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By James F. Howe

EveRy engineer and user of wire rope is desirous of information that will enable him to determine whether the performance of any particular piece of rope is satisfactory, and what conditions can be changed so as to increase the life of a rope. In most cases, it is far from easy to analyze the conditions of service and tell which is the greatest factor in determining the life of wire rope. If we start on a layout for an entirely new rope system, the task of making conditions satisfactory is simplified so far as the engineering details are concerned; but if the plant requiring wire rope is in operation, any change is likely to involve the expenditure of considerable money to replace and change over machinery that must be kept in constant operation, because a large monetary loss will result from a shutdown for even a few days. Often wire rope is kept operating under bad conditions, as the user thinks that it is cheaper and quicker to replace the rope than to make alterations in the hoisting machinery. A typical case is a metal mine operating in what is now almost the center of a large mining city, where it owns a few acres of mineral rights. It was expected that the shaft would go to a depth of 1000 ft. (305 m.), so a moderate-sized rope, about 1 1/4in. (31.7 mm.), was used on a 6-ft. drum with a 7-ft. head-frame sheave and rather short lead from drum to head sheave. This mine has gone deeper each year until it is now 2500 ft. deep and the rope speed has been increased from 1500 ft. per min. to over 3000 ft. The original rope just filled the drum in one layer, now it overwinds three layers. The original ropes were probably 6 X 19 crucible steel and lasted from 12 to 18 mo.; now, the highest grade plow steel is used, yet the average service is only about 6 mo. The cause is not hard to find. If the engineers had known at the outset what would be done with this hoist, the design would have been very different. Conditions at this mine, from a wire-rope standpoint, have gradually become worse and it is difficult to see how rope service on this hoist can be compared with the service of previous years with any fairness to the wire-

Jan 1, 1923

By James F. Howe

EveRy engineer and user of wire rope is desirous of information that will enable him to determine whether the performance of any particular piece of rope is satisfactory, and what conditions can be changed so as to increase the life of a rope. In most cases, it is far from easy to analyze the conditions of service and tell which is the greatest factor in determining the life of wire rope. If we start on a layout for an entirely new rope system, the task of making conditions satisfactory is simplified so far as the engineering details are concerned; but if the plant requiring wire rope is in operation, any change is likely to involve the expenditure of considerable money to replace and change over machinery that must be kept in constant operation, because a large monetary loss will result from a shutdown for even a few days. Often wire rope is kept operating under bad conditions, as the user thinks that it is cheaper and quicker to replace the rope than to make alterations in the hoisting machinery. A typical case is a metal mine operating in what is now almost the center of a large mining city, where it owns a few acres of mineral rights. It was expected that the shaft would go to a depth of 1000 ft. (305 m.), so a moderate-sized rope, about 1 1/4in. (31.7 mm.), was used on a 6-ft. drum with a 7-ft. head-frame sheave and rather short lead from drum to head sheave. This mine has gone deeper each year until it is now 2500 ft. deep and the rope speed has been increased from 1500 ft. per min. to over 3000 ft. The original rope just filled the drum in one layer, now it overwinds three layers. The original ropes were probably 6 X 19 crucible steel and lasted from 12 to 18 mo.; now, the highest grade plow steel is used, yet the average service is only about 6 mo. The cause is not hard to find. If the engineers had known at the outset what would be done with this hoist, the design would have been very different. Conditions at this mine, from a wire-rope standpoint, have gradually become worse and it is difficult to see how rope service on this hoist can be compared with the service of previous years with any fairness to the wire-

