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By Andrew Corry

GEOPHYSICAL investigations based on radioactivity have been applied to the earth's crust for the purpose of discovering bodies rich in radioactive substances, or for the location of solutions with high emanation or radioactive-salt content, or for the detection of oil, which, in virtue of colloidal properties, has strong powers of radioactive absorption. RADIOACTIVE SUBSTANCES Radioactive substances are distributed in all rocks, waters, and gases in the earth's crust in small quantities. Granites and similar acidic rocks are richest in uranium and thorium, two chief radioactive substances; yet the quantities present in such rocks are of the order 10-12g., this concentration being expressed in grams per gram of the whole substance per cubic centimeter. In granites the uranium yields, according to Haddock, 3 X 10-12 g. of radium per gram of rock. In basalts the uranium yields 1.19 X 10-12 g. per gram per cubic centimeter. Of thorium the granites yield -2 X 10-5 g. per gram of rock; the basalts, 0.77 X 10-5 g. per gram. Certain series of alkalis of low atomic weight, like potassium and rubidium, show weak radioactivity; this property has no significance so far for geological research. The uranium is esti-mated indirectly from the electrical properties of one of its derivatives as a -gas (emanation) into which it is transformed. The thorium is expressed directly, though it is measured as a derivative, thorium emana-tion. There is a measure for the gaseous radium emanation, the curie, which is that quantity of radium emanation, or radon, which stands in equilibrium with 1 g. of radium. The concentration of the emanation is the Mache unit corresponding to 3.64 X 10-10 curie per liter. When gases become permeated by alpha, beta, and gamma rays, plus and minus ions are produced in them by the decomposition of neutral gas molecules, and under the influence of an electrical field these ions are given opposite motions. The measurement of the alpha rays and the bisection thicknesses of the beta and gamma rays is a means of analyzing unknown radioactive substances. These rays accompany the disintegration of radioactive substances and arise from "spontaneous internal changes

Jan 1, 1929

By Porter W. Shimer

The device here described has been found useful in sampling foundry-iron, and there is no reason why it should not be equally useful in sampling other metals, which are not too hard to be drilled with a breast-drill. It consists, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, of an ordinary plumber's gas T (without bead) of about 1/2-inch in internal diameter, over the leg of which is snugly fitted a small tin cup, about If inches deep, to catch the drillings which are made by use of a breast-drill with a 1/4-inch twist bit, working through the arms of the T. The forward arm of the T is filed down to a blunt edge, over which is stretched a short piece of rubber tubing projecting a little beyond the end. The bottom of the inside of the front arm of the ? is filed down to a slope, to facilitate the passage of drillings into the tin cup. The rear arm of the T is fitted with a tin ring, projecting about 1/4-inch, for the purpose of holding in place a stiff spiral brass spring, which serves to press the sampler firmly against the metal to be drilled. The other end of the spring is supported against a shoulder of the breastdrill. The projecting rubber prevents the loss of any drillings, and also the falling of sand from above into the sampler. With ordinary care there need be no risk of getting particles of rubber into the sample. It is, of course, not possible to get a fair average sample of drillings, representing a pile of foundry-iron, by taking drillings from any one or two pieces, because of the frequently mixed character of the iron. This observation applies more particularly to the sampling of iron as it is broken and piled at the foundry, than to sampling at the works, where, if the furnace is working regularly, a few pigs may fairly represent a whole cast. By the use of this device, it is possible for a sampler to pass

Jan 1, 1901

By Robert I. Kingman

SUFFICIENT testing has been performed with the Dutch State Mines Cyclone for thickening and desliming flotation feed at the concentrator of the National Lead Co., Tahawus, N. Y., to prove its application for this work. It is the purpose of this article to present some of the test results, operational details and advantages of cyclone thickening and classification. The metallurgy of the mill operation was described by Frank R. Milliken, assistant manager of the titanium division.l The present flowsheet for the recovery of ilmenite consists in grinding the crushing plant product in four open-end rod mills in closed circuit with mechanically vibrating screens to approximately -20 mesh. The screen undersize is treated in Crockett magnetic separators which produce three products: magnetic concentrate, nonmagnetic tailing containing ilmenite and gangue, and a Crockett slime overflow. The non- magnetic tailing is classified into eight sizer spigots products and a classifier overflow. The spigot sand products are tabled separately to produce a rough ilmenite concentrate, a middling product and a tailing. The table middlings are returned to Crockett feed. The table concentrate is dewatered and dried and further concentrated on Wetherill magnetic separators to produce the finished ilmenite concentrate.

