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By E. J. Schmitz

The mining of the Triassic coals of the Richmond basin has been carried on, upon a larger or smaller scale, for more than a hundred years. Notwithstanding the close proximity of the field to a large city and to tide-water, assuring both a good home-market and cheap transportation, and notwithstanding the good quality of the fuel and the great thickness of the principal bed developed and worked, operations in this field have been conducted with but limited success. The basin comprises about 189 square miles, being from 24 to 31½ miles in length by 5½ to 10 miles in width. Not much more than one-tenth of this area has been explored in a practical and efficient way, and not over 1200 acres have been worked near and along the outcrops or edges of the coal. The practical mistakes which have been committed undoubtedly in a number of the mine-operations of the past, do not alone explain the unsatisfactory success and progress of the industry of this field ; nor can it be ascribed to the lack of local enterprise. Other reasons have to be looked for; and, as a principal one, the irregularity and the faulted conditions of the coal deposits must be pointed out. As a second cause, the indifference of the State government, which leaves the development of the field entirely to private enterprise, instead of aiding it by systematical and practical geological investigations, deserves to be mentioned. Nothing has been done by the State since the excellent work done more than fifty years ago by Professor Rogers, who could not at that time enter into the details of such

Jan 1, 1895

By William B. Plank

ENROLMENT data given in this report of the seventh study of the schools by the Mineral Industry Education Division reveals the critical situation in the mineral engineering schools of the United States. Complete figures for the year 1942-43 show that at that time, about one year after Pearl Harbor, the enrollment of mineral engineers was 6385 or 30 per cent less than in 199441. By October 1943, however, enrollment had dropped to 2050, as reported in the Journal of Engineering Education of January 1944. This was a further reduction of 68 per cent in one year, or 77 per cent in three years. With accelerated programs in effect during the current year, with many graduations since last October, and with the military forces taking practically all the high school graduates, the present enrollment is, of course, much lower than the 2050 above given. There are no late data on the exact situation. In Canada, the same situation exists in the mineral engineering schools, only

Jan 1, 1944

By Bruce A. Kennedy

Lufthansa flight 497 roared down the runway and climbed rapidly through the early morning mist hanging over Pudahuel airport and the city of Santiago, Chile, into the brilliant sunlight above the clouds. As the plane banked onto course for Lima, Peru, we got what was possibly our last look at the beautiful snowclad mountains that ring Santiago. To the northeast was the massive hump of Aconcagua, the highest mountain in the Southern Hemisphere, wreathed in clouds and virtually looming over Rio Blanco, the new mine put into production by Cerro de Pasco just one short year before. Almost a thousand miles to the north lay the massive open pits of Chuquicamata and Exotica, and a little closer to Santiago the El Salvador mine. Behind to the southeast, clinging to the steep slopes of the Andes, was the large and awe-inspiring El Teniente mine at Braden. These mines, once the bastions of such companies as Anaconda and Kennecott, had a new owner-the Government of Chile. On the plane were a number of people who had spent a large part of their lives in Chile operating these mines and plants, and who now were suddenly faced with the necessity of starting new lives somewhere else. To them, this was their last look at the country which not too long ago was their home, a bittersweet moment of reminiscence and a time for questioning what the future held.

Jan 1, 1971

By Hollis Peacock

THE Bingham area in the West Mountain mining district on the eastern slope of the Oquirrh range, some 28 miles southwest of Salt Lake City, has been the most consistent producer for the United States Smelting Refining and Mining Company, production having been continuous, except for minor interruptions, since the organization of the United States Mining Co. in 1899. This production has come from fissures and mantos largely within limestone members aggregating something less than 10 per cent of a thick quartzite sequence of Pennsylvanian age which has been warped into an open syncline plunging northwesterly. Bedding on the easterly limb dips 10°-45° but steep-ens to 90° and even overturns on the westerly limb. Ore bodies cluster about the more northerly of two elongate interconnecting stocks of monzonite which have risen in an axial position within this syncline. Largely within the more northerly of these stocks is the low-grade copper ore body exploited in the Utah Copper open cut of the Kennecott Copper Corp. The values, in seams, minute fracture fillings, and disseminations of pyrite and silica, pervade not only the stock but adjacent sediments, and form a nebulous, sprawling mass which both mineralogically and geographically is the center of the district. The more southerly of the twin stocks appears to be comparatively inert and without obvious relation to mineralization. which

