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By H. M. Roche

MAGNETITE mining and milling in the Eastern States was sharply curtailed in 1938, production showing a decrease of 36 per cent from 1936 and 57 per cent from 1937. Six mines, one in Pennsylvania, two in New York, and three in New Jersey were in operation, either part or full time, during the year. In recent years ten Eastern magnetite mines have been more or less active but since the World War the market for Eastern ores- has been spotty. The scrapping of Eastern merchant pig iron furnaces, imports of cheaply mined duty-free foreign ore, and high freight cost have been contributing factors.

Jan 1, 1939

By Harrison Souder

MAGNETITE mining and milling in the Eastern States showed continuing improvement during the year. Some of the smaller mines remained idle, but the larger operations responded promptly to the improved situation in the iron and steel industry. The output of ore for 1936 was over twice that for 1935. A number of improvements were made in mine plant and equipment, and operating forces were increased and maintained at near normal. The coming year should see additional mines started up and production increased at the larger properties.

Jan 1, 1937

By Harrison Souder

UNDER the stimulus of steadily in- creasing 'demands of the steel industry at home, and with the supply of available ores from abroad appreciably diminished owing to vigorous rearmament campaigns in Europe, production of Eastern magnetite ores reached an all- time peak in 1937. Although the figures given in the accompanying table are partly estimated (actual figures were available for eleven months only), it appears that 1937 production was nearly 47 per cent higher than that of 1936.

Jan 1, 1938

By J. R. Linney

THE Eastern Magnetite Industry produced approximately 7,850,000 long tons of crude ore in 1945 from which was obtained approximately 3,650,000 long tons of shipping product or a ratio of 2.10 to 1. Lack of skilled or experienced miners was the greatest handicap. Veterans returning to work improved the underground labor shortage in some localities but as a whole the labor shortage was keenly felt throughout the industry. One cannot now predict what may be accomplished in 1946 but barring major steel strikes a worthwhile improvement can be expected. At the Richard mine of the Richard Ore Co., the shipping product for the year amounted to approximately 124,650 long tons of concentrate and lump ore. Crude-ore production was 160,600 long tons. The average analysis for lump ore was 63 per cent iron and for concentrates 66.05 per cent. The Warren Foundry and Pipe Corp. at their Mt. Hope mine produced 73,000 long tons of lump ore averaging 59.5 per cent and 57,000 long tons of concentrate averaging 67 per cent. The total mine hoist was approximately 209,000 long tons. Operations were commenced through the new Leonard shaft on Jan. 18; the Brown shaft through which operations had been conducted since 1912 caved beyond repair on Sept. 26. No one was injured but pumping facilities were somewhat disrupted. In order to reach designed capacity a total of 400 men will be required with 300 underground. Due to shortage of labor all operations in 1945 were concentrated on the 1700 level. As fast as men can be hired and trained development of the 2100 and 2500 levels will commence. Mt. Hope has a consider-

Jan 1, 1946

By H. M. Roche

MAGNETITE mining and milling in the Eastern States in 1939 showed considerable improvement over 1938. For the first eight months of the year production of magnetite proceeded at a normal rate but operations were stepped up in the last four months owing to increased domestic demand. In New York, the Republic Steel Corp. operated the Witherbee-Sherman mines at Mineville throughout the year. Chateaugay Ore and Iron Co. operated their low-phosphorus mine at Lyon Mountain for the first seven months, but on Aug. 1, Republic Steel took over this mine -and have since operated it. In Pennsylvania, the Bethlehem Steel Co, operated the Cornwall mine continuously. In New Jersey, Mt. Hops and Scrub Oak were in operation all year. The Washington mine went into production on Nov. 1 and the Richard mine on Dec. 1.

