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By Benj. F. Tillson

To most mine operators, it seems evident that there is a drill-steel problem, although under certain conditions the amount of drill-steel breakage does not appear serious. What is at fault? It may be one or a combination of circumstances. The development of rock drills to the hammer-drill type in place of the old reciprocating piston drill, probably is one important cause for the greater steel breakage. Perhaps the manufacturers of drill steel have failed to realize what alloys are needed for this new service or have overlooked the changes in the art of rock drilling. Although suitable alloys are provided, they may not be SO handled in the manufacturing process as to be in the best condition to withstand the demands of rock drilling. The mine operator may be at fault in desiring to use the smallest possible drill-steel section in order that the gage of the drill bits may be correspondingly small and the amount of footage drilled per unit of labor may be greater; or the black-smithshop practice at the mines may need improvement. The miner who uses the drill steel may also require more intensive supervision and education. Again, the manufacturer of rock drills may have failed to study the types of blows the steel alloys will withstand satisfactorily and which their tools are delivering and so he may not know whether or not a different design of rock drill would equal or excel their present drilling speeds without treating the drill steel so severely. All of these hypotheses probably have their supporters. On the other hand, perhaps we are seeking too much service from drill steel and we need a fuller realization of the fatigue strains developed and should prepare to relieve these by a periodic heat treatment of the steels. However, we do not find any proof that any of these suppositions may be held responsible for the drill-steel breakage attendant to mining. The proposed investigation of this matter by the U. S. Bureau of Mines is fully warranted in the promotion of the conservation of labor and material, and the safety of the workmen. The great range of field conditions, as well as the scope of the research, requires the energetic cooperative support of many interests. Various manufacturers of steel,

Jan 1, 1922

By A. R. Elsea, C. C. McBride

HIGH-TEMPERATURE alloys, that is, alloys that are strong at high temperatures, have become increasingly important with the development of modern aircraft engines. Many alloys of this type are available. However, metallurgists do not have a clear understanding of the phases or structures which are responsible for these high-temperature properties. If these basic factors were understood, it might be possible to make better or cheaper alloys for service at high temperatures. For this reason, an investigation of the fundamental factors promoting high-temperature strength in alloys was started at Battelle Memorial Institute. This was to have included a study of the relationship between the structure and properties of cobalt-chromium base alloys of the vitallium type. It soon became clear that the structure of vitallium is quite complex and that the equilibrium diagrams which should explain these structures were unreliable. As a result, the cobalt-chromium binary diagram was determined as the first phase of this investigation1. This diagram is shown in fig. 1. During the study of the cobalt-chromium binary system, it was learned that these alloys may pick up considerable nitrogen when melted and heat treated in air. The extent to which nitrogen affects the various reactions in cobalt-chromium base alloys was not known, but there were indications that this impurity might be responsible for some of the erratic test results obtained for vitallium. Consequently, nitrogen was the first ternary addition studied. Thereafter the work was extended to ternary additions of iron and of nickel. This paper describes the investigation of the effects of nitrogen, iron, and nickel upon the reactions in cobalt-chromium alloys with 80:20 and 68:32 cobalt-chromium ratios. Experimental Work Alloy Preparation: A series of cobalt-chromium base alloys containing various amounts of the third element being studied were made for both the 80:20 and the 68:32 cobalt-chromium ratios. Electrolytic chromium, cobalt, and iron, and reagent-grade nickel powder were used as melting stock. Table I contains the chemical analyses of these materials. The charges were melted in alun-dum thimble crucibles which absorbed chromium oxide and effectively deoxidized the melts. These crucibles were supported by close-fitting graphite sleeves so that if they cracked during melting the metal would not be lost. Carbon increases, during

