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By N. O. Johnson

The Hog Mountain mine is a pyritic-gold property in the north central part of Tallapoosa County, Alabama, at an elevation of 800 ft. in the southern Appalachian region. It is 13 miles by a good secondary road from Alexander City, a station on the Central of Georgia Railroad. Since its discovery in 1839, the mine has been worked intermittently. The records of past operations are few and are scattered over a long period of time; however, available information indicates a production of approximately 12,000 oz. of gold prior to the present company's activities, which started in 1933. Additional 7844 oz. has been produced under the direction of the present management. The ore from stopes has averaged 0.200 oz. gold per ton; the ore from development, 0.136 oz. gold per ton. Silver, copper, iron and sulphur are also present but to date are of minor importance. The grade of ore in comparatively narrow veins makes necessary extreme vigilance in the methods of mining. Geology Wall Rock.—Hog Mountain consists of a quartz-diorite intrusion approximately 5000 ft. long by 1200 ft. wide. Its resistance to weathering, as compared to the surrounding schists, has led to the formation of a conspicuous ridge rising 400 ft. above the adjacent country. All the mining operations are confined within the limits of this quartz-diorite formation. Except where there is excessive shearing, either parallel or at flat angles to the quartz veins, all the walls of the stopes within the limits of the veins are strong enough to make timbering unnecessary. Where shearing exists, there may be a sloughing off of the walls, especially in the process of drawing the ore. When this occurs, stulls are placed in the stope, either while the stope is advancing, or while ore is being drawn from a completed stope. In general, very little timber is required. Veins.—The quartz veins have been deposited along fracture planes in the quartz diorite. There are 20 principal veins, all of which are roughly parallel and strike at right angles to the long axis of the formation.

Jan 1, 1937

By A. W. Hahn

ALTHOUGH enormous tonnages of sulfide lead and lead-silver ores are treated by flotation, the products of flotation mills treating oxidized ores of lead and silver are almost negligible. However, each year there is a slight tonnage increase, and it is possible, should a sizeable oxidized lead ore tonnage be developed, the field will become an important one. In 1918, the Shattuck-Arizona Copper Co. erected a plant at Warren, Ariz., for the treatment of oxidized gold-silver-lead ores. Glenn L. Allen worked out the metallurgy for this plant, employing tabling, followed by flotation concentration. The Shattuck-Denn Mining Co., successors to the Shattuck-Arizona Co., now employs straight flotation in the same mill, treating about 200 tons daily. In 1922, the San Diego mill of the American Smelting & Refining Co., in the Parral district, Chihuahua, Mexico, started operating a 600-ton mill on a mixed sulfide-oxide gold-silver-lead ore. Tables and flotation are used here, and about 200 tons of oxidized slime treated by flotation. In 1923, the Eureka Holly Mining Co. started operating a 90-ton mill at Eureka, Nev., using tables and flotation, on an oxidized lead-silver ore. In 1924, the American Smelting & Refining Co. started a 250-ton mill in northern Peru, to treat a high-grade oxidized gold-silver ore with very low lead values. In 1924, the Grand Central Mining Co. started a 200-ton flotation mill on old oxidized gold-silver-lead tailings at Fairbank, Ariz. In 1926, the Compania Internacional Minera, a subsidiary of the Union Corporation of London, started a 250-ton flotation mill on oxidized lead-silver ores, and during April of this year, the Phelps-Dodge Corpn. will probably start a 250-ton mill at Warren, Ariz., on oxidized lead-silver ores, similar to those being treated in the Shattuck-Denn mill. METHODS All of these mills use sodium sulfide for filming the oxide minerals, with the possible exception of the North Peru mill, and all use oily reagents. The total tonnage of strictly oxidized lead-silver ores concentrated by flotation is probably less than 2500 tons daily. The following figures give the various types of ores being treated:

