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Edward Halse, Puerto Berrio, Colombia, S. A. (communication to the Secretary): I have read with much pleasure the interesting and valuable paper by Mr. Kunz, and hope that the following brief notes, gathered a few years ago, while a resident in Mexico City, may help to elucidate the subjcct: Turquoise.—This was known to the Aztecs as Xihuitl. Santiago Ramirez states that they found it in the Cerro Xicohtzonc, close to Atzcapatzalco, a suburb of the City of Mexico (compare page 59). Opal.—This was known to the ancient Mexicans, for they named it mezcuitlatt (compare page 63). Jade.—Under this was iucluded a third mineral, prehnite, not mentioned by Mr. Kunz. According to James D. Dana, part of the "jade " of China is prehnite; and Humboldt informs us, in his work on New Spain, that the same species of jade is known in some parts of Mexico as mahagua (majagua ?). The same writer says, in his Views of the Cordilleras, that the Aztec name Tecpatl included flint, hornstone, and green jade; and finally, in his Travels in South America," he discusses the nature of the ancient amazon-stones, and declares them to have been made out of a jade resembling " compact feldspar," one of the constituents of the gabbro verde di Corsica. IIence those stones were probably composed of nephrite. According to Humboldt, the form given to them most frequently is that of the Babylomian cylinder, longitudinally perforated, and loaded with inscriptions and figures. They were also cut by the natives into very thin plates, perforated at the center, suspended by a thread, and worn as amulets. According to the historian Clavijero, the specific name given by the Aztecs to the nephritic stone (jadeite) was Quitzalitztli,

Jan 1, 1902

Discussion of the paper of L. C. Graton and Joseph Murdoch, presented at the New York Meeting, February, 1913, and printed in Bulletin No. 77, May, 1913, pp. 741 to 797. THOMAS T. READ, New York, N. Y. (communication to the Secretary *) :-At the meetings of English technical societies it not infrequently happens that, during the discussion of a paper, someone will arise to say that although he highly appreciated the material presented, nevertheless he believed it would have been better if some other phase of the question had been more highly emphasized. Assuming that this form of discussion is permissible in the Institute, I should like to reiterate the point made by Prof. A. J. Moses that conclusive proof of the identity of the minerals in question is an essential feature of the study of ores in this way. This is also expressed by Paul Krusch in his recent valuable paper 1 on the sulphide ores (in which he arrives at conclusions diametrically opposed to those of Mr. Graton), as follows : ?The diagnostic properties of the various ore minerals are known to but a limited circle of investigators." Many earlier investigators began the study of ores beneath the microscope by reflected light, but discontinued their work, in most cases, because they were unwilling to undertake the great amount of preliminary work necessary to securely establish a basis for their inferences. It is evident that Messrs. Graton and Murdoch realize that the promised later paper on diagnostic characters will be the more important of the two, but the point should be emphasized to forestall a flood of literature from other investigators who may gain the impression that the brief survey of polished specimens is a wade mecum to incontrovertible conclusions as to any given ore deposit.

Jan 10, 1913

By Henry T. Mudd

FLUORSPAR is a nonmetallic mineral aggregate or mass containing a sufficient quantity of fluorite (CaF2) to be of commercial interest. It has only moderate value per unit of weight and its cost as a percentage of the cost of finished consumer products is nearly negligible. Nevertheless, it has wide and great industrial importance. In periods of national emergency it is a mineral without which many very necessary manufacturing processes would be greatly handicapped; a few could not exist. Fluorite contains 51.1 pct calcium and 48.9 pct fluorine. Industrial grades of fluorspar prepared for the consumer normally contain from 85 to 98 pct fluorite, depending on the use. The ores may contain as little as 30 pct fluorite, depending on many factors such as accessibility to transportation and markets, character of ore, and prices. Fluorite is a lustrous, glasslike mineral, generally translucent to transparent; it may be clear and colorless or range in color from slightly bluish through various shades of violet, amethyst, purple, green, and yellow. It crystallizes in the isometric system and possesses perfect octahedral cleavage. Commonly it occurs in masses of very pure crystal- line material with aggregates of cubical crystals in open spaces, but - it is also found in fine to coarse granular form. Banded veins and masses with fibrous, radiating structure occur locally. It is usually found associated more or less intimately with other minerals and rocks, from which it must be separated for commercial use. The specific gravity of fluorite is 3.18 and the hardness is 4 in the Mohs scale, compared with 7 for quartz and 3 for calcite. It is distinguished from calcite by its failure to effervesce with dilute hydrochloric acid. Heated with sulphuric acid, it gives off fumes of hydro- fluoric acid, which etch glass.22,25,33.34,35.41