Jan 1, 1951

By S. S. Raymond, C. R. Hayward

In reheating quenched steel to remove part of the hardness, the softening effect has generally been considered to be a function of temperature and time. The temperature effect is well known, and long before pyrometers were heard of the blacksmith was able to do a good job of tempering, by rule-of-thumb methods and experience in judging temperatures. Modern conditions, which demand steel that will withstand the severest tests, require that the heat treatment be carried out with every possible precaution to secure the best results obtainable. Pyrometers and heat-treatment furnaces of many types are on the market and improvements are continually being made so that it is now possible to regulate the temperature in heat treatment very accurately. There is still a question regarding the time that the steel should be subjected to treatment. It is customary with all operators to insure the desired temperature throughout the specimen and it is generally supposed that a longer treatment of a hardened steel produces a further softening but there are few published figures showing the exact effect of time of treatment at constant temperature. A search of the literature disclosed several brief statements that the tempering effect was a function of both time and temperature, but in no case were any figures given. The opinion is very generally held that the well-know tempering colors are accurate indicators of the degree of tempering. This is disputed by Brearley (The Heat Treatment of Tool Steel, page 102) who states: It has been said that the result would be the same in respect to both hardness and other properties whether the colors were obtained by a shorter heating at a higher temperature or a longer heating at a lower one. This, to say the least, is a very doubtful conclusion, and is certainly not borne out by mechanical tests on oil-hardened and tempered motor car steels which, after tempering for periods varying from 15 min. to 2 hr., show no very great bifferences. The present investigation had for its object the obtaining of some definite data regarding the effect of time, which might serve as a guide to those engaged in the heat treatment of steel. The Rhode Island Tool Co. cooperated by furnishing the steel and machining the test specimens.

Jan 1, 1917

By O.W. Ellis

Recently there has been a considerable revival of interest in the effects of the various elements commonly added to brass for the purpose of increasing its strength. For many years the work of Guillet2 alone gave reliable information in this regard. Even today his determinations of the coefficients of equivalence of the various elements relative to zinc in brass are those universally employed in industry. This is so because these coefficients have stood the test of time—their substantial correctness has been proved in almost universal practice. It is not our intention to discuss here these coefficients or their use. Rather do we wish to emphasize the need for further systernatic studies of the mechanical properties of the ternary systems of copper, zinc, and other individual elements. Since Guillet published the results of his first investigations Millington, 16 Smalley33 and Thiband 45 have added somewhat to our information. In general they have confirmed the findings of Guillet, which may be stated in the following rather general terms: 1. The addition of aluminum to the 70:30 and 60:40 brasses progressively increases their hardness and strength and reduces their ductility and resistance to shock. 2. The addition of small amounts of iron to a 60:40 brass improves its strength without affecting its ductility. 3. The addition of small amounts of manganese to a 60:40 brass causes a progressive increase in its strength and reduction in its ductility. A considerable amount of information has been amassed in regard to the effect of nickel on brass (9, 22, 41) which it is unnecessary to refer to here, in view of the scope of this paper. The situation in regard to these alloys in 1926 was very clearly stated by an anonymous writer,47 in The Metallurgist of February of that year, whose remarks were so to the point that they are well worth quoting: It will he seen that there are still large fields remaining to be studied in each of these systems (those of the aluminum, iron, nickel and manganese brasses) before our knowledge is adequate. When we come to the more complicated systems the position is even less satisfactory, and on account of the very incomplete nature of the work which has been

Jan 1, 1929

By C. E. Berner

Since 1933, the Coal Mine Rating Schedule in Pennsylvania has provided credits in the Workmen's Compensation insurance premium rates for the use of safety hats, goggles and shoes. In that year, the worth of such protective clothing had just been well established and satisfactory articles were being made by a number of manufacturers. Standards for these three items of safety clothing' were written in the Rating Schedule and have been little changed through the years. The credit in the premium rate for a bituminous mine is $0.14 for hats, $o.08 for goggles, $o.08 for shoes. In order to earn such credit, it is necessary that all the employees in the particular mine be equipped with safety hats, goggles or shoes, as the case may be. In fact, it is not unusual for mines to qualify in all three categories, thus earning a rate reduction of $o.30 per $100 of payroll. These credits have been a decided stimulus to the use of safety clothing, and at present insured bituminous mines are credited as follows: Hats........ 63 per cent, or 22,600 employees Goggles..... 28 per cent, or 10,000 employees Shoes....... 44 per cent, or 15,800 employees Of course, many other employees wear these protective articles but they are in mines that are not fully equipped and so are not given the rate credit. The growth in use of this equipment has not been spectacular but it has been steady, as shown in Table I. An interesting thing about this is that it covers virtually all of the small and medium-sized bitumi- nous mine operations in Pennsylvania. A number of large operations are included, but many large mines are self-insured. It is difficult to keep alive interest in safety work in the smaller mines: first, because employment of safety engineers is out of the question and the one or several mine officials employed are often concerned only with production; second, because the life of many small mines is brief, so that safe conditions although established do not last long. Conditions as to safety in mines of this class rest chiefly with inspectors of state mine departments and of casualty insurance companies. Many millions of tons of production come from these mines, so that

