Search Documents

By A. R. T. Denues

LIQUID-OXYGEN explosives commonly consist of a carbonaceous absorbent enclosed in a canvas wrapper and soaked with a liquid containing more than 90 mol per cent of oxygen. Investigation of these explosives in this country was initiated in 1917 by George S. Rice, then Chief Mining Engineer of the Bureau of Mines. The early development is summarized in two papers.1,2 Their characteristics, advantages and disadvantages were considered in a recent bulletin of the Bureau of Mines.,3 Other publications of this Bureau4, 5 treat the technology of these explosives and contain adequate references to pertinent literature. These investigations defined the properties of liquid-oxygen explosives and improved them greatly; however, an outstanding disadvantage is their high inflammability, a property of critical practical importance. These explosives as hitherto prepared are easily inflamed; the combustion resulting from an accidental ignition is particularly dangerous because of the ease with which it passes into detonation. For this reason the Bureau of Mines undertook a cooperative investigation, which has resulted in the development of fire-retardant treatment for the minimization or elimination of this hazard without materially impairing the explosive properties, including the ease of detonation. This presentation will offer a general description of the investigation and the outstanding results. Further phases will appear in subsequent short papers, and the entire investigation including the results of detailed experiments will be available in a forthcoming bulletin of the Bureau of Mines (Bull. 429). The effects produced by fire-retardant treatments of the carbonaceous absorbent and of the canvas wrappers were investigated separately, and the efficacy of combinations of these treatments with particular reference to the possibility of inflammation and to the development of detonation from inflammation was studied. The experimental explosive was pre¬pared from a granular carbonaceous absorbent and. the results described maybe more or less unique for such a material. An extensive preliminary

Jan 1, 1940

By S. F. Kelly, Theodor Zuschlag, Bela Low

Gold has been mined in the state of Georgia for over 100 years, and although the total production is nearly $18,000,000, the output has declined to an insignificant figure in recent times. The increase in price of gold has brought about a revival of interest in this district, with the result that an electrical survey was undertaken in the McDuffie County gold belt to see whether new quartz veins could be discovered. The problem of locating quartz veins electrically has only rarely been attempted by geophysicists, because of technical difficulties. New improvements in apparatus and field procedures, the most recent of which is the designing of the Ground Comparator, now make possible the differentiation of quartz veins and enclosing rock. This instrument is designed to eliminate the effect of ground contact resistances, and measures the ratio of potential drops between successive stations. These are transformed into resistivity ratios, the highly resistant quartz veins manifesting themselves by sharp breaks in the resistivity-ratio curves. Surface variations of resistance are eliminated by a special technique. Electrical surveys were made on two properties about 40 miles west of Augusta, Georgia. A reconnaissance of the Woodall and detail work on the Hamilton required about. 13,000 ft. of electrical profile. Typical profiles from each are given, with the results of trenching certain of the electrical indications. Comparisons are made between the reactions due to veins several feet wide and those from small quartz stringers. Instances are cited where the electrical profiles were used to trace extensions of known veins, or to establish their nonextension. The discovery of several veins is described, most of which were barren, but of which at least two showed gold in encouraging amounts. The field of application of the Comparator to the prospecting for metallic and nonmetallic minerals, and to the study of various geological problems, is discussed at the close of the paper.

Jan 1, 1934

The Secretary of the Treasury, in a recent ruling, allows 18 months from date of discharge within which former service men may reinstate their Government insurance policies lapsed f or non-payment of premiums. The point just now confronting the Bureau of War Risk Insurance and all those who are interested in the immediate and the future welfare of the young men who offered their lives for the flag and the country is that they be kept mindful that the provisions of the War Risk Act were not solely war measures, but that the framers of the Act provided insurance protection for all time to come for the boys in uniform and all dear to them. Under this ruling those making application for reinstatement will be required to pay only the premium on the amount of insurance to be reinstated for the month of grace during which they were protected, and for the current month. When the men are mustered out of the service, the insurance continues in force for one month and they are fully protected during that period even if their premium has remained unpaid. In reinstating, that month's premium will be required as well as the premium for the month in which reinstatement is effected. The ruling also stipulates that when applying for reinstatement the man must be in as good health as at the date of discharge, and so state in his application. After complying with these simple requirements, a Government insurance policy may be made as sound as on the day it was written. The Bureau of War Risk Insurance is now searching out its delinquent policy holders and offering them this renewal of Government protection. It needs the assistance of public spirited, patriotic, business and professional men everywhere, for the sake of our former service men, who must be given the information about its privileges to which they are entitled.