Jan 8, 1950

By V. Steve Reed, Ed L. Reed

The in situ leach mining process generates a waste stream that is high in sulfates, total dissolved solids, and radium 226. During the mining phase, the volume of the waste stream is relatively low and consists primarily of the bleed stream. During the restoration phase, larger volumes of waste water are generated. These waste streams require environrnentally sound disposal. The low net evaporation rate in the Coastal Bend area precludes pond evaporation as a feasible disposal alternative. Reverse osmosis is a practical method of reducing the volume of the waste water handled, but the concentrated waste stream from the reverse osmosis unit must be disposed properly. Deep well injection into highly saline reservoirs is considered a sound method of disposing of the liquid waste generated by in situ mining in the Gulf Coast uranium district. Thirteen injection wells have been permitted to serve the disposal needs of the leach mining industry in Texas. Of these 13, 11 have actually been drilled. Seven applications are pending. The injection zones for the permitted wells range from depths of 3050 to 6200 feet. Pressure limitations imposed on these wells range from 500 psi to 1350 psi. The following criteria are used to determine the desirability of a disposal well site: 1. A minimal number of nearby, improperly plugged borings which penetrate the disposal zone; 2. Minimal crustal disturbance; 3. Sufficient salinity of the water contained in the disposal zone; 4. Protection of oil and gas producing zones; and 5. Sand of sufficient permeability and areal extent to handle the desired volume without fracturing the reservoir. 1. Improperly plugged borings: During the early part of the century, oil wells, gas wells and test holes were drilled using cable tool equipment, often with a minimum amount of surface casing. Production casing, when it was set, was often partly removed when the holes were abandoned. Thus, wells drilled prior to 1940 frequently have less than 100 feet of surface casing and either no production casing or the upper part of the production casing removed. Additionally, these holes are often plugged only with mud. The close proximity of these holes to an injection well location are a concern in that they can provide an avenue for injection-depth fluids to migrate up the bore hole and jeopardize shallower fresh water reservoirs. Usually, where there are more than 6 or 8 poorly plugged borings in a 2 1/2 mile radius of the well site, it is preferable to examine deeper zones for disposal well potential. The deeper zones are especially attractive where the borings are not in a cluster, which renders monitoring more difficult. Often, even the deeper disposal zones are penetrated by a few improperly plugged borings. When this condition arises, the potential for leakage through the borings can be addressed in the following ways. a. Demonstration that the static head in the boring is higher than the anticipated increase in bottom hole pressure generated at the boring by the disposal well. A 100 psi differential between these two pressures is recommended. The calculated increased pressure at a boring caused by injection should be refined using annual bottom hole pressure measurements in the disposal well. Figure 1 illustrates an injection pressure map which can be overlain on the oil well map to determine the anticipated increase in pressure expected at each oil, gas or abandoned hole. b. Shallow ground water monitoring. A shallow monitor well is drilled next to the boring and both pressure and quality measurements are made periodically in the shallow well. c. Disposal zone monitoring. Recently there has been a tendency for regulators to require disposal depth monitor wells instead of shallow well monitoring. We consider disposal depth monitoring to be a less effective method of monitoring because it provides only indirect evidence of potential problems. Assumptions have to be made for the unplugged borings, such as mud weight, that are not addressed by the disposal zone monitoring program. There is little improvement with this system to that discussed in "a" above. A shallow zone monitoring program, however, yields direct evidence of a developing problem with an unplugged boring. Leakage by the boring will be detected quickly by an abnormal increase in pressure in the shallow well. Quality monitoring will detect upward migration of poor quality fluids. The pressure data provide an early warning of impending leakage; the quality monitoring will detect actual fluid migration.

