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By Earnest R. Woakes

Those engaged in pumping from shafts, or other mining works, may be intereited in the following suggestion of what is believed to be a novel method of raising moderate quantities of water against a considerable head. It is admitted that the ordinary Cornish pump, as generally used in mines, is hard to beat, on account of both its extreme simplicity and its easy adaptation to the requirements of mining; its great drawback, however, being the enormous weight of heavy rods and successive plungers that have to be kept in motion, not to mention the necessary " balance-" and " angle-bobs," with all their accompanying friction and wear and tear. It is contended that the following method would, to a great extent, overcome these drawbacks ; though, no doubt, many old miners may say it would also introduce new ones. Possibly, this may be the case. It is only desired that this pump may be judged upon its merits. The chief novelty of the method consists in employing the almost unlimited pressure obtainable from a high column of water, augmented, if necessary, by a hydraulic ram or press at the top, to work a small-diameter piston or plunger at the bottom of a shaft or well. This high-pressure plunger, indicated at E, in Fig. 1, transmits power direct to a larger-diameter plunger, F, constituting, together with the ordinary H-piece, valves, and wind-bore, the actual pump, which raises the water, by column C, to the adit-level or other discharge, placed as far as possible below the head of the high-pressure column A and ram W. It will thus be seen, that it is only necessary to maintain a prmsnre on the small piston, E, equal to that on the larger one, F, by means of the small but high column of water, A, in order to cause F to descend, and thus force the water up through C. The up-stroke is accomplished by a small water-wheel, or other engine, connected to the light rod or wire rope B, this having only to raise the weight of the actual plungers and fill the H-piece with water from the tank or

Jan 1, 1892

By Nathaniel Herz

The formula very frequently used for computing the economical size of pipe to transmit compressed air is that of D'Arey, as follows: D = cV w1l Where, D = the volume of compressed air delivered in cubic feet per minute, at the final pressure. c = an experimental coefficient determined for the various sizes of pipe, d = the diameter of the pipe in inches. 1 = the length of the pipe in feet. p, = the initial gauge-pressure in pounds per square inch, p2 = the final gauge-preesure in pounds per square inch. w1 = the density of the air, or the weight in pounds per cubic foot at the initial pressure, p1. The most common case is that in which the given quantities are: the quantity of air required, the length of the pipe, and the initial pressure. The method of solution is to assume a pressure-loss and to compute the remaining factor, cd5, thus giving the size of pipe corresponding to the assumed loss of pressure. It is always desirable to try two or more pressure-drops, in order to find the combination that is most satisfactory, since often a small change in the size of pipe will reduce or increase the loss of pressure several pounds. An alternative method is to assume a size of pipe and calculate the corresponding pressure-drop. Each method involves a series of tedious calculations to arrive at the most economical solution, and also requires the use of tables giving the constant, c, the density of the air, w1, and often, for convenience, a table giving the values of the expressions p1-p2 and c J I hare constructed a graphic chart, Fig. 1, for the solution of

Jan 1, 1913

By John C. Smock

The rich deposits of magnetic iron-ore in the Highlands of northern New Jersey attracted the attention of iron-workers at the time of the earliest settlements in that region. The outcrops of the oreshoots at the Dickerson mine, at Mount Hope, and at Hibernia, in Morris county, and at Ringwood, in Passaic count,y, which were doubtless such as would lead to discovery, location and development of nearly all the large iron-mines in that part of the State, appear to have had their beginnings where the ore cropped out on the surface or where it was scarcely concealed by a thin mantle of earth. In the early history of New Jersey iron-mining, the careful explorations and surveys made by the agents of the famous London Com-

Jan 1, 1892

By E. P. Jennings

Large deposits of titaniferous iron-ore occur at Caribou, an old silver-mining camp in Boulder county, Colo., 17 miles west by south of Boulder, and a few miles northwest of the tungsten-mines. Professor Regis Chauvenet1 published a part analysis of the ore many years ago, but gave no description of the wall-rock. Caribou hill, which contains both the silver-bearing veins and the iron-ore deposits, is a low dome of gabbro surrounded by the Archæan schists and gneisses of the Front range of the Rocky mountains, the peaks of which, a few miles west of Caribou, attain an elevation exceeding 12,000 ft. The gabbro stock is roughly elliptical in outline, with approximate diameters of 1 and 3 miles. The crest of the dome is 10,500 ft. above sea-level, and the town and ore-cleposits are 500 ft. lower. Outcrops of the iron-ore occur in the town and extend NW. for 2,000 ft., where they disappear under the swampy meadows of Caribou park. Portions of the deposit are covered by drift, but one continuous outcrop is 900 ft. long and from 200 to 250 ft. wide. A second deposit is 0.25 mile south of the town along the eastern slope of the hill. It is not as well defined as the north bed, but is approximately 1,000 ft. long and from 100 to 200 ft. wide. The easily disintegrated ore does not form prominent outcrops, but the outlines of the deposits are readily traced by the large amount of ore fragments that cover the ground. Trenches and pits sunk on the outcrop expose a roughly banded magnetic iron-ore, with pyroxene as the principal gangue-mineral. The Gabbro. This rock was classified in the field as a gabbro from the presence of pyroxene and striated feldspars, and for convenience the field-name will be retained.

