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By A. W. Griffith, R. G. Beverly, W. A. Millsap

THE Grand Junction Pilot Plant, operated by National Lead Co. Inc., for the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission, is engaged in the amenability testing of orebodies to establish design and cost data for commercial mills and to test new processes for recovery of uranium from ores. Test work was performed to study the effects of several variables on leaching of uranium ores in carbonate solutions. Many of these variables had been investigated in the laboratory, but pilot plant tests were desirable to evaluate their importance in semi-works equipment and to predict optimum operating conditions for future commercial mills. The results of these tests should serve as a guide in selecting the most efficient and economical method of leaching uranium ores amenable to a carbonate process. This article is concerned with a process in which uranium is extracted from the ore by a hot Na2CO3- NaHCO3 solution; the uranium-bearing solution is separated from the solid residue by filtration, and uranium is then precipitated by chemical means.

Jan 9, 1957

By C. H. Mathewson

(New York Meeting, February, 1916) DURING the past year considerable work dealing with the mechanical properties and microstructure following the anneal under uniform conditions of certain types of commercial rolled brass has been done in this laboratory. Since these experiments were conducted with the active cooperation of the Bridgeport Brass Co., involving free use of its product, and have thus furnished information which is characteristic of some of its special mixtures, full publication of the numerical relationships and comparative results encountered does not seem justifiable. Some of the more general features of this work are, however, available and it is our present purpose to use the material in question, along with some results of special tests, in discussing the characteristics of recrystallization as related to the degree of hardening by strain and the ordinary annealing variables. We desire to make acknowledgment of the many courtesies extended by Mr. Charles Ferry, Metallurgist of the Bridgeport Brass Co., and the value of his cooperation, which has greatly stimulated the study of brass in this laboratory. A clear and systematic presentation of the principal relations between temperature and time of anneal, the changing physical properties and microstructure and the degree of previous reduction by cold-rolling, was first made, in the case of rolled brass and copper, by the French engineer, C. Grard,1 in 1909, although much fragmentary information of this general character had appeared earlier and the main facts involved were undoubtedly known to many brass specialists through their own private research. From this work, it appears that in the cartridge mixture (67 per cent. copper, 33 per cent. zinc) the properties imparted by cold-working within the limits, 13 to 75 per cent. reduction of area by rolling

Jan 1, 1916

By D. Harker, M. J. Murphy

The mechanism by which age-hardening takes .place is still not completely understood. The principal theories range from the extreme of "precipitaiion-hardening" to that of "order-hardening," with many intermediate gradations. In the hope of obtaining new data on which to base a choice among the many theories, the authors have made electron micrographs of formvar replicas taken from metallic specimens at various stages of age-hardening. The results so obtained on an alloy of 2 per cent beryllium in copper and one of 20 per cent molybdenum in iron will be described in the following pages, as well as the technique used in preparing the replicas. Preparation of Formvae. Replicas of Metallic Specimens This section is concerned with the techniques that have roved successful in preparing formvar replicas for studying the microstructure of metals with the electron microscope. Because of its simplicity and accuracy, the formvar replica1 method developed in the General Electric Research Laboratory has been used exclusively, since it is much simpler than the silica replica method of Heidenreich and Peck2 and produces as good results. The formvar method to be described requires a technique acquired only by practice, and no foolproof set of rules can be given. it is a rapid method and a replica can be obtained in less than five minutes under favorable conditions. This does not mean that perfect replicas can be produced every five minutes, but rather that one can well afford to take several strippings* in order to produce a replica of high quality. The metallographic technique required for replica work—very fine polishing and etching with very dilute solutions—is described here. It can be said, in general, that almost any surface that has been carefully prepared for a photomicrograph at 1000 or more diameters can be used to obtain a replica for the electron microscope. Preparation of Metallographic Specimens The preparation of the metallographic specimens is somewhat more exacting than that usually given to samples to be used for inspection under the light microscope. After much experimentation, it was concluded that the best method consists in polishing the metal through to the coarse cloth, then etching and repolishing on final cloth until the layer of distorted metal is removed. After this procedure has been completed, a dilute etch—to approximately the depth necessary for a micrograph at 1000 diameters—usually produces a sur-