Jan 1, 1944

By Donald C. Barton

Success in the use of the Eötvös torsion balance method of mapping geologic structure depends largely on the accuracy in the interpretation of the observed results. Skill in that interpretation depends (1) on the knowledge of the types of the variation of gravity, the gradient of gravity horizontally, and of the differential curvature produced by bodies of different sizes, shapes, dimensions, and densities; (2) on the knowledge of the possible types of structural bodies which might produce the observed anomalies; (3) on the empirical knowledge gained by experience not only in the geological interpretation of torsion balance surveys, hut of interpretations of inadequate geological data; and (4) on a knowledge of the possible and probable types of geologic structures in the area of the survey. The knowledge of the anomaly which a known body will produce and conversely the knowledge of the body or bodies which will produce a known anomaly may be gained by empirical experience and by mathematical study. The knowledge gained by empirical experience is fragmentary and inexact. The geology of most structures actually is known very superficially. The surface geology may be known accurately. If the structure is petroliferous, the subsurface geology of the oil field will be known down to 3000, 4000, 5000 ft. or in a few oil fields down to 7500 ft., but the deeper geology will be unknown and the metamorphic, igneous, or massive limestone basement below the reach of the drill may contrast sharply in density with the overlying sediments. Away from the oil field, the subsurface geology is known only from scattered drill holes, which do not go to the basement. A fair but not necessarily accurate knowledge of the geology of the nonproductive area can be obtained by correlation of the wells but the degree of its accuracy in general is proportional to the density of the occurrence of the wells. The geology below the bottom of the wells however is unknown. An anomaly mapped by the torsion balance is the sum of the effects of the contrasts in mass of its whole geologic surroundings. If the dimensions of a body of abnormal density are large enough, depth or distance makes no difference in the effects on the gradient and differential curvature; and as a matter of fact, in many places, the basement and irregulari-

Jan 1, 1929

By Oswald J. Heinrich

THE great improvements which have been made in late years in the different systems and instruments used to perforate the crust of the earth for purposes of testing and exploring for mineral resources or for other reasons, by means of bore-holes of greater or less diameter and to greater or less depths, are manifold. It may therefore be of interest to make an impartial comparison of them, or of such as are most commonly used. Being well aware of the difficulties which are encountered in such a task, a reasonable allowance must be made in such a comparison. It is a rare instance when even two decidedly different systems or instruments have been used in the same locality, penetrating identically the same strata to the same depth. The diameter of a borehole as well as its greater or less depth must also be considered in regard to its cost per foot, etc. But for practical purposes, for ex¬ploration at least, we may assert this rule Any borehole, of whatever diameter, which allows the means of examining the strata most carefully and completely, will be sufficient for this purpose, but that one which will do it most economically and in the least space of time, must be considered the best for it. It will, therefore, partially depend upon circumstances, what system, in spite of other superiorities, may be the best in each case, and the following remarks may aid in deciding this question. To make the attempt here to review all that has been published upon the different systems and means of boring would be out of place. Reference can be had to the able publications treating upon this subject. A difference in this respect exists in regard to the use of the hollow rods in connection with the diamond drill, used for that purpose. The great future, which appears to be evident for this instrument, will be warrant enough for any one, who has had the opportunity to test it, to give his experience to the public. Only in this way can we bring this system to such perfection, as it seems to deserve and * The drawings illustrating this paper are one-half the size of the tools represented, with the exception of the instrument used to reverse the current in the bore-hole (Fig. 17), which is one-third the actual size.

Jan 1, 1874

By O. W. Ellis

Recently there has been a considerable revival of interest in the effects of the various elements commonly added to brass for the purpose of increasing its strength. For many years the work of Guillet2 alone gave reliable information in this regard. Even today his determinations of the coefficients of equivalence of the various elements relative to zinc in brass are those universally employed in industry. This is so because these coefficients have stood the test of time—their substantial correctness has been proved in almost universal practice. It is not our intention to discuss here these coefficients or their use. Rather do we wish to emphasize the need for further systernatic studies of the mechanical properties of the ternary systems of copper, zinc, and other individual elements. Since Guillet published the results of his first investigations Millington, 16 Smalley33 and Thiband 45 have added somewhat to our information. In general they have confirmed the findings of Guillet, which may be stated in the following rather general terms: 1. The addition of aluminum to the 70:30 and 60:40 brasses progressively increases their hardness and strength and reduces their ductility and resistance to shock. 2. The addition of small amounts of iron to a 60:40 brass improves its strength without affecting its ductility. 3. The addition of small amounts of manganese to a 60:40 brass causes a progressive increase in its strength and reduction in its ductility. A considerable amount of information has been amassed in regard to the effect of nickel on brass (9, 22, 41) which it is unnecessary to refer to here, in view of the scope of this paper. The situation in regard to these alloys in 1926 was very clearly stated by an anonymous writer,47 in The Metallurgist of February of that year, whose remarks were so to the point that they are well worth quoting: It will he seen that there are still large fields remaining to be studied in each of these systems (those of the aluminum, iron, nickel and manganese brasses) before our knowledge is adequate. When we come to the more complicated systems the position is even less satisfactory, and on account of the very incomplete nature of the work which has been

