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By Henry P. Ehrlinger

THE Alta and St. Louis mines of the Alta Mines, Inc., produce a somewhat oxidized ore with a talc gangue that presents quite a problem in milling. For several years the mill recoveries were relatively low and there seemed to be no cure for this condition even with increasing the various collecting agents and frothers to two or three times of what they should be. The usual alibi of "oxidized ore" was given as the reason for these results and the matter stood there for some time until these investigations were started. FLOWSHEET As a brief outline of the flowsheet the ore is crushed to minus I in. in a Telsmith jaw crusher and then fed to a 64 1/2 Marcy grate mill. The resulting product from the grate mill is passed over a trommel where the coarse particles (plus 7 mesh) are returned to the grinding circuit through the classifier. The under 7-mesh pulp is passed over two Denver mineral jigs where a high grade concentrate is produced, thence over two Wilfley tables where a table concentrate is produced and about 80 pct of the oxide lead recovered. The tailings from these tables are pumped back to the classifier and after classification the 30 pct pulp density product, which overflows the lip, is passed into a series of 10 Denver economy flotation cells where a lead-copper concentrate is produced. Three products are made and shipped to the smelter termed jig, table and float concentrates. RESULTS WITH VARIOUS REAGENTS In March of this year work was started on the metallurgical problems of the mill and, as is shown in Table I, the results obtained were not too efficient. [ ] Tests were run with various reagent combinations that were recommended for ores of this nature but there was no appreciable effect on the recoveries. The grades of the flotation concentrates were reduced by the insoluble picked up and retained by these more powerful collectors and frothers. RESULTS WITH "METSO" In past work on ores of this type the use of "Metso" had improved gold and lead recoveries, but no effect on the silver and copper recoveries had been noted. To

Jan 1, 1947

By J. E. Pogue, F. G. Coqueron

This paper describes the sources of funds required by the petroleum industry to finance capital expenditures and also presents a discussion of the effect of rising construction costs on these expenditures. The petroleum industry obtains its capital funds from several sources: (I) internal, from retained cash earnings; and (2) external, from borrowings and the sale of securities to the public. The upward trend of capital expenditures of the petroleum industry is caused in the main by the influence of two powerful factors: (I) the physical growth in the demand for oils; and (2) the rising cost of drilling wells and constructing refineries, pipe lines, and other facilities. The segregation of these factors is accomplished by deflating the actual capital expenditures so that they are shown in terms of 1939 costs and then subtracting the adjusted series from the actual figures to yield a set of data representing the expenditures made on account of higher costs. Rising costs affect prices and the portion attributable to this factor had to be generated from the cash earnings of the industry, which called for higher oil prices. Introduction Capital may be defined as "wealth employed in or available for production." All production requires capital. Expanding industries require more capital than static ones, and technological industries employ more capital than. those in which little equipment is needed. The petroleum industry is both rapidly growing and highly technological, and, being a large industry, its capital requirements are prodigious, amounting to about one-seventh of the total of all American business, excluding agriculture.* Capital formation may be defined as the method by which the wealth or capital needed in the productive processes is created. There are various ways in which capital funds may be obtained but there is only one way in which capital can be created—out of production in excess of consumption, that is, savings. The physical realities are simple, but the monetary concepts are complicated because the mechanism of credit can draw upon future savings. Source of Capital Funds An industry, such as the petroleum industry, can obtain its capital funds from