Jan 9, 1919

T. T. READ, Secretary of the Committee on Industrial Organization, presents the following very interesting monthly ad interim report: Reports from London are to the effect that 750 housing schemes for workers, involving the erection of 128,000 new dwellings, have been submitted to the Local Government Board. Birmingham alone needs 14,000 new houses, and the Housing and Town Planning Committee of the City Council considers that 5000 new houses must be built each year for the next 20 years. Nine hundred acres of land has been acquired, on which to build 10 to 12 houses per acre for the next two years. The town of Dudley, which built 300 modern dwellings in 1915-1916, submitted schemes for another 500 houses. There is a shortage of building materials required, specially brick. Financial assistance has been received for reopening brick yards that were closed during the war. W. E. Dickson, vice president of the Midvale Steel & Ordnance Co., is reported in the daily press as stating that his corporation is planning to spend $8,000,000 in improving its plant and assisting its employees in building their own homes. The company will advance 90 per cent. of the cost of the house and extend payments over a period of 12 years. Methods of work employed in building 256 houses at Quincy, Mass., for the workers of the Fore River shipyards are described, by Joseph Meltzer, in the Engineering News Record for May 29, 1919. The approximate cost was about $3500 per house, not including water supply, sewers, streets, and sidewalks. "Comparative Costs of Tenantry and Home-Owning;" "A Plain Talk on Helping Home-builders;" and "More Plain Talk on Home Building" are the titles of three publications of the Information and Education Service of the Department of Labor. These publications should be' of a good deal of service in convincing employees that it is to their interest to own their homes rather than to live in rented houses. The same Service has issued pamphlets discussing the cost of materials.

Jan 7, 1919

Cyril w. Knight, Toronto, Ont., Canada (communication to the Secretary*).—Mr. Hore's paper presents an interesting summary of our knowledge of this important mineral field ; and is therefore acceptable as giving information which our Transactions did not already contain, although it presents little or nothing not made known by other writers before 1906, when Mr. Hore began work in the field as a student assistant. Contributions of this kind, however, should be made completely valuable by such references to previous work as will enable the reader to follow to their original sources the theories or conelusions stated by the author. It is quite natural, and even excusable, that a new observer should find novelty in his on observations—especially if he is not acquainted with the work of predecessors in the same field. Moreover, the independent repetition of an observation or conclusion has a distinct value as a confirmation, though it may have none as a discovery. But the publication of it, without reference to its predecessors, may place the author in an unfavorable light as either ignorant of the history of his subject, or willing to claim credit to which he is not entitled. Of the latter fault, I do not accuse Mr. Hore ; but I cannot wholly acquit him of the former. Without disparaging his intelligent work, I must point out that his paper, as it stands, might easily give the impression that he claims originality for many statements which are by no means new, and that he emphasizes unduly his own publications. Thus, his remark (p. 481) "I have described the silver-fields in a general way in my paper " (not yet published), should have been accompanied with reference to some of the numerous papers, already published, which describe these fields. Again, on p. 486, he refers to four papers of his own on the Porcupine gold-area, but neither in the text nor in the appended

