Search Documents

Trans No. Place Date Vol. 1. Wilkes-Barre, Pa' May, '71 1 2. Bethlehem, Pa Aug., '71 1 3. Troy, N. Y Nov., '71.. 1 4. Philadelphia, Pa Feb., '72.. 1 5. New York, N. Y.' May, '72.. 1 8. Pittsburgh, Pa Oct., '72.. 1 7. Boston, Maas Feb., '73.. 1 8. Philadelphia, Pa." May, '73.. 2 9. Easton, Pa Oct., '73.. 2 10. New York, N. Y Feb.. '74.. 2 11. St. Louis, Mo.* May, '74.. 3 12. Hazleton, Pa Oct., '74.. 3 13. New Haven, Conn Feb., '75.. 3 14. Dover, N. J. ? May, '75.. 4 15. Cleveland, 0 Oct., '75.. 4 16. Washington, D. C Feb., '76.. 4 17. Philadelphia, Pa.} June, '76.. 5 18. Philadelphia, Pa Oct., '76.. 5 19. New York, N. Y Feb., '77.. 5 20. Wilkes-Barre, Pa. ? May, '77.. 8 21. Amenia, N. Y Oct., '77, . 6 22. Philadelphia, Pa Feb., '78:. 6 23. Chattanooga, Tenn.*...May, '78'.. 7 24. Lake George, N. Y Oct., '78.. 7 25. Baltimore, Md.* Feb., '79.. 7 26. Pittsburgh, Pa Mayo '79.. 8 27. Montreal, Canada Sept., '79., 8 28, New York, N. Y.? Feb., 'SO.. 8 29. Lake Superior, Mich. ..Aug., '80.. 9 30. Philadelphia, Pa.' Feb., '81.. 9 31. Staunton, Va May, '81..10 32. Harrisburg, Pa Oct., '81..10 33. Washington, D. C.? ....Feb., '82..10 34. Denver, Colo Aug., '82..11

Jan 1, 1928

[Chairman ZAY JEFFRIES, Vice-chairman S. SKOWRONSKI, Chairman WILLIAM M, CORSE, Secretary Executive Committee J. R. FREEMAN, JR., Local Section G. E. JOHNSON R. S. ARCHER, Non-ferrous Data Sheets P. D. MERICA EDGAR C. BAIN, Journal Committee L. W. SPRING SAM TOUR, Papers Committee F. L. WOLF H. C. JENNISON, Membership Committee Local Section Committee J. R. FREEMAN, JR., Chairman R. J. ANDERSON, Cincinnati R L. DOWDELL, Minneapolis R. S. WILLIAMS, Boston G. H. CLAMER, Philadelphia W. A. SCHEUCH, Chicago R. F, Woon, New York Papers Committee S. SKOWRONSKI, Chairman F. H. DIx, JR.-Aluminum E. R. DARBY-Bronze C. S. WITH ERELL-Copper H. A. BEDWORTH-Brass W. K. FRANK-BRONZE F. W. HARRIS-Copper R. L. SUHL-Nickel H. M. ST. JOHN--Foundry Metallurgy R. S. DEAN-Theoretical Metallurgy]

Jan 1, 1928

By C. C. Furnas

In the course of an investigation3 of the flow of gases through beds of broken solids the author obtained a number of data .on the specific volume of beds of broken solids of variously mixed sizes. A mathematical theory of the limiting conditions has been developed and some generalizations have been made for intermediate cases. A more definite knowledge of the relation between space occupied and size composition would be valuable to all those who are handling large quantities of broken materials. Such knowledge might be advantageously applied to the operation of a coke oven. For example, the output of the oven depends in general upon the number of pounds of coal which can be put in the oven at charging. It is known that the capacity of one battery of ovens was increased several per cent by slightly increasing the proportion of fine material in the charge.

Jan 1, 1928

By E. C. Lane

The motor gasoline that is being marketed in the United States this summer is slightly more volatile than that sold a year ago. The increase in volatility is shown by a lowering of the distillation temperatures, ranging from 2°F. at the average initial boiling point to 4°F. at the average end point. During the past nine years the Bureau of Mines has made semiannual surveys of the gasoline marketed in the United States, the survey just completed being the eighteenth in the series. The cities in which samples were collected have been chosen as representative of the more important marketing territories, as it is obviously impracticable to obtain a sample of every gasoline sold in the entire country. Samples were collected in Omaha as well as in the 11 cities where samples were taken last winter. It was believed advisable to include samples from Omaha in order to give a better balance to the survey for the country as a whole.