Jan 1, 1949

By Craig R. Barrett, Alan J. Ardell, Oleg D. Sherby

It is shown that the apparent activation energy for creep of pure poly crystalline metals increases with increasing temperature in the temperature range 0.5 to 1.0 of the absolute melting temperature. This increase is probably associated with the influence 0-f the elastic modulus on the creep rate. By accounting for the variation of Young&apos;s nodulus with temperature, the true activation energies for creep of pure cadmium and aluminuvl are shown to be equal to the activation energies for self-diffusion in these metals, within experimental error, at all temperatures above 0.5T,. New creep parameters are proposed for cmrelation of steady-state creep rate and time-to-rupture data. These are respectively, where u is the creep stress, E is Young&apos;s rrodulus, i,is the steady-state creep mte, t, is the time -to-rupture, and D is the self-diffusion coefficient [equal to Do exp (-QSd/RT)] . It has been established experimentally1 and theoreticallyZm4 that high-temperature creep of poly-crystalline pure metals is a thermally activated process and may be represented by the general expression where <, is the steady-state creep rate, A is a constant dependent on the internal structure of the material, f is some function of the applied stress (0) and test temperature (T), and D is the self-diffusion coefficient. If D is separated into its temperature-dependent and independent portions, then it is possible to rewrite Eq. [I] as where Qsd is the activation energy for self-diffusion. Assuming a simple Arrhenius-type relationship between creep rate and temperature at a given constant stress, the apparent activation energy for creep, Q,, is given by the expression It is obvious that if is not a function of temperature It has been shown that the steady-state creep rate for pure polycrystalline metals1 can be represented by where S is a constant, L is the grain diameter, E is the isotropic polycrystalline (unrelaxed) elastic modulus, and n is a constant equal to approximately 5 over a wide range of stress. The apparent activation energy for creep calculated from this expression at constant grain size and stress is given by

Jan 1, 1964

TO WE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF MINING AND METALLURGICAL ENGINEERS Gentlemen:-The following report covers briefly some of the more important activities of the Institute during the year 1923. In my report for the year 1922, I drew attention to the falling off in membership of the Institute due to the depressed condition of the mining industry in several lines and the inability of many of our members to find profitable employment in mining or its associated branches. A number who were unemployed during 1922 established connections during 1923, but a still greater number have been forced to resign or drop their membership during 1923. Fortunately, the number dropped is not so great as in the previous year. The Employment Service conducted by the four Founder Societies bears witness to the trend in business. For the young men just out of college, there are plenty of opportunities at small salaries, there are plenty of opportunities for them as laborers; but for the mature members, those of experience, there are few calls. During the last eighteen months, our Employment Service has been able to place only six of our members out of every hundred engineers for whom it has found work. Another loss which this Society has suffered, but which is not felt so keenly by our sister societies, is in its foreign members. The A. I. M. E. has always had a large foreign membership, but of recent years exchange has been so heavily against many European and South American countries that a large number of members residing abroad have been compelled to relinquish their membership. Almost invariably these members express keen regret because of the necessity that confronts them, and almost invariably the writers express hope that present conditions will not last long and that they will soon be able to ask for reinstatement. Having stated the darkest side of the picture first, it may now be drawn to your attention that in spite of these losses the number of persons applying for membership was decidedly encouraging. From the quality point of view, the membership has not gone backward. The Membership Committee has declined to recommend many

Jan 1, 1925

By J. H. Jensen

Bromine is the intermediate member of the halogen family of elements between iodine, a solid: and chlorine, a gas. The name is derived from the Greek "bromos," meaning stench. Bromine is the only nonmetallic element that is liquid at room temperatures with a melting point of -7.2" C and a boiling point of 58.78" C. Reddish brown in color, it dissolves easily in water to yield a red solution. Bromine volatilizes at ordinary temperatures to a red vapor that is very irritating to the eyes, nose, and throat. Density of the liquid is 3.12 and gas weighs 7.59 gpl at standard conditions. As the element is highly active, it exists in nature only as bromide compounds. Bromine was discovered by Antoine Jerome Balard in seawater bitterns in 1826 and first prepared in quantity in 1860. Distribution Bromine is widely distributed in nature and compounds occur in solution in natural brines, in seawater, saline lakes, oil and gas well brines, and in evaporite chloride minerals. The concentration of bromine salts ranges from 60- 65 ppm in seawater to several thousand ppm in oil well brines and saline lakes. The distribution of bromine in marine evaporite minerals and in the solutions from which they crystallized was determined many years ago by H. E. Boeke (1 908). Theoretical aspects regarding the geochemistry of bromine have been published in numerous papers (Raup and Mite, 1969). Bromine occurs in solid solution in carnallite and sylvite associated in potash de- posits; in halite in salt beds; salt in oil shales; and in trona deposits. Its presence is useful as a guide in geochemical exploration. The analysis of small amounts of bromides in the presence of large amounts of chlorides is discussed by W. Schwerdtner (1963). Manganese, iron, and iodine may interfere with the determination. Other analytical methods are discussed at length in the literature (Stenger and Atchison, 1964). Sources and Reserves The sources and reserves of bromine, given in [Table 1], appear ample to meet present and foreseeable requirements in all producing countries. With the occurrence of bromine salts in sea-water and other brines, the potential for bromine production is worldwide. It has been estimated that 99% of all commercially recoverable bromine is in the ocean. However, actual subterranean brines having a higher bromine content than seawater will continue to be the preferred sources of bromine for the foreseeable future. Markets and Prices About 17% (1968) of bromine produced is used in its elemental form, with the balance consumed as bromides and bromates. The largest use for bromine is ethylene dibromide which, together with tetraethyl lead, are used as an antiknock additive in gasoline. Tetra-ethyl lead is the antiknock agent. Ethylene dibromide combines with the lead after combustion in the engine to form a volatile com- pound that escapes from the engine with the exhaust gases.