Jan 1, 1949

By J. E. Hackford

IN SOME research. work carried out by the writer, certain results have bean obtained which bear on the fundamental nature and origin of coal and the relationship between coal and petroleum. Without entering into a discussion of the details of the experiments, which were conducted on petroleum and derived bitumens, there are given here, by way of definition, some of the relations that the writer has established between certain classes of bitumens of petroliferous origin. Bitumen.-A natural organic substance, gaseous, liquid, or solid, consisting of hydrocarbons and the oxy- or thionic derivatives of the same, or of a mixture of all three. Diasphaltenes.-Those portions of bitumens that are soluble, in ether or carbon disulfide, but are insoluble in a mixture of equal parts of ether and alcohol. Diasphaltenes are produced by the oxidation or thionization of petroleum oils; they have, as the name indicates, twice the molecular weight of asphaltenes, into which they are converted when subjected to moderate temperature. For example, an artificially produced diasphaltene, which was readily soluble in pentane and ether, was quite insoluble in either of these solvents after heating for three weeks at a temperature of 100° C., and was converted into an insoluble asphaltene. Asphaltenes.-Those portions of bitumen that are insoluble in ether or ether alcohol but are soluble in carbon disulfide. Asphaltites.-Those solid or semisolid natural bitumens that are composed, for the most part, of asphaltenes or diasphaltenes. A pure asphaltite1 would be composed wholly of asphaltenes and diasphaltenes, but most asphaltites contain small percentages of oil and wax, which have not yet been converted into asphaltenes; they may also contain a small percentage of kerotenes, which represent the next stage of the metamorphosis of asphaltenes. Among the naturally., occurring oxyasphaltites may be mentioned grahamite; and among the thioasphaltites, gilsonite.

Jan 8, 1920

By Orson Shepard

THE leaching method that was first widely used with the cyanide process consisted of percolation leaching of crushed ore in vats or leaching tanks. It was frequently necessary to separate the sand for cyanide treatment and discard the slimes, because only granular material allows the necessary amount of solution to percolate through it in a reasonable time. Later a slime process consisting of agitation followed by thick-ening and filtration was developed, and is extensively used to the pres-ent day. Even though the agitation-leaching slime process is considered satis-factory, the cost of plant and of operation are both greater than for a percolation-leaching plant of equal capacity. This situation has been recognized in the hydrometallurgical treatment of copper-bearing slimes; and a considerable amount of j work has been done at the Southwest Experiment Station of the U. S. Bureau of Mines in an effort to develop a percolation method of treating slimes. Experimental work on the copper-leaching problem was started by H. E. Keyes1, and later tests were made by J. D. Sullivan and A. P. Towne2. The Bureau of Mines work resulted in the development of a process by which slimes were moisture-agglomerated with sand and crushed ore, to form a permeable mass through which solution could be trickled without breaking clown the glomerules. The agglomeration trickle-leaching method was devel-oped on a small scale and finally tried out in a 12-ton vat. Successful results were obtained as long is the leach solution was added slowly, so that the agglomerated charge was never flooded. If the leach solu-tion flooded the charge, the glomerules broke down and, the charge became impervious. There are two important difficulties in the application of the agglom-eration trickle-leaching-method to the cyanide process for gold and silver ores:

