundant, and yet where sulphuric acid could not be made, or where it could not be transported profitably. 2d. The ammonia-soda process being a " wet" process, the evaporation of salt brines to obtain the solid salt required in the Leblanc process, is rendered unnecessary. 3d. The direct conversion of chloride of sodium into bicarbonate of soda, which can readily be converted into the maketable monocar-

Jan 1, 1879

1910, hundreds of thousands of dollars of work and equipment in a 1500-foot shaft, crosscuts and pumping had found only copper-lean pyrite in two cross- cuts, and nothing in a third. Going aimlessly along the third crosscut one day, after looking at the barren face I happened to notice a dark spot in the white limestone, near the floor on one side. I picked, and found it was a little triangle of rich chalcopyrite. Next day I took Bill Gohring, then mine superintendent, in to see it. He said nothing else had succeeded so we might as well try that. The new drift broke into a full face of high grade copper ore in the first round, and continued in rich ore for 2200 feel broken only by a couple of short stretches of lean pyrite. The earlier crosscuts had happened to cut these lean areas. Q: Was there any single thing that called your attention to that little dark spot in the side of the Briggs crosscut, rather than to any other discolored spot? Joralemon: Nothing very definite. Maybe luck, maybe that indefinable subconscious thinking that

Jan 9, 1964

By A. J. Turk, R. G. Dalbke

An increasing number of water pollution control systems are certain to be installed by many industries in the future because of new federal, state and local government regulations, and because of the rising general concern about the deterioration of our water resources. Extensive engineering, some of it based on methods not yet developed, will be required if these new systems are to provide optimum pollution control. Among the primary design factors to be considered are capital cost, operating cost, and present and future regulatory requirements. Establishing A Survey and Test Program To produce a final plant effluent meeting regulatory agency requirements, engineers must have background data that are accurate and representative of present and future plant operation. Operating and plant engineering departments often have available much information, including plant water quantitative and qualitative requirements, both present and future, that can be helpful in the preparation of designs of pollution control systems.

Jan 5, 1968

By H. C. Fowler

No exact demarcation can be made between producfion engineering and engineering research projects which interest production engineers because the results of today's engineering research make possible many of the applied production engineering methods of tomorrow. A corollary of the development of fundamental research is that so-called practical research becomes necessary. Assuming engineering research to include all subjects related to oil and gas production on which knowledge is being increased through experimentation and through analyses of data obtained from both the laboratory and the field, a review of the work of 1932 shows that the fundamental concepts of at least three major problems have become better understood—bottom-hole pressures, solubility of gas in oil, and fluid movement—and that the established data on the relationships of oil and gas have been applied to obtain more efficient and more economic production of both. Engineers no longer are concerned primarily with the initial development of devices for obtaining the pressures at the bottom of wells. Advancement in the technique of obtaining reliable pressure readings in wells has been rapid. One of the first public suggestions regarding apparatus for obtaining precise information at the bottom of oil wells was made before the Petroleum Division of the A.I.M.E. in 1928. Even during the early development stages in East Texas, reservoir pressures were estimated from well-head observations. Soon, however, a number of proved devices and methods were available, and today bottom-hole pressures in many fields are being recorded and studied as an essential part of the production programs. The research now turns to interpretations of data, obtained with these devices, in terms of reservoir energy and to the development of methods whereby the oil and gas will be withdrawn in accordance with rational and equitable programs based on oil-gas-energy relationships. The term ((bottom-hole pressures" should not be interpreted as indicating the full scope of all research on this problem. By using pressure (and temperature) data obtained in related vertical-flow studies,