Jan 1, 1940

By J. R. Linney

THE Eastern magnetite industry has not failed in its contribution to the war program during the past year. Man-power shortage was the critical problem in maintaining production and for the last half of the year, owing to lack of man power, it was necessary for some mines to change from seven to six days per week schedule. At Cornwall, Pa., the mine operated by the Bethlehem Steel Co. produced approximately 2,000,000 tons of crude ore and 1,200,000 tons of iron ore concentrates, a decrease of about 10 per-cent compared with the previous year. Railroad haulage in the open-pit at this mine was discontinued, being replaced by Mack trucks of approximately 30 tons' capacity. At the Mt. Hope mine in New Jersey, the Warren Foundry and Pipe Corp. produced about 195,000 long tons of crude ore obtaining 70.000 long tons of lump ore and 35,800 long tons of concentrates. An additional 24,500 long tons of concentrates was produced from a stock pile of 47.000 long tons of crude ore accumulated during the latter half of 1943, following the fire in their old dry mill. All of this material was handled through their Brown

Jan 1, 1945

By J. R. Linney

APPROXIMATELY 5,788,000 long tons of crude ore was produced by the Eastern magnetite industry in 1946, or a drop of 26 per cent compared -with 1945. Decrease in production -throughout the industry varied from :8 per cent for the mine with the lowest reduction to 49 per cent for the mine -with the highest reduction. At the Chateaugay mine, operated by :the Republic Steel Corp. at Lyon Mountain, N. Y., 426,900 long tons of crude ,ore was produced, yielding 129,500 long tons of concentrates or a reduction of 46 per cent compared with the previous year. Owing to a strike the mine was closed down from Jan. 21 to July 29. At the Mineville mines, also operated by Republic Steel, output was 755,000 long tons of crude ore or a reduction of 49 per cent compared with 1945. The yield from the crude ore production consisted of 51,500 long tons of lump ore and 380,000 long tons of concentrates. The Mineville plant did not operate from March 17 through July 28, on account of the strike. The Fisher Hill mine, which produced 93,000 long tons of crude ore, included in the above figures, has not operated since March 17, 1946.

Jan 1, 1947

By Arthur T. Ward

DESPITE the intense preoccupation of most of those members connected with the mining, concentration, and reduction of iron ores, the luncheon and subsequent technical session of the Eastern Magnetite Committee were exceedingly well attended. Many of the older faces were absent, but new ones took their places. More than sixty, all told, took in the technical session. Chairman Crockett opened the session by calling upon Meredith E. Johnson, whose paper, with its accompanying graph, was in reality a comprehensive historical review of iron mining from colonial days to the end of 1941. with some notes on current expansion which indicates that New Jersey is destined to become a still more important. factor in the production of magnetite ores.

Jan 1, 1942

By Fordyce Coburn

RICHARD ore mine of the Colorado Fuel & Iron Corp. is an underground magnetite operation located in northern New Jersey approximately four miles northeast of the town of Dover, and 40 miles west of New York City. The mine is situated on the southeastern flank of one of the many gneissic ridges having a northeast-southwest trend

Jan 11, 1953

Estimates of 80% coal recovery in strip mining and 5O% recovery in auger mining are commonly used in reserve base calculations, according to a Bureau study team. A survey of coal mining states east of the Mississippi was conducted to test the validity of those figures.

Jan 10, 1977

By Martin Coryell

THIS coal area, and the coal from a limited portion of it, has been known for a long time. In 1817, McClure prepared a geological map to represent the boundaries, and they are not controverted at the present date. In 1834, Richard C. Taylor made a survey and report on portions of the basin. In 1835, Prof. W. B. Rogers was appointed by the State of Virginia to make a geological survey, and made six annual reports in which this area was included; but the re¬ports and maps were not published. R. C. Taylor's Statistics of Coal, published in 1855, gave to the public the details of exploration and production, to date, very perfectly and completely. Daddow and Bannan's work, Coal, Iron, and Oil, published in 1866, repeated the details before given, and advanced some vague theories respecting the coal-field, but gave no new facts. Macfarlane's work, Coal Regions of America, published in 1873, under the head of "Triassic Coal," chapter 27, gives what is known from existing publications of the position, geology, and production of the field, making

