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By D. F. Haley

THE molybdenite deposits at Climax, Cool., have recently attracted considerable notice, because of their great size, as compared with other known deposits of the same mineral. Climax station, on the. Colorado Southern narrow-gage railway, was at one time the Fremont Pass station on the Denver & Rio Grande. It is 1412 miles northeast of Leadville, and exactly on the divide between the headwaters of the Arkansas and Blue Rivers. Climax station is 11,300 ft. (3444 m.) above sea level. The working tunnel of the molybdenum mine is about 1 mile from the railroad, and 900 ft. above it, at an elevation of 12,200 feet. The climatic conditions are severe, and snow can be expected during any month of the year. Winter sets in not later than Nov. 1, the snowfall is very heavy, and the ground remains covered with snow until June 1, and sometimes even later. From June 1 to Oct. 1, there is much rain and a little snow falls in the late afternoon nearly every day. In October, 1917, there was one of the biggest snowstorms and blizzards of the year. Being just on the divide, constant strong winds blow the fine, dry snow with such force that, during most of the winter, outside work of any kind -is accomplished under most trying conditions. Within a few miles of Climax, some of the richest gold placers of Colorado occur. One of them, McNulty Gulch, was just across on the northeastern flank of Bartlett mountain. This mountain, therefore; was well prospected, and the presence of a bluish mineral and a yellowish one resembling sulphur was known to the old prospectors. They thought for many years that the blue mineral was graphite, and it is difficult to say when it first became definitely known that it was molybdenite. Claims had been staked as .early as 1896, but it is evident that the prospectors at that time were looking for gold. In 1902; several claims were acquired by H. Leal, who drove a tunnel about 900 ft. (274 in.) long, probably to intersect a fault, which shows on the surface, and was thought to be a possible gold carrier. Gold was not found in paying quantities, but throughout its length the tunnel passed through a fractured silicified granite, showing a fairly uniform distribution of a fine-grained bluish mineral, which was finally determined as molybdenite. For several

Jan 8, 1918

By Harold R. Bradford

EXPANSION initiated during and after the war has placed industrial plants in new areas and increased reduction and manufacturing facilities in communities already established. With added expansion interest has grown in possible area contamination from waste products. Evolved flue waste contains many chemical contaminants that may or may not cause concern; however, atmospheric pollution has always been a problem to industrial communities. For some time effects attributed to small quantities of compounds of fluorine in various waste gases have been studied by industrial, medical, agricultural, and associated interests.1'2 Aside from an article by Churchill, Rowley, and Martin in 1948," little has been published on the subject of fluorine in coal except by foreign investigators. The first indication of fluorine compounds in coal was noted in England in 1934 by R. Lessing,4,5 who found that the presence of fluorine in Midland and West County coals was definitely established by etching of glass and by severe corrosion of porcelain fillings in a gas works scrubber. Etching of glass in a direct contact annealing kiln initiated research, and in 1944 four papers were published by H. E. Crossley,6-9 giving results of investigations of fluorine in coal of England by the Fuel Research Board, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. These investigations studied methods of determining fluorine, the quantities present in various coal deposits, the geographical distribution of fluorine in British coals, occurrence of fluorine in minerals associated with coal, amounts of fluorine compared to other constituents of coal, the nature of fluorine compounds, and industrial significance of fluorine in coal. It was shown that British coals contain from 5 to 200 ppm of fluorine, which is probably present as fluorapatite [Ca10F2(PO4)6], often written as [3Ca3P2O8.CaF2]. The fluorapatite is intimately associated with shale in some coals and can often be separated from these coals along with the shales. H. E. Crossley8 also reported no correlation between the amounts of chlorine, sulfur, or ash and the amount of fluorine in different coals. He found, however, a relationship between the content of fluorine and phosporus in many British coals. Thus it should be possible to anticipate likely fluorine-rich coals from existing data giving phosphorus content. Behavior of the fluorine compounds of coal was compared with that of 12 fluoride-phosphate minerals in sink-float separations and solvent ex-

