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William R. Walker, assistant to the president of the U. S. Steel Corpn., died at St. Luke's Hospital, New York, on Dec. 20, 1922. He was born at LaPort, Ind., Nov. 26, 1857, and his whole career has been closely identified with the iron and steel industry. His first employment was with the North Chicago Rolling Mill Co., Chicago; then he was appointed chemist for the Crown Point Iron Co., at Crown Point, N. Y.; and later he was works superintendent for Spang, Chalfant & Co., of Pittsburgh. He was early associated with Robert Forsyth, the well-known engineer who constructed the South Chicago works of the North Chicago Rolling Mill Company. Prior to 1890, Mr. Walker was works manager for the Union Steel Co., and upon organization of the Illinois Steel Co. he became general manager of its South Chicago works. At the time of the formation of the U. S. Steel Corpn., in 1901, he was appointed assistant to the president, which position he held until the time of his death. Through the technical staffs and committees of the Steel Corpora tion, Mr. Walker had an excellent opportunity to study and direct the development of mechanical methods for coal mining, coal washing, beehive coking, including the collection and recovery of its byproducts, and to interest himself in byproduct coke ovens, and the design and operation of processes for the coking of special coal mixtures. He also brought his experience to bear on the design, construction and operation of the blast furnace and its appurtenances, as well as the bessemer, open-hearth and electric steel processes. Incidentally, he was interested in microscopy and metallography, and was familiar with the manufacture of products related to the iron and steel industry, such as tin, zinc, sulfuric acid and many other substances. Mr. Walker had the remarkable faculty of being able to discuss and conduct investigations in practically any technical branch of the ferrous industry. In the words of President James A. Farrell, "Mr. Wdker was a man of keen mental attainments and possessed an exceptional knowledge of the iron and steel industry, from both the scientific and the practical

Jan 1, 1923

By Horace Winchell

IT IS OFTEN interesting to look backward and review the world's progress in any line of human endeavor. Our pride is flattered by our achieve-ments and our imagination stimulated by the compari-son between our present productivity and prosperity and those of the relatively unenlightened days of our recent ancestors. We love to reflect on the progress of the last quarter of a century in the art of metallurgy, in. the production and consumption of the various metals and minerals which constitute the basis of our industrial and commercial supremacy. We dwell complacently on the figures which prove that we are the world's leader in nearly all departments of mining and that our production of necessary minerals over-shadows that of other countries. We recall the days when it was considered the proper thing, if not indeed indispensable, to go abroad for the rounding out of a mining engineer's education. We had no mining schools equal to those of Germany. Our schools of technology were elementary and their equipment limited. RISE OF AMERICAN MINING SCHOOLS Now we point with true American pride to institutions which, are unsurpassed in all the world in their standard of efficiency. We know full well that the American engineer is in demand in many foreign parts and when we read recent scientific treatises published abroad we are amazed to find them unfamiliar with many of the more advanced ideas which have here already come to be an everyday part of our professional knowledge and equipment. Blessed with a country of unrivalled natural resources, dwelling in a latitude whose climate is most conducive to enterprise, peopled with races of inventive and organizing genius with equality of individual opportunity, our industries have grown and expanded until our output has reached staggering proportions and the draft upon our mineral reserves is appalling. Coupled with this development has arisen a demand for engineers which has brought into our schools of technical science larger and larger numbers of young men whose imagination has been stimulated by the success of their predecessors who happened to be contemporary elements in the recent industrial expansion and prosperity.

