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By J. Felipe Costa, Andrew H. White, Marcot T. M. B. Vilhena

Ordinary kriiing (OK) is an interpolation algorithm mostly used in earth sciences applications where it provides satisfactory results. Robust kriging (RK) is an alternative algorithm which at- tempts to minimise the problems caused by the existence of outlier values within a given data set. Robust kriging essentially consists of an editing step prior to running the traditional OK method. This study compares the interpolation results obtained by OK and RK. Two data sets were used. The first data set consists of 140 samples mimicking a drilling survey named cluster.dat. An additional feature of this sample data is that its parent population, the reference data set, is available, thus permitting direct quantitative assessment of the effectiveness of a given estimation technique. The second data set consists of a grid sampled at 1x1 m. The estimates obtained by OK and RK using cluster.dat were compared to the reference data set. RK provided better results in terms of quality of the estimates than OK

Jan 1, 1996

By Kenneth J. Leib, Laurie Wirt, M. Alisa Mast

Chemical-constituent loads were determined for an alpine stream in southwestern Colorado that is affected by natural acid drainage from weathering of hydrothermally-altered rock and from acidic metal-rich discharge from abandoned mines. Base-flow loads were compared to storm-related loads using a tracer-dilution approach. A rainstom occurred during the tracer injection, providing the opportunity to measure metal loads before, during, and after storm runoff. Chemical-constituent loads during the storm increased by 1 to 2 orders of magnitude relative to base-flow conditions. The increase in loads was related to two distinct periods; (1) a flush of higher concentrations that occurred soon after rainfall began, and (2) the peak of storm runoff. The initial flush-having no measurable change in discharge--contained the highest loads of trace metals and dissolved iron. The chemical character of peak runoff was distinctly different, as evidenced by the highest loads of total and dissolved major elements and total iron.

Jan 1, 2000

By J. H. White

It is hypothesized that the Hotelling valuation principle (HVP) can determine the value of developed gold reserves using simple methods and easily obtainable data. This paper reports the results of an empirical test of this hypothesis. The model for the HVP is given by [V R=Cp-0(1) or V - CP-0' R(2)] where p = current spot price of gold per oz, [c] = average extraction cost of gold per oz, V = current market value of the gold in the ground (dollars) and R = gold reserves (oz). Using publicly available data from North American gold companies, we obtained data for V, R, p and c, and we ran a simple linear regression using Eq. (1) as the definition of the dependent and explanatory variables. By examining the value of the coefficients of the resulting regression equation, we can draw conclusions as to whether or not the HVP can be confidently used as an estimator of the value of developed gold reserves.

Jan 1, 1997

The sixth annual conference of the Mineral Economics and Management Society (MEMS) was held Feb. 27 through March 1 in Boulder, CO. This year's event was attended by more than 100 academic, industrial, government and other professionals interested in mineral economics and materials management. With about 250 members worldwide, this not-for-profit society seeks to promote scientific and economic analysis of current relevant issues. This year's program was sponsored by Alcan, Bateman Engineering, Cyprus Amax Minerals, J.P Morgan, Knight Piesold LLC and Newmont Gold. The conference's technical program consisted of six sessions. These included "Financial tools for a changing world," "Access to minerals," "Comparing North and South America," "Environmental issues in today's world" and "Transporting minerals." The program was concluded with a panel discussion titled "National minerals policies in Asia." In addition, a student papers session was held, in which students were given the opportunity to compete for a $1,000 award. The following is a brief review of the technical pro¬gram.

Jan 1, 1997

By Michael J. Sapko, Robert A. Cortese

A flame powered trigger device has been developed to explosively activate suppression barriers to quench gas and coal dust explosions. The important feature of the device is a silicon solar panel, which collects 0.3 p to 1.1 D wavelength radiation from the developing explosion, and generates electrical energy to initiate a detonator, which in turn causes the rapid explosive release of an extinguishing agent into the advancing flame front. Solar panels that are rated to produce 20 w of electrical power when exposed to the sun light are producing about 200 w when exposed to full-scale dust explosion propagating in the U.S. Bureau of Mines' Lake Lynn Experimental Mine. The solar panel is electrically isolated from the detonator by a pressure sensitive switch until the arrival of the precursor pressure pulse, which always precedes a deflagration. This combination of pressure arming and flame powered photo generator prevents false barrier activation and requires no external power supply.

