Search Documents

By D. J. Parker

Du.ring the past two years a number of oases of successful first-aid treatn . .)nt have been reported by or through the employees of the O. s. Bureau of -anes safety cars and stations. Among such cases are the following: At Benbush, w. Va., a boy or 16 years of age who ba.d just started to work in the mines was trained in first-aid by the crew of Bureau of Mines car 8. The local rr.ine superintendent afterwards reported tba.t a few dS¥s later this boy, Melvin Hollingsworht, found droming in a spring a. baby about three years old who bad wandered away fron.. har.e alone. The boy rescued the baby and perf'oxmed artificial re­suscitation upon it, thu.s saving the child's life. The Schaefer method of resuscitation bad bean ta"Ugbt the boy as a routine art of the regular first-aid course.

May 1, 1922

By A. L. Murray, P. A. Surgeon

The Spring Canyon Mine Rescue Association is a cooperative association supported jointly by five coal-mining companies located in Spring Canyon, Utah. The properties of mining companies the Carbon Fuel Co, Rains , Utah, the Liberty Coal Co. , Latuda, Utah, the Standard Coal Co. , Standardville , Utan, the Spring Canyon Coal Co. , Storrs , Utah, and the Peerless Coal Co. , Peerless , Utah about a mile apart and normally employ a total of 915 men , 733 underground 182 on the surface . and The Association was organized on July 5, 1921 , and Rudolph Clark, fomerly first - aid miner on U. S. Bureau of Mines Rescue Car 11 , was placed in charge. as manager . A board of directors made up of a representative from each of the cooperating companies (usually the mine superintendent ) is the governing body of the Association and the expenses are prorated on a basis of the production of each of the five mines . The Association maintains eight sets of Gibbs rescue apparatus and a motor truck fitted up as a combined rescue truck and ambulance . Additional apparatus are to be purchased . Standardville is the central camp in the canyon and has been made the headquarters of the Association . The apparatus are now kept and the truck housed in a small station, but plans have been prepared for a large station which will be built this summer . This new station will have a large apparatus room , a test chamber, a suitable room. for training, and a garage on the first floor, while above will be the living quarters of the manager . There is a good road through the canyon and the other camps are all within two and one -half miles of Standardville .

May 1, 1922

By R. B. Moore

The story of helium is one of the romances of science . Probably nothing , except perhaps radium , compares with it in human interest . Helium is one of the best examples of a discovery in pure science that has wide commercial application . In 1868 , an eclipse of the sun was visible in India , several scientific men who were in India making observations of the eclipse turned a spectroscope for the first time on the solar chromosphere - that part of the atmosphere of the sun , about 10,000 miles deep , which merges into the corona . A bright yellow line was observed and was thought at first to be due to sodium . Janssen showed , however , that this line was not just the same as either the D or D₂ line of sodium, although it was extremely close to these lines , hence he suggested that the new line have the designation D₂ . Frankland and Lockyer decided that Dz was due to an element in the sun not previously discovered on the earth , and suggested for it the name "Helium" from the Greek work " Helios " the sun . For several years nothing more was done in connection with this element . In 1894 , Sir William Ransay , in conjunction with Lord Rayleigh , made his memorable discovery of argon in the atmosphere , which was announced at the British Association meeting in the same year . After this discovery , Ramsay looked for other sources of the element . Through Sir Henry Miers , he learned that Dr. W. F. Hillebrand , of the United States Geological Survey , had obtained an inert gas from certain uranium minerals , which gas he had decided was nitrogen . Ramsay believed that part of it might be argon ; he obtained from Hillebrand for experimentation , a sample of the mineral , cleveite , one of the uranium minerals , and after extracting gas from the mineral and purifying it , he ran it into a spectrum tube . The lines obtained ' were , however , different from those of argon; among them was the bright yellow line noted by Janssen . Thus was terrestrial heliun discovered .