Jan 1, 1912

Lewis, B. LINDEMUTH, ?New York, N. Y.-I would like to confirm Dr. Howe's supposition that a process could be worked out for steel along similar lines. About 1 ½ years ago, F. D. Carney and myself were working on the elimination of columnar crystals which are particularly evident in nickel steel. We discussed rotation and varying speeds of rotation, but figured that with just rotation the steel would eventually catch-up to the motion of the mold and that the desired effect could not be obtained in that way, so we decided to alternate the direction of rotation. We rigged up in ordinary commercial turntable and on the same mounting attached a blast, furnace and mud gun, which is a simple steam cylinder, and mounted an 18-in. ingot mold on the turntable. The turntable had a stroke of about 10° to 12°, with stops at the ends. The steam cylinder would bang the table against the stops so that the stopping was so violent that it would tend to keep the metal in motion when the mold stopped and thus wash away any crystals that would form. We made quite a few interesting experiments; the results of which were that the columnar crystallization was entirely eliminated. At the same time we cast ingots in a similar mold, allowing the molds to remain stationary; these showed columnar crystals of from 2 to 4 in. in depth. The grain structure of the balance of the ingots, which were rotated, was very much finer than the grain structure of the ingots that were cast and allowed to cool slowly. The experiments were made on a 0.35 per cent. carbon nickel steel, which is probably more susceptible to columnar crystallization than any other. I think that the rolling properties and the forging properties of some alloy steels could be very much improved by a similar method, or some commercial method of casting ingots to eliminate this columnar crystallization.

Jan 5, 1919

By E. Buehler, E. Berry

HE magnetic properties of dilute palladium alloys are of fundamental interest.''' Neutron diffraction studies3 have indicated that a better understanding of the behavior of these alloys could be realized with the availability of high-purity single crystals of palladium. Crucible melts of 99.999 pct pure palladium were found inadequate for such research. In a successful effort to fill this need, floating zone refining of palladium was undertaken. In this note the results of the initial experiments are reported. Zoning was accomplished in an argon atmosphere using 450 kc rf generator for an energy source. Samples 5 to 6 mm in diam were suspended in a gastight quartz envelope which could be moved vertically through the rf coil. A nominal upward traverse rate of 1.5 mm per min was maintained during a pass. Close coupling was found to be essential for stable retention of the liquid in the zone. Single crystals averaging 3.5 cm in length were obtained. Laue photography showed them to be continuous single crystals without gross imperfections. Several criteria were used for evaluation of the purity of the zoned material: magnetic behavior, low-temperature specific heat and residual resistivity ratios. Table I shows the residual resistance ratios obtained for two samples, one subjected to a single pass, the other zoned four times. It is appilrent that palladium can be zone refined with the electrically active impurities being transported toward the tail end. A decrease in susceptibility for zone-melted specimens over any previously measured material from 1.5" to 80'~ has been obserted by H. J. Williams and R. C. Sherwood4 substantiating the residual resistance data. The specific heat measurements are currently being made3 and will be published at some later date. Discussions with J. H. Wernick and S. C. Abrahams are acknowledged. We also wish to thank G. F. Brennert for the residual resistance measure ments.

Jan 1, 1962

AN extremely successful meeting, under the joint auspices of the Ohio Section and the Iron and Steel Committee, was held at Cleveland on April 19 and 20, about one-half of those in attendance being from the Cleveland district and the other half from a distance. The morning session on April 19, C. K. Leith presiding, was opened by the presentation of the ad-dress of which an excerpt is printed on the opposite page. In the subsequent discussion R. A. Allen pointed out that the meeting had not been called "to blow the lid off the tariff" since that is only one of the many problems connected with the wisest utilization of man-ganese, and it was the purpose of this meeting to con-sider all those interdependent problems. The purpose of the tariff was to develop an adequate domestic sup-ply, and that result had not been accomplished. An-other important problem, linked with the tariff, is the need for assuring, while we are at peace, an adequate war supply of manganese, and at present this country has no such policy. D. F. Hewett said that his 3-months' trip in Europe last summer had impressed him with the fact that England had once been in the position United States now is in, of being the principal world's producer of all the more important minerals and with a declining reserve had gone on a free-trade basis. No one pointed out that, with the exception of tin, the present relative position of England is due more to an increase in pro-duction in other countries, rather than to a decrease of domestic production. J. Sharshall Grasty referred to recent development work-in Virginia where of 30 per cent easily concen-trated manganese ore about 300,000 tons has been blocked out and possible and probable ore amounting to 700,000 tons more is indicated.