Jan 1, 1991

By J. R. Weber, R. D. Haddenham, J. H. Bailey

Introduction The Vernal Phosphate Operation is located in northeastern Utah, about 18 km (11 miles) north of Vernal, about 280 km (175 miles) east of Salt Lake City, UT. The plant began initial operations in 1961 under the name of the San Francisco Chemical Co. In 1981, Chevron purchased the operation from Stauffer Chemical Co. In 1982, plant capacity was doubled to about 72.6 kt/a (800,000 stpy) of phosphate concentrate. From 1984 to May 1986, another expansion increased the capacity to 1.2 Mt/a (1.3 million stpy) of concentrate. It also incorporated a number of equipment and process changes designed to increase the overall plant phosphate recovery. A 150-km (94-mile) slurry pipeline, the world's longest phosphate pipeline, was also constructed from the Vernal plant to a new Chevron Chemical and Fertilizer plant near Rock Springs, WY. Over the past five years, plant expansions and the pipeline construction have been accomplished without missing a single concentrate shipment.

Jan 1, 1987

By R. N. Chakravorty, R. J. Kolada

Explosions of methane in coal silos and coal ships is an ever present hazard. Recent investigations have shown beyond question that considerable accumulations of methane do occur in coal storage silos and numerous recent explosions in coal transport shipping strongly indicates that the same conditions also exist in ship storage holds. Investigations have shown that the main concentrations of methane occur within the actual coal pile. Within this region normal silo and ship ventilation systems are ineffective. The main 1ine of defence is therefore to exclude potential sources of ignition or to place the coal in an inert atmosphere, or both. This paper presents the results of a methane survey of all operating silos in Western Canada. These results demonstrate that a serious and widespread hazard of explosion exists. This paper also discusses various methods by which this hazard may be reduced including methods of venti1ation, inertization, microbiological control and early warning systems.

Jan 1, 1987

By R. Bhaskar, H. Xie

Fractal theory was horn in the mid-1970s. Since then, its application has been spreading day by day, from mathematics and geology to areas such as geophysics, physics and material sciences. In this paper, fractal models are developed to characterize particle size distribution and surface area. Theoretical formulas are derived for the computation of fractal dimensions D (size) and D[s] (surface area). The models developed are applied using experimental data of particle size distribution and surface area obtained from the Microtrac Particle Size Analyzer for dust processed by several size reduction devices. The theoretical models and the experimental data are found in good agreement. The fractal dimensions obtained are D = 1.350 to 1.770 and D[s] = 2.058 to 2.584 for fine coal dust particles (< 15 µm) produced by various size reduction mechanisms. The physical meaning of these fractal dimensions is also related to the dust generation processes.

Jan 1, 1994

By Rudy Rogers

Gas hydrates have unique properties of storing selective gases. As much as 180 volumes of gas (standard conditions) per volume of hydrates may be stored. Recognizing the need for natural gas storage near electrical power plants for peak load use, DOE funded our laboratory to investigate gas hydrates as an economically viable storage means. Our developed process forms hydrates and self-packs the hydrates by only maintaining the gas pressure above a surfactant/water solution while hydrates form and self-pack. The laboratory process was scaled-up and demonstrated storage of 5300 scf of natural gas in hydrates. Subsequent to the demonstration, we discovered preparation procedures whereby laboratory gas hydrates could be stored at 1-atm with less than 1% decomposition over multiple days. The paper will discuss how these two advancements offer potential ways to recover vent gases as well as released hydrate gases from the seafloor. Keywords: gas hydrates, methane storage, surfactants, hydrate stability

Jan 1, 2008

By J. Patrick Powers, Joel Miller, Arthur B. Corwin

A combination of a slurry trench with dewatering successfully controlled groundwater for a large sloped excavation immediately adjacent to the Arkansas River. The Murray Hydro Electric Project required excavation through sand and gravel to bedrock, 85 feet below high water in the River. The perimeter system of deep wells pumping up to 25,000 GPM (1,600 1/sec) lowered the water level to 15 feet (4.6 m) above bedrock. A short soil/bentonite slurry trench near the toe of the slope cut off the residual head. The method cut six weeks from the critical path. Design of the slopes and the dewatering system demanded high safety factors because of risk to existing Lock and Dam No. 7. A localized pocket of soft organic clay was supported by a rock filled bolster. A major flood event was successfully withstood. The method can be applied to large civil excavations and open pit mines.