Jun 1, 1922

By E. W. Dean

This report on the physical and chemical properties of typical crude oils of Oklahoma is the sixth in a series of preliminary chapters of a bulletin covering the producing districts of the United. States. Preceding reports* may be obtained on request. The details of the methods used in this survey in collecting samples, making laboratory tests, and interpreting results are discussed in the first three papers. If any errors or omissions are noted by readers, it is hoped they will be brought to the attention of the Bureau of Mines for correction before the appearance of the permanent report. Samples of Oklahoma crudes analyzed in this report were taken from those fields representing the major production of the State. The Oklahoma Geological Survey designates 172 different oil and gas fields in the State, S1 being in Osage County, 14 in Tulsa County, 14 in Okmulgee County, 9 in Washington County. The list of samples collected by the Bureau of Mines represents only 5 fields in Osage County - Bigheart, Burbank, Hominy, Osage Junction, and Pershing - yet these samples, together with those from adjoining fields, are representative of nearly all crude produced in the county. The sample 'from the Pershing field, for example, is representative of the crude produced in several fields in that part of the county - such as Nelagoney, Pawhuska, Wyomona - and the sample from the Skiatook,

Jan 1, 1922

By L. C. IlsLey, E. J. Gleim

The extensive use of pulverized coal for fuel in industrial plants has brought to the front again a question that heretofore has been considered only a mining problem, namely, " Can coal dust be ignited by an electric arc ? " If it can be so imited, the next logical query is , "under what conditions can such ignition occur ? " In view of the new problems relating to pulverized coal installations , and because of occasional mine disasters attributed to ignition of coal dust by electric arcs , it seems advisable to review the work done by Thornton and Bowden with electric flashes in coal dust , and to report two preliminary investigations conducted by the Bureau of Mines .

Jun 1, 1922

By D. J. Parker

State governments are increasing their efforts each year toward promoting the safety of miners .. Accidents underground are being avoided and mines made safer by means of revising and adding to their mining laws , by enforcing them through mine inspection departments , and by hearty co - operation with other agencies working miners ' safety . The U. S. Bureau of Mines is glad to testify to the co -operation that it receives from State mining departments in its safety work ; reports of the field mining engineers of the Bureau bear witness almost daily to the efforts of the States toward safety in mining . * This Through the courtesy of Mr. William Ogilvie , District State Wine Inspector of District No. 2 , with headquarters at "cAlester , Oklahoma, the Bureau has been furnished with a copy of a letter sent to various mining companies of Mr. Ogilvie's district in Oklahoma, relative to safety in Oklahoma mines . letter shows both the vigorous efforts which the State of Oklahoma is making toward increased safety in mines , and the recognized value of the types of electric cap lamps approved by the U. S. Bureau of Mines as " permissible " for use in gaseous mines ; it is accordingly reproduced in part : "hen during my first inspections of several coal mines in the district I found gas , or fire- darp being given off more or less constantly from the freshly cut coal at numerous points throughout the mines , I became uneasy relative to safety conditions , and am still considering your safety from many angles , but I am more concerned about the gas given off and the coal dust produced daily, than any other factor at the present time .

Jun 1, 1922

By L. C. IlsLey

The Burrell methane indicator developed by Col. G. A. Burrell in 1915 was modified during 1918 to the " insulated type " Burrell indicator . Though this instrument has been used in mines since its first introduction , it was not formally approved as safe and efficient for use in gaseous mines until March , 1922. The indicator is built by the Mine Safety Appliances Co. , Pittsburgh , Pa . Approval No. 800 has been assigned to this company covering the device in the form approved . The principle of the Burrell indicator is fairly well known . It works on the same principle as the Haldane apparatus - measuring by means of a graduated scale , the contraction resulting from burning the methane content of an air and gas sample . A given aniount of the mine atmosphere to be tested for methane is taken into the indicator . This sample is then thoroughly shaken with the water in the indicator for one minute . The methane in the sample is now burned for two minutes by a heated platinum coil , which is energized by a small storage battery containing two Edison cells connected in series . After the glower or coil has burned for two minutes , it is disconnected from the battery , and the indicator is again shaken for The amount of contraction observed by reading the height the water rises in the U- tube of the indicator , which is calibrated to register the percentage of gas in the sample . The indicator as approved by the Bureau of Mines is equipped with an Edison M- 8 mine- lamp battery , and with a glass and scale graduated from zerɔ tɔ four per cent methane . The approval of a corbination service that is , an attachment for giving illumination from the same battery from which the platinum glower is operated has been withheld pending the development of a battery with larger capacity . - Under laboratory operating conditions , a single glower was capable of making at least 20 determinations if proper precautions were observed with respect to the use of freshly charged batteries . A battery should be allowed to stand off charge several hours before using in an indicator , as the peak voltage of a freshly charged Edison cell is abnormally high and is likely to send enough current through the glower to melt the platinum wire . Fifty-seven satisfactory operations were obtained from a completely charged battery . The point where the voltage of the cell fell below 2.3 volts with the glower attached was taken as the lower limit of successful operation . A voltage less than 2.3 does not permit the lower to burn at a temperature that will completely burn the gas in the air , thus giving a false indication .