Jan 1, 1975

By Robert H. Richards

It will hardly be worth while to spend time over the discovery of this mine, how lumps of galena were picked up and brought to town, and how legends were told of an old mine from which Revolutionary bullets were made. This is an entirely new mine, with no evidences of former or ancient workings in its immediate vicinity to guide or attract the prospector. The first pit was opened in May, 1874. In August I made a visit to this pit, which was 6 feet wide in the northwest direction, 12 feet long north 80° east, and 6 feet deep..About 4 tons of a galena carrying gray copper, siderite, and quartz, had been taken from this pit. The lumps were all of them evidently float specimens, and varied from 8 to 12 inches thick, and showed very distinct indica-

By A. Eilers

A number of the copper refineries in this country have lately separated some of the rarer metals from the slimes in the refinery tanks. One of these has furnished me the following table of recoveries from given amounts of blister. I publish this to show the proportions, to gold and silver and to each other, in which these rarer metals may be expected to occur in copper from certain localities. GarFIeld, Utah :—The blister copper comes principally from the Bingham porphyry copper mines. Steptoe, Nev. :—All the blister copper is produced from the Nevada Consolidated mines. (Also porphyry deposits.) Omaha, Neb. :—Blister copper comes principally from concentrated copper-lead mattes shipped from the different lead-silver plants of the Rocky Mountain region to the converters at the Omaha lead refinery. Mountain, Cal. :—Ores occur in connection with diorite (?).

Jan 1, 1914

By AIME AIME

BECAUSE of its unequalled skill, your country in- creased its production until, in 1913, it produced 40 per cent. of the world&apos;s consumption of coal, iron ore, and cast iron; 45 per cent. of the steel; and 60 per cent. of the copper. Your industrial effort, in a general manner and your mining effort in particular, has been tremendous. In the general economy of the world, you occupy an incomparable position of power and action. All your curves of production, mineralogical, metallurgical, financial, commercial, have taken terrific trigonometrical tangents and you will easily under- stand the sorry position of your competitors. I must, therefore, pay a tribute of homage arid admiration to you all who, each in his sphere, have been the artisans of such prosperity and my earnest wish is that you continue in this way.

Jan 1, 1920

By Mitchell, Edmund I.