Jan 1, 1928

By Henry F. Adams, Guy H. Ruggles

IN this paper the authors aim to chronicle the experience and salient points brought out in changing flotation reagents at a concentrator which had probably been using a mininium amount of oil at a minimum cost per ton, to a more complicated system requiring a partial chemical control. The original oils were coal tar and pine oil. The new reagents are lime, xanthate and pine oil. It was found that there were no insurmountable difficulties and eventually the cost of the new reagents per ton of ore proved to be very little more than that of the old. LIME PLANT When the question of handling lime came up there were two propositions open: (1) to handle the lime dry; (2) to handle it wet in the form of an emulsion. Granting that a dry lime feeder would function properly, delivering lime uniformly, the chief objection was the dust that would be raised when these feeders were being charged or operated, as the only possible location was on a gallery beneath which men were working. With this objection the handling of lime as an emulsion seemed to be the better scheme. The lime plant which was first installed was for experimental work on one section. This was gradually changed and developed until it was of sufficient size to accommodate 20 sections. The various changes will not be discussed and the following description deals only with the fully developed plant. Crude as it is, and perhaps somewhat expensive to operate, the lime-handling plant has been quite successful. Much has been learned which will pave the way for a better installation in the future. Burnt lime is received loose in standard gage box cars. This is the product of the kilns and has had no screening or sorting. A grab sample is taken from each car as it is unloaded. An average of the analyses of samples from 44 cars gave the following: [ ]

Jan 1, 1928

By John Gann

THE following investigation constitutes a brief resume of the more important binary magnesium alloys from the standpoint of metallographic technique, and the effect of heat treatment on structure and properties. The comparative newness of the subject justifies this procedure as a preface to a more detailed study of each individual series of alloys. The work was started with the idea of practical application in the industry rather than as a theoretical investigation. The alloy compositions studied were selected as those most likely to show whether heat treatment would produce beneficial results. Furthermore, it was considered satisfactory to use commercial 99.9 per cent. magnesium, the best commercial grade of alloying ingredients, and to limit the time of heat treatment at the expense of incomplete equilibrium. These facts must be kept in mind when examining the results obtained, and the conclusions drawn.

Jan 1, 1928

By H. C. Schultz

CERTAIN local conditions were known to govern in large measure the successful adaptation of liquid-oxygen explosives to the large-scale blasting at Chuquicamata. The wide variation in hardness of the rock at this mine makes necessary the use of several types of explosives. A locally manufactured, relatively cheap black powder is used in blasting the softer waste and capping material, where a thorough displacement breaks the ground sufficiently. Before the introduction of L. 0. X., an ammonia dynamite of about 65 per cent. strength was being used exclusively in the harder underlying orebody, where a strong disruptive as well as a displacement effect is required for breaking the ore. The L. 0. X., as developed for quarry work in the United States, has a practically pure carbon cartridge material, and the explosive has an extremely high rate of detonation, which should therefore cause it to usefully develop its full disruptive effect in hard ground. The individual blasts at Chuquicamata are large, black-powder shots which dislodge masses of rock averaging 250,000 tons each, and dynamite shots which dislodge masses averaging 80,000 tons each. It was desirable, therefore, to attempt to displace with L. 0. X. the faster, higher-cost ammonia dynamite used in the smaller blasts. It was not considered practical to attempt to displace the low-cost black powder with L. 0. X., as estimated costs showed no probable saving if this were accomplished. Since it was desirable to continue shooting relatively large blasts for effective operation, it was recognized that larger storage facilities than had been in use would be needed for the liquid oxygen. Because of the difficulty of transporting and discharging large storage containers of efficient design, the better plan appeared to be storage and discharge of the liquid at the place of manufacture, and transportation of the filled soaking boxes to the blast.