Jun 1, 1922

By M. B. Cooke

In the course of investigation now in progress by the Bureau of Mines into the nature of " gum forming" constituents of gasoline , several gasolines and other petroleum products were heated in a small bomb , and pressures of considerable magnitude were developed . As the Bureau has received many inquiries for data showing the pressure that may be developed in a still when gasoline or other oil is subjected to elevated temperatures , it was thought advisable to record the pressures observed at various temperatures in the course of this work . data were merely a by- product of the main investigation . These Gasoline and similar products are very complex mixtures , and it is difficult to determine accurately the true vapor pressures , hence the vapor pressures of the oils used in these tests have not been studied in detail , but the data obtained may be taken as representative of the pressure- temperature relations of the various oils in commercial work.

Jun 1, 1922

By L. C. Ilaley

The Buresa. ot Mines at its Pittsburgh Station conducted tests aa earl7 a.a 1911 looking into the satety of miniature electric bulba. The first teata were maie with bulbs euch as were being sold with the partly developed lamps then on the market. 'l'he.sa aarly teats demonstrated the da.nger of using minia.tu:re bulbs in explosive mine atmospheres unless the current that enet gized the glow!ng filament was in aome minner inter.N.ptecl if the glass surrounding the filanant should be broken.

Jun 1, 1922

By D. Harrington

Examination of numberous disasters , such as fires or explosions , and the evidence at coroner's inquests following such disasters in several States , have shown the writer how frequently men in charge of the operation and safety of mines have forgotten, or have failed to learn , details of safe mining practices , After securing a position of trust as superintendent , or a certificate of competency to act as shot -firer , fire boss , or mine foreman, some men seem to have felt it unnecessary to keep safety principles in mind , or to keep abreast of current progress in safety ; they have concentrated on getting out maximum tonnage at minimum cost . • In coroner's inquests , the testimony after disasters has shown that firebosses , foreman , and coal -mine superintendents are noticeably lacking in knowledge of the provisions of the State mining law relating to fans or doors , frequency of crosscuts , nature of stoppings necessary , electrical equipment , records of daily mine examinations , quantity of air required , or splitting and overcasting .

Jul 1, 1922

By A. R. Mumford

The fuel economy ot a. plant m be better than ite anxious friend.a J'ealize. A watchful a-aper1.ntend.ent of a Goverment plant, kn.owing that improvements in plant equipment bad. been made since hie atOkel'e were installed, was almosi per­ suaded to aubatitute a new t.,pe. The Bul'eau. of Mines was asked to aaoertain the a.cti.i&l performance ot the old stokera and tound. the plant alr doing from three to five per cent better than was promieed for the new egp.ipment. Tbe va.1.ue ot accurate knowledge of plant perfoimarice, am the need. ot eqm.pment to weigh and measure quantities is thus demonstrated. The boiler and ,tour ett1c1enc, was found to be 75 per cent, and the overall efficiency of the boiler, etoker• and economize, wae 78 per cent. Both records are high, and are to be attributed to ce in operation, to good working condition of the plant, and to the low rate ot evaporation, which was only aboui two-third., et the botler'e rated. capacity. The plant teated conaiated ot two la.boock & Wilcox boiler, tired b1 means of over teed 1toker1 and equipped wi t,b. a fuel economiaei- 1n the uptake. The bo1lel'a ,upplied ateam to two large water pump being used only intermittently.

Jul 1, 1922

By D. Hurrington

For severlrl 1e1.rs the Bureau of Mines has studied dust and ventili in metal mines a.s a.tfeoting the hea.l th, safety, and efficiency of underground workers. From its beginning this work haa been directed by G, s. Rice, chief mining engineer, A. cooperative agreement was ma.de in 1915 with the u. s. Publi Health Service; since that time tield obmervations 1n metal mines in Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, Michigan and Nevada, and less extensive observation, in several other States have been made by mining engineers of the U, s. Bureau of Mines, and doctors of the u. s. Pu.blic Heal.th Service. Most of the analyt:J:eal work has been done by chemists, petrographers, and other specialists in the Pittsburgb station ot the Bureau of Mines, Numerous articles have been printed by the otticial and the technical press on this important in•estigation; 1n response to the need for a btiet bibliography of this literature. it has been compiled to facilitate accp1,intance with published data ot1. the subject,