Jan 1, 1913

By Henry W. Turner

The following notes were taken on a trip through northern Korea in the fall of 1910. We started with about 19 Korean ponies, and as many Koreans, from Shin Anju, on the railway from Seoul to Antung. We passed through the ancient walled city of Anju, and thence up the valley of the Anju river. We then crossed over to the north into the Kalsan drainage, thence over another divide to the Chasung river, and finally reached the old Korean copper-smelting camp of Tong Jom— in all a distance by trail of about 200 miles. The return trip was made with ponies to Mampochin on the Yalu river, and thence' down the river in a junk to Antung. The route of travel is shown on the sketch map, Fig. 1.

Jan 1, 1913

By Elwood Haynes

As in organic nature certain animal and vegetable forms have undergone modifications, and thus, as it were, fitted themselves to live in a new environment, so it has been found possible in certain instances to form new metallic combinations which are practically immune to the natural conditions that exist on the earth at the present time. A few of the metals, such as gold, silver, and the metals of the platinum group, are found native, but the commoner heavy metals are nearly always found in the form of oxides or sulphides. For a number of years I have made experiments with a view to finding certain metallic combinations or alloys which would not only resist oxidation and other harmful influences, but would also possess valuable physical properties, which would render them fit for special service. The first decisive step made in this direction was the discovery of an alloy of nickel and chromium in 1898. The properties of this alloy have already been described in a previous paper.' Immediately following the discovery of the nickel-chromium alloy, I produced an alloy of cobalt and chromium, which has likewise been described in the reference given, but the range of proportion between the cobalt and chromium is so great, and the combination is modified to such a marked degree by the introduction of other substances, that I have felt justified in reading another paper on this subject, describing more fully my researches in this particular direction. As early as 1907 and 1908,I made alloys or combinations of cobalt, chromium, and tungsten; cobalt, chromium, and molyb-

Jan 1, 1913

By John W. Langley

The papers of Mr. W. J. Keep, read before this Institute, have called attention to the influence of aluminum in cast-iron and on iron and steel castings. The information in these papers is interesting and valuable, as showing the modifications which iron undergoes when dosed with sufficient aluminum to form a distinct alloy, the quantity of the alloying metal used being such that the amount remaining in the casting is sufficient to be readily discovered by analysis. The same is also true of the so-called aluminum-steel patented by R. A. Hadfield, where the proportions specified are such as to leave in the finished steel from one-twentieth to one-tenth of one per cent. of aluminum. Whether these alloys are of practical utility or not has thus far . not been proved by any extended tests on a large scale, and until such evidence is forthcoming it may be safely held, provisionally, that such a use of aluminum is of doubtful utility. But there is another function which this metal can perform that has been known for some time, and which has passed beyond the experimental stage, viz.: its beneficial effect in securing sound ingots. It appears to be a general property of all metals when in the fluid state and at a temperature considerably above their points of fusion, to contain gas, either dissolved from the air or frorn the furnace, or else self-evolved by internal reactions. Silver, perhaps, shows this power in the highest degree, and mercury and lead in the least; midway stands steel—the quantity of gas which it can hold in solution, or " occlusion " as it has been called, varies with its temperature, its composition, and its mode of manufacture. When the steel sets in the mould, a portion of this gas escapes, causing blow-holes, surface defects, boiling-over, wildness, and quite a long train of troubles, familiar to all practical steel-makers. Ferro-silicon has long been used as a quieting agent. The first extended use of it for this purpose was made at Terre-Noire, in