Jan 1, 1980

The suggestions of the members of the Institute are very much desired by the Committee on Nominations prior to deciding upon its nominations to fill the places of those officers who retire early in 1917. The Committee must make its final report to the Board of Directors early in October. The members are, therefore, asked to send in promptly their .suggestions for Directors as well as for Vice-Presidents and President. The Committee hopes to hear from a large number of the members. The officers to be elected at the annual meeting in February, 1917, are: One officer, known as Director and President. Two officers, known as Director and Vice-President

Jan 8, 1916

The suggestions of the members of the Institute are very much desired by-the Committee on Nominations prior to deciding upon its nominations to fill the places of those officers who retire early in 1917. The Committee must make its final report to the Board of Directors early ill October. The members are, therefore, -asked to send in promptly their suggestions for Directors as well as for Vice-Presidents and President. The Committee hopes to hear from a large number of the members. The officers to be elected at the annual meeting in February, 1917, are: One officer, known as Director and president. Two officers, known as Director and Vice-President. Five officers, known as Director. The attention of members is called to Articles V and VII of the Constitution, and to By-Law XIII, which reads as follows: "The geographical districts to be considered by the Committee on Nominations shall be as follows, until otherwise ordered by the Board. District No. 1. New England, New York, and New Jersey, excepting New York

Jan 9, 1916

The following is an incomplete list of members and guests who called at Institute headquarters during the period Dec. 10, 1918 to Jan. 10, 1919. P. G. Bandy, Mexico City. Wm. B. McKinley, Yonkers, N. Y. Bennett R. Bates, Berkeley, Cal. Captain C. E. McQuigg, Conn. William T. Bates, Mascot, Tenn. Lt. H. G. Mathews, Cal. Lt. Don C. Billick, Alturas, Cal. Lt. M. S. Mazany, Mich. L. E. Booth, Watertown, Mass. Ralph A. Meyer, Hill City, S. D. J. T. Boyd, Denver, Colo. C. F. Moore, Boston, Mass. J. R. Buchanan, Pasadena, Cal. H. W. Nichols, Chicago, Ill. Ensign G. M. Burke. R. B. Olsen, Mays Landing, N. J. Captain E. H. Clausen. M. L. O'Neale, Gouverneur, N. Y. F. L. Cole, Manila; P. I. F. W. Osborn, New York, N. Y. Joules Cousin. Lt. Fred S. Porter, Alaska. A. Faison Dixon, Washington, D. C. G. M. Richards, Palmerton, Pa. James T. Dixon, London, England. T. C. Roberts, E. Orange, N. J. Everett Drennen, Elkins, W. Va. W. E. Ruder, Schenectady, N. Y. F. Eichelberger, Helena, Mont. Ensign W. A. RuKeyser, Boston. R. B. Eldredge, Colorado Springs, Colo. A. H. Sawyer, Boston, Mass W. F. Ferrier, Ottawa. Lt. D. F. Schindler, New York. Martin Fishback, Benson, Ariz. L. G. Sparks, Greenshurg, Kan. T. E. Fisher, Dover, N. J. W. H. Staver, New York N. Y. D. C. Gilbert, Ft. Wayne, Ind. Douglas B. Sterrett, St. Cyr, Canada. Lt. Lauriston B. Herr, Cuba. Warren D. Thompson. G. S. Holmquist, Washington, D. C. Enrique Touceda, Albany, N. Y. Lt. E. Ross Housholder, Ohio. Mathew van Siclen. Hugh C. Ingle, Santa Rosa, Cal. Flying Cadet Christian Vrang, Cal. Lt. M. W. Kishman, Ariz. L. G. Weeks, Bisbee, Ariz. Hugo E. Koch, Watertown, Mass. C. E. Wheelock, Mogollon, N. M. H. M. LaFollette, LaFollette, Tenn. Major A. E. White, Washington, D. C. Clinton R. Lewis, Dawson, Y. T. Lt. J. L. White, Humboldt, Ariz. The Secretary of the Institute has received with sincere appreciation a Christmas card extending the season's greetings from the officers' mess of the 3d Tunnelling Company, Canadian Engineers, B. E. F., France, and takes this means of reciprocating to these officers and men of the company the best wishes of the members of the Board of Directors. Charles E. Addams has removed from Ray, Ariz., to Phoenix, Ariz., where he is chairman and director of the Arizona State Council of Defense.

