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By Charles Albert Ashburner

THE stratigraphical geology of the vicinity of Buffalo has always been of great interest on account of its bearing on the origin and history of the Niagara-river gorge, between the Falls and Lake Ontario. Recently, however, the character and thickness of the strata which underlie Buffalo have acquired more practical and economic importance on account of their relation to the possible occurrence of natural gas in commercial quantity near the Niagara river. In a paper presented at the Duluth meeting (l887), on " Petroleum and Natural Gas in New york State" (Trans., xvi., 906), I gave a brief description of the four wells which had been drilled by the Buffalo Cement Company between 1883 and that time. One of these wells is 1305 fret deep; and, at the time that my paper was finally revised for the Transactions (June, 1888), it was still an open question whether the drill in this well had reached the Niagara limestone, or had penetrated the Medina sandstones and shales, which latter are boldly exposed in a number of localities in the district, hut more particularly along the Niagara river in the vicinity of Lewiston and Qneenstown. The difficulty in this geological question at Buffalo has lain in the fact that no reliable determination could be made of the thickness of the strata included between the Corniferous limestone, immediately below which the drilling of the Buffalo gas-wells was commenced, and the Niagara limestone. On the other hand, the strata included between the latter limestone and the middle portion of the Medina sandstones and shales, have been minutely measured and studied in the Niagara gorge below the Falls by many American and European geologists. The first reliable section of these strata was constructed by Professor Eaton, and published in 1824 in his report on the Geological and Agricultural Survey of the District adjoining the Erie Canal. This section, extending from Lake Erie to Lewiston, is complete, with the exception that no thickness is given to the Salina or Onoudaga salt group,

Jan 1, 1889

By Robert Gilman Brown

The original power-plant of the Standard Company has been described* by Mr. T. H. Leggett, late president and manager of the company; but since the presentation of his paper considerable additions have been made, which will be found interesting because of the engineering features involved and of the attainment of a high degree of flexibility with the inflexible, two-wire, alternating system of electrical transmission. Although these additions have been completed during the last year, they constitute, to a large extent, only the carrying out of plans that belonged to the original conception of the installation. The regular operation of the water-power through the winter proved very difficult; there was a considerable length of ditch to be kept open, and, as the stream is small and any freezing night may stop the whole flow of water, there was the .additional trouble of having no reserve to draw upon. The rule for the winter is, that after a night of hard frost water begins to move in the canon before noon on all but the coldest days. To obviate the nuisance of the anchor-ice, and to make available all of the water, a dam of sufficient height to impound several days' run of water has been built across the canon, 3875 feet above the power-house, and provided with pressurepipe well below the surface. In place of the 1571 feet of pipeline from penstock to power-house, there has been substituted a line 3875 feet long to bring water direct from the dam. The dam is of logs, cribbed up in squares of about 12 feet, ballasted with earth and rock and sheathed on the water-face with 3-inch plank.

Jan 1, 1897

By S. H. Penn

Preliminary experimental evidence seems to preclude the use of unlubricated mechanical force drills on the moon. Measured values of the coefficients of friction and adhesion between metallic and nonmetal-lic solids have been shown to increase in an ultra-high vacuum environment. The paucity of real knowledge of the influence of a hard lunar vacuum upon interacting solid surfaces, relegates current proposals to sample the moon with a mechanical force drill, to the equivalent of wildcatting on earth. Within a few years, drilling will be attempted on the lunar surface with tools that have been designed with parameters that are normally considered for most conventional terrestrial drills. Lunar drills must be light in weight, portable, have reasonable penetration rates, low manpower requirements, etc. Although the initial equipment cost is expected to be high, this will probably not be a critical factor. Early lunar drilling will be limited to shallow holes with depths of 10 ft or less. The primary function of these holes will be to furnish samples of lunar surface materials but they may also be utilized for other purposes, such as geophysical experiments. Instruments may be installed in them capable of measuring thermal diffusivity, gamma radiation, etc. As sampling will be the primary objective of the earliest holes, sample contamination is a parameter that effectively excludes such otherwise promising techniques as explosive or plasma jet drilling. The most desirable method is probably some form of mechanical force drilling that has the capability of operating in the extreme lunar thermal environment (125° to 37S°K), high vacuum (10- l3 torr range), and low gravity.