Jan 1, 1928

By W. P. Haseman

The well method of producing oil and gas is universally used in the development and operation of oil and gas properties. It consists essentially in the spacing of a number of wells on a given tract, and in drilling and operating them in accordance with established practices. The method is based on a fundamental energy principle. This principle governs the state and the change of state of fluids or fluid mixtures confined under pressure within a porous and permeable reservoir in such a way as to direct a flow from the reservoir into and out of a drilled well with a reduction of potential energy. The application of the well method of producing oil has given data which prove that the total yield of oil from a reservoir through wells is, in general, only a small fractional part of the total oil that is contained in the reservoir. It is generally recognized that a spacing of one well to each 160-acre tract of any good oil pool is too wide. However, one well to this 160-acre tract will yield a large quantity of oil and in time will dissipate most, if not all, of the potential energy that was originally stored and retained in the fluids by pressure. Two wells spaced and drilled on this 160-acre tract would yield approximately twice the quantity of oil, while four wells would yield approximately four times the oil. A well spacing is soon reached, with the addition of wells to this 160-acre tract, in which the drainage interference of offset wells will materially affect the yield of oil per well. The increased yield of oil, therefore, is not directly proportional to the added number of wells but the increased costs of development are directly proportional to the added number of wells. It is evident that while an added number of wells to this 160-acre tract yields an increased quantity of oil, there is an economic limit to the number of wells to be added. The yield of oil and the costs of development and operation are of such a nature, and are so related, that

Jan 1, 1930

By A. W. Hahn

Although enormous tonnages of sulfide lead and lead-silver ores are treated by flotation, the products of flotation mills treating oxidized ores of lead and silver are almost negligible. However, each year there is a slight tonnage increase, and it is possible, should a sizeable oxidized lead ore tonnage be developed, the field will become an important one. In 1918, the Shattuck-Arizona Copper Co. erected a plant at Warren, Ariz., for the treatment of oxidized gold-silver-lead ores. Glenn L. Allen worked out the metallurgy for this plant, employing tabling, followed by flotation concentration. The Shattuck-Denn Mining Co., successors to the Shattuck-Arizona Co., now employs straight flotation in the same mill, treating about 200 tons daily. In 1922, the San Diego mill of the American Smelting & Refining Co., in the Parral district, Chihuahua, Mexico, started operating a 600-ton mill on a mixed sulfide-oxide gold-silver-lead ore. Tables and flotation are used here, and about 200 tons of oxidized slime treated by flotation. In 1923, the Eureka Holly Mining Co. started operating a 90-ton mill at Eureka, Nev., using tables and flotation, on an oxidized lead-silver ore. In 1924, the American Smelting & Refining Co, started a 250-ton mill in northern Peru, to treat a high-grade oxidized gold-silver ore with very low lead values. In 1924, the Grand Central Mining Co. started a 200-ton flotation mill on old oxidized gold-silver-lead tailings at Fairbank, Ariz. In 1926, the Compania Internacional Minera, a subsidiary of the Union Corporation of London, started a 250-ton flotation mill on oxidized lead-silver ores, and during April of this year, the Phelps-Dodge Corpn. will probably start a 250-ton mill at Warren, Ariz., on oxidized lead-silver ores, similar to those being treated in the Shattuck-Denn mill. Methods All of these mills use sodium sulfide for filming the oxide minerals, with the possible exception of the North Peru mill, and all use oily reagents. The total tonnage of strictly oxidized lead-silver ores concentrated by flotation is probably less than 2500 tons daily. The following figures give the various types of ores being treated:

Jan 1, 1928

By F. W. Sperr

The byproduct coke oven is the most important artificial source of fuels for metals melting. Its products are solid, liquid, and gaseous in form. The amount of coke and primary byproducts obtained per ton of coal varies with the nature of the coal. The following represents the results obtained in many plants: Metallurgical coke (over 3/4 in.).............................. 69 per cent. of coal Domestic coke (1/2 to 3/4 in.)................................ 2 per cent. of coal Breeze (under 1/2 in.)...................................... 4 per cent. of coal Surplus gas, cubic feet per net ton........................... 6600 Gas for heating ovens, cubic feet per net tor i................. 4400 Tar, gallons per net ton.................................... 9 Ammonium sulfate, pounds per net ton....................... 25 Benzols, gallolls per net ton................................. 4 All of these products, except ammonium sulfate, have important fuel value. Part or all of the metallurgical coke may be crushed or screened to furnish additional domestic coke. If producer gas is used, there will be a surplus of 11,000 cu. ft. of coke-oven gas per net ton of coal. The use of coke in the metallurgical industries has been retarded by the mental attitude of writers who disregard the dependence of coke quality on the conditions of its manufacture. Terms like "byproduct coke," ('beehive coke," "48-hour coke," and "72-hour coke" are only generally descriptive and tell nothing of the coke quality. For example, one writeri stated that in brass-foundry practice, Connellsville coke is considered rnuch superior to byproduct coke on account of the high sulfur content of the latter. Another2 says, "At equal prices for hard Connellsville coke and for byproduct coke at the foundry door, the hard coke is unquestionably cheaper. It will melt more metal per ton than the byproduct coke and requires less labor, as the byproduct coke is less dense and burns faster, thus requiring more frequent firing." A little study of the conditions under which coke is manufactured will show the error in making general statements like these. The percentage of sulfur in coke depends largely on that in the original coal, and byproduct coke from a