VARIOUS suggestions as to proper fees for engineering services have been put forth by individual practitioners and by the American Institute of Consulting Engineers, the Connecticut Society of Civil Engineers, the Iowa Engineering Society and the Mahoning Valley (Ohio) Engineers, for the guidance of both the engineer and his client. The American Institute of Architects also has a schedule of minimum charges (revised 1908). So far as can be determined, however, the four national societies representing civil, mining, mechanical and electrical engineering have never given consideration to this question. An examination of technical periodicals published during the past decade shows that these schedules make provision for three methods of charging; i.e., (A) a percentage of the cost of the completed project; (B) a per diem rate; and (C) a fixed sum. Suggested minimum charges are as follows:

Jan 1, 1921

By P. D. Gorsuch, D. L. Newhouse, Irvin R. Kramer

ALTHOUGH many methods have been suggested for the calculation of tensile strength and yield point from chemical composition, their usefulness has been limited to a particular cooling rate or section size. Further limitations have been imposed by failure to take into account many of the alloying elements that exert a considerable influence on the tensile strength or yield point. These systems, nevertheless, have filled an important need in many instances. The value of a system for the calculation of the tensile properties from the chemical composition and cooling rate is that it permits the prediction of the effect of alloying elements and heat-treatment on the mechanical, properties, so that more efficient use of alloying elements may be made. Furthermore, it aids in the choice of steel for a given application and tends to decrease the number of steels that otherwise would have to be tested. It is the purpose of this work to present a method of calculating tensile strength and yield point from the chemical composition and to suggest a method of correlating the tensile-strength and yield-point factors and cooling rate. Steelmakers have been interested for many years in the calculation of the tensile strength of hot-rolled steels. Quest and Washburn&apos; summarize several of the attempts that have been made to devise formulas. They show the inadequacy of each of these formulas and present one of their own. It is apparent from their work that a simple additive equation of the type TS = A + BX + Cy + DZ + ? ? ? , where A, B, C, D, etc. are experimentally determined constants and x, y, z, etc., are the percentages of alloying elements present in the steel, is not adequate to analyze fully the situation encountered in the calculation of tensile strength. For example, it was found that the difference between the calculated and observed values became progressively greater as the carbon and manganese contents were increased. Therefore, the effect of manganese was given as a function of the carbon content. Grossmann,2 in his work on the hardenability of quenched steels, and Walters,3 in his method of calculation of tensile strength of normalized steels, present two cases in which multiplying factors were successfully used to express the combined effect of alloying elements. The factors in both cases were obtained from the fractional increase in hardenability or tensile strength with increase of alloy content. Yield point often is more important in design than tensile strength. For quenched and tempered steels a linear correlation exists between yield and tensile strength .4 This is not true, however, for normalized

Jan 1, 1946

By I. R. Kramer, P. D. Gorsuch, D. L. Newhouse

Although many methods have been suggested for the calculation of tensile strength and yield point from chemical composition, their usefulness has been limited to a particular cooling rate or section size. Further limitations have been imposed by failure to take into account many of the alloying elements that exert a considerable influence on the tensile strength or yield point. These systems, nevertheless, have filled an important need in many instances. The value of a system for the calculation of the tensile properties from the chemical composition and cooling rate is that it permits the prediction of the effect of alloying elements and heat-treatment on the mechanical properties, so that more efficient use of alloying elements may be made. Furthermore, it aids in the choice of steel for a given application aid tends to decrease the number of steels that otherwise would have to be tested. It is the purpose of this work to present a method of calculating tensile strength and yield point from the chemical composition and to suggest a method of correlating the tensile-strength and yield-point factors and cooling rate. Steelmakers have been interested for many years in the calculation of the tensile strength of hot-rolled steels. Quest and Washburn&apos; summarize several of the attempts that have been made to devise formulas. They show the inadequacy of each of these formulas and present one of their own. It is apparent from their work that a simple additive equation of the type TS = A + BX + Cy + DZ + . . . , where A, B, C, D, etc. are experimentally determined constants and x, y, z, etc., are the percentages of alloying elements present in the steel, is not adequate to analyze fully the situation encountered in the calculation of tensile strength. For example, it was found that the difference between the calculated and observed values became progressively greater as the carbon and manganese contents were increased. Therefore, the effect of manganese was given as a function of the carbon content. Grossmann, in his work on the harden-ability of quenched steels, and Walter, in his method of calculation of tensile strength of normalized steels, present two cases in which multiplying factors were successfully used to express the combined effect of alloying elements. The factors in both cases were obtained from the fractional increase in hardenability or tensile strength with increase of alloy content. Yield point often is more important in design than tensile strength. For quenched and tempered steels a linear correlation exists between yield 2nd tensile strength.4 This is not true, however, for normalized