Jan 1, 1929

By C. E. Berner

Since 1933, the Coal Mine Rating Schedule in Pennsylvania has provided credits in the Workmen's Compensation insurance premium rates for the use of safety hats, goggles and shoes. In that year, the worth of such protective clothing had just been well established and satisfactory articles were being made by a number of manufacturers. Standards for these three items of safety clothing' were written in the Rating Schedule and have been little changed through the years. The credit in the premium rate for a bituminous mine is $0.14 for hats, $o.08 for goggles, $o.08 for shoes. In order to earn such credit, it is necessary that all the employees in the particular mine be equipped with safety hats, goggles or shoes, as the case may be. In fact, it is not unusual for mines to qualify in all three categories, thus earning a rate reduction of $o.30 per $100 of payroll. These credits have been a decided stimulus to the use of safety clothing, and at present insured bituminous mines are credited as follows: Hats........ 63 per cent, or 22,600 employees Goggles..... 28 per cent, or 10,000 employees Shoes....... 44 per cent, or 15,800 employees Of course, many other employees wear these protective articles but they are in mines that are not fully equipped and so are not given the rate credit. The growth in use of this equipment has not been spectacular but it has been steady, as shown in Table I. An interesting thing about this is that it covers virtually all of the small and medium-sized bitumi- nous mine operations in Pennsylvania. A number of large operations are included, but many large mines are self-insured. It is difficult to keep alive interest in safety work in the smaller mines: first, because employment of safety engineers is out of the question and the one or several mine officials employed are often concerned only with production; second, because the life of many small mines is brief, so that safe conditions although established do not last long. Conditions as to safety in mines of this class rest chiefly with inspectors of state mine departments and of casualty insurance companies. Many millions of tons of production come from these mines, so that

Jan 1, 1944

By Henry Hibbard

Fox the purpose of this paper all steels will be divided into two divisions: effervescing and non-effervescing. This classification must be borne in mind as many statements true of one class are not true of the other. Effervescing steels are those that effervesce in the molds, evolving large volumes of gases, which, in escaping, throw up a spray of molten particles of steel and give the molten metal in the mold a rapid stirring or churning motion until it freezes, or, at least, becomes pasty. This effervescing is intended and proper. The non-effervescing steels, which are more or less completely killed, should not evolve any gas in the molds. Many years ago the writer proposed to call the two classes of steels evolution and solution steels, depending on whether the gases in the molds are evolved or kept in solution, but the present designations seen to be better. In America, at least, effervescing steels are in a class by themselves and include steels made for boiler, tank, and ship plates, steel pipe, soft steel wire, wire nails, soft machinery, and structural steels. These are all low-carbon steels with less than 0.40 per cent. carbon. Low-carbon steels that do not effervesce but are killed are also made; these are put into ingots and castings but they are outside the limits of this paper. Effervescing steel is cast into square or slab molds, either top or bottom poured. Most of the effervescing steel is made in the basic open-hearth furnace, though much is made by the acid Bessemer process and a little is made in the acid open-hearth. It is not made by the crucible or electric-furnace process, in which the volume of gas required cannot be produced in the steel and evolved from it in the mold to give the effervescence desired. Any steel ingot, when teeming is finished, is of a certain size or volume. Leaving out of consideration for the moment the lessening of the over-all dimensions of the ingot through contraction due to loss of heat, the ingot may be placed in one of three classes: It may settle, losing in volume; it may stand, that is, remain constant in volume; it may rise, that is, increase in volume.