Jan 1, 1923

By A. H. Daane, W. J. Wunderlin, B. J. Beaudry

In an earlier study at this laboratory,' the authors investigated the solid solubility of holmium in copper, silver, and gold, and also the melting point of the first eutectic on the noble-metal-rich side in these systems. In a more recent study of the solubility of rare-earth metals in gold at this laboratory. Rider, Gschneidner, and McMasters2 noted that the reported eutectic temperature in the Ho-Au system was lower than the corresponding eutectics in systems of dysprosium and erbium with gold. A redetermination of the eutectic temperature in the Ho-Au system with the same alloy used in the original study showed the eutectic temperature to be 810°C instead of 778°C as originally reported. (The eutectic temperatures in the Ho-Ag and Ho-Cu systems were also redetermined and were found to be 795" and 864°C compared to 787° and 868°C, respectively, which were reported originally.) Since this large change in eutectic temperature made the solubility data appear questionable, new alloys were prepared, heat-treated, and examined metallographically. The procedure of sample preparation and heat treatment used in the original work' was followed except longer heat treatments were used ranging from 7 days at 600°C to 6 hr at 900°C. The results obtained are shown in Fig. 1. There is good agreement between the two studies in the maximum solubility of holmium in gold. Since the slope of the solvus is less pronounced in the present study, the extrapolation to 550°C shows a solubility of 1.6 wt pct Ho in gold compared with 1.0 wt pct in the original work. Since additional data were obtained and longer heat treatments were used in the present study, the larger value is believed to be more accurate. The authors wish to express their appreciation to P. Rider and K. A. Gschneidner. Jr., for bringing this discrepancy to their attention, and also to D. Thompson for assisting in the present study.

Jan 1, 1965

By T. B. Counselman

"C" VERYONE who has to calculate cyanide circuits, -¦-' using either thickeners, filters or both, realizes the headaches involved in solving a set of simultaneous equations. When you calculate a large number of these, based on experimental data, trying to arrive at the best flowsheet, you can spend days at the task. T. B. COUNSELMAN, Member AIME, is Manager, FluoSolids Division, The Dorr CO., Stamford, Conn. AIME New York Meeting, Feb. 1950. TP 2783 B. Discussion (2 copies) may be sent to Transactions AIME before March 31, 1950. Manuscript received Aug. 23, 1949. Herewith is presented a short method, equally accurate with the standard simultaneous equation method, and much quicker. Here for instance is the standard simultaneous equation method, for 100 tons per day of $10 ore, with the conditions assumed as below (fig. 1). Conditions Assumed a. 100 tons of ore per day crushed in cyanide solution. b. Discharge from all thickeners with 50 pct moisture. c. $10 value dissolved per ton of ore. d. 50 pct in mill and 50 pct in agitators. e. 400 tons of solution from thickener V precipitated to $0.02. f. Agitation with a dilution of 2 of solution to 1 of solids. g. Let V, W, X, Y and Z represent value in dollars per ton of solution discharged from the resvective thickeners. Equating Out of and Into Each Thickener 1. lOOVplus 400V = 500W plus (0.50 X $10 X 100) 2. 1OOWplus 600W= 500X plus lOOW plus (0.50 X $10 X 100) plus lOOV 3. lOOXplus 500X = 1OOWplus 500Y 4. 1OOY plus 500Y = 1002 plus 1OOX plus (400 X 0.02) 5. 100 Zplus l00Z = l00Y plus 100 tons of water (value $0.00) Simplifying: 1. v = W plus 1.00 2. W = X plus 1.20 3. X = Y plus 0.24 4. Y = 0.2Zvlus 0.064 5. 2Z= Y

