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By H. H. Stoek

A study of Americarf coal-mine practice shows two of its distinctive features to be: A greater number of accidents per thousand employees than in any of the other leading coal-producing countries; a much greater percentage of the coal lost than in any of the other leading coal-producing countries. Although our subject is mainly concerned with the second feature, any consideration of mining methods should include safety, efficiency, and economy or costs. If the argument could be offered that our wasteful mining was necessary on account of safety, and that it is carried out with less loss of life than in other countries, the plea for conservation of coal could not he so strongly urged. But when we are wasteful of both life and property, the subject merits more: consideration than it has received. Some coal operators will doubtless say that the unit of accidents should be the number per million tons produced rather than per thousand employees, for by adopting this unit America probably stands in the lead rather than the lowest among the countries. However, vital statistics are not usually so expressed by other governments, by life and accident insurance companies, or in other industries, and it is merely begging the question and attempting to bolster up a bad condition to adopt a peculiar unit for the statement of our accidents. For many years the statement was made by various agencies, and was unchallenged, that "For every ton of bituminous coal mined in the United States a ton had been lost in the way of pillars left in the mines." This statement was undoubtedly true for many years, and although in the past decade some progress has been made toward obtaining a higher extraction, and in some districts very decided progress, the loss is still great; and, although no exact data can be given, it is probable that for the United States as a whole at least one ton is lost for every two mined.

Jan 1, 1923

By the courtesy of Sir Robert Hadfield, we have received the fol¬lowing communication relating to the development and encouragement of science and research in Germany at present. These statements have been translated by Sir Robert from various German sources, and are presented here as an indication of what Germany is doing not only to further her military power, but also to prepare for the period of trade rehabilitation to which she is looking forward after the close of, the war. KAISER WILHELM TRUST FOR PROMOTION OF WAR SCIENCE The Kaiser has approved the foundation of a Trust with the name given above. The aim of the Trust is to further the development of scientific and technical aids to warfare, by uniting the scientific and the military forces of the country for work together. The scientific Work is to be carried on by the following technical committees (or commissions) (1) Committee for the chemical raw materials, for the production of munitions-manufacturing materials. (2) Committee for chemical war materials (powder, explosives, gas, and the like). (3) Committee for physics, including ballistics, telephony, telegraphy, determination of targets and distances, measurements, and the like. (4) Committee for engineering and communication. (5) Committee for aeronautics. (6) Committee for obtaining and preparation of metals.

Jan 8, 1918

By Luther B. Eames

J. V. N. DORR, New York, N. Y.-I have read Mr. Eames' excellent paper on this' subject with great interest, for besides being connected with the design and installation of the first modern countercurrent decantation plant, he was associated with me in the development of the thickener in the Black Hills some years earlier, and has now been operating the largest plant that has used this method of treatment. His, discussion, of the influence of different factors on the results obtained is quite thorough, but several features I think may not be apparent to the reader who has not studied the subject carefully. 1. Grade of Ore That Can Be Treated.-Mr. Eames has shown graphically that' the assay of all solutions increases directly as the grade of the ore treated. He has not emphasized, however, the fact that, as most operators prefer to keep the assay of pregnant solutions down below a certain figure in order to insure complete precipitation, an increase in ore value beyond a certain point means a proportional increase in solution precipitated and therefore not only an increase in the percentage of dissolved gold recovered, but an actual descrease in tailing loss. The importance of the influence of the percentage of moisture in the underflow on loss is made clear, and I. may add that unless it is quite evident that pulp can be safely settled to 50 per cent. solids, or more, it is usually advisable to use a continuous filter at the end of. a decantation plant to reduce losses in cyanide and gold. Dissolution in Thickeners.-The influence of a change of solution on silver dissolution has long been emphasized and most gold operators have. recognized the annoying way in which a gold ore after being agitated until nothing more can be dissolved will loosen up again when almost ready for the dump after the dissolved metal has been removed by decantation or filtration. Continuous decantation gives favorable conditions for this additional dissolution and a chance to recover most of what is thus dissolved. This is especially true if an extra tank is used in the series and barren solution added at the second tank from the end instead, of the first, as shown in Mr. Eames' Fig. 1. It can be calculated that the use of this tank will reduce the mechanical loss of cyanide by one-third and cut the gold loss as well; but the saving in gold or silver that may dissolve when the pulp is first diluted with weak solution may be as important.