Jan 1, 1948

By P. D. Gorsuch, I. R. Kramer, D. L. Newhouse

Although many methods have been suggested for the calculation of tensile strength and yield point from chemical composition, their usefulness has been limited to a particular cooling rate or section size. Further limitations have been imposed by failure to take into account many of the alloying elements that exert a considerable influence on the tensile strength or yield point. These systems, nevertheless, have filled an important need in many instances. The value of a system for the calculation of the tensile properties from the chemical composition and cooling rate is that it permits the prediction of the effect of alloying elements and heat-treatment on the mechanical properties, so that more efficient use of alloying elements may be made. Furthermore, it aids in the choice of steel for a given application aid tends to decrease the number of steels that otherwise would have to be tested. It is the purpose of this work to present a method of calculating tensile strength and yield point from the chemical composition and to suggest a method of correlating the tensile-strength and yield-point factors and cooling rate. Steelmakers have been interested for many years in the calculation of the tensile strength of hot-rolled steels. Quest and Washburn&apos; summarize several of the attempts that have been made to devise formulas. They show the inadequacy of each of these formulas and present one of their own. It is apparent from their work that a simple additive equation of the type TS = A + BX + Cy + DZ + . . . , where A, B, C, D, etc. are experimentally determined constants and x, y, z, etc., are the percentages of alloying elements present in the steel, is not adequate to analyze fully the situation encountered in the calculation of tensile strength. For example, it was found that the difference between the calculated and observed values became progressively greater as the carbon and manganese contents were increased. Therefore, the effect of manganese was given as a function of the carbon content. Grossmann, in his work on the harden-ability of quenched steels, and Walter, in his method of calculation of tensile strength of normalized steels, present two cases in which multiplying factors were successfully used to express the combined effect of alloying elements. The factors in both cases were obtained from the fractional increase in hardenability or tensile strength with increase of alloy content. Yield point often is more important in design than tensile strength. For quenched and tempered steels a linear correlation exists between yield 2nd tensile strength.4 This is not true, however, for normalized

Jan 1, 1948

Note by the Secretary.-—In the preceding communication of Mr. Rickard, in the present discussion, as printed in Trans., xxiii., the loss of quicksilver at Pestarena, reported on p. 569, as 230 and 234 grammes per metric ton, is stated as equivalent to about 74 pounds per short ton avoirdupois—an obvious error, which escaped correction in my reading of the proofs, and was not discovered until after Vol. XXIII. had left the press. The true equivalent is 0.46 pound or about 7 1/2 ounces (instead of pounds) per short ton.— R. w. R. Philip Argall, Denver, Colo. (communication to the Secretary) : Mr. Rickard&apos;s last contribution to this discussion* calls for some reply from me, if only by way of defending myself against the charge (p. 569) that my criticisms of his paper were "unnecessarily hypercritical and occasionally unfair." At the same time I am fully aware that our Transactions are not the place for mere personal controversy, and that the sole object of discussion is to define differences of opinion, and defend opposing views as a means of eliciting the truth. Mr. Rickard disclaims the statement, which he says I attributed to him, that in the slow-crushing Gilpin county mills the pyrites remain longer in the mortar than the other portions of the ore. My understanding of his statement was based on the following passages in his paper: " Particles of ore, which have heen pulverized to a fineness which would permit of their exit through the screen, are enabled to settle towards the bottom of the mortar. It would he expected that the heavy metallic minerals occurring in the ore would, because of their greater specific gravity, be most affected by this feature of the treatment. In practice this is found to be so. The fine slimes contain a large proportion of metallic sulphides, generally valuable on account of their close association with the precious metals, while the coarsest particles to be found in the tailings usually consist of quartz and other minerals forming the less heavy gangue (Trans., xxiii., 139).

