Search Documents

By Horace V. Winchell

The laws here referred to are those which define the status of the prospector for mineral deposits in the soil or beneath it, establish his methods of procedure, protect him in his possession while searching for the subterranean treasures, and give him assurance of title when all required conditions have been fulfilled and valuable minerals discovered. Regulations for the operation of mines and the safety and health of mine employees are likewise subjects of Federal and State legislation, but are not within the scope of the present program. Various features of our present laws will be discussed in detail by able students of the subject, and specific remedies will be proposed for the most glaring defects. It is my purpose to present in this paper a summary review of the reasons why revision is needed and demanded by the great majority of those in daily contact with the industry. Reason Number One The first objection to the continuance of the present law is that it was not planned by its framers and the Congress which passed it to apply to many of the kinds of mineral deposits, nor to the mining conditions, which are controlled by it to-day. In 1866, under the title, "An Act granting the right of way to ditch and canal owners over the public lands, and for other purposes," was surreptitiously smuggled into existence our first mining law (14 Stats. at Large, Chap. 262, p. 251). This law provided that "whenever any person or association of persons claim a vein or lode of quartz or other rock in place, bearing gold, silver, cinnabar or copper, having previously occupied and improved the same according to the local customs or rules of miners in the district where the same is situated," etc., a patent might be granted an certain conditions. This was evidently an Act intended to validate claims already initiated, and to accord Federal recognition to mining locations made in

Jan 1, 1915

By H. H. Uhlig

In our study of the mechanism of and the prevention of corrosion in stainless steels, it was considered of fundamental importance to obtain knowledge of the surface structure of such alloys. If corrosion resistance is due to a self-healing oxide layer, which like a paint film protects the underlying metal, it would be obviously relevant were the effort made to make the film less permeable and more adherent; for example, the surface might be expected to respond to an anodizing process, which is found successful in increasing the film thickness and corrosion resistance of aluminum. However, if passivity and corrosion resistance of stainless steels are due to another cause, the attack of the problem would follow another path. One of the most effective techniques for studying passivity and corrosion tendency is the measurement of the electrochemical potential. Not only can one determine by potential measurements whether a metal is active or passive, but also one can determine the degree of passivity and rate of transformation of passivity with time. Chemical media that build up or destroy passivity when in contact with the steel can also be classified by potential measurements. Something can be learned, too, of the effect of alloy additions such as molybdenum to 18-8, known to decrease corrosion of the alloy in chloride solutions. A study of alloys in previous investigations has sometimes included data on the electrochemical potentials. Tammann and Sotterl measured the electrochenlical potentials of alloys of iron-molybdenum and iron-chromium and reperted the critical concentration of molybdenum or chromium at which passivity initiates. Strauss2 made similar measurements for the iron-chromium system. The electrochemical potential3 has also been used to indicate carbide precipitated 18-8. In 18-8, heat-treated to precipitate carbide, active metal exists at the region of the grain boundaries, contrasted with passive metal within the grains, the active metal accounting for a resultant active potential. Several

Jan 1, 1940

By Louis D. Huntoon

The Porcupine gold area, located on the Hudson Bay slope of northern Ontario, has produced over $100,000,000 in gold and has paid more than $28,000,000 in dividends, since the first real production in 1912. The character of the ore has been studied by the geologists of the Bureau of Mines of Ontario, the geological staffs of the operating mines, and engineers commissioned to examine properties there. What information the Government has is free to everybody; the geological staffs of the several properties also give to the visiting engineer what information regarding ore deposition they possess, and the author wishes to express his indebtedness to the geologists of the Ontario Bureau of Mines and the staffs of the operating mines for their free discussion of geological questions. This paper is based on the examination of several properties, various petrographic reports, not only on specimens from Porcupine but from elsewhere in northern Ontario, and interviews with Government and mine staff geologists. The petrographic work has been done by Prof. R. J. Colony, of Columbia University. Geological History The geological history of the district may be summarized as follows: The outpouring of great floods of lava accompanied by beds of tuff, flow following flow; the contacts of different flows can be seen in various parts of the camp. This period mas followed by an uplift and the production of the Temiskaming sediments by erosion. Later, dynamic action turned the sediments and underlying lavas on edge; this was followed by the intrusion of igneous rocks—in the Porcupine area the quartz porphyry, which is of such great importance in connection with the gold deposits. Doctor Burrows says: "The intrusions of quartz porphyry have in some way influenced the deposition or location of the gold but it is not likely the porphyry has been the source of the gold-bearing solutions." This statement of Doctor Burrows I indorse. The formation of non-gold bearing quartz veins followed the intrusion of the porphyry. These veins occur along or near the contact of

