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By V. T. BERNER

THIS apparatus was designed primarily to meet the demand for a quick, efficient stopping to seal off the burning area temporarily during a mine fire, but it can be used in any circumstance where an immediate brattice is required for ventilation control. In using the old style brattice, mine-rescue workers have found it difficult, in smoke-laden drifts and stopes, to erect an effective stopping with wooden frame and canvas. Stulls must first be cut to the proper length, the canvas tacked in place, and the numerous irregularities of the walls and back must be caulked. This operation requires the employment of axes, saws, and hammers, which cannot easily and safely be handled in dense smoke. The fire fighters have often been forced to abandon their brattice, unfinished, because of the rapid approach of the fire, or because of the exhausted sup- ply of oxygen in their breathing apparatus. It is neces-

Jan 1, 1930

By DR. DOUGLAS

Discussion of the Paper of Dr. Douglas, presented at the Toronto Meeting of the Institute, July, 1907 (Trans., xxxviii., 455 to 471). EDGAR HALL, Silverspur, Queensland, Australia (communication to the Secretary*) :-Dr. Douglas has written on this subject before, and his influence has had a powerful effect on the side of freedom among the younger generation of engineers. Moreover, it is not the first time that he has attributed the decline of the copper-smelting industry in Swansea to the secrecy maintained by the firms there engaged in smelting-operations. In this latter statement I think his conclusions are open to criticism. Whether the firms referred to have suffered by their secrecy is their own business-I. bold no brief for them ; but that the decline of the copper-industry at Swansea was inevitable seems to me to be proved conclusively by Dr. Douglas's own writings. In his paper on The Copper Situation,1 Dr. Douglas says "In comparing iron and copper mining, . . . it must be remembered that 2 tons of average iron ore from the most prolific source now available will make 1 ton of metal; whereas from 33 to 75 tons (say an average of 50 tons) of copper ore must be mined to produce 1 ton of copper." And further: "Last year's production of iron was made from approximately 50,000,000 tons of ore. Our copper mines, to yield a production of 900,000,000 pounds, must have handled approximately 22,000,000 tons of ore, or nearly half the quantity raised from our iron mines." Is not this the key to the whole situation ? In transporting the 50,000,000 tons of iron-ore, 25,000,000 tons of the metal iron were carried so much nearer to the market, but the transportation of 22,000,000 tons of copper-ore would have carried only 450,000 tons of the metal copper nearer to its ultimate destination. The small percentage of copper available in its ores makes

Sep 1, 1908

By R. E. Phelan

WHILE 1931 was a most important year in the history of Canadian copper smelting and refining, nevertheless, due to the low price of copper and the in- ability of the International Nickel Co. to market its full capacity of nickel. the production of both copper and nickel was considerably less than the total installed capacity for the production of these metals. IIY the nor- mal course of events, 1931 should have seen a great increase in the production. of both copper and nickel in Canada, because the large extensions to both the copper smelting plants and the copper and nickel refinery capacity, which had largely been completed in the year 1930, should be showing their effect.

Jan 1, 1932

By Thomas T. Read

THE fact that certain types of ore-deposits have attained their present condition through the action of descending surface waters was, perhaps, first clearly pointed out by Posepny.1 The oxidizing effects of such waters were discussed by Penrose,2 and many papers dealing with this phase of the subject have subsequently appeared. That secondary enrichment of sulphide ores, however, might be produced by descending surface waters was not clearly understood until after the copper-bearing veins of the Butte district, Mont., had been carefully studied by the geologists of the U. S. Geological Survey, al¬though De Launay3 had suggested that sulphides might be transported from point to point and re-deposited in the zone above the level of ground-water. As a result of the study of the Butte district, two papers by geologists engaged in the work appeared within a short interval. The first by Weed,4 dealing with the enrichment of veins by later metallic sulphides: and the second by Ernmons,5 treating of the secondary enrichment of ore-deposits in general. In the latter paper it was pointed out that a typical vein of sulphide ores which has been subjected to the action of descending surface waters exhibits four zones,-an upper or surface zone, in which the changes have been mainly of removal, the products being typically oxides; a second zone of oxide enrichment, in which the less soluble metals brought from above have been precipitated as carbonates or oxides; a third zone of sulphide enrichment,

Mar 1, 1906

By AIME AIME

THE section delegates assembled Monday morning with the incoming president, W. H. Bassett, in the chair and F. W. Bradley as vice-chairman. The secretary called the roll and urged the delegates to become familiar with the activities of the Institute. He explained the allotment of funds to local sections and the uses to which these funds may be put. He also announced plans for travel by Mr. Bassett and asked the delegates to confer with him as to meetings en route. An invitation was extended for all section delegates to attend the Directors' dinner Wednesday evening. He suggested that local sections hold a meeting once a year under the auspices of each division of the Institute. He further explained the system of choice of publications by members. The question of licensing of engineers was brought up, and the consensus of opinion among the membership was asked for. Because the matter is controversial, no official action has been taken and it was suggested that the' local and State sections act separately in this regard. A. B. Parsons, the assistant secretary, next spoke. In his remarks he indicated surprise that many prominent mining men still did not belong to the Institute, and urged that section delegates make up a list of such prospective members and send it in to the office for study by the New York staff. He also asked that re- ports of all meetings be turned in for publication in MINING AND METALLURGY, and said that the reports

Jan 1, 1930

By Perry Olcott .