Jan 5, 1927

By A. J. Lanza

IN view of the immense amount of attention that silicosis has received in this country in the past few years, it is timely to review the status of the silicosis problem at present. Who gets silicosis? The individual exposed to the inhalation of free silica dust. The effects upon the individual depend upon the amount of silica inhaled or, in other words, the severity of exposure, rather than upon any special variation or susceptibility among those exposed. A considerable amount of study has been given to determine what may be the role of predisposing causes in the development of silicosis. To men-tion one instance, at the Picher Clinic careful records were kept of all previous illnesses of the men examined as well as abnormalities present at the time of examination. Examinations of over 27,000 miners were made during the years the clinic was conducted under governmental auspices-a very fair sized sample. The general conclusions from all this work were that the incidence of silicosis is not appreciably influenced by racial, structural, or other inherent qualities; it is influenced by acquired defects-particularly as these affect the lungs. That is to say, the average run of human beings respond similarly to similar exposures to silica dust and those whose lungs are already impaired by tuberculosis or other pulmonary disease acquire silicosis more readily than those with healthy lungs. It may well be, and there is some clinical evidence in support, that negroes acquire silicosis more readily than do whites, but the infection factor has not been so carefully studied among negroes exposed to silica as it has among whites. We know that tubercle infection is more prev-alent among negroes than among whites. There may be other factors concerned in the development of silicosis in negroes as compared to whites, but there is not available information upon which to base posi-tive statements.

Jan 1, 1937

Shoveling ore cost so much at Tyrone during the year 1917 that it was deemed advisable to conduct tests to see where the fault lay. These tests were in the nature of time studies and extended over a period of very nearly a year. No data were available on this work to supply a starting point, so it was necessary to begin in a very elementary way, to find out the capacity of the average Mexican laborer. To' obtain a basis for comparison, it was necessary to determine the capacity of various types and sizes of shovels, so as to know whether the 21-1b. (9.5-kg.) load was the best load underground as well as on surface. A list of essential factors influencing shoveling was also made out during the course of a short series of preliminary time studies, and the motions involved in shoveling were analyzed and subdivided for convenience in studying. The necessary forms and record sheets were also decided upon at this time. A second short series of tests was then conducted on the surface, so as to be able to estimate the negative effects of underground work on the shovelers, and to minimize, as far as possible, the need for studying obviously poor types and sizes of shovels under the difficult conditions to be encountered in the mine. The test work underground consumed by far the greater proportion of the time and was divided into three series: Shoveling directly into a chute; shoveling into a wheelbarrow and tramming to a chute; and shoveling into a car and tramming to a chute. In each series the following points were determined for various lengths of time worked: Number of shovelfuls handled per minute, effect of distance thrown on shoveling speed, amount of rest required, amount of time consumed in tramming and dumping, proportion of working day occupied in shoveling, total tonnage handled during various working periods, effect of distance on tonnage handled during the day.