Jan 1, 1923

By Louis D. Huntoon

The Porcupine gold area, located on the Hudson Bay slope of northern Ontario, has produced over $100,000,000 in gold and has paid more than $28,000,000 in dividends, since the first real production in 1912. The character of the ore has been studied by the geologists of the Bureau of Mines of Ontario, the geological staffs of the operating mines, and engineers commissioned to examine properties there. What information the Government has is free to everybody; the geological staffs of the several properties also give to the visiting engineer what information regarding ore deposition they possess, and the author wishes to express his indebtedness to the geologists of the Ontario Bureau of Mines and the staffs of the operating mines for their free discussion of geological questions. This paper is based on the examination of several properties, various petrographic reports, not only on specimens from Porcupine but from elsewhere in northern Ontario, and interviews with Government and mine staff geologists. The petrographic work has been done by Prof. R. J. Colony, of Columbia University. Geological History The geological history of the district may be summarized as follows: The outpouring of great floods of lava accompanied by beds of tuff, flow following flow; the contacts of different flows can be seen in various parts of the camp. This period mas followed by an uplift and the production of the Temiskaming sediments by erosion. Later, dynamic action turned the sediments and underlying lavas on edge; this was followed by the intrusion of igneous rocks—in the Porcupine area the quartz porphyry, which is of such great importance in connection with the gold deposits. Doctor Burrows says: "The intrusions of quartz porphyry have in some way influenced the deposition or location of the gold but it is not likely the porphyry has been the source of the gold-bearing solutions." This statement of Doctor Burrows I indorse. The formation of non-gold bearing quartz veins followed the intrusion of the porphyry. These veins occur along or near the contact of

Jan 1, 1923

By G. L. Oldright

Nearly all of the present schemes for treating complex (i. e. lead-silver-zinc-copper) ores are based on the idea that lead holds, and will hold for some time, the strongest economic place from the viewpoint of supply and demand of all the non-ferrous metals. Copper, it is thought, will come back to its own when European affairs are stabilized, although at that time competition from Chile, Peru, and Katanga, in particular, will be more severe than in pre-war days. The future for silver and for zinc is uncertain. New uses are developing for zinc, and the market has remained better than many expected, but the stabilization of world markets will bring in foreign competition instead of relief. The cost of producing zinc from simple zinc ores, by the retort process, will, from the nature of the labor required and the increasing cost of fuel, increase steadily. As a result, the small producers of purely zinc ores around Joplin are shutting down their mines, even with a good market price for zinc; on the other hand, the producer of lead from complex ores, in the Rocky Mountain states, is confident of a profit from the sale of his lead, and is seeking means to make the zinc in his ore pay some part of the cost of treatment. However, the tonnage costs for mining and ore dressing are much higher in the Rocky Mountain states, as may be seen by comparing tax-return statements from the various states. Even before the recent drop in the price of silver, many mines were operating on a very slender margin of profit; labor and supplies cost more. Mining at greater depth has shown most orebodies to grow increasingly more complex, so that improvements in mining and ore-dressing practice have not been sufficient to compensate for the additional expense involved in beneficiating these ores. The smelters have bad to meet the same general economic situation, so they can only give