Jan 1, 1989

By J. Alvarez, S. H. Castro

The feasibility of chalcopyrite-pyrite separation in the flotation of a chalcopyritic copper ore, at reduced surface tensions regulated by methanol, was investigated. It was found that with methanol dosages from 0.5% to 1.5% v/ v, the chalcopyrite might be effectively separated from the pyrite, without use of other flotation reagents and pH regulators. However, under this simple condition, the chalcopyrite recovery was only around 50%, recommending the use of other reagents to reinforce the collector action. Low dosages of different collectors were tested, including SF-323 (Shell Float), S-6588 and S-7251 (Cytec), and S-701 (Molycop). Very promising results were obtained with low dosages of the collector S-701 and 1% v/v of methanol in the pulp, which evaluated against a reference test, gave similar copper recovery, higher Mo recovery and higher depression of pyrite. Consequently, this is an alternative process which does not require the use of lime to depress pyrite.

Jan 1, 1995

By G. J. Allen

Kennecott Copper Corporation&apos;s Nevada Mines Division initiated a program to stabilize the inactive portions of the tailings disposal area and perimeter dikes in 1946. To date, approximately 1,000 acres have been stabilized with vegetation and ground cover.

Jan 1, 1978

By Henry N. McCarl, Gary Waters, William A. Vogely

INTRODUCTION In the past three decades, world trade has grown from less than $100 billion per year in the years following World War 11 to slightly more than $300 billion in 1970 and over $2,000 billion in the early 1980s. Adjusted for inflation, the real growth of world trade in 1972 dollars increased from less than $175 billion per year in the early 1950s to slightly more than $342 billion in 1970 and almost $700 billion per year by the early 1980s. Thus trade as a whole has increased a little more than twofold in real terms in the past decade." Mineral commodities constituted approximately 20% of the value of total world trade in 1970, and significantly more than that proportion in terms of physical volume. By 1980, de- spite rapidly rising petroleum prices, mineral commodities accounted for roughly 18% of the total value of world trade. Crude oil alone ac- counted for about 16%, making it the single most important commodity in international trade. The worldwide recession of 198 1- 1983 brought a dramatic decline in both volume and price of crude oil, shrinking the impact of mineral commodities to roughly 10% of the value of total exports, worldwide, in 1982- 1983. The decline of mineral commodities as a pro- portion of the value of world trade in the decade 1970- 1980 is due largely to the increasing importance of manufactured goods and consumer products such as automobiles and electronic items. During this period, mineral commodity trade expanded roughly sixfold in terms of current dollars to an estimated $350 to 360 billion in 1980. This was equivalent to doubling the real value of mineral commodities in international trade in the 1970- 1980 period in constant dollars. The U.S. Bureau of Mines has expanded the traditional definition of mineral commodities to include semifinished products such as iron and steel (in addition to iron ore), refined metals such as copper, lead, zinc, aluminum, and tin, concentrates, scrap, and petroleum products. Since large quantities of essentially mineral derivatives travel in this form, it is reasonable to use these expanded definitions in stating the role of minerals in world trade. Thus minerals in world trade comprise 30 to 33% of total export trade in all commodities during the period 1976- 1980 (see Table 1.3.1). In addition, the U.S. Bureau of Mines estimates the value of all mineral commodities consumed in the world (at the national level) and compares this value to total worldwide commodity consumption. By this system, mineral commodities range from 30 to 40% of all commodities consumed each year in all countries during the period 1976- 1980 (see Table 1.3.2). The growth in export trade in mineral commodities by commodity group is shown for the period 1976-1980 in Table 1.3.3. These data parallel the swings in worldwide economic activity during the same time period. By any of the above measures, minerals, especially the fossil fuels, constitute a significant proportion of both total economic activity and

Jan 1, 1985

By Charles Schmidt

Phalabonva (Figure 1) is situated in the northern province of South Africa adjacent to Kruger National Park, about 500 km from Johannesburg. The nearest South African port to Phalaborwa is Richards Bay about 700 km distant by rail.