THE Taka oil field is in the northern part of Titus and Franklin Counties, in north- eastern Texas. The small town of Talco, from which the field derives its name, is on the P. & Mt. P. R. R., about 15 mi. north of Mt. Pleasant, the county seat of Titus County. The oil field extends east and west from the town of Talco, the approximate center. In May, 1924, R. L. Cannon, while doing surface geology for the Humble. Oil & Refining Co., mapped the surface trace of this fault structure as evidenced by Upper Midway faulted down against Lower Midway. In the interval of sixteen years between the original surface work and the recent productive well completion, approximately eight wells were drilled into the Woodbine sand without success. The structure was well defined by those tests and all of the wells en-

Jan 1, 1936

MRS. SIDNEY J. JENNINGS, President, MRS. ARTHUR S.. DWIGHT, First Vice-President, MRS. KARL EILERS, Second Vice-President, MRS. H. W. HARDINGE, Third Vice-President, MRS. BRADLEY STOUGHTON, Recording Secretary, MRS. AXEL 0. IHLSENG, Corresponding Secretary, MRS. ARTHUR S. DWIGHT, Acting Treasurer. Welfare Committee MRS. C. C. BURGER, Chairman, Sub-Committees Americanization Belgian Relief MRS. LEVI HOLBROOK, Chairman, MRS. HENRY H: KNOX, Chairman, Emergency MRS. HERMAN A. PROSSER, Chairman. Since the annual meeting held in February, 1917, when the Woman's Auxiliary to the A. I. M. E., was formed, the work of organization, which of necessity must be slow, has steadily gone forward. Under the Chairmanship of Mrs. C. C. Burger of the Welfare Committee, three active sub-committees have been formed: that of Americanization; under Mrs. Levi Holbrook, who is eminently fitted for such a position, by her active and valuable work in a number of the fine patriotic societies of our country; the Belgian Relief Committee, under Mrs. Henry H. Knox, which has clone phenomenal work in the three months of its existence, and whose report is later given in detail; and the Emergency Committee under Mrs. Herman A. Prosser, which has a fund already established, and is. in close touch with Major Arthur S. Dwight, ready to act when necessity arises. The officers of the Auxiliary feel more than gratified at the response so far received, and in a later issue will print extracts from letters, if permission can be gotten from the writers, showing the interest and enthusiasm that have beer aroused by the formation of a Woman's Auxiliary. Answers have even come from far Korea "the hermit nation," from Australia, from South America, showing what a bond of sympathy and, helpfulness is in process of growth. It is our sad duty to announce the death of our Treasurer, Mrs. George D. Baryon, who, from the very inception of our plan to organize, was an inspiring and valuable co-worker. Her place will be difficult to fill. Mrs. Arthur S. Dwight is Acting Treasurer at present. The Auxiliary wishes to express its heartiest thanks to Mr. Stoughton, the genial and efficient Secretary of the A. I. M. E., for his cooperation and valuable suggestions in the difficult work of organizing. He has indeed been "a guide, philosopher and friend." SUSANNE M. IHLSENG (MRS. AXEL 0.), Corresponding Secretary.

Jan 7, 1917

By Davis Baker

The direct-metal cars or ladles of the Maryland Steel Company have a capacity of 18 tons when filled within 12 inches of the top. On account of this large capacity, the formation of skulls in these ladles is by no means as rapid as in smaller ladles; but a skull once formed is a very unwieldy piece of metal to handle, and especially to remove from the ladle. We have found it cheaper to clean ladles often rather than make very heavy skulls. We aim to keep the ring of chilled metal that forms on the surface of the iron chipped off, so that the skull shall form principally at the bottom until it becomes so thick as to render the ladle unfit for service. Sometimes it happens that a ladle may be held for several hours filled with molten metal. This invariably leaves a large amount of chilled metal in the ladle. Frequently the skull will weigh several tons, and will be of the full size of the ladle inside, with a top crust, having perhaps a hole 12 inches square, through which the molten metal was poured. In order to remove skulls that cannot be easily chipped out with a bar, we use what may be called a skull-extractor, consisting of a hydraulic cylinder mounted in the center of a heavy cast-iron plate, standing vertically on a suitable foundation. Figs. 1 and 2 show the construction and operation of this apparatus, Fig. 1 being a view of the extractor with pistons extended to full stroke, and Fig. 2 a view with ladle in position and pistons about to commence the stroke. in both figures, A is the hydraulic cylinder, B the vertical cast-iron plate, and C the foundation. The water-pressure, admitted through the pipe, P, is 750 pounds per square inch, and the inside diameter of A is 14 inches. There are two pistons: D, fitting the bore of the cylinder, and E, 84 inches in diameter, moving inside of D. Both pistons move together when