Jan 1, 1968

By S. Floreen, H. W. Hayden

The effects of additions of iridium, rhodium, ruthenium, and platinum on the mechanical properties of Fe-C alloys were determined. Each alloying element significantly improved the toughness. The results support the general correlation that substitutional alloying elements that stabilize austenite are beneficial to toughness, but the reason for this improvement is not obvious at this time. The effects of substitutional alloying elements on the toughness of steel has long been a subject of both practical and theoretical interest. Despite the obvious importance of this subject, there has been little progress toward understanding the mechanisms by which alloying elements influence the fracture behavior. In some cases the deleterious effects of alloying elements have been shown to be due to mechanisms such as embrit-tlement of prior austenite grain boundaries or inhibition of cross slip in the ferrite lattice. In other cases, however, the reasons for the change in properties are not clear. This is particularly true for elements, such as nickel, that improve the resistance to brittle fracture. Several investigators'-3 have pointed out that there is a correlation between an alloying element's phase diagram with iron and its effect on toughness. Those substitutional alloying elements that stabilize austenite generally are beneficial to toughness, while ferrite-stabilizing elements generally are detrimental to toughness. The word "generally" should be emphasized, because exceptions to this rule can be found. Nevertheless, this correlation does offer a starting point at which to try to understand the effects of alloying elements on toughness. Thus far only two austenite-stabilizing elements, manganese and nickel, have been considered. In order to test the validity of this correlation several other austenite-stabilizing elements were evaluated. The noble metals, iridium, rhodium, ruthenium, and platinum, have binary phase diagrams with iron similar to the Fe-Ni and Fe-Mn diagrams. That is, each element expands the austenite field, and also higher concentrations of each element produce martensitic transformations at low temperatures. Presumably then, each of these elements should improve the toughness of steel. The present study was conducted to determine if this were so. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The alloys were made as l-lb air-induction melts using electrolytic iron and commercially pure noble metals. Each heat was initially deoxidized by a carbon boil, and further carbon was added to attempt to produce a 0.05 wt pct C content in each alloy. Before pouring, a final refining addition of 0.2 wt pct A1 and 0.1 wt pct Ti was made to each heat. The alloys were cast in a copper mold to produce ingots approximately 1 in. in diam and 5 in. long. The chemical compositions of the alloys tested are given in Table I. The residual nitrogen, aluminum, and titanium contents were all relatively constant at 0.003, 0.03, and 0.02 pct, respectively. The carbon

Jan 1, 1968

By R. W. Armstrong, P. C. Jindal

TABOR1 has indicated for a number of polycrystal-line materials that their hardness should be directly related to their yield strength. For a material showing zero work-hardening, the Meyer hardness, MH, may be calculated in terms of the yield stress, sy, by utilizing slip line theory and the result is: The Meyer hardness corresponds to indenting the surface with a spherical indenter and specifying the ratio of load and projected area of the indentation. The correlation indicated by Eq. [I] is not well-established. It has been verified to some degree by performing hardness tests on materials strained to the maximum nominal stress and taking this stress as the (new) yield stress of a nonwork-hardening material. The dependence of hardness on yield strength for an annealed material capable of showing work-hardening has not been theoretically evaluated but, presumably, the hardness should be greater than that specified above. Marcinkowski, Fisher, and szirmae2 measured the dependence of the Vickers Diamond Pyramid hardness, H,, on yield strength for an annealed Fe-Cr alloy which shows work-hardening and found:

Jan 1, 1968

By Albert Sir Kitson

THE manganese ore deposits of the Gold Coast, British West Africa, occur in very ancient rocks, of both sedimentary and metamorphic types. In. certain respects, they strongly resemble those of India and Brazil, as contrasted with those of Tertiary age in Georgia. Viewed from the present condition of the maganiferous rocks, the oldest deposits are in the sediments. Later than these are the progressively metamorphosed representatives of these sediments; youngest are the products of decay and degradation with the concentration of manganese oxide of both areas. The oldest occurrences are in argillaceous and siliceous phyllites and slates, which show only a moderate amount of metamorphism. They belong to a series which also includes mudstones, sandstones, grits, conglomerates and subordinate limestones, with tuffs and lava-flow's largely of basic types. To this series I have given the name Birrim. Its age is unknown, for no definite fossils have been discovered in it. As the characteristics of these non-fossiliferous strata at many places are the same as those of strata in many parts of the world that are suitable for the preservation of fossils and that contain them, it is assumed that the Gold Coast deposits are pre-Cambrian. These rocks of the Birrim series have normally a northeast-southwest strike and are folded, but not to any very great degree except in certain belts. From the Eastern Province of the Gold Coast they may be traversed across their strike for more than 600 miles to the extreme northwestern corner of the Northern Territories. Thence they probably extend much further into French Territory.

Jan 1, 1927

By Harvey S. Mudd

AMONG the highly skilled craftsmen of the Renaissance were those who worked with ores and metals. The author of this book, Vannoccio Biringuccio, was a master craftsman in the practices of smelting and of metalworking. Contrary to the customs of a trade, Biringuccio was moved to impart his knowledge to all and thus he has given us the earliest hand- book on metallurgy-in fact, the first printed book dealing with the applied metal arts and the processes of ore reduction. We should remind ourselves that metallurgy is an ancient art and then it fair1y may be said that Biringuccio sought to describe the techniques that had been in course of development since the Bronze Age of western civilization. Whether Biringuccio was a man of learning or a scholar according to the standards of his time we do not know, but today we recognize him as a man of science who gave his wisdom to succeeding generations. It was not until the coming of the Power Age at the end of the eighteenth century that progress was resumed in the science of which he wrote more than two hundred years before. Little is known of Biringuccio's training in his native Siena. It can be surmised that there, as in Florence, where his contemporary Benvenuto Cellini lived, he received his training in the craftsman shops where the industrial arts were taught and flourished alongside the fine arts. Perhaps he and Cellini were acquainted, although there is no mention of Biringuccio in Cellini's autobiography-an omission that Cellini's vast egotism makes understandable. He was the great artist, and Biringuccio was a practical, studious, unromantic figure with no favors to dispense. In the April 1940 issue of Mining and Metallurgy Dr. Smith describes Biringuccio's book under the title of "A Neglected Italian Metallurgical Classic." The article, revised and extended, forms the basis of the introduction to the present volume, and I urge all who take up Pirotechnia to read what Dr. Smith has written in the Introduction. Biringuccio's work is a classic and in its translation Dr. Smith and Dr. Gnudi have brought to bear the high degree of scholarship that it deserves. Dr. Gnudi made the translation at Dr. Smith's request and it was then refined "in the fire" of his scientific knowledge of the subject. The result is a book which the Institute is proud to place before its members and which the Memorial Fund Committee considers it a privilege to publish.

Jan 1, 1942

By C. H. Mathewson

MY first reflection on the subject assigned to me by the officers of this symposium was that a critical description of these lesser characters in the cast of inanimate actors now before us under the title "The Role of Metals in New Transportation" would be about as well received as the description of a horse race in terms of harness buckles and jock-ey's buttons. The word "new" in the title of this symposium seems to shout strong aluminum and stainless steel, unless we transfer our attention to transpor-tation on another planet where the strength-density ratios may require very different engineering treatment. To load a speaker with the "heavier nonferrous metals" amidst the airy consideration of flying or 20th century gliding along the earth and through water, like Hermes, the messenger of the immortals, and expect an instructive or enlivening flight into the area of current exploitation and popular interest in transportation would, of course, require the performance of a miracle or at least the exhibition of genius to which I can lay no claim. But copper and nickel, headliners in other classifications, are also indis-pensable as components of the important new structural materials of transportation, and together with lead, tin and zinc perform many minor or contributory functions in this field that may indeed be con-sidered well-nigh indispensable. A complete and well planned fabric of classification, explanation and critique of even these secondary functions would take much time, and I cannot hope in the 25 minutes or so alloted for the purpose to offer more than a rambling treatment, in which a thread of continuity will be sought by anchorage to one after another of the following attributes or appurtenances of the moving vehicle: 1. The machinery and accessories. 2. The framework and superstructure, and the line or travelway. 3. Light, heat, power, water, sanitary and housekeeping services. 4. Embellishment, or style.