Jan 9, 1919

By J. W. Leonard, J. C. Anderson, C. T. Holland

PREPARATION CONTROL IN UNDERGROUND MINING Selective Mining According to district Depending upon the particular geographic location or seam characteristics modem raw coal preparation practices can be used to obtain improved product quality and uniformity. Nevertheless, certain coal markets may require only marginal quality while others may require very high quality and these objectives may be sought by commencing the preparation of coal underground at the "working face." Underground preparation involves choosing those portions of the bed which can be cleaned to satisfy predetermined market requirements involving (1 ) maintenance of uniformity in chemical quality, (2) elimination of removable impurities, (3) control of sizes and size ratios and (4) control of moisture. The methods employed to attain these objectives vary widely with the (1) seam under development, (2) mining equipment available and (3) changing trends in the consuming markets. When a mining property is opened and development progresses from one section to another the (1) petrography of the coal in the bed does not re- main uniform, (2) character of roof and floor are subject to change and (3) character and prevalence of mineral impurities are subject to considerable variation. The quality of coal shipped to market from any mine depends upon intelligent foresight, planning, execution and supervision. Mining becomes a highly technical art. The quality of coal as determined by chemical and petrographic analysis is without question one of the most important considerations in the development and life of any coal-mining property. Variations in such proper- ties as volatile matter, ash, sulfur, Btu content and petrography are of considerable interest and to a limited extent so are such properties as phosphorous content, free swelling index, plasticity, hardness, pressure formation during coking and ash composition. The maximum and minimum specifications of these characteristics as established by competitive market conditions place definite limits on the marketability of a coal. The prospecting and evaluation of any area containing one or more salable coal beds by means of channel samples taken from outcrop openings and/or from diamond-drill cores can yield valuable data on coal characteristics. By correlating the data developed from distinct petrographic sections of channel and/or drill core samples, the quality of the bed according to stratification will be evident. There are few coal beds that do not show wide variations of such characteristics as ash and sulfur

Jan 1, 1968

By Kenneth A. Gutschick, Robert S. Boynton

Lime has become a very general loosely used term that includes virtually all finely divided types of limestone as well as burned forms of lime. However, actually (and according to Webster) lime is only calcined limestone (known as quicklime, calcium oxide, or calcia). It also embraces the secondary product of quicklime-namely hydrated lime or slaked lime (calcium hydroxide). Fundamentally there are two basic types of limestone-high calcium and high magnesium (dolomitic). The dolomitic quicklimes and hydrated limes correspond to their "high calcium" counterparts in terminology. The only difference is that the dolomitic types are a combination of the elements, calcium and magnesium, whereas high calcium limes contain only 0.5 to 2 pct of magnesium. Both types, which are made through calcination at high temperatures, are shown chemically as follows: [ ] In the above reactions either type of limestone is burned (calcined) in furnaces known as lime kilns so that the carbon dioxide content of the stone is expelled as a gas. With high calcium limestone 44 pct of the weight of the stone is lost; with dolomitic limestone the loss is 48 pct. Also, both reactions are chemically reversible since quicklime absorbs carbon dioxide readily and in so doing transforms itself back to the original carbonate form. Most quicklimes correspond in size to the original rock, which varies from one to eight inches, depending upon the type of kiln employed. Slight shrinkage occurs during calcination. A few limestones when calcined will decrepitate (break down) into a fine powdery form; however, chemically it is the same as the pebble or lump-sized material. For some uses the lumps of quicklime are pulverized and packaged. Since quicklime has great affinity for moisture and carbon dioxide, it is perishable. When it absorbs moisture and CO2 slowly from the atmosphere, the resulting product is "airslaked." Consequently, it must be stored in dry, moisture-proof areas that are free from CO2. Because of its fugitive nature, it is usually consumed within a few weeks after manufacture. A more stable form of lime is hydrated lime-commercially made by adding water to the quicklime until the lumps break down into a fine, white powder. This product, which is usually packaged, can be stored more safely; and many of its uses are interchangeable with quicklime. The irreversible chemical reactions of hydrated lime for both high calcium and dolomitic types are: [ ]

Jan 1, 1960

By Ralph H. Sweetser

Carbon in pig iron is not only essential but, ordinarily, it is the most abundant metalloid present; iron without carbon could not be pig iron. Carbon in pig iron has been accepted, but seldom specified. How it gets into the pig iron as it is being smelted in the blast furnace, and why just about so much of it enters into the pig iron in certain blast furnaces, and more of it,; or less of it, enters the pig iron in other blast furnaces, or in the same blast furnace under varying conditions, are problems that have not yet been satisfactorily solved. During my own practical blast-furnace experience, I collected analyses of pig iron, including the graphitic and combined carbon, and recorded them in reference to the percentage of silicon present, having in mind the generally accepted explanation that "silicon drove out the carbon." To this actual experience, I have added some analyses given to me by J. B. Rogers, who was superintendent of the blast furnaces of the Ashland Iron & Mining Co., Ashland, Ky., and was making "silvery iron" at the time. These analyses are shown in Table 1. The analyses do not tell the whole story, but they show that with Pocahontas beehive coke, the total carbon was generally high. The data relating to the composition of the slag are lacking but my own customary practice was to have a rather basic slag. During my experience in making pig iron for the Bessemer and open-hearth departments, there were times when the steel men would complain about some mysterious quality in the pig iron that caused bad steel, in spite of the fact that the percentages of silicon, sulfur, phosphorus and manganese were within the specifications. Many reasons were advanced for this undetermined "poison" in the pig iron, but the favorite one offered by the steel men was that the blast-furnace man had "oxidized" the pig iron at the tuyeres in his eagerness to get big production and low cost. To these complaints of the users of steel-making pig irons were added those of the gray iron-foundry men and the malleable iron men. These groups are unaninlous in their conclusions that the trouble lies with the blast-furnace men; but there is not yet any harmonious conclusion as to the exact cause and remedy.