Jan 1, 1948

By Joseph E. Pogue

The outstanding features of 1926 in the petroleum industry included the following: 1. Stocks of all oils (crude and refined) were reduced, making the first annual decline since 1918. 2. Domestic crude oil production increased steadily during the last 11 months of the year, accelerating during the fourth quarter, and ending the year at the highest level ever attained. 3. Three new major oil fields were developed—Panhandle, Spindle-top and Seminole. 4. Important advances were registered in production technique, tending to retard the declines of old wells and to maintain the flush periods of new wells. 5. The problem of gaining greater economic control of production through unit operations and gas conservation received growing recognition by the industry and the Federal Oil Conservation Board. 6. The rate of drilling was sharply increased during the second quarter of the year and suffered only a very slight retardation during the closing months. 7. The runs of crude oil to stills were maintained above normal throughout the year and underwent acceleration during the fourth quarter. 8. The gasoline situation was marked by a continuous and substantial increase in the rate of production of cracked gasoline, and by an improvement in the statistical position of the commodity. 9. Prices of both crude petroleum and its principal derivatives were characterized by more profitable levels and greater stability than for a number of years past; and, while showing declines during the fourth quarter, prices did not recede sufficiently to slow down materially either drilling or refinery operations. Change in Stocks The keynote of 1926 was a reduction in stocks of all oils to the extent of approximately 24,000,000 bbl., or 4.4 per cent., of which roundly

Jan 1, 1927

By Gerald Edmunds

IN a paper1 before this Institute in 1940, the writer reported that the surface orientation texture of zinc and cadmium differed from the texture existing within the casting, in that basal planes were parallel to the surface. He was unable to rationalize the origin of this surface texture. It is conceivable that the surface orientation texture is influenced by the atomic force fields, which are different at the surface and within the body of metal. It was considered that a radical change in the surface against which the metal is cast might alter the surface texture. In trial of this, zinc has been cast against a surface of molten lead, but the same result has been obtained-i.e., (001) parallel, ±20°, to the surface-as was obtained when it was cast against air, Transite or iron.1 Into the bottom of an open cast-iron tray, 7 by 14 in. by 2 in. deep, preheated to about 275°C., about ¼ in. of lead, then) ½ in. of zinc was poured, and the whole was covered with an electric heater to enforce freezing from the bottom upward. After a lapse of time sufficient for the zinc but not the lead to solidify, the zinc slab was raised free of the molten lead. The bottom surface of the zinc casting was coated with a thin layer of lead. A specimen of the slab 1 ½ in. square was metallographically polished to flatten it and remove the slight film of lead, and the orientation was determined by the method used before,1 with the result stated above. Some determinations have also been made on other metals, as follows: Surface orientation determinations were made on the 3/8-in. diameter grip section of two ¼ -in, diameter aluminum-alloy die-cast tensile bars and on a 1/8 by ½ -in. flat aluminum-alloy die-cast tensile bar. None of these three aluminum die castings exhibited any preferred orientation at-the surface. A brass die casting (nominal composition: 60 Cu, 37.75 Zn, 1.00 Sn, 1.00 Pb, 0.10 Al, 0.15 Si) furnished by C. S. Smith was also examined. The surface showed a random orientation of alpha and beta. SUMMARY A zinc casting solidified against a molten lead surface was found to have the same surface orientation texture, (001) parallel to the surface, as other zinc and cadmium castings. Aluminum and alpha-beta brass die castings were found to have random grain orientation textures at the surface. ACKNOWLEDGMENT The X-ray determinations were conduced by M. L. Fuller.