Jan 1, 1921

By Horace Winchell

IT IS OFTEN interesting to look backward and review the world's progress in any line of human endeavor. Our pride is flattered by our achieve-ments and our imagination stimulated by the compari-son between our present productivity and prosperity and those of the relatively unenlightened days of our recent ancestors. We love to reflect on the progress of the last quarter of a century in the art of metallurgy, in. the production and consumption of the various metals and minerals which constitute the basis of our industrial and commercial supremacy. We dwell complacently on the figures which prove that we are the world's leader in nearly all departments of mining and that our production of necessary minerals over-shadows that of other countries. We recall the days when it was considered the proper thing, if not indeed indispensable, to go abroad for the rounding out of a mining engineer's education. We had no mining schools equal to those of Germany. Our schools of technology were elementary and their equipment limited. RISE OF AMERICAN MINING SCHOOLS Now we point with true American pride to institutions which, are unsurpassed in all the world in their standard of efficiency. We know full well that the American engineer is in demand in many foreign parts and when we read recent scientific treatises published abroad we are amazed to find them unfamiliar with many of the more advanced ideas which have here already come to be an everyday part of our professional knowledge and equipment. Blessed with a country of unrivalled natural resources, dwelling in a latitude whose climate is most conducive to enterprise, peopled with races of inventive and organizing genius with equality of individual opportunity, our industries have grown and expanded until our output has reached staggering proportions and the draft upon our mineral reserves is appalling. Coupled with this development has arisen a demand for engineers which has brought into our schools of technical science larger and larger numbers of young men whose imagination has been stimulated by the success of their predecessors who happened to be contemporary elements in the recent industrial expansion and prosperity.

Jan 1, 1923

By R. E. H. Pomeroy

THE statistical data given in this paper are taken from the actual performance of the No. 2 reverberatory furnace of the Nevada Consolidated Copper Co., Me Gill, Nev., for a period of four months, from April to July, 1914. The principal furnace dimensions are: Length, 132 ft. ½ in. at the skim-line level; average width, 18 ft., 10 in. at the skim-line level. The roof is 7 ft. above the skim-line level at the firing end. The average area in the uptake flue is 36 sq. ft., and the area above the skim line under the vulcatory arch is 24.3 sq. ft. Fig. 1 shows a diagrammatic plan and sectional elevation of this furnace. The furnace is equipped with two 400-b.h.p. Stirling waste-heat boilers set in parallel. California crude petroleum is used for fuel and has a specific gravity of 16.5° B., flashing in open test at 199° F. The oil is heated to about 200° F. in a steam heater before going to the burners, requiring about 9 b.h.p. per furnace day to heat it from the line temperature to the burning temperature. Measurement is made by oil meter, checked daily by reservoir readings. The oil is fed by gravity (34 lb. static pressure) to seven low-pressure blast burners of the Steptoe type (Fig. 2). The blast for these burners is supplied at about 40-oz. pressure by a motor-driven Connersville blower of 42 cu. ft. capacity per revolution. The air supplied by the blower through the burners for atomizing the oil amounts to about 10 per cent. of the theoretical air necessary for complete combustion of the oil. The remainder of the necessary air enters the furnace through the burner openings in the firing wall. No checker holes are provided, and the charge holes in the roof are equipped with slide gates and "dog houses? to minimize air leakages. The combustion of the fuel, as shown by gas analysis at the front of the furnace, is practically complete, the carbon monoxide in the gases being less than 0.5 per cent.