Jan 2, 1919

By A. D. Bryant

APPROXIMATELY 2 1/2 million tons of silica sand and ground silica with a value of $7.25 million is produced annually from the Ottawa, Illinois, district. These silica products come from the well known St. Peter sandstone formation which covers part of the Mississippi Basin extending from St. Paul on the north to the central part of Arkansas on the south and from Muncie, Ind., on the east to Kansas City on the west. Practically the whole state of Illinois is underlain by this formation except where removed by erosion. Sand produced from the St. Peter sandstone in the Ottawa district is noted for its purity, uniformity, and quality. In addition to various screened grades for industry about 10 pct of the total production of the Ottawa district is ground into silica flour for use in glass, abrasives, enamel, porcelain, tile, for foundry and filter sand, and other uses.

Jan 3, 1953

Jan 1, 1968

By F. C. Stanford

THE work of an engineer is to direct natural forces so that they bring about the results that he wishes to secure. Heretofore he has concerned himself chiefly with physical forces and inanimate objects, until he has secured a truly marvelous degree of control over them. The great problem of the present age is to secure a like degree of knowledge and control of the human factor. Progress has already been made along this line, but, it is only a beginning. Wilhelm Ostwald says that scientific knowledge enables a man to be a true prophet; but it must be remembered that a good many people do not seem to be able to maintain a high average in prophecy. In short, the average of knowledge is not equal to the average needs of the present time, but continually fails to keep pace with it. It has been aptly said that the really essential need of the period is for more brains; if we only had sufficient knowledge and sagacity we could not only solve all difficulties, but prevent them from arising. This generalization holds good for an industrial organization. The most vital need of the management is for more brains. The logical course for an engineer in charge of an industrial organization is, therefore, to direct whatever forces may be at his command toward the development, training, and guiding of all the brains in his organization. This is easier said than clone, for it involves the carrying on toward two objectives, the maximum of productive work, and the development of the individuals who perform it. This is essentially like the rebuilding and enlarging of a plant, keeping it in full operation the while. On the other hand, if the aim is merely for maximum production from an organization, without offering opportunity for development, the final outcome will necessarily be like that f a plant that is driven at full capacity without stopping for repairs or improvements; it eventually becomes so run down that either a complete rebuilding is necessary or else it has to be abandoned.

Jan 2, 1918

The co-operation of the members of the Institute is earnestly sought by the Committee on Nominations, recently appointed by the Board of Directors, in its work of formulating a ticket for officers and places falling vacant in the Board of Directors in February, 1916. The Committee must present the official ticket of nominations to the Board of Directors at its October meeting. Members are, therefore, urged to send promptly their nominations for officers and Directors in order that the Committee may have an opportunity to give them full consideration. The officers to be elected at the annual meeting in February, 1916, are: One officer, known as Director and President. Two officers, known as Director and Vice-President. Five officers, known as Director. The officers of the Institute whose terms expire are as follows: President, William L. Saunders (not eligible for re-election). Past President, Charles F. Rand. Vice-Presidents, Thomas H. Leggett, District 0; Fred W. Denton, District 4.