Jan 1, 1958

By Edward N. Trump

Extensive beds of rock salt occur in New York, Michigan, Kansas, and Texas. Wells are drilled through the beds, cased, and equipped with a suspended center tube. By circulating water through such a well, the soluble saline is dissolved and a brine produced. Operation of a well results ordinarily in the formation of an inverted conical cavity in the saline, inasmuch as the dissolving action of the fresh water is more rapid at the top of the bed than at the bottom. Under continued operations, the side wall of the cavity becomes so flat that a blanket of mud is deposited thereon and if the bed is overlain with shale or a soft rock caving follows. Three methods of operating wells have been employed—the "Tully plan," "the Detroit plan," and "the Trump plan." Both the Tully plan and the Detroit plan involve the formation of the aforesaid conical cavity with constant caving of shale above and deposition of mud on the side wall; the Trump plan was developed to avoid both these circumstances and thus materially prolong the life of a well. Details of the three plans follow. The Tully Plan In the Tully plan, the water passes down the annular space between the casing and the center tube, the brine rising in the center tube (Figs. I and 2). An inverted conical cavity is formed, the side wall of which relatively soon becomes so flat that it is blanketed by mud and impurities from the rock salt; this blanket limits dissolving action to the perimeter of the base of the cone, situated at the top of the saline bed. Caving of the overlying strata follows, and the total production of brine from the well is comparatively small. The Detroit Plan In the Detroit plan, the water passes down the center tube, the brine rising in the annular space between the center tube and casing (Figs. I and 2). Initially, this flow forms a pear-shaped cavity in the bottom of the salt bed, but this cavity soon changes in shape to that of an inverted cone, as under the Tully plan, with the attendant disadvantages inherent in that plan. Application of the Detroit plan is limited to salt beds 300 ft. thick as a minimum. This depth of bed is necessary to prevent fresh water of lower specific gravity than the brine from rising in the

Jan 1, 1948

By W. Edeburn, H. R. Fife

An extended study of dustproofing Freeport-seam coal has emphasized several fundamental features in the successful treating of bituminous coals. The extent of the exposed surface area and its absorption propcrties for the dust-retaining film were found to be the most critical factors affecting the efficiency of fly-dust prevention. From recently published screen data and specific surface-area measurements on United Kingdom coals, an approximation of the surface exposed by mine-run coal and by 1-in. slack was made. The total surface area exposed by an average tori of this mine-run coal was estimated at 3768 sq. yd., while a ton of 1-in. slack represents a total surface area of 8779 sq. yd. with no additions for porosity. It is important in coal treating to consider that in mine-run coal the fraction above 1/4 in. in size represents 79.5 per cent of the total weight, but only 4 per cent of the total surface, while the fraction below 150 mesh contains 47 per cent of the total surface and only 1.2 per cent of the total weight. Also, one should appreciate that, in a 1-in. slack, the domestic stoker fraction (1 in. to 8 mesh) contains 76.3 per cent of the weight and 8.2 per cent of the surface, while the fraction below 150 mesh represents 3.3 per cent by weight and 54.8 per cent by surface area. Wax extraction data on 1-in. to 0 slack from mine-run treated Freeport-searn coal showed that the coating was distributed uniformly as a function of exposed surface; hence, nonuniformly on a weight basis. This distribution of the coating on mine-run coal therefore limits the extent of treating that is desirable on bituminous coal at this point in the preparation. The treatment of Freeport mine-run coal before it reached the tipple gave a 70 to 80 per cent reduction of fly-dust in the tipple, a satisfactory treated commercial slack coal, and an indicated change in the trend of tipple degradation. The premium-treated domestic sizes required a supplemental treatment for complete dustproofness. The actual cost of the pretipple and supplemental treatments was very low per ton of coal treated, while the net or true cost was sufficiently