Jul 1, 1922

By W. M. Myers

The U. S. Bureau of Mines conducted an investigation to determine the cause of the deterioration of Portland cement during storage and transportation , and to discover a means of preventing it . All available printed sources of information on this subject have been examined and a bibliography has been compiled . The subject has also been discussed with the leaders in the cement industry ; the present report is the result of their cooperation , and is based principally on information thus obtained . Deterioration of Portland cement during storage over any considerable period of time has long been noted ; closely related to it is deterioration of cement during transportation, which involves not only the time factor of storage but also exposure to varied climatic conditions . Deterioration in both cases is due to hydration of the cement by absorption of moisture from a humid atmosphere , or by exposure to actual rain-fall . After hydration cement possesses no cohesive power ; the degree of deterioration is directly proportional to the degree of hydration . The amount of deterioration of Portland cement during storage has been accurately determined in an investigation by the Structural Materials Research Laboratory , in cooperation with the Portland Cement Association . Cement stored in a shed in cloth sacks retained 80 per cent of its original strength after three months storage ; 71 per cent after six months ; 61 per cent after one year ; and 40 per cent after two years . The deterioration of Portland cement during storage and transportation was noted particularly in France during the World War . Information concerning cement used by the American Expeditionary Forces was furnished by Lt. Col. H. S. Spackman and Major E. C. Eckel , U. S. R. , who had charge of practically all matters concerning cement used by the A. E. F. The cement used by the A. E. F. came from the following sources : 42,000 tons was French , Swiss , and Spanish cements ; 120,000 tons was English cement ; 55,000 tons made in plants operated by the A.E.F .; 500 tons ( Not over) from America . Deterioration was most marked in cement from the first source .

Jun 1, 1922

By S. H. Katz

Tar and suspended matters are removed from manufactured gas used for domestic and industrial purpose.

Jul 1, 1922

By Byron. O. Pickard

"An Arizona mining company recently demonstrated a new use for the geophone by successfully locating leaks in compressed-air lines which were buried under from 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 feet of fine rock fill. The following information is abstracted from data sent to the Bureau of Mines by the superintendent of the mine.The company has two parallel main compressed-air lines, about one and one-half miles long, buried under an average of two feet of fine rock fill. One of the lines is a four-inch high-pressure (1000 pounds) main, and the other line a ten-inch low pressure (90 pounds) main. The two mains are separated by a 10 to 3C foot interval, and run from the compressor plant to the No. 2 shaft, where they are taken underground. A pump line is also buried in the immediate vicinity.Several leaks, not audible enough to be located, were developed in the Alms. Various =Abode were suggested that did not seem practicable to the management. Finally, the company obtained a Bureau of Mines' geophone and experimented with it. The first test& were conducted while the pumps were running, and while there was noise on the concrete pavement, all of Which caused so much vibration in the geophone that it was impossible to detect the leaks.The second attempt was made at the close of the day shift when the compressors were not operating and when the pumps could be shut down. The valves in the far end of the surface lines were closed, and the lines were pumped to full pressure (90 and 1,000 pounds respectively).Geophone readings were then taken at 7 or 8 foot intervals directly see the lines. Several leaks some very large in the high-pressure line were audible with the geophone at distances varying from 15 to 30 feet. A con-le leak in the low-pressure line was found at a distance of 10 feet. detecting the leaks, no difficulty was found in locating them exactly. ""At this time"", laid the superintendent of the mine, are unable to large a leak must be in order to be located under two feet of loose geophone. The fill we worked over was quite loose and dry and unfavorable for the work in question. However, we have no that the instrument is a valuable adjunct to our business""."

Aug 1, 1922

By W. M. Weigel

Langley is about nine miles north of Augusta, Georgia., on the Sou them :l;.ilv1ay. According to the South Carolina. Geological Survey, tr.e district is known a.s tr. Horse Creek and Town Creek sub-areas of the Aileen or Savannah River Area f the South Ciil.Z'olina Coastal Plains. The geology and origin of the clays 3l"e Jscribea in a bulletin of the South Carolina Geological Survey (Series 4, Bull, l; "A Preliminary Report on Cl.:.ws of South Carolina.-), According to this report, i.he clays are sedimentary kaolins, in the Mid.dendor! and Hamburg series of the Cretaceous Age.

Aug 1, 1922

By A. B. Hooker, L. C. IlsLey

Several ignitions or mine pa, which might have led to explosions, and at least ona mine fire attributed to heated leg wires of electric detonators, have occm.rred. at rn1::.es in which outside shot firing is practiced. Photographs taken at one mine ind.la.ted. that the wires became red hot during firing. These results having been --i·-led. to the .Lttention of the electrical section of the Bureau of the Mines, ignitions the tests and to reportd aid in herein preventing were made future to trouble determine of if this possible kind, the cause of The investigation, which 1• considered preliminary, included tests to determine the conditions tha.t cause gas ignitions from heated. leg wires of electric and. of detonators, copper leg possible wires, remedies The tor samples such of heating, wire used. and in the the relative test were behavior the of reg\llar ironDa. Pont iron and copper leg wires (No, 22 A,W,G.) C\1t from Du. Pont electric detonators.