Jan 1, 1937

By F. E. Bash

A GREAT many industrial operations require the application of heat to carry on or complete processes, in which cases the temperatures must often be controlled within very narrow limits. For the lower temperatures, this control is not, as a rule, difficult as a number of types of reliable pyrometers are available for the work; for example, the mercury and resistance thermometers and the thermocouple. For temperatures above a red heat, thermocouples, platinum resistance thermometers, and total radiation and optical pyrometers may be used, depending on conditions. It is often undesirable, and sometimes impossible, to take temperatures of material by immersing the pyrometer in it or by placing the temperature-measuring device in a position in which it will attain the temperature of the material. The pyrometer may contaminate the product; the temperature may be so high that the pyrometer will not hold its calibration, clue to ineffectual protection and consequent contamination; the object may be inaccessible, as a lamp filament, etc. In such cases, a total radiation or optical pyrometer must be used. The disappearing-filament, or Morse, type of optical pyrometer works on the following principle: An objective lens, Fig. 1, focuses the image of the object whose temperature is desired in the plane of the lamp filament at F, which is at the principal focus of the ocular lens shown in the eye-piece. By this arrangement the eye will not have to accommodate itself first to the lamp filament and then to the object at a distance, and the lamp filament will appear superposed on the object. To balance the instrument, the current is adjusted by means of a rheostat until the tip of the lamp filament just disappears against the object as a background. Figs. 2, 3, and 4 show the appearance of the filament when too cold, too bright, and just balanced.

Jan 8, 1919

By Robert Anderson

DURING the past 5 years no subject has aroused more interest or received more attention among mill operators than flotation. One reason for this is, undoubtedly, the remarkable success of the process in Australia where that country has risen to the position of furnishing one-fifth of the world's Supply of zinc. The plant of the Butte & Superior Copper Co., designed by James M. Hyde in 1912, was the first important large flotation plant in this country; other installations have been made since then with considerable frequency, particularly so in the last 2 years. Without going into complete detail, it may be safely said that although flotation is a highly successful commercial process, it is more or less on an empirical basis. Upon scanning the literature, it is found that the flotation investigations have, in the main, dealt with a solution of the problems which accrue to practise; until recently no attempt was made to remove the difficulties in the way of the formulation of a consistent and harmonious theory. Of late this phase of the work has been receiving considerable attention, particularly by the United States Bureau of Mines at its Salt Lake City station, by the Mellon Institute at Pittsburgh, by the General Engineering Co. at Salt Lake City, by many of the mining schools, and private individuals almost ad infinitum. There is, at present, an enormous amount of laboratory work being carried on in flotation research, and probably the time is not far away when a generally acceptable explanation of flotation phenomena can be Set forth. However, at this time, it seems as though the current technology is befogged with a super-abundance of contradictory evidence; this confusion can only be dispelled as time proceeds and the knowledge of the subject becomes more complete.

Jan 7, 1916

By E. J. McCaustland

The behavior of steel after overstrain and at moderate temperatures is fairly well known. It has been made the subject of much investigation, and our knowledge is clear and definite on many points. The ultimate raising of the elastic limit, after moderate overstrain, and the consequent lowering of the ductility, seem to be well established. It is also well understood that the immediate effect of overstrain is to lower the elastic limit, possibly to zero, but that if not interfered with, this limit will subsequently rise higher than before. The " tests after moderate temperature," reported in this paper, were undertaken to verify the above statements for the particular steel under investigation, and also to determine, if possible, the total time required for complete recovery from this state of overstrain. The behavior of overstrained steel at temperatures at or below 32" F. is not so well known. Tests made by Prof. E. G. Coker, at McGill University,' show that steel, overstrained and subjected to cold, will remain in a state of overstrain for an indefinite period. I am not aware of any other published results of tests along this particular line. The effect of time and temperature on the recovery of steel from overstrain was made in 1902-3 the subject of some investigation in the laboratories of the College of Civil Engineering of Cornell University. A general plan was outlined in connection with the regular courses of instruction in testing of materials; but the press of routine work and the demands of the schedules on the time of the students were so great as to presage long delay in the completion of the work. Not much had been accomplished up to 1904-05, when Messrs. E. C.