Jan 1, 1951

By A. K. Schellinger, R. D. Lalkaka

IF the ball mill is considered only from an energy standpoint, it can be thought of as a converter of kinetic energy into heat energy and surface energy. The law of the conservation of energy must apply to the ball mill as it does to any machine or process in nature. The heat energy output of the ball mill is apparent to any casual observer of the operating mill since the outflow pulp will be appreciably warmer than the inflow water and rock. The rock in the ball mill is crushed by shearing of its ionic bonding caused by some impact-induced stresses beyond the elastic limit. As the bonds holding the mineral crystal lattices together are ruptured, new surface area is created on each unit of which a definite number of unsaturated bonds exist. Such unsaturated energy of bonding may be termed the "surface energy," and is a potential energy figure. This created energy was withdrawn from the ball mill system and represents an absorption, or disappearance of heat. To reduce the size of the rock, surface area must be created and with it the at- tendant characteristic surface energies of the minerals concerned. Thus the creation of surface energy, from an energy viewpoint, is the creation of useful work by the ball mill. Because of the controversial nature of the energy efficiency figures for modern operating ball mills, it seemed worthwhile to approximate the ordinary magnitude of such efficiencies from the above viewpoint. This was done by an energy balance of the three aforementioned forms of energy, kinetic, heat, and surface energy, for two 9Y2x10-ft grate-type ball mills grinding cement raw materials. Kinetic energy input to the balls was approximated as closely as possible while the heat energy output was measured by means of a thermometer and water and rock flow rates. The assumption was made

Jan 1, 1952

By T. B. Counselman

"C" VERYONE who has to calculate cyanide circuits, -¦-' using either thickeners, filters or both, realizes the headaches involved in solving a set of simultaneous equations. When you calculate a large number of these, based on experimental data, trying to arrive at the best flowsheet, you can spend days at the task. T. B. COUNSELMAN, Member AIME, is Manager, FluoSolids Division, The Dorr CO., Stamford, Conn. AIME New York Meeting, Feb. 1950. TP 2783 B. Discussion (2 copies) may be sent to Transactions AIME before March 31, 1950. Manuscript received Aug. 23, 1949. Herewith is presented a short method, equally accurate with the standard simultaneous equation method, and much quicker. Here for instance is the standard simultaneous equation method, for 100 tons per day of $10 ore, with the conditions assumed as below (fig. 1). Conditions Assumed a. 100 tons of ore per day crushed in cyanide solution. b. Discharge from all thickeners with 50 pct moisture. c. $10 value dissolved per ton of ore. d. 50 pct in mill and 50 pct in agitators. e. 400 tons of solution from thickener V precipitated to $0.02. f. Agitation with a dilution of 2 of solution to 1 of solids. g. Let V, W, X, Y and Z represent value in dollars per ton of solution discharged from the resvective thickeners. Equating Out of and Into Each Thickener 1. lOOVplus 400V = 500W plus (0.50 X $10 X 100) 2. 1OOWplus 600W= 500X plus lOOW plus (0.50 X $10 X 100) plus lOOV 3. lOOXplus 500X = 1OOWplus 500Y 4. 1OOY plus 500Y = 1002 plus 1OOX plus (400 X 0.02) 5. 100 Zplus l00Z = l00Y plus 100 tons of water (value $0.00) Simplifying: 1. v = W plus 1.00 2. W = X plus 1.20 3. X = Y plus 0.24 4. Y = 0.2Zvlus 0.064 5. 2Z= Y

Jan 1, 1951

By George Ross Green

[In discussion of the paper of Mr. J. C. Bayles, read at the New York meeting of September, 1890, Trans., xix., p. 18.1 It is often so difficult to locate the causes of failures of machinery and apparatus which can be examined and studied at leisure, that it is not surprising that the causes of explosions should escape detection. Usually the explosion is the first evidence that anything is amiss, and the time for observing the conditions is necessarily brief. An incident in a welding-works near Essen, Germany, might be cited as exemplifying what trifling causes may lead to disaster, and how difficult, under the most favorable conditions, it may be to discover them. A blowing-engine was arranged with two suction-pipes at each end of the blowing-cylinder—one leading to the air, and the other to the gas-holder. Each pipe was provided with a valve, and all were so adjusted that the cylinder drew in gas and air in the proportions found most advantageous. The gases from the cylinder were carried directly to the furnace through suitable pipes, and while the cylinder was provided with relief-valves, every effort was made to prevent explosions, principally by compressing the gases to a point where the rate of efflux of the mixture was greater than the velocity of combustion, if the expression is here allowable. It was found that the apparatus would work satisfactorily for some time, and then the relative proportions of the mixture would change, and an explosion might have been the result. Experiments consuming days were made to discover a method of averting this danger, but they were unsuccessful, until it was observed that the change in the composition of the mixture of gas and air took place when the gasometer began to rise or fall—the back-pressure due to friction when the holder was rising or its absence when falling being sufficient to change the conditions. As soon as this was discovered,