Jan 1, 1924

By G. F. Loughlin

Nearly 55 years have elapsed since the U. S. Geological Survey was organized. During this period the mineral industries have grown from infancy or early childhood to well developed maturity, and some mining industries appear to be declining. Decline in mining is even more conspicuous in certain districts, or even states, than in any mining industry as a whole, and discoveries or developments of important new districts have been very few in recent years. Our reserves of most metals and nonmetals are adequate for many years of normal production, subject to changes in rate of exploitation that may be caused by foreign competition and by changes in technology and market conditions; but the declining production of many districts and the scarcity of important new discoveries to compensate for them is cause for some apprehension. It is likely that future production will depend to a considerable extent on deep exploration and on the thorough examination of places in and adjoining existing districts where significant outcrops are lacking and only apparently insignificant geologic features offer encouraging clues—more so than on the discovery of entirely new districts. Even the possible discovery of new districts, which have escaped the intensive search by the nontechnical prospector, must be dependent on geologic information. There is therefore no need for argument as to the value of geology to the mining industry; and the need of continuing to advance the science. The U. S. Geological Survey's past contributions to mining geology, as expressed in its official reports and other publications, are recognized by Ransome in his historical review of mining geology in the Lindgren volume.' These contributions have helped to form the basis of modern mining geology, which has grown rapidly in the last 25 years. This growth has witnessed the organization and maintenance of geologic staffs by mining companies in several districts, and their detailed work, together with the fact that nearly all of the larger mining districts have

Jan 1, 1935

By K. C. Heald

THE places where, yesterday, oil was unknown contain tomorrow's fields. Unquestionably, some states that now yield little or no oil have great potentialities, and developments in these states, although perhaps of less immediate interest than those in regions where great pools now exist, may easily be of greater ultimate importance than the results of exploration closer to known fields. Not long ago, Montana had only a quarter of an oil pool, and that was regarded by many as an accident that had strayed from Wyoming. More recently, the northern line of Louisiana was a dead line that would not be crossed by any Louisiana operator who valued his reputation for sanity. Within the past few months, Colorado has shown that it is far from being a negligible factor in the oil supply of the Rocky Mountain states, and it is now known that western Kansas, long shunned by many reputable geologists and operators, should be reckoned with. There may be a vast difference between what a wildcat well yields and what the well signifies. The fact that no commercial production is encountered may be lamentable and may well be disastrous to an individual or a company, but the same well that spells ruin to one may convey to another the information that will result in opening a new field. In presenting the conclusions, in this paper, the writer recognizes fully the possibility of erroneous deductions, particularly since he has had contact with only a few of the wells that are mentioned. Information comes principally from the scout. maps and files maintained at the Geological Survey by M. E. Latimer and G. K. Drach, without whose cooperation this summary would not be possible, supplemented by some personal contact and second-hand information gained by. conversation and correspondence. However, it is felt that the data contain few errors, and that the conclusions are at least reasonable.

Jan 3, 1924

By R. G. Hall

An article on the subject of electrolytic zinc no longer needs to be preceded by an apology. The production of zinc by electrolysis is past the laboratory stage and has become an economic factor of considerable importance in the total production of zinc in the United States. The various methods of procedure to be followed fa the greatest economy of manufacture are fairly well known, consequently a detailed description of any method is no longer necessary or desirable. In this paper I shall endeavor to lay down some of the governing conditions in this industry, the relation of methods to ore deposits, freight rates, and sources of power supply. Power Points Assuming for a moment that, for the present at least, the electrolytic production of zinc will be confined to Those localities having developed water power, a glance at these powers so developed in the United States, with their relation to known zinc orebodies of economic size, will not be without interest. Northwest In the Northwest we have water powers, developed and undeveloped, . in Washington and Montana. These must, of course, bear a close relation to the rapidly growing zinc production of the Coeur d'Alenes and of the Butte districts. In general, the power of the territory in question is relatively low-priced, at least as compared with the cost of developing power from coal, and the near neighborhood of large bodies of more or less complex zinc ores makes these water powers of more than usual interest. The same remarks may be applied equally to the developed water powers of the Canadian side of the line in the Northwest, where we have again commercially available complex ore deposits such as are being exploited today at and near Trail. California One of the large complex ore deposits of the far West is to be found in Shasta County in the immediate neighborhood of the territory of the