Jan 1, 1938

By W. Edeburn, H. R. Fife

An extended study of dustproofing Freeport-seam coal has emphasized several fundamental features in the successful treating of bituminous coals. The extent of the exposed surface area and its absorption propcrties for the dust-retaining film were found to be the most critical factors affecting the efficiency of fly-dust prevention. From recently published screen data and specific surface-area measurements on United Kingdom coals, an approximation of the surface exposed by mine-run coal and by 1-in. slack was made. The total surface area exposed by an average tori of this mine-run coal was estimated at 3768 sq. yd., while a ton of 1-in. slack represents a total surface area of 8779 sq. yd. with no additions for porosity. It is important in coal treating to consider that in mine-run coal the fraction above 1/4 in. in size represents 79.5 per cent of the total weight, but only 4 per cent of the total surface, while the fraction below 150 mesh contains 47 per cent of the total surface and only 1.2 per cent of the total weight. Also, one should appreciate that, in a 1-in. slack, the domestic stoker fraction (1 in. to 8 mesh) contains 76.3 per cent of the weight and 8.2 per cent of the surface, while the fraction below 150 mesh represents 3.3 per cent by weight and 54.8 per cent by surface area. Wax extraction data on 1-in. to 0 slack from mine-run treated Freeport-searn coal showed that the coating was distributed uniformly as a function of exposed surface; hence, nonuniformly on a weight basis. This distribution of the coating on mine-run coal therefore limits the extent of treating that is desirable on bituminous coal at this point in the preparation. The treatment of Freeport mine-run coal before it reached the tipple gave a 70 to 80 per cent reduction of fly-dust in the tipple, a satisfactory treated commercial slack coal, and an indicated change in the trend of tipple degradation. The premium-treated domestic sizes required a supplemental treatment for complete dustproofness. The actual cost of the pretipple and supplemental treatments was very low per ton of coal treated, while the net or true cost was sufficiently

Jan 1, 1938

By S. S. Nosseir

INTRODUCTION General Quebec Cartier Mining Co. (QCM) , Canadian subsidiary of U . S. Steel Corporation, operates two iron ore concentrators at the North Shore of Quebec, Canada. In its own operation at Mount-Wright, over 45 million tons per year of crude ore are ground, fully autogenous in six 32' x 11-1/2 Dominion Engineering mills. At Fire Lake/Lac Jeannine operation, property of Sidbec Normines Incorporated (SNI), over 11 million tons per year of crude ore are now ground, fully autogenous, in twelve 18' x 5' Hardinge mills. The Lac Jeannine concentrator was originally constructed by Q.C.M. in 1960 and. was since operated, in beneficiating the Lac Jeannine ore deposit until fully depleted in 1977, at an annual capacity of 18 million tons of crude per year. In 1976, the new company, Sidbec Normines, was incorporated by Sidbec Corporation, British Steel Corporation and Quebec Cartier Mining Co., in proportional holding of approximately 51 to 41 to 8 percent respectively. Since the acquisition of the Fire Lake ore deposit and Jeannine concentrator by the new company, QCM has continued managing the mine and concentrator operaions for S idbec Normines Inc . Flow-Sheet Design Jeannine concentrator comprises twelve identical mill lines grinding the ROM from 8" top size to 14 mesh nominal size range. Driven by 600 H.P. motor at 13.4 RPM corresponding to 73% critical speed, each mill is operated in a closed circuit with two 5' x 12' vibrating screens dressed with 2.5 x 25 mm slot opening cloth. The ground product or screen undersize at an average grade of 33.4% Fe is beneficiated by gravity separation to produce 66.5% Fe concentrate grade at 42.7% weight recovery. At the rougher stage, each mill line con-tains 128 Humphrey 13- 1/2" pitch spirals which produce a final tailing, middling and concentrate products. The rougher concentrate - so produced - is classified by 64 Humphrey pocket sizers into an underflow, which is a final concentrate product and an overflow which is further upgraded by 64 cleaner spirals. The cleaner concentrate together with the pocket sizer 's underflow are dewatered on a 13'[6] horizontal filter. The rougher middling together with the cleaner tailing are recycled in a closed circuit with the spirals. The rougher tailing after dewatering by hydrocyclones is disposed of by a