Jan 1, 1892

By C. T. Van Winkle

MINE fires are always dangerous and are frequently accompanied by loss of life during the period of confusion which is apt to follow their discovery. In metal mines, fires may result from the accidental ignition of some combustible material, or they may be of spontaneous origin resulting from the rapid decomposition of sulphide. They occur frequently enough to demonstrate the need of some special equipment and a general plan for controlling them, in addition to measures for their prevention. Nearly all the large copper mines have had fires, and the methods of fighting them have been well described in recent papers, notably-by C. L. Berrien,1 R.. E. Tally,2 and others in discussion. The Copper Queen mine has many shafts, which are connected by underground workings. The deeper parts are ventilated by fans, but in the shallower portions natural ventilation through numerous connecting raises or shafts is sufficient. There have been several fires in the past few years, of which all are extinguished but one, and that is under control. These notes cover particularly the preparations that are being made-to check a new fire, partially or temporarily, and to facilitate the escape of workmen in the interval before a definite plan of fighting it can be established. A fire may occur in a shaft or station, or in some working father away. In case of fire in an upcast shaft, the gas would escape to the surface and the immediate result would probably not be dangerous to workmen, as they could escape by other shafts. In a downcast shaft, however, the gas would be distributed very rapidly throughout a large portion of the mine, and men might easily be trapped and asphyxiated. A fire in mine workings, drift, raise, or stope, would be dangerous in a degree, but the draft there is likely to be less strong than in a shaft and probably a smaller area would be invaded by the fire gases.

Jan 1, 1918

By J. D. Gill

Restriction programs in important raw-materials industries in foreign countries have been abandoned after lengthy trials. Presumably, failure has been a logical consequence of the attainment of objectives of the restrictive schemes in the early periods of their administration in defiance of economic law. In general, the chief objective has been the elevation of prices of the products of these industries. More conservative plans have sought the maintenance of a price structure that was in jeopardy at the time restriction was initiated. The course of the administrat'ion of restrictive measures can be traced by the result's of restriction, viz.: the creation or maintenance of highly profitable prices; the over-expansion of productive facilities; the accumulation of inventory; and finally, by the collapse of the price structure, which invariably has led to abandonment of the restrictive scheme. The theory and practice of restriction as applied to industries that have tried it are too well known to need detailing here. Restraint of Production of Crude Oil Regardless of the record of the catastrophic outcomes of restrictive measures in other industries, our industry has not been deterred from attempting restriction of crude-oil production. The assumed bases for success of our restrictive plan are clear. They follow from the fact that the physical characteristics of the petroleum industry differ from those of other industries that have tried restriction. Its raw material is a highly essential substance, a natural, exhaustible resource. The extent of its reserves is unknown, a fact that arouses the cooperative spirit of conservationists. At no time before the inauguration of restriction had its developed reserves been sufficient to supply more than the requirements for a few months without the help of new drillings. To a considerable extent its discovery involves the element of chance. Its economic production seems to require an unnatural relationship; namely, cooperation among competitors, because it is a fugitive resource, capable of moving from under one owner's property to underlie another's. Thus its recovery presents intricate legal questions concerning property rights.