Jan 1, 1893

By Francis P. Sinn

LOW prices have made 1938 a difficult year for the zinc industry of the world. Particularly in the United States, output had to be radically curtailed to bring production into line with consumption. Despite these unfavorable conditions, some additional plant construction is contemplated. In Jugoslavia, through co-operation with the Government, Trepca Mines is lo build a zinc plant to produce 10,000 metric tons annually, the plant to be ready for operation in July, 1941). Cerro de Pasco is proceeding with its plans for an electrolytic plant in Peru. A pilot plant, to be ready next summer, is under construction. In eastern Canada an electrolytic plant is planned in Quebec to treat concentrates from Yoranda and other mines but no defi-

Jan 1, 1939

By HOMER L. WILLIAMS

WHILE some of the mining companies have been pumping a small amount of water for some time, it is only in recent years that large quantities of water have been encountered in the Tonopah district. The water appears to be in different zones or belts so that the draining of one property does not necessarily affect the one adjoining. Consequently, each company has its own pumping plant and its own conditions. The companies panes handling the largest amount of water are the Tonopah Extension Mining Co., Halifax Tonopah Mining Co., West Tonopah Consolidated Mining Co., and Great Western Consolidated Mining Co. The Halifax shaft is on the eastern end of the district and the other three properties on the western. The ore-bearing formation occurs at greater depth on -the eastern and western ends, hence the water problem in these properties.

Jan 1, 1921

By Cornelius F. Kelley

EVERY man connected with the mining industry should take a significant pride in the fact that he belongs to an industry and to a profession that, from the beginning, has been constructive. The miner digs his ore and he gives the metal to art, to industry, and to commerce. The nature of our business is destructive only in that we deal with a wasting asset. That should be a source of great pride to those who belong to the profession. But unfortunately, the product of our mines, our smelters, and our re- fineries does not always go to constructive purposes. There are times when, in the administration of the affairs of men, our product chiefly goes to purposes which are destructive. When we look upon the panorama of horror that is being enacted throughout the world today, we wonder whether any effort toward the development of civilization and culture and education and well-being has been worthwhile. We are appalled to see the things that have been developed, through the application of science, toward progress and efficiency, now used for the catastrophic destruction of those things which are the most valuable that man has built. We must find hope that this is but an episodic thing; that it must, in the infinite wisdom of the Almighty, usher in a period of peace and progress, of civilization and development that will make man's existence upon earth worthwhile.

Jan 1, 1941

By C. A. LINDBERG

Several new methods have been developed on the Iron Range to remove the material adhering to truck bodies in freezing weather. A machine known as a Gradall, incorporating the features of digging both above and below the horizontal, digging angle of blade control, full revolving, travel almost anywhere, and operated by one man, has proven successful in trials at body cleaning. Several of these units are in use with great saving in box-cleaning costs and improvements in efficiency of the truck operation with full capacity boxes. In addition to their winter use, the same machines have been used for ditching and excavating in the summer with great saving. The latest method of combating this freezing problem is to carry the exhaust from the engine through the body, making use of the tremendous heat that is now being wasted. To do this, the present wood sandwich which is used between the bottom of the box and the wear plate is removed and replaced with angles or channels run lengthwise of the box and spaced to permit gases to flow between or through them and also provide a good sup- port for the wear plate. The channels or angles are cut a little short on each end to form a cross passage that permits the gases to flow through the area. In the front end, openings are made in the wear plate and connect to a manifold created by welding a plate across the whole front of the box, spaced from the original end by the original vertical reinforcing angles at that point. The body being described is for a Euclid truck which is the only truck that has been adapted to this body-heating idea to date. At the rear of the truck, the holes from the cross passage are made in the bottom plate of the body and lead into a triangular-shaped body cross member under the scoop end of the truck.