Jan 1, 1923

By W. F. Boericke

The character of the Wisconsin orebodies must be clearly understood to appreciate the difficulties encountered in sampling and estimating them. Unlike the western vein deposits, they do not lie between regular walls, but form large, often highly irregular bodies, on a single floor in the so-called Galena limestone. The bottom of the ore is nearly always on the clay bed (a flat generally well-defined clay seam a few inches thick) which marks the junction of the base of the Galena lime and the top of the next formation, the Trenton lime. Above the clay bed, the orebodies make the unique pitch and flat formation described by Chamberlin.' Theoretically, we should find two pitches, one on either side of the top crevice, diverging as they go down, with the final flats a considerable distance apart on the clay bed. The area between, known locally as core ground, should thus constitute a single defined orebody, with the richer portions near the pitches and the leaner portion in the center of the core. Practically, we find few examples of this perfect orebody. Almost invariably one pitch is better defined than the other, and often the opposite pitch is marked only by a faint line of fracture showing stronger mineralization than the wall rock, or it may be totally lacking. But with an orebody of any size or richness, at least one strong pitch usually tends to follow an east-west trend, or a quartering course. Late mining developments in the rich New Diggings field indicate that these pitches often assume a horseshoe or crescent shape, the richer ore being in the heart of the crescent and the pitches showing less mineralization as they extend outwards. In the northern end of the field, on the contrary, the pitches maintain generally a consistent direction, and have been mined for thousands of feet from the shaft. The length of the orebody may be several thousand feet, the height varying from 10 to 60 ft. and the width from 60 to 250 ft. In fact, on the core side, there is no definite end to the ore. The mineralization simply gets thinner and thinner, and the limit of working depends on the cost sheet and the profit from the recovery.

Jan 1, 1923

By Ernest A. Hersam

The rate of output of a rock crusher is based upon a certain space relation, the calculation requiring that the size and position of the jaws, the principle of motion, and the speed of the machine be known. The result is a calculated maximum output. The purpose of this paper is to develop a method of calculating this maximum output, to judge the general applicability or utility of such a calculation, and, so far as possible, to lecord calculated values as a basis for the comparison of actual results, or for estimating the capacity of a new crusher or of a standard crusher working under new conditions. A method for calculating the capacity of crushing rolls, which has been in common use for a long time, is well presented by R. H. Richards.' The output is conceived as a ribbon of rock, of which the breadth, thickness and length are governed respectively by the width of the rolls, the space between them, and their peripheral velocity. The weight of the rock thus crushed in a given time can be calculated from its specific gravity, after applying a factor representing the percentage of voids in the hypothetical ribbon. The calculation of crusher capacity is made in a somewhat similar manner. While the action of rolls is simple, with few irregularities in operating conditions, in rock crushers the material advances intermittently, usually under the force of gravity alone, and is subjected to a variety of variable conditions. The effect of these variable influences upon the calculation of capacity is now to be shown. In this paper, capacity will be discussed quite apart from any consideration of mechanical efficiency; that is, results will be stated not in terms of output per horsepower, but of output for a given machine when operated at a known speed, constructed and adjusted to receive material of a known size, and to yield a product having a definite maximum coarseness.

Jan 1, 1923

By Allan J. Clark, W. J. Sharwood

When the cyanide process came into general use, late in the nineteenth century, chlorination was quickly supplanted, but amalgamation yielded place more slowly, being still the major process at many plants, where it is followed by cyanidation of the tailings. The research work of the Denny brothers in South Africa' was probably the most important contribution of its time to the metallurgy of gold. By grading analyses of mill products, they pointed to the necessity of fine grinding to accomplish maximum extraction by cyanide. The work here described is merely an extension of the Dennys' method. Developing the fine-grinding principle, the steps of "crushing in solution" and of "all-sliming" were logical sequels, though both had been attempted early in the history of the cyanide process. Crushing in solution introduced certain complications in amalgamation; when "all-sliming " was adopted it was observed that the omission of amalgamation did not materially affect the total recovery. Thus the field of the older process has become much restricted, being at present confined to ores which, yielding freely to amalgamation, either are too low in grade to show an economic advantage in "all-sliming," or present chemical or other difficulties making the use of cyanide solution unadvisable during the crushing and preparation of the ore. South African ores are typical of the former class; Homestake ores are of both classes, but even in these instances the amalgamation work is being curtailed and greater burdens thrown on the cyanide plants. It is obvious that the time required for the dissolution of gold depends on the size of its particles. In an effort to determine the critical size, the following laboratory method was evolved. A standard amalgamation test2 had already been established, which involves the agitation of about 100 gm. of ore with 20 gm. of pure mercury, the latter then being separated and its gold contents determined. This method was applied directly to certain mill products with interesting results, a few of which may be noted here. The column "Free Gold" gives the value per ton thus amalgamated, as against the " Total Gold " determined by fire assay.