Jan 1, 1933

By P. A. Laxen, H. R. Spedden

WHEN a mineral particle is fractured, bonds between the atoms are broken. The unsatisfied forces that appear at the newly formed surface are considered to be responsible for the adsorption of ions at the mineral surface. A knowledge of the mechanism and extent of ion sorption from solution onto a mineral surface is of interest in the development of the theory of flotation.'*' Study of the adsorption of sodium from an aqueous solution oftheon quartz offers a simple approach to this complicated problem. The availability of a radioisotope as a tracer element meant that accurate data could be obtained."." Three main factors which appeared likely to affect the adsorption of sodium are: l—concentration of sodium in the solution, 2—concentration of onotherof cations in the solution, and 3—anions present in the solution. Hydrogen and hydroxyl ions are always present in an aqueous solution. By controlling the pH, the concentration of these two ions was kept constant. The variation in thesethe amount of sodium adsorbed with variation in sodium concentration was then determined under conditions standardized in regard to hydrogen ion. The effect of concentration of hydrogen ions and of other cations was also measured. A few experiments were made to get a preliminary idea on the effect of anions. The active isotope of sodium was available as sodium nitrate. Standard sodium nitrate solutions were used throughout these experiments except when the effects of other anions were studied. It was found that sodium adsorption increased with sodium-ion concentration, but less rapidly than in proportion to it. Increasing hydrogen-ion concentration, or conversely decreasing hydroxyl-ion, brings about a comparatively slight decrease in sodium-ion adsorption. Increasing the concentration of cations other than hydrogen or sodium decreases somewhat the adsorption of sodium ion. It would appear as if the kind of anion is a secondary factor in guiding the amount of sodium ion that is adsorbed. Materials and Methods Quartz The quartz was prepared as in previous work in the Robert H. Richards Mineral Engineering Laboratory' except for the refinement of using de-ionized distilled water for the final washing of the sized quartz, prior to drying." To minimize the laborious preparation of quartz, experiments were made to determine .whether the sodium-covered quartz could be washed free of sodium and re-used. The experiments were successful as indicated by lack of Na" activity on the repurified material and by its characteristic sodium adsorption. Table I gives the spectrographic analyses of the quartz used. The quartz ranged from 16 to 40 microns in size, averaging about 23 microns (microscope measurement), and had a surface of 1850 sq cm per g (lot I), 2210 (lot 11) and 2000 (lot 111) as determined by the Bloecher method." Radioactive Sodium Method of Beta Counting for Adsorbed Sodium: Na22, the radioisotope of sodium, possesses convenient properties.' It has a half-life of 3 years, thus requiring no allowance for decay during an experiment. On decay it emits a 0.575 mev ß+ radiation and a 1.30 mev r radiation. The decay scheme is illustrated in the following equation: ß+ NaR-------'8'77NeZ2 3 years The /3 radiation is sufficiently strong to penetrate an end-window type of Geiger-Mueller counting tube. This, in turn, makes it possible to use external counting, a great advantage in technique. Furthermore, it permits the assaying of solids arranged in infinite thickness, while assaying evaporated liquors on standardized planchets. The equipment used was standard and similar to that employed by Chang.R The original active material was 1 ml of solution containing 1 millicurie of Na" as nitrate. This active solution was diluted to 1000 ml. Five milliliters of this diluted active solution was found to give a quartz sample a sufficiently high activity for accurate evaluation of the sodium partition in the adsorption measurements. Also, 1 ml of final solution gave a sufficiently high count for precision on the liquor analyses. The sodium concentration of the diluted active solution was 1.2 mg per liter, so that 6 mg of sodium for 60 ml of test solution and 12 g of quartz was the minimum amount used. The active solution was stored in a Saftepak bottle. Procedure for Adsorption Tests: The method consisted of agitating 12 g of quartz with 60 ml of solution of known sodium concentration for enough time to establish equilibrium between the solution and the quartz surface. The quartz was separated as completely as possible from the solution by filtering and centrifuging. The activity on the quartz and in the equilibrium solution was measured and the partition of the sodium was calculated from the resulting data. The detailed procedure for the adsorption test is set forth in a thesis by Laxen." In brief, it included the following steps: 1—Ascertainment of linearity between concentration of Na" and activity measured. 2—Evaluation of factor to translate activity on solid of infinite thickness in terms of activity on an evaporated active film of minute thickness, on the various shelves of the counter shield. 3—Taking precautions to avoid evaporation of water during centrifuging