Jan 1, 1945

By J. W. Schroeder

SEAMLESS pipe, the product produced from piercing a solid round billet of steel by the Mannesmann process, was first produced in the latter half of the 19th century, the Mannesmann machine having been patented in 1885. The products of other processes also have been termed seamless pipe; for example, the cylindrical section produced by "cupping," which consists of forming a cup from a flat plate or disk and further elongating the cup into a tube by passing it through a set of reducing dies. The purpose of this paper is to discuss some of the more important metallurgical factors and their relationship to the economical production of seamless pipe produced by the Mannesmann piercing process. The first seamless tube plant in America was established at Shelby, Ohio, in 1891, and was employed in the manufacture of bicycle tubing. For a number of years the bicycle industry was the only user of seamless tubing, and this tubing was produced by hot-rolling pierced billets imported from Europe and finishing on the cold drawbench. At the turn of the century, the automotive industry was responsible for an increase in the demand for seamless tubing. The growth of this industry was the dominant factor leading to the phenomenal growth of the petroleum industry, which in turn created a tremendous demand for seamless pipe. In addition; the old lapweld iron boiler tubes for stationary and locomotive boilers were replaced gradually by seamless tubes. Since 1929, the production of seamless steel pipe and tubes has increased over loo pct. In 1929, 1,459,9031 net tons of seamless pipe was produced, including both hot-finished and cold-drawn material, as compared with 3,087,3122 net [ ] tons in 1948. Table I gives the distribution of seamless pipe by classes for 1948. METALLURGICAL PROBLEMS From a metallurgical standpoint, the production of seamless pipe has presented many problems. Practically every type of steel, carbon and alloy, with the exception of the superalloys developed during World War II, has been pierced and rolled successfully into tubing. This includes bessemer, open hearth, by the stationary and duplex processes, and electric steels. The range of sizes produced is no less staggering to the imagination, when it is considered that the hypodermic needle, which is 0.016 in. diam with a wall thickness of 0.004 in., and pipe for gas or oil transmission lines, with a 26 in. OD, are both seamless tubes. Between these extremes, the range of diameters and wall thicknesses meets most present-day demands for seam-

Jan 1, 1951

By Rossiter Raymond

This regiment, originally known as the First Engineer Reserve, will be remembered as the one recruited in New York City through the efforts of the Joint Military Committee of the National Engineering Societies. It was sent to England in August, 1917, and, after a few clays, forwarded to France and attached for immediate service to the British Expeditionary Force, without any opportunity for further field-training. This circumstance has led in some quarters to the impression that the regiment was one of engineers and mechanics merely, and had never been drilled under arms; whereas, in fact, it had received such instruction at Fort Totten for some time previous to its embarkation. It is true that in the famous affair of the German counter-attack after Byng's victory near Cambrai, the men of the Eleventh Engineers fought with pick-axes and tools, as well as with rifles borrowed from dead or wounded soldiers; but that was because they had left their own arms in camp, while doing the railroad-building work to which they had been detailed. The accomplishment of that work is really more remarkable than the behavior of the men under a German surprise-attack. It was before that counter-attack, and immediately after Byng's advance, that Field-Marshal Haig issued his despatch, announcing that the engineers deserved as much credit for that victory as the infantry, having performed miracles in keeping the railway transportation up to the fighting line. Indeed, the subsequent scrimmage, of which so much has been said, was ?Date possible only by the extraordinary position of the engineers at the very front, instead of in the rear, as might have been expected of them. A letter recently received from an officer of the regiment says: We have only recently been receiving the New York papers of early December, in which our regiment seems to have received much favorable mention. The stories were, in the main, true. Our men behaved themselves creditably, and certain of the officers received special mention for valor. Two of our 2d lieutenants were pro-moted to 1st lieutenant rank by special orders of General Pershing for "gallant con-duct in action," and about four others would have been decorated by the British,

Jan 4, 1918

By Dorsey Lyon

I. INTRODUCTION. In presenting, this paper the writers wish to call attention first of all to the fact that the electric furnace was not developed as a competitor of the combustion furnace, but: 1. For the purpose of doing high-temperature work which it is not possible to do in the combustion furnace; and 2. For the treatment of ores from deposits which. are located in regions where fuel is scarce and costly, and where hydro-electric power is comparatively cheap, as is the case in Chili, in Canada, in certain parts of this country and Mexico.. This paper is not presented with the idea of trying to. prove that the electric furnace should replace the reverberatory or the blast furnace as used at present in the smelting of copper ores, but that it may be substituted for their in those localities which are not favorable to them,) and where either of the two following conditions may exist: (a) A district remote from railway transportation. facilities, and where there is a deposit, or deposits, containing sufficient values to warrant their being worked, but which, due to the cost of getting coke in for operating a smelter and of getting ore out to a smelter, have to remain unworked.. And where, on the other hand, there is plenty of water power which call he developed at reasonable cost for the production of electric power, by the use of which for. smelting the ores in an electric furnace, with subsequent Bessermerization if necessary, a concentrated product may be obtained, which can easily stand the necessary transportation charges. (b) Or,. comparatively speaking, the transportation facilities may be all right, but the cost of fuel be too great to permit of the ordinary methods of smelting, whereas,- on the other hand, hydro-electric power can he developed: in the district at a, low cost,, and the ores could be smelted by the electric furnace at a cost. that would make their treatment possible. With these possibilities in mind we have attempted to make a brief comparative study of the problem for the purpose of aiding those interested in the subject, in determining whether it would be possible metallurgically, and feasible commercially; to use the electric furnace-in those localities where, by reason: of excessive fuel costs, the cost, of operating the furnaces for smelting copper-ores. is either excessive or prohibitive. Although the smelting of copper ores in the electric furnace has received considerable attention and more or less experimental work has been done, so far as: we lire: aware there ate no electric furnaces in the United States which are' being worked on copper ores. In Norway, however, trial smeltings of copper ores with an electric furnace of 1,000 h. p. and an estimated producing' capacity of 2,000 tons per annum, have been