Jan 1, 1918

By Russell Paul

THE Wisconsin zinc district, also known as the Upper Mississippi lead and zinc district, is an area of about 2500 sq. mi. in the southwestern portion of Wisconsin and adjacent parts of Illinois and Iowa. It includes Iowa, Grant and Lafayette counties in Wisconsin, Jo Davies County in Illinois, and an irregular strip of Clayton and Dubuque counties in Iowa, parallel to the Mississippi River. During periods of high metal prices mining has been quite active in this district, but recently the lower metal prices have caused many companies to suspend, so that at the present time there are only a small number of mines operating. The short life of these mines and the low mineral content of the zinc deposits limit the investment in development and equipment, and necessitates the operation of this equipment at maximum running time and maximum capacity. The tonnage of rock handled (locally termed dirt) is large in comparison with the tonnage of concentrate produced. Moreover, the zinc content of the concentrate is low, varying from 25 to 40 per cent zinc, and the value per ton is correspondingly low. The life of the mines varies greatly. An exception-ally good deposit may produce 2,000,000 tons of rock during a period of ten years, market value permitting, from which will be obtained 100,000 to 150,000 tons of concentrate. One property which might be con-sidered as fulfilling the requirements of a profitable operation was developed and equipped in 1925, oper-ated continuously for a period of two and a half years, produced 484,292 tons of rock, from which was obtained 37,659 tons of zinc concentrate, 34.4 per cent Zn, and 1155 tons of lead concentrate, 67 per cent Pb. During the war period prices of ore permitted the mining of lower grade ores than has been possible in the past few years. The maintaining of a higher grade mill-feed has resulted in reducing the size of stopes formerly carried in the old mines and confining the workings within narrower limits.

Jan 7, 1928

ALTHOUGH the refining period of the heat is generally defined as A starting after the charge has been completely melted, it may more properly be considered as beginning with the first efforts to facilitate the shaping up of the slag and the making of corrective additions for the control of slag or metal composition. Such actions may be initiated during the latter half of the lime boil. The early part of the refining period may, then, in essence overlap the latter part of the melting period. The primary aims of the refining period are to reduce phosphorus and sulphur from the steel bath to levels safely below the maximum contents specified, to eliminate carbon as rapidly as possible and still allow time for proper conditioning of the slag and attainment of the necessary bath temperature, and to deliver the heat ready for tapping or furnace deoxidation, with slag in the proper physical and chemical condition, and with carbon and oxygen contents and the temperature of the steer bath at the proper levels for the composition and grade of steel being produced. The particular conditions that fulfil these aims are distinctly different, depending upon whether the steel is to be finished according to fully-killed, semikilled, or rimming practice and also depending upon the carbon range specified. Regard- less of the type of charging practice employed, the object of the refining period is to produce repeatedly the desired finishing and tapping conditions for the grade of steel being produced. The variations and proportions of raw materials used in the charge may cause some variations in the degree of control required during refining, but not in the method of control. The refining period can therefore be discussed from a viewpoint largely independent of charging and melting practice. SHAPING UP THE SLAG In the first helper's vocabulary, refining practice consists in "shaping up" his heat. This includes elimination of sulphur, phosphorus, and carbon, putting the slag in proper condition, and adjusting bath temperature. Shaping up the slag is a major consideration because