Jan 1, 1945

By Harold Roast

THE object of this investigation was to compare the arsenical antimony-lead alloy with some of the regular bearing-metal alloys. With this end in view, the following tests were made: 1. Chemical analyses to show the composition. 2. Thermal analyses. 3. Macroscopic examination of fractures. 4. Microscopic examination. 5. Tensile tests. 6. Crushing tests. 7. Scleroscope tests. 8. Brinell tests, at temperatures from 80° to 400° F. Tests 3 to 8 were conducted on both sand-cast and chill-cast specimens. For the purposes of this paper the alloys have been numbered from 1 to 6; their composition is as follows: LEAD, ANTIMONY, TIN, COPPER, ARSENIC, NUMBER PER CENT. PER CENT. PER CENT. PER CENT. PER CENT. 1 82.64 12.95 4.40 0.01 none 2 27.54 9.94 59.87 2.65 none 3 77.65 20.75 none 0.13 1.47 4 82.95 16.85 none 0.20 none 5 83.78 15.35 none 0.05 0.82 6 0.15 7.87 84.13 7.85 none The analysis, in the case of the antimony, was made by solution in sulfuric acid and titrated with permanganate. For tin, the ferric-chloride method was used; for copper, the alkaline separations, and the thiocyanate methods; for arsenic, volatilization of arsenic and titration with iodine. The lead, with the exception of alloy 6, was taken by difference.

Jan 2, 1922

By AIME AIME

AT a joint meeting of the Tulsa Geological Society and the Mid-Continent Section of the A; I. M. E., held at Tulsa on March 21, the history of unit development in the Kettle- man Hills field was discussed. Robert C. Patterson? Super- visor for the U. S. Geological Survey at Taft, Calif., was the speaker. An abstract of some of his remarks follows: On July 1, 1923, curtailment agreement for two years was made between the operators of North Dome Kettleman and the U. S. Department of the Interior. In this it was agreed to consider a plan of unit development, or other cooperate method of developing the structure. As a result, Kettleman North Dome Association was incorporated in December, 1930, as a non-profit cooperative corporation under the laws of California. Approved in January, 1931, by California Oil and Gas Supervisor and by Secretary of Interior. On Feb. 10, 1931, it became an active organization through election of executive officers and eleven- directors. General manager chosen. Association started to function April 1, 1931. Assumed control of 10,800 acres of proved and semi-proved land, as shown in Table 1.

Jan 1, 1932

By Stephen Taber

Introduction.............................. 62 Asbestiform Minerals.......................... 63 Chemical and Mineralogical Relations............... 63 Physical Properties........................ 64 Types of Asbestos............................ 65 Origin of the Fibrous Structure...................... 66 Views of Previous Investigators.................... 66 Discussion of the Evidence.................... 67 Conclusions........................... 69 Origin of Cross-fiber Veins....................... 71 Chrysotile Veins......................... 72 Structural Features of Cross-fiber Veins............... 78 Veins of Crocidolite and Other Fibrous Amphiboles........... 83 Origin of Slip-fiber........................... 84 Origin of Mass-fiber........................... 86 Discussion............................... 87 IntRoduCtion The term asbestos, as commonly used, includes half a dozen minerals all having a well-developed fibrous structure, but differing in chemical composition and in some of their physical properties. In its strict application the name is limited to the fibrous varieties of the monoclinic amphiboles. Commercially, however, the most important of the asbestiform minerals is chrysotile, a fibrous variety of serpentine. About 95 per cent. of the asbestos used in manufacturing is chrysotile, and it commands a much higher price than any of the other fibrous minerals now on the market. Although the production of asbestos has increased rapidly in recent years, comparatively little has been published concerning its origin. The present paper is preliminary in its nature, and therefore does not pretend to exhaust the subject. The ideas herein developed are the result of field investigation, laboratory experiments in the growth of fibrous

Jan 1, 1918

By H. Hansen, A. U. Seybolt, P. Yurcisin, B. W. Roberts

The Bi-Mn phase diagram in the region near BiMn was investigated, using principally thermal analysis and changes in magnetization with temperature. Of chief interest are the findings related to the magnetic transformation in Bi-Mn. THE Bi-Mn system is of both theoretical and practical interest because of the occurrence of the compound BiMn which exhibits unusual ferromagnetic properties. Because the Bi-Mn phase diagram reviewed by Hansen' (see Fig. 1) in 1936 is based on work done by BekierY in 1914 and by Siebe" in 1919, which left considerable doubt about the nature of the diagram. it appeared desirable as an aid in understanding the alloying characteristics and magnetic behavior to examine the pertinent regions of the phase diagram. The most interesting reaction is the peritectic at 445°C which forms BiMn by the reaction: Liquid + Mn(sulfield) ? BiMn(sol field) There is also a eutectic at 262° C between pure bismuth and BiMn. Hansen draws in BiMn dotted, since in 1936 evidence for its existence was uncertain. Experimental Materials—Preparation of Alloys Electrolytic manganese of about 99.97 pet purity and bismuth of 99.99 + pet purity were used as starting materials.