Jan 4, 1917

The Library of the above-named Societies is open from 9 A.M. to 10 P.M. on all week-clays, except holidays, from September 1 to June 30, and from 9 A.M. to 6 P.M. during July and August. The Library contains about .55,000 volumes, including sets of technical periodicals and the publications of scientific and technical societies. Members of the Institute, with few exceptions, are forced to spend a portion of their time in localities isolated from sources of information. To these the Library can render valuable service through correspondence; letters requesting information will receive special attention. The Library is prepared to furnish references and copies of articles on mining and metallurgical subjects; to determine the existence of mining maps, and to furnish general information as to the geology and mineral resources of all countries. All communications should be made as definite as possible so that the information received may be what is desired and not include collateral matter which may not be of interest. The time spent in searching for such collateral matter will be saved, acid the information will be sent more promptly and in more usable shape. The members of the Institute can be of service to the Library by forwarding copies of mining reports, maps privately issued, and similar material, which will be classified, indexed, and made available to other members. Suggestions for additions to the Library, either by purchase or personal solicitation as gifts, will be welcomed. It is hoped that members while in the city will use the Library freely, and assurance is given that most careful service will be rendered to them.

Jan 10, 1915

By AIME AIME

ON the afternoon of Feb. 20 of this year a new volcano was born in the center of the State of Michoacan, Mexico, about 100 miles inland from the Pacific Coast. Creation of this new mountain - forming crater began on an almost flat cultivated field at the south margin of a small basin about a mile in diameter and having an altitude of approximately 6800 ft. above sea level. This basin is connected to a gently inclined plain that forms the Parangaricutiro valley, the chief town of this municipality, bearing the same name as the valley, being situated three miles from the site of the new crater. The village of Paracutin, from which the new volcano received its name, is about one mile to the northwest of the crater. From the City of Mexico to the volcano is a distance of 330 miles. The paved highway running from Mexico City to Guadalajara, by way of Toluca and Morelia, is left at Carapan; from here another paved branch highway goes to Uruapan. The town of Paracutin is reached by a narrow dirt road 18 miles from Uruapan and connects with a road leading to Parangaricutiro where horses may be hired for a 40-minute trip to a place where visitors can enjoy a magnificent view of the volcano. It is possible to get within half a mile of the point of eruption in this manner.

Jan 1, 1943

By G. M. T. Marshall

Plans to bring the Geco Mines property in Manitouwadge, Ont., into production began in 1954. At that time over 12 million tons of copper-zinc ore were indicated in a zone 2700 ft long. A concentrating plant was built to handle 3300 tpd of ore and a production shaft was sunk about 1500 ft. MINE LAYOUT Vertical attitude, width, rake, and competent country rock of a 4-million ton orebody west of the main diabase dike suggested a system of blasthole stopes, undercut with scram drifts connected by a transfer raise system to a crusher on the 1250-ft level and this system was employed. A 42-in. conveyor on this level transfers the ore about 1200 ft to a loading pocket at the No. 1 shaft. The system has a number of advantages: 1) Cost of tramming is eliminated. 2) Rate of extraction from any stope is controlled only by the scraping capacity of the scram. 3) Rate of extraction from the stoping area can be very rapid. Fast extraction makes it possible to cut mining costs for the following reasons: The number of stopes actively producing is kept to an economical minimum; the operating area is concentrated-manpower can be used more effectively; and active life of the stoping block is short, making ground support problems simpler and less costly.