Jan 1, 1927

By Abram S. Hewitt

GENTLEMEN : If my first words were other than those of thanks for the high honor of being called to preside over the American Institute of Mining Engineers, I should do injustice alike to you and to my own sense of the obligation, under which I have been placed by your voluntary choice. When the position was first suggested to me, I resolutely declined to allow the use of my name, on the ground that, by training and occupation, I was not entitled to this honor, which, it then seemed to me, should be conferred only on a professional engineer. In fact, the history of the Institute, which had honored itself, as well as my distinguished predecessors, David Thomas, Rossiter W. Raymond, and Alexander L. Holley, by elevating them to its highest office, seemed to indicate the line and the limit of safe precedent, in which I did not then see how I could be included. But my scruples were finally removed by the consideration that, as in the course of human industry, the pioneer, of whom Mr. Thomas was so marked a type, must precede the mining engineer, so fitly personified in Dr. Raymond, and be followed by the mechanical engineer, whose incarnation we behold in Mr. Holley; so all these must be supplemented by the man of affairs and finance, in order that "enterprises of great pith and moment" may be prosecuted to a successful issue. I felt, therefore, that I had no longer any right to resist your preference, or to deprive myself of what I must regard as the crowning honor of an active career. On an occasion like the present it seems appropriate to review the history in this country, during the last hundred years, of those industries which the Institute of Mining Engineers specially represents. There is much in the story with which other members of this body are more familiarly acquainted than myself; yet I fancy that to all of them, and not less to our distinguished and most heartily welcome guests from abroad, a comprehensive outline of the progress of mining and metallurgy in the United States will prove interesting. I ask your attention, therefore, to a condensed account of that subject, embracing a statement of the beginnings of the industry on our shores, of the notable events attending its increase, and of its present

Jan 1, 1877

By Hon. Abrams S. Hewitt

Gentlemen : If my first words were other than those of thanks for the high honor of being called to preside over the American Institute of Mining Engineers, I should do injustice alike to you and to my own sense of the obligation, under which I have been placed by your voluntary choice. When the position was first suggested to me, I resolutely declined to allow the use of my name, on the ground that, by training and occopation, I was not entitled to this honor, which, it then seemed to me, should be conferred only on a professional engineer. In fact, the history of the Institute, which had honored itself, as well as my distinguished predecessors, David Thomas, Rossiter W. Raymond, and Alexander L. Holley, by elevating then] to its highest office, seemed to indicate the line and the limit of safe precedent, in which I did not then see how I could be included. But my scruples were finally removed by the consideration that, as in the course of human industry, the pioneer, of whom Mr. Thomas was so marked a type, must precede the mining engineer, so fitly personified in Dr. Raymond, and be followed by the mechanical engineer, whose incarnation we behold in Mr. Holley; so all these must be supplemented by the man of affairs and finance, in order that "enterprises of great pith and moment" may be prosecuted to a successful issue. I felt, therefore, that I had no longer any right to resist your preference, or to deprive myself of what I must regard as the crowning honor of an active career. On an occasion like the present it seems appropriate to review the history in this country, during the last hundred years, of those industries which the Institute of Mining Engineers specially represents. There is much in the story with which other members of this body are more familiarly acquainted than myself; yet I fancy that to all of them, and not less to our distinguished and most heartily welcome gnests from abroad, a comprehensive outline of the progress of mining and metallurgy in the United States mill prove interesting. I ask your attention, therefore, to a condensed account of that subject, embracing a statement of the beginnings of the industry on our shores, of the notable events attending its increase, and of its present