Jan 1, 1928

[Abad. Leopoldo F., Min. Engr., Div. of Mines, Bureau of Science Manila, P. 1. '28 Abadilla, Quirico A., Geol., Lago Pet. Corp Box 172, Maracaibo, Venezuela. '20 Abarquez, Ramon F., Met., Bureau of Science Manila, P. I. '24 Abbey, Robert Graham, Student, Case School of Applied Science Cleveland, Ohio. '21 Abbott, A. N., Mines Supt.. Mazapil Copper Co,, Ltd Concepcion del Oro, Zac,, Mexico. '28 Abbott, Clarence E., Mgr,, Mines & Quarries, Tenn, Coal, Iron & R. R. Co., 1242 Brown Marx Bldg,, Birmingham, Ala. '04]

Jan 1, 1928

By Ralph H. Espach

The value of careful fractionation in the manufacture of petroleum products is recognized more and more by petroleum refiners. Recent studies have shown that the quality of the products depends largely on the type of fractionating equipment and on the care used in operating the equipment. For example Rue3 has shown that careful fractionation of pressure distillate will greatly reduce the amount of chemical treatment necessary to produce finished gasoline. The advantages of the combination of pipe still and bubble tower in obtaining good fractionation are well recognized in the petroleum industry. However, the equipment designed in the past has in general been much too large for convenient laboratory use. The present paper describes a continuous-distillation apparatus for the laboratory study of fractionation. This apparatus has given very satisfactory results in the study of different crude oils and petroleum products. A discussion of the theory and action of bubble towers has not been given, as this subject has been discussed previously by Cooke and Rue4. It is believed that the distillation curves of the products obtained from this apparatus show clearly its capabilities.

Jan 1, 1928

By F. S. Wartman

The presence of magnetite, either dissolved or suspended as solid crystals, in slags from the copper reverberatory furnace is a frequently mentioned cause of an abnormally high copper content in those slags. The presence of this oxide in the slag is to be expected, since it is present in appreciable amounts in both converter slag and roaster calcine which comprise a considerable proportion of the furnace feed. Magnetite is also a product of some of the furnace reactions. These abnormal losses result in several ways. Magnetite is supposed to favor the formation and retention of copper ferrite, in the slag. Crystals of solid magnetite suspended in the slag are objectionable-because they make the slag less fluid and often entrap globules of matte. Frequently these crystals settle into a layer at the slab-matte interface which may have such mechanical strength as to create a false bottom and interfere with furnace operation by preventing separation of matte from slag. Magnetite may, by crystallizing on the furnace bottom, build the bottom to such a level that the furnace can no longer be operated.

Jan 1, 1928

By R. Hoffmann

The Waelz process produces oxides of volatilizable metals from ores, metalliferous products and residues. The process was originally used for recovering zinc and lead, where tailings and residues containing those metals had accumulated at mines or smelters, but it is applicable for obtaining tin, arsenic or other volatilizable metals. It is useful when other methods of obtaining the metals from the ores or residues are too difficult or expensive or show too low a recovery. The Waelz process was developed in 1923 for the treatment of large calamine dumps in Upper Silesia, which showed zinc contents of 8 to 10 per cent. and lead contents up to 3 per cent. The rapid development of the process, from the first trials up to the plants now working or in course of erection, is shown in Fig. 1. The first industrial Waelz plant was started in 1925. Within two years the capacity of the working plants reached 700 tons material per day of 24 hr. During the year 1928 the daily capacity of the plants now at work or in course of erection will rise

Jan 1, 1928

L. C. UREn,* BerkelEy, Cal. (written discussion).—I heartily concur with Rlr. .Fobs concerning the need for advanced courses on various phases of Petroleum Engineering. I think that his criticism is probably true of most of the engineering schools that are specializing at all in Petroleum Engineering, that is, that most of their so-called graduate courses are not of graduate caliber but are merely more specialized aspects of undergraduate subjects. It would undoubtedly be to the advantage of the petroleum profession if more advanced work could be offered in a few of the leading engineering institutions so that there would be something substantial to offer graduate students wishing to return after a period of undergraduate work, for additional training. There is no doubt but that a better trained engineer, more useful to the oil industry, could be secured from schools offering such advanced training. The problem of adpting our instruction to fit the needs of engineers trained along other lines who wish, after completion of their undergraduate work, to enter thc petroleum engineering field, is a more difficult one. It has been my experience that such men are usually sadly deficient along certain lines and that they are really not prepared for the more advanced work in Petroleum Production Engineering until they have gone back over the work which they have missed in their undergraduate training. I note that Mr. Fohs suggests that other eastern and western colleges not now stressing Petrolelim Engineering, should be encouraged to take up advanced work of this character. With this, however, I cannot agree unless the institutions arc also prepared to offer a full sequence of undergraduate work on which the more advanced courses may be superimposed. Whether or not there is a need for additional engi-ncering colleges entering the petroleum engineering field is an open qucstion. I believe that we arc turning out enough petroleum engineers at the present time and that none of the six institutions now specializing in this field arc overcrowded. Morc-ovcr, they are fairly well distributed over the country, though there may be room for an additional school in the field in the eastcrn section of the United States. F. W. Padgett, Norman, Okla. (written tliscussion).—Assuming that the stnclcnt has the proper fundamentals, that is, general science and a knowledge of the technology of the industry, then the problem is: What courses should be offered from the graduate standpoint? (a) Course Work.—His knowledge of the technology of the industry can be extended advantagcously by means of one and two-hour courses, which consist in a more detailed survey of the various branches of the industry. (b) Lilerdure.—This work may, or may not, be connected directly with his research problem. The student should become familiar with methods of locating articles in the 1iterature; should also become familiar with all the important original