Jan 1, 1944

By F. Osmond

When a metal (whether a simple substance, an alloy, or a compound) presents, in each of the smallest parts to which it can be redueed by mechanical division, a constant chemical composition, it is defined as chemically homogeneous. But chemical hombgeneity by no means necessitates mechanical homogeneity. There are no perfectly amorphous metals. Crystalline forces, on the one hand, and tensions or compressions, on the other band, determined by icequalities of temperature in the mass during heating or cooling, give rise in every metal to the formation of geometric elements of structure. These elements may, moreover, assume perfect crystalline forms, with their planes of cleavage; or embryonic crystalline forms, segregated in the midst of. a paste of confused organization; or pseudo-crystalline forms of expansion and contraction, like those produced in the drying of gelatinous precipitates or (most frequently) these different forms associated. 111 either case the adhesions between two adjoining structural elements, respectively homogeneous, may be very different from the interior cohesion of each of these elements. The mechanical properties of this complex aggregate cannot be simple, and, when it is submitted to strains sufficient to produce deformation, the results may be very different according to the type of structure or the manner in which it is affected by the strains. It may be fairly said that a metal does not present a single resistance to tension, or a single resistance to compression, etc., but in fact, at least theoretically, as many resistances to tension, compression, etc., as it may possess coexistent features of structure; only, in any single test, it is the weakest of the resistances involved which makes itself evident. For further explanation, let us imagine a cylinder A B (Fig. I), formed of two similar halves A and B, placed together upon their common base x y. Such a system evidently presents no resistance to axial tension, while it would resist axial compression like a single

Jan 1, 1894

By G. F. Loughlin

Nearly 55 years have elapsed since the U. S. Geological Survey was organized. During this period the mineral industries have grown from infancy or early childhood to well developed maturity, and some mining industries appear to be declining. Decline in mining is even more conspicuous in certain districts, or even states, than in any mining industry as a whole, and discoveries or developments of important new districts have been very few in recent years. Our reserves of most metals and nonmetals are adequate for many years of normal production, subject to changes in rate of exploitation that may be caused by foreign competition and by changes in technology and market conditions; but the declining production of many districts and the scarcity of important new discoveries to compensate for them is cause for some apprehension. It is likely that future production will depend to a considerable extent on deep exploration and on the thorough examination of places in and adjoining existing districts where significant outcrops are lacking and only apparently insignificant geologic features offer encouraging clues—more so than on the discovery of entirely new districts. Even the possible discovery of new districts, which have escaped the intensive search by the nontechnical prospector, must be dependent on geologic information. There is therefore no need for argument as to the value of geology to the mining industry; and the need of continuing to advance the science. The U. S. Geological Survey's past contributions to mining geology, as expressed in its official reports and other publications, are recognized by Ransome in his historical review of mining geology in the Lindgren volume.' These contributions have helped to form the basis of modern mining geology, which has grown rapidly in the last 25 years. This growth has witnessed the organization and maintenance of geologic staffs by mining companies in several districts, and their detailed work, together with the fact that nearly all of the larger mining districts have

Jan 1, 1935

By C. E. Beecher

The application of gas or air under pressure to obtain more oil from a sand which has been practically exhausted by ordinary production methods has been practiced to a limited extent for many years. Until recently such methods were confined to the Eastern fields, principally those of Ohio and West Virginia, where in many cases the production obtained after applying pressure for a few years was nearly equal to the total production prior to that time which had been obtained by the usual production methods. As early as 1917, J. 0. LewisL called attention to this method of increasing the recovery of oil and cited the phenomenal results obtained by H. E. Smith, I. L. Dunn and 0. C. Dunn, who pioneered the application of air or gas pressure recovery methods. With this information available it would appear that other oil-producing sections of the country have been extremely slow to realize the advantages of repressuring. However, after a few successful projects in the Mid-Continent area, the oil producers appreciated t' e value of this method for obtaining further and profitable production from their practically exhausted leases and are now making extensive use of it. In general, it has been the practice to apply pressure to the sands when production has declined to a small yield per well. The purpose of this paper is to discuss some of the advantages which may be expected from returning gas under pressure to the oil sands during the early stages of development, before the rock pressure has been dissipated and the gas exhausted, and to stimulate discussion of this subject on which comparatively little actual field data are available. The Function of Gas Gas associated with or dissolved in the oil is the source of energy causing movement of the oil to the well. When this energy is dissipated production ceases. The exception to this general statement is found in fields where hydrostatic water pressure may supply energy after the gas