Jan 1, 1982

By T. G. Madgwick, A. Beeby Thompson

FoR more than 2500 years, natural gas issues in the Surakhany district of the Apsheron peninsula were the object of pilgrimages by fire worshippere and Hindoos from Burma and India. Even as late as 1890, Hindoo priests conducted ceremonies in a temple at Surakhany, which probably replaced a more ancient one; but later, the visits of the pilgrims were prohibited in order to check the spread of Asiatic diseases in that region. For centuries, limited supplies of oil have been abstracted from shallow excavations in the Caspian oil belt and dispatched into the interior of Asia and elsewhere for medicinal and industrial purposes. Statistics show a yield of 37,400 bbl. in 1863, but only since 1869 has there been serious development; in that year the yield was 203,000 bbl. At that time, hand digging was supplanted by drilling, and the enormous wells that resulted from tapping sources hitherto beyond the reach of operators completely demoralized the industry for a time, owing to inadequate outlets for the products. The early activities in this area were greatly hindered by annoying taxation, monopolies, imperial land grants, etc., but when these were revoked or adjusted, in 1877, the industry sprang into prominence and, between 1898 and 1901, the Baku fields produced practically one-half of the world's supply of oil. Within a few miles of Baku lie the two richest oil fields in the world; viz., the Balakhany-Saboontchy-Romany and the Bibi-Eibat, the latter constituting almost a suburb of the city. For many years the gasoline obtained in the refineries of the Baku area was burned in pits, being considered an undesirable product, and until 1870 the residue also was destroyed, its value as a fuel not being recognized. Kerosene was the main product sought by the refiners. It was shipped across the Caspian Sea and up the Volga to the industrial centers of Russia. Only on the completion of the Baku-Batoum railway did the Baku oil fields secure important commercial communication with the outside world through the medium of the Black Sea. The first tank steamer was successfully launched on the Caspian in 1879, by Messrs. Nobels, for transporting oil in bulk instead of in barrels. In 1905, an 8-in. pipe line to Batoum was completed; this was capable of transporting to seaboard 8,000,000 bbl. of kerosene per annum.

Jan 1, 1921

The sixty-fifth Congress created a commission on classification and standardization of wages of Government employees consisting of three members of the Senate and three ex-members of the House of Representatives: The Chairman of the National Service Committee has been notified orally by the Vice-chairman that when said Commission reaches the consideration of engineers' salaries in the Government service, request will be made for assistance of Engineering Council. As it is probable that this request will be received prior to the June meeting of Council, it is recommended that action be authorized concerning the appointment of a suitable committee of Council to undertake this work.

Jan 6, 1919

CANADA, which appears to be growing into one big mining camp, may soon be the background for another impressively large iron ore development. And again it will be Fenimore Iron Mines who will be the motivating force. Dr. J. A. Retty, Fenimore president, who was one of the important figures in the development of Labrador iron deposits, predicts a great future for property on the west coast of Ungava Bay in deep northern area of New Quebec. Fenimore properties consist of a 200 sq mile concession in addition to several hundred claims over about 112 miles along the Labrador trough, mainly in the Ungava Bay region.

Jan 5, 1953

ENROLLMENT of both undergraduate and graduate mineral engineering students rose approximately 11.8 pct over last year to a total of 12,830. Leading again in the enrollment climb was ceramic engineering which increased by about 21 pct. Approximated increases in enrollment of the other mineral engineering categories, in order, were: metallurgical 17.7 pct; petroleum 13.3 pct; geological and geophysical 3.3 pct: and mining proper, the lowest with 2.9 pct. Total ECPD school enrollment climbed to 242,405 -just below the 1947 peak, but 14.4 pct higher than 1955. Engineering enrollments have shown a general increase since 1951, and freshmen enrollments have climbed steadily since 1950.

Jan 5, 1957

SIR ROBERT HADFIELD, London, England (written discussion*).-We have in the past known so little about tungsten that an important paper such as Mr. Zay Jeffries contributes is most welcome. I have not much personal knowledge on the subject except as regards combinations of iron with tungsten. I put forward the results of my research on natural alloys in 1903,1 and so far as I know the facts there presented still stand. Singular to say, tungsten added to iron affects the electrical resistance less than any other added element. The following tables taken from research work by myself and Sir William Barrett may be of interest.

Jan 10, 1918

(Members are urged to send in for this column any notes of interest concerning themselves or their fellow-members.) Members and guests who registered at Institute headquarters during the first half of March: James C. H. Ferguson, San Francisco, Cal. Capt. A. F. Lucas, Washington, D.C. Henry Adams, Stamford, Conn. Dexter P. Cooper, New York, N. Y. H. A. Wheeler, St. Louis, Mo. L. D. Moore, Chatham, N. J. John M. Sherrerd, Easton, Pa. Hennen Jennings, Washington, D. C. R. T. White, formerly General Manager of the Braden Copper Co., Chile, is to take charge of a copper company in Caucasus, South Russia.

Jan 4, 1914

The following Nominating Committee having been already appointed and approved by the Executive Committee in accordance with authority vested in the Executive Committee by the Board of Directors, was approved by the Directors: John V. N. Dorr, Chairman, Percy G. Beckett, J. W. Hutchinson, Julian Kennedy, William H. Linney, Charles W. Merrill, and E. Gybbon Spilsbury. The question of the purchase of Liberty Bonds, as well as that of bringing to the attention of the members the advisability of the purchase of these bonds, was referred to the Finance Committee. Sixty Members, four Associates, and thirty-six Junior Members were elected. Two Members were reinstated. Eight resignations were accepted.