Jan 1, 1957

By A. B. Calhoun

These mines, which belong to the Burma Corporation, Ltd., formerly a London company now incorporated in Rangoon, Burma, are situated in the semi-independent state of Tawng-Peng, one of the small divisions comprising the northern Shan states and erroneously known as part of Upper Burma. Bawdwin is approximately 23' 6' N. latitude and 97" 20' E. longitude, 450 miles north of Rangoon, 169 miles northcast of Mandalay and 50 miles south and west of the Province of Yunnan, China (see Fig. 1). Although the mines were worked by the Chinese during the Ming Dynasty, 1412 A. D., the most extensive operations took place between 1796 and 1851, when the mines contributed largely to the silver market of China. During the reign of Tung Chik, 1868 A. D., they were abandoned partly because of the Mohammedan rebellion in Yunnan, which made life and property insecure, but largely because of the difficulty of operating the mines on account of water and poor ventilation. Since that time practically nothing was done, although the Burmese kings are said to have made several sporadic attempts to work the mines, until 1891 when Europeans were attracted by the great slag dumps (assaying about 40 per cent. lead) which the Chinese had left after extracting the silver. After a railroad and smelter had been built and 200,000 to 300,000 tons of slag smelted for lead, exploration work was started and old workings cleaned out in order to locate the remnants of the orebody that it was supposed the Chinese had left. After two years of most discouraging work, the remains of a large orebody was discovered by the Dead Chinaman Tunnel or what is the 171-ft., or No. 2 level adit. From then on the development was rapid and today the Chinaman is considered one of

Jan 1, 1923

By A. B. Calhoun

These mines, which belong to the Burma Corporation, Ltd., formerly a London company now incorporated in Rangoon, Burma, are situated in the semi-independent state of Tawng-Peng, one of the small divisions comprising the northern Shan states and erroneously known as part of Upper Burma. Bawdwin is approximately 23' 6' N. latitude and 97" 20' E. longitude, 450 miles north of Rangoon, 169 miles northcast of Mandalay and 50 miles south and west of the Province of Yunnan, China (see Fig. 1). Although the mines were worked by the Chinese during the Ming Dynasty, 1412 A. D., the most extensive operations took place between 1796 and 1851, when the mines contributed largely to the silver market of China. During the reign of Tung Chik, 1868 A. D., they were abandoned partly because of the Mohammedan rebellion in Yunnan, which made life and property insecure, but largely because of the difficulty of operating the mines on account of water and poor ventilation. Since that time practically nothing was done, although the Burmese kings are said to have made several sporadic attempts to work the mines, until 1891 when Europeans were attracted by the great slag dumps (assaying about 40 per cent. lead) which the Chinese had left after extracting the silver. After a railroad and smelter had been built and 200,000 to 300,000 tons of slag smelted for lead, exploration work was started and old workings cleaned out in order to locate the remnants of the orebody that it was supposed the Chinese had left. After two years of most discouraging work, the remains of a large orebody was discovered by the Dead Chinaman Tunnel or what is the 171-ft., or No. 2 level adit. From then on the development was rapid and today the Chinaman is considered one of

Jan 1, 1923

By L. A. Dale, D. A. Dahlstrom

Closed-water circuits are justified today from two standpoints: economical operation and prevention of stream pollution. In today's modern preparation plant, it has been found very desirable to have the plant circulating water maintained at a relatively low solids concentration of around 3%. In so doing, bene-ficiation equipment can operate at a much higher efficiency. However, makeup water requirements would become excessive if the fines were to be removed from the preparation plant by bleeding a 3% solids concentration to a tailings pond. With the ever increasing percentage of —200 mesh coal, clay and slimes in the raw coal, coupled with the creation of these fines within the preparation plant, the need for water conservation for economy reasons becomes even more important. Because of stream pollution laws, tailings ponds have become very costly to operate and maintain, resulting in the necessity of employing an in-plant method of water recovery. Accordingly, the primary system employed in water recovery in the coal preparation plant today consists of a solids concentration device to thicken refuse solids while at the same time producing a sufficiently clarified effluent that can go back to the preparation plant for water reuse. The thickened product is then normally passed to a dewatering device that will produce a handleable solid that can be disposed of