Jan 1, 1875

THE Institute assembled in the metallurgical lecture-room of Pardee Hall, Lafayette College, at 7 o'clock P.M. on Tuesday evening, October 21st. The session was opened by the President, R. W. Raymond, with an address on Mining Industry as illustrated at the Vienna Exposition. The second session was held on Wednesday morning. The Council reported the following names for election as members and associates. They were unanimously elected. †Ayres, W. S., - Easton, Pa. *Baker, Prof. A. L., - Easton, Pa. †Browne, Thomas Nicholl, - Hamilton, Nev. *Carter, Frank, - Pottsville, Pa. *Davis, E. F. C., - Pottsville, Pa. *Fox, Prof. J. G., - Easton, Pa. *Haight, Ogden, - Etna, Pa. †Hall, Norman, - Sharon, Pa. *Knap, Joseph, - Fountain Mill, Pa. †Miller William McKeen, - Easton, Pa. †Pardee, I. P., - Easton, Pa. *Plater, John E., - Eureka, Nev. *Platt, Joseph L., Jr., - Franklin Furnace, N. J. *Plumb, W. H., - Mauch Chunk, Pa. *Reis, George L., - New Castle, Pa. *Samuel, Edward, - Philadelphia, Pa. *Smith, William Allen, - Trenton, N. J. *Smock, Prof. John C., - New Brunswick, N. J. *Weberling, Charles, - Salt Lake City, Utah. Also the following as foreign members Beaulieu, Ad. le Hardy de, - Brussels, Belgium.. Beaumont, Major Fred., - London, England. Beck, Alexander, - Mons, Belgium. Bodmer, J. J., - London, England. Brassert, Berghauptmann, Dr., - Bonn, Prussia. Brogden, James, - London, England * Members. † Associates.

Jan 1, 1874

The Institute assembled in the metallurgical lecture-room of Pardee Hall, Lafayette College, at 7 o'clock P.M. on Tuesday evening, October 21st. The session was opened by the President, R. W. Raymond, with an address on Mining Industry as illustrated at the Vienna Exposition. The second session was held on Wednesday morning. The Council reported the following names for election as members and associates. They were unanimously elected. Ayres, W. S.,.......Easton, Pa. *Baker, Prof. A. L.,.. Easton, PR. Browne, Thomas Nicholl,.... Hamilton, Nev. *Carter, Frank,......Pottsville, Pa. *Davis, E. F. C.,... Pottsville, Pa. *Fox, Prof. J. G.,...,..Easton, Pa. *Haight, Ogden,...Etna, Pa. Hall, Norman,...Sharon, Pa. *Knap, Joseph,......Fountain Mill, Pa. Miller William McKeen,.... Easton, Pa. Pardee, I. P.,....Easton, Pa. *Plater, John E.,......Eureka, Nev. *Platt, Joseph L., Jr.,.....Franklin Furnace, N. J. *Plumb, W. H.,......Mauch Chunk, Pa. *Reis, George L.,......New Castle, Pa. *Samuel, Edward,. ..Philadelphia, Pa. *Smith, William Allen,.....Trenton, N. J. *Smock, Prof. John C.,..... New Brunswick, N. J. *Weberling, Charles,.....Salt Lake City, Utah. Also the following as foreign members: Beaulieu, Ad. le Hardy de,. . Brussels, Belgium. Beaumont, Major Fred.,..London, England. Beck, Alexander,.Mons, Belgium. Bodmer, J. J.,..London, England. Brassert, Berghauptmann, Dr.,. .. Bonn, Prussia. Brogden, James,.London, England.

By AIME AIME

EVEN though most of the program of the joint meeting at Easton, Pa., on Oct. 30 to Nov. 1. was devoted to the interests of combustion engineers rather than to coal-mining engineers, nevertheless the A.I.M.E. Coal Division was well represented, with 83, or close to one third of those in attendance giving this as their affiliation. The fuels division of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers had 108 representatives, and an equal number reported no society affiliation. Added to the men's total registration was that of some twenty ladies so the total attendance was in the neighborhood of 325, exceeding that of the last two joint meetings, at Birmingham and Columbus, and equaling the 1938 crowd at Chicago.