Jan 7, 1917

The October meeting of the Mining and Geological Society, Lehigh University, was held in the Eckley B. Coxe Mining Laboratory, and was called to order at 8:15 p. m., by President R. L. McCann. After the reading of the minutes of the previous meeting, a short business session was held, for the purpose of electing a Vice-President to succeed G. S. Borden, who has left college. Nominees for the office were: H. J. Sloman, P. S. Justice, L. Sargeant. Dr. F. F. Hintze, of the Geology Department, was elected a member of the Advisory Committee, which now consists of the President-

Jan 12, 1916

By K. Y. Lo, R. S. C. Wai, R. K. Rowe, L. Tham

Laboratory tests for the determination of thermo-mechanical proper- ties of three rock types were performed at temperatures up to 400°C. Results showed that for the medium and coarse Granitic Gneisses, the coefficient of thermal expansion and Young's modulus are strongly temperature and temperature history dependent. A threshold temperature exists for each rock type above which material nonlinearity becomes important, and is associated with the progress of thermal cracking. Finite element computations were performed to illustrate the influence of material nonlinearity and boundary constraint on thermal stresses. Finally, a case history of thermal spalling was analyzed and it is shown that the results of analysis are consistent with field observations.

Jan 1, 1982

ENGINEERS AVAILABLE (Under this heading will be published notes sent to the Secretary of the Institute by members or other persons introduced by members.) A member of the Institute who has had many years' experience in office management for prominent mining engineering and metallurgical companies, and who is now located in the West, would like to secure an executive position with a firm or company engaged in mining or metallurgy, located in the East, and preferably in New York. No. 139. Member, aged 36, married, graduate mining engineer, 14 years' active experience as engineer, superintendent, and manager of large coal-mining operations. Wide experience in development and operation of

Jan 10, 1914

(Under this heading will be published notes sent to the Secretary of the Institute by members or other persons introduced by members. ) Member, age 33, single, desires position as null superintendent or charge of mine and mill. Twelve years' milling, cyaniding and flotation in the southwest and Mexico. Will go anywhere. No. 458. Member, mining engineer and geologist, graduated, from- mining college, age 27, single, exempt, with practice in metal mining, surveying of any kind, field geology and ore testing, desires to .engage as geologist or mining engineer with a reputable concern in the west or east of. U. S. Hard worker and reliable. No: 459.

Jan 6, 1918

By John V. Beall

Ten years ago, upon coming home to New York, we had money in the bank, a portfolio of stocks, a rent- controlled apartment overlooking the Hudson and we didn't own an automobile. This was bliss! The just reward of industry and careful management of the fruits of our labor in the mines overseas. Although we kept up a delaying action, the family was pushing hard for a house in the suburbs. We were able to find something wrong with every house that came up but, finally, in a weak moment made the unlikely compromise of putting ten dollars down on a piece of property in Westchester County.

Jan 1, 1971

(Members are urged to send in for this column any notes of interest concerning themselves or their fellow-members.) Members and guests who registered at Institute headquarters during the period Apr. 10 to May 10, 1915: William W. Elmer, Tuttletown, Cal. R. R. Freeman, Jr., Wollaston, Mass. Lawrence Addicks, Douglas, Ariz. Francis R. Pyne, Elizabeth, N. J. W. F. Durand, Stanford Univ., Cal. George B. Pickett, Ophir, Colo. S. P. Cooper, New York, N. Y. R. V. Norris has been elected President of the Columbia School of Mines Alumni Association. Robert C. Sticht has been elected President of the Australian Insti¬tute of Mining Engineers.

Jan 6, 1915

Percussion drilling with tungsten carbide insert button bits ranks among the most significant advances in both underground and surface drilling in medium and hard rock formations. Getting top performance and life from these upfront components is not particularly difficult if one pays attention to the basics in operation and maintenance. For some reason, a few of the essential operating and maintenance steps for getting the most from these tools seem to have gotten turned around; instead of operating at the near optimum levels, some miners, in following myths or misunderstandings about them, are shortchanging their optimal utilization. Let's examine the two most harmful ones.

Jan 8, 1978