Jan 1, 1999

By R. H. Clarke

"INTRODUCTION Characterization of waste rock is frequently an oversight in mine planning which can contribute to significant delay in permitting and ultimately development. Thorough waste rock characterization is now a prerequisite to developing operating and closure plans acceptable to regulators and the public. BACKGROUND A long history of mine development has placed virtually all focus on the economic extraction and beneficiation of ore materials, while waste rock characterization and management received substantially less attention and consideration. Inadequate waste rock characterization has contributed to planning and management practices that are having unintended and unforeseen impacts to surface and groundwater, and in some cases lead to significant long term closure liability. In response, the regulatory community has developed guidelines for performing waste rock characterization during the pre- mine permitting process that in some cases seem onerous (BLM, 2013). Additionally, where a project proponent has not met these guidelines or results have been deemed “inadequate”, the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection and Bureau of Land Management (regulatory agencies) will only issue operating permits with rigid management practices to address the uncertainty, including requirements for lining waste rock facilities. WASTE ROCK CHARACTERIZATION FOR NEVADA PROJECTS Newmont Mining Corporation (Newmont) operations in Nevada approaches waste rock characterization like ore characterization, as it requires a similar investment of time, funding and attention to detail in order to pass public and regulatory scrutiny. Newmont follows a tiered approach to characterization that creates three over-lapping data sets representing an “escalation” in analysis at each tier, an approach that has thus far gained regulatory approval. “Tier 1” waste rock characterization for most Newmont projects begins with exploration drilling which follows internal standards and procedures. 20-foot composite samples are prepared from all drilling and analyzed for multiple trace elements using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) methods and for acid-base characterization using method ASTM-E1915. If the exploration program is successful and further resource or reserve development is recommended, the Tier 1 data are used to prepare a Waste Rock Characterization Plan (Plan) that will be presented to regulatory agencies as a part of baseline project characterization."

Jan 1, 2015

By C. E. Schmidt

Homestake crushing and grinding, practice-was completely revised during the period of 1951-1953. During the conversion, both crushing plants at the head frames the Ross and the Yates, were changes at each plant involved replacing the two 8K gyratories with a rebuilt, The flow sheet single thirty inch gyratory for primary crushing to four inch. The gyratory discharges to a seven foot Symons standard cone crusher set at 1-1/8 inch opening. The cone discharge goes to Tyrock screens fed by vibrating feeders. Screen openings, are l/2 inch by 5 inches: at the Ross. Plant, and 3/8 inch by 5; inches at the Yates. Screen oversize goes to a seven foot Symons cone brusher converted to the short head type; the crusher setting is 5/16 inch. Crusher, discharge; is closed circuited with the Tyrock screens, The above crushing installation delivers a minus 5/8 inch rod mill feed to the mill bins. The crushing revision eliminated the-180 heavy South African type stamps, which had previously reduced the 2 inch crushing plant product to a minus 5/8 inch feed for the 10 rod mills, and 8 ball and pebble.; mills, other revisions in the mill flow sheet, resulted in 3 identical units of about 1350 tons per day, capacity per unit, Each unit consists of an open, circuit 6 foot by 12 foot rod mill, fed from two 24 in by 48 inch vibrating feeders of the four feeders available per unit. A gathering belt delivers the ore discharge of the feeders to the Transportoweigher, which in turn discharge s, into the rod; mill feed spout. Rod Mill discharge is the feed for the 9 foot by 11 foot ball mill, The ball mill is closed circuited with a 16 foot by 30 foot Dorr Classifier. The Homestake make amalgamator, for coarse gold recovery in the ball mill circuit, made&apos; necessary a 36 inch spiral conveyor between the classifier rake discharge and, the combination drum and double scoop feeder on the ball mill See Figure l - the flow sheet of the two stage grinding units.

Jan 1, 1958

By J. O. Marsden

The 1980s saw a revolution in gold extraction technology, paralleled only by the implementation of the cyanide leaching process in the late 1800s. This revolution was led by the widespread adoption of carbon adsorption processes for gold recovery, heap leaching of low-grade ores and development of a variety of oxidation processes to treat refractory ores. In the late 1980s, gold production in almost all regions of the world increased, with the notable exception of South Africa. This geographical variety is creating a greater diversity of challenges for gold metallurgists. This is due to a wider range of ore types, new and varied environmental regulations and legislation, and a requirement to select the most appropriate technology to suit local needs. North America has led this technological revolution in the gold industry and is responsible for commercialization of most of the major innovations: carbon-in-pulp, heap leaching, whole ore pressure oxidation and whole ore roasting. Process selection trends A general trend in precious metals extraction technology has been the treatment of ores with progressively lower grades. The lowest cost treatment, dump leaching of material at run-of-mine size, has been increasingly applied. ZortmanLandusky, in Montana, is successfully leaching material above a cutoff grade of 0.2 g/t (0.006 oz/st) at an average rate of about 28 kt/d (31,000 stpd). At this scale of operation and in the absence of any cyanide-consuming species in the ore, process operating costs for a ge¬neric run-of-mine leaching operation are estimated to be between 60 and 75 cents/ t (66 and 77 cents/st). One of the largest heap leach opera¬tions treating crushed ore is the Round Mountain Mine in Nevada. It processes about 45 kt/d (49,000 stpd) at an average grade of 1.1 g/t (0.032 oz/st) at a nomi¬nal crush size of 80% -19 mm (-0.7 in.). Round Mountain also treats lower grade ore above a 0.2 g/t (0.006 oz/st) cutoff by dump leaching at run-of-mine size.