Jan 1, 1895

Victor G. Hills, Cripple Creek, Colo. (communication to the Secretary): In continuation of the subject of the perform ance of "baby machine-drills," presented by Mr. Thane, I sub mit the following records of work done with these drills in the Cripple Creek district of Colorado. Two years ago, the Anchoria-Leland mine began to use baby drills ; and, to make the experiment more complete, began by purchasing two machines, of the same size, but of different make. The little drills were first used for stoping and up raising, in which they achieved at once an unqualified success. Soon after, they began to be used for the smaller branch-drifts and prospecting cross-cuts, while the large two-man drills were still used for the main drifts. Now they have almost entirely superseded the large drills, since it has been found that they will do any ordinary work in the mine at less cost, both for labor and for powder, per ton of rock broken. The large drills, of course, make more rapid progress; but it is only where time is a specially important factor that they are now used. The Portland mine, where, until within a year, only the large machines were used, is now using some small drills for stoping, and also for drifting. Mr. Thane speaks of having two men to operate a baby-drill; but in this district the baby-machine is always worked by one man without help. Again, in Prof. Christy&apos;s postscript, the quoted extract from a letter of Mr. L. T. Seymour, the South African engineer, mentions a " 2 1/2-inch Little Giant," as though that were the smallest machine used in that region. These statements leave some doubt as to just what Mr. Thane means by a " baby-drill." To avoid any such uncertainty as to the present communication, I will say that the large or two-man drill in common use at Cripple Creek has a 3 1/8-inch cylinder; while a few mines employ a 3-inch, and a few, in running large tunnels, a 3 1/2-inch drill. What we call a baby-drill here has a

Jan 1, 1900

A. 11. P. WYNNE, San Jose de Gracia, Sinaloa, Mex. (communication to the Secretary): In the comparative tests reported by Mr. Tays, the stamp-batteries were provided with various styles and mesh-sizes of screens, while the Bryan mill was run throughout with a slot-punched Russia iron, equivalent to a 30mesh wire screen. This is a somewhat onc-sided method of comparison. Should not the Bryan mill also have had the chance to show what it could do with other screens? I cannot wholly approve Mr. Tays&apos;s proposed improvements upon the Bryan mill. In my judgment, the inventor has given us a machine well-adapted to the work for which it was designed, namely, the crushing and amalgamation of soft ores. In my judgment, the principal cause of failure to amalgamate satisfactorily in the Bryan mill is not, as Mr. Tays thinks, the shallowness of the basin, or the lack of copper plate about the inside periphery of the mill, but rather the want of experience and practical knowledge on the part of most amalgamators. Having had experience, not with one Bryan mill only, but with several, and taking into consideration the experience of other capable mill-men, I am positive that the proper way to save gold ill this mill is: first, to use enough quicksilver to keep the amalgam liquid, thus allowing it to accumulate in the annular space between the dies and the rims of the basin; secondly, to replace the old dies, when a little more than half worn-out, with new ones; and, thirdly, to clean up the mill at least every two weeks—or oftener, if rich ore is being treated. It is evident that Mr. Tap endeavored to amalgamate quite " hard," as is done in a stamp-battery, in which case the swash of the pulp would scour off portions of the hard amalgam adhering to the inside plates and dash it through the screens— after which a considerable amount would be lost through floating on, or in, the pulp in its journey over the outside plates, and