Jan 8, 1913

By C. W. Merrill

The cyanide process in the United States, notwithstanding numerous failures made under the direction of the owners of the patent-rights, and others, has now passed its experimeiital stage, and can, undoubtedly, be made successful when intelligently applied to suitable material. Much, however, remains to be known as to the exact conditions under which this process is applicable to the treatment of gold-bearing ores. If the owners of the patent-rights in this country have ever scientifically investigated the matter, they have never published any valuable informatioil on the subject. Other parties who are now using the process (often independently of the patentees), have nothing to gain by publishing their experience; and, moreover, many of the chemical reactions described in the text-books refer to the use of solutions of potassium cyanide many times stronger than are used in the metallurgical process.

Jan 1, 1896

By H. N. Thomson

GENERAL. THE Tooele plant of the International Smelting & Refining Co. is situated at the mouth of Pine canyon, Tooele county, Utah. It is connected with the main line of the San Pedro, Los Angeles & Salt Lake railroad by the Tooele Valley railway, and is about 7 miles from Tooele Junction. Fig. 1 is a general view of the plant. FIG. 1.-TOOELE PLANT OF THE INTERNATIONAL SMELTING & REFINING Co. The copper plant has been in operation since July, 1910, and the first blast furnace at the lead plant was blown in on Feb. 29, 1912. The location of the plant was selected on sloping ground with the idea of using gravity to the fullest extent and thus keeping labor at a minimum. Practically the entire plant is constructed of steel, reinforced concrete, and brick. Bingham ores, both lead and copper, are received over the Utah Consolidated Aerial Tramway. The tram buckets, each containing

Jan 7, 1913

By Edward H. Robie

SHOULD the name of our Institute be changed? Perhaps one should say, should it again be changed, for until 1919 the name was the American Institute of Mining Engineers. When the American Institute of Metals joined our ranks we became the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers. To make it a full mouthful, and strictly legal, one should add the word "Incorporated." At the June meeting of the Board of Directors it was suggested that this name was not a particularly happy one, especially so far as members of the Petroleum Branch, comprising a quarter of our membership, were concerned-not particularly appropriate as the name for the professional society for petroleum engineers. Apart from the petroleum group, the present name is felt by some not to be sufficiently comprehensive. Most geologists and many metallurgists, ceramists, and fuel technologists, for instance, are not engineers. They could never qualify as registered professional engineers under the licensing laws and yet they are valued and fully qualified Members of the AIME. The Directors, at the June meeting, thought the idea of a change in name should be presented to the membership for discussion, and suggested this column as the avenue of approach. Nine years ago Dean Steidle, of Penn State, recommended among other things that the name of the Institute be changed to "American Institute of Mineral Technologists and Engineers." In an editorial in Mining and Metallurgy in January 1944 objection was offered to this name but "American Institute of Mineral Engineers" was suggested. A special committee appointed by the Board to review Dean Steidle's suggestions (W. B. Heroy was Chairman) suggested that if the AIME were starting from scratch, the American Institute of Mineral Engineers might be a preferred name. It was not thought that the change suggested by Dean Steidle was one of major importance, and the comment was made that "the present name has gained prestige through many years and is cherished by our membership. An important element of 'good will' is attached to it and some of this would be unquestionably sacrificed by any change." In M&M for February 1945, Oliver C. Ralston went into the derivation of the terms mineralogy and metallurgy, and pointed out that both Mining and Metallurgical mean "digging," etymologically. He went on to show, with tongue in cheek, that if we want a short and all-inclusive name it should be American Institute of Geo-urgists, or, for euphony, Geolurgists. Oliver's brilliant development seems to have been received with speechless wonder! Should a decision ever be made to change the name, we think most members will agree that the American Institute of Mineral Engineers is to be preferred over anything yet suggested. "Mineral" has become, through usage, a much broader term than is indicated in the dictionary. Webster states that a mineral, in the true sense, must be inorganic, but Murray's Oxford English Dictionary seems more liberal, defining "mineral" as "any substance which is obtained by mining; a product of the bowels of the earth;" and "mineral oil" as any oil of mineral origin, as petroleum or shale oil. Certainly "the mineral industry" is ordinarily taken to include those activities based upon processing all the metallic and nonmetallic ores and deposits found in the ground, including the fuels. One advantage of this title is that the familiar abbreviation, "AIME" need not be changed. The advisability of maintaining a well-known abbreviation is evident, and was recognized, for instance, when the Committee for Industrial Organization became the Congress of Industrial Organizations some years ago. But if the petroleum engineers are the ones to be chiefly considered in revising the name of the Institute, it is by no means certain that they would feel that they are much more adequately recognized in a group of Mineral Engineers than in a society of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers. 'And then there remain, of course, the considerable number of professional members of the Institute who are not engineers at all. Comment from readers is invited.