Jan 1, 1993

By S. McMurray

INTRODUCTION Towards the end of the 1890s the attention of a prospector by the name of Thomas Cullinan was drawn to the occurrence of alluvial diamonds east of Pretoria. Persistent prospecting work by Cullinan led to the loca¬tion of the source of these diamonds-a kimberlite pipe on the Elandsfontein farm. Cullinan eventually acquired the property in 1902, and during an extensive evaluation program outlined the largest diamondiferous pipe in South Africa on which the Premier mine was established. Worldwide attention was drawn to this mine in 1905 when the Cullinan diamond, which weighed 3106 carats and is by far the largest gem diamond ever discovered, was recovered. Premier mine operated with varying success until 1932 when the worldwide depression forced it to close. In 1945 the mine was reopened and since then has been a major producer of gem and industrial diamonds. During the early 1950s exploratory drilling revealed that below the 370-m level the pipe had been completely cut off by a younger gabbro sill. This sill has created major mining and metallurgical problems but the existence of vast reserves of high grade ore below it justi¬fied the establishment of virtually a new mine below the sill. Detailed planning of below-the-sill mining is nearing completion and the development of the first mining block (the L1 block) is well advanced. A full discus¬sion of this block follows. GEOLOGY OF PREMIER MINE Pipe Morphology and Country-Rock Geology As can be seen in Fig. 1, Premier mine is an elon¬gated oval shape with a long axis of 900 m on the surface and a short axis of 450 m. The pipe has a surface area of 32 hectares which decreases progres¬sively with increasing depth, so that 500 m below the surface the area is reduced to 22 hectares. The contact between the kimberlite and the surrounding country rock is sharp, with an average angle of dip of 1.48 rad (85°). From the surface down to approximately 350 m, the country rock is a felsite which grades downwards into a norite. In general both rock types are hard and massive, the felsite in particular being poorly jointed. This characteristic combined with other factors results in an extremely stable open pit, and near-vertical side¬walls are currently being maintained. The norite in general is competent but is heavily jointed in some areas resulting in very blocky ground which creates localized tunnel support problems. In the southeastern area below the sill a zone of highly altered and very unstable norite, which has also created localized sup¬port and development difficulties, lies adjacent to the pipe contact. Kimberlite Geology The Premier pipe is a complex multiple intrusion which contains in the region of 15 separate types of kimberlite, most of which are volumetrically insignifi¬cant. On a simplified basis three major types can be identified which correspond to three separate phases of intrusion. They are: Brown Kimberlite: This represents the first phase of intrusion and now occupies the eastern part of the pipe. In plan the brown kimberlite has a crescentric shape resulting from the intrusive relationship with the younger gray kimberlite which lies to the west. The brown kimberlite increases in relative area with increas¬ing depth which is a favorable factor for future mining operations since this kimberlite is the richest area of the mine, having an average grade of 70 carats/ 100 t. Below the sill this rock disintegrates extremely rapidly when exposed to air or water, to form a fine gravel-like material. This characteristic is due to a high montmorilonite clay content. As is common with clay minerals of this type, water can be absorbed into the crystal lattice with a resultant increase in volume which causes the physical decomposition of the rock. The presence of this decomposing kimberlite was a major factor governing the choice of a mining method, as well as development and tunnel support techniques. Gray Kimberlite: This is the most abundant type and represents the second major phase of intrusion. The diamond content is variable depending on the amount of waste rock dilution, and in general the rock is stable and non-decomposing. At the time of formation of Premier, the surface rock type was Waterberg quartzite, a rock formation which has subsequently been removed from this area by erosion. The explosive extrusion of the gray kimberlite caused extensive brecciation of this rock and while the kimberlite was in a mobile state huge masses of quartz¬ite, amounting to tens of millions of tons, slumped into the pipe. This quartzite became concentrated in the central area of the mine and has been a major mining problem throughout the history of Premier since, due to the irregular distribution of the quartzite, effective selective mining has never been possible. The quartzite is therefore extracted with the ore and has a significant dilution effect on the overall grade. Black Kimberlite: In the western part of the pipe a circular, pluglike body of kimberlite is intruded into the gray kimberlite. This plug consists mainly of a hard, dark-colored rock known as black kimberlite, but also contains a number of minor kimberlite variet.ies as well as nonkimberlite carbonate dikes. The Gabbro Sill The sill averages 75 m in thickness and within the confines of the pipe consists of 52 million t of rock. On average the major dip is 0.34 rad (20°) to the northeast which is across the short axis of the pipe, the range of dip being from near horizontal up to 0.52 rad (30°). Due to the pronounced dip, the sill is encount¬ered over a vertical distance of 175 m with the highest upper contacts on the 355-m horizon and the lowest bottom contact on the 530-m horizon.

