Search Documents

By C. L. Berrien

BEFORE the present company was formed, in 1916, each group of mines comprising the old organizations made its detailed daily and monthly mine cost records along the lines used before the consolidation; that is, there was no attempt made to standardize and compare the stope costs of all mines. The general cost sheets for all mines, however, were standardized, and cumulative labor cost sheets were compiled in the general superintendent's office. At most of the mines, a daily record or distribution sheet for each working place was kept, showing the number of men, hours of drilling, hours of timbering, hours of tramming, cars of ore, cars of waste, sticks of powder and feet of fuse. This information was kept by each shift boss and entered on the distribution sheet by him or, at some mines, by a tram boss. The superintendent solved his own problems under the direction of the general superintendent, but without coming in touch with other superintendents, either through records or general conferences. Probably 95 per cent. of the stopes were square-set worked by day's pay; there were some back-filling and shrinkage stopes. Many of the development places, such as shaft sinking, station cutting, drifting and raises had always been run by contract. These contracts were given, for no definite period, at so much per linear foot and were measured monthly, or when completed; the men being paid monthly. In some cases, fairness to the employee, was not maintained. On the whole, there was no standardization. There were no stope contracts, because of the objections of the Western Federation of Miners to general contracting in the mines.

Jan 2, 1922

Alfred Noble Joint Prize Committee F B Foley, '56 American Documentation Institute F B Foley, '56 American Geological Institute J L Gillson, Nov '56, H A Meyerhoff, Nov '57 Committee on Government Relations J L Gillson, '56 American Power Conference Paul R Nichols, '56 American Standards Association Mining Standards Board E R Borcherdt, Jan '58, Otto Herres, Jan '58 Alternates E W Bullard, Dec '56, and J K Richardson, Dec '56

Jan 1, 1956

By E. A. Gulbransen, J. W. Hickman

DURING the past two decades considerable progress has been made in the art of manufacturing heater alloys. The conventional iron-chromium-nickel alloys have been improved by the addition of small quantities of other elements. Up to the present time, to our knowledge, there has not appeared a systematic study of these alloys where the newer tools of investigation have been brought to bear on the problem. It is not yet clear what roles the additional elements play in increasing life time in usage. As a first approximation one might guess that elements such as manganese, silicon, zirconium, calcium and aluminum would aid in the formation of a protective film on the alloy surface, thus retarding the oxidation rate and increasing lifetime. If these additional elements do form protective oxides in the outer surface of the oxide film, it may be possible to identify them by means of reflection electron diffraction. It is also possible that the additional elements may not diffuse to the surface but may remain at the interface between the oxide and the metal. Then, too, the major elements in the alloys undoubtedly form oxides which are stratified on the surface. If the minor elements concentrate in a layer in contact with the substrate where they undergo oxidation and if this oxide film offers resistance to the diffusion of iron, chromium and nickel ions, then the lifetime of the heater element might be expected to increase. It is also possible that preferential reduction in the diffusion rates of the several ions may Occur to such a degree that oxides may form in the body Of the film and On the outer surface which are different from those that would normally form if the additional elements were not present. The use Of transmisson electron diffraction may aid us in jnterpreting these phenomena. UP to the Present time all Of the factors which influence the lifetime of a given heater element are not definitely known. Among these are: (I) The rate of oxidation of the alloy. This may be dependent upon the composition and the physica1 state of the "alloy. (2) The stability of the structure of the coating which forms. Transitions from one structure to another or solid phase reactions resulting in a change of composition may occur. The tendency of the film to adhere to the substrate when heated and cooled successively will be important. (3) The evaporation of various constituents from the alloy such as the remova1 of carbon by Oxygen in a decar-burization reaction. With these possibilities in view, an electron diffraction study of the oxides occurring on six different nickel-chromium alloys was undertaken with the hope that the results of this study could be correlated with oxidation rate studies as determined by means of the vacuum microbalance method1 and with lifetime tests carried

Jan 1, 1949

By J. B. Gwiazda

This work contains a description of a new design of lemniscate-guided powered roof support units, with a discussion of currently designed supports and their interaction with the roof. Conventional roof supports of this type present a serious reaction with the roof because of the horizontal displacement of the canopy in the course of decreasing support height as the support takes weight. The new design presented eliminates previous disadvantages of lemniscate supports and ensures proper performance of the latter in relation to the roof of a mine working.