Jan 1, 1923

AT THE beginning of December, the Lausanne Con-ference was in session. The representatives of the United States declared the American position. The representatives of Russia were received and were heard. The Turks appeared at this conference in the attitude of victors, dictating terms. The British refused to surrender Mosul, and December thus ended with this question unsettled. Early in the month the premiers of the principal powers met in London for the discussion of the German reparations question, the temporary agreement expiring on. Jan. 15, 1923. On Dec. 11 the Conference adjourned without getting anywhere, and at the end of December prospects looked more hopeless than ever. The premiers are to meet again on Jan. 2, 1923. The interruption of the London conference was followed by the intimation of early participation of the United States in European affairs in the practical way of a large loan to Germany. These intimations, ema-nating from Washington, appear to have been in the nature of trial balloons. They showed that the wind was unfavorable, the bankers not considering conditions suitable for the flotation of such a loan. British statisticians are puzzled by the fact that the trade returns of Great Britain show a greater turnover in the volume of goods during the first 11 months of 1922 than in 1920, although the rate of labor employ-ment in 1920 was nearly 100 per cent. and in 1922 only about 86 per cent., with an economic situation admit-tedly so bad as to be alarming. The British Parliament was convened under the premiership of Bonar Law. One of its first acts was confirmation of the constitution of the Irish Free State. Civil war in Ireland continued. Poland, like most of the other countries of Europe, is torn between socialism and conservatism, with the former party at present predominant. Early in December, Gabriel Narutowicz, an engineer but a radical, was elected president. On Dec: 14 he entered office and-on Dec. 16 he was assassinated.

Jan 1, 1923

Jan 1, 1923

By Dever C. Ashmead

FRom time to time metal-mine engineers have inquired why anthracitc mines and their preparators are rarely operated on the two or three-shift basis. The subject may be approached as affecting: labor, development, the underground workers, the preparator, the outside workers, capital, the supply account, power consumption, the storage of coal over various shifts, railroad car supply, and the market. Labor From the start, the adoption of a plan of three full-shift operations in a day would cause difficulty with the colliery employees, for they have never worked on that plan and would show their resentment by suspending work. Even if they could be induced to work according to this schedule they would not be as efficient, for they would be working more or less unwillingly at hours at which they are accustomed to rest. Operation on a three-shift basis would necessitate triple manning of each working place, and dissensions would arise between the men, for each shift would claim that the preceding shift had taken undue advantage and had not left as favorable conditions as it had found. To obviate these disputes it might be [necessary to let out the work to a contractor, who would hire his helpers to mine out the chamber, or breast. The state mining law requires that a miner be put in charge of each working place. To conform with this provision he would have to hire three helpers and two miners to mine the breast. The labor unions have been trying to abolish the subcontractor in mine work and any method of working that would cause his return, however innocent in purpose, would result in labor disturbances. It might be possible to form partnerships of three miners working a place together, but these men would be quite likely to have frequent dissensions as to the proportion of work performed by each shift. Only