Jan 8, 1959

By Sam Tour

Some years ago, the writer described heat checks or thermal cracks that occur in die-casting dies.' The life of dies was considered in relation to. the casting temperature, the material used for the die and the heat to be absorbed by the die per unit volume of casting made. The mechanism of the action that results in thermal failure of dies was described. In the present paper the writer proposes to describe some additional observations in regard to heat checking, make one or two suggestions as to the method or methods for further attack of the problem, and give the results obtained on some work carried out along these lines. Importance of Heat Checking Heat checks in steel are the source of trouble in many industries besides that of die casting. Every shop where metals are subjected to hot working is searching for improvement and hoping for a cure. The development of a material of sufficient strength to be used as a die and yet devoid of the property of heat checking would be a godsend to many shops and many industries. The need for thorough study and research on the subject is evidenced by the wide variety of hot-working die steels on the market. It is peculiar, but true, that in practically every case the maker of the steel can give concrete evidence to prove his contention that his type of hot-working die steel is as good as or better than any other. A number of steel companies have several hot-working die steels from which choice can be made to fit a particular set of requirements. Possibly to expect one material to be universally the best hot-working die steel is unreasonable. In some hot-working operations, as in drop forging, the die must have great toughness to withstand the stresses developed; in other operations, as in hot piercing or punching, resistance to erosion at high temperatures, possibly defined as strength and hardness at elevated temperatures, is required. In still others, as in die casting, only sufficient hardness to resist scoring between moving surfaces is required, whereas the resistance to sudden changes in temperature must be at a maximum.

Jan 1, 1935

By Sam Tour

Some years ago, the writer described heat checks or thermal cracks that occur in die-casting dies.' The life of dies was considered in relation to. the casting temperature, the material used for the die and the heat to be absorbed by the die per unit volume of casting made. The mechanism of the action that results in thermal failure of dies was described. In the present paper the writer proposes to describe some additional observations in regard to heat checking, make one or two suggestions as to the method or methods for further attack of the problem, and give the results obtained on some work carried out along these lines. Importance of Heat Checking Heat checks in steel are the source of trouble in many industries besides that of die casting. Every shop where metals are subjected to hot working is searching for improvement and hoping for a cure. The development of a material of sufficient strength to be used as a die and yet devoid of the property of heat checking would be a godsend to many shops and many industries. The need for thorough study and research on the subject is evidenced by the wide variety of hot-working die steels on the market. It is peculiar, but true, that in practically every case the maker of the steel can give concrete evidence to prove his contention that his type of hot-working die steel is as good as or better than any other. A number of steel companies have several hot-working die steels from which choice can be made to fit a particular set of requirements. Possibly to expect one material to be universally the best hot-working die steel is unreasonable. In some hot-working operations, as in drop forging, the die must have great toughness to withstand the stresses developed; in other operations, as in hot piercing or punching, resistance to erosion at high temperatures, possibly defined as strength and hardness at elevated temperatures, is required. In still others, as in die casting, only sufficient hardness to resist scoring between moving surfaces is required, whereas the resistance to sudden changes in temperature must be at a maximum.

Jan 1, 1935

By Thomas T. Read

MINING, which is at least twenty centuries old, was at first, and long, wholly a practical art. Little more than two centuries have elapsed since the inception of the idea that general education and a knowledge of natural science would be of advantage to those engaged in the mining industry. Though schools of mining began to develop in Europe early in the eighteenth century the concept of educational preparation for technical conduct of the industry was slow in winning general acceptance in the industry itself. John Hays Hammond, in his autobiography,1 recalls that when he sought employment with a mining company after he had graduated from Yale and Freiberg he had to assure its executive, before being even considered for employment, that he did not consider that he had learned anything about mining. This was as late as 1880. Existence in the industry of a prejudice against education of the academic type is perhaps an explanation why inadequate provision has been made by the mining industry for the continuing education of technical employees after they enter employment, although engineering education prior to engaging in industry has now won general acceptance. I am familiar with the existence of "loop" courses for engineering graduates in metallurgical plants, of schemes for giving mining graduates "practical experience," and of the interest in vocational courses for workmen which sprang up in the period of labor shortage during and immediately following World War I (but which quickly died when the depression of 1921 again made experienced workmen available in sufficient supply), having been chairman of a committee appointed by the Mineral Industry Education Division to make a survey of existing provisions for post-employment training for engineers in our industry. The results of that survey, reported elsewhere, clearly indicate that it is inadequate as to amount; the aim of this paper is to present evidence for belief that it is also inadequate in quality. To avoid becoming too involved, no reference will be made here to post-employment vocational training for workmen, which is a subject differing so much from post-employment education for engineers as to require separate treatment. Neither will postgraduate education for metallurgical engineers be discussed, because a distinction must then be made between training for research work and for plant operation, whereas mining engineers engage almost exclusively in operations. Since the situation in the coal-mining industry has been discussed at several recent meetings, that also will be passed over, and what follows should be taken as a discussion applying exclusively to the metal-mining industry. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT In the operations field (both in mining and metallurgy) the work to which a beginner is assigned is seldom closely related to previous academic education. The contrast is almost as great as between

