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By Sherwin F. Kelly

FRONTIERS of geological knowledge retreated further this past year before an ever-widening geophysical attack, as governments and endowed institutions continued to take an increasing practical interest in the geophysical line of approach to the study of earth phenomena. A year ago I opened this annual review with a brief account of the efforts to discover what formations lie concealed beneath the deep sediments which form the superficial portions of the Continental Shelf off the eastern United States. That work was but the beginning, and 1938 saw its continuation and expansion. With the assistance of a Guggenheim Fellowship, Maurice Ewing pushed his researches in the development of instruments and techniques for deep-sea seismic refraction studies. Ewing's early refraction profile from the Virginia Capes to the edge of the Continental Shelf has been followed by a similar traverse in Great Britain from the coast of Cornwall to the edge of the Continental Shelf southwest of England. This showed that the thickness of the sedimentary mantle and the rates of slope of the basement surfaces there are comparable to those in the Virginia Cape district.

Jan 1, 1939

By Thomas Egleston

All industrial establishments whose operations depend upon chemical reactions use gases. In the simplest case the oxygen of the atmosphere, heated or not, as the case may be, is used, and in other cases, gases which are produced by a special apparatus of more or less complex composition. The manufacturer depends, for the success of his operations, entirely upon having these gases arrive at the right time, in the proper proportions, at the required temperature. It often requires but a slight variation in their composition to make a given process a success or a failure. In most cases the gas used is formed from fuel, and according as variations in its composition are produced by alterations in the manner of charging the grate, not only different, but often directly opposite, results are obtained. The great industrial question of the present time, and one upon which the prosperity of the world depends, is how to get the greatest amount of useful effect from fuel, whether the caloric is used directly or is transformed into horse-power. In almost all industrial pursuits this translates itself into the question of how to construct a fireplace and its adjuncts in such a way that the heat of the flame and of the products of combustion shall be made to produce a maximum effect. Unfortunately, until very recently, except by comparison, there was no means of ascertaining whether the loss of useful effect was 80, 40, or 20 per cent. of the total amount of fuel employed. It seems now strange that there should have been furnaces so constructed as to produce 20 per cent. of carbonic acid in the fireplace, but this has been proved by analysis to have been true. It does seem incredible that, notwithstanding the immense number and variety of furnaces used for different processes, and the great difference in kind, quality, and quantity of fuels consumed, there should formerly have been used for them all, the same stereotyped fireplace, varied only in its dimensions of height, length, and breadth. It is true that, with a good fireman, excellent effects may be, and have been, produced, but the manufacture is here, as in many other cases, dependent on the intelligence of the workman, a very uncertain reliance for capital to rest upon. The workman, unless he receives a prime for fuel saved, or is fined for excessive use of it, may be said

By T. Prof. Egleston

ALL industrial establishments whose operations depend upon chemical reactions use gases. In the simplest case the oxygen of the atmosphere, heated or not, as the case may be, is used, and in other cases, gases which are produced by a special apparatus of more or less complex composition. The manufacturer depends, for the success of his operations, entirely upon having these gases arrive at the right time, in the proper proportions, at the required temperature. It often requires but a slight variation in their composition to make a given process a success or a failure. In most cases the gas used is formed from fuel, and according as variations in its composition are produced by alterations in the manner of charging the grate, not only different, but often directly opposite, results are obtained. The great industrial question of the present time, and one upon which the prosperity of the world depends, is how to get the greatest amount of useful effect from fuel, whether the caloric is used directly or is transformed into horse-power. In almost all industrial pursuits this translates itself into the question of how to construct a fireplace and its adjuncts in such a way that the heat of the flame and of the products of combustion shall be made to produce a maximum effect. Unfortunately, until very recently, except by comparison, there was no means of ascertaining whether the loss of useful effect was 80, 40, or 20 per cent. of the total amount of fuel employed. It seems now strange that there should have been furnaces so constructed as to produce 20 per cent. of carbonic acid in the fireplace, but this has been proved by analysis to have been true. It does seem incredible that, notwithstanding the immense number and variety of furnaces used for different processes, and the great difference in kind, quality, and quantity of fuels consumed, there should formerly have been used for them all, the same stereotyped fireplace, varied only in its dimensions of height, length, and breadth. It is true that, with a good fireman, excellent effects may be, and have been, produced, but the manufacture is here, as in many other cases, dependent on the intelligence of the workman, a very uncertain reliance for capital to rest upon. The workman, unless he receives a prime for fuel saved, or is fined for excessive use of it, may be said