Jan 2, 1919

By O&apos, R. G. Meara, B. W. Gandrud

In 1034 the Southern Experiment Station of the U.S. Bureau of Mines in cooperation with the University of Alabama began an investigation of the availability of kyanite ores as a source of raw material for the manufacture of refractories. Under this program, gravity concentration and flotation tests have been made on two varieties of Georgia kyariite ore, mica schist and massive. Most of the attention has been directed to the mica schist ores, as they are more widely distributed and seem to offer greater economic possibilities than the massive ores. It is evident that the preparation of kyanite for use as a refractory material involves other considerations than the mere elimination of impurities. A concentration process that eliminates impurities satisfactorily may have to be followed by some additional treatment, since the final product must be of a coarseness and size ratio that will make it suitable for refractories manufacture. So far in the investigation at the Southern Experiment Station of the U.S. Bureau of Mines only the concentration problem has been considered, and this paper is intended as an interim report. Ores The schist ores contain 1 to 9 per cent of kyanite crystals embedded in mica and quartz, with smaller amounts of graphite, garnet and iron oxide and minor amounts of other heavy minerals. The garnet content varies from a trace to a few per cent. The minerals are easily released by moderate grinding. The size of the kyanite ranges from fine needles to crystals 1 1/2 in. long, 1/2 in. wide and 1/4 in. thick. The garnet, quartz and iron oxide grains have a smaller mean mesh than most of the kyanite. The maximum size of the garnet crystals corresponds to about 14 mesh and that of the sand grains is considerably less. Most of the iron oxide is still finer, for the minus 100-mesh size is greatly enriched in Fe²O3. The massive ore consists of radiating masses of kyanite interlocked with quartz, mica, corundum and small amounts of other heavy minerals.

Jan 1, 1938

By A. C. Dorenfeld

Ores of the Mammoth mining district, some 45 miles northeast of Tucson, Arizona, are treated by Mammoth-St. Anthony, Ltd. The ores now treated come from a complex system of veins and faults, comprising three mines, in close proximity: The Mohawk, Mammoth and Collins. The ore treated in the past was oxide ore, which contains economic amounts of gold, silver, lead, molybdenum, and vanadium (as wulfenite and vanadanite). The lead-zinc sulphide ore has never been treated before. The Ore The sulphide ore contains galena, sphalerite, marmatite, pyrite and some chal-copyrite, covellite, chalcocite and bornite, as well as small amounts of gold and silver. The value of the ore is principally in the lead and zinc content. The lead-zinc sulphides are substantially liberated at a minus 65-mesh grind. However, a large part of the chalcopyrite and other copper minerals is not freed, but remains as pin points on the sphalerite. Economically, the copper is unimportant. The gangue is a rhyolite granite, with very little limestone. There is no molybdenum or vanadikm in the sulphide ore. History of Sulphide Treatment Test work on samples of the sulphide ore was conducted by several equipment companies, the Arizona Bureau of Mines and the company's laboratory. Results of this test work indicated that for some reason, which at the time could not be explained, recoveries would be only about 65 per cent lead and 50 per cent zinc. Notwithstanding this, because of the nation's need for metals, the management built a 150-ton treatment plant. The mill was started in June 1942. During December 1942, using the standard method of treating lead-zinc ore, the monthly results were as shown in Table I. These results were poor. Too much lead was in the zinc concentrate, and too much zinc in the lead concentrate. It should be noted here. that prior to December attempts were made to depress the sphalerite with large and varied amounts of cyanide, zinc sulphate, and sodium sulphite with poor results.

Jan 1, 1947

H ORACE VAUGHN WINCHELL was born at Galesburg, Michigan, Nov. 1, 1865, and died at Los Angeles, California, on July 28th of this year, at the age of fifty-seven. Mr. Winchell was one of the conspicuous geologists of his time. It may fairly be said that he was a geologist born and reared. His father, N. H. Winchell, was professor of geology at the University of Minnesota; his uncle, Alexander Winchell, was professor of geology at the University of Michigan. Under both of them Horace studied, graduat-ing at the University of Michigan in 1889. Mr. Winchell at once began that active life in the field which he followed for 34 years and until his death. The first years of his professional life were largely spent in the study of the iron ranges of Min-nesota. In 1898, he re-moved to Butte and became geologist in charge of the geological depart-ment of the Anaconda Copper Mining Co. and allied companies. There he remained for eight years. This period covered the trying days of the mining controversies be-tween the Anaconda and associated companies and the Heinze interests, and it fell to Mr. Winchell to direct the geological studies and development in connec-tion with that litigation. Recognizing the importance of careful geological study in the practical operation of mines, he organized and developed the splendid geological department of the Anaconda Copper Mining Co. This was one of his greatest contributions to the mining industry. Probably no mining company has attached the impor-tance to geological study and continuity of geological mapping in connection with mining operations that the Anaconda company has. It has given broad authority to its geological department and the development of its mines is under the direction of its geologists. The broad vision of Mr. Winchell was responsible for the adoption of this policy, one which is being profitably employed by many other organizations.