By W. J. Skewes, C. T. Holland

Properly constructed stopes are necessary underground for proper ventilation and safe, healthful working conditions. Mining companies are concerned with providing the best possible stoppings at an economic cost. It is important to consider 1) proper materials, 2) construction that ensures maximum performance from the material used, and 3) keeping costs within reasonable limits for the unit operation—stopping—involved. The authors investigated all aspects of the problem and have attempted to layout a study program to provide information on all phases. Mining companies every year purchase huge amounts of material for the construction of ventilation stoppings. This material by the time it is in place in the stoppings will cost the company many thousands of dollars. In addition and more importantly these stoppings are supposed to confine air travel along certain well defined paths into areas where it is needed to provide safe and healthful atmospheres for workmen. The cost of forcing this air through the mine is large and in general increases as the total quantity increases. Consequently, if the stoppings leak, increased cost results and in addition unsatisfactory ventilation may prevail in the mine. Therefore, it is essentia1 to provide the best possible stoppings at an economic cost. When attempting to provide the best stoppings possible at an economic cost, three aspects of the problem must be considered. These are 1) getting the most suitable material for stopping constructions, 2) constructing the stopping so as to get the best performance from the material used, and 3) keeping the cost of stopping construction to a minimum for a suitable stopping. This investigation is concerned with all phases of the problem and has attempted to lay out a study to provide information on all of them. In order to develop information on the best stopping material available it seemed wise, after con- sidering the job a stopping must do, to investigate the following aspects of material used for stoppings: 1) strength in compression, 2) compressibility or yield under load, 3) porosity, and 4) permeability. To provide information on the best manner of construction the following aspects of air leakage through the stopping were investigated: 1) when the stopping is built of dry stacked materials—i.e., the joints are not mortar-laid (See Fig. 1); 2) when the stopping is built of dry stacked material and then plastered on one side (see Fig. 2); 3) when the

Jan 1, 1961

By John K. Berry

The handling and disposal of mine water is a much larger problem than is apparent at first glance. Many more tons of water are removed from underground coal mines in the United States each year than tons of coal. In the old anthracite region of Pennsylvania the average was around 36 tons of water for each ton of coal produced, while bituminous mines average about 5 or 6 tons. Water encountered in the mines may come from several different sources. In mines with light cover and without a firm solid roof, rain may seep directly into the workings. This is also true of deeper mines where pillar falls have broken the roof to the surface. The top under creek beds is generally faulty and broken and water comes through the roof at this point. Deeper mines are frequently overlain by water-bearing strata and pillar breaks and faulty top can admit water, while places running to the dip often accumulate water which comes up through the bottom. In all cases, except where passing under a year-round stream, the amount of water made is usually pretty closely connected with the weather-more water during the rainy season, less in the dry, although the deeper a mine is, the longer it is before changes in rainfall are felt. Another source of water, not connected with seasonal changes, is old water, accumulated over a period of time in abandoned workings of the mine, or from flooded adjacent mines. Here the water filters through the coal, the parting, or comes up through cracks in the bottom. Similarly, core holes, drilled to prospect the property, can be a source of unexpected water and modern safety requirements for dust-allaying water at the working faces can turn a pleasant working area into a soggy mess over the weekend if the system is not properly maintained and operated. Why water must be disposed is obvious. If allowed to accumulate, sooner or later the mine will fill up, or at least it will become "roofed" in low places, blocking ventilation and traffic. But it must also be controlled long before it reaches this stage. Water standing in the working faces is unpleasant for the men who have to work there and also cuts down on the amount of work they can do, as they must watch where they step all the time. It is especially unpleasant in low coal.

Jan 1, 1973

By Charles H. Jacoby, Stanley J. LeFond

Salt, or halite, has had a long and most varied history. While we know the Chinese were producing salt as early as 3000 B.C., the first written reference to salt appears in the book of Job recorded about 2250 B.C., which reads: "Can nothing which is unsavory be eaten without salt?" We do not know when man first used or realized that he needed salt. Perhaps one of our early Eolithic ancestors noted a piece of salt shining along the shore of a salt lake or a bay. He may have been attracted by its shining luster and tasted it. He found that it had a tart, zesty, distinctive flavor and perhaps chewing a large piece, became ill. However, by experimentation he soon learned that taken in the proper proportions salt was a very pleasant additive to his food. He may have noticed, too, that it increased his feeling of well-being. Thus, when the curtain of recorded history rises, we find man using salt for his health's sake, seasoning his food with it, feeding it to his animals, and using it in many superstitious and religious ceremonies. These uses, however, are a far cry from the uses for salt today. The first attempts of white man to make salt in continental United States were reported in the year 1614, while the first commercial production was in 1790. Practically all of this salt was for human consumption, preserving food, and curing hides. Prior to the coming of the "white man" Indians are known to have made salt from such salt springs as those that existed at Avery Island, La., Charleston, W.Va., Saltville, Va., and Onondaga, N.Y. In 1862 the first rock salt was mined in the U.S. from the Avery Island salt dome. Almost immediately thereafter, rock salt was mined at Saltville, Va., and then at Retsof, N.Y., in 1885. Of the more than 40 million tons produced annually in the United States, about 68% or 27 million tons are consumed by the chemical industry in the production of chlorine, caustic soda, hydrochloric acid, sodium metal, and some 30 other basic chemicals. These basic chemicals, in turn, are used in the preparation of approximately 14,000 chemicals which range from soap and detergents, to such chlorinated hydrocarbons as DDT, BHC, carbon tetrachloride, etc.