Jan 1, 1874

By AIME AIME

THE section delegates assembled Monday morning with the incoming president, W. H. Bassett, in the chair and F. W. Bradley as vice-chairman. The secretary called the roll and urged the delegates to become familiar with the activities of the Institute. He explained the allotment of funds to local sections and the uses to which these funds may be put. He also announced plans for travel by Mr. Bassett and asked the delegates to confer with him as to meetings en route. An invitation was extended for all section delegates to attend the Directors' dinner Wednesday evening. He suggested that local sections hold a meeting once a year under the auspices of each division of the Institute. He further explained the system of choice of publications by members. The question of licensing of engineers was brought up, and the consensus of opinion among the membership was asked for. Because the matter is controversial, no official action has been taken and it was suggested that the' local and State sections act separately in this regard. A. B. Parsons, the assistant secretary, next spoke. In his remarks he indicated surprise that many prominent mining men still did not belong to the Institute, and urged that section delegates make up a list of such prospective members and send it in to the office for study by the New York staff. He also asked that re- ports of all meetings be turned in for publication in MINING AND METALLURGY, and said that the reports

Jan 1, 1930

By Reginald S. Dean

THE widespread occurrence of manganese in low grade oxide and carbonate ores not amenable to mechanical concentration has led to extensive investigations of hydrometallurgical methods for producing a pure manganese compound suitable for further treatment. Manganese carbonate is the preferable compound. This product when fully crystalline and of not too fine crystal size is easily filtrable and stable in air. It can be converted to other compounds such as the oxides by heating in air or can be reacted with acids for producing salts. A useful hydrometallurgical process must produce relatively concentrated solutions that can be purified easily, reagents must be cyclically used, and heat requirements must be small. Neither the ammonium sulphate nor sulphur dioxide leaching processes that have been tested extensively fulfill these 'requirements. Other hereto-fore proposed processes have obvious limitations and have not been tried on a large scale. The present process is based on the discovery by the writer of a new group of aqueous manganese-ammonia complex solutions highly concentrated in ammonia, which permit rapid solution of manganous oxide to concentrations of 80 to 100 g Mn per liter and from which a fully crystalline, easily filterable manganese carbonate is precipitated by the addition of carbon dioxide and partial ammonia removal. Although the process may be carried out with many ammonium salts, commercial advantages dictate the use of ammonium carbamate, which is obtained when CO2 is passed into concentrated aqueous solutions of ammonia. If the carbamate is used, the only reagents, ammonia and C02, are volatile and may therefore be recovered from solutions and residues by heating, thus eliminating washing and extensive evaporation. Impurities are controlled easily as most metal oxides are either insoluble in the lixiviant or fail to precipitate with the manganese carbonate. Others are controlled by sulphide addition. The process has been tested extensively on a small scale on a wide variety of ores; including Three Kids, Artillery Peak, Cuyuna, and Chamberlain; as repre-

Jan 1, 1952

By J. B. Dilworth

The purpose of this paper is, first, to give a general account of a little-known coal-district of SE. Kentucky, its topography, drainage, and mineral resourcee, for those who may be interested in its economic development; and secondly, so to describe the geologic features of the field as to furnish available data to those engaged on the broader problems of Appalachian coal-geology. The data from which the major portion of the paper has been prepared were obtained, in professional investigations for private individuals and corporations, within the last decade. The area under review, defined by a heavy line on the map, Fig. 1, lies between Little Black and Pine mountains, and extends from Harlan on the west to a N-S. line crossing Looney creek 3 miles from its mouth on the east. This area can be divided for description into a Western and an Eastern Division. The character of investigatioil pursued in the Western Division, below Fugitt creek, was very different from that employed in the Eastern. In the former, only a rapid reconnois-sance was attempted: such coal-openings as had been made by prospectors or by citizens in obtaining fuel were visited, their