Jan 1, 1941

By Thomas T. Read

MINING, which is at least twenty centuries old, was at first, and long, wholly a practical art. Little more than two centuries have elapsed since the inception of the idea that general education and a knowledge of natural science would be of advantage to those engaged in the mining industry. Though schools of mining began to develop in Europe early in the eighteenth century the concept of educational preparation for technical conduct of the industry was slow in winning general acceptance in the industry itself. John Hays Hammond, in his autobiography, recalls that when he sought employment with a mining company after he had graduated from Yale and Freiberg he had to assure its executive, before being even considered for employment, that he did not consider that he had learned anything about mining. This was as late as 1880. Existence in the industry of a prejudice against education of the academic type is perhaps an explanation why inadequate provision has been made by the mining industry for the continuing education of technical employees after they enter employment, although engineering education prior to engaging in industry has now won general acceptance. I am familiar with the existence of "loop" courses for engineering graduates in metallurgical plants, of schemes for giving mining graduates "practical experience," and of the interest in vocational courses for workmen which sprang up in the period of labor shortage during and immediately following World War I (but which quickly died when the depression of 1921 again made experienced workmen available in sufficient supply), having been chairman of a committee appointed by the Mineral Industry Education Division to make a survey of existing provisions for post-employment training for engineers in our industry. The results of that survey, reported elsewhere, dearly indicate that it is inadequate as to amount; the aim of this paper is to present evidence for belief that it is also inadequate in quality. To avoid becoming too involved, no reference will be made here to post-employment vocational training for workmen, which is a subject differing so much from post-employment education for engineers as to require separate treatment. Neither will postgraduate education for metallurgical engineers be discussed, because a distinction must then be made between training for research work and for plant operation, whereas mining engineers engage almost exclusively in operations. Since the situation in the coal-mining industry has been discussed at several recent meetings, that also will be passed over, and what follows should be taken as a discussion applying exclusively to the metal-mining industry. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT In the operations field (both in mining and metallurgy) the work to which a beginner is assigned is seldom closely related to previous academic- education. The contrast is almost as great as between

Jan 1, 1941

By H. M. Chance

Adequate treatment of the difficulties surrounding the valuation of mineral lands requires that agreement be first reached defining value as understood for the purpose of appraisal. To define value as the price of a product is not sufficient, and does not assist us in using the factors that cause variations in values and in relative values. The real value of any product depends primarily upon its relation to the necessities, comforts and pleasures of mankind. As the necessities, comforts and pleasures of the civilized races differ from those of more primitive man, the value of products varies with the degree of civilization and the environment of the consumer. Coal has no value to the savages of warm climates, and arrow-head flint none to the residents of New York. It has long been recognized that what has been termed " intrinsic value " must be limited to materials that are essential to existence—air, water, food. But " intriusic value" cannot be measured in monetary terms. The intrinsic value of a bushel of wheat is due to the fact that it will support the life of an individual for a certain definite time, but this fact does not enable us to measure or to express that value in monetary terms. It has often been proposed to adopt as a measure of the value of any product the quantity of labor necessary to produce it, but this method is of limited application, and will not apply to what may be termed " intrinsic values." For many reasons it might be well, while assenting to the fact that any material may be intrinsically valuable, to abandon the use of the term " intrinsic value." One of these reasons is the tendency to confuse the idea of intrinsic value with a value that is conferred by economic conditions, that is purely artificial and that may be permanent or evanescent. Intrinsic value must from its nature be permanent and unchangeable. Possibly for present purposes the value of any material may be considered as having a dual origin: First, that due to economic