Jan 2, 1915

By Arthur F. Wendt

IN 1697 King William the Third granted unto his well-beloved subject Adolph Philipse, a certain tract of land, now known as Putnam County, N. Y. At the death of Adolph Philipse the land descended by inheritance to his nephew, Frederick Philipse. In 1751 his surviving three children partitioned the surface into nine parcels and divided them equally amongst themselves, but reserved the mineral rights which they held in common. Thus, at this early period in the history of the colonies, the existence of valuable deposits of iron-ores in Putnam County seems to have been a matter of common knowledge. Yet it is only within the last five years that the county has become a prominent, producer of iron-ore. Desultory mining had been carried on before that period at the Sump, Croft, arid Tilly Foster mines, but only a limited output was achieved, and few of our iron-masters suspected the existence of an abundance of good ores only forty miles from New York harbor. The accompanying map shows the location of those deposits of ore which are now generally known, and have been worked to considerable extent. Without doubt there are many more still awaiting the miner's pick, for no systematic exploration has ever been attempted within the borders of the county. Geologically, the occurrence of the ore is a counterpart of that of the New Jersey and Lake Champlain magnetites. The countryrock, and even the physical geography, are identical. Many small lakes dot the surface of the county. It is from these and their tributary springs and streams that the metropolis derives its farfamed Croton water. Abrupt hills divide the lakes and ponds. Some of the lakes, notably Lake Mahopac, are on the crest of hills, and are fed by subterraneous springs. The prominent mines of the county, in the order of their productiveness, are the Tilly Foster, Mahopac, Croton Magnetic, Sump, Croft, and Island mines. Of these, the first two are at present the only producers, and are quite exceptional in their nature. In fact they are the only ones of their kind in the Appalachian range, if not in the world.

Jan 1, 1885

By Thomas F. Downing

When examining a coal property it is customary for the engineer to take channel samples at several coal faces. In doing so the extraneous matter, or partings, which can be removed by hand, or mechanically, with the facilities at hand, or proposed, is rejected. Where there is doubt concerning a stratum it is usually rejected from the main sample but part is taken for separate analysis. The samples are forwarded to a chemist for proximate analyses and determination of British thermal units, and, sometimes, ash fusion. Consideration is given all available commercial analyses but frequently the owner presents only the favorable ones. From the results thus obtained a general evaluation is made, monies are loaned or expended, markets are determined, and realization is estimated. In many instances, such grades are not substantiated and it is time we looked deeper for a basis which will prove more practical. Institute committees are working hard on analytic and use classifications and much valuable information has already been assembled and distributed. However, no single grade can be applied to any particular bed or region. Much study has been given the Pittsburgh No. 8 seam, yet that bed is subject to material differences in a single section;i. e., some strata of a face may differ from others in structure and analysis, particularly in sulfur content. From some localities it yields a good carbonization fuel, while in others it is chemically unfit for such use. Traveling south to the Logan, W. Va., field we find the Cedar Grove (Island Creek) seam a hard, gray splint coal., In the same field, and not far distant, the same bed changes, both structurally and chemically, and consists of excellent gas coal. In Illinois the moisture content of a bed may vary greatly in different localities. We have seen mines in which part of the coal is excellent for special purpose use but is spoiled by the product from another part of the same mine. Many other illustrations could be given but these are sufficient to show that application of any grading of coal must be distinctly local. The actual designation of grade can be given only after detail study of the component parts of the seam, or seams, on the property under considera-

Jan 1, 1932

By L. O. Howard

The practice of using acid-lined converters at the plant of the Old Dominion, Copper Mining & Smelting Co. was discontinued early in January, 1913, and replaced by basic-lined converters. The new equipment consists of one electrically operated 12-ft. upright converter stand and two basic-lined shells for same. These shells are provided with twenty-four 1 1/4-in. tuyeres. The mouths are 5 ft. in diameter. Owing to the fact that there is no bedding system or other large storage capacity between the mine and the smelter, the furnaces must handle as fast as produced ore and concentrates, which may vary considerably from day to day, both in tonnage and copper content. Consequently the converter is often crowded to its utmost capacity by the frequent fluctuations in the daily matte supply. From the foregoing, it will be seen that in no way can the 'converter be favored by running light charges or by transferring to it from other stands in operation. Neither can it regularly be allowed to cool between blows, and only occasionally can it be run at as low a temperature as might be wished. No copper precipitate or other foreign material high in copper is available to help out the tonnage. Repairs and alterations or the removal of defective tuyeres must wait until such time as a slight falling off in.the matte supply allows the converting operations to ease up. These variable conditions all combine to interfere with the systematic operating of the converter. The first 12-ft. shell was blown in on Jan. 6, 1913, and ran until June 27, 1913, when it was removed to patch the brick. A record of operations covering this period follows: Shell No. 1. First Campaign, Jan. 6,to June 27, 1913 Commenced blowing............................Jan. 6, 1913. Taken off stand for patching.....................June 27, 1913. Total blowing time..........................2,689 hr. 40 min. Total number of, blows made.............................. 664 Average time of blow............................ 4 hr. 3 min. Tons matte charged.................................. 18,157 Average copper content of matte................ 43.9 per cent. Average time blowing one ton. copper................ 22.5 min. Total copper made............................... 7,250 tons