Jan 1, 1941

By Frank Firmstone

In April, 1873, No. 2 furnace at the Glendon Iron Works being out of blast, it was decided to alter it from an open to a closed top. The three side flues, through which a part of the gas was formerly taken off, were 15 feet below the top, and as, for various reasons, it was not convenient to cut new flues through the brickwork at the top, as is commonly done with closed-top furnaces, a modification of Coingt's charger was employed. This apparatus, as figured by De Vathaire,* consists of a cup or hopper, like that used with the cup and cone, and a central pipe for taking off the gas, which descends some distance into the furnace, and has a projection around it forming a seat for a ring of a triangular cross-section, which closes the opening between the cup and the central gas-pipe. The charge is put into the cup, and by lowering the ring, is thrown into the furnace, a part going outside of the ring toward the walls, and a part through the inside toward the gas-pipe. In this form the apparatus was not applicable, for: 1st. With a gas-pipe three feet in diameter, in a top eight feet in diameter, the openings left by lowering the ring would not be large enough to let lump coal pass through. 2d. For the charger to shut tight, the ring must bear equally against the projection made for it on the gas-pipe, and against the edge of the cup. This would not be difficult to effect when the apparatus is first put up, but a comparatively small change in the relative position of the parts, such as is almost certain to occur from expansion, would cause the ring to touch the pipe or the cup, whichever happened to be the lower, first, and leave a leak between it (the ring) and the other. In the plan adopted (Figs. 5 and 6, Plate I), the central opening in the ring is closed by the bottom of the gas-pipe, whereby more room is left for the passage of the stock when the charger is open, than if the pipe descended into the furnace; and the pipe, instead of being rigidly supported, rests on the ring, when the charger is closed, and follows it for two or three inches as it opens, until stopped by the counter-balance lever C. When the ring is raised to close the furnace top, it comes in contact first with the bottom edge of the gas-pipe, then both are raised together, until stopped by the ring touching the edge of the cup. In this way a good joint is made at both places.

By J. J. Bodmer

In 1855, Franz Uchatius patented, in England, his process of manufacturing cast steel. The first experiments, on a practical scale, were made at the Ebbw Vale Iron Works, Monmouthshire. The charge consisted of a mixture of cast iron with about 20 per cent. of a pure iron ore, and with or without other ingredients. In order to obtain the cast iron in a subdivided condition, Uchatius granulated molten pig-metal by running it into water, which during the operation was kept well agitated, and found that "the finer the iron is granulated, the softer will be the resulting steel." The writer is not aware that granulated iron has been used practically, otherwise than in the above-named process; and until 1866 no other process of subdividing iron than by granulation was known. In April, 1866, an English patent was obtained by the writer for subdividing blast-furnace and other slags and metals in a molten condition, by passing the same through one or more pairs of rolls. In reference to iron the idea was, in following up the direction pointed out by the Uchatius process, to obtain better results in the puddling process by means of a thorough amalgamation (not simply a mixture) of the iron with the oxides and other ingredients in the charge itself. Experiments were made. A quantity of iron direct from the blastfurnace was subdivided (or laminated) by passing it through a pair of plain rolls. The rolls were hollow, and water was made to pass through them to keep them sufficiently cool. Without giving differential speed to the rolls, sheets were obtained about one-sixteenth inches thick, and from about one hundred square inches surface, downwards. With differential speed, the iron falls from the rolls in

By R. P. Rothwell

A Reference to the geological map of Alabama shows the Goalmeasures of that State to form three distinct fields. The Coosu, or most easterly, contains about one hundred square miles ; the Cahaba, or middle field, which is also the most southern true coal in the United States, contains about 230 square miles ; and the Warrior field, which contains in the State of Alabama some 5000 square miles, is the southern extremity of the great carboniferous deposit, which extends through Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Georgia. But very little has yet been done towards developing those coalfields, partly owing to the absence of all commercial manufacturing enterprise in the South under slavery, and partly owing to the want of capital and the disturbed condition of the South since the war. During the past three or four years I have devoted a large part of my time to the examination of the coal and iron ores of this range,

By J. J. Bodmer

Although the similarity between puzzolana, or trass, and blastfurnace slag, as seen by comparison of the analyses, is a well-known fact, blast-furnace slag has not been used commercially as a substitute for those cementing materials. The reason, the writer apprehends, lies in the fact that unless such slag is disintegrated or subdivided by rolls, the process must either be too costly, or the material is not in a fit and proper condition for the purpose. In order to produce a reliable slag cement, the slag must be ground together with the lime into an impalpable powder. The subdivided slag must, therefore, be perfectly dry, and, at the same time, friable. The stronger the hydraulic properties of the lime, the more reliable the slag cement will be, and practice has proved, that the slag from a gray-iron furnace gives the best results. The slag cement which has given the results shown in the annexed table, under pressure tests, was composed of six parts of slag, from a blast-furnace producing No. 3 foundry iron, and one part of lime, of medium hydraulic properties. The above-described class of cement bears storing as long as most Portland cements, and the cheapness of its production is self-evident.

By A. Eilers

I present herewith, for the inspection of the members of the Institute, a specimen of coke, made in gas-retorts from the lignite of Trinidad, Colorado.