Jan 1, 1982

By Roderick G. Eggert, John E. Tilton

During much of the 1970s and 1980s, world metal consumption grew more slowly than during the 19505 and 1960s. The slowdown contributed to surplus capacity and low real prices because actual consumption was consistently less than expected as new mining and mineral processing capacity came on stream. Over the last year or so, however, world metal consumption has picked up noticeably, raising the question, Has metal demand returned to the long-run growth rates more typical of the 1950s and 1960s than of the 1970s and 1980s? This paper examines this possibility and, more generally, assesses the factors that will shape demand for the major metals over the longer term. TRENDS IN METAL CONSUMPTION The extent to which metal consumption has recaptured the brisk growth rates typical of the 1950s, 1960s, and early 1970s is shown in Figure 1. This figure traces the consumption of crude steel, primary aluminum, refined copper, refined lead, and refined zinc between 1960 and 1987 for the western world, consisting of the OECD countries (including the United States), and the developing countries. Consumption increased in 1987 for all five metals, and preliminary data for the first six months of 1988 suggest even more substantial increases, at least for the United States (U.S. Bureau of Mines, 1988). However, Figure 1 also shows that the recent increases in consumption are not untypical of similar surges during earlier periods of economic expansion and thus may reflect only cyclical or temporary factors. In short, the available data are unable to provide a clear indication of whether recent increases in metal consumption reflect the beginning of a new era of faster growth or simply a cyclical and temporary upturn associated with the expansionary phase of the business cycle. Consequently, to pursue this issue, we are forced to examine the underlying forces that will shape metal demand trends over the next decade. The approach we have taken involves two steps. The first examines the prospects for overall economic growth. The expectation is, the faster the economy expands, the faster the production of metal-containing goods grows.2

Jan 1, 1989

By Mark W. DeLawyer

The base of the stone quarry still stands today, as imposing as any Mavan temple or Egyptian pyramid. For 80 years it has been a reminder to those who must sweat to earn a wage. There are no plaques to indicate its impressive history. Rather, it stands as a towering monument to the masons and stone cutters who built it-a testimony in stone to that most demanding and back-breaking of industries. Take your imagination back to the limestone quarries at Split Rock, near Syracuse, NY. The sound of an occasional steam drill and the mighty roar of a dynamite explosion herald progress. The ring and crash of a hundred sledge hammers are music in the calloused hands of the quarry men. It is a symphony of man against nature. Hundreds of sweat-soaked men break up the blue Onondaga limestone for the "sodi ash," the popular name for the quarry owner, the Solvay Process Co. Nearby, expert stone masons fit mammoth 454-kg (1,000-1b) blocks of cut stone into place, building the foundation for what may have been, back in 1902, the world&apos;s largest stone crusher. Consider for a moment, a modern stone quarry. The business is now essentially one of machine against nature. The shovels, drills, conveyors, and locomotives help make the quarry of today a profitable venture. Now consider the quarry of the early 20th Century. Anyway you look at it, a tougher, more demanding life would be difficult to imagine-12 hours a day, all kinds of weather, breaking up tons of rock that had been drilled, blasted, or pounded from the bowels of an uncooperative earth. Before proceeding, it might be prudent to briefly describe the history of the Split Rock quarries. Before the purchase of the quarry lands by the fledgling Solvay Process Co. in 1889, the quarries already had a reputation literally chiseled in stone. Most of the municipal buildings in Syracuse were made of it, as well as over half of the Erie Canal, including the engineering marvel of the time, the Montezuma Aqueduct. This was where the Canal passed not only through, but in some

Jan 11, 1982