Jan 1, 1936

By S. F. Emmons

The first paper which appears in the published Transactions of our Institute is that read by our respected Secretary at its first meeting in Wilkes-Barre in May, 1871. It is entitled " The Geographical Distribution of Mining Districts in the United States," and presents a brief but masterly review of what was known of the distribution of our deposits of useful minerals, particularly the metals, not only from a geographical but from a geological stand-point. At the request of Dr. Raymond I agreed, somewhat hastily, perhaps, to write for this occasion a brief sketch of the geological distribution of the deposits of the useful metals in this country, in the light of the increased knowledge of the present day. In the time given no personal investigation was possible, and as it was therefore out of the question to attempt to make anything that could be considered an original contribution to the history of our ore-deposits, I have been obliged to limit myself to an examination of such pub-

Jan 1, 1894

By R. H. Thorpe

Longwall working in Britain developed to overcome problems arising from depth of seams causing roof and ventilation difficulties. This system became very widespread particularly in the thicker seams, where faces of up to one mile in length were not uncommon. In the thinner sections, in order to remain competitive, the longwall undercutting machine was developed. Following the development of the coal cutter, every other aspect of the face operation was examined and mechanized as it became a bottleneck to output and efficiency. The face system itself was modified and workings concentrated with the same objectives.

Jan 1, 1977

By Clair Upthegrove, E. S. Rowland

The widespread interest in the alloys of beryllium with copper is due principally to the fact that certain compositions show very favorable precipitation-hardening characteristics and are, in fact, the stronges nonferrous alloys known at the present time. Investigations have been conducted by Masing and Dahl and others on the physical characteristics of ternary beryllium alloys, in an attempt to produce precipitation hardening effects with a smaller amount of beryllium than that required in the binary copper-beryllium alloys (2.0 to 2.5 per cent Be). The results of these investigations show that ternary alloys of beryllium with Cu-Sn, Cu-A1 and Cu-Zn, among others, exhibit promising improrcmc~nts in physical properties after precipitation-hardening treatment and, while the increases in properties obtained are not as high as those reahzed from the binary copper-beryllium alloys, excellent properties arc obtaincd with beryllium contents averagirlg about one-half the amount reqnired in the binary alloys. This paper presents the results of an investigation of the equilibriun relations of certain alloys containing copper, tin and beryllium. The alpha-phase boundary of the ternary system is given for alloys containing from 0 to 1 per cent beryllium. The equilibrium conditions beyond the alpha-phase boundary are presented for alloys containing up to 32 per cent tin and 1 per cent beryllium. The data were collected by means of quenching experiments, microscopic examination and thermal analysis The results of some powder-method X-ray determiniations on the alloys, conducted by Mr. William Mikulas and Prof. Lars Thomassen at the University of Michigan, are used as evidence in this paper. The con

Jan 1, 1935

By E. S. Rowland, Clair Upthegrove

The widespread interest in the alloys of beryllium with copper is due principally to the fact that certain compositions show very favorable precipitation-hardening characteristics and are, in fact, the stronges nonferrous alloys known at the present time. Investigations have been conducted by Masing and Dahl and others on the physical characteristics of ternary beryllium alloys, in an attempt to produce precipitation hardening effects with a smaller amount of beryllium than that required in the binary copper-beryllium alloys (2.0 to 2.5 per cent Be). The results of these investigations show that ternary alloys of beryllium with Cu-Sn, Cu-A1 and Cu-Zn, among others, exhibit promising improrcmc~nts in physical properties after precipitation-hardening treatment and, while the increases in properties obtained are not as high as those reahzed from the binary copper-beryllium alloys, excellent properties arc obtaincd with beryllium contents averagirlg about one-half the amount reqnired in the binary alloys. This paper presents the results of an investigation of the equilibriun relations of certain alloys containing copper, tin and beryllium. The alpha-phase boundary of the ternary system is given for alloys containing from 0 to 1 per cent beryllium. The equilibrium conditions beyond the alpha-phase boundary are presented for alloys containing up to 32 per cent tin and 1 per cent beryllium. The data were collected by means of quenching experiments, microscopic examination and thermal analysis The results of some powder-method X-ray determiniations on the alloys, conducted by Mr. William Mikulas and Prof. Lars Thomassen at the University of Michigan, are used as evidence in this paper. The con