Jan 1, 1914

By W. A. Rachinger, C. Graeme-Barber, R. L. Bell, R. C. Gifkins, T. G. Langdon

R. L. Bell. C. Graeme-Barber, and T. G. Langdon (Imperial College. London)— The internal-marker technique developed by Ishida, Mullendore, and Grant has enabled them to make some interesting observations on the role of grain boundary sliding in creep. Certain of their conclusions are supported by our own similar experiments on Magnox AL80 (Mg-0.8 pct Al) specimens containing several markers, full details of which will be published shortly. In particular, we would agree that: 1) Using the internal-marker method, there is little difference between Egb, the contribution made by grain boundary sliding to the total strain, measured at the surface and in the interior of a specimen. 2) The measurement of the change in grain shape during creep leads to an underestimation of the grain strain, and hence an overestimate of Egb.. However, the discrepancies between the values obtained by this method and those obtained using markers are not as great as Tables IV and V of Ishida, Mullendore, and Grant would suggest; see below. The authors' Eq. [I] which is used to compute Egb from the transverse displacement ITt of longitudinal marker lines is not given in the reference quoted,'' where in fact only relations for Egb in terms of the longitudinal displacements of markers were developed. As first pointed out by Gifkins and Gittins,12 a problem arises in the use of longitudinal markers. and we will show that Eq. [1] underestimates Egb in the interior by a factor of 2. In Fig. 12, two grains X and Y have become displaced by the vector AC which lies in the plane of the grain boundary ABCD separating them. A longitudinal marker has been split by this displacement into the two parts LA and CAW. If these were surface grains the transverse displacement, Ut. could be obtained by viewing normal to the "top" surface. If interior, a section through CD parallel to the top surface would show the same result, provided the longitudinal internal markers delineated planes normal to the top surface. (This is an essential feature of the markers not pointed out in the paper.) The important point is that the quantity Ut tan B (=BE=DF) only gives the elongation due to the one component AB of the sliding. The elongation V/tan 8 (=GD) due to the component AD must be added to produce the total elongation resulting from the boundary displacement AC. If the grain boundaries in a poly crystalline specimen are randomly oriented with respect to the stress axis it follows that In the interior of a specimen the two sums depend for any difference simply on the definitions "top'' and "side". On the surface it is possible that the two sums could differ somewhat. In either event it is clear that the authors' Eq. [I] underestimates Egb, and in the interior, and perhaps at the surface also, the appropriate formula is given by The suggested modification probably makes little difference to the comparison between surface and interior values of Egb where both were obtained from marker measurements. For the estimation of the correction becomes extremely important where the boundary contribution is large. In our own work on magnox, for example, we have obtained values of as large as 70 to 80 pct, under conditions of high temperature and low strain rate. The use of planar markers transverse to the stress axis would simplify the comparison between surface and interior behavior, because measurement of the longitudinal offsets Us of these markers could be summed to give the total elongation di-