Jan 1, 1953

By P. A. Laxen, H. R. Spedden

WHEN a mineral particle is fractured, bonds between the atoms are broken. The unsatisfied forces that appear at the newly formed surface are considered to be responsible for the adsorption of ions at the mineral surface. A knowledge of the mechanism and extent of ion sorption from solution onto a mineral surface is of interest in the development of the theory of flotation.'*' Study of the adsorption of sodium from an aqueous solution oftheon quartz offers a simple approach to this complicated problem. The availability of a radioisotope as a tracer element meant that accurate data could be obtained."." Three main factors which appeared likely to affect the adsorption of sodium are: l—concentration of sodium in the solution, 2—concentration of onotherof cations in the solution, and 3—anions present in the solution. Hydrogen and hydroxyl ions are always present in an aqueous solution. By controlling the pH, the concentration of these two ions was kept constant. The variation in thesethe amount of sodium adsorbed with variation in sodium concentration was then determined under conditions standardized in regard to hydrogen ion. The effect of concentration of hydrogen ions and of other cations was also measured. A few experiments were made to get a preliminary idea on the effect of anions. The active isotope of sodium was available as sodium nitrate. Standard sodium nitrate solutions were used throughout these experiments except when the effects of other anions were studied. It was found that sodium adsorption increased with sodium-ion concentration, but less rapidly than in proportion to it. Increasing hydrogen-ion concentration, or conversely decreasing hydroxyl-ion, brings about a comparatively slight decrease in sodium-ion adsorption. Increasing the concentration of cations other than hydrogen or sodium decreases somewhat the adsorption of sodium ion. It would appear as if the kind of anion is a secondary factor in guiding the amount of sodium ion that is adsorbed. Materials and Methods Quartz The quartz was prepared as in previous work in the Robert H. Richards Mineral Engineering Laboratory' except for the refinement of using de-ionized distilled water for the final washing of the sized quartz, prior to drying." To minimize the laborious preparation of quartz, experiments were made to determine .whether the sodium-covered quartz could be washed free of sodium and re-used. The experiments were successful as indicated by lack of Na" activity on the repurified material and by its characteristic sodium adsorption. Table I gives the spectrographic analyses of the quartz used. The quartz ranged from 16 to 40 microns in size, averaging about 23 microns (microscope measurement), and had a surface of 1850 sq cm per g (lot I), 2210 (lot 11) and 2000 (lot 111) as determined by the Bloecher method." Radioactive Sodium Method of Beta Counting for Adsorbed Sodium: Na22, the radioisotope of sodium, possesses convenient properties.' It has a half-life of 3 years, thus requiring no allowance for decay during an experiment. On decay it emits a 0.575 mev ß+ radiation and a 1.30 mev r radiation. The decay scheme is illustrated in the following equation: ß+ NaR-------'8'77NeZ2 3 years The /3 radiation is sufficiently strong to penetrate an end-window type of Geiger-Mueller counting tube. This, in turn, makes it possible to use external counting, a great advantage in technique. Furthermore, it permits the assaying of solids arranged in infinite thickness, while assaying evaporated liquors on standardized planchets. The equipment used was standard and similar to that employed by Chang.R The original active material was 1 ml of solution containing 1 millicurie of Na" as nitrate. This active solution was diluted to 1000 ml. Five milliliters of this diluted active solution was found to give a quartz sample a sufficiently high activity for accurate evaluation of the sodium partition in the adsorption measurements. Also, 1 ml of final solution gave a sufficiently high count for precision on the liquor analyses. The sodium concentration of the diluted active solution was 1.2 mg per liter, so that 6 mg of sodium for 60 ml of test solution and 12 g of quartz was the minimum amount used. The active solution was stored in a Saftepak bottle. Procedure for Adsorption Tests: The method consisted of agitating 12 g of quartz with 60 ml of solution of known sodium concentration for enough time to establish equilibrium between the solution and the quartz surface. The quartz was separated as completely as possible from the solution by filtering and centrifuging. The activity on the quartz and in the equilibrium solution was measured and the partition of the sodium was calculated from the resulting data. The detailed procedure for the adsorption test is set forth in a thesis by Laxen." In brief, it included the following steps: 1—Ascertainment of linearity between concentration of Na" and activity measured. 2—Evaluation of factor to translate activity on solid of infinite thickness in terms of activity on an evaporated active film of minute thickness, on the various shelves of the counter shield. 3—Taking precautions to avoid evaporation of water during centrifuging

Jan 1, 1953

By Harlowe Hardinge, R. C. Ferguson

Laboratory and plant data covering 12 different operations show that lower than "standard" ball mill speeds increase grinding efficiency. In the case of high pulp-level mills, the gain is so great that the increase in capital cost of the larger lower speed mill will pay for itself in less than a year's time.

Jan 11, 1950

By A. J. W. Headlee

RECENT interest in germanium centers around its use as a semi-conductor of electricity in electronic devices. It is generally believed that germanium transistors, diodes, triodes, photocells, and rectifiers will largely replace the present-day vacuum tubes. The germanium electronic devices are much smaller, lighter, and more resistant to shock, and they require only a small fraction of current required for conventional devices. Hence only a small amount of heat is given off by the equipment. This development will require many times the quantity of germanium now being produced, which in 1948 was approximately 1000 lb1 and was obtained almost entirely from zinc ores in Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma. No one knows with certainty what the demand will be for germanium by 1956. It may be 40,000 lb.1 Known concentrations in zinc ores are not sufficient to

Jan 10, 1953

By AIME AIME

EVER since his college days at the University of Iowa, the professional interest of Morris Morgan Leighton has centered on geology, and he now heads the State Geological Survey of Illinois. Just 52 years ago--on Aug. 4, 1887-he was born at Wellman, Iowa. He remained at the State university for his Master's degree, awarded in 1913. A two-year fellowship at the University of Chicago led to a Ph. D. degree, after which Dr. Leighton went out to Seattle as instructor in geology at the University of Washington during 1915-'16. He returned to Iowa as assistant professor of geology at Iowa State Teachers' College for a year, followed by another year at Seattle, after which he returned permanently to the Middle West, first as acting professor of geology at Ohio State and then, from 1919 to 1923, as assistant professor of geology at the University of Illinois and geologist for the Illinois Geological Survey. Of the latter organization he has been chief since 1923, with no present teaching duties. As a result of the successful work of the Survey, notably in non-metallics and in the initiation and stimulation of the recent oil activities in the southern part of the State, it is soon to have a new building with modern laboratory facilities.