Jan 1, 1907

By A. M. Gaudin

UNTIL recently little attention has been paid to the effect of particle size on flotation. This has been especially true of material finer than 200 mesh.1 Particles of different sizes must behave differently in a flotation circuit; increased information along this line would be of practical use as well as of theoretical interest. The object of this study has been to determine what effect particle size has on floatability. The problem has been approached in two ways. One method consisted in a study of samples of the final products of several mills. These samples were sized and each size-product was analyzed for its important constituents. Bakelite briquettes2 of some of the products were made and studied under the microscope. This investigation is being continued, with particular reference to quantitative microscopic analysis of intermediate products of flotation plants. M In the other method of study, mixtures of pure minerals were ground to different degrees of fineness and floated. The products were then sized and analyzed. A study of the behavior of mixtures of pure sized minerals would have been illuminating, but after trial it was considered impractical on account of the tediousness of the large amount of elutriation required and the fact that the mineral particles would oxidize while being sized, preparatory to flotation. Broadly speaking, the following conclusions have been reached: 1. Results obtained by the two methods of study are in agreement. 2. The usual notion about the relative ease of flotation of very fine particles does not agree with the facts: 3. There is a time sequence of flotation with regard to particle size, the medium coarse particles floating first. 4. No successful method of floating extremely fine pulps has been found. 5. Recovery is optimum in a certain well-defined size range. 6. Selection is optimum in another well-defined size range.

Jan 1, 1931

By Arne Westgren

ONLY in exceptional cases can the ordinary methods of chemistry be used for determining the constitution of compound metallic substances. Recourse has therefore been taken to special methods, the main expedients of which are, as we know, thermal analysis and metal microscopy. To these may be added-though more accessory-the determination of electric conductivity, specific volume, hardness or other properties. The information obtained by these methods has been compiled in equilibrium diagrams. Naturally, the technically most important alloys, such as steel, bronze and some others, have been subjected to very close study, and many investigators have devoted themselves to the solving of their problems of constitution. The equilibrium diagrams of these systems are therefore known today with a comparatively high degree of accuracy, even though it must be admitted that many details regarding their transformation reactions still remain to be completely explained. The equilibrium diagrams of the other alloys as a rule have not been determined so accurately. Most of them are based only on approximate determinations of the homogeneity ranges of the various phases. Thus extensive, detailed studies remain before these diagrams may be considered as established. Unfortunately, it must also be admitted that many of the alloy diagrams given in the present handbooks are as a whole very dubious. As a matter of fact, many of them may really only be viewed as the results of rather superficial, orientating investigations. In fact, there also seems to be a general opinion prevailing in our day that much work still remains to be done before the equilibrium conditions of the alloys may be considered as fully explained. At present, in almost all institutes for research on metals, as well as in many university laboratories, investigations to this effect are being carried out. As a rule, the classical methods of metallography, the thermal analysis and metal microscopy are applied.

Jan 1, 1931

By Be Van Presley

There has been developed at Latouche a rather unusual system of mining which, for want of a better name, has been called the "Latouche system of mining." It is a modified form of shrinkage stoping applicable to orebodies of large or fairly large size where the ground is such that timbering would not be required in stoping. Mention has been made of this method of mining by Birchll who gave no details as it had been in use only a short time and the final outcome undetermined. The system, however, has proved to be entirely successful and it is thought that a paper covering it might be of general interest. Before proceeding with a detailed description of the Latouche system a brief description of the property and the various mining methods previously used will be given. Location The Beatson mine of the Kennecott Copper Corpn. is situated on the west coast of Latouche Island, in Prince William Sound, Southwestern Alaska, 45 miles east of Seward, the coast terminus of the U. S. Government Railroad. It is a regular port of call for ships on the Southwestern Alaska run. The island is about 12 miles long and 3 miles wide. A ridge of mountains runs the entire length with a maximum elevation of 2500 feet. Climate Latouche has to contend with possibly the greatest amount of precipitation on the North American continent. The annual average precipitation for the past 4 years has been 188 in., with 248 in. for the year 1926. A rainfall of 4 in. per day is not uncommon. In the winter the thermometer rarely falls below +20° F. and the snowfall is usually heavy during the months of March and April.