Jan 1, 1952

By Robert E. Tally

THE membership of the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers is composed largely of technicians, operating engineers, and executives in the mining, metallurgical and petroleum industries. The Institute also has its student, junior and associate membership and its Woman's Auxiliary. Primarily, it is a technical society, devoting itself largely to the encouragement of progress within the industries it represents, and to the discussion and dissemination of facts regarding this progress to its membership. The wisdom of this policy is reflected by the prestige and position which the society has gained, not only .among its members but throughout the entire mining world.

Jan 1, 1932

By C. O. Babcock

In this Bureau of Mines report, the authors present the results of laboratory tests on the burst proneness of coal. Many researchers have studied the violent breaking of large coal masses in underground mines, called bursts, but the causes remain uncertain. They have often assigned to geology and gas pressure the causative roles. The objective of this work is to show that stress can produce bursts in many coals if constraint is necessary for pillar survival and is suddenly lost. We tested coal samples from 15 mines, in 11 coal seams, in six states in the laboratory, and 13 were made to burst. These bursts were produced in several ways, but segmented steel platens were used in the tests reported. Two parameters analogous to the momentum and kinetic energy were used to rank the burst proneness of the coals tested. Tangential strains over the lower surface of the model coal pillar were measured to reveal a periodic slipping prior to the burst. High-speed motion pictures (350 frames per second) reveal the burst behavior in slow motion. We propose a modified Mohr-Coulomb stress-failure criterion to describe the burst behavior. When the horizontal constraint is suddenly lost with little change in the vertical stress, the Mohr stress circle increases in size dynamically, exceeding the static failure condition. When the inertia of the coal mass is overcome, a burst occurs. We conclude that most coals can be made to burst and that such bursts can be expected in mining at increasing depths.

Jan 1, 1984

By Keith C. Hendrick

The mining industry of Canada, stretching from coast to coast and reaching into the most remote regions of the country, is of fundamental importance to the national economy and the well being of many communities outside the main urban areas. The production, processing and transportation of a host of mineral products provide employment for about 9% of the country's labour force; and their shipment to export markets provides an important contribution to the balance of payments. In 1976 Canada's metal and mineral production had a value of $5.24 billion, of which zinc and lead accounted for $862 and $129 million respectively, or 19% of the total. By all standards the Canadian zinc and lead industry is large and, therefore, important to the country as a producer and the world as a supplier. This report will review the development, describe the present status and discus current problems and future potential of the industry. The discovery and successful development of the major lead-zinc deposits at Kimberley, British Columbia, provided Canada with a solid base from which to grow. The breakthrough in metallurgical technology using differential flotation to separate the lead and zinc sulphides and the refining of high purity metal by electrolytic methods not only helped Canada to compete with other world producers but also provided a new source of these metals at prices and qualities that encouraged the development of new end uses.