Jan 1, 1975

By R. B. Schluter, M. M. Fine

Processes for manufacturing prereduced pellets have heretofore required temperatures of 2100°F or higher. Sulfides will accelerate the liquid-phase sintering of metallic iron, yet do not deter the reduction of iron oxides. The sulfides may be introduced as gases to the kiln atmosphere or as solids in the re-ductants. The net result is that well metallized iron pellets with good crushing strength can now be produced at a little over 1800°F. One of the most persistent topics at technical gatherings and in the recent scientific press has been the reduction of iron ore. In May 1960, a symposium on the subject was sponsored by the Electrochemical Society. The proceedings, comprising two dozen papers, were later published.' More recently, in November 1966, a similar gathering took place at Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Mich. The latest meeting was the International Congress on Production and Utilization of Reduced Materials at Evian, France, in May 1967. If the volume of literature, symposia and conferences is a measure of industry concern, then the current interest in reduction must be at a high level. Barrett,2 one of the early pioneers, stated some years ago that "The history of sponge iron has been so discouraging that many men in the iron and steel industry are violently opposed to giving it any further consideration." In spite of the "violent opposition" noted by Barrett, research people in and out of the industry continue to be attracted by the elusive prospect of uncovering a simple, viable means of direct reduction. Wild,3 one of the speakers at Evian, listed no less than 48 direct reduction processes (laboratory, pilot plant and commercial). Some of these were of historical interest only, but many others had resulted from developments within this decade. The previous big thrust into direct reduction occurred under the artificial impetus of a wartime economy (World War 11) and was largely an effort to provide more melting stock without coke ovens and blast furnaces. The present-day inquiry is proceeding at a more leisurely pace and the emphasis is different. For one thing, there is much less anxiety to circumvent the blast furnace. On the contrary, a whole new research endeavor has grown from the discovery that metallized burdens are exceptionally productive.4 Although the search for a melting stock

Jan 1, 1970

By T. Prof. Ph. D. Egleston

(Read at the Amenia Meeting, October, 1877.) THE copper-bearing rocks of Lake Superior are composed of a series of metamorphic rocks, comprised under the names of amygdaloid and conglomerate, in which the copper and silver found with them are pseudomorphs. These rocks, generally, have well-defined walls which cause them to separate easily. Generally, the country rock is sterile, but it occasionally rises into the copper-bearing rock, and then carries copper. Usually, the amygdaloids carry copper, and the greenstones or melaphyres which encase them do not. There is a very generally received opinion that the copper in these beds occurs in shoots. This does not appear to be proved, though the opinion seems to have some foundation from the experience of the Calumet & Hecla Mine, where a body of poor rock has been left, which, on the mine map, shows a general direction. The theory may be true of that individual mine, but too little work has been done in the other mines to draw any decided conclusion. The copper is very unequally disseminated in the rock, if any given piece be taken as an example, but, if the whole copper-bearing series be considered, its distribution is uniform. It may prove that there are certain directions in which the copper has been deposited more abundantly than in others, and these may be found to correspond with certain geological causes, but up to the present time the knowledge gained is not sufficient to warrant any general conclusion. These rocks are supplemented by a series of true fissure veins, of which there are several systems, making the amount of native copper very large. Unfortunately, except in the fissure veins, known as "mass-mines," the copper is so scattered through the rock, and is in such a fine state of division, that, although it is not always difficult to mine, it is always difficult to dress it sufficiently too make it pay. The metal is so uniformly distributed through these copper-bearing rocks that detached pieces, called " float," are found in digging on almost any land in the country. These pieces vary from very small fragments, weighing not more than a few ounces,, up to many pounds. III one instance, in making an excavation for a cellar of a

Jan 1, 1878