Jan 1, 1928

By Etienne S. Bieler

Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, I come to you tonight distinctly as a physicist, not as a geologist or a mining man. My experience in applied geophysics has been short, and I do not doubt that many of you have a much larger acquaintance: with the subject than I have. A little over a year ago, the firm of Alderson, MacKay & Armstrong decided to investigate the possibility of developing a new method of electrical prospecting suitable to our northern Quebec and northern Ontario conditions, and asked me to take up the work. A preliminary survey of existing literature convinced me that the field of induction methods was most promising. I wish to give you some account of the work carried on last summer in the Rouyn district in this connection with the very able assistance of Mr. H. G. I. Watson. Geophysical methods of prospecting can be divided generally into four classes: magnetic, electrical, gravitational, and seismic. Each class depends on the existence of a definite property in which the valuable mineral to be discovered differs materially from the surrounding rocks. In the four classes, the property will be, respectively, magnetic permeability, electrical conductivity, density, and elasticity. By far the largest differences occur in the case of electrical conductivity, where it is not rare to find ratios of the order of several millions, or even billions, between ores, sulphide ores especially, and the surrounding rock. Hence the sensitiveness and delicacy of electrical methods. Of these four classes, only two, the electrical and the magnetic methods, have been put to extensive practical use in the discovery of metallic ores. The other two classes are important mainly in connection with oil detection.

Jan 1, 1928

CONTENTS PAGE BARTON, D. C.-The Eötvös Torsion Balance Method of mapping Geologic Structure (T. P. No. 50) 1 GEORGE, P. W.-Experiments with Eötvös Torsion Balance in the Tri-State Zinc and Lead District (T. P. No. 65). 15 LANCASTER-JONES, E.-The Computation of Eötvös Gravity Effects (T. P. No.75) HEILAND, C. A.-A Cartographic Correction for the Eötvös Torsion Balance-(T. P. No. 52) 17 SLICHTER; L. B.-Certain Aspects of Magnetic Surveying (T. P. No. 120). . . . 18 WEAVER, W.-Certain Applications of the Surface Potential Method (T. P. No.121) LUNDBERG, H.-Recent Results in Electrical Prospecting for Ore (T. P. No. 98). . 20 HOTCHKISS, W. 0., ROONEY, W. J. and FISHER, J.-Earth-resistivity Measure-ments in the Lake Superior Copper Country (T. P. No. 82) 21 LEONARDON, E. G. and KELLY, S. F.-Some Applications of Potential Methods to Structural Studies (T. P. No. 115) 23 MASON, M.-Geophysical Exploration for Ores (T. P. No. 45) 25 The Eötvös. Torsion Balance Method of Mapping Geologic Structure Discussion of the paper of D. C.. Barton, issued as Technical Publication No. 50 with Mining and, Metallurgy, February, 1928. D. C. BARTON.-The field surveys which I have been privileged to use as illustrations for this paper were done for Mr. DeGolyer's companies and were released through his favor. W. J. MILLARD, Tulsa, Okla.-Has any oil been found by the torsion balance in West Texas? D. C. BARTON.-NO new oilfield has been discovered on the basis of torsion balance work. It has had some part in controlling the policy of certain companies in playing the extension of known oil fields. A number of "T. B." structures have been drilled and dry holes obtained. Of those known to the writer, one apparently was a structural high, one is a broad general high but locally low and probably is a deep-seated structural high, one seems normal although the control is poor, and one was considered structurally low but is now suspected by some geologists of being structurally high. E. L. DEGOLYER, New York, N. Y.-A large gravity structure, generally referred to, I believe, as the Crosby County Structure, has been found in West Texas. This structure is perfectly symmetrical with the arrows all pointing toward a common center, very much like the Nash salt-dome pattern in Dr. Barton's paper (Fig. 9). One of the peculiar things about it, from the standpoint of the gravity high, is that it is so