Jan 1, 1892

[A discussion suggested by the paper of Mr. James Gsyley on " The Development of American Blast-Furnaces," read at the New York meeting of the Iron and Steel Institute, October, 1890, and reprinted from the Journal of that Society in Bans. A. I. M. E., xix., 932.1 (Cleveland Meeting, June, 1891.) [Kote by the SecretaRy.—The three following contributions to this discussion were communicated by letter to the Secretary of the Iron and Steel Institute, and were received by me too late for insertion in vol. xix. of the Transactions.] FRed. W. Gordon, Philadelphia, Pa.: Mr. Gayley's paper calls our attention to the very expensive blunder hitherto made in blowing too much wind in a given size of furnace. It was quite evident from an analysis of blast-furnace operations that the work we are doing in America is anything but creditable. We were consuming fully 1000 pounds of coke more than is necessary for each ton of iron made, and were hammering the linings of our furnaces out in a very short time, and nothing but the very high price of pig-iron would stand the drain. It had long been my pet scheme to gradually reduce the quantity of air, at the same time increasing the burden to the maximum and decreasing the limestone, and determining, if possible, the fuel economy which might be reached consistently with the maximum production of the furnace. After the success of the Isabella furnace at Pittsburgh, which was remodelled in 1880, the North Chicago Rolling Mill Company had

Jan 1, 1892

By C. M. Myrick

The following notes are submitted in the belief that they may interest some of the many owners of mall water-power plants, so generally used in mining-work throughout the West. A small and somewhat primitive quartz-mill was taken over by a leasing company, and a 10-stamp battery was installed. Originally, power had been furnished by a Pelton wheel; but, since the supply of water depended on the rate at which snow was melting 011 the mountains, a steam-plant had been added to help out during cold spells. This auxiliary plant was antiquated and expensive to operate, and, soon after starting up the remodeled mill, it broke down completely; so that it became neceseary to get all the power possible out of the Pelton wheel, with its ever-varying water-supply. The pipe-line, about a quarter of a mile long, was made up of assorted sizes, from 7 to 11 in. in, diameter; and, since it was buried deep under snow, there were no data from which to calculate the theoretical size of the nozzle. The stream being at this time at a low stage, it was important to make the most efficient use of the available water. This was done by using a nozzle large enough to pass the whole supply—taking care, however, to limit the size so as not to lower the water-level in the tank at the head of the pipe-line. As the weather became warmer, the nozzles were gradually enlarged to meet the increasing volume of water; but a point was finally reached where further enlargement only gave decreased power. Evidently the loss from friction had more than balanced the gain from the increased flow through the pipe. However, the area of nozzle that developed the maximum power from the pipe-line had been found. This was used; and the surplus water was allowed to run to waste at the head of the line.

Jan 1, 1913

By Robert Forsyth

In working the Bessemer process, the bottom of the converter has always been a source of trouble and annoyance, and the subject of more experiments, probably, than any other part of the complex mechanism called a Bessemer plant. This will not appear remarkable when the duties this important piece of refractory material has to perform are taken into consideration. In the first place, by means of the tuyeres, it delivers at a high pressure the air necessary for the conversion of the bath of metal, and has then to resist the intense

By E. C. Pechin

At the September meeting of the Iron and Steel Institute of Great Britain, Mr. Charles Wood, of the Tees Iron-works, read an interesting paper on "Further Improvements in Blast-Furnace Hearths," which was followed by an animated and instructive discussion. If the durability of hearths and in-walls is a matter of interest in England, where furnaces stay in blast from eight to twenty years, it

By R. H. Sweetser

There are probably as many variations of the method for blowing-in blast-furnaces as there are furnace superintendents. That some of these variations are poor practice is shown by the troublesome and sometimes disastrous experiences of many furnace-men, even within the last few years. It is the object of this paper to put on record a blowing-in practice that has gradually developed to the point where the results are sure, safe, and satisfactory; and also to bring into discussion several variations that are questionable. The blowing-in of a modern blast-furnace is one of the greatest of metallurgical operations. On its degree of success depends much of the future life of the lining and the subsequent behavior of the furnace; and it involves possibilities of danger to the men engaged in the work. The objects to be attained are the heating of the interior of the furnace to the high temperature necessary for smelting iron; the starting of the smelting process; and the gradual movement of the stock in its downward course. The most critical points are the placing of the kindling-wood, the " bringing down " of the gas, the closing of the iron-notch, and the first cast. The lighting of the first gas, the opening of the cinder-notch for the first flush, and the running of the first cast are anxious times for the superintendent and the furnace-men. Drying-Out the Furnace. As soon as a furnace-lining is completed it should be thoroughly dried out, whether it is to be blown-in soon or not; and the longer it is dried, the better for the furnace. At least two weeks is desirable; but good results can be had with 10 days of firing. The crudest and least desirable method of drying is to build a wood fire in the bottom of the furnace, throwing the wood in through a tuyere-arch, and using the iron-notch for