Jan 1, 1965

By John Chipman, K. C. McCutcheon

To a very large extent the quality of a mild steel ingot is determined by the manner in which it is poured into the ingot mold and its behavior during the first few minutes after it has been poured. The formation of the solid rim of metal around the periphery of the mold, the effervescent action of the liquid steel within this solidified rim and the upward or downward movement of the metal level are indications of what is going on beneath the surface of the liquid metal, especially at the interface at which solidification occurs. Observation of this "rimming action" enables an experienced observer to predict the thickness of the sound skin of the ingot and the location and extent of cavities or "blowholes" caused by entrapment of gases. The control of rimming action at the hands of a skillful steel pourer is a vital part of the control of quality in mild steel sheet, and the behavior of the liquid steel during the rimming period is a useful criterion of the melting and refining practices employed in the open hearth. The behavior of rimming steel during solidification depends primarily upon the evolution of gases from the molten metal and it is therefore a problem of considerable interest to determine the nature and amount of the gases evolved. A number of attempts to determine either the amount or the analysis of the evolved gases have been reported. Klinger,1 in 1925, analyzed the gases extracted from rimming, semikilled and killed steel ingots and found that the chief constituent of the rimming gas was carbon monoxide. The relatively large amounts of nitrogen reported in his first few samples may have been due to incomplete removal of air from the gas-collecting mechanism. McKune2 reported similar studies of rimming ingots from which surprisingly large proportions of nitrogen and hydrogen were evolved. Ameen and Willners3 determined both the amount and composition of gases extracted from unkilled ingots with the aid of diminished pressure. . Their ingots weighed only 80 kg. (176 lb.) and apparently were solid within two or three minutes, so that their

Jan 1, 1938

By K. C. McCutcheson

To a very large extent the quality of a mild steel ingot is determined by the manner in which it is poured into the ingot mold and its behavior during the first few minutes after it has been poured. The formation of the solid rim of metal around the periphery of the mold, the effervescent action of the liquid steel within this solidified rim and the upward or downward movement of the metal level are indications of what is going on beneath the surface of the liquid metal, especially at the interface at which solidification occurs. Observation of this "rimming action" enables an experienced observer to predict the thickness of the sound skin of the ingot and the location and extent of cavities or "blowholes" caused by entrapment of gases. The control of rimming action at the hands of a skillful steel pourer is a vital part of the control of quality in mild steel sheet, and the behavior of the liquid steel during the rimming period is a useful criterion of the melting and refining practices employed in the open hearth. The behavior of rimming steel during solidification depends primarily upon the evolution of gases from the molten metal and it is therefore a problem of considerable interest to determine the nature and amount of the gases evolved. A number of attempts to determine either the amount or the analysis of the, evolved gases have been reported. Klinger,1 in 1925, analyzed the gases extracted from rimming, semikilled and killed steel ingots and found that the chief constituent of the rimming gas was carbon monoxide. The relatively large amounts of nitrogen reported in his first few samples may have been due to incomplete removal of air from the gas-collecting mechanism. McKune2 reported similar studies of rimming ingots from which surprisingly large proportions of nitrogen and hydrogen were evolved. Ameen and Willners3 determined both the amount and composition of gases extracted from unkilled ingots with the aid of diminished pressure. Their ingots weighed only 80 kg. (176 lb.) and apparently were solid within two or three. minutes, so that their

Jan 1, 1938

June was the month in which AIME was founded in the year of 1871. For some reason, February was selected as the month for the legal Annual Meeting. One can't help thinking wistfully of Annual Meetings in June but of course this is not the reality. Because the Centennial Ceremonies are taking place in February, that month has been chosen as the one in which MINING ENGINEERING, the monthly magazine of the Society of Mining Engineers, a constituent society of AIME, is publishing its Commemorative is- sue to celebrate the event. SME and ME take a proprietary air about AIME. This is mostly because AIME started as the American Institute of Mining Engineers. Metallurgy was added to the name in 1919 and Petroleum in 1956. The official abbreviation of "AIME" has been retained, however.