Jan 1, 1913

By Claude P. Heiner

mountain region to M tht Coast points for domestic consumption and for export are shown in Table 11. There is considerable disparity in rates from both Rock Springs, Wyo., and Castle Gate, Utah, to the four coast cities where the slack coal is to be used for purposes other than export. The rate on coal to be exported is the same from either starting point to any of the four coast cities even though there is a difference of as much as 341 miles in the shipping distance. It is interesting to note that the freight rate between Sunnyside, Utah, and Fontana, Calif., on coking coal is $5.05 per ton and that coal up to 8 in. can be moved on this rate if it is suitable for coking. This rate was published late in 1942 on a contemplated annual movement of more than 500,000 tons. There have been decreases in freight rates since 1923 on movements of slack coal from Utah into Seattle and Portland due to pressure on the railroads and to greater. quantity of coal shipped. It is the author,', opinion that a movement of slack coal in excess of 3 million tons of coal per year from Utah to any point in central California would justify a freight rate equal to that puhlished for Fontana, Calif.. or $5.05 per ton. The movement of 3 1/2 million tons of coal per year on the basis of 240 mine working days per year would require that 14,600 tons be handled each mine working day. If it is assumed that shipments could be arranged for a 6-day week, the average railway movement would he 11,200 tons, or approximately 3 trains containing fifty-five 70-ton coal cars per day. Such movements of coal would require railroad equipment represented by the investment amounts stated in Table 12 and entail the services of 250 men. Table 12 ... Railroad Equipment and Investment Required To Move 11,200 Tons of Coal a Day from Utah to California Railroad Equipment Cost 2800. 70-ton coal cara at $6.000 each $16,800.000 32 locomotives at $310.000 each. 9.920.000 Miscellaneous eauiument:.......... .5;000:000 Total........................ $31,720,000 It therefore appears that, under presently known mining methods, the lowest price at which coal could be sold f.0.b. the mine in amounts of 3 1/2 million tons per year for generation of power in central California would be $4.60. It also appears that the lowest freight rate that could be expecled between intermountain points and the central California area would be $5.05 per ton, making a total cost of coal delivered at a plant site of $9.65 per ton. Conelusions The following are the author's conclusions: 1. Coal mines in Utah and in the Kemmerer and Rock Springs districts of Wyoming could increase annual production by 6 1/2 million tons per year. 2. Under present conditions coal could probably be delivered to any steam electric plant in central California at a price not to exceed $9.65 per ton. 3. The use of coal at such a price, while higher than the equivalent present price of fuel oil, is entirely feasible. 4. There are adequate railroad facilities for movements of large quantities of coal from the intermountain region to the Rest Coast. 5. In a national emergency it probably would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to obtain sufficient oil to meet requirements of the greatly expanded West Coast steam electric generatsing capacity. 6. The intermountain region contains ample coal reserves to supply all conceivable demands for West Coast power generation for a number of generations. 7. Increasing demands of labor threaten to lessen, if not eliminate, savings in cost of coal production through the use of new mining machinery. 8. Continuation of experiments in socialism by the Federal Government through construction of hydroelectric generating plants, particularly those unrelated to land-use reclamation, defies justification. Rates under this concept of a governmental function are subsidized through greater taxation of its people. Private capital is available to construct steam plants, or hydro plants where feasible, and should be permitted to continue in order to preserve the principles of our free enterprise system. DISCUSSION (L. C. McCabe and Robert P. Koenig, presiding) C. C;. BALl*—I was asked to lead off the discussion, but it is not with the thought that I might be able to add anything to the paper. The thoroughness with which it was prepared rather forestalls the asking of many questions. Your treatment, Mr. Heiner, is a very valuable contribution. I do want to suggest—that although you have limited your study to this specific question, with certain geographic limitations, many of the things in your paper apply just as well to the eastern coals. I want to agree 100 pct with your final conclusion concerning government-subsidized construction. Id. C. McCabe*—It is certainly worthwhile to take stock occasionally to see where we are going in problems of this nature. I agree with Mr. Heiner that ultimately the only reliable source of fuel that the West Coast has is coal hut the time factor is the difficult element to evaluate. Just before I came here I discussed this subject with N. B. Hinson, Vice President and Executixe Engineer of the Southern California Edison Company, and Chairman of the West Coast Inter-Power Exchange Committee. He has given much thought to utilities' fuel supply and it was very helpful to me in preparing a discussion of the paper to talk with him beforehand. Stock taking and forecasting of future development are essential to the continuing success of any enterprise. Mr. Heiner has called attention to the unprecedented growth of central and southern California and to the increased demands for fuel and power which have accompanied it. He discusses the increased fuel oil and natural gas requirements and the probable limits on the future use of these fuels and of hydroelectric power. In contrast to the calculable limits of these sources of electric energy, the author points to the availability of enormous reserves of coal in the Rocky Mountain States adjacent to the Pacific Coast which can be utilized for power generation. That there will be increased use of coal for power generation in the area under discussion is generally accepted hut it is in the timetable of such development that there is not complete agreement. In a recent report, Mr. Hinson reviewed the future power outlook for the Pacific southwest area. He pointed out that the use of steam plants in connection with water power plants in this region has made the maximum use of hydroelectric energy possible, and that the correct balance between hydro and steam generating plants produces the most economical overall system. Steam plants in the area which had been installed to protect against deficiency in hydro energy in dry years were used to carry war loads. Fortunately, no dry

Jan 1, 1950

By C. E. Stafford

and tougher, and will carry double the tonnage of any of Dr. Dud ley's soft mils. C. E. Stafford, Steelton, Pa.: I must confess my high ap preciation of Dr. Dadlq's conscientious and painstaking work, and of his scientific methds in obtaining the data; but with his method of handling these results and with his conclusions drawn therefrom 1 canuot agree. The reasons for this difference of opinion I will endeavor to explain. It is apparent on inspecting his Plates 6 and 7 that the majority of the slower-wearing rails are from the north track, and generally have a longer time of service, a greater average tonnage per rail, and a smaller avernge tonnage per year per rail than the faster wearing, the majority of which are from the south track, and gener ally have a shorter time of service, a smaller average tonnage per rail, and a greater average tonnage per year per rail. Have these facts any significance Have these different of conditions to which they are subjected any baring on the relative wearing capacity of these rails I venture to say they have. I think, after a study of Table I (page 676), (an arrangement of linee 17 and 18 of Plate a), in connection with Plates 6 and 7, we will find that the slower wear of the 32 best rails is only partly due to qualities inherent in the rails themselves, but is principally due to external conditions favorable to slower wear. In regard to the north and south track, we know that over the rsoiith track come the loaded cam from the West, and that over the north track these cars return, most of them, empty. It is evident that this means for the north track a less average tonirage per rail per year; or, in other words, a lower wheel tonnage. When the load per wheel is less, the resistance and consequently the wear must, necessarily, be less, other things being equal. Time of service, alee, has an important bearing on the question in hand. It has been only within the last five or six years, as Dr. Dudley has pointed out, that the roadbed of the Pennsylvania Rail road has reached its present admirable condition. Before this time the njadbrd was more elastic, more yielding (and probably not uni tbrmly so) than at present. These circumstalices might cause a sofier rail to be more durable than a harder one, owing to the fact that it ulonId yield rnore or less to the bending force of the passing load and would thus get a bearing on each cross-tie. The harder rail, on the other hatid, being stiffer and more. unyielding, would not

