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By T. A. Rickard

In a previous paper (ante, p. 411) some description was given of the occurrence of the auriferous alluvium, extensive deposits of which lie among the highlands of the province of Otago, New Zealand. The present paper will describe some of the methods by which that alluvium is exploited. The alluvial mining of New Zealand is not yet hindered by " debris legislation." The mines are for the most part situated in a country of little agricultural value, and large rivers with rapid currents act as tailings conveyors. In time, however, steps will have to be taken to restrict the discharge into the Clutha of the tailings which are slowly raising the river-bottom. The methods of California have been followed in Otago with such alterations as peculiar local conditions require. The distinctive feature of the alluvial mining of Otago is the prominence given to the hydraulic elevator. The all-important factor in this form of mining is the control of an abundant water-supply at a suitable height above the level where it is to be utilized; and in this respect the gold-fields of the south island of New Zealand are most favora-

Jan 1, 1893

By S. Fisher Morris

THE New River coal-field embraces that portion of the Appalachian coal formation which lies on the waters of the New River, principally in Fayette and Raleigh counties, West Virginia, covering a strip of territory about forty miles in length along the line of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad from Quinnimont to Kanawha Falls, where the New River empties into the Kanawha, the railroad following the banks of the river the whole distance. (See map.) Between Kanawha Falls and the Valley of the Ohio lies the great Kanawha region, and these two coal-fields possess a greater variety of coal than can be found in any other portion of the country, enabling them to furnish the best fuels for any of the various demands of manufacture or domestic use, the Kanawha region possessing many varieties of gas, hard splint, and cannel coal, and the New River region bituminous and semi-bituminous, steam and coking coal. The New River, in its westward course towards the Kanawha, has cut its way entirely through the Seral conglomerate or No. XII of the Pennsylvania Reports, the Umbral red shales of No. XI appearing at the foot of the mountains at the eastern end of the region at Quinnimont, one of the upper ledges of the Conglomerate forming the summits; while at the western end, at Kanawha Falls, the top of the Conglomerate is nearly down to the level of the river, a portion of the " Lower Productive Measures" forming the greater portion of the mountains. These mountains rise abruptly from the banks of the river to a height of from 800 to 1200 feet, leaving only here and there narrow strips of bottom land, a few acres in extent; and as the measures consist principally of hard sandstones, shales, and conglomerates lying in a nearly horizontal position, the mountain-sides are very precipitous, with many long and high cliffs, which, with the great height of the mountains, give the country a very rugged appearance. Along the sides of these mountains fronting on the New River and its many tributaries there are exposed the outcroppings of several veins of bituminous and, semi-bituminous coal, varying in thickness from a few inches to over four feet, five of them being workable, or

Jan 1, 1880

By S. Fisher Morris

The New River coal-field embraces that portion of the Appalachian coal formation which lies on the waters of the New River, principally in Fayette and Raleigh counties, West Virginia, covering a strip of territory about forty miles in length along the line of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad from Quinnimont to Kanawha Falls, where the New River empties into the Kanawha, the railroad following the banks of the river the whole distance. (See map.) Between Kanawha Falls and the Valley of the Ohio lies the great Kanawha region, and these two coal-fields possess a greater variety of coal than can be found in any other portion of the country, enabling them to furnish the best fuels for any of the various demands of manufacture or domestic use, the Kanawha region possessing many varieties of gas, hard splint, and cannel coal, and the New River region bituminous and semi-bitnminous, steam and coking coal. The New River, in its westward course towards the Kanawha, has cut its way entirely through the Sera1 conglomerate or No. XII of the Pennsylvania Reports, the Umbral red shales of No. XI appearing at the foot of the mountains at the eastern end of the region at Quinnimont, one of the upper ledges of the Conglomerate forming the summits; while at the western end, at Kanawha Falls, the top of the Conglomerate is nearly down to the level of the river, a portion of the " Lower Productive Measures" forming the greater portion of the mountains. These mountains rise abruptly from the banks of the river to a height of from 800 to 1200 feet, leaving only here and there narrow strips of bottom land, a few acres in extent; and as the measures consist principally of hard sandstones, shales, and conglomerates lying ill a nearly horizontal position, the mountain-sides are very precipitous, with many long and high cliffs, which, with the great height of the mountains, give the country a very rugged appearance. Along the sides of these mountains fronting on the New River and its many tributaries there are exposed the outcroppings of several veins of bituminous and. semi-bituminous coal, varying in thickness from a few inches to over four feet, five of them being workable, or