Jan 1, 1971

By Albert L. Toenges

Alaska requires an adequate fuel supply for its development, and has large potential coal reserves ranging from lignite to subbituminous and anthracite. Coal production in the Territory now is less than the requirements. In L947, production was 361,000 tons, divided about equally between bituminous coal from the Matanuska field and subbituminous coal from the Nenana field. There is need for development of modern mechanized mines, which should produce the required output with a minimum of workers. These mines should not be thought of in the light of large potential capacity, as in the States. However, these new mines should be developed by modern methods, which should result in lower costs than at Present. Because of the diverse physical conditions in the coal fields, intensive investigation by diamond drilling is necessary to properly plan the development and equipment of mine sites at minimum cost. The Bureau of Mines is doing this now in the Wishbone Hill area of the Matanuska field. All coal land in Alaska is government-owned and subject to the Coal Leasing Act. Coal mining in Alaska has been handicapped by an inadequate supply of dependable workers. Wage scales have been very high in recent years, and "floaters" have been attracted to the coal mines. This type of labor is not conducive to efficient operation. Modernization of mines will require skilled and dependable workers and to induce such men to become interested in coal mining in Alaska, modern facilities, such as modern houses, schools, churches, and recreation halls, must be provided near the mines. Alaska is still a frontier and improvements in living standards must accompany development of mines in order that a stable community may be established. Coal is known to have been mined in Alaska at Port Graham, on Cook Inlet, by the Russians in 1854. During the Klondike gold rush in 1898, coal was mined in scattered areas for use on steamers plying the Yukon River and its navigable tributaries. After the Alaska Railroad was built, two important fields were developed—the Nenana and the Matanuska (Fig 1). The Bering River field was explored by the Guggenheim interests at one time, and a railroad to the area was constructed. However, the field was abandoned because of litigation and reported unsatisfactory physical condition of the beds. There are areas that today are unimportant but which may be developed in the future. Possibly the most important of these is the deposits of subbituminous coal adjacent to Cook Inlet, near Homer, on the Kenai Peninsula (see Fig 1). It is expected that the demand for coal in the Kenai Peninsula will increase because the population in that area has increased as a result of agricultural development. Numerous outcrops of coal are exposed on the peninsula and development of a mine there would obviate dependence on supplies of coal from the Matanuska field. Coal from this field must be shipped approximately 160 miles by rail to Seward and transported thence by boat about 180 miles to Homer. There has been no regular boat service from Anchorage to Homer. There are deposits of coal in the Arctic region but a description of them will not be given in this paper, which will describe the more important deposits in the Alaska Railroad belt. The results of a reconnaissance in the Arctic have been described.' Description of Fields MATANUSKA FIELD The Matanuska field lies in the valleys of the Matanuska River and its tributaries and their separating ridges. This field has been interpreted by geologists as a sunken fault block that separated the Talkeetna Range of mountains from the Chugach Range. The Matanuska River flows west along the south side of the field and the Glenn highway, which extends from Anchorage via Palmer to the Richardson highway near Glen Allan, follows the Matanuska Valley. This road to the coal field can be traveled the year around. Although the snow-

Jan 1, 1950

By K. C. McCutcheon, John Chipman

To a very large extent the quality of a mild steel ingot is determined by the manner in which it is poured into the ingot mold and its behavior during the first few minutes after it has been poured. The formation of the solid rim of metal around the periphery of the mold, the effervescent action of the liquid steel within this solidified rim and the upward or dounward movement of the metal level are indications of what is going on beneath the surface of the liquid metal, especially at the interface at which solidification occurs. Observation of this "rimming action" enables an experienced observer to predict the thickness of the sound skin of the ingot and the location and extent of cavities or "blowholes" caused by entrapment of gases. The control of rimming action at the hands of a skillful steel pourer is a vital part of the control of quality in mild steel sheet, and the behavior of the liquid steel during the rimming period is a useful criterion of the melting and refining practices employed in the open hearth. The behavior of rimming steel during solidification depends primarily upon the evolution of gases from the molten metal and it is therefore a problem of considerable interest to determine the nature and amount of the gases evolved. A number of attempts to determine either the amount or the analysis of the evolved gases have been reported. Klinger,' in 1925, analyzed the gases extracted from rimming, sernikilled and killed steel ingots and found that the chief constituent of the rimmining gas was carbon monoxide. The relatively large amounts of nitrogen reported in his first few samples may have been due to incomplete removal of air from the gas-collecting mechanism. McKune² reported similar studies of rimming ingots from which surprisingly large proportions of nitrogen and hydrogen were evolved. Ameen and Willners3 determined both the amount and composition of gases extracted from unkilled ingots with the aid of diminished pressure. Their ingots weighed only 80 kg. (176 lb.) and apparently were solid within two or three minutes, so that their