Jan 1, 1913

By C. W. Andrews

The various methods of by-product coke-manufacture have been quite thoroughly discussed in a number of papers recently published, and I think it would possibly be of interest and value to discuss the growth and probable future of the byproduct coke industry, rather than details of manufacture. The first by-product coke-plant in the United States, consisting of 12 ovens, was put in operation at Syracuse in January, 1893. This installation was followed by one at Johnstown, Pa., in 1895; one at Dunbar, in 1896, and one at Glassport, in 1897. The plant at Syracuse was primarily intended to supply the owners with ammonia for their alkali-works. At Glassport, for the first time, gas was sold for illuminating purposes, although it was mixed with water-gas to make it marketable. The New England Coke & Gas Co. started the plant in Boston in 1899, which was destined to change the whole trend of the establishment of by-product plants, since it manufactured for the first time illuminating-gas suitable for sale without enrichment. This was accomplished by dividing the gas on the battery into two portions. One portion, consisting of the richer part of the gas, was saved for sale, while the remaining, or leaner, portion was used in the battery. This idea was originated by Dr. Schniewind, of the United Coke & Gas Co. The coke was used for domestic, industrial, and locomotive fuel, as its sulphur-content was too high to make it suitable for use in the foundry. The successful operation of this plant led to the building of additional plants at points where the production of illuminating-gas could be sold to advantage and where there was a fair market for the coke-output. The following list of illuminating-gas plants in order of construction will give a good idea of the rapid growth of this method of combined gas- and coke-manufacture: Hamilton, Ohio; Detroit, Mich.; Camden, N. J.; Baltimore, Md.; Chester, Pa.; Milwaukee, Wis.; Duluth, Minn.; Geneva, N. Y.; Chicago, Ill.; Indianapolis, Ind. In addition to these there are now under construction plants at Muncie, Ind.; Joliet, Ill., and Waukegan, Ill., all of which will produce illuminating-gas and metallurgical coke.

Jan 1, 1913

By Godfrey T. Vivian

Very often important discoveries are made in one industry that may be used to advantage in another, but, owing to the rarity that men step out of one industry into another, these discoveries remain unknown outside of the trade or profession in which they are made. The present paper is written solely with the object of bringing to the notice of mining and metallurgical engineers a centrifugal ore-concentrator which eventually may have a great application. Ore- Grading. Fig. 1 represents the action which takes place when solids of different dimensions are stirred up in a box and allowed to settle as minerals of the same size but of different specific gravity. This principle is applied practically in grading china-clay and in enriching tin-slimes. In the latter case the slimes are stirred around in a tub with water and allowed to settle while at the same time the side of the tub is struck with a hammer. The colloidal slimes are then poured off and various slices taken off horizontally. The great drawback of this process is that the particles are deposited horizontally and all the colloids are lost. Fig. 2 represents the action in which the particles are deposited side by side. Here the drawback is the great length of the box needed in order to prevent excessive loss. The alternative to lengthening the box is to increase the force of gravity. Centrifugal force may be regarded practically as the force of gravity augmented. Fig. 3 illustrates the Gee centrifugal machine for grading ores. The drum, A, fitted with a box, B, is mounted on a shaft or spindle, C, the whole being suspended from a ball-bearing of special design at D, supported between girders, E. Rota-

Jan 1, 1913

By Frederick Laist

The ores received at the Washoe Smelter come almost entirely from the mines in Butte and contain the following minerals : Chalcocite, Cu2S; covellite, CuS; chalcopyrite, CuFeS2, (trace); bornite, Cu3FeS3; enargite, Cu3AsS4; malachite, Cu2CO4 + H2O (trace); pyrite, FeS2; sphalerite, ZnS; rhodo-chrosite, MnCO3, (less than 1 per cent.); rhodonite, MnSiO3, (less than I per cent.). The country-rock of Butte is of the granite family and is a quartz-monzonite containing a little less silica than typical granite. It is made up of the following rock-minerals in approximately the proportions indicated: Minerals. Composition. Per Cent. Quartz SiO2 20 Andesine 1/2 NaAlSi3O8; 4 CaAI2Si2O8 42 Orthoclase KA1Si308 23 Hornblende 1/2 Ca(MgFe)3Si4O12; & (MgFe)2(AlFe)4Si2O12 6 Biotite (HK)2(MgFe)2A12Si3O12 9 Titanite CaTiSiO5 0.1 Apatite (CaF)Ca4(PO4)3 0.05 Magnetite (FeO)(Fe2O3 0.15 Pyrite FeS2 0.02 99.32 The main country-rock (quartz-monzonite) is cut by dikes of aplite, a granite having the following composition: Quartz, 30; andesine, 20; orthoclase, 45; ferro-rnagnesian minerals, 3; pyrite, 0.1; total, 98.1 per cent. Closely associated with the copper-deposits are dikes and bodies of " Modoe" porphyry, technically known as quartz-