Aug 1, 1922

By A. B. Hooker, L. C. IlsLey

In lare-scal e blasting, it is customary to fire me.l'\Y shot.!:l simu1. taneously. The electric !atonators ara usually conneced in seies, ard are fired either from a power circuit or :from a blasting ma.chine with large capacity, operated by hand. "!hen :'::ri111; with a blasting ca.chine, trouble with missed shots has been freqi.,.ently e>:pert0nced.. Unit1:i:' thes ,:::rcu:ns tances, the shots that fail to fire are often a gr"up in the t.:E"nter r,f t>e series, Various explaz,.a.tions hs.ve been given as to the cause of the failurs. Tis paper covers a few tests made cy the electrical section of tl:.e Dti..'t'cau. cf Mines, wh;.r.;h may be helpful in understanding the -probable cuse of tl1e misfiring of c.:anter shots, Wh3tever th9 source ot the firir. current generator, magneto, or batter, the CUl"rent delivered th:·01.1.gh a shot-f:?·ing circu.it is determined by t.ae total resistance of ,;he clrcili +.; c:1nd all cure:it leaving th9 p,si tive terminal must return to tre negative te1-minal. If a. metallic circuit is well i1,.sul.:tted, praeti­ccl. l;1 a.ll of the t.'Urrent keepo within the circu.it; but in a. shot-!11·.irig ci.rc1li t, Nhere the ·.vires f:ll·e often 1n c.c,i.cact with the eru:"!ih as i11 wet holer., end whero the ins".lla.tion of the leg wires :i. inadecpa.te to prc·,ent lea.l.tage, the current ma.v tu.e v a.r ious pa the: thro-.. .. gh the nr r. earth.

Aug 1, 1922

By H. A. Doerner

Tellurium is a silver white solid with metallic luster, the e17atal.line torm being ver., brittle aud e.g,s!ly powdered. It has a specific gravity of 6,27, melta at 45a0c. and boils at red het, giving off a. golden 1ellow vapor when air 11 excludei. When heated in air, telluri'UiD burns with a bl\te name tinged with green, and evolves wh1 te vapors ot tellurium dioxide. An amorphous form of tel­lurium, obtained by red.uction and precipi ta.tion from so).ution, haa II specific gr1.vity ot 6,015, and when heated ia cho.nged to the cry:.,talline variety. Telluri,a 11 insoluble in water, c&rbon diaiJ.phido, or h;rd.rochl oric acids, but it 11 41a-1olved bJ nitric or concen t1·ated. sulphi.U·ic acid. It 1..oea not tamiah in moiet ah•• 11 ree11tant to alkaline solutions, e,;:ctpt concentrated KOB, but it 11 cliaaolvecl by tuaed. &lkl 1••. I ts 11.to!!lic weight h..'l.a been the "J.Ubject ot mch controverq, bu\ t.he value 137 .5 :.a bl!ten generally accepted, Tho chflmietr:, of tellurium ia eim1lar to that ot IUlphur. It tonne throo xid.ee TeO, To02, and Te0 , al10 tellur14ea, t•llurite,, and. tellur1.t11, A number of halide compoWld.1, a 3iulph1de, and. a .ulpbat.e are known.

Aug 1, 1922

By C. E. Munroe

In order to meet the emergencies of the world wr, tne quantities of explosivea produced in the Unitecl States, and the number of explosives plants were onti:.1.1.:l,lly ncreased so that when the armistice was declared the Government had on hand larg ..mounts oi militazy explosives in excess of existing military needs. Tle stor3.gs of these explosives entailed a liirge expense and their protection neessitatei the employment of m'3.l'lY men who could be better employed otherwise in the military estlish.11ent. Moreover, mar.y ex.ploives, like QJ.l other material, deteriorate on prolonged storage, They lose tht precise definiteness of properties and behavior on which reliance· is placed in military operations, The continued expen3e and d3.nger ttending storage of theae explosives might be diminished by dcst1et1on of the surplus beyond immediate needs, but such·deetniction is danger• ou5 qnd coetly. Hence, the evident solution o! the problem was the salvage d prompt ut111zation of the ru.rplua •

Aug 1, 1922