Jan 1, 1939

By Edwin A. Zink, Gerald P. Zink, John E. Wolgamott

Recent advances in high-pressure water technology can be effectively employed in underground mining. The new equipment is based on standard industrial water cleaning hardware and is compatible with conventional mining techniques. Three viable applications are addressed: rock drilling, hole notching, and rock bolting. Highlights of test results are presented that were obtained in several underground mines during the last two years of development work.

Jan 1, 1982

By Eugene P. Pfleider

RECENT interest in germanium centers around its use as a semi-conductor of electricity in electronic devices. It is generally believed that germanium transistors, diodes, triodes, photocells, and rectifiers will largely replace the present-day vacuum tubes. The germanium electronic devices are much smaller, lighter, and more resistant to shock, and they require only a small fraction of current required for conventional devices. Hence only a small amount of heat is given off by the equipment. This development will require many times the quantity of germanium now being produced, which in 1948 was approximately 1000 lb' and was obtained almost entirely from zinc ores in Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma. No one knows with certainty what the demand will be for ger-manium by 1956. It may be 40,000 lb.1 Known concentrations in zinc ores are not sufficient to

Jan 1, 1954

By John E. Caffrey

The Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969, Title III, Interim Mandatory Safety Standards for Underground Coal Mines, is devoted to protection of workmen from hazards of electricity, roof, ribs, fire, and explosions. The Rules and Regulations, promulgated through the Federal Register, provide the criteria by which the law would be administered. Certain aspects of the law involve features that could be summarized under entrapment. These are sections 303 (y)(1), (y)(2) and 317 (f) (4). This paper is intended through the use of the figures to describe how these features of the law affect mine ventilation design, what are the problems, and possible solutions to them.

Jan 1, 1974

By H. N. Eavenson

In a discussion in the Transactions of the Institute (vol. Xl, page 835 et seq.) the writer gave some data about the explosions of gas and dust in the coal mines of the United States, Canada, and Mexico…

Jan 1, 1915

By A. M. Gaudin

THIS paper presents, with the help of colored photomicrographs, the new method of mineral identification termed "selective iridescent filming." This method pertains to the field of determinative mineralogy, which it provides with tools for: (1) phase identification, (2) solid solution analysis. The method should be particularly useful in the applied fields of: (1) paragenesis of ore deposits, (2) mineral dressing, (3) mineral synthesis and study of phase equilibria.

Jan 1, 1938

By Philip B. Bucky

FIFTEEN papers were presented at the Monday and Tuesday joint sessions of the Industrial Minerals Division and Society of Economic Geologists, covering beryl, mica, wollastonite, magnesium resources, exploration for pegmatite mineral deposits, rutile, properties and uses of phosphates, and a general survey of nonmetallic minerals and their war uses.

Jan 1, 1944

By Bezalel C. Haimson

Anna, Ohio, at the junction of Cincinnati, Findlay and Kankakee arches, has been the site of repeated and sometimes damaging earthquakes. As part of a seismicity investigation near-surface (0.15-1 m depth) overcoring strain measurements were conducted in four limestone and dolomite quarries surrounding Anna, the results of which suggest a complicated regional stress pattern, with changes in the maximum horizontal stress direction from N45ºE to N15ºW. Since such abrupt stress fluctuations are rather atypical in the Midwest and since the reliability of near-surface tests in defining regional stress had not been established, we decided to remeasure the stresses at the same locations but at greater depths (0-200 m) using the hydrofracturing method. Owing to the weak horizontal bedding planes of the Silurian shaly limestones and shaly dolomites and the relatively shallow depths, many of the tests yielded horizontal fractures, providing information only on the vertical principal stress (-0.029 MPa/m depth). However, sufficient tests in each of three testholes resulted in vertical hydrofractures to enable the calculation of all three principal stresses. Within 50-170 m depth the horizontal stresses in all three quarries appear to belong to a uniform regional Stress field defined by the following relations: [']Hmin = 5.1 + 0.014 D; [0] Hmax = 10.1 + 0.014 D, where D is depth in meters. The direction of [O]Hmax within 50-170 m depth is uniform at N70°E (±15º). The hydro- fracturing results obtained at Anna, Ohio are in agreement with the prevailing stress regime in the midcontinent both with respect to magnitudes and directions. The results suggest a possible thrust mechanism for a proposed NW-SE fault along which most of the earthquake epicenters have been located, and a left lateral strike-slip at greater depths. The focal mechanism solution of a recent major earthquake near Sharpsburg, Kentucky, some 200 km south of Anna, also indicates strike-

Jan 1, 1982