Jan 1, 1965

By T. L. Joseph

IT is a distinct privilege to participate in this meeting convened to honor the memory of Henry Marion Howe, a distinguished scientist and metallurgist. Many have added to our rapidly growing fund of metallurgical knowledge but few have made the unique contribution of formulating basic concepts essential to an over-all comprehensive view of the subject of metallography. Of those previously selected to deliver this lecture, several have added a personal touch to their discourse because they were able to refer to their associations with Dr. Howe. It was not my good fortune to know him or to enjoy his inspiring influence. Like most of you, my contact has been with his published works, which are outstanding in that they provide lucid, detailed expositions of the nature and behavior of metals and alloys. His deep understanding and clarity of expression have greatly accelerated our progress in metallography and in the use of metals. The degree to which a man's thinking, experimentation and writing contribute toward an understanding of basic laws and phenomena determines whether his life's work is of transitory or permanent value. This occasion appropriately recognizes the fundamental importance of Dr. Howe's pioneer work in the field of metallurgy. On two former occasions, gray iron was selected as a subject for discussion. The fact that the production of pig iron has not been discussed before does not reflect any lack of interest on the part of Dr. Howe or former lecturers in the process that under- lies the production of steel. Although Dr. Howe's work in his later years centered around metallography, his earlier publications show a considerable interest in the production of iron and steel. He recognized that in the ascending spiral of metallurgical advancement we are not winding a single thread but are weaving a complex fabric. Specific evidence of his interest in the production of pig iron may be found in his book1 on The Metallography of Cast Iron and Steel. In explaining why blast furnaces have been in constant use for about 600 years, he says: "The process is economical because it utilizes with extraordinary completeness the calorific power of the coke due to the thorough transfer of heat from the gaseous products of combustion to the charge." This emphasis on heat transfer, overlooked in many more extended and more recent discussions of the blast-furnace process, illustrates Professor Howe's ability to see the essentials. Other distinct advantages of the blast furnace, such as the removal of much of the sulphur and practically all of the oxygen, were mentioned. It was also stated that although the blast- furnace process is complex in nature, its outward form is comparatively simple, thus permitting large-scale production at small labor costs. All who contemplate the production of metallic iron from its ores by any other process might well consider the

Jan 1, 1946

By G. B. Craig, B. Ramaswami

The temperature and strain rate dependence of the flow stress ratio and the stvain rate dependence qi the flow stress of annealed polycrystalline a zirconiur were determined over the temperature range 30 0" to 1000°K. Some evidence was found for strain aging and discontinuous flow in the temperature ranges 520" to 650°Kand650" to 760°K, respectively. The Cottvell-Stokes relationship was obtained when deformation occurred by twinning as well as slip. The flow stress ratio showed a strong dependence on temperature and strain rate above 800°K. The expevirnental evidence indicated that the rate-controllitzg mechanism for the deformation of a zirconium above 800°K was dislocation climb, and that the deformation was not thermally activated in the range 520" to 800°K. The stacking-fault energy of a zirconium was estimated to be about 250 ergs per sq cm. A knowledge of the temperature and strain rate dependence of the applied stress necessary to deform a crystalline solid is essential for understanding the thermally activated processes occurring during deformation.' Several experimental techniques have been developed for studying these processes.273 One of the techniques is the deter mi nation of the strain rate dependence of the flow stress at constant temperature. In close-packed crystals, it has often been observed that the change in stress due to a change in the strain rate varies linearly with the flow stress, (~1,' This relationship, known as the Cottre ll-Stokes law, is obeyed when deformation occurs by glide alone. However, when deformation occurs by twinning as well as glide, there is disagreement among different investigators on whether the Cottrell-Stokes law is observed. Whereas Thornton et ~1.~find departures from Cottrell-Stokes law when twinning occurs in copper, ~avis~ and sasinski? find that Cottrell-Stokes law is obeyed when deformation occurs by twinning as well as slip in cadmium and magnesium, respectively. One of the main objectives of this study is to determine whether the Cottrell-Stokes law is obeyed when deformation occurs by twinning as well as slip. The second technique that has been used extensively to study the thermally activated deformation of crystals is the determination of the ratio of the flow stresses, at identical dislocation structures and con-