Jan 1, 1935

By P. J. Connors, William J. McCormick, F. B. Olender, Jerome F. Sheldon, Donald T. Mylar, Edgar T. Gregory, Owen S. Roberts, H. Colijn

A quiet revolution has taken place in the conveyor belt industry. Man-made materials, improved production facilities, better splicing techniques and emphasis on repair and maintenance have all contributed substantially to lowering material handling costs for the mining industry. Formerly the rubber industry had only cotton for a belt carcass and tree grown rubber for the protective cover. Monofilament rayon, with desirable elongation and elastic properties, was the first synthetic fiber to be used in place of cotton. But wet strength and other limitations restricted its use, and the conveyor belt industry turned to nylon.

Jan 3, 1972

By Jack R. Dymond, Ronald G. Senechal, Robert O. Rye, Cyrus W. Field, Joseph F. Whelan

Metalliferous sediments are present through- out much of the ocean basins and are locally prominent in the sedimentary column on and near the Nazca plate of the east-southeast Pacific Ocean. They typically have anomalously high concentrations of the transition metals, and those on parts of the East Pacific Rise, the Bauer Deep, and other basinal depressions may contain more then 12% iron, 4% manganese, 0.1 % each of copper and nickel, and geochemically significant amounts of zinc, cobalt, molybdenum, arsenic, beryllium, silver, and possibly gold. Statistical interprerarions of chemical data indicate that most metals in sediments on the East Pacific Rise were derived from a hydrothermal component related to submarine volcanism, whereas those in basinal sediments accumulated from both hydrothermal and hydrogenous components of sedimentation. However, concentrations of the metals are controlled more by the absence of biogenic and detrital components than by nearness to centers of hydrothermal activity.

Jan 1, 1983

By C. W. Nicolson

THE Tri-State zinc and lead-mining district is in the northeast corner of Oklahoma, the southeast corner of Kansas and the southwest corner of Missouri. The area throughout which active mining has been conducted is about 45 miles long and about 5 miles wide, extending northeasterly from Commerce, Okla., to Alba, Missouri. Although the lead ores were mined on a very small scale in the vicinity of Joplin, Mo., as early as 1848, nothing of any importance was done in the district until 1870, since when both mining and smelting have been prosecuted with considerable vigor. In the beginning the lead ores only were exploited, but within a few years extensive deposits of zinc ores were found and since that time the production of zinc ore has far exceeded that of lead. Both the surface and mineral rights in Missouri and Kansas were under individual ownership by the time ore was discovered. Although some of these rights were purchased by mining companies, most of the mining has been done under leases covering small areas, usually 40 acres, although in the past many leases were given on much smaller tracts. In Oklahoma most of the mineral land had been alloted by the Government to various Indian tribes and although the title to some of these lands had been acquired by various white men before the discovery of the rich Picher field, the title to most of the land has remained with the Indian tribes and the leasing of the mineral rights has been done by the Federal Government for the benefit of the Indians. The Indian allotments were of 200 acres each and some of the mining leases covered entire allotments, although many leases were granted for only 40 acres or even less. Practically all of the leases granted in the past required the erection of a concentrating plant on each lease, a condition that has had a pronounced effect upon the mining and milling methods of the district, since the apparent ore reserves on each tract were too small to justify large

Jan 1, 1938

An informal meeting of the Conferees of the Development Committees of the four Societies was held in New York on July 2, 1919, at which the scope of the work was considered, and a sub-committee oil Procedure, consisting of the chairmen of the Conferees from each of the four Societies, was appointed to arrange the program for and the time and place of the first formal meeting. The Conference subsequently adopted the name, " The Joint Conference Committee." The Joint Conference Committee convened at the Hotel Montclair, Montclair, N. J., Aug. 13, 14, and 15, and in New York, Sept. 15, 16, and 17, 1919. The Committee has divided its report into two parts, that covering the public activities and that covering the society activities of common interest to the four societies.