Jan 9, 1915

The co-operation of the. members of the Institute is earnestly sought by the Committee on Nominations, recently appointed by the Board of Directors, in its work of formulating a ticket for officers and places falling vacant in the Board of Directors in February, 1916. The Committee must present the official ticket of nominations to the Board of Directors at its October meeting. Members are, therefore, urged to send promptly their nominations for officers and Directors in order that the Committee may have an opportunity to give, them full consideration. The officers to be elected at the annual meeting in February, 1916, are: One officer, known as Director and President: Two officers, known as Director and Vice-President. Five officers, known as Director. The officers of the Institute whose terms expire are as follows: President, William L. Saunders (not eligible for re-election). Past President, Charles F. Rand. Vice-Presidents, Thomas H. Leggett, District 0; Fred W. Denton, District 4.

Jan 10, 1915

Discussion of the paper of Godfrey T. Vivian, presented at the Cleveland meeting, October, 1912, and published in Bulletin No. 76, October, 1912, pp. 1103 to 1109. COURTENAY DEKALB, Tucson, Ariz. (communication to the Secretary*) :--Mr. Vivian's paper is interesting as an evidence of renewed attempts to solve the problem of adapting the centrifugal machine to the uses of the metallurgist. It would not seem that the Gee machine has solved the problem, because it is manifestly of use only with quite high-grade material, since low-grade pulp could not stand the cost of treatment by a discontinuous process. The mechanism, however, would seen to accomplish grading more perfectly than the ordinary centrifugal basket. This is an entirely different thing from concentration, which is intended to yield a finished marketable product. The real problem is to design a successful continuous centrifugal machine. Ten years or snore ago a machine, which might be described as having an inverted step-basket, offered much promise, and was constructed and tested at considerable cost, but it presented insuperable difficulties. The construction of a successful continuous centrifugal would be welcomed by the whole industrial world, since its uses would be most extensive. Mr. Vivian suggests the utilization of the centrifugal machine as a substitute for slime filters in the cyanide process, but he, has apparently not tried the experiment. I tested the efficiency of centrifugal machines for this purpose in 1897-8, having to extract the cyanide solution from a highly argillaceous slime of the sticky kind which the Mexican call ?lama." Our filter-presses yielded cakes containing usually :30 per cent. of moisture, and so dense as to preclude washing. The centrifugal machine readily Brought the moisture content down to 9 per cent. and permitted fairly successful washing. Despite these advantages, the cost of power, labor, and repairs, and the loss of time in discharging the cake, exceeded the costs and

Jan 5, 1913

By David Baker

IN a paper presented to the American Institute of Mining Engineers, September, 1904, entitled ? Improvements in the Mechanical Charging of the Modern Blast-Furnace,"' I showed the great fault of mechanical charging-devices to be that the materials charged by the dumping of the skip were separated, the coarse materials having high velocity, and the fine, low-thus giving paths of low resistance through the stock in the furnace, which resulted in unequal distribution of the furnace gases, unequal reduction, slips, scaffolds, irregular cutting of the. inwall, " off " iron, and increased fuel-consumption. I showed how this could be prevented by rotary distribution, through which the irregular distribution in one layer charged is compensated by charging the subsequent layers from successively varied positions of the charger, and becomes practically eliminated when the angle between two successive positions is a little more or less than an even fraction of a full circle. Of all the devices then on the market, the nearest approach to the ideal arrangement was found in the Brown distributor, a full description of which was given. The one defect pointed out, however, was the difficulty of maintaining so much mechanism on the top of a blast-furnace. Since the presentation of that paper, I have designed a very simple form of rotary distributor, which may be applied to any form of double-bell charger, retaining the perfect gas-seal, which is so admirably obtained by that construction. In seeking protection for this invention, I found no similar distributor on record in the patent offices of the various countries where application was made; but an application show-