Jan 1, 1968

By R. S. Archer

SILICON is one of the most important elements in the metallurgy of aluminum. It is always present in small amounts in the ordinary grades of "pure" aluminum, and hence in all alloys made therefrom. Within the last few years binary alloys containing up to 13. per cent, of silicon have come into extensive use for castings. Silicon is also added, beyond the amount present as an impurity, in alloys containing one or more other elements such as copper, manganese, magnesium and nickel. The binary aluminum-silicon alloys are not yet heat treated to any extent in commercial practice, although, as will be shown, their properties are affected to a very considerable degree by heat treatment. There are other aluminum alloys that develop higher strength, but the special characteristics of the silicon alloys may well lead to the application of heat-treating processes on a commercial scale. The role of silicon in the heat treatment of aluminum alloys is more important than would be indicated by consideration of the binary alloys alone, because many of the alloys that are heat treated in regular commercial practice contain some silicon in addition to that derived from the aluminum ingot as an impurity. Among these may be mentioned the heat-treated 195 alloy castings, and the wrought alloys 258, Special 178 and 51S of the Aluminum Co. of America, and the German wrought alloy, Lautal. It is the purpose of this paper to present the results of experimental work and the conclusions derived therefrom regarding the heat treatment of the binary aluminum-silicon alloys. The products heat treated included forgings, chill castings and both "normal" and "modified" sand castings.

Jan 1, 1927

By Oscar Harder

IT is now just a quarter of a century since Fred W. Taylor§(23) pub-lished his classical paper On the Art of Cutting Metals, describing -his researches in which he, in cooperation with Maunsel White, had developed what is essentially the modern method of heat-treating high-speed steels. Regarding this research, Dr. Sauveur, (22) in his address on Steel Wizards, Past and Present, at the annual banquet of the American Society for Steel Treating in Philadelphia in 1920 said, "The discovery of high-speed steel, or if you prefer, of the treatment imparting high-speed properties to certain steels by Taylor and Maunsel White I am inclined to consider as our one epoch-making contribution to the metallurgy of steel." It was at about that same time (1900) that Taylor exhibited high-speed steels, heat-treated by the improved process, at the World's Exposition in Paris and attracted much attention by showing that the steels would operate at such feeds and speeds that the tips of the tools were visibly red hot. This observation must have started metallurgists to wondering regarding the relative hardness of the various steels at red-heat temperatures. Considerable work has indeed been done in an effort to measure the hardness of high-speed steels and. related materials in the red-heat range, using various methods. . The results, however, have been only partly satisfactory, owing to experimental difficulties. The present investigation had as its immediate inception an address by J. V. Emmons, of the Cleveland Twist Drill Co., to the Columbus Chapter of the American Society for Steel Treating in 1931, in which he deplored the fact that comparatively little was known with regard to the hardness of high-speed steels at elevated temperatures, in spite

Jan 1, 1933

By G. C. Fryburg, H. M. Murphy

ThE rates of oxidation of metals are usually obtained by heating the metal specimens in furnaces. Such a procedure is satisfactory for most metals. However, there are several metals that oxidize according to the reaction.