Jan 12, 1919

By S. Chander, D. W. Fuerstenau

Hallimond tube flotation, contact angle measurements, electrokinetics, and electrode potential measurements have been used to investigate the natural floatability of molybdenite. The effect of surface pretreatment and the role of hydrogen, hydroxyl, molybdate, and calcium ions on the flotation of molybdenite has been studied. The surface potential of molybdenite has been suggested to be controlled by HMoO[ ] and MoO4= surface species whose properties are strongly influenced by pH. Calcium ions, which appear to be specifically adsorbed, are able to reverse the zeta potential of molybdenite. The experimental results have been analyzed in terms of the Derjaguin model of wettability, namely in terms of van der Waals and electrical double layer interactions and hydration effects at interfaces.

Jan 1, 1973

By Alvin H. Lense

In the spring of 1967, after a careful study of existing geology along the Pacific Coast including Alaska, the USBM, in conjunction with the USGS, decided that the offshore area around Nome, Alaska, presented an unparalleled land-to-sea comparison site for the evaluation of marine core drilling techniques and sampling equipment. Considering the geological evidence available and the production history of the Nome Beaches (5-6 million oz. of gold recovered), it appeared likely that gold in commercial quantities could occur in the offshore area. A 180 sq mi area of Norton Sound, extending roughly 14 miles to the east and west of Nome and averaging 6 miles to the south, was tested by approximately 530 line-miles of sub-bottom profiling. A total of 4043 ft (56 holes) were drilled in unconsolidated sediments, yielding mixtures of gravel, sand, silt and clay. Of the total holes drilled, 16 went to bedrock and six were terminated short of their intended depths due to boulders which halted penetration, or rough seas which caused the ship to move as the anchors slipped over hard sea-floor surface. The rest of the holes were terminated when the penetrative capabilities of the drills were reached, or when the required amount of geological data were attained.

Jan 8, 1968

The fifth convention of the National Foreign Trade Council was held in Cincinnati, Apr. 18, 19 and 20. More than one thousand accepted delegates were registered, the American Institute of Mining Engineers being represented by W. L. Saunders and W. N. Thayer. The convention was called to order Thursday morning, Apr. 18, in the convention hall of the Hotel Gibson; by the Chairman, Mr. James .A. Farrel, president of the U. S. Steel Corporation, and was in continuous session for two clays, several group sessions being held simultaneously. The convention adjourned Saturday morning after receiving the report of the central committee. The dominant themes of the convention were: First, "Win the War" and second, "Establish Foreign Trade on a. Firmer Basis." The discussions included textiles, lumber, chemicals, automobiles, finance, and agriculture, and also those things in which mining engineers are particularly interested, metals, oil, and coal. The report of the central committee, which was adopted, recommended the stimulation' of production of all materials required for war purposes; the subordination of all trade that will not impose new and heavy penalties on our adversaries; the maintenance of such foreign trade as will support national credit and supply materials required for military and naval purposes; the continued interchange so far as possible of merchandise and products between the United States and. Latin-America, Asia and Oceania; the immediate increase of tonnage in the north Atlantic; the cheerful and whole-hearted cooperation of importers

Jan 6, 1918

By W. A. Forbes

by the combustion of this gas as it reached the air was a familiar sight in the days when open-top furnaces were in vogue. As blast-furnace practice progressed, however, involving the use of hot blast and the development of power from the gas, blast-furnace construction was modified to conserve this gas for heating hot-blast stoves, raising steam under boilers, and various miscellaneous purposes. When the use of blast-furnace gas was extended to the driving of gas engines, the necessity for thoroughly cleaning the gas became apparent., and soon the advantages of also properly cleaning the gas for use in stoves and udder boilers became more fully recognized.

Jan 10, 1913