Jan 1, 1915

By Frank H. Kneeland

Safety First is a popular motto—most mining companies have adopted it. It is probable, however, that in the majority of cases it is only a motto and gets no further than the office stationery or the bulletin board at the mine's entrance. In but few industries is there employed a greater diversity of machinery and mechanical devices than in coal mining. The list ranges all the tray from mechanical stokers to wood-working machinery and undercutters. Many of these devices, particularly those employed in wood working, are extremely dangerous. In 1913,23 per cent. of all fatalities occurring in coal mining in the U. S. were caused by machinery of some sort or other. Although the forms of accidents occurring with mining machinery are legion, they generally arise from one or more of five causes: (a) Falls from ladders, platforms, etc.; (b) coming in contact with moving machines or parts thereof; (c) electric shocks; (d) failure of some machine part; (e) mismanipulation of valves, levers, switches or other hand-operated controlling devices. The steps which may be taken to prevent accidents from the above causes are almost as numerous as the accidents themselves. There is, and can be, no panacea for all mishaps, nor for any one class of accidents. There is no mathematical or other formula that will bring immunity under any set of conditions. Common sense is the only guide. The remedy for the first-named class of accidents is simple and generally effective—namely, make the staging, ladder, platform, or other support, abundantly strong to carry any possible weight that it may be called upon to bear; provide ample railings on platforms or runways, and non-slipping feet on movable ladders. Coming in contact with moving machine parts is one of the greatest dangers met with in the operation and maintenance of mining machinery. Unfortunately, machine manufacturers have not as a class adopted the idea of thoroughly protecting and incasing the dangerous parts of their product. No one has, or should have, a better or more thorough knowledge of what the dangerous parts or elements of a machine may be than its builder. The desire to construct a piece of mechanism as cheaply as

Jan 1, 1915

By George Stone

THE method of making oxide of zinc direct from the ore was invented and developed at the works of The New Jersey Zinc Co. at Newark in the middle of the last century. The process was invented by Burrows, who had not the ability, financial or technical, to work out the details necessary to make it of commercial value. This was done by Col. Wetherill, whose name is commonly attached to this process. The, grate bars used are also frequently called Wetherill grates, which is a misnomer because they were in common use for boiler firing at the time and he never claimed their invention. The invention of the process was due to the efforts of The New Jersey Zinc Co. to find a profitable means of working the ores from Franklin and Sterling Hill, N. J. These are a mixture of franklinite, willemite and zincite, containing about 20 per cent. of zinc. The first attempts were to make spelter, which were not successful, owing to the low grade of the ore and the fusibility of the residue. Failing in this, the next attempt was to make oxide in large muffles and reverberatory furnaces. This succeeded, although the cost of operation was high, the recovery low, and the quality of the product uncertain. In 1855, the new process was patented and has been in successful operation ever since. Essentially, the process is to spread a mixture of coal and ore on a body of burning coal on a perforated grate and blow an excess of air through the grate. The zinc is reduced in contact with the coal, volatilizes and burned by the excess of air in the upper part off the furnace and in the flues. It is then carried to the hag rooms by the excess air and products of combustion which are forced through the flues by fans. In its main features, the process is the same today as at the time of its invention, but the details have been so modified that it would hardly be recognized by its originators.