Jan 1, 1938

By John Chipman, K. C. McCutcheon

To a very large extent the quality of a mild steel ingot is determined by the manner in which it is poured into the ingot mold and its behavior during the first few minutes after it has been poured. The formation of the solid rim of metal around the periphery of the mold, the effervescent action of the liquid steel within this solidified rim and the upward or dounward movement of the metal level are indications of what is going on beneath the surface of the liquid metal, especially at the interface at which solidification occurs. Observation of this "rimming action" enables an experienced observer to predict the thickness of the sound skin of the ingot and the location and extent of cavities or "blowholes" caused by entrapment of gases. The control of rimming action at the hands of a skillful steel pourer is a vital part of the control of quality in mild steel sheet, and the behavior of the liquid steel during the rimming period is a useful criterion of the melting and refining practices employed in the open hearth. The behavior of rimming steel during solidification depends primarily upon the evolution of gases from the molten metal and it is therefore a problem of considerable interest to determine the nature and amount of the gases evolved. A number of attempts to determine either the amount or the analysis of the evolved gases have been reported. Klinger,' in 1925, analyzed the gases extracted from rimming, sernikilled and killed steel ingots and found that the chief constituent of the rimmining gas was carbon monoxide. The relatively large amounts of nitrogen reported in his first few samples may have been due to incomplete removal of air from the gas-collecting mechanism. McKune² reported similar studies of rimming ingots from which surprisingly large proportions of nitrogen and hydrogen were evolved. Ameen and Willners3 determined both the amount and composition of gases extracted from unkilled ingots with the aid of diminished pressure. Their ingots weighed only 80 kg. (176 lb.) and apparently were solid within two or three minutes, so that their

Jan 1, 1938

By R. V. Wheeler, F. V. Tideswell

The suggestion, which appears to find increasing favor, that the elementary composition of coals should be used as the basis of their classification, makes it important that our methods of expressing this elementary composition should be refined. It is doubtful whether many published ultimate analyses of coals are accurate within 1 per cent. carbon. Many are probably as much as 3 or 2 per cent. in error in carbon. It is, perhaps, not always realized that the extreme variation in carbon content over the range of bituminous coals is but 16 per cent. An error of 1 per cent. in carbon on analysis corresponds therefore with one-sixteenth of the whole range, an amount which is unjustifiable even for the application to commercial needs of a system of classification based on ultimate analysis. For the purposes of scientific research such limited accuracy is of little value. The object of this paper is to examine one important source of error in ultimate analysis, that due to the occurrence in coal of inorganic material, and to emphasize the need for the quantitative measurements (of carbon more particularly) on coals to be rendered independent of their contents of such material. Adventitious Mineral Matter When a determination of calorific value, for example, is made upon a coal, it is customary to correct the measured value with respect to the ash left by the coal on incineration, recording the result as being on an "ash-free basis." It is desirable, before discussing the adequacy of the correction thus made, to demonstrate its validity, which turns on whether the ash is present as an adventitious impurity in the coal and forms no part of the coal substance itself. The inorganic matter associated with coal has originated in several ways1: 1. The "inherent" inorganic materials, occurring as constituents of the plants from which the coal-forming deposits were derived.

Jan 1, 1928

By Howard L. Hartman

There is reason to believe that ventilation systems so far devised for use with continuous mining machines fall far short of success. This is vividly demonstrated to anyone who has observed in a continuous miner section the localized ignitions of pockets of gas and the generation of dense clouds of dust by the cutting head of the machine. The alarming frequency with which major ignitions and disasters continue to occur in modern mechanical mining and the rise in incidence of pneumoconiosis serve as reminders that our ventilation systems are far from achieving the ultimate in providing protection from either short-term explosions or long- term dust diseases, both of which take lives. Human safety is the main concern in ventilation. But in this day of high-priced labor, let us not forget human comfort, either, for this is a major factor in motivation toward high productivity. The failure or inadequacy of most mine ventilation systems in providing the kind of working conditions at the face that are conducive to productive as well as safe operation is an indictment of our environ- mental control program in mining generally.

Jan 3, 1962