Jan 1, 1986

By B. Silliman

THE occurrence of diamonds of some size in the gold-fields of California is by no means uncommon, and was noticed by me in a communication, to the California Academy of Science in 1867, when specimens of this gem, from at least five different localities, were exhibited. I then suggested that a more attentive examination of the heavy sands left in the sluices of hydraulic washings would in all probability detect diamonds, mingled with other rare species not commonly believed to have occurred in these sands. Mr. George A. Treadwell, of San Francisco, has 1at.ely sent me a small package of these sands, collected by him from the sluices of the " Spring Valley Gravel Mining Claim," Cherokee, Butte County, California. A microscopic examination shows these sands to abound in beautiful colorless zircons (hyacinths), of the form well known in the hyacinths of Expailly (France), associated with crystals of topaz, quartz in fragments, rounded grains 'of chromic and titanic iron, and

Jan 1, 1920

By P. J. Clifford, A. B. Brown

The development of computerised mine planning has been hindered by the cost of processing the large data bases associated with mineral deposits and the inherent inconvenience of performing an interactive process on a time-shared computer. A dedicated computer is ideally suited for the purpose but reasonably priced micro/mini-computers have not had the capacity to store the volume of data or the processing capability required. Hardware development has cleared the way for the development of truly interactive mine planning software, covering the complete range of activities associated with mine planning, from geological assessment to short-term scheduling of operations, incorporating them into a single system using a common database. The integrated system, comprising software and dedicated hardware, adds previously unattainable speed, flexibility and clarity to the planning process because it has been tailored exclusively for that purpose.

Jan 1, 1983

By Rossiter W. Raymond

As I have attempted briefly to show you, gentlemen, the present position of the mining and metallurgical industries of this country offers in several respects most important indications of radical change. This is an epoch for more than one branch of these industries. We are commencing again to export copper; we have shifted the main production of lead from the Mississippi Valley to the far West, besides developing a new production of that metal in Missouri; we have seen the price of quicksilver go up, and the price of iron go down to such an extent as to affect profoundly, on the one hand, the great business of extracting silver by amalgamation, through the Washoe process in this country and the patio process in Mexico, and, on the other hand, the various manufactures employing iron as a raw material; above all, the manufacture of steel. But the epoch which has occurred in the relative value of gold and silver, in consequence of causes which I shall attempt to explain, and among which the extraordinary increase in the silver product of Nevada is not the least; this epoch is, perhaps, the most striking feature in the review of our situation. Since my official duties in connection with the mining industry of the Pacific slope and the Great Interior Basin have led me to pay particular attention to this subject, I have thought it not inappropriate to lay before you a somewhat extended account of its history. It is a topic of peculiar interest, because of the general use of these two metals as standards of value in the exchange of commodities. Neither of them is suitable to be, for the political economist, a real standard of value. That standard is rather to be sought in some more universal product of labor, such as wheat—the relation

By Arthur L. Crawford

PLAGER gold is perhaps the most difficult of the common mineral deposits to evaluate. Not only are the erratic pay streaks a source of never-ending uncertainty, but the spotty distribution of the gold in iso¬lated nuggets is a perpetual source of error and disappointment to the sampler. Experienced engineers have long realized this difficulty and have been wary in predicting assay values except in the most general terms, and then only after extensive and usually expensive sampling. During the past year I have had the opportunity of checking a number of gold placers, and from the results obtained I believe that the microscope may be employed to advantage in placer sampling.

Jan 1, 1933

By Ronald L. Longwell

PROPERTY LOCATION Located in the Copper Creek area of the Galiuro Mountains, the Old Reliable is on ground first claimed for mineral value during the Civil War. The deposit was mined sporatically from 1880 to 1919 and again in 1953 and 1954, with a total of about 30,000 tons of ore removed. The ore body is a near vertical breccia pipe containing approximately 4,000,000 tons of 0.80% copper with mineralization occuring as chalcocite, chalcopyrite, malachite, chalcanthite, and chrysocolla. The host rocks are extrusive lavas of cretaceous age which were intruded and mineralized by Copper Creek Granodiorite, which is Laramide in age. The ore zone, which occurs on the toe of a ridge, is about 300 feet by 600 feet in plan, with the bulk of the deposit extending from the surface to a depth of 500 feet.