Jan 1, 1977

By A. N. Mitinsky

Discussion of the paper of A. N. MITINSKY, presented at the San Francisco meeting, September, 1915, and at the New York meeting, February, 1916, and printed in Bulletin No. 104, August, 1915, pp. 1697 to 1705. ALBERT SAUVEUR, Cambridge, Mass.-The author expresses the belief that steel will not fail under fatigue when subjected to ultimate stresses unless the stresses exceed the elastic limit or the limit of proportionality. I think this statement is contrary to the evidence. It is conceivable, however, that a stress ever so small does produce a permanent set, although so slight that we cannot detect it with the instruments at our disposal. Nevertheless the repetition of this small stress a great many times will finally break the piece and the nearer, we approach what we call the elastic limit, the quicker will the piece break under fatigue. J. W. RICHARDS, So. Bethlehem, Pa.-I would like to ask Professor Sauveur whether there is a similar indefiniteness about the limit of .proportionality as there is about the elastic limit. ALBERT SAUVEUR.-Yes; I believe it also depends upon the delicacy of our instruments. J. W. RICHARDS.-If that is so then we are as badly off by adopting the limit of proportionality as a criterion as we are by adopting the elastic limit.

Jan 5, 1916

By Charles Seastone

Location THE hydro-electric plant of the Peninsular Power Co., is located at what is commonly known as Lower Twin Falls on the Menominee River. This location is about 33 miles north of the city of Iron Mountain, Mich. The principal points of delivery of electric energy from this plant are in the mining regions adjacent to Florence, Wis., and Iron River, Mich., and in the cities of Iron River and Iron Mountain. The hydro-electric plant at Twin Falls and the substation of the Iron Mountain Electric Light & Power Co. are connected by a 6,600-volt transmission line carried on steel towers and steel poles, the latter being used within the city limits. The plant at Twin Falls and the substation at Iron River, about 36 miles distant, are connected by a 66,000-volt, duplicate, three-phase transmission line, supported on steel towers. At Iron River, are located a 1,500-kw. auxiliary steam plant, and the substation, from which the current is distributed to the mines in this vicinity. A description of the auxiliary plant, main and customers' substations, and of the main and secondary transmission lines, follows later in this paper.

Jan 2, 1915

By Edmund E. Getzin

Of all the developments in the post-war history of Western Europe, none has been more remarkable in its aims and in the progress it has achieved than the movement toward European integration. It is not an exaggeration to say that this movement marks a virtual revolution, an about-face, in the long and complicated history of European states over the past three centuries. Although sporadic efforts to achieve European integration can be traced back for at least a 100 years, it remained for the breakdown of the European economies as a result of World War II and the subsequent Russian threat to give new impetus to the concept of broader economic and political integration. In fact, the economic integration of Europe following the end of the war was considered so essential that, in 1949, the administrator of the European Cooperation Administration, Paul Hoffman, spoke of the economic integration of Western Europe as an objective of American policy embodied in the Marshall Plan.

Jan 6, 1963

By Milnor Roberts

WAR struck the mineral industry of Washington with cross currents that produced a peculiar result. The State's production of coal, industrial minerals, and metals for 1941, valued at $28,507,282, was increased in 1942 under war pressure to approximately $35.000,000. Meanwhile a tremendous demand had arisen for men to construct airfields and many other large projects for the Army and Navy in Washington and Alaska, and Government plants for the mineral industry costing $140,000,000 or more, as well as a call for employees in the U. S. Navy Yard at Bremerton, the sixty shipyards, the four Boeing airplane factories with many auxiliary shops, and hundreds of other plants turning out war materials. In spite of an influx of nearly 300,000 people, causing an increase of 17.1 percent in the population since 1940, according to the Census Bureau, the State clearly is still engaged in an unusual amount of war production in proportion to its population. A large proportion of the workers have been drawn from the mineral industry to the war plants, whether through motives of patriotism, high wages, or, in the Boeing plants at least, the glamour of the operation

Jan 1, 1944

By Vincent P. Gi. ccnella

GOLD was discovered in Gold Canyon on May 15, 1849. Following this discovery placer miners worked the gravels in the canyon for-ten years, finally discovering the outcrop of the Comstock lode at Gold Hill in May, 1859, and in Ophir ravine on June 12 of the same year. Before long large quantities of gold and silver, were taken from the lode and one of the West's most spectacular mining booms drew thousands of fortune seekers to Nevada. After a long period of production activity waned and in late years little mining was done. The recent reopening of the old mines and the discovery of ore in other parts of the vein, and in other veins of the district, has led to a revival of interest in the Comstock. Virginia City, Gold Hill, and Silver City, situated along the great vein system, are enjoying a period of prosperity and a large influx of people.

Jan 1, 1934