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Jan 1, 1910

Jan 1, 1922

Jan 1, 1922

By JOHN R. SUMAN

I WOULD like to spend a few minutes describing to you the present condition which exists in the oil industry and then point out some aspects of this deplorable situation in which I think petroleum engineers can be helpful. As you know, the oil business at this time is in a very critical condition, .due to the tremendous potential production in excess of current demand. This is a world-wide condition as well as a national problem, as it is estimated that the surplus production available for the market in foreign countries is of about the same proportion as that existing in the United States. Due to the inability within the United States to hold production within the bounds of demand prices have been slumping for the last four years and at this time have reached the point where the sales value of the average barrel of crude oil in the United States, is far below the cost, of production. In addition to the large amount of potential production available for the market in excess of demand we have in storage in the United States about six hundred fifty millions of barrels 'of oil. Unless something can be done to limit the amount of oil coming onto the market to a point well below the demand, which point will permit the reduction of stocks, it looks as though the 'oil business is facing demoralization.

Jan 1, 1931

By H. Foster Bain

AFTER all, mineral sanctions are not a measure of peace, they are a measure of war, and we must regard them as such. We have had two examples now in the world-first, Italy, and secondly, Japan-where we have applied sanctions. When we got ready to apply sanctions to Italy that would hurt, they went to war. In the Far East, when we applied sanctions against Japan, in the latter part of 1941, there was a quick reaction, and the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor.

Jan 1, 1944

By AIME AIME

CHARLES WASHINGTON MERRILL, the second to be honored by the award of the James Douglas gold medal, throughout his entire professional career has been identified with the cyanide method of extracting gold from ore. To his efforts this branch of the metallurgical industry owes a large measure of its success in continuing to treat some gold ores profitably, in spite of economic adversities. Mr. Merrill was born at Concord, N. H., Dec. 21, 1869, and received the degree of B. S. from the School of Mines at the University of California in 1891. Among his first professional connections was the Standard Mining Co., at Bodie, Cal., followed by a short engagement at Harqua Hala, Ariz. From 1895 to 1899 he was connected with the Montana Mining Co., at Marysvale, Mont., and then followed his nine years of fruitful association with the Homestake Mining Co. In 1909, the Merrill Co. was formed, to exploit more than a score of patents granted to Mr. Merrill, covering various phases of the cyanide process and numerous pieces of equipment for its operation; among the most noteworthy of these innovations were the Merrill filter-press, and the use of zinc dust as a precipitant. The Merrill Co. has a long record of successful accomplishments in its chosen field, to mention only the plants at the Dome mines of Ontario and at the Sta. Gertrudis mines of Mexico as among the more recent. Mr. Merrill is president also of the Western Ore Purchasing Co.; and a director in two gold dredging companies of California.

Jan 1, 1924

By AIME AIME

CADWALLADER EVANS JR. has long been a leading figure in the anthracite mining industry and one of Pennsylvania's prominent citizens. He is, in fact, a native son, having been horn in Pittsburgh on Sept. 17, 1880. At Lehigh, from which he graduated in 1901 with the degree of Mechanical Engineer, Tom Girdler was a classmate, and both were active in football affairs. Going hack to Pittsburgh, he got his first job as trouble shooter for the Oliver Iron & Steel Co. A year later he entered the coal industry, getting a job with the Blaine Coal Co. as inspector of construction and later was superintendent of the Blaine mine at Elizabeth. Pa.

Jan 1, 1943

By AIME AIME

WINFIELD SCOTT MORRIS, known from Coast to Coast within the petroleum industry as "Buck" Morris, is and has been for several years an outstanding man in the Petroleum Division of the A.IM.E., so it is most natural to have him as the Chairman of the Division. "Buck" has been such a vociferous promoter of everything TEXAS that most of his friends believe him to be a "Longhorn" by birth-but the records show he was born at Wilmington, N. C., on July 29, 1901. He worked his way through college and graduated from the University of North Carolina in 1924 with a B.S., followed by a C.E. in 1927. His graduation thesis was entitled "De¬sign of a Modern Oil Refinery."