Jan 1, 1929

By M. L. Fuller

During the last several years many papers have appeared dealing with the structure of highly polished metal surfaces. The awakening of interest in this subject is due to the applicability of the electron diffraction technique to the study of surfaces. The original theory of Beilbyl considered the surface of polished metals as of the nature of a supercooled liquid or a vitreous, amorphous solid. The electron diffraction effects from polished metals have been interpreted by rnany to be a direct experimental proof of the correctness of the Beilby theory. This interpretation has been strongly opposed by others, so that at the present time the subject is in an uncertain and controversial state. In the present paper new, and hitherto unpublished, electron diffraction effects from polished zinc are desrribed. These observations indicate that the polished surface of zinc is crystalline. Published Work Many papers2""10 have interpreted the electron diffraction evidence as proof of the Beilby amorphous theory. All investigators agree that highly polished metals give rise to two diffuse diffraction haloes, similar to those obtained by the diffraction of X-rays in liquids and vitreous solids. It is this similarity that leads to the amorphous-layer interpretation of polished metals. Strangely, the interatomic distances calculated from these haloes are very similar for the various metals investigated, in spite of a rather wide range of such distances in the crystalline and liquid states. The calculated atomic sizes are, furthermore, smaller than are experienced in the normal states of the metals. In spite of these anomalies, the amorphous-layer interpretation has been adhered to by many. One investigator, S. Dobinski," differs from the others in his experimental results. By polishing under benzene in order to avoid the possibility of oxidation, Dobinski obtains diffuse haloes of radii different from those previously obtained. He thus obtains a more rational quantitative correlation of the diffuse haloes with the amorphous-layer theory.

Jan 1, 1939

By M. L. Fuller

During the last several years many papers have appeared dealing with the structure of highly polished metal surfaces. The awakening of interest in this subject is due to the applicability of the electron diffraction technique to the study of surfaces. The original theory of Beilbyl considered the surface of polished metals as of the nature of a supercooled liquid or a vitreous, amorphous solid. The electron diffraction effects from polished metals have been interpreted by rnany to be a direct experimental proof of the correctness of the Beilby theory. This interpretation has been strongly opposed by others, so that at the present time the subject is in an uncertain and controversial state. In the present paper new, and hitherto unpublished, electron diffraction effects from polished zinc are desrribed. These observations indicate that the polished surface of zinc is crystalline. Published Work Many papers2""10 have interpreted the electron diffraction evidence as proof of the Beilby amorphous theory. All investigators agree that highly polished metals give rise to two diffuse diffraction haloes, similar to those obtained by the diffraction of X-rays in liquids and vitreous solids. It is this similarity that leads to the amorphous-layer interpretation of polished metals. Strangely, the interatomic distances calculated from these haloes are very similar for the various metals investigated, in spite of a rather wide range of such distances in the crystalline and liquid states. The calculated atomic sizes are, furthermore, smaller than are experienced in the normal states of the metals. In spite of these anomalies, the amorphous-layer interpretation has been adhered to by many. One investigator, S. Dobinski," differs from the others in his experimental results. By polishing under benzene in order to avoid the possibility of oxidation, Dobinski obtains diffuse haloes of radii different from those previously obtained. He thus obtains a more rational quantitative correlation of the diffuse haloes with the amorphous-layer theory.