Jan 1, 1928

By David W. Brunton

Mine-drainage and the ever-increasing demand for water on the plains have within the past few years necessitated the driving of a great number of adits and tunnels, including many of considerable size and great length. In most instances, existing conditions have called for extreme rapidity of execution; and this necessity, coupled with the high altitudes at which most of the work has been carried on, excessive freight-rates, and difficulty of access, has involved many complex and interesting problems. One of the most rapidly executed undertakings of this class is the Laramie tunnel, recently completed for the Laramie-Poudre Reservoirs & Irrigation Co. This tunnel is driven through Green ridge, a spur of the Continental Divide, which separates the Laramie river from the Cache-la-Poudre in Laramie county, Colo. Green ridge is extremely persistent, and further northward in Wyoming is known as Sherman hill, the highest point on the Union Pacific railway. At the point where the tunnel is driven, two opposing bends bring these streams within 2.5 miles of each other, with a difference in elevation of 500 ft. The rock exposed on the banks of the two rivers does not differ materially in hardness; and, without a geological study of the conditions involved, it would appear that the difference in the depth of erosion of the two streams is due principally to the greater volume of water at this point in the Cache-la-Poudre, which has a drainage-area above the tunnel-portal of 110 sq. miles, as against 30 sq. miles of natural drainage for the Laramie. To increase the water-supply at the tunnel, however, this latter amount has been augmented by two side collection-canals, which bring the available drainage-area up to 84 square miles. The nearest railroad shipping-point to the eastern portal is

Jan 1, 1913

By Homer Griffield Turner

The nature and comparative features of anthracite and bituminous coals have been discussed by the writer in two previous papers.' Although this paper is offered as a further contribution to the subject, it seems desirable at the outset to repeat some of the descriptive matter of the early works in order to show the actual connection between various constituents of both coals and the new photomicrographs and other physical and chemical properties. Structure of Anthracite and Bituminous Coals A lump of bituminous coal (Fig. 1) is readily seen to be composed of layers differing from one another in texture, luster and thickness. There are, in general, three kinds of layers, although only two are usually seen. One is deep black, very compact, and has a bright luster; another is grayish black, has a duller luster and is less compact; the third is black, dull and porous in appearance, but because of its thinness is not often seen except on parting surfaces. This last material is charcoal. American students of coal morphology use the names anthraxylon, attritus, and fusain to designate these three constituents of laminated coal. Anthraxylon refers to the brightest bands, attritus to the duller layers, and fusain to the charcoal. Close examination of a lump of bituminous coal shows the brightest deep black layers to be embedded in the duller grayish black laminae. These deep black layers are lens-shaped and vary in thickness from thin sheets to over half an inch. They are often so continuous through the lump that their tapering terminae are not noticeable. On careful examination the duller grayish black laminae (Fig. 7) are seen to contain many very thin sheets of this very bright black material. The charcoal

Jan 1, 1930

By Fulton B. Flick

The micrography and macrography of aluminum and its alloys present certain difficulties. Many of the difficulties attendant on the micrography have been removed by methods developed during the past few years, notably those of E. H. Dix, Jr.1 The development of grain size in aluminum and its alloys may be equally troublesome, yet comparatively little detailed attention appears to have been given to it. Satisfactory reagents are available for the development of such structurcs in ferrous and most non-ferrous metals, but those applied to aluminum and its alloys, i. e., alcoholic or aqueous solutions of sodium hydroxide or hydrofluoric acid are not entirely satisfactory. Hanson and Arch-butt,2 in speaking of these two reagents, state that "These two reagents give fairly satisfactory results, but they sometimes produce badly tarnished surfaces from which the surface deposit is difficult to remove." It has been our experience that neither of these reagents is to be entirely relied on for developing structures suitable for study or photography. This means that when the etch fails to produce satisfactory results the specimen must be repolished, through the 000-paper at least, and then etched with another reagent. This procedure entails a considerable loss of time, and the final results may not be all that might be desired. However, the reagent to be described, although not a panacea for all etching troubles, has improved results so markedly that it is felt that it & worth offering as a grain-size etch generally applicable to aluminum and aluminum alloys. Czochralski3 in 1915 mentioned the application of a solution of 10 to 20 c. c. concentrated hydrofluoric acid in 100 c. c. absolute alcohol, etching in this reagent being followed by dipping in concentrated hydrochloric acid soliltion.