Jan 1, 1944

By M. M. Leighton

THE engineers of Illinois have been submitting to the State Geological Survey an increasing number of requests for advice on their geological problems, including landslides, unequal settling of fills, laying pavements across peat bogs, shattering and heaving of pavement by frost action, etc. The authors discussed the behavior of landslides, their effects, their causes, a tentative classification, and remedial measures. In the latter connection the efficacy of drainage and how it should be handled in order to be most effective was considered. The principles and efficacy of other remedial measures, such as subsurface blasting, rock anchoring, installation of wood, concrete or steel piling, construction of retaining walls, construction of cribbing and reduction of slope were also discussed. Attention was also given to the matter of applying geological knowledge to avoid undesirable highway locations, and a specific example was cited.

Jan 1, 1929

By AIME AIME

ON Tuesday afternoon, Feb. 17, a large and interested audience gathered in the auditorium of the Engineering Societies building to take part in the gold supply symposium that had been arranged for by the Mining Geology Committee. Waldemar Lindgren presided over the gathering and after brief introductory remarks on the international situation as regards lead, silver and gold, called on John Wellington Finch to present an oral abstract of the paper, "Sources and Trends in Gold Production," by R. J. Grant, director of the Mint, and. J. B. Knaebel. This ' paper reviewed the gold production of the world, by countries, since 1845, from the statistical viewpoint, leaving to the later speakers discussion of the statistics.

Jan 1, 1931

By Gilbert Soler

THIS year's Chairman of the Iron and Steel Division is a noted member of a small and select group of practical scientists now working in this country and in Canada to improve the production and properties and to reduce the cost of super-quality carbon and alloy steels; he is one of those all-important leavening agents-a man with his feet always on the ground but capable of putting his head into the clouds on occasion-that are so necessary in applying science sensibly to the practical problems of steel production. He is equally at home in a discussion of the free energy of deoxidizing reactions or the entropy of the formation of stable sulphides, and in a consideration of the relative advantages of the basic-electric and the open-hearth furnace for the production of rimming steels in the Detroit area. Gilbert Soler was born of American parents in Havana, Cuba, just forty years ago. He graduated as a ceramic engineer from Ohio State University in 1930 and received a Master of Science degree a year later. In 1940 he received the degree of metallurgical engineer from the same institution.

Jan 1, 1948

By H. M. Chance

By courtesy of the officials of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy railroad, I am permitted to publish the results of an examination made in 1887 and 1888 of' the country west of the Black Hills, and lying between the Black Hills and the foot-hills of the Big Horn Mountains in the northeastern part of Wyoming. With the exception of the country constituting the foot-hills, or the encircling ridge or rim of the Black Hills proper, all of this area is occupied by rocks of Cretaceous age. In the central part of the Black Hills are found the tin-bearing granites, the mica-schists, and gold-bearing slates, already so well known. Surrounding this central area of older rocks (which should be considered as the "Hills" proper) are the attenuated representatives of the Palzeozoic, dipping gently away from the Hills in every direction, overlaid by the gypsum-bearing Mesozoic, which here forms a bold high ridge or rim, completely encircling the Black Hills, and known as the inner ridge. Overlying, and apparently conformable to this, we find the Dakota sandstone, which likewise forms a prominent ridge or rim, known as the first or outer ridge. This is the formation which contains the coal now worked at the mines near Newcastle. It is also the formation in which the best oil-wells have been obtained in the "Stoakdale," or "Beaver," and the " Belle Fourche " oil-districts. Overlying it are the Colorado shales, forming the great plains drained by Beaver creek and the south fork of the Cheyenne river, and extending west to the Belle Fourche, near Donkey creek, where the overlying Fox Hill formation (thin) and the Laramie group, the great lignite-formation, are first seen. The Laramie group occupies the surface from the Belle Fourche at Donkey creek west to the foothills of the Big Horn mountains at Buffalo, an air-line distance of some seventy or eighty miles.