Jan 1, 1881

By A. S. Yue, A. E. Vidoz, F. W. Crossman

Tensile specimens were prepared from a single grain of an epitaxially grown Al-CuAl2 eutectic ingot. The eutectic lanzellae were oriented parallel and perpendicular to the tensile axis of the specimens. Since the composite was of the eutectic composition, the aluminum-rich matrix could dissolve up lo 5. 7 wt pct Cu in solid solution and, therefore, was amenable to strengthening by precipitation hardening. The tensile properties of the eutectic single crystals were determined at room temperature as functions of interlamel-lar spacing, platelet orientation, and thermornechanical trealment. The obserced variations in composite stress and modulus with respect to the level of&apos; composite strain are discussed in terms of premature fracture of CuAlz platelets, a distribution function for the strength of the lamellae, and unequal strains due to localized fracture of&apos; platelets. The discontinuous fiber composite model of Kelly and Tyson is modgied to account for a changing distribution of fiber lengths during composite loading. The tensile properties at elevated temperatures were determined for the direc-tionally solidified eutectic oriented with platelets parallel to the tensile axis. The observed properties are attributed to the onset of plasticity of the CuAL2 phase above 150°C. DURING the investigation of whisker- and fiber-reinforced metallic matrix composites in recent years, two major problem areas have developed: 1) The fabrication of the composite involves tedious handling techniques in order to obtain a unidirection-ally aligned and uniformly spaced set of whiskers in the metal matrix. 2) Due to weak interfacial bond strengths or because of the formation of additional embrittling phases at the metal-fiber interface during long-time exposure or fabrication at elevated temperatures, many composite systems have exhibited considerably lower strengths than those predicted by a law of mixtures analysis.&apos; These problems have been bypassed by the technique of growing whiskers and plates of high-strength materials in a ductile metal matrix by controlled unidirectional eutectic solidification.2 The tensile properties of directionally solidified A1-CuA12 eutectic are presented here. This alloy consists of a ductile aluminum matrix, containing up to 5.7 wt pct Cu in solid solution, which is amenable to precipitation hardening by heat treatment and a reinforcing high modulus CuAlz intermetallic phase. The two phases are present in the form of alternating platelets or lamellae. The microstructural stability of this unidirectionally solidified alloy at elevated temperatures has been studied extensively.3.4 and preliminary tensile and bend tests have been reported. 5-7In the present investigation the tensile properties of the A1-CuA1, eutectic have been studied as a function of several ther-momechanical variables: solidification rate. heat treatment. rolling at elevated temperatures. and lamellar orientation. It was felt that the uniformity of structure and excellent interfacial bonding would give tensile properties concomitant with the metal matrix composite theory of strengthening proposed by Kelly and coson. 8-9 The tensile properties that were obtained point to a wide distribution of strengths for the CuAlZ platelets, which leads to large deviations from the predicted mechanical behavior for this composite. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Epitaxial Growth of Eutectic Alloy. The A1-CuA1, eutectic alloy was prepared by an epitaxial growth process. Sections of a master alloy ingot (total impurity content <0.008 pct) were placed in an alundum boat, melted. and directionally solidified to obtain a multigrained plate 12 by 2 by 4 in. This plate was tapered at one end to mate with a seed crystal 1; in. long and 4 by $ in. square. Then the seed-plate combination was placed in an alundum boat which sat in a quartz tube passing through the center of a horizontal resistance wound tube furnace. A dried argon atmosphere was maintained. The temperature gradient in the furnace was such that the liquid-solid interface of the eutectic alloy was located near the end of the furnace and could be observed through the quartz tube. Single-crystal plates were formed by melting the material back to the midpoint of the seed crystal of the desired platelet orientation and then epitaxially growing the plate from the seed by withdrawing the alundum boat from the furnace at a constant rate. This technique was used to produce aluminum and CuA12 lamellae parallel and perpendicular to the transverse direction on the plate. Metallographic examination showed that both phases were continuous across the original liquid-solid interface. It was also possible to grow a plate from two seeds placed side by side: and, although the lamellae of one seed were oriented at 90 deg to those of the second seed, the interface between the two grains remained parallel to the growth direction along the entire ingot length. Maintenance of a straight intergranular boundary during the solidification process was possible as long as both seeds were oriented with their original growth direction parallel to the solidification direction of the plate. Eutectic plates were directionally solidified at rates of 0.2, 1.0. and 4.7 cm per hr and sectioned transversely to the solidification direction to determine the apparent inter lamellar spacing of the lamellae. Metallographic examination was also employed