Jan 1, 1923

By H. E. Brauer

Among the zinc base alloys used for casting in metal moulds, pnrticularly die casting, those alloys containing aluminum usually together with copper, are probably the most widely used. The reason lies in their desirable mechanical properties and the fluidity and absence of hot shortncss which facilitate ca,sting. Objection to the use of these alloys may be raised on account of the rather frequent instances of failure of a type variously described as disintegration, exfoliation and intererystalline corrosion. In all cases which have come to our kno~vlcdge where the conditionsof service were known, failure has occurred upon cxposurc to moisture and heat varying from a hot moist atmosphere to lligh pressure steam. RIoreover, the alloys described in all such roses contain impurities or alloying metals which the present authors have found to have enormous accelerating effects on intererystalline oxid:~t'ion in zinc-aluminurn alloys. Thus Williams1 experimented with an alloy containing a large percentage of tin exposed in Cuba. Baucr2 reports failure of a boiler plug containing over 1 per cent. of impurities, doubtless lead for the must part, and Rawdon's3 examinations were madc on an alloy containing 0.1 per cent. lead also exyosctl to thc Tropics. No thorough investigation of the nature and cause of this type of failure has been made heretofore, so far as the authors are aware, although Rawdon correctly classified it as internal oxidation. We have, therefore, carried out this investigation in order to det'ermine the exact nature of this phenonienon and the effect of other metals present as impurities or intentional additions in accelerating or retarding it. In the appendix we include a considerable amount of data which may be valuable in selecting an alloy combining good physical properties with high resistance to oxidation. At the time this work was undertaken the best available equilibrium *Investigator, Metal Section, Research Division, The New Jersey Zinc Company. 'H. W. Williams—Jour. Am. Inst. of AIet,als, Vol. 11, p. 221 (1917). 2o. Bauer—ZeiL, fiir i'vletall Kunde, Vol. 12, .No. 7, pp. 129-31 (1920). 3H. S. Rawdon—Trans. Am. Elcctrochcmic.al Society (1921).

Jan 1, 1923

By Richard Moldenke

Note.—At the request of the American Society for Testing Materials, this paper wau presented at the New York Meeting, February, 1923, in connection with the "A. S. T. M. Tentative Specifications for Foundry Pig Iron" and The Physics of Cast Iron and Its Bearing on All Cast-iron Products and Specifications for Cast Iron," by William R. Webster. The discussion of this paper was not published by the Institute, having been referred to the American Society for Testing Materials, as these papers were again presented for discussion at the meeting of that Society at Atlantic Cit;, June, 1923. The result of these discussions is shown in the following abstract from the Committee A3 report on cast-iron specifications: During the past year, the adaptability of the tentative specifications for pig iron for the steel and the malleable foundry, in addition to the iron foundry proper, have been studied and suitable changes and rearrangements are being made which appear to cover the situation properly. In spite of the experience of foundrymen to the contrary, there is a persistent call from consumers of castinga for defixute compositions for given lines of castings. To respond to this call for information desired by the consumer—information every modern foundryman should have and guide his procedure with—the committee has requested the Sub-committee on General Cast!rigs to take up this matter with a view of constructing tables of analyses rang? for Important lines of foundry product. These analyses ranges however, are to be given as "recommendgd practice" and not intended for actual spkcification. In this way, the consumer of the foundry product will get the information he wants; the furnace-man will be gulded in the production of his pig irons to prepare for analyses ranges which are more closely standardized and have less of "freak" requirements made by Inexperienced metallurgists; and the foundryman will not be bound by chemical requirements he knows will not work out well with his particular reglonal supphes of melting stock. Doctor Moldenke's paper is published in full as it shows clearly the good results of the Institute's work in 1895 and a comparison of the same with the present knowledge of the metallurgy of cast iron—Bradley Stoughton, Chairman, Iron and Steel Committee. In MaRch, 1895, William R. Webster contributed a carefully prepared scheme for the study of the physics of cast iron to the American Institute of Mining Engineers at its Florida meeting. This summary of the interrelation of the chemical and physical characteristics of cast iron with the operations of daily foundry practice caused a wide discussion of the then little understood though universally used material. Mr. Webster has requested the author to bring the subject up to date and, while glad to comply, he must pay that with all the knowledge that has been gained in the quarter century that has passed since the subject was brought to the attention of the Institute—and we now are pretty familiar with cast iron in all its aspects—there is practically noth-