Jan 1, 1974

By Thomas B. Douglas

INSTRUMENTATION in the process industries can no longer be regarded as a convenience, but rather an absolute necessity. Although many chemical processes must already be conducted with instruments, every properly designed application of automatic process control will improve operation: 1) the product will be more uniform and of higher quality; 2) the manual labor saved will reduce cost; 3) uniformity of flow and uniform control of process will increase production; and 4) surges will be eliminated, making it possible to operate equipment near ultimate capacity at all times. Industrial instruments fall into two general classifications-those that measure and those that measure and control. The cement industry has been using instruments for a number of years, particularly in the burning process, primarily for indicating and recording. Automatic process control makes additional use of these instruments, and others, to control variables. Assisted by the instrument manufacturers, engineers at Ideal Cement CO. achieved considerable progress in determining how well the usual recording instruments could be made to control various phases of cement-making. The results of these experiments were used to make the new plant at Houston as wholly automatic as possible.

Jan 2, 1958

By Lewis Carroll

AS he contemplates the numerous good things the hard-working committees have evolved for the 140th Meeting of the Institute, the Editor knows just how the walrus felt when he uttered his memorable, if somewhat lugubrious lines. For there are the Annual Reception and Dinner at the Commodore, 'the Gold Supply Symposium, the luncheons, general and special, and the Annual Institute of Metals Lecture, a Round Table on Iron Ore and a wonderful Informal Dance at the Grand Central Art, Gallery, substantial general sessions, a Smoker-and many other things. -Old, friends and new, reminiscences and confidential chats, horizons pushed back by new information and adjusted perspectives, courage revived and ambitions stimulated-one with a flair for the modernistic might make something-or nothing-of the kaleidoscopic preview 'of the coming Annual Meeting.

Jan 1, 1931

By Thomas B. Douglas

INSTRUMENTATION in the process industries can no longer be regarded as a convenience, but rather an absolute necessity. Although many chemical processes must already be conducted with instruments, every properly designed application of automatic process control will improve operation: 1) the product will be more uniform and of higher quality; 2) the manual labor saved will reduce cost; 3) uniformity of flow and uniform control of process will increase production; and 4) surges will be eliminated, making it possible to operate equipment near ultimate capacity at all times. Industrial instruments fall into two general classifications—those that measure and those that measure and control. The cement industry has been using instruments for a number of years, particularly in the burning process, primarily for indicatlng and recording. Automatic process control makes additional use of these instruments, and others, to control variables. Assisted by the instrument manufacturers, engineers at Ideal Cement Co. achieved considerable progress in determining how well the usual recording instruments could be made to control various phases of cement-making. The results of these experiments were used to make the new plant at Houston as wholly automatic as possible. The original Houston plant, built in 1937 by Gulf Portland Cement Co., consisted of only one 8 x 220-ft kiln and the necessary grinding mills and accessory equipment and had a capacity of 900 bbl per day (300,000 bbl annually). Ideal Cement Co. purchased this plant in 1940 and almost immediately started plans to increase its production. In 1941 a 9 x 220-ft kiln was installed and grinding and storage capacity were increased. The growing demand for cement in the Houston area necessitated a third kiln (9 ft 6 in. x 250 ft) in 1947. This brought the plant up to its present capacity of about 1.3 million bbl per year. Calcium silicates in cement are produced in a burning operation at high temperatures from raw mix of argillaceous and calcareous materials that have been crushed, mixed, and ground to a fine powder. The composition of this mixture must be kept consistent within narrow limits. Raw mixing and grinding may be done either wet or dry, but in both instances the materials must be correctly proportioned, finely ground, and thoroughly intermixed before entering the kiln. As the raw mix passes through a long horizontal rotary

Jan 1, 1959

By C. A. Stiles, J. W. Nyhus

Erie Mining Co. is a 10.3-million-tpy pellet producer on the east end of the Mesabi Range 60 miles north of Duluth. Its complex includes facilities for mining, crushing, grinding and beneficiation in addition to a pellet plant and power plant. A 74-mile railroad links the mine and plant to Taconite Harbor on the shore of Lake Superior. The concentrate recovery ratio at Erie is about 1: 3, and this, along with stripping activity, makes it necessary for the company to mine nearly a million tons of material a week. At the outset, all crude ore mined at Erie was hauled entirely by rail, but with expansion into additional mining areas, the company made a gradual transition towards truck-to-rail haulage. Today, in Erie's 11th year of operation, over 50% of all crude taconite mined is transported by truck to loading pockets where it is transferred to rail cars. Future years will see more taconite moved in this manner. Thus, the company has an increasing interest in tire performance.