Jan 9, 1917

J. A. MATHEWS, ? Syracuse, N. Y. (written discussion§).-This paper by Prof. Hoyt, together with the papers by Messrs. Jeffries, Clayton, Rawson, and Moore, submitted at this meeting, constitute a valuable symposium on what might be called the "mechanism of failures." Prof. Hoyt has not emphasized too strongly the importance of the notched-bar test, or the notch as a feature of a structural design. There has been a good deal of misunderstanding in reference to the value of the notched-bar test, and various vibratory tests such as the Wohler, White-Souther, Stanton, and Upton-Lewis have been devised. This form of testing has received more attention abroad than it has here, and has been the subject of a great many very careful investigations. I have heard many expressions of surprise at the apparent lack of agreement between the results of vibratory tests and the results of shock tests. It is not necessary that the values obviously should agree, because obviously different properties are being tested. In reference to the presence of notches or sharp corners in the construe tion of machines or parts, would say that these more frequently lead to fatigue failures than to typical notch-bar failures clue to sudden impact. I have seen a number of airplane crankshafts that had apparently failed due to a keyway that was left with fairly sharp angles at the bottom. The material satisfactorily responded to every test, including the notched-bar test, nevertheless the shafts failed, showing a fatigue break, usually spiral and sometimes making at least one complete turn around the shaft. The lack of concordance between supposedly duplicate notched-bar tests in my experience has been most often due to lack of care in the machining of the test piece itself. Prof. Hoyt draws attention to a report of Charpy in 1909, in which two steels of almost identical physical properties show very different results in the notched-bar test. He states that the microstructure at once showed that one steel was in poorer condition than the other. More recent experience has shown other cases of this kind where not even the microstructure serves to reveal any startling differences in structure.

Jan 4, 1919

By M. Muskat, H. G. Botset

Any information that will increase the accuracy of our knowledge of the conditions prevailing in petroleum reservoirs should be of direct value in the determination of the proper operating technique as well as in the estimation of reserves and of ultimate production. The obvious method of obtaining this information is by studying a sample of the reservoir rock and its contents. In any such study, the problem of primary importance and maximum difficulty is that of getting the core to the surface in such a manner that its original fluid content is undisturbed, which has so far proved to be an impossible task. Though it might be rash to say this will never be done, it is certainly safe to assume that a, method for the recovery of a core at the surface in its undisturbed original state may not be developed in the immediate future, and certainly will not be forthcoming without a great deal of costly experimentation. Therefore any information that may be obtained that will help to correlate the state of a core (its fluid saturation) at the surface with its condition at the time it was drilled should be of value to the petroleum industry. The experiments described in this paper were undertaken with the purpose of determining, if possible, any relationship that might exist between the saturation of a core at the surface and its original fluid content. No consideration has been given to the question of contamination by penetration of drilling water, since this problem has been extensively studied by other investigators.1-3 Furthermore, it was regarded as outside the scope of these experiments, which were concerned only with the effect of pressure reduction upon the liquid content of cores. In an experimental study of this sort involving a large number of variables, accurate control of all factors is very important. The essential and obvious procedure is to vary systematically one factor or condition while keeping all the others constant, which necessarily involves a rather protracted and sometimes tedious experimental program. The procedure adopted was essentially very simple, and consisted merely in filling a given core with fluid (gas and oil, gas and water, or

Jan 1, 1939

By W. K. Lewis, Lombard Squires, W. I. Thompson

The authors presented an article2† last year on colloidal properties of clay suspensions in which they attempted to sustain the position that the behavior of clay suspensions is due primarily to the mechanical interference of the platy particles, the nature and extent of the interference being profoundly influenced by the character of the surfaces of the particles, which in turn is determined primarily by the nature and amount of adsorbed foreign materials held on the surface of the particles by forces which are predominantly chemical in type. The following discussion is a continuation of that article to extend these same interpretative points of view to the behavior of clay gels. Insight into the mechanism of gelation is certainly of outstanding importance in the handling of drilling muds. In the former article it was suggested that the thin, flat plates that constitute the ultimate clay particles may build up aggregates by the overlapping of the ultimate plates face to face much longer and perhaps also much wider than the ultimate plates themselves, but not appreciably thicker. Exhaustive microscopic examinations of characteristic clays show no tendency for the larger particles, clearly visible under the microscope, to orient themselves in this way. It is true that the gelation of the clays is due primarily to the smallest particles, unresolvable other than by the ultramicroscope, so that the possibility of the deve1opment by them of an overlapping structure is not excluded. Furthermore, as one approaches the limit of resolving power of the microscope, the difficulty of observing accurately the shapes and relative positions of particles incresses excessively. However, in the absence of any observable tendency toward overlapping orientation of the large, visible particles, one hesitates to ascribe such a tendency to the smaller particles beyond the range of visibility. Should it develop that one must exclude the assumption of overlapping orientation, the explanations offered in the previous article are changed in only one respect; namely, one would now have to assume that the ultimate particles themselves have length, and probably also width, very large in comparison with their thickness.