Jan 1, 1928

By Thomas Varley

"During the past few years, since flotation has become the paramount treatment method for most all kinds of ores, the Bureau has gathered the data on consumption of reagents used in the flotation treatment. The first report was issued in 1916. A brief review of such reports shows the progress made in the art of flotation, and each year brings forth development of new reagents or combinations of reagents that seem sure to survive, but research and progress spell their defeat, if not by entire elimination, at least subjects them to considerable modification. Fortunately, close cooperation between the Bureau and the operators has been the means of an exchange of ideas in research work, and the development, in plant practice, of such research work on a commercial basis, is one of the outstanding features in milling today.In past years flotation has been referred to generally as ""oil flotation""— today it might be more properly called ""chemical flotatioin"" Minerals can be floated today without oil. Chemicals alone will do the work, showing how little was truly known about the process heretofore. The term ""regents as used herein, includes both chemicals and oils. The total pounds of oils and reagents consumed during the year was greater than shown in the 1925 report. The 1926 total was 201,711,795 pounds as compared with 81,688,967 pounds for 1925. The equivalent in pounds of reagent use& per ton of ore for 1926 was 3.933 as compared with 1.7972 for 1925. This increase is due largely to the amount of lime which is added in the alkaline circuits particularly in the mills treating coppers ores, which accounts for the larger tonnages."

Jan 1, 1928

By R. Y. Williams

In the United States, fully 98 per cent. of the anthracite and bituminous coal tonnage obtained from underground operations is mined by the room-and-pillar system. Under this system, the total cost of the coal f. o. b. railroad cars contains as its greatest single item the money paid for "labor." Each labor dollar in an average bituminous mine may be subdivided into 85 c. paid for work done inby the gathering turnouts (including all work at the face), and 15 c. outby that point (including all work in and under the tipple). In an average anthracite mine, the corresponding figures are 70 c. and 30 c., the larger breaker force accounting mainly for the difference between these and the bituminous figures. The next largest single item after "labor" is usually "supplies and power;" and a division of this item inby and outby the gathering turnouts shows somewhat the same relative proportions as has been noted under the case of "labor". During the past 10 years, the chief advances made in the coal industry have been to obtain economies through complete mechanization covering that portion of the work which lies outby the gathering turnouts. These results have been accomplished by applying scientific principles to railroad yard layout, to cleaning and sizing machinery, to dumping facilities, to roller-bearing haulage equipment, and to heavy-rail, well-ballasted trackage. But these improvements, while gratifying in their resulting economies, apply only to 15 to 30 per cent. of the important cost items. Obviously, then, the big problem before the engineers of the coal industry today has to do with the methods of mining and the layout inby the gathering turnouts. Four years ago, Weston Dodson & Co., Inc., determined to have an exhaustive study made of the conditions which must be met in order to gain complete face mechanization, and in order that such a mining layout would be based on correct underlying principles. The result of that study, which was made by the writer, led to the adoption of a method of longwall mining wherein the roof is worked on the caving system and is supported as an overhang along the face by steel jacks.

Jan 1, 1928

By W. S. Dyer

Considerable attention has been paid in recent years to the fire-clay and silica-sand deposits of the Mattagami and Missinaibi rivers and ? to the lignite occurring in them. The fireclay especially deserves this attention; it is of first-class quality; it appears to be widespread; it is the only fire-clay in central Canada, and part of it lies not more than 20 miles west of Coral rapids, to which point steel will be laid this coming spring by the Temiskaming and Northern Ontario railway. Undoubtedly, these clays will rapidly find a place in industry. The fire-clays and the better grades of silica-sand are Mesozoic in age and have been referred to the Lower Cretaceous or Upper Jurassic. Glacial clays and sands and Palaeozoic shales also occur in the same region, but are of little economic value, and will not be dealt with in this paper. Dr. Robert Bell was perhaps the first to discover the clays, since in the Report of Progress of the Geological Survey of Canada for 1877 and 1878 he reported beds of lignite on Coal brook, a tributary of the Missinaibi river, underlain by sticky clay and overlain by glacial drift. In 1880 E. B. Borron (1) discovered an extensive deposit of white sand and clay on the east bank of the Missinaibi river, five miles below Coal brook, and in 1890 (2) he examined the deposit found by Dr. Bell on Coal brook. He recognized that the underlying clays were quite distinct from the glacial clays of the region, and suggested that they might be used for fire-brick if metallurgical operations were undertaken in the region. Somewhat later, J. M: Bell described a deposit of fire-clay and silica-sand on the Wabiskagami river, another tributary of the Missinaibi.