Jan 1, 1934

By E. A. Holbrook

RESEARCH, primarily, is finding out the truth. Research applied to engineering opens the door to new principles and processes, the application of. which benefits mankind in a material way. The engineer believes that investigation instituted with the primary view of making the results directly applicable to the industries is the highest type of research. Coal is essentially the basis of modern industrial civilization; therefore, any, considerable research pertaining to coal must link itself to the industry by, practical application of the results of the research. In other words, all investigational work connected in any way with coal leads to conclusions that permit a better understanding of the origin, nature of occurrence, composition, better and safer mining, more careful preparation, or greater efficiency in utilization of coal. Modern engineering research has been fostered essentially by universities and in the laboratories of institutions of learning. Coal problems that lend themselves to solution in the laboratories have been first attacked and are perhaps the farthest toward solution. For example, a great amount of research work has been carried out with the various phases of chemistry connected with coal. On the other hand, the equally important problems connected with methods of mining have received but little attention, primarily because their solution involves the continued use of a great and expensive laboratory, which is none other than the mine itself. As many of the problems already solved have had chemistry as their background, so many of the problems unsolved have physics as their background; there are also unsolved problems that deal in- coal economics. Even psychology must be called upon in future coal-mining research as a basis for solving those great problems that deal with human relationships. In general, considerable advance has been made in coal research dealing with chemistry, not so much progress has been made with problems having physics and engineering as a background, while there is a tremendous range of untouched problems that deal essentially with business and psychology.

Jan 9, 1919

By Ralph E. Davis, Lyon F. Terry

The rapid expansion of the natural gas industry in this country during the past three or four years has necessitated the construction of a number of long and comparatively large diameter high-pressure pipe lines This period of expansion and construction is still at high tide, and the current year will doubtless surpass all prior years in mileage and capacity of gas line installation. The fundamental economics of the business of long-distsrier transportation of natural gas may be briefly and simply stated, although most careful consideration must be given the actual determination and integration of the several more important factors which determine the ultimate success or failure of such a project. Reduced to its simplest form, a sound natural gas transportation project requires: 1. A competent source of gas, where the combination of quantity of gas available, cost of production, and longevity meet the given requirements. 2. A market, reasonably certain to endure in the face of any probable competition, of satisfactory size and price, and having a sufficiently favorable load factor. 3. A cost of installation of pipe line systen and an operating cost such as will, with honest and reasonably efficient management, afford a net operating return sufficient to attract the necessary capital required. In a11 new projects of this kind it is necessary that thehe three cssentials to ultimate success be assured. Hence the necessity of competent surveys of gas supply, and of market, both industrial and domestic. The prudent engineer will allow for "factors of safety" in reaching his conclusions just as he would in the design of a bridge. This paper deals primarily with but one of the major considerations enumerated above, I. e, the economic design of the pipe line system. The "pipe line system" will be considered to include (1) the pipe Iine, and (2) a series of compressor plants along the pipe line for maintaining

Jan 1, 1929

By C. P. Fiske

THE pottery of the New Jersey Zinc Co. (of Pa.) is equipped to make three classes of refractories; namely, spelter vessels, spelter condensers; and high-grade fire-brick. The most important of these are the spelter vessels, on account of the extreme severity of the service which they must perform, necessitating great care in the selection of materials and in the whole process of manufacture. Next to the spelter vessels in importance? come the condensers, as large numbers are used in the manufacture of spelter, and improvements m quality result in material decreases in working cost. , While the fire-brick which form the laboratory, or high-temperature portion of the spelter furnaces, are placed at the foot of the list, they-are nevertheless of much importance, since high quality will decrease the frequency of the always expensive shutdowns for repairs. To promote simplicity, the manufacture of these three products will be described separately in this paper, except in so far as materials and the crushing and handling system common to all are concerned. Materials Bond Clay.-The bond clay used entirely at the Palmerton pottery is a St. Louis clay furnished by the Grand View Fire Clay Co. It is stored in a system of covered bins, and no attempt is made to weather -it in the, accepted sense of the term " weathering." Some years ago our clay was weathered before pugging, but we did not find the benefit sufficient to offset the additional handling and the loss. of clay incurred. Furthermore, we believe that the rotting of the pugged mix (described later), accomplishes the same results to better advantage. That there is some action taking place in the clay while stored in the covered bins, however, is, evidenced by an increase in volume which at times has caused damage to the retaining walls of the bins. We have at present a stock of bond clay weathering in the open, and when this is put into service an opportunity will be afforded for making comparisons-with the clay as usually handled.