Jan 1, 1936

By R. G. Knickerbocker

The copper smelter and refinery of The Messina (Transvaal) Development Co. Ltd., at Messina, South Africa, was erected in 1920 and 1921, but initial operations were deferred until late in 1922 on account of the collapse of the copper market in the interim. Because the anticipated production was to be only 20 tons of copper per day from a high-grade matte containing 60 per cent copper, and because the ore did not contain gold or silver in quantities sufficient to pay for separation from the copper bullion, it was decided to design the plant along lines quite different from the modern smelteries treating large quantities of sulfide ores carrying appreciable amounts of gold and silver. The plant was built, therefore, for the production of copper by the Nicholls-James process. By this method two-thirds of the copper matte produced was roasted in a Merton calciner and charged into a bath of the remaining one-third portion of unroasted matte in a reaction furnace. The original design was not only novel in providing for the Nicholls-James process, but also in comparison with new plants built elsewhere, because of factors inherent in the locality. Sources of supply for machinery were very remote; it takes three months after the placing of an order to accomplish delivery of machinery into Messina from the United States. Native labor was available at 30 to 40¢ per 8-hr. shift. These factors permitted plant design which provided no overhead cranes, no matte ladles, no slag pots or other usual mechanical means of transportation between departments. The design resulted in a compact simple plant with furnaces arranged close together and terraced so as to provide for gravity transfer of molten material from one furnace to another and for manual disposal of products. Fig. 1 shows the relative location of furnaces. The three furnaces are parallel on successively decreasing elevations. A superimposed feed floor was provided above the furnaces. All three furnaces were provided with coal-dust burners served from a Bonnot system of coal-dust transportation, and the waste gases were discharged into waste-heat boilers. A short trial of the Nicholls-James process developed several facts which brought about a decision to abandon the process. Owing to the

Jan 1, 1934

By John Furness Park

The mining district is located in the northeasterly part of Nevada, between the Jarbidge River on the west and the East Fork of the Jarbidge on the east. The northern boundary of the district is but a few miles south of the Idaho state line—the gold-bearing area extending from this point south, for 5 or 6 miles. • The Jarbidge Mountains, in which the ore deposits occur, range from 5000 to 11,000 ft. in elevation, the most important mines being situated about 7000 ft. or higher. The town of Jarbidge lies along the Jarbidge River and is reached by stage from Rogerson, Ida., the nearest railroad point. During the summer months, the camp may be entered from the south by way of Deeth, Nev., but no regular transportation facilities are available over this route. History The mineral deposits were not discovered until 1909, when D. A. Bourne, panning along the river bank, found gold in. the gravel at the mouth of a small stream flowing into the Jarbidge. He prospected in the vicinity of this stream, later known as Bourne Gulch, and shortly after located the North Star claims. During the following spring and summer (1910), the camp of Jarbidge grew from nothing to a town of 2000 people and the hills surrounding it were practically all taken up by mining claims. Most of the work done during the first year or two consisted of trenching and open-cut prospecting. Tunneling was started on a number of claims and many veins were uncovered. Mills were built and operated on a few properties, notably the Pavlak and the North Star. These ran only a few months, however, when they were closed down because of extraction and financial difficulties. A period of development followed in which the majority of the present producing mines were opened. The Elkoro Mines Co. acquired a number of claims in 1915 and started work on the present mill in 1917. Since that time other properties have been taken over until this company is by far the largest operator in the district. Only one other company is now actively engaged in mining, the Bluster Mining & Milling Co., which has