Jan 6, 1969

By Gordon C. Rausser, Michael D. Boehlje, Richard A. Levins, John A. Otte

Changes in SO2 emission standards will not only influence the cost of supplying energy demands from coal, but also the competitive position of various production regions and the method of mining (surface vs. underground). A multiperiod interregional competition model was utilized to evaluate the interactions between mining capacity, new mine development, coal reserves, mining, processing and transportation costs and equipment availability and SO2 emission standards. The empirical results indicate that not only will costs increase dramatically, but production in eastern as well as western regions that have low sulfur reserves will also increase as sulfur standards become increasingly more strict. Implications of the adjustments in the location of coal mining activity for the processing, transportation, and capital goods markets are also presented.

Jan 1, 1978

By R. O. Williams

A recent article by Chernock, Singer, Mueller, and Beck 1 which supports the use of the integral of I sin $ d$ for comparing fiber texture data does not settle what happens to I sin ø as ø approaches zero, where I is the diffraction intensity for poles oriented 0 deg from the fiber axis. They indicate that they believe that it should approach some constant value (that is, I increases without bound) and the fact that in reality it does not was a result of the diffraction

Jan 1, 1960

The 27th Regiment of Engineers was organized in the Army not long ago for special mining service at the front (or, we might even say, in advance of the front). In military engineering in warfare, the "sappers and miners" are one of the ancient branches of the corps of engineers; but in modern warfare the importance of this service has been greatly magnified. The 27th Engineers is a. special mining regiment, which is being recruited from mining engineers and miners from all districts of the country, already containing representatives from all the mining states between Arizona and Montana and from the Atlantic to the Pacific Coast. Those of us who cannot go to the front should not-be content to tell the young fellows to go, and then forget them. We want the men of the 27th Engineers to know that they represent our industry and their industry; and that the industry is going to think about them and back them up. Expressing the above views, the Engineering and. Mining Journal instituted a fund for the aid of the 27th Engineers. It has already raised a considerable sum of money, and contributions are coming in fast; but there is no limit to what is wanted. This money is being spent in providing the regiment with athletic equipment, both outdoor and indoor; with games for the barracks; with cigarettes and smoking tobacco; with contributions to the funds of the several companies that the men raise among themselves. It is contemplated, moreover, that there will be need to extend aid and comfort to some of the families whom the men have left behind. Contributions of books, sweaters and other knitted articles are also being received.

Jan 3, 1918

By Blamey Stevens

(San Francisco Meeting, October, 1911.) IN this paper, which is a logical extension of my paper, The Laws of Intrusion, 1 the various pressures of emanation and their mechanical causes and effects on the large scale of nature are determined, .and a classification of emanations is deduced therefrom. The Subterranean Sea. The subterranean sea is here defined as the intercommunicating water contained in the trains of pores and fissures of the rocks down to great depths. Whether the actual amount of water constituting this subterranean sea be large or small, does not enter into the present argument, since the static pressure of this water at any particular depth is not a function of the quantity : it involves only the depth and the density of the water. Densities. The total pressure at depths down to 10 or 15 miles is made up of the rock-stresses investigated in my previous papers, and the pressure of the subterranean sea. The latter component must evidently be equal to the weight of a solid column of the overlying water of unit sectional area. As water expands with heat, it should really be necessary to sum the density at every level. A knowledge of the densities of water under a variety of conditions is therefore needed, but does not seem ever to have been ascertained for such combined pressures and temperatures as we have to consider. The specific gravity of water at 28° C. for various pressures up to 400 atmospheres, has been determined by Barus,2 who

Apr 1, 1912

By Donald F. Saunders

Means and relative standard deviations were calculated for eU, eTh, K, and their ratios for aerial gamma-ray spectral data in 29 quadrangles at 1:250,000 scale. Known or suspected uraniferous provinces were characterized by: 1) Higher eU, eTh, and K means (due to generally higher radioelement concentrations); 2) Higher relative standard deviations for eU, eU/eTh, and eU/K (reflecting the presence of local uranium enrichments); and

Jan 12, 1979

P. Herasymenko (New York University, New York) —The authors' experiments on equilibria between water vapor and liquid synthetic slags represent a valuable contribution to our knowledge of the nature of liquid slags. They can be regarded as a proof of ionic splitting of water molecules dissolved in slags. The assumption that water dissolved in slag was com- pletely ionized was made in my report on hydrogen equilibria in steelmaking as early as 194010. In that paper, the first systematic data were given on the content of ionized hydrogen in acid and basic open-hearth slags. The paper probably escaped the notice of the authors, although they mention the articles published later by other investigators who reported erratic and

Jan 1, 1958