Jan 9, 1923

By Enrique Touceda, Henry M. Howe

This paper gives the composition of the iron and slag at different stages in the " air-furnace" process of preparing " hard metal," or white castriron, for conversion into malleable cast-iron by annealing. The details of the process are given in an appendix. One of us had been trying for years to work some chemist of some of our malleable-iron plants up to a degree of enthusiasm which would lead him to make such an investigation. It would have had the advantage of the greater familiarity with the conditions which one habitually on the spot must have. Failing in this, he made use of an opportunity which presented itself of taking samples here represented, with such fairness as the conditions permitted, holding firmly that a rough approximation to the truth is better than the complete lack of data, or that a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. We hope that this attempt may stimulate others effectively to duplicate this work, and thus correct or confirm it. Our results are shown in Table I. and graphically in Figs. 1 arid 2. Discussion.—At the time when the first two samples were taken, the metal and slag were still too sluggish to permit fair sampling, and not until sample 6 were the conditions really favorable, because at the time of the fourth sample the metal was not fully melted, and even at the time of sample 5 it was still sluggish. Indeed, the slag was probably very heterogeneous throughout, because it took up silica and alumina rapidly from the bottom, and because it was so siliceous as to be sluggish at this relatively low temperature. This hetero-geneousness is exaggerated in the two samples of slag 8, apparently by the great viscosity due to its extraordinary acidity. Note that the manganous oxide of one sample is about two and

Jan 1, 1909

By C. M. Means

CONSIDERING the hazard involved in mining operations, statistics show, that a very small percentage of accidents is chargeable to electricity. These accidents do represent quite a large percentage of those that are preventable and they are the direct result of the introduction, for purely economical reasons, of a dangerous element. The introduction of electricity in mines should decrease the hazard, and in no case should electricity be applied to the mechanical operation of equipment if by so doing the dangers incidental to mining are increased. The greater number of accidents are the result of persons coming in contact with exposed conductors at potentials varying from 250 to 500 volts direct current. The use of alternating current at higher potentials than these is quite common in large mines, but it is very rare that an accident happens from this source. This is explained by the fact that where these high voltages are warranted, proper precautions are taken, and the installations are directed by those who fully appreciate the dangers incidental to the work. Direct current is in much more general use than alternating current because of its adaptability to haulage locomotives and the low cost of installation in small operations. We are, however, coming to a more extended application of alternating current for the operation of mechanical devices used in connection with mining. Our underground direct-current wiring system is an evolution from the surface trolley and feeder systems. This is probably due to the fact that our earlier successful applications were electric locomotives, which required the use of a trolley wire. The trolley current has been almost banished from industrial establishments on the surface because of the hazard involved, yet we use it indiscriminately underground, where the dangers from accidental contact or fire are infinitely greater. This does not mean that the underground trolley systems should be eliminated, but it does imply the proper safeguarding of such equipment as is necessarily a part of the trolley systems.