Jan 1, 1970

By Enid C. Plante, K. L. Sutherland

PRACTICAL metallurgists are unanimous in stating that oxidation of mined sulphide ore adversely affects separation of the constituent minerals under standard conditions in a mill. Frequently, the need for different operating conditions in different plants is attributed either to the extent of oxidation of the mineral surfaces or to soluble oxidation products. The investigations reported in this paper study the effect of oxidation on the primary condition necessary for flotation, namely that of adhesion of an air bubble to the mineral. OXIDATION PRODUCTS FROM SULPHIDE MINERALS Weinig and Carpenter1 state that the relative rates of oxidation of some sulphides are: FeAsS > FeS2 > CuFeS2 > ZnS >PbS > Cu2S tetrahedrite. They also show that oxidation is rapid at first, that sulphides of older geological formations are more stable than those of recent date and that mixtures oxidize more rapidly than any one mineral alone. The more rapid oxidation of mixtures is borne out by results of Gottschalk and Buehler2 who found that PbS, ZnS and CuS oxidized 8 to 20 times faster when pyrite was present. Only the end products of oxidation, sulphate and the metal ion, were identified in these tests. Gaudin3 states that pyrite is difficult to oxidize in the laboratory. Winchell,4 using pyrite containing 99.98 pct FeS2, allowed water to percolate through a bed of this ground material. At the end of three months only a trace of Fe +++and S04- were found. Even after 10 months the quantity of Fe+++ was only 7.8 mg and S04- 25.5 mg per liter of percolating solution. Carmichael5 confirmed Winchell&apos;s results on the slow oxidation of pyrite. Usually the oxidation of sulphide surfaces has been conducted in neutral or acid solutions, the acidity being caused by the oxidation products. Eliseev and Nagirnyak6 found that treatment of pure pyrite with lime gave only thiosulphate, but considered it possible that thiosulphate was obtained not by oxidation of the pyrite itself, but by oxidation of calcium disulphide. Mitrofanov7 suggested that thiosulphate was formed by the following process: oxidation of sulphide to give free sulphur (this frequently happens with marcasite), followed by oxidation of the sulphur to sulphur dioxide and reaction of the sulphur dioxide with sulphur to give thiosulphate. Ferric and ferrous hydroxides, or similar compounds, were shown to be present. The Research Staff of the United Verde Copper Co.8 treated ore from the United Verde mine with lime. Thiosulphate, sulphide and polysulphides were stated to be

Jan 1, 1947

By Rossiter W. Raymond

In the case of The Eureka Consolidated Mining Company v. The Richmond Mining Company of Nevada, recently tried at San Francisco, California, the real defendant was the Richmond Consolidated Mining Company, of London; but this being a foreign corporation, holds its mining property in Nevada through the Nevada corporation of similar name, in which the London Company owns all the stock, except the few shares necessary to " qualify" the American directors. The trial would naturally have taken place in the Circuit Court at Carson City, Nevada, and before a jury. But by stipulation of the parties, the case was tried in San Francisco, before Hon. Stephen J. Field, Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, Hon. Lorenzo Sawyer, United States Circuit Judge of the Ninth Circuit, and Hon. E. W. Hillyer, United States District Judge, for the District of Nevada. The hearing began July 23d, 1877. The witnesses occupied two weeks, and the argument of counsel three days. Very eminent lawyers were engaged on both sides; for the plaintiff, Messrs. Solomon Heydenfeldt, R. S. Mesick, John Garber, and H. J. Thornton; for the defendant, Messrs. S. M. Wilson, Thomas Wren, and J. J. Williams. The court held the case under advisement until August 22d, when Mr. Justice Field delivered its unanimous opinion in favor of the plaintiff. The action was a complaint in ejectment, and an appeal was taken to the United States Supreme Court. The questions at issue between the Eureka and the Richmond Company in this suit, comprised several points in the construction of the mining law of the United States, and its relation to the customs and regulations of the mining districts, which possess an importance and an applicability far beyond the limits of the case in which they arose. It is my purpose to state these points, the arguments