Jan 1, 1925

Division of Geology, State of Tennessee, 401 Seventh Ave, North, Nashville, Tenn. Walter F. Pond, State Geologist A selected list of Bulletins available: Bulletin 1(B), Bibliography of Tennessee geology (1911); 2(A) Outline introduction to mineral resources (1910), 2(D) Marbles (1911); 2(G) Zinc deposits (1910), 16, Red iron ores of east Tennessee (1913), 22, Geology and natural resources of Rutherford County (1920), 24(A) Geology and oil possibilities of parts of Overton, Clay, Pickett and Fentress counties (1920); 24(B) Oil and gas resources of northeastern Sumner County (1920), 26, Mineral resources of Waynesboro Quadrangle (1921); 28, Marble deposits of East Tennessee (1923), 29, Magnetic iron ores of east Tennessee (1923), 31, Zinc deposits of east Tennessee (1923), 33, Tennessee coal fields, 37, Geology and mineral resources of Hardin County, 38, Stratigraphy of the Central Basin (in press), 39, Brown iron ores of the Eastern Highland Rim (in press) From 1911 to 1919, inclusive, volumes were issued annually on The Resources of Tennessee Only a few of the separate papers contained in those volumes are now available Vol. 2 (1911): No 1, Explosions of coal dust in mines, and other papers, No. 4, Lignite and lignitic clays in west Tennessee, and other papers; 5, The growth of knowledge of Tennessee geol¬ogy; 9, The valley and mountain iron ores of east Tennessee, 10, The iron industry of Lawrence and Wayne counties, and other papers; 11, Barite deposits in the Sweetwater district, and other papers, 12, The iron ore deposits in the Tuckalioe district, and another paper Various oil maps (15 to 40 cents each) and traverse maps of counties (25 cents and 31 each) can be had, as well as pertinent U. S topographic maps.

Jan 1, 1933

Far reaching changes in the executive machinery of the Federal Government are proposed in bills recently introduced in each House of Congress. The Department of the Interior will become the Department of Public Works, if the legislation proposed is enacted; the main idea is to assemble all engineering activities of the Government in one department. Such bureaus of the Interior Department as are non-engineering in character are to be placed under the jurisdiction of appropriate departments, while engineering bureaus from other departments are to be included in the Department of Public Works. The bill proposes that the Patent Office is to be removed from the Interior Department and placed under the Department of Commerce. The Bureau of Pensions is assigned to the Department of the Treasury. The Bureau of Education goes to the Labor Department. The Bureau of Indian Affairs is transferred to the Department of Labor, with the proviso that the engineering and construction work and the land and mineral surveys now performed under the direction of the Bureau of Indian Affairs are to he prosecuted under the Department of Public Works. St. Elizabeth's Hospital and the Freedman's Hospital in Washington are assigned to the Treasury Department. Columbia Institution for the Deaf and the Howard University go to the Bureau of Education, under the provisions of the bill. On the other hand, the Department of Public Works is to absorb the Supervising Architect's Office of the Treasury Department; the Construction Division, River and Harbor Improvements, Mississippi River Commission, and California Debris Commission of the War Department; the Bureau of Standards and the Coast and Geodetic Survey of the Department of Commerce; the Bureau of Public Roads and the Forest Service of the Department of Agriculture.

Jan 8, 1919

The Joint Committee (consisting of the chairmen of the several society committees), formed under the authority of the five societies, in order to facilitate the carrying out of the organization of an engineer reserve as part of the military forces of the United States, for which work it was appointed, now begs leave to report as follows: .The Committee has been in personal communication with the Secretary of War, the officers of the General Staff, the officers of the War College, and with the Hon. George E. Chamberlain, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Military Affairs, and the Hon. James Hay, Chairman of the House Committee on Military Affairs. As the result of these interviews there has been incorporated in the draft of the legislation proposed by the Secretary of War and included also in the bills drawn by the committees of the Senate and of the House a provision for the organization of an officers reserve on broad lines, including an engineer reserve. As now drawn these bills provide that an officer shall be commissioned for a period of five years with rank up to and including that of major, after passing such requirements of character and qualifications as shall be prescribed by the President. The bill also provides that a certain amount of duty with pay shall he performed each year by the officers in the reserve. . The Committee is waiting for the Navy Department to formulate its plans for the increase in the naval forces, and as soon as a decision has been reached by that Department and the Committee is in possession of the facts, the Committee will take up the question of the organization of an engineer reserve for the navy, similar to that contemplated for the army.