Jan 1, 1949

By A. C. Veatch

Jan 1, 1921

By Carl M. Fellman

LABOR disputes caused considerable turbulence in the coal mining industry during 1946. As an outcome of these disputes, a definitely fundamental change in safety procedure was instituted: establishment of safety regultions for coal mines through the agency of agreements between the miners' union and the agency or agencies operating the coal mines. Although a temporary plan at present, the future will determine the. extent to which it may become permanent. Notwithstanding the turmoil in the industry extending through much of the year, the safety record for the first eleven months of 1946 was the best in the history of the industry for that period. The fatality rate for 1946 is lower than in any other year in the history of coal mining in the United States. This follows a pattern inasmuch as new low coal-mine fatality records were also made in 1945, 1944, and 1943. The five-year period 1942 to 1946 inclusive has a coal-mining fatality rate far lower than any other five-year period in the history of the industry. It is significant that this period exactly coincides with the operation of Federal coal mine inspection which got under way early in 1942.

Jan 1, 1947

By Herbert Hoover

BOTH the directors of industry and your leaders have made great progress toward a new and common . ground in economic conceptions, which, I am confident, has had a profound effect upon our economic progress during the last few years. That is the conception that industry must be constantly renovated by scientific research and invention; that labor welcomes those labor-saving devices; that labor gives its full and unrestricted effort to reduce costs by the use of these machines and methods; that the savings from these reduced costs shall be shared among labor, employer and the consumer.

Jan 1, 1930

By Thomas T. Read

IN reviewing the field of mineral industry education last year reference was made to recent assertions, mostly emanating from sources not in a position to know the facts, that mining engineers as a class are disappearing. Attention might also then have been called to a statement that appeared in Engineering News, August 11, 1892 (p. 130), ". . . the great absolute decline in number of mining graduates, which last amounts almost to a complete abandonment of mining engineering as a distinct branch of study." Evidently we outrank opera stars in the number of farewell appearances we are able to make; 43

Jan 1, 1936

By John V. Beall

During the last quarter of 1948, two new machines, which may revolutionize the coal mining industry, made their first public appearance within two months of each other. Both are designed to mine and load coal continuously. On Oct. 27, the "Colmol," invented by C. H. Snyder and A. E. Lamm, president and executive vice-president, respectively, of the Sunnyhill Coal Co., was demonstrated at the No. 8 mine of that Company at New Lexington, Ohio. The "Joy Continuous Miner," invented by H. F. Silver, president of the Silver Engineering Works, Denver, and developed and manufactured by the Joy Manufacturing Co., was demonstrated at the Mathies mine, near Finleyville, Pa., in the Pittsburgh coal seam.

Jan 1, 1949

By G. C. RIDDELL

THE metallurgist, chemist, and physicist are blazing trails that lead far afield. Pushing on into an "Alloy Age" they see a non-ferrous era over- taking iron and steel. Delving into the nature of the physical world, they break down a supposedly indivisible element, hydrogen. Not content with terrestrial problems, they peer back along the cosmic ray into iaterstellar space, glimpsing forces that are, apparently, still busy with the task of atom-making. Mastering and organizing the material and physical, they advance steadily toward that borderland of science where the concept of matter itself seems abandoned, and force is the substance left.

Jan 1, 1930

By NEWTON B. KNOX

PERU, lying south of Ecuador and having common frontiers with Brazil, Chile, and Bolivia, includes over a thousand miles of the Andean mountains. The coastal plain is arid and narrow and the Amazonian jungle region is of interest only on account of its oil and gold placer possibilities. The mountain zone, however, here forms one of the world's most highly mineralized regions. The Peruvian Andes, like their Bolivian and Ecuadorian counterparts, form two distinct chains separated by the great Apurimac and Maralion valleys; but these rivers cut through the Eastern range to join the Amazon drainage, and the central valley is missing north of the passes thus formed by these rivers; the localities where the ranges are joined are aptly called knots. In addition, in central Peru, there exists a third range lying to the east of the first two and separated from them by the Urubamba and Huallaga Rivers. The Eastern range, however, is of little importance to the miner for few metal deposits are to be found therein except for the gold mineralization in the South. In general, deposition of metals in the Peruvian Andes accompanied igneous intrusions which invaded the folded Paleozoic and Mesozoic rocks during the Tertiary; thus the ore bodies are all typical of shallow or moderate depths.

Jan 1, 1945

By C. C. Hawes

SILICA is the main impurity in iron ore. It is intimately associated with the iron oxide, sometimes free but more often in the combined state, as a mineral silicate. Its separation and purification sometimes present difficult problems to the analyst. In the absence of any definite knowledge to the contrary, orthosilicic acid. H4SiO4, is supposed to be the only silicic acid made, all other forms, such as metasilicic acid, H2SiO3, representing different degrees of its dehydration. These acids are exceedingly weak but form the most stable compounds found in nature. They are known as the silicate minerals and are formed by the combination of the different metallic oxides

Jan 1, 1936