Jan 1, 1923

By Ralph Arnold

While much geological work and drilling have been done in Venezuela, the incompleteness of geological evidence obtainable and the restricted areas in which drilling has been done make any estimates of oil resources extremely speculative. Nevertheless, it is felt that the data given are justified, in the belief that the ideas of a geologist familiar with the region are better than those of a promoter. The oldest beds of interest to oil men are those of the Cretaceous, which are well developed in eastern Venezuela and about parts of Lake Mara-caibo. In both cases, a hard massive limestone is overlain by a great thickness, most of which is shale. In the west, in places this shale is more than 2000 ft. (610 m.) thick, while in the east it-mag attain 3500 ft. (1067 m.). The limestone and parts of the shale are oil producing. In the east, the Tertiary where present is almost entirely covered by the Quarternary, but in the west it is well developed. In probable unconformity over the Cretaceous shales is found a series of sandstones and shales, which may be called the lower coal series. It is well developed southwest of the lake, where it is the oil container, and is probably the lowest series exposed east of the lake. Above this is the Pauji shale, which is probably the point of origin of all the oil east of Lake Maracaibo and in the State of Falcon. It has a thickness of about 3000 ft. (914 m.) in the Mene Grande region. The upper coal series is developed as a great thickness of sands, shales, and clays, with some partly consolidated limestone. Its thickness may be as great as 10,000 ft. It is the oil container of the Falcon-El Mene region and a probable location for oil in some of the area about the lake. It may or may not include the so-called Maracaibo series in which the oil is found at Mene Grande. Over much of Venezuela, the Quarternary is present in unknown thickness, which probably is not great. It obscures oil structure in all cases and presents the greatest hazard of oil exploration for the fields which probably exist below.

Jan 1, 1923

ALTHOUGH discovered as long ago as 1817, by Strohmeyer, the use of cadmium did not become in anyway general for nearly a century. Its properties, although well known, did not recommend it to users of metals generally, and it was, on the whole, regarded more in the light of a nuisance to zinc producers than anything else. Its real value was not appreciated until both the United States of America and Germany, who are entirely dependent on outside sources for their supplies of tin, were faced with the unpleasant fact that their tin stocks were being rapidly depleted, with practically no prospect of having them replenished. This resulted in serious efforts being made in the UnIted States of America to conserve what tin was available, and, as a consequence, several metals were tried in the hope that they would prove satisfactory substitutes for tin. Among these was cadmium, and it was found that cadmium could replace tin in a manner sufficiently satisfactory to permit of its use in many directions where tin had been used before.It is on this ability of cadmium to replace tin that its use became in any way general at first; but since then new avenues of development have been opened up in which its physical and chemical properties are proving their value. It is highly probable that its use will extend very considerably as time goes on. OCCURRENCE OF CADMIUM.There are several cadmium minerals known, but none of them occur in profitable quantities as ores. The cadmium of commerce is derived almost entirely from zinc minerals and ores in which it is almost invariably present in proportions which are usually very small. Cadmium behaves metallurgically almost the same as zinc, and hence constitutes a fraction of 1% of almost all spelter.

Jan 1, 1923

1-Coal and Coal Products HOWARD N EAVENSON, Chairman C. T. HAYDEN, Vice-chairman, Bituminous Coal Production CHARLES DORRANCE, Vice-chairman, Anthracite Coal Production HOWARD P. ZELLER, Vice-chairman, Evaluation of Coal for Coke Making W H. FULWEILER, Vice-chairman, Gas and Its Manufacture J. B. MORROW, Vice-chairman, Coal Preparation Bituminous Coal Production C. T. HAYDEN, Chairman R L ADAMS EUGENE MCAULIFFE HAROLD J ROSE WILLIAM H BLAUVELT H E NOLD D. A RUSSELL GEORGE W EVANS JAMES W PAUL CECIL W. SMITH JOHN A GARCIA GEORGE S RICE SAMUEL A TAYLOR H. S GEISMER W F RITTMAN F G TRYON FRANK HAAS J D ROGERS FRANCIS R WADLEIGH CHESTER M LINGLE