Jan 10, 1917

By C. P. Fiske

The pottery of the New Jersey Zinc Co. (of Pa.) is equipped to make three classes of refractories; namely, spelter vessels, spelter condensers, and high-grade fire-brick. The most important of these are the spelter vessels, on account of the extreme severity of the service which they must perform, necessitating great care in the selection of materials and in the whole process of manufacture. Next to the spelter vessels in importance come the condensers, as large numbers are used in the manufacture of spelter, and improvements in quality result in material decreases in working cost. While the fire-brick which form the laboratory, or high-temperature portion of the spelter furnaces, are placed at the foot of the list, they are nevertheless of much importance, since high quality will decrease the frequency of the always expensive shutdowns for repairs. To promote simplicity, the manufacture of these three products will be described separately in this paper, except in so far as materials and the crushing and handling system common to all are conccrned. Materials Bond Clay.—The bond clay used entirely at the Palmerton pottery is a St. Louis clay furnished by the Grand View Fire Clay Co. It is stored in a system of covered bins, and no attempt is made to weather it in the accepted sense of the term " weathering." Some years ago our clay was weathered before pugging, but we did not find the benefit sufficient to offset the additional handling and the loss of clay incurred. Furthermore, we believe that the rotting of the pugged mix (described later) accomplishes the same results to better advantage. That there is some action taking place in the clay while stored in the covered bins, however, is evidenced by an increase in volume which at times has caused damage to the retaining walls of the bins. We have at present a stock of bond clay weathering in the open, and when this is put into service an opportunity will be afforded for making comparisons with the clay as usually handled.

Jan 1, 1918

By L. A. Delano

DURING 1916, the St. Joseph Lead Co. milled 2,505,670 tons of ore. This is a daily operating average of 7855 tons. The economic concentration of such a large tonnage necessarily requires a plant equipped with modern machinery and operated efficiently. The milling process used in producing this output has been a gradual development through the long period of years that the company has been in existence. HISTORICAL SUMMARY OF MILLING PRACTICE Ore was first mined at Bonne Terre, Mo., in 1864. The early milling practice was crude. It consisted of breaking the ore into small pieces by hand, pulverizing in a Blake crusher and a pair of Cornish rolls to approximately minus 6 mm., and jigging in the old-fashioned hand jigs. Only the coarse heavy galena was saved, the gangue being shoveled off and discarded. The output for the first year under this method was only 240 tons of pig lead. The first mill of the company was a combination of extensions and additions built from time to time as the mines developed. It was a museum of early mulling machinery, such as jigs, percussion tables, huddles, dolly tubs, log washers, etc., following no definite flow sheet. The chats, or tailings, were hauled to waste dumps by mule and ox teams, as much as 500 tons per day being moved in this manner, until a railroad was built in 1880. This mill was burned in 1883, at which time the annual output had reached approximately 7300 tons of pig lead. A new mill of 500 tons capacity was designed and built by C. B. Parsons. This mill has been admirably described by H. S. Monroe.1 The ore was crushed in Blake crushers, Cornish rolls, through 6-mm. screens, and treated by jigs of the Parsons type, percussion tables and log washers, or trunking machines, for cleaning the galena. The middlings were recrushed in rolls and treated on Harz jigs. The mill was operated without change, except later installing Gates crushers and en-

Jan 9, 1917

New Jersey Zinc Co. - The Mines Franklin-Sterling Friedensville Development Austinville Ivanhoe Development Eagle Mine Hanover