Jan 1, 1939

By W. H. Triplett

THE purpose of this paper is to record a few field observations and accumulated office data concerning outcrops, relation of ore occurrences to intrusive and host rock, and mineral zoning. Reasons for some of the phenomena are not clear to the author so the facts are given with the hope that other investigators may be able to furnish the explanations. The Avalos unit of the Compania Minera de Penoles, S. A., operates the Alicante, Bonanza, Providencia, Albarradon, San Eligio, Nazareno, Leona, Salaverna, and Santiago mines situated between Avalos railroad station and Concepcion del Oro on the Coahuila and Zacatecas railroad in the State of Zacatecas, Mexico. Some of these mines are within Penoles property while others are on mining claims leased from the Compania Nazareno, y Catasillas, S. A., Mazapil Copper Co., and the American Smelting and Refining Co. The main office and camp are at Providencia, about 170 km southwest of Monterrey, N. L., so the silver-lead-zinc mines of the district are usually referred to as the Providencia mines. The Aranzazu, Catarroyo, and Cabrestante copper-gold. mines are situated a few kilometers to the southeast on the same mountain range near Concepcion del Oro, the name by which the camp is known. It is operated by the Mazapil Copper Co. The main theme in the following pages is a description of the silver-lead-zinc ore occurrences of the district. Rock Formations Sedimentary Rocks: Many competent geologists have contributed generously to an ample fund of information concerning the sedimentary columns of northern Mexico. Among them are Carlos Burckhardt, E. Böse, L. B. Kellum, .and R. W. Imlay. Carlos Burckhardt who covered a number of extensive areas in many parts of the Mexican Republic, devoted years to mapping the geology of the Caja, Zuloaga, and Santa Rosa mountain ranges around Mazapil, Concepcion del Oro, and San Pedro de Ocampo, Zacatecas. He did most of the original mapping which has been used as a basis and amplified by others. C. E. Burbridge and, more recently, John

Jan 1, 1952

By Major N. R. Junner

Although manganese-garnets are rarely seen in hand specimens of the manganese ores and associated rocks, they have been detected by the writer in thin sections of all the ores and wall rocks that have been sliced, with the single exception of the Insuta deposit. Rhodonite, and an almost colorless amphibole, which appears to be manganiferous, are less common. Types of Occurrence (a) Rocks Composed of Manganese-garnet and Quartz The best known examples of this type are from near Bole and Wa in the Northern Territories of the Gold Coast, and from near Chama in the Gold Coast Colony. Normally these are fine and even-grained rocks, in which the garnets cannot be recognized in hand specimens. They are often stained with secondary manganese oxide. Thin sections examined microscopically are seen to be composed of aggregates of minute crystals of garnet in a matrix of mosaic quartz. Some manganese oxide and braumite (?) is often present, but other minerals are exceptional. The relative proportions of garnet and quartz in these rocks vary greatly and there is a complete gradation from quartz-rock to garnet-rock. (6) Rocks Composed Mainly of Manganese-garnet and Manganese Oxides Rocks of this type are known from Kalimbi Hill near Siripe, Pabini Hill near Bangwon, near Odumase and Konongo, and in the Ya Ya creek, about 5 miles east of Dunkwa. These are usually fine-grained banded dark-colored rocks, composed of abundant minute garnets in a matrix of black manganese oxide and braunite (?). A little microcrystalline is often present, and occasionally a little colorless amphibole. quartz (c) Rocks Composed of Rhodonite and Manganese-garnet Rocks of this type are not common. They are known from near Chama, and from the road between Senyong and Mangkuma. Some quartz is usually present. All these rocks resemble closely in texture and composition certain rocks from India, described by Fermorl as "gondite;" and they also resemble certain rocks described by Derby2 from the Queluz district,