Jan 1, 1879

By C. D. Young

IN an effort to employ cast steel of a stronger structure than that found in the annealed steel castings, the possibilities of heat treatment which will increase the strength without materially decreasing the ductility may be resorted to. The following abstracted report (which is a brief outline of what has already been clone by the Pennsylvania Railroad Co. at its shops and Test Laboratories at Altoona, Pa.) is of material interest, as it indicates what may be done with steel castings when properly treated, thereby permitting in railway service greater strength of cast steel parts without any increase in weight or space. The question of the heat treatment of alloy steel castings is not taken up in this paper. The obscurity formerly surrounding the heat treatment of steel has been for the most part removed by the development of our knowledge of the critical points of steel, pyrometers, furnace construction, and the testing of the finished product. The operations of the heat treatment proper will be taken up under the heads of (1) heating for quenching; (2) quenching; (3) drawing. (1) Heating for Quenching.-Heating for quenching is best conducted slowly, especially in the case of castings of variable thickness. Cracks may occur either in heating or in cooling, clue to different temperatures at different points of the casting. The castings should be thoroughly soaked at the maximum temperature (generally 1,500° to 1,600° F.), 1 hr. being sufficient for sections 1 ft. in thickness. The minimum temperature which will produce the desired hardening effect will, in all cases, be found to be the most satisfactory, as the grain coarsens when the critical range is exceeded to too great an extent. All temperatures should be governed by a checked pyrometer with the hot junction to the heated object, and with several couples in a large furnace to insure a uniform temperature.

Jan 2, 1914

By H. M. Chance

The Choctaw coal-field is a direct westward extension of the Arkansas coal-field, but its coals are not like Arkansas coals, except in the country immediately adjoining the Arkansas line. From the base of the coal-bearing rocks up to the top of the coalmeasures, I find a total thickness of at least 8500 feet. This great mass of coal-bearing rocks consists of an alternation of slates, shales, sandstones and coal-beds, with their accompanying under-beds of fire-clay. Only one small bed of limestone was observed. This occurs near the middle of the series; it is about eighteen inches thick, and quite arenaceous. The formation is naturally subdivided by seven or eight thick beds of sandstone, varying from 50 to 200 feet in thickness, the outcropping edges of which form a series of more or less bold " hogback " ridges, the interbedded shales and slate forming the intervening valleys. The base of the coal-series is a massive sandstone, ranging from 100 to 200 feet or more in thickness, lying immediately beneath the Grady coal-bed, which is the lowest known coal. In the district embraced between. the Missouri, Kansas and Texas railroad and the Arkansas State line, this sand-rock usually forms a bold semi-mountainous ridge. This is the ridge through which the St. Louis and San Francisco railroad passes at Bryan station, where the Grady coal-bed is opened and worked, from which point it can be traced westward without difficulty, passing about three miles north of Le Flor on the same railroad, thence west to the " Little Narrows " (which is merely a gap in the ridge), &apos;and beyond to a point two miles west of the Thompson-McKinney place, where it swings abruptly north for a mile or more, only to resume immediately its westward course, forming for some miles the northern boundary of the valley known as the " Boiling-Springs Prairie," beyond which it trends somewhat

Jan 1, 1890

By W. E. Coxe

In 1857 the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad Company, whose main line extended from Philadelphia to Pottsville, Pennsylvania, with branches into the coal regions of Schuylliill County, made a contract with the Fairmount Rolling Mill, at Philadelphia, for the rerolling of some four thousand tons of iron rails. The essential features of the agreement were that the old rails should be piled with puddled iron and rolled into flats for the rail pile, which latter was • to be of a section seven inches square, and after being heated, and reduced, by rolling, to a bloom of a section about fire inches by six inches, was to be reheated, before being finished into the rail of the T pattern, four inches high, weighing sixty-four pounds per yard. Great care was exercised in the execution of this contract, and the rails being distributed over all parts of the road, gave general satisfaction by their excellent wear. Five years afterward, the principal proprietor and manager of the Fairmount Rolling Mill was elected President of the Reading Railroad, and very many of the rails made under his supervision were still in use in the tracks of the company, of which he had just assumed the management. His first efforts were, therefore, directed to the procuring of more rails of the same quality wherewith to replace those worn out. Here he encountered some trouble, makers refusing to bid because of the details in the specification, the required reheating being the objectionable feature, for which it was generally intimated they would not be sufficiently remunerated for the increased labor, extra coal consumed, and the changes necessary from the established methods of working. Most of the new rails were, therefore, bought, and the old rails rerolled without regard to any particulars as to the manner of piling, heating, etc., each manufacturer furnishing what he deemed the best article possible for the money. As a consequence, rails of all imaginable grades were placed in the tracks, some giving out in six

By W. E. C. Coxe

IN 1857 the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad Company, whose main line extended from Philadelphia to Pottsville, Pennsylvania, with branches into the coal regions of Schuylkill County, made a contract with the Fairmount Rolling Mill, at Philadelphia, for the rerolling of some four thousand tons of iron rails. The essential features of the agreement were that the old rails should be piled with puddled iron and rolled into flats for the rail pile, which latter was to be of a section seven inches square, and after being heated, and reduced, by rolling, to a bloom of a section about five inches by six inches, was to be reheated, before being finished into the rail of the T pattern, four inches high, weighing sixty-four pounds per yard. Great care was exercised in the execution of this contract, and the rails being distributed over all parts of the road, gave general satis¬faction by their excellent wear. Five years afterward, the principal proprietor and manager of the Fairmount Rolling Mill was elected President of the Reading Railroad, and very many of the rails made under his supervision were still in use in the tracks of the company, of which he had just assumed the management. His first efforts were, therefore, directed to the procuring of more rails of the same quality wherewith to replace those worn out. Here he encountered some trouble, makers refusing to bid because of the details in the specification, the required reheating being the objectionable feature, for which it was generally intimated they would not be sufficiently remunerated for the increased labor, extra coal consumed, and the changes necessary from the established methods of working. Most of the new rails were, therefore, bought, and the old rails rerolled without regard to any particulars as to the manner of piling, heating, etc., each manufacturer furnishing what he deemed the best article possible for the money. As a consequence, rails of all imaginable grades were placed in the tracks, some giving out in six