Jan 1, 1923

PRESIDENTS DAVID THOMAS 1871 R W RAYMOND 1872-1874 A L HOLLEY1875 ABRAM S HEWITT 1876 T STERRY HUNT 1877 ECKLEY B COXE 1878 - 1879 WILLIAM P SHINN 1880 WILLIAM METCALF 1881 RICHARD P ROTHWELL 1882 ROBERY W HUNT 1883 JAMES C, BAYLES 1884-1885 ROBERT H RICHARDS 1886 THOMAS EGLESTON 1887 WILLIAM B POTTER 1888 RICHARD PEARCE 1889 ADAM S HEWITT 1890 JOHN BIRKINBINE 1891-1892 H M HOWE 1893 JOHN FRITZ 1894 J D WEEKD 1895

Jan 1, 1923

By C. Baldwin Sawyer

During the last half century, much time has been devoted to investigations of the effect of nitrogen on the physical properties of steel, but in all discussions of results there is considerable doubt as to the accuracy and interpretation of analyses. No conclusions concerning the effects of nitrogen on the physical properties of steel can be more reliable than the methods used for determining the quantities of nitrogen present. The work described in this paper endeavors to establish some additional conditions required by the customary distillation method for reliable and nccurate determinations. Results by a combustion method of analysis for total nitrogen content are presented; these indicate that all of the nitrogen in steel, exclusive of that contained in blowholes, may be determined by the distillation method. Based on these more sound and more reliable analyses, results havc been obtained that bear on the following divisions of the general subject, nitrogen in steel: Nitrification of steel by melting in nitrogen, nitrification of steel by heating in ammonia, decomposition of nitrified steel by heating, and thermal analysis of nitrified steel. Consideration of Two Methods of Analysis and Some Results The details of the distillation and combustion methods are chemical in character and of little interest to most readers. They are therefore described in an appendix. The distillation method is essentially that described by Hurum and Fay1 and was generally used throughout this work. It is capable of the greatest accuracy and all results given are significant to the last, figure. Where analyses do not check, the samples

Jan 1, 1923

Report of Secretary TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF MINING AND METALLURGICAL ENGINEERS Gentlemen -I have the honor to present the following report for the calendar year 1920 The activities which-seem to call for special com¬ment are THE NEW FORM OF MAGAZINE MINING AND METALLURGY appeared every month during the calendar year and has been developed until it contains some ten departments It has brought forth more commendatory letters than have been received at headquarters on any other subject throughout the year Less than a dozen letters unfavorable to the change have been received, and the indications are that the magazine has met a want deeply felt, especially by members distant from headquarters The technical papers printed by the Institute are published in abstract in the magazine and opportunity is given to members who desire them to receive full copies of any or all papers published The Bound Volumes, as usual, contain all the papers in full and discussions thereof FINANCES The greatly increased cost of paper and printing has put a tremendous burden on the Institute's finances, since the dues of $12 per year are only 20 per cent greater than the members paid when the Institute was founded forty-nine years ago This has resulted in a temporary deficit, similar to that encountered by many of our sister engineering societies The fact that our Institute has lower dues and gives more in the way of publications to its members than any other of\the national engineering societies has rendered the situation more difficult for us MEETINGS The Annual Meeting in New York, the Field Meeting in the Lake Superior District, the meeting of the Petroleum and Gas members at St Lours, and of the Institute of Metals Division in Columbus, Ohio, have all been described in full in the magazine