Jul 1, 1906

By A. T. Schwennesen

(Wilkes-Barre Meeting, June, 1911.) EVERY engineer has occasion to trace or copy a map, plan, or other drawing on paper too thick for the ordinary way of using tracing-cloth or tracing-paper. When the figure is small and simple a copy may be made by holding the original against a window-pane, covering it with the paper, and tracing direct by the aid of the strong sunlight from outside. The need of utilizing this principle on a larger scale and in a more convenient position led Dr. J. C. Branner to plan the table of which the following is a description: This table was first made in the form of an adjustable glass-top table with a mirror beneath, in 1887, while Dr. Branner was State Geologist of Arkansas. Later it was modified as experience suggested until the form as here described was evolved. The device consists essentially of a drafting-table with a plate-glass top, upon which the original drawing and the paper are laid, and a mirror mounted underneath to reflect the light of the sky up through the drawing. The glass top is hinged and fitted with two arms and thumb-screws, so that it can be raised and fixed to any position, either inclined or horizontal. The mirror is pivoted and revolves about a horizontal axis, so that it may be tilted to any angle. The hood of cardboard or black cloth prevents the reflection of light from the tracing, and may or may not be attached to the table. The apparatus is set up before a window through which part of the unobstructed sky is visible. The mirror is then adjusted like the reflector of a microscope, so that the skylight is reflected up through the drawing. If the mirror can be so located that the direct rays of the sun are reflected through the drawings, thicker paper can be used. The map or drawing may be held in place by clips screwed

May 1, 1911

By H. W. Hitzrot, R. A. Limons, L. V. Fegan

The authors have developed and tested a new method for measuring pellet-bed temperatures in the traveling-grate or the shaft furnace. This method-using silver-palladium alloy wires as indicators-is less costly and less time-consuming than existing methods. Silver palladium wires, having specific melting points in the 2000° to 2500°F range, are enclosed in ceramic capsules. Each capsule is placed in a nichrome wire basket filled with a sample of green pellets, the baskets being the means for recovering the capsule after firing. After the encapsulated wires have been exposed to the firing cycle, the alloy wires are examined to determine the maximum temperatures attained by the pellet sample. This gives accurate, rapid determinations of maximum temperatures attained during pellet induration in either the traveling-grate or shaft furnace.

Jan 6, 1965

By H. R. Hanley

ELECTROLYTIC zinc produced from sulfate solution and, with pure lead anodes is always contaminated with a small and varying percentage of lead. The purpose of this investigation is to determine the characteristics of several lead alloys and their influence on the products of electrolysis and power consumption. The study of alloyed anodes has been a matter of interest for some years. Tainton, Taylor and Ehrlinger prepared a highly interesting paper1 on this subject a year ago, in which the effects of silver-lead and some ternary alloys of lead-silver-tin were described. The present paper describes a study of various combinations of 10 metals. The general plan of the work provides for the fabrication of the alloyed anode, its adequate conditioning by preparatory electrolytic operation, the production of cathode zinc and its analysis, the determination of the anode polarization, and other features. A list of the anodes tested, showing composition and polarization at various current densities together with the lead assay of the cathode zinc, is shown in Table 1.

Jan 1, 1930

By A. H. Taitt

During 1938, the exploratory drilling by the D'Arcy Exploration Co. Ltd., subsidiary of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Co. Ltd., was continued. The original basis of the search for oil and results to the end of 1937 have already been described.' During 1938 two further wells were drilled in the south, making a total of five wells completed in that part of England. Test wells were also commenced in the Midlands, East Yorkshire and Scotland, where one well, which proved natural gas, was completed during the year. Southern England.—The test well at Kingsclere, in Hampshire, which at the end of 1937 had reached a depth of 5032 ft. in the Lower Lias, entered the Trias at 5060 ft. and was abandoned in that formation at a depth of 5125 ft. A shallow test well was also drilled near Pevensey, in Sussex, to test the lower horizons of the Wealden series and the Purbeck and Portland beds. Traces of oil were encountered in the Wealden series but no production was obtained and the well was abandoned at a depth of 842 ft. in the Kimeridge clay, which underlies the Portland beds. A geological borehole was begun north of Lulworth in Dorset, where the outcropping Wealden series, Lower Cretaceous, is strongly impregnated with oil, to determine whether a more pronounced pre-Albian anticline underlies the very gentle arch of the unconformable Upper Cretaceous. Drilling is not yet completed. Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire ad Yorkshire.—Geophysical investigations were continued in the eastern part of England where the structural conditions of the Carboniferous rocks are concealed by an unconformable blanket of Permian and younger sediments. Seismic methods failed to confirm the structural picture obtained by the previous gravity traverses, but confirmation of a structure near Ollerton, Nottinghamshire, which was suspected on evidence from colliery workings, was obtained. A location was made for a test well on this structure. Eskdale No. 1, begun on the Eskdale pericline near Whitby, in Yorkshire, to test the magnesian limestone of Permian age, was abandoned at a depth of 2486 ft. in the Trias after protracted fishing operations. A