Jan 4, 1914

By Frederick Burbridge

The Morning silver-lead-zinc mine of the Federal Mining & Smelting Co. is about 'two miles northwest of Mullan, Ida. The lode is a metasomatic fissure vein. The orebody is approximately 2000 ft. long within the bounds of the property and varies in width from knife edge stringers to 50 ft. It has been developed to a depth of 3600 ft. and stands nearly vertical in Revett quartzite, which .strikes north 65" west. The high-grade veins and lenses are generally mixed with waste (siderite, quartz, and quartzite). The average grade of ore to sorting plant in 1921 was 4 oz. silver per ton, 8.6 per cent. lead, and 4.1 per cent. zinc. Wall rock stands only a short time without timbering. The minimum angle of gravity flow is 45". The ratio of waste sorted out to ore is 6 per cent. No gases are generated underground and temperature has no influence on mining operations. Fresh air is forced down the air raise and up the main shaft. Drifting and Stoping Main drifts 12 ft. wide and 13 ft. high are driven every 200 ft. (vertically) and are connected by raises 125 ft. apart. These raises consist of three compartments (chute, tramway, and timber slide) and are for the purpose of ventilation, access, and hoisting supplies to stopes. Ground is stoped between raises. Chutes are placed every 25 ft. for drawing off ore broken in stopes. Waste for filling is obtained from waste raises off the stope in walls or waste is dumped from the level above down the chute compartment of raises, which is bulkheaded so that waste can be drawn off at any floor as required. Timbering Posts and caps for square sets (varying in diameter from 6 to 24 in.) are cut to length in a sawmill on the surface. No preseratives are used. Timber is taken on a flat car along drifts to a raise nearest the working place and hoisted as required. Practically no timber is salvaged for

Jan 1, 1925

By J. D. Doherty

A. R. POWELL*—Mr. Doherty has outlined in a most thorough manner valid arguments for the development of an industry in this country making syn. thetic liquid fuels from coal. No thoughtful person will dispute the statement that it is essential to carry on fundamental and applied research and acquire engineering "know-how" by the erection and operation of two or three large plants in the near future. Considerations of national security indicate that this should be done, irrespective of any temporary present surplus of natural petroleum. It is the belief of the discusser and of many others interested in coal technology that our energy picture of the future will include an increasing utilization of coal directly, without any conversion to liquid fuel, as a source of energy. A fact that is sometimes forgotten is that petroleum fuels have often been cheaper than coal in many locations and over long periods of time, and this price factor has been of great importance in expanding the use of petroleum fuels at the expense of coal. Synthetic liquid fuel made from coal must necessarily be several times as costly as the coal from which it is made, and this fact alone will have a profound effect on the future energy pattern of our country. This complete change in the economic relationship between solid and liquid fuels will lead to the substitution of coal itself for many uses now supplied by the relatively cheap petroleum fuels. From the standpoint of conservation of our natural resources, the substitution of coal itself for liquid fuels wherever possible when the age of synthetic liquid fuel arrives is also logical. At least 50 pct of the energy of coal is lost during conversion to liquid fuel. Nor is this com-pensated for by a higher utilization effi-ciency of the liquid fuel in most cases. For example, modern steam-boiler plants can operate at equal fuel efficiencies with either coal or fuel oil.

Jan 1, 1950

By A. C. Lane

Relations de la profondeur de plissement avec la gravita-tion et la hauteur des montagnes dans les Alpes. Par A. Heim (Zurich) 50me Anniversaire, Livre Jubilaire Soc. Geol. De Belgique, Rome, Fascicule 1, 17 to 28. Measurements show a negative anomaly, less densities of .the material below sea level. The author expresses it in terms of the thickness of rocks of an arbitrary density, 2.4, which might be considered wanting. The accordant heights of the summits, the depths of the folds, the deficiency in .gravity, and denudation he finds to be connected. The Alps float on the lightness of the folds of "sal" of weight 2.6 to 2.75 plunged into the heavier "Sima" according to a for-mula: P = h (2.7/2.8-2.7) where - P is the depth of fold-ing below sea level; 2.7 is the weight of the material accu-mulated in folding; 2.8 is the weight of the material dis-placed by it; and h is the mean height of the mountainous regions. For instance, between the valley of Saar and the Val de Bagne in Valais the depth of the folds according to Ar-gand's profiles is between 30 and 40 kilometers. The loss of gravity has been estimated in this region as 1450 X 2.4 = 3480 in units of weight. Obviously errors in the densities would profoundly affect the estimates of the thickness of folding, but his depths of folds are obtained from sections, and from them he works back to the densities. Of course other densities might be placed in the formula. Zur Dichte bestimmung von Tonen. By J. Koenigsberger, Berg u. Hüttenmannisches Jahrbuch, 75, I. Discusses Dr. B. Wilser's investigations as to the best way of obtaining the weight of rocks per unit volume. The use of mercury for rocks affected by water as there recom-mended may easily give too large volumes unless 1 to 3 atm. pressure is used. Thick machine oil is recommended for large lumps of clay.