Jan 1, 1925

By F. W. Davis

This paper deals in a general way with certain of the necessary requirements of refractories for the open-hearth furnace. The refractories in common use for the different parts are discussed both as to the service they are giving and their suitability to withstand existing chemical, thermal and physical requirements. The relation between the service and allowable cost of a refractory is discussed and suggestions are requested on these points. The purpose of this paper is not to report, to the Institute, the results so far obtained in the survey, by the Bureau of Mines, of the metallurgical requirements for open-hearth refractories, but to present an outline that we hope will serve as a basis for discussion. The systematic survey that the Bureau proposes to make has not been outlined, although considerable preliminary work has been done in the way of interviewing open-hearth superintendents in several of the larger steel plants from the Chicago district eastward. At the several conferences so many of the opinions were diametrically opposite, when considering the same point, that it was thought that such an opportunity as the Institute offers in the way of a clearing house for moot metallurgical topics should not be overlooked. For this reason, the paper has been prepared as a basis for a discussion which, it is believed, will be of value in outlining the program of the Bureau. D. A. LYON, Assistant Director. THE importance of securing suitable refractories for metallurgical operations is daily becoming more universally recognized; particularly in the manufacture of open-hearth steel, where the life and earning power of the furnace depends largely on the judgment and care exercised in the selection of the correct quality of refractory for each of the parts. Any innovation that would make available to the steel manufacturers refractories with longer life or better suited to their needs than those now employed, and at a cost that would permit of their use, would be of enormous value to the industry at large. It is quite probable that revolutionary changes would not be necessary. Material now used in some parts of

Jan 3, 1924

By John L. Boardman

THE Anaconda company has never indulged in any employee activities at Butte which might be termed paternalistic, but it has exerted a vast amount of effort in care of its employees during working hours. The reason for this policy is not lack of interest or that the company does not feel the effect of employees' activities while they are "off the job"; it is that the company and the city of Butte have grown up together and each has been adequate in its own sphere, the company in providing employment at the highest possible wage and the city in providing housing, sanitation, commercial services, medical services, schools, churches, amusements and entertainments. The one exception to this independence between the company and the community is the Butte Water Co., which is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Anaconda Copper Mining Co. Mention of this relationship is made here because the water supply of such a city as Butte is one of the principal factors in determining the health of the people. Very early in the development of the Anaconda company an adequate and dependable water supply for the operations became necessary, therefore the company took over this important community function. So well has this activity worked out that during the whole period of time covered, in which the company has expanded to become practically the sole mine operator and the community has grown from a small mining camp to the status of a modern city, there has been no shortage of water or any outbreak of water-borne, epidemic disease. CONDITIONS LEADING TO ORGANIZED SAFETY EFFORT A brief sketch of conditions in Butte prior to 1912 is necessary to an understanding of the reasons for placing accident prevention on an organized basis. As early as the year 1884 there were a large number of small independent mining operations depending principally upon the production of silver, although even then copper was becoming prominent in the value of total production for the district. The Butte camp was then just emerging from the log cabin stage to that of a modern city.

Jan 1, 1938

By H. Herbert Hughes

THE trend in modern building construction is definitely toward the use of weight-reducing materials. The basic advantage of lighter structural weight is obvious; reduction of dead load with retention of equivalent strength affords the possibility of increasing the live load, or if this is not desirable or necessary it makes feasible a reduction in size of structural steel members and corresponding savings in other phases of construction. Among the weight-reducing materials and practices rapidly gaining favor are the use of light-weight patented insulating board to replace back-up tile or units, particularly in home construction; introduction of aluminum alloys to replace steel for many purposes; manufacture of porous brick, the use of which materially reduces the weight of masonry walls and partitions; and the use of self-rising vesicular concrete, diatomite and sawdust tile, porous gypsum, or gypsum tile for nonload-bearing partitions and walls. Even building accessories are being designed to save weight and space; one of the most striking examples of this is improved radiator construction. Concrete technique is keeping pace with the rest of the industry. Burned shale aggregates now available in many sections of the country will make concrete weighing only 100 lb. per cubic foot, saving roughly 35 per cent. in weight and sacrificing none of the strength of a rock-sand mix. It may be more expensive, but actual experience has shown that the saving in dead load will effect a reduction in structural steel which in many instances will more than offset the increased cost of the aggregate. The vesicular nature of most light-weight aggregates gives the concrete especially good insulating, fireproofing and soundproofing properties; yet absorption is comparatively low. Strangely enough, however, the increased use of light-weight aggregates appears to have augmented the demand for ordinary aggregates in concrete construction rather than to have decreased it. Light-weight aggregates have widened the field for concrete structures and, since the producers do not attempt to recommend the use of their material except where weight or other special properties are important factors, impetus- has been given to sales of other aggregates.

Jan 1, 1931