Jan 1, 1891

N/A

Jan 1, 1945

By Walter O. Snelling

IN combating mine-fires the use of carbon dioxide as a means of producing an atmosphere in which combustion cannot be sustained, has been many times suggested and frequently tried, generally with a fair degree of success. The carbon dioxide is produced by acting on limestone with dilute sulphuric acid, large wooden boxes being used to hold the limestone, and arranged in such a manner that one box may, be cleaned and refilled with blocks of limestone while another is being used in generating the carbon dioxide. The gas is led by means of pipes of large diameter to the location of the fire, tight brattices having been previously put up as close to the fire as possible on every side, so as to limit the space to be filled with the .gas to the smallest possible volume. The cost of producing Carbon Dioxide has been, however, a decided draw-back to the use of this method, and the danger of producing carbon monoxide by the reduction of the carbon dioxide by heated carbon, and consequently bringing about an explosion, has also tended to prevent the application of this method. The use of sulphur dioxide in combating mine-fires has not, I believe, been previously suggested or tried, and yet the method presents such decided advantages over the use of carbon dioxide that it seems proper to suggest the advisability of considering it as a cheap, convenient, and safe means of fighting stubborn mine-fires. 1. Cost, Preparation, etc.-One ton of brimstone, costing from $20 to $30, will produce about 25,000 cu. ft. of sulphur dioxide gas, and allowing for all sources of loss it is probable that sulphur dioxide gas can be produced for about $1,300 per 1,000,000 cu. ft. For carbon dioxide gas, produced by the action of sulphuric acid on limestone, a good estimate would be $4,000 per 1,000,000 cu. ft., provided that sulphuric acid

Sep 1, 1908

By Eugene Guccione

After discovering that past materials shortages were caused by government policy, the National Commission on Supplies and Shortages wants to prevent future shortages by increasing government's role in planning the economy.

Jan 4, 1977

By G. K. Manning, M. C. Udy, L. W. Eastwood

Those who have examined beryllium and beryllium-rich alloys under the microscope have noted the results of the difficulties encountered when preparing these materials for examination. Hard constituents are readily chipped and pulled out of the matrix, and the soft ones are easily gouged out or embedded with abrasive or other material. The matrix is easily deformed, which makes it very difficult to remove the effects of scratches. Furthermore, the matrix and some of the constituents are also readily pitted during etching, which makes the structure difficult to develop. The metallographic techniques designed to avoid these difficulties are neither radically new nor necessarily the best possible procedures. They were developed at Battelle to fill immediate requirements as part of a study of the preparation and pouring of beryllium melts as described in a separate paper. A part of the research program on the causes of gas unsoundness in beryllium castings entailed a study of the effects of such gases or gas formers as oxygen or oxides, nitrogen or nitrides, and carbon or carbides. These gases or gas formers, if dissolved in the melt, might be an important factor in the study of unsoundness caused by gas evolution in beryllium. Because it was necessary to be able to distinguish these gases or gas formers, if present as alloy constituents, from metallic phases also present as alloy constituents, a series of alloys was prepared with additions of the various possible metallic and non-metallic constituent formers. It should be emphasized that the constituents referred to as gases or gas formers are important in the study of gases in beryllium only if they form a part of the alloy, that is, if they dissolve in the liquid or solid metal. During the first part of the development of metallographic techniques, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, unpublished report (TC 3315, Nov., 1945) by Paul Gordon, describing various microconstituents in beryllium, was quite useful. Of particular interest in this report is the confirmation of one of the conclusions drawn from the present investigation, that is, that a distinct oxide phase apparently does not occur in beryllium. The Preparation of Metallographic Specimens GRINDING PROCEDURE The original specimen is either sawed or cut on an abrasive wheel to a convenient size. For best results, the surface to be polished should not be more than about 1/4 in. square, and it is convenient to mount the specimens in bakelite to facilitate handling. Two alternative grinding procedures have been developed. As one alternative, specimens are ground successively on 120-, 240-, and 400-grit, wet-or-dry metallographic discs. The abrasive discs are revolved at 1750 rpm on a conventional pedestal grinder. The coarsest disc (120 grit) is used either wet or dry, and in most instances, it can be eliminated from the procedure. Grinding on the two finer discs (240 and 400 grit) is accompanied by the application of kerosene. The technique consists of holding an oil can, containing kerosene, in one hand and the mounted specimen in the other hand. While the grinding is being done, several drops of kerosene are applied every few seconds close to the center of the disc. Carbon tetrachloride serves at least as well as kerosene as a lubricant; perhaps it is slightly better, but it volatilizes so readily that an additional health hazard is involved. Light oils and water are not satisfactory for the finer grinding operations. The second procedure is perhaps slightly slower than the first and requires a more careful technique, but it eliminates the use of kerosene. The specimen is first ground wet on a 240-grit disc, followed by dry grinding on a 400-grit disc. Finer grinding does not appear to be necessary with either of the two alternative procedures. The pressures used throughout either grinding operation must be extremely light, that is, barely sufficient to hold the specimen in contact with the disc; otherwise, flow and chipping are almost certain to occur. In both procedures, it is essential that the discs be sharp and that they be discarded as they show evidence of becoming dull or loaded. In general, not more than four or five specimens can be ground on a disc before the disc becomes dull enough to warrant discarding it.

Jan 1, 1950

By AIME AIME

THE initial meeting on Mining Methods* opened at 10 o'clock Monday morning with Scott Turner as chairman and W. Spencer Hutchinson as vice- chairman; about 60 attending. After preliminary announcements Theodore Marvin was called on for his paper,, entitled "Rock Tunnel Methods," which has been appearing serially in The Explosives Engineer. Marvin read the introduction and called attention to the account of one or' two particularly' interesting projects, such as the. Brooklyn water supply tunnel. E. D. 'Gardner, Char1e.s S. Hurter, L. D. Lamont and Spencer P. Howell took part in the discussion, Howell commenting on the fact that, in one case cited, misfires had occurred through detonator wires 'coming in contact with the case of an unapproved flashlight, .,: and that all flashlights should be approved.

Jan 1, 1931

By H. E. Kramm

During the summer of 1910, I had the opportunity to study in detail the geological conditions of what is known in northern California as " Harrison gulch," in Shasta county. Though the district, as a whole, that is, the western part of Shasta and the eastern part of Trinity county, has contributed during the last 15 years a considerable share of the gold-production credited to Shasta county, very little is known of its geology, perhaps because the country is covered with a dense growth of brush which makes exploration and prospecting extremely difficult. Topographically the district presents a succession of ridges trending approximately N-S., and alternating with deep, narrow canyons. The drainage is partly into the Sacramento, partly into the Trinity river. Climatic conditions in summer time are almost ideal. It is true, the thermometer may climb to 115°, but the air is dry

Jan 1, 1913

By D. C. Livingston

The Pilares de Nacozari mine is located ill Sonora, 75 miles south of Douglas, Ariz. The town of Douglas is on the International Boundary and is the place at which the ores from the Bisbee mines are smelted. The Moctezuma Copper Co. owns the mines at Nacozari, and the copper-concentrates shipped to the Copper Queen smelter, at Douglas, make a good smelting-mixture with the Bisbee ores. The Moctezuma Copper Co. and the Copper Queen smelter at Douglas, as well as the railroad from Douglas to Nacozari, are owned by the Phelps, Dodge & Co. The ore-deposit occurs in the form of a large ellipse with a major axis of approximately 2,000 ft. and a minor axis of about 600 ft., the major axis bearing about 9" W. of N. The

Jan 1, 1913

By U. K. Custred

To the layman, the term "strip mining" usually applies to the appearance of mined-over land after an operation is completed, not to the technique. This attitude, however, is becoming pass6 in the central Florida pebble phosphate field as eight mining companies in the area pursue a mutual program of land reclamation. The Florida phosphate industry is fortunate in this respect because it occupies an area favorable to reclamation. The terrain is flat; overburden is sand and clay which will support vegetation fairly readily; a high ground water table naturally converts mine pits into lakes. Too, this is water which readily supports marine life, not the acidic water so frequently found in the coal industry.

Jan 4, 1963