Jan 1, 1923

?AARONSON, ALFRED E, .Vice-Pres, Mid-Co Petroleum Co , Mid-Co Bldg, Tulsa, Okla '18 ABADIE, EMILE R, Min Engr - Box 927, Porterville, Cal '76 ||ABADILLA, QuiRiCo A, Student, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colo. '20 ABBOTT, CLARENCE E, Gen'l Supt, Iron Mines Div, Tenn Coal, Iron & R R Co , 1405 Minnesota Ave, Bessemer, Ala. '04 ABBOTT, Louis BENJAMIN, Chief Engr, Consolidation Coal Co-, Elkhorn Div, Jenkins, Ky '15 ABBOTT, ROBERT R Met. Engr, Peerless Motor Car Co, Cleveland, Ohio. '12 ABE, ASAKA Fujita Min Co, Dojima, Osaka, Japan '14 ABEEL, GEORGE H, JR, Cons Min Engr, 633 St Paul Ave, Los Angeles, Cal '18 ABEL, ALBERT E, Mgr., Pittsburgh Dist, Valley Mould & Iron Corpn, 28th St & R R Ave, Pittsburgh, Pa '19 ABEL, W D, Min. Engr. 3897 Sacramento St , San Francisco, Cal. '19 ABELL, 0 J, Pres & Treas, Abell-Howe Co, 332 South Michigan Ave, Chicago, Ill '19 ABERNATHY, G E Willow Springs, Mo '20 ABEY, HIROSHI, Min & Met Engr, Arakawa Mine, Mitsubishi Co, Senpoku-gun, Akitaken, Japan '17

Jan 1, 1923

PROF RICHARD ÅKERMAN Stockholm, Sweden DR FRANK DAWSON ADAMS Montreal, Canada PROF RICHARD BECK Friberg, Germany ANDREW CARNEGIR New York, N.Y. DR. JAMES DOUGLAS New York, N.Y. PROF HATON DE LA GOUPILLIERE Paris, France SIR ROBERT A. HADFEILD London, England PROF HANS HOFFER Leoben, Austria HERBERT C. HOOVER Leoben, Austria JAMES FURMAN KEMP New York, N.Y. PROF HENRI LOUIS LE CHATELIER Paris France EZEQUIEL ORDONEZ Mexico City, Mexico DR ROSSITER W, RAYMOND New York, N.Y. PROF RICHARD H, RICHARDS Boston Mass. DR. ING H. C. EMIL SCHROEDTER Dusseldorf, Germany JOHN E. STEAD Middlesborugh, England PROF DIMITRY CONSTANTIN TSCHERNOFF St Petersburg, Russia PROF TSUNASHIRO WADA Tokyo, Japan CHARLES D WALCOT Washingtion D.C.

Jan 1, 1923

Truman H Aldrich '78 W. S Ayres '73 A. A Blair '75 Walter M Brodie '72 H M. Chance '74 Frederick G Corning '77 Henry S Drinker Founder Ernest F. Eurich '74 W. E. C Eustis '76 A Heckscher '79 Henry D. Hibbard '79 Julian Kennedy '79 William St. George Kent '72 Frank Lyman '77 John Markle '79 Samuel Mather '79

Jan 1, 1923

By J. A. H. Church

MR. J. A. H. CHURCH: The salient feature would seem to be that the thickness of the seam, in our coals at any rate, is the main factor in predisposition to spontaneous ignition. The evidence, incomplete it must be admitted, in the Saskatchewan and British Columbia fields, and complete in the Alberta field to my mind, shows this up very strongly. The German report on the upper Silesian coal fields definitely fixes the critical thickness at 13 feet, the British report goes far beyond this figure by stating that liability to ignition increases with the thickness of the seam over four feet. Before discussing the Alberta fires it would be well to note an error on page 12 -the probable cause of the fire in the Frank Mine should read "Spontaneous near fault. Heating first discovered 1909". Of the six fires attributed to spontaneous ignition all the seams were identical or in excess of the critical thickness mentioned in the German report. If there be any reason in the foregoing it is high time some forethought were taken to adopt some definite system of laying out the workings of such seams not so much on the outcrop districts as with a view to the future operation to the dip. Seams approaching 13 feet in thickness which to date have shown no disposition towards heating during the extraction of the outcrop areas may well cause infinite trouble or indeed total loss when the ventilating pressures increase as increase they must to the dip. This state of affairs can be combatted only by the adoption of a correct system of working and the provision of numerous airways of as large an area as may be compatible with the physical characteristics of the particular seam.

Jan 1, 1923