Jan 4, 1928

By Otto W. Nuttli

THE magnetic method of prospecting is well suited to determination of faulting in the basement rock. In addition to establishing the horizontal position of the fault, it often furnishes valuable information concerning the depth and amount of faulting. Consider a simple case of a vertical fault, represented in cross-section in Fig. 1. Let A A' represent the plane of observation (ordinarily the surface of the earth), and BB'B"B"' the upper surface of the basement. Assume that the sedimentary rocks are nonmagnetic, so that the magnetic susceptibility of the material above the basement is zero. Let k indicate the susceptibility of the basement rock, c the density contrast between it and the neighboring sedimentary rocks, and the amount of vertical displacement. Fig. 1 shows the material, indicated by cross- hatching, which gives rise to the magnetic anomaly. In most cases it can be assumed that is small compared to the thickness of the sedimentary rocks. The semi-infinite, rectangular slab of rock of susceptibility k, density contrast , and thickness t may then be replaced by a semi-infinite sheet CC' of mass t per unit area at depth 2 (the mean depth of the slab). Nettleton 1 states that this approximation results in an error of less than 2 pct for the computed gravitational field intensity when t is as great as 2/2 and decreases rapidly for smaller values of t. By a theorem of Poisson, the magnetic field intensity can be determined readily from the gravitational field. The theorem states that W = (I/) • (U/i) i1 [1] where W is the magnetic potential associated with the structure, I is the intensity of magnetization which is assumed to have the direction of the inducing field, ? is the constant of gravitation, the density contrast, U the gravitational potential associated with the structure, i the direction of the inducing magnetic field, and i1 a unit vector in that direction. The multiplication indicated in Eq. 1 is

Jan 1, 1956

By Roswell Johnson

PENNSYLVANIA will be remembered, as long as oil is produced, as the cradle of the industry of petroleum in North America. It was on Oil Creek, near Titusville, Venango Co., .that Cola Edwin L. Drake, superintendent for the Seneca Oil Co., brought in the first commercial oil well on Aug. 28, 1859. Great difficulty was experienced in getting the well down to the producing depth of 69 ft. (21 m.) with the spring-pole system then in vogue for punching shallow water wells, so the novel expedient of driving an iron tube through the surface clays and quicksand was finally resorted to. The well had an initial yield of 25 bbl. a day on the pump, but soon went off, though 2000 bbl. were produced by the end of the year. With the Drake well a success, a young industry sprang into being, the rapid growth of which has been second to none in the country and the value of whose product is only surpassed by that of coal. For years the only producing territory, the Pennsylvania-New York field attained its greatest production in 1891, when the bringing in of the McDonald pool, between Pittsburgh and the West Virginia line, gave a total of over 33,000,000 bbl. At present the field, combined with West Vir-ginia and southeast Ohio, gives 25,000,000 barrels. GEOLOGY AND STRATIGRAPHY In general, the Appalachian field is a huge geosyncline, the axis of which runs roughly northeast-southwest, from north of the New York state line south through Brookeville, Kittanning, Pittsburgh, Washington, through the southwest corner of the state of Pennsylvania into West Virginia. Minor folding has accompanied or followed the dominant fold of the field, and it is from these structures near the Pennsylvania-West Virginia line and their influence on the accumulation of oil and gas that I. C. White, state geologist of West Virginia, obtained his evidence for anticlinal guidance of prospecting.

Jan 2, 1920