Jan 1, 1900

By M. Cohen, S. A. Kulin

AT a recent symposium on thermodynamics in physical metallurgy1 two opposing theories of the austenite-martensite transformation were presented. Both theories agreed that this type of reaction involves a nucleation process which requires activation and that the activated nuclei develop into the well-known martensite plates with tremendous speed. However, there were essential differences in the two points of view concerning the nature of the nucleus and the mechanism by which the nucleus propagates. According to Cohen, Machlin, and Paranjpe,&apos; the nucleus is a strain center with sufficient elastic energy to initiate a cooperative displacement among the atoms of the parent phase when a sufficiently low temperature is reached. This displacement propagates as a wave in shear-like fashion to transform the austenite into martensite without benefit of diffusion. On the other hand, Fisher, Hollomon, and Turnbull3 regard the nucleus as a solute-poor region (in the austenite) of a size which becomes supercritical relative to coherent growth into martensite when an appropriately low temperature is reached. This growth process is taken to be an atom-by- atom transfer from the receding austenite lattice to the advancing martensite lattice through the coherent interface that exists between the two phases. The present paper is not conceded with the divergent views as to the nature of the nucleus but describes some critical experiments which differentiate between the two proposed mechanisms of propagation. Fisher&apos; has summarized the latter issue in the following way: According to the cooperative displacement theory, the speed of formation of mar-tensite plates should not be decreased by lowering the temperature, and martensite should form with extreme rapidity at very low temperatures; whereas with the alternate growth process, the speed of the martensite transformation should be retarded at very low temperatures, decreasing to zero at the absolute zero. The atom-by-atom growth mechanism predicts a marked slowing down of the reaction rate with decreasing temperature because the rate of self-diffusion in the austenite is involved in this picture. For example, Fisher, Hollomon and Turn-bull5 estimate that the activation energy for this growth process in steel is (0.34)2(0.36)* times the activation energy for self-diffusion in y-iron. The two most recent determinations of the latter quantity are 67,900" and 74,2007 cal/mol, which may be averaged as 71,000 cal/mol. This, in turn, gives a value of 3000 cal/mol for the activation energy of the atom-by-atom process, and hence the rate of growth should vary as e 8,000/RT where R is the gas constant

Jan 1, 1951

By Oswald J. Heinrich

The responsibility resting upon the owners and managers of mines where fire-damp is generated, renders it a matter of imperative duty that a frill and correct statement of any explosion that occurs should be given to the public. But such a statement must be based on the testimony of impartial eye-witnesses or trained experts. Then a sad experience may result in the adoption of effective preventive measures. In the absence of any official and professional body of mining experts in the State of Virginia, the writer desires to submit to his professional brethren of the American Institute of Mining Engineers an account of an explosion which recently took place in a colliery under his management, and earnestly desires a thorough and impartial discussion on the Fats submitted. Description and Plan of the Mine.—The "Grove" shaft is situated at the nearest point 825 feet from the last old workings upon the Midlothian property, south of the old Pump shaft works. (See Plate 111.) The shaft was sunk by the former company, some thirty years ago, to the depth of 622 feet. An incline over 230 feet long, starting in a northwest direction at a depth of 105 feet above the shaft bottom, had been driven to explore the coal on the dip. A return of very small dimensions had been driven round the shaft on the south side, entering the upcast chamber. With the information obtained from the former company that a seam of coal about four feet thick, at a depth of 490 feet, had been found, and with the information obtained by the present proprietor, R. T. Burrows, of Albion, N. Y., by means of two boreholes on the dip west of the old shaft, in both of which workable seams of coal at various depths had been ascertained, the clearing out and thorough retimbering of this shaft were commenced in March, 1873. Borehole No. 1, at a depth of 4773 feet from surface, revealed a seam of coal. This borehole was afterwards carried to a depth of 1140 feet to the granite, without finding any other seam of coal. Borehole No. 3, at a depth of 608 feet, revealed the first coal-seam, 14 1/2 feet thick; at 633 feet, the second, 12 feet thick; at 662 feet the third, 1 foot thick, and at 692 feet the fourth, 43 to 5 feet thick. The borehole was stopped at a depth of 715 1/2 feet.