Jan 1, 1927

By David White

IN these days, when detailed investigations of stratigraphy, structure, and sand conditions so frequently result in the discovery of new oil fields, and applause from oil companies and the public, geologists do well to walk humbly, and punctiliously to admit that the geologic principles controlling the distribution of oil and gas have as yet been discovered only in part, and that what remains yet to be learned is probably vastly more than what is already known. The few experiments already at-tempted have been fragmentary, and somewhat desultory, and however positive each of us may be with respect to certain theoretical conclusions, many of the fundamental questions as to the origin and mode of occurrence of petroleum are subject to radical disagreement. Of the chemical changes attending the generation of petroleum from organic matter, little is actually known. Most of the postulated formulas are liable to be misleading, through ignorance of essential factors. Open-mindedness is therefore a prime essential at the present stage of our science. Nevertheless, adopting the hypothesis that oil originates in some manner fundamentally connected with the organic theory, and in possible departure from such open-mindedness, the writer will pay no attention to the so-called inorganic theory, since every attempt to apply this theory to the study of old oil fields, or to the discovery of new ones, affords cumulative evidence of its inadequacy. In this paper, some of the factors affecting the occurrence of petroleum that the writer believes worthy of consideration by the prospector for oil in any new region will be discussed. Some of these, which are less generally understood, will be considered somewhat in detail. Other points, the significance of which cannot now be determined, require more field study, and for that reason are here brought to the attention of the field geologist. On the other hand, certain theoretical points which do not bear especially on the oil possibilities of a new region will be given little

Jan 2, 1920

By F. W. Apgar

THe valuable results that have followed the application in recent years of microscopic methods of research to problems of ore genesis have been significant, but possibly the recognition of their practical importance is not as general as might be, and while, as a scientific method of investigating ores and rocks, the advantage derived through the use of the microscope is unquestioned, its utility as an aid in solving mining problems arising during actual every-day mine examination and operation may not be fully appreciated. Perhaps the most logical method of showing some of these practical applications of the microscope will be to consider first the prospect stage of a mining venture, then the uses to which the instrument may be put during the operation of a working and developed mine, arid, finally, to discuss some of the problems of a metallurgical nature that may arise during milling and smelting the ore. The valuation of mining property as a preliminary to acquiring ownership or determining the advisability of investing time and money in an enterprise is one of the most important and delicate problems that come before the mining engineer. The many and variable factors that have to be taken into account, as, for example, the geology of the district, availability of supplies, probable mining costs, transportation facilities, and the quality of ore, require a careful balancing of costs against recoverable values. Primarily, however, a study of the local geology is of first importance, since, in a prospect with little development work, the question of character and probable quantity of the ore and its value can only be approximated with any degree of accuracy by a thorough investigation of geologic conditions, and a general knowledge of ore deposits. Unless these are favorable and pay ore reasonably certain, other factors need not be considered. The character of the outcrop, evidences of mineralizing agencies in the adjacent rocks, and geological structure, are the data of chief significance.

Jan 1, 1914

Frank Firmstone, Easton, Pa. (communication to the Secretary*) : It may not be amiss to point out that the top-pressure in iron blast-furnaces is largely affected by variations in the temperature of the gas. I find in my note-books, cases in which the pressure was from 9.25 to 9.5 in. of water when the material in the furnace was low (after dinner-hour), which fell to from 8 to 8.5 in., when the furnace was again full, and the gas consequently cooled. The chief cause for this effect is, that, at the higher temperature, there is a decrease in the weight of the gas in the descending-leg of the siphon formed by the down-comer and the chimneys. It does not seem probable that there is any direct relation between top-pressure and quantity of flue-dirt. Top-pressure, at any given moment, measures the " head " necessary to discharge the gas then passing, against the resistances of pipes, valves, etc., in the gas-conduits between the top of the furnace and the mouths of the chimneys, and can be increased at will by closing, more or less, the valves, or dampers, at the stoves and the boilers. The question of relation between top-pressure and flue-dirt can be settled very easily by direct experiment, working alternately with gas-valves open, and partly closed, and noting the top-pressures and the respective quantities of fluedirt collected. The quantities of fine ore blown away, as shown by Mr. Grammer's tables, are astonishing to one who has had no actual experience with Mesabi ore and hard driving. Flue-dirt, in the sense in which he uses the term, was unknown at anthracite furnaces so long as the working was normal; when it did occur, it was always an incident of scaffolding and bad work, and was no doubt caused by an increase in the velocity

Jan 1, 1904