Jan 1, 1939

By A. H. Taitt

During 1938, the exploratory drilling by the D'Arcy Exploration Co. Ltd., subsidiary of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Co. Ltd., was continued. The original basis of the search for oil and results to the end of 1937 have already been described.' During 1938 two further wells were drilled in the south, making a total of five wells completed in that part of England. Test wells were also commenced in the Midlands, East Yorkshire and Scotland, where one well, which proved natural gas, was completed during the year. Southern England.—The test well at Kingsclere, in Hampshire, which at the end of 1937 had reached a depth of 5032 ft. in the Lower Lias, entered the Trias at 5060 ft. and was abandoned in that formation at a depth of 5125 ft. A shallow test well was also drilled near Pevensey, in Sussex, to test the lower horizons of the Wealden series and the Purbeck and Portland beds. Traces of oil were encountered in the Wealden series but no production was obtained and the well was abandoned at a depth of 842 ft. in the Kimeridge clay, which underlies the Portland beds. A geological borehole was begun north of Lulworth in Dorset, where the outcropping Wealden series, Lower Cretaceous, is strongly impregnated with oil, to determine whether a more pronounced pre-Albian anticline underlies the very gentle arch of the unconformable Upper Cretaceous. Drilling is not yet completed. Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire ad Yorkshire.—Geophysical investigations were continued in the eastern part of England where the structural conditions of the Carboniferous rocks are concealed by an unconformable blanket of Permian and younger sediments. Seismic methods failed to confirm the structural picture obtained by the previous gravity traverses, but confirmation of a structure near Ollerton, Nottinghamshire, which was suspected on evidence from colliery workings, was obtained. A location was made for a test well on this structure. Eskdale No. 1, begun on the Eskdale pericline near Whitby, in Yorkshire, to test the magnesian limestone of Permian age, was abandoned at a depth of 2486 ft. in the Trias after protracted fishing operations. A

Jan 1, 1939

By Frederick Laist

THE ore from the Butte mines of the Anaconda company is quite siliceous; that is, it contains considerably less iron than is needed for the fluxing of the silica. The direct smelting of this ore, therefore, requires the addition of considerable fluxing material. The only flux available in sufficient quantity at Anaconda is limestone containing no metallic minerals. This necessarily makes the direct smelting of the ore so expensive that it is more profitable to subject the ore to a preliminary treatment by concentration. However, as the losses in the concentrator were very high, compared with the losses in the blast furnaces, it was found, by calculation, more profitable to send ores containing more than a given percentage of copper to the blast furnaces, in spite of the higher costs of treatment. The dividing point was dependent on various factors, the chief of which was the prevailing market price of -copper. It was customary, therefore, to segregate the ore as mined into two classes. Ore in the first class generally contained 5 per cent. or over of copper;: this was sent directly to the blast-furnace department. Second-class ore contained less than 5 per cent. of copper, and averaged around 3 per cent.; it went to the concentrating department. With the introduction of the flotation process, it was found possible to maintain an average recovery, as concentrates, of 96 per cent. At the same time, the cost of reverberatory smelting was very materially decreased by the use of pulverized coal. These two changes in practice made the blast furnaces unable to compete with the reverberatory furnaces on a cost basis. The distinction between first-.and second-class ore was therefore abandoned, and the ore was treated by concentration. Obviously, on ores as high in iron as the Butte ores, the concentrator, produces a product that is self-fluxing; in fact, it is possible to produce a

Jan 1, 1920