Jan 1, 1877

By George H. Hanna

THE importance of the Donets coal field (the Donbas) to the national economy of the Soviet Union is well known. Great as was the significance of this tremendous deposit of coal in prewar days it is destined to become an even greater factor in the economic life of the country now that the tremendous havoc wrought by the Germans is being remedied. Since the war began, new coal fields have been extended; for example output of the Moscow and Karaganda (Kazakhstan) fields has become considerably larger while new mines are producing coal in several parts of Uzbekistan and Kirghizia. The huge West Siberian coal field, the Kuznetsk Basin, is producing more coal than ever before to supply the industries of that region and of the Urals. But so great has been the development of industry to meet war needs, especially in those districts of the Soviet Union that lie to the East of the Urals, that the coal obtained, eked out by such locally-won fuels as peat and wood, is still barely sufficient to meet industrial requirements. The main burden of the coal supply for the restored industries of the West, therefore, will fall on the Donbas.

Jan 1, 1945

By R. M. Hardgrove

PULVERIZED coal was first used for firing cement kilns about 45 years ago, with such success that it has continued in general use. Based on cost, pulverized coal is usually the most economical fuel. In some localities natural gas or oil is cheaper, but 85.5 per cent of all cement kilns at present are fired with pulverized coal. The pulverized-coal flame is well suited to kiln conditions. Its soft, luminous nature gives it a high radiating property and the length of the flame can be readily varied to suit conditions in a kiln of any length. Ash and slag cause most of the difficulties incident to the burning of coal. In a cement kiln, however, the ash, being similar in composition to the raw mix and being deposited uniformly in the mix and clinker, occasions no difficulty as long as it remains constant in quality and quantity. Until 6 years ago almost all cement kilns using pulverized coal employed the bin system. The coal was dried and pulverized in a separate plant and delivered into a bin at the kiln. Thus the bin system requires driers, storage-type pulverizers, conveying systems, individual kiln bins, pulverized-coal feeders and primary air fans. The direct-fired system requires only a pulverizer and a blower. Fig. I shows typical plants. The first installations of direct-fired pulverizers were of the impact type but fineness of pulverization was both inadequate and variable. About 1927 a few direct-fired installations employing tube-type pulverizers were made, which were much more satisfactory. As more efficient pulverizers were developed from 1934 on, equipment for direct firing was installed at a large number of plants, until now 196 of about 900 kilns in use in the United States are direct-fired. Most of these replaced antiquated bin systems. PROCESS OF BURNING CEMENT CLINKERS The process of burning cement clinkers is fundamentally one of heat transfer. In boilers and other heat-exchange apparatus the area of the surface receiving heat from the gases is the best unit for comparing output. This seems to be equally true for kilns. The inside kiln surface is the heat-receiving surface and its area is used as the unit of kiln size in the following comparisons. Heat input is based on British thermal units in the fuel. E. G. Bailey,1 in his work on boiler-furnace heat absorption, has used the unit "B.t.u. available." This is the practical calorific power of the fuel, plus the heat in the air used for combustion. In other words, it is the heat available for useful work in the furnace or kiln. The unit of kiln output is barrels per hour. The composition of the raw mix, the percentage of water in the slurry of wet plants and hardness of burning all affect the output. These conditions, however, are hard to evaluate and probably have less effect on the output than irregularities of raw feed and clinker discharge and inexpert control of combustion. WET VS. DRY PLANTS The study presented here covers 88 plants, of which 41 are wet and 47 dry. Of

Jan 1, 1941

By Douglas Muir, Chas. A. Chase

The Aztec mine is not widely known, by reason of its isolation and the relative insignificance of its tonnage; financially, however, it has an enviable record and geologically it is extremely interesting. The town of Baldy, Colfax County, the mine camp, at an elevation of 10,000 ft. (3048 m.) is 8 mi. west of Ute Park, the terminus of a branch of the A. T. & S. I?. Ry. The mining tract was designated by the Maxwell Land Grant Co. as the Aztec Reservation, and lies on the east slope of Mt. Baldy, the summit of which, 12,491 ft. (3807 m.), is one of the highest in the state. Rich copper float was found on the northeast slope of the mountain in 1865, and discovery work was begun the next year. At the same time, gold placers were found on Willow Creek, on the southwest side of the mountain, and the Elizabethtown settlement followed shortly. Gold washing lasted many years. In 1867, placer gold was found also on Ute Creek, the tracing of which to its source led to the locating of the Aztec mine by Lynch, Dogherty, and Fosley in the following year. The early production came from the contact of shale and sandstone or from sandstone immediately above the contact. Exact record of production is lacking, but L. C. Gratonl gives estimates ranging between $1,250,000 and $1,500,000, of which about $1,000,000 was taken out in the first four years. After the exhaustion of the early bonanza, production continued intermittently until 1909, when the Maxwell Land Grant Co, undertook systematic development, through four adits at intervals of 75 ft. vertically or approximately 100 ft. on the dip of the contact, which was thought to contain generally a quartz-pyrite vein. The two intermediate adit? almost immediately reached ore, the most southeasterly in Fig. 2. This ore, however, was not mined until 1911-12; its grade was about $20 and