Jan 1, 1928

By G. R. Mansfield

THE geologic structure of the Idaho phosphate field has an important bearing on the classifica-tion and the exploitation of the lands that contain phosphate. Maps and structure sections1 recently made available show that the phosphate is mainly preserved in downfolded or downfaulted areas. Since the phos- phate beds are generally rather soft and lie between harder and thicker formations they have been forced to adjust themselves to these formations during epochs of disturbance of the earth's crust, so that they are frequently affected by minor folds and by faults which may help exploitation by producing undue thickness at certain places or may hinder it by cutting out the phosphate at other places where according to expecta-tion it should be present. A particularly important structural feature which affects both the distribution and the exploitation of the phosphate beds is the great Bannock overthrust by which one or more slices or blocks of the earth's crust have been pushed over other blocks like ice cakes on a pond. Thus in this region a great flap of folded rocks lies across other rock structures for a distance of approximately 35 miles. Most of the commercially accessible phosphate deposits, shown in the maps that accompany the report cited, are in this flap, which con-stitutes the upper block of the overthrust. In some places, however, the phosphate in the lower block is also accessible. In both blocks post-phosphate rocks exposed at the surface here and there indicate that phos-phate beds may lie at greater or less depth below. The presence of the Bannock overthrust beneath much of the area reported is known by the occurrence of windows in the upper block both within the quadrangles mapped and in areas farther west. The portions of the lower block exposed in these windows show stratigraphic dis-cordance with the surrounding formations. The depth of the fault plane at most places, however, can be told only by drilling or actual mining. Some of the folds in the upper block are relatively deep and it seems fairly certain that the phosphate that may originally have been present in their deeper parts has been removed by thrust faulting. The estimates of phosphate reserves in folds liable to be affected by the Bannock overthrust may therefore need ultimate revision depending on the depth of this fault plane, as it may subsequently be ascertained.

Jan 1, 1928

By R. S. Cartwright

Two types of automatic drilling controls, the Halliburton and the Hild, are now available and are coming into more or less general use in deep drilling. The primary function of both is to maintain a safe limit of torque on the drill pipe, this being accomplished by automatically controlling the weight or pressure on the cutting tool. Neither type will necessarily increase drilling speed, but by permitting advantage to be taken of "breaks" in the hole higher average cutting speed may be maintained. The control is essentially a safety device, and should be considered as such. It is not the purpose of this paper to discuss the merits of drilling controls, although the advantages over manual feed at the brake drum are obvious, but rather to point out some of the limitations. The Halliburton Control The Halliburton control is designed to operate during drilling through the agency of the draw works. Automatic and constant control. of the torque on the bit is governed by clutches on the control itself, and the line shaft to drum shaft drives on the draw works. In operations other than drilling the control is simply a jackshaft between prime mover and draw works. It is, of course, adaptable to any type of power. Because control of the torque on the bit is dependent upon the various ratios or clutch combinations available on the Halliburton control and the draw works, it follows that there are certain limitations in points of control. Table 1 shows the possible ratios which can be obtained with the control and a popular type of three-speed draw works, it being assumed that the highest possible gear combination-the combination which when engaged will suspend the least amount of weight-has a value of 1.00.

Jan 1, 1928

By Frank E. Cash

The Bureau of Mines in its safety work has for a number of years advocated and recommended the use of permissible portable electric cap lamps for use in all mines. In the course of time required for the evolution from an unsatisfactory to an efficient and safe light, but encouraging increase in their use has been experienced in Alabama. As early as 1916, small installations of these safer lamps were made or an experimental basis by several operating companies, and the first complete mine installation eras made at the Virginia mine of the Gulf States Steel Co., July 1, 1918. From the experiments in 1316 and the complete equipment of the first mine in 1918 gradual progress has been made until there are now 30 installations with 10 operating companies; as a result 20 mines have been put entirely and 5 partly on, closed lights, and 3 companies equip their engineering departments; two installations of closed lights are maintained by other companies for emergency use. One of the mines partly on the electric cap lamp is an ore mine - the only one in Alabama (and one of the very few in the United States) that uses closed lights. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The full cooperation of operating officials, lapmen, and lamp representatives was given in the collection of the data in this report, and is hereby acknowledged.

Jan 1, 1928