Jan 12, 1953

New Members The following list comprises the names of those persons who became members during the period June 10, 1916, to July 10, 1916: ADAMS, WILLIAM S., Filtration Engr., Anaconda Copper Min. Co., 701 Cherry, Anaconda, Mont. ALLEY, JAMES E., Shift-boss.. .......... Belmont Milling Co., Tonopah, Nev. BADGLEY, CHARLES WELLING, Research Chemist, El Paso Smelting Works, El Paso. Tex. BALLENBERG, ADOLB G., Engr., porcupine Exploration Co., Ontonagon Co., Mich. BARKER, RALPH FEINER, Met.. ................ Garfield Smelt. Co., Garfield, Utah. BLOSSOM, EDWARD LUDLAM, Staff of Research Corpn., 63 Wall St., New York, N. Y. BROUGHTON, EUGENE HARDING, Experimental Engr., Copper Queen Cons. Min. Co., . - -. -- - Bisbee, Ariz. BURFORD, SAMUEL W., Genl. Mgr., Cleveland Mining Co., 223 West Third St., Joplin, Mo.

Jan 8, 1916

New York Meets first Wednesday after first Tuesday of each month. J. E. JOHNSON, JR., Chairman EDGAR RICKARD, Vice-Chairman D. M LIDDELL, Secretary, 7 Wall St., New. York, N. Y C. A. BOHN, Treasurer JOHN V. N. DORR _ LEWIS W FRANCIS Boston Meets first Monday of each winter month. R. L. AGASSIZ, Chairman - JAMES G. CARLETON, Vice-Chairman E. E. BUGBEE Secretary-Treasurer, Mass. Inst. of Technology, Cambridge, Mass. W. E. C. EUSTIS G. A. PACKARD Columbia Holds four sessions during year. Annual meeting in September or October. S. S. FOWLER, Chairman J. C. HAAS, Vice-Chairman LYNDON K. ARMSTRONG, Secretary-Treasurer. P. O. Drawer 2154, Spokane, Wash. W. H. LINNEY

Jan 2, 1918

By John Guillermo Bartram

The oil industry continued relatively quiet in Wyoming in 1935, although production increased about 8 per cent over the previous year; 55 oil wells were completed in 1935, compared to 34 in 1934, and at the end of the year 44 wells were drilling, 33 in proven fields and 11 in wildcat locations. The total drilling a year ago was only 30. In the year 1935 Wyoming produced a total of 13,451,000 bbl. of oil, a gain of 912,000 bbl. over the 1934 figure of 12,539,000 bbl. Approxi-mately two-thirds of the increase, or 630,000 bbl., was from black oil fields and one-third, or 285,000 bbl., from light oil pools. Salt Creek, with production of 6,357,000 bbl., is still many times the largest field in Wyoming but in 1935 it made less than 50 per cent of the state's total, after producing more than all other fields in the state for 24 years; however, its decline was only 3.8 per cent from the previous year. Oregon Basin, a black oil field, held second place again with production of 1,163,-000 bbl., a good increase over 1934. Grass Creek, with increases in both its light and black oil, jumped into third place; and Lance Creek, with its new Sundance light oil production, was in fourth place in the amount of production. Frannie, which was in third place in 1934, dropped far back on the list because of lack of market. Byron and Garland, two other black oil fields in the Big Horn Basin, increased considerably. Big Muddy, a prominent light-oil field, was down with a natural decline; and Elk Basin, also light oil, produced less because of market conditions. During 1934 only three gas wells were drilled in Wyoming and 29 dry holes, 13 in proven fields and 16 at wildcat locations. Of the latter, 5 were on wildcat structures of considerable interest. Of the 55 wells completed during the year, 53 were in proven fields and of these 17 were small ones in the shallow Osage field and 10 were light-oil wells good for 1500 to 3000 bbl. each in the Lance Creek field. Discoveries Two of the oil wells were discoveries at Medicine Bow and Sheep Creek. Medicine Bow is a very large anticline with more than 3500 ft. of closure and is located in Carbon County in the south-central part of the state. In 1923 it showed some oil in the Upper Cretaceous Frontier