Jan 1, 1923

By Douglas Muir, Chas. A. Chase

The Aztec mine is not widely known, by reason of its isolation and the relative insignificance of its tonnage; financially, however, it has an enviable record and geologically it is extremely interesting. The town of Baldy, Colfax County, the mine camp, at an elevation of 10,000 ft. (3048 m.) is 8 mi. west of Ute Park, the terminus of a branch of the A. T. & S. I?. Ry. The mining tract was designated by the Maxwell Land Grant Co. as the Aztec Reservation, and lies on the east slope of Mt. Baldy, the summit of which, 12,491 ft. (3807 m.), is one of the highest in the state. Rich copper float was found on the northeast slope of the mountain in 1865, and discovery work was begun the next year. At the same time, gold placers were found on Willow Creek, on the southwest side of the mountain, and the Elizabethtown settlement followed shortly. Gold washing lasted many years. In 1867, placer gold was found also on Ute Creek, the tracing of which to its source led to the locating of the Aztec mine by Lynch, Dogherty, and Fosley in the following year. The early production came from the contact of shale and sandstone or from sandstone immediately above the contact. Exact record of production is lacking, but L. C. Gratonl gives estimates ranging between $1,250,000 and $1,500,000, of which about $1,000,000 was taken out in the first four years. After the exhaustion of the early bonanza, production continued intermittently until 1909, when the Maxwell Land Grant Co, undertook systematic development, through four adits at intervals of 75 ft. vertically or approximately 100 ft. on the dip of the contact, which was thought to contain generally a quartz-pyrite vein. The two intermediate adit? almost immediately reached ore, the most southeasterly in Fig. 2. This ore, however, was not mined until 1911-12; its grade was about $20 and

Jan 1, 1923

By R. M. Hardgrove

PULVERIZED coal was first used for firing cement kilns about 45 years ago, with such success that it has continued in general use. Based on cost, pulverized coal is usually the most economical fuel. In some localities natural gas or oil is cheaper, but 85.5 per cent of all cement kilns at present are fired with pulverized coal. The pulverized-coal flame is well suited to kiln conditions. Its soft, luminous nature gives it a high radiating property and the length of the flame can be readily varied to suit conditions in a kiln of any length. Ash and slag cause most of the difficulties incident to the burning of coal. In a cement kiln, however, the ash, being similar in composition to the raw mix and being deposited uniformly in the mix and clinker, occasions no difficulty as long as it remains constant in quality and quantity. Until 6 years ago almost all cement kilns using pulverized coal employed the bin system. The coal was dried and pulverized in a separate plant and delivered into a bin at the kiln. Thus the bin system requires driers, storage-type pulverizers, conveying systems, individual kiln bins, pulverized-coal feeders and primary air fans. The direct-fired system requires only a pulverizer and a blower. Fig. I shows typical plants. The first installations of direct-fired pulverizers were of the impact type but fineness of pulverization was both inadequate and variable. About 1927 a few direct-fired installations employing tube-type pulverizers were made, which were much more satisfactory. As more efficient pulverizers were developed from 1934 on, equipment for direct firing was installed at a large number of plants, until now 196 of about 900 kilns in use in the United States are direct-fired. Most of these replaced antiquated bin systems. PROCESS OF BURNING CEMENT CLINKERS The process of burning cement clinkers is fundamentally one of heat transfer. In boilers and other heat-exchange apparatus the area of the surface receiving heat from the gases is the best unit for comparing output. This seems to be equally true for kilns. The inside kiln surface is the heat-receiving surface and its area is used as the unit of kiln size in the following comparisons. Heat input is based on British thermal units in the fuel. E. G. Bailey,1 in his work on boiler-furnace heat absorption, has used the unit "B.t.u. available." This is the practical calorific power of the fuel, plus the heat in the air used for combustion. In other words, it is the heat available for useful work in the furnace or kiln. The unit of kiln output is barrels per hour. The composition of the raw mix, the percentage of water in the slurry of wet plants and hardness of burning all affect the output. These conditions, however, are hard to evaluate and probably have less effect on the output than irregularities of raw feed and clinker discharge and inexpert control of combustion. WET VS. DRY PLANTS The study presented here covers 88 plants, of which 41 are wet and 47 dry. Of

Jan 1, 1941