Jan 1, 1913

By H. F. Dawes

In China all minerals are, theoretically at least, the property of the Emperor, and the Imperial permission must be got from him for the privilege of working them. A direct tax is levied on this privilege, and by simple command, the Emperor can close a mine at any time. Occult geomantic influences are a large factor in determining the opening or the arbitrary closing of a mine. The location with reference to points of the compass, graves and natural objects, may be really or professedly considered as indicating that those influences are favorable or unfavorable. The consequence, is, of course, that for the authorization and encouragement of any considerable enterprise, friends' at court, practical politics, and more or less bribery, are required. As a result, most Chinese mining is illicit, and is carried on in a small way only. Often along a single vein, or over a small section of mining country, a few individuals obtain rights over all the openings, most probably by loaning money to the head-men of the operators and holding the mines as security for the debt. In such cases, perhaps, for better security, all the ore is reduced in the works established by the creditors, who also handle all silver produced..As the head-men are, for the most part, improvident, and the laws and customs for the collection of' debts are stringent and peculiar, the " officemen" or creditors acquire in time what is practically an ownership of

Jan 1, 1892

By S. Whinery

I am indebted to L. E. Bryant, of Danville, Ky., President of the Virginia Mining Co., operating coal-mines in Scott county, Tenn., for the following information relating to the existence of the Clinton iron-ore under the NW. slope of the Cumberland Plateau in Kentucky and Tennessee. During the past 15 years quite an important oil-field has been developed in a region having Wayne county, Ky., as its center, and a large number of wells have been drilled in that and adjacent territory in the search for oil. Many of these wells have been carried to considerable depths below the recognized oil-bearing horizon, and one of them was drilled by Mr. Bryant at Pine Knot, a station on the Cincinnati, New Orleans & Texas Pacific railroad, a few miles north of the point where that road crosses the Kentucky-Tennessee State-line. The elevation of

Jan 1, 1913

By John S. Alexander

The typical block coal of the Brazil (Indiana) District differs in chemical composition but little from the coking coals of Western Pennsylvania. The physical difference, however, is quite marked; the latter has a cuboid structure made up of bituminous particles lying against each other, so that under the action of heat fusion throughout the mass readily takes place, while block coal is formed of alternate layers of rich bituminous matter and a charcoal-like substance, which is not only very slow of combustion, but so retards the transmission of heat that agglutination is prevented, and the coal burns away layer by layer, retaining its form until consumed. This property permits the use of raw block coal in the furnace but theo-

By Frank Firmstone

In 1871, two furnaces at the Glendon Iron Works, which had been blown out on account of the "coal strike," were altered from the open-top plan with side flues for collecting the gas, to closed tops with cup and cone. In one furnace the suppression of the side flues permitted a considerable alteration in the profile, but in the other (No. 5) no change in this respect was made; the side flues were simply bricked up and new ones cut through the sides close to the top. This furnace was in blast over four years, and we can, therefore, form a pretty good idea of the effect of the alterations on the furnace process. The principal dimensions are; Height 72'; greatest diameter, 18'; diameter at tuyeres, 8'; diameter of top, 10'; diameter at stock line (point at which the top of the materials is kept), 11'; cubic contents, 11,900 cubic feet. The table below shows the average results for periods of twentysix weeks each. 1st, of the open-topped furnace; 2d, of the furnace with the first charger used, which was an ordinary cup and cone (diameter of cone 5' 2") 3d, with the charger used ever since, a " double " cone 7' 5" diameter outside, having a central opening 3' in diameter. The diagram (Plate 11) shows the daily variations, in the grade of the irons for the same periods.*

By Frank Firmstone

It is proposed to consider here only comparisons made between results obtained when the materials employed are precisely the same, two furnaces at the same works for example, or the same furnace under different conditions as respects temperature of blast, method of charging, etc. With this limitation, the most important point in the comparison is the amount of fuel consumed per ton of iron. This, in fact, is the only item in the prime cost of the iron which can properly be said to vary in consequence of changes in the furnace process; for of the other principal items, the ore used per ton of iron, and also the amount of fluxing material, will depend on its richness, which, under the assumed conditions, will be practically invariable when taken over any considerable period; the labor cost also, from its nature, should be very nearly constant when estimated on the ton of iron. Moreover, as it consists principally in handling and moving material, it is greatly affected by circumstances quite independent of