Jan 2, 1916

S. LE FEVRE, Forest Glen, N. Y. (communication to the Secretary*).¬F. L. Nason thinks I could not have studied Mr. Witherbee's paper and doubts the arithmetic used, but in his discussion arrives at practically the same conclusion. He says 10 ft. thickness of ore over a square mile should give 27,878,400 tons, allowing 10 cu. ft. per ton of ore. This is correct, but if he reads carefully he will see that this depth of ore was figured as covering one-tenth of the surface, which reduces the figures to those used by Mr. Nason. I did not say, however, that there were 2,300,000,000 tons of ore in New Jersey, but that applying the same method of computation as used by Mr. Nason, to the area of the iron ore-bearing gneisses in New Jersey, we would get a total of 2,300,000,000. I did say, "In this area are located 366 magnetite mines that have been worked more or less. These lenses may easily be capable of producing (on an average) 1,000,000 tons each, and there are probably double the number listed not opened up." Thus my estimate for New Jersey, as far as any was made, would be: Probable ore 366,000,000 Possible ore in addition 732,000,000 1,098,000,000 Mr. Nason's final conclusion of his personal estimate was one-half of what he erroneously read to be the estimate given in the paper, or half of 2,300,000,000, which equals 1,150,000,000. So the two estimates seem to differ less than 5 per cent., and we have the two sister States of New York and New Jersey on an equal footing of productive possibilities in magnetic ore.

Jan 6, 1917

By W. S. Ayres

I AM well aware that this subject is not strictly in the line of mining engineering, yet as it is a subject with which mining engineers at times have something to do, I have thought, perhaps, it might not be wholly out of place to communicate to the Institute something of the method used in determining deflection, and of its final issue. Having felt a need of some simple formula for determining the deflection of girders of uniform cross-section under any load, I have been led through the counsel of Mr. Frederick J. Slade, to whom I am indebted for many suggestions, to undertake a labor of which I shall in this paper give only some of the most important features. The results arrived at agree with those obtainable from the received formula; of Weisbach, Rankine, and others, but the expressions given by these authors, and by all others that I have at hand, are of such a form that they are not easily applied by those whose higher mathematics have become rusty from disuse, and they require, moreover, too much labor in their application to be of practical value. The general formula that I have adopted is similar to that given by Rankine, and is deflection = [mWl3 -El], in which l is the span, W the total load, E the modulus of elasticity, I the moment of inertia of the uniform cross-section of the girder, and m a factor depending for its value on the mode of distribution of the load. The problem then is to find the value of this factor m in the formula, and for some distributions of the load it leads to a number of mathematical difficulties. In this place I shall consider first the girder to be loaded symmet-

Jan 1, 1877

Under date of Sept. 30, the following open letter was addressed to the Members of the Colorado Section of the American Institute of Min-ing and Metallurgical Engineers by a Colorado Committee: At a meeting of the Colorado Section of the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers, held on Friday, Sept. 19, a reso-lution was unanimously passed condemning the Engineers' Licensing Bill passed at the last session of the State Legislature, and requesting the Chairman to appoint a Committee to act in conjunction with the other National Engineering Societies and the Colorado Metal Mining Associa-tion, with a view to securing its repeal at the extra session of the Legis-lature which the Governor has expressed his intention of calling. It may be within your knowledge that the bill in question was passed by the Legislature and signed by the Governor without the knowledge of any of the National Societies, and of few if any of their members. Under its provisions residents of other states cannot even come into this to examine a mine without securing a license, and aliens (among whom are many honored members of, the profession in Colorado) cannot obtain such a license at all. The mining industry in this state needs the coopera-tion of outside engineers, and we should welcome any assistance from them that will tend to develop our resources. To attempt to discourage the activity of visiting engineers will inevitably react on us, and brand the state as being hostile to brains and capital from outside. The difficulty of securing a license will prove a serious handicap to young engineers starting out in the independent practice of their profession. Moreover, a license issued to au engineer qualified in one branch will entitle him to practice in any other: so that the license is apt to mislead the public.

Jan 11, 1919