Jan 1, 1936

By John Guillermo Bartram

The oil industry continued relatively quiet in Wyoming in 1935, although production increased about 8 per cent over the previous year; 55 oil wells were completed in 1935, compared to 34 in 1934, and at the end of the year 44 wells were drilling, 33 in proven fields and 11 in wildcat locations. The total drilling a year ago was only 30. In the year 1935 Wyoming produced a total of 13,451,000 bbl. of oil, a gain of 912,000 bbl. over the 1934 figure of 12,539,000 bbl. Approxi-mately two-thirds of the increase, or 630,000 bbl., was from black oil fields and one-third, or 285,000 bbl., from light oil pools. Salt Creek, with production of 6,357,000 bbl., is still many times the largest field in Wyoming but in 1935 it made less than 50 per cent of the state's total, after producing more than all other fields in the state for 24 years; however, its decline was only 3.8 per cent from the previous year. Oregon Basin, a black oil field, held second place again with production of 1,163,-000 bbl., a good increase over 1934. Grass Creek, with increases in both its light and black oil, jumped into third place; and Lance Creek, with its new Sundance light oil production, was in fourth place in the amount of production. Frannie, which was in third place in 1934, dropped far back on the list because of lack of market. Byron and Garland, two other black oil fields in the Big Horn Basin, increased considerably. Big Muddy, a prominent light-oil field, was down with a natural decline; and Elk Basin, also light oil, produced less because of market conditions. During 1934 only three gas wells were drilled in Wyoming and 29 dry holes, 13 in proven fields and 16 at wildcat locations. Of the latter, 5 were on wildcat structures of considerable interest. Of the 55 wells completed during the year, 53 were in proven fields and of these 17 were small ones in the shallow Osage field and 10 were light-oil wells good for 1500 to 3000 bbl. each in the Lance Creek field. Discoveries Two of the oil wells were discoveries at Medicine Bow and Sheep Creek. Medicine Bow is a very large anticline with more than 3500 ft. of closure and is located in Carbon County in the south-central part of the state. In 1923 it showed some oil in the Upper Cretaceous Frontier

Jan 1, 1936

Book Review Mexico, TODAY AND Tomorrow. By E. D. Trowbridge, Detroit. The McMillan Co., New York, 1919, 353 pp., 7;2 X 5 in. $2.00. The first eight chapters are devoted to an historical narrative of the Mexican peoples from the earliest times to the close of the war with the United States in 1345. "In dealing with events antedating what may be termed modern Mexico" the author has "made no attempt at original research, and so far as concerns anything prior to 1900, the work here presented is a repetition, a reflection, of the findings of opinions of Fiske, Prescott, Bancroft, Luis Perez Verdia and other authorities." The remainder of the hook deals with Mexico during and since the Diaz regime. It is interesting throughout but is not always convincing or consistent. Social conditions are described in a way illuminating and possible only to one who is familiar with the peon and his hitherto seemingly hopeless position in reference to the wage system and church oppression. In fact, the author makes the hold accusation that the "primitive rather than immoral" condition of the peons in the matter of their marital relations is due to the disregard of the church for their welfare and capabilities. The true accounts of the Madero revolution and the Huerta regime read like fascinating medieval fiction. The reason given for men remaining in the Madero army is still the controlling one regarding any of the armies there. "They had horses, arms, all the food they wanted, money to spend and no work." The discussion of Mexican financial schemes is wholly from the Carranza viewpoint. To meet a monthly deficit of ten million pesos the author says "the government forced loans from the National Bank, and Bank of London and Mexico, and repeated the operation several times, finally practically exhausting their bullion and cash reserves. Hostile foreigners refer to this operation as the looting of the hanks! Drastic as this action was, there was good ground on which to justify it." However, that necessity knows no law is never an acceptable tenet except to him who applies the screws. The discussion of the economic problems and their solution is rather chimerical and presupposes a civil and national virtue in the present government not discernible except to one ultra friendly. The book is an interesting exposition of the very much involved situation from the viewpoint of approval of both the Carranza government and the attitude of the United States in its dealings with him. The editing of the book leaves something to he desired. P. E. B.

Jan 9, 1919