By B.S. Butler

If geology is to continue to serve the mineral industry with increasing effectiveness as it has done in the past, there must be a steady output of better and better trained geologists and engineers with broader geological background. It may seem that the education and technical training of geologists belong entirely to the universities and colleges and has nothing to do with either Government surveys or the mining industry, outside of these activities furnishing a field for future work for the geological student. It will take but the most casual look, however, to see the large influence of Government surveys in education. Geological Maps Geological maps are essential tools in teaching geology, without which the instructor would be lost. Maps are produced by mining and oil companies, by university workers and by other individuals and institutions, but nearly all of the comprehensive maps, and most of the maps of small areas that are available, are directly or indirectly the work of public surveys. Such surveys in the past have been the only organizations with the continuity of effort and funds necessary to carry out projects that must combine the work of many individual geologists over long periods. Have we all the maps we need and of the quality we need? I believe that all who have used general maps, like the geological maps of the world, the maps of &apos;North America and the United States, maps of the several states and of smaller areas, appreciate fully the value of the maps as they are but realize also the value of greater accuracy, which can come only by more detailed work; and there are many areas of which we have no adequate maps. Other Helps I have chosen to emphasize maps as a help in preparing the young geologist to go out from the schools with some background of what has been accomplished and some outlook of what is yet to be done. Maps, however, are scarcely more essential to the teacher than many allied helps. What would the teacher of economic geology do if the work by Government surveys along that line were to be blotted out? We may

Jan 1, 1935

By B. S. Butler

If geology is to continue to serve the mineral industry with increasing effectiveness as it has done in the past, there must be a steady output of better and better trained geologists and engineers with broader geological background. It may seem that the education and technical training of geologists belong entirely to the universities and colleges and has nothing to do with either Government surveys or the mining industry, outside of these activities furnishing a field for future work for the geological student. It will take but the most casual look, however, to see the large influence of Government surveys in education. Geological Maps Geological maps are essential tools in teaching geology, without which the instructor would be lost. Maps are produced by mining and oil companies, by university workers and by other individuals and institutions, but nearly all of the comprehensive maps, and most of the maps of small areas that are available, are directly or indirectly the work of public surveys. Such surveys in the past have been the only organizations with the continuity of effort and funds necessary to carry out projects that must combine the work of many individual geologists over long periods. Have we all the maps we need and of the quality we need? I believe that all who have used general maps, like the geological maps of the world, the maps of &apos;North America and the United States, maps of the several states and of smaller areas, appreciate fully the value of the maps as they are but realize also the value of greater accuracy, which can come only by more detailed work; and there are many areas of which we have no adequate maps. Other Helps I have chosen to emphasize maps as a help in preparing the young geologist to go out from the schools with some background of what has been accomplished and some outlook of what is yet to be done. Maps, however, are scarcely more essential to the teacher than many allied helps. What would the teacher of economic geology do if the work by Government surveys along that line were to be blotted out? We may

Jan 1, 1935

By W. P. Haynes

No wildcat operations are recorded from France during the past year, and no new discoveries have been made. In northern Africa, in Morocco, some prospecting continued in the Gharb and Tselfat regions. Only very small production or shows were found. At the close of the year one cable-tool well (depth 400 meters) was drilling in the Tselfat district, and one rotary well in the Gharb. In Tunisia one well was drilling at Sloughia. Refinery building has been active under the new petroleum law, no less than six plants now being under construction. At Pechelbronn, it is estimated 130 wells were drilled, of which 73 wells, or 56 per cent, were productive. Total drilling was 45,000 m. One new Jurassic horizon was discovered. In the mining area approximately 17,500 m. of new gallery were driven. Production at Pechelbronn for the first nine months was as follows: From wells, 233,013 bbl.; from mines, 164,815 bb1.—a total estimated production for the year of 532,000 bbl. Production at Gabian was 3780 bbl. for the year. In Algeria production from Tliouanet was small, being estimated at 6510 bbl. This production is from Helvetian sands (Miocene) around a salt plug. Italy Production for the year was 211,500 bbl., an increase of 62 per cent over that of last year. Drilling to the extent of 97,000 ft. was done mainly by the A. G. I. P., the government company in the Province of Emilia. More locations are being tested in this area, where geophysical results have shown indications of buried uplifts. Oil has been encountered on two of these structures, at Fontevivo and Podenzano, but the wells have given trouble with salt water. The chief producer is the Societa Petrolifera Italiana at Salsomaggiore and Valezza. The production is from sand lenses at relatively shallow depths. New concessions of 2000 hectares were granted at several points in the Po Valley, and geophysical work is being carried on. The A. G. I. P. is working on a five-year program of exploration to test new areas.

Jan 1, 1933