Jan 1, 1959

By William G. Kegel

Apart from a usable product and good mining conditions, the greatest asset for a profitable coal mining organization is an effective mine maintenance program. The first step in achieving this is to have good mechanics-or men who want to be mechanics and are interested in knowing, more about the design and control of the machines in their charge. A good mechanic's knowledge and ability result from ambition, curiosity, and determination. Starting with these qualities, the aspiring mechanic can launch his career by learning all he can about mechanics, electricity, and hydraulics. Though the path is rough, the end result is rewarding. Mining machinery probably receives as much, if not more, abuse as any other heavy equipment in use today. Considering the conditions under which much of the repair work must be done, it is essential that the mine operator has the best men and tools to perform the work. Mining machines, from their inception, have utilized the electric motor; and down through the years of mechanization, this power source has undergone many changes to better adapt it to the job. The first motors used were direct-current (d-c) motors since d-c power was the most economical power source for mining at the time of early mechanization. These motors were large open-type machines which are seldom used in modern mining. Because of the mine environment, the d-c motor has been reduced in size to better suit the application in mining machines and is now manufactured with dust-tight or explosion-proof enclosures. The d-c motor is constructed with either (or both) series and shunt fields located on the stationary part of the motor (stator) and an armature coil wound on the rotating part of the motor (rotor). Power is supplied to the armature by brushes which are held stationary and make sliding contact with the armature. The brushes requires regular and careful maintenance because worn or defective brushes will cause heat or arcing which can destroy the motor. D-c motors can be used as d-c generators when mechanical power is supplied to them by the rotating

Jan 1, 1981

By Charles Bell

THE Telluride mining district of southwestern Colorado is defined by the 37° 45' and 38° parallels of latitude and 107° 45' and 108° meridians of longitude. Telluride was never a boom camp, but has had a steady growth. In recent years, notwithstanding the business depression of 1920, the business has been the same as in normal years. The first prospector is said to have appeared in 1875, in which year locations on the Smuggler vein were made. Shipments were made in 1877 and 1878, and in 1879 milling the ores was attempted. While the district produced high-grade ores, it did not become important until 1890, when the Rio Grande Southern R. R. was completed from Ridgway to Telluride. The railroad has since been extended to Durango. In the fall of 1896, 400 stamps were in operation, and the annual production was $3,000,000.00, two-thirds of which was gold. The total production from 1875 to 1923 was: Gold $58,274,527; silver 41,830,920 oz., valued at $31,016,893; copper 15,258,866 lb., valued at $2,533,291; lead 166,056,484 lb., valued at $8,324,910; zinc 18,141,182 lb. valued at $1,323,787; or a total production of $101,473,408. All: claims are held in fee. Most of them are 1500 by 300 ft. but claims located within the last few years are 1500 by 600 ft. General supplies are obtained at Telluride, Denver, and Salt Lake. The largest mines are within 6 miles of the town of Telluride. Denver is 422 miles and Salt Lake is 439 miles, by rail, from Telluride. One-half of the distance to Denver and one-sixth of the distance from Telluride to Salt Lake is by narrow-gage railroad. The labor is efficient. The best miners are Italians and Austrians, then Slavs, Greeks, and Mexicans follow in the order mentioned. There are no labor unions. There are no serious mine pumping problems, the drainage being through adits. The Tomboy and Smuggler companies pump water from their reservoirs, the former for, milling and domestic purposes and the latter for milling, power, and domestic purposes.

Jan 2, 1924

By W. Bradley, R. G. Hall

This paper will attempt to show how a metallurgical problem at one California quicksilver mine was solved, and how the solution was applied successfully at another mine. The pronouns "we" and "our," as used below, refer '0 the Bradley 'lining Co. of San Francisco. The term "concurrent firing" for the purpose of this paper can be defined as feeding and firing a a kiln at the same end—that is, of course, the upper end' This is as opposed to "countercurrent firing," the orthodox method, in which a kiln is fed at the upper and fired at the lower end. The terms "quicksilver" and "mercury" are used interchangeably. Early References The earliest work on nonferrous metallurgy, we believe, was The Pirotechnia of Vannocio Biringuccio,l its first edition having been printed in Italy in 1540. Quoting from its chapter entitled "Concerning Quicksilver and Its Ore": Quicksilver ... is one of the gods and has divine strength in itself, and also, to the annoyance of the alchemists, it is winged. Hence, when it sees that it is in gravest danger, it loosens itself from . . . every bond . . . and fies away into the heavens, escaping from the hands of those who crucify it. Almost laughing, it leaves all its adversaries mocked and scorned, with their phials and filters empty . . . How thorough a job, under certain conditions, it can do of mocking its adversaries and leaving their phials and filters empty, was found out four centuries later at the Sulphur Bank mine, on the east shore of Clear Lake, in Lake county, California, The other mine mentioned in the title is the Reed, in Yolo County, California, 35 miles by road southeast of Sulphur Bank, Reed and Sulphur Bank ranked respectively Nth and seventh in U. S. production in 1943. The earliest direct reference we can find to furnacing troubles at these mines was by Thomas Egleston in 1890.2 Speaking of Sulphur Bank, Egleston says: of there is more sulphur than cinnabar in the ore, which is a detriment to both . . . making the sulphur impure, and rendering the cinnabar difficult to work on account of the soot. In some of the early . . . furnaces the accumulation of soot from the excess of sulphur has been known to penetrate as far as the fan blower at the end of the . . . condensers, and completely prevent its revolution. In order to get rid of the inconvenience of this accumulation . . . , as well as to get a commercial value from the sulphur, it (the sulphur) is now separated by steam and sold. It is claimed that the sulphur alone pays all the expenses of ... the mine. The mine was first worked for sulphur, and the cinnabar it contained was considered to be an inconvenience, and was carefully picked out and thrown away, as its richness and value were not