Jan 1, 1880

By R. M. Daelen

In recent years many new appliances have been introduced into German steel-works and rolling-mills for the purpose of improving working-methods, and of creating and maintaining increased production, and satisfying the ever-growing demand for metal of closely specified hardness, strength and form. One result of the improvements has been to aid very effectively in demonstrating the real superiority of ingot- over wrought-iron for almost every possible purpose, and in dispelling the last vestiges of prejudice unfavorable to the new metal. If, nevertheless, no marked decrease in the number of puddlingfurnaces has yet been noticed, the cause of their survival must be attributed to the greatly increased consumption of all kinds of ironmanufactures. Several large new works for the production of ingotiron are now, however, in course of erection in the Rhenish-Westphalian district, and upon their completion a rapidly diminishing output of wrought-iron may be anticipated. The present aim of all large works manufacturing ingot-iron is to work the molten blast-furnace pig into a finished product without any further fuel-consumption than is required to furnish steam for the rolling-mill. Though practice has established the feasibility of this principle, no works can yet point to its complete adoption, partly because of the limitations imposed by existing conditions and plant, and partly, also, on account of the highly-diversified character of the finished products. The Bessemer-works were the first to feel the influence of the basic process; but of recent years a similar influence has affected the open-hearth, and the owners of works possessing both a converterand an open-hearth plant are now seeking to arrange them for combined working, in charging as well as in casting. In small works the basic-lined reverberatory furnace is constantly gaining ground over the old puddling-furnace. The small basic converter, on the

Jan 1, 1891

By Michael A. Farrugia, Marcel Michaud

Remoteness of western Canadian coals has always been a barrier to the use of Canadian coals domestically. However, the world energy crunch, increased mining costs, stricter environmental controls, labor shortages, etc., are such that by 1980 a shortfall from traditional U.S. sources will prevail. Of necessity, Canada must then bring western coals east, requiring major new transportation initiatives. CN, CP Rail and Neptune Terminals are proceeding jointly with the design of a $30 million, fully automated, coal terminal at Thunder Bay. This element forms part of a $400 million integral transportation system to open new lines, improve trackage, acquire rolling stock and ships, for an initial capacity of 3 million tpy.

Jan 1, 1977

The following is an incomplete list of members and guests who called at Institute headquarters during the period Jan. 10, 1918 to Feb. 10, 1919. Walter F. E. Barcus. Lt. C. K. McDonald, U. S. N. R. F. Capt. D. H. Bradley, Jr. Major John DeN. Macomb, Bayhead, N. J. Melvis Buigger. - Samuel Melitzer, New York City. Eugene Coste, Calgary, Can. T. C. Merriman, New Haven, Conn. C. W. Cromwell, Warren, Ariz. Wm. J. Millard, Tulsa, Okla. E. O. Daue. Benj. L. Miller, Bethlehem, Pa. Capt. H. W. Edmondson. S. B. Patterson, Jr., Allentown, Pa. E. W. Engelmann, Hayden, Ariz. Lynn L. Pomeroy, New York City. C. Mason Farnham. W. E. Pomeroy, New York City. Lt. C. W. Frith, Salt Lake City, Utah. G. M. Ponton, Ottawa, Ont. John T. Fuller, Honesdale, Pa. Wallace E. Pratt, Ft. Worth, Tex. Walter A. Funk, Idaho Sp., Colo. Harold L. Rau, Milwaukee, Wis. Major W. R. Grunow, New York, N..Y. Lt. E. J. Ristedt, Camp Merritt. A. W. Hackwood, Butte, Mont. George M. Ryall, Los Angeles, Cal. Lt. Nathaniel Herz, New Haven, Conn. D. B. Scott, Mogollon, N. M. Ralph T. Hirsh, New York City., W. H. Staver. O. P. Hood, Washington, D. C. Douglas B. Sterrett, Washington, D. C. E. B. Hopkins, Houston, Tex. J. A. Stewart, Minneapolis, Minn. Hugh C. Ingle, Pensacola, Fla. R. H. Summer, Wilmington, Del. Capt. Wm. F. Jahn. W. G. Swart, Duluth, Minn. Roswell H. -Johnson, Pittsburgh, Pa. Kirby Thomas, New York City. Jesse L. Jones, Pittsburgh. Pa. Capt. H. D. Trounce, San Diego, Cal. Edgar Kidwell, Berkeley, Cal. L. Unger, New York City. .D. H. Ladd, Detroit, Mich. George F. Vivian, Butte, Mont. Raymond B. Ladoo, Cambridge, Mass. R. A. Walter, Reading, Pa. W. H. Landers. Lt. R. G. Wayland, Chehalis, Wash. David Lasner, Elizabeth, N. J. R. J. White, Wallace, Idaho. J. M. Lilligren. J. S. Wroth, Albuquerque, N. M. Lt. Wm. J. Linn, Chicago, Ill. Herbert Hoover, General Pershing, Ambassador William G. Sharp and Admiral William S. Benson were speakers to-day at the annual luncheon in honor of Washington's Birthday, given by the American Club of Paris at the Palais D'Orsay.