Jan 1, 1949

By Walter W. Bradley

Mining by hydraulic process of the important gold-bearing gravels of the Sacramento Valley in the basins of the Yuba, Bear and American rivers began in 1853, and continued at an ever-increasing rate for 30 years. In its most active days it reached an annual production of $15,000,000, and averaged $10,000,000 per year over the 30 years. During that period no provisions were made to prevent the debris from being discharged into the water courses, and ultimately large quantities of silt, sand and gravel were washed down to the lower valleys; filling channels, causing overflow of agricultural lands and difficulty in maintaining navigable depths in the Sacramento River. Agitation and suits filed because of these damages finally resulted in the injunction decision of Judge L. B. Sawyer,' in the U.S. Circuit Court, Jan. 23, 1884, which closed down practically all hydraulic mining operations not having means to restrain their debris. In 1893 (approved March 1, 1893), Congress passed the act introduced by Representative Anthony Caminetti, of California, creating the California Debris Commission, composed of three officers assigned from the Engineer Corps of the U.S. Army, and since that time it has been legal and possible within the drainage systems of Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers to conduct hydraulic mining of gold-bearing gravels behind dams built under this commission's permit and supervision. In the watersheds of the Trinity and Klamath rivers, which flow directly to the Pacific Ocean and do not affect navigation or agriculture, operating permits from the California Debris Commission are not required. There is a measure of restriction there, however, through what is known as the Trinity and Klamath River Fish and Game District. Chap. 215, Stat. 1931, in order to secure relatively clear water for the fishing season, provides that between July 15 and October 15 each year there must not be discharged into these rivers debris that will cause a turbidity greater than a content of 50 parts per million in the

Jan 1, 1937

By W. J. Taylor, H. J. Mutz, A. F. Brock

THE International Kickel Co. of Canada Ltd. operates five underground mines and an open pit. Four of the mines, the Frood-Stobie, Creighton, Murray, and Garson, are on the south range of the Sudbury Basin, map above, within a radius of 10 miles of the city of Sudbury, Ontario. The fifth mine, the Levack, is on the north range of the Sudbury Basin, 30 miles to the northwest of the city. The open pit is operating on surface ores of the Frood-Stobie orebody. Two pits were opened at the Frood-Stobie mine; the Frood section was started in 1938 and the Stobie section in 1942. To meet the heavy demand for nickel during World War 11, open-pit production was accelerated until it constituted over 40 pct of Inco's total tonnage. As a consequence open-pit ore was depleted considerably alhead of schedule; the Stobie pit was completed in the summer of 1951, and it is expected that mining at the Frood pit will be completed in 1953. The major program launched 10 years ago to develop additional underground production as a replacement of open-pit tonnage thus had to be greatly speeded up. This conversion to all-underground mining will be completed within the next two years, and the underground mines will then have an annual hoisting capacity of 13,000,000 tons. One of the new mines in the underground expansion program, the Murray, was brought into production in 1950. Ore production from the new Stobie section of the Frood-Stobie mine was commenced on a limited scale in 1951 and will be increased as the program progresses. Delivery of ore to the new Creighton mill was started in the summer of 1951 from the caving project launched at Creighton mine. When mining was started in the Sudbury district 65 years ago the ore deposits were opened on a small scale and mining methods conformed to a general pattern of small open cast pits, followed by open stopes as mining was extended below the pits. The open stoping methods used were heading-and-bench and shrinkage. In certain cases a type of cut-and-fill mining was used with drywall tramways and dry-wall chutes in the fill. As the mines were deepened,

Jan 1, 1954