Jan 3, 1919

Through the courtesy of Mr. J. H. Batcheller, we are able to give the following extracts from a letter written by Mr. Caetani: It has been a nice idea of yours to collect for me all those scraps of news I received a few days ago and to send me such a long interesting letter. In four years war I have had practically no news. Burch wrote several times but several of his letters were lost and so mine. I believe I even wrote to you. Much has changed since our last days in Telluride; here and there many have disappeared. Of myself I will tell you in a few words: for a year I was in Cadore(?), where I had the good luck to do to the others what they wished to do to me, and had good luck on my side. Then I went to Macedonia for 5 months, did little fighting but lost my faithful fellow officer and companion.

Jan 6, 1919

By Sherwin Kelly

RED LAKE has suffered from its over-zealous friends, who had something to gain by their zealousness and were, for the time being, friends indeed. Now, what was once hailed as a new El Dorado is anathema to many. Neither extreme view was justi-fied, and in time a new gold district may be expected to develop slowly, but surely. The marvel is that little streaks of valuable metal are ever uncovered by the few men who roam that tre-mendous, almost unexplored area that is the "North Country." The area to be explored is so immense, and the men who can do it so few, that once they leave the "steel," take their canoes and packs, and disappear into the bush, they may travel the innumerable watercourses that are the highways of the wilderness for days or weeks, and never see one of their own kind. Patricia, for example, is one of the mining districts of Northern Ontario, lying at the western side of the

Jan 8, 1927

Mrs. W. Y. Westervelt, Director of the New York Section, reports an interesting meeting at her house- on May 12. Dr. Cecile Griel, special worker of the division for work among foreign-born women of the National Board of the Y. W. C. A., spoke. As the Americanization Committee under Mrs. Scobey is planning an energetic campaign, Dr. Griel's stirring appeal was timely and suggestive. While Dr. Griel cited the usual avenues of approach to our alien population through the school children, the needs of the baby, sewing classes, English classes, etc., her especial appeal was for correct psychology on the part of the workers. She deplored the condescension, implied or expressed, so often manifest in persons attempting Americanism, work and emphasized many times the importance of an understanding heart and mind. At the close Mrs. Scobey brought forward plans for practical work to be done by the New York women, of which I hope to give some details next month.

Jan 7, 1919

By Thomas Elliott

It is now clearly evident that 1963 is witnessing a record year for prospecting and exploration in British Columbia and Yukon Territory, as substantiated by the following facts: ? About 60 large mining companies and many smaller ones are active in the search for new ore deposits. ? More than 500 prospectors and exploration geologists have been in the field this season. ? It is estimated that $10 million has been spent this year on the search for new ore deposits. ? Claim staking in B. C. to July 31, totalling 14,250, is up 2000 over 1962. ? Helicopter companies report a record total of 25 aircraft chartered to mining groups, with additional numbers used in oil-gas exploration. ? Leading assayers state that business with the industry is double that of the previous year. ? Diamond drillers report an increase of approximately 25% in the amount of contracts now on hand. The question is often asked, "Why is mining so active in Canada's Pacific Northwest?"

Jan 12, 1963

By Benjamin Miller

FROM earliest recorded times, limestone has been employed in the industrial life of peoples of all sections of the world where it exists. It is widely distributed and therefore has been available in almost every country and has been employed for a variety of purposes. Its earliest use was for buildings, since it is more easily quarried and dressed than most other kinds of rocks and so could be utilized by early inhabitants, poorly equipped with tools. The next use was in the manufacture of lime, which was employed by the ancients in mortar. These two uses of limestone are still all important, but they have been overshadowed in scores of regions by literally hundreds of new applications for raw lime-stone or products made from it. Anyone familiar with modern manufacturing processes can quickly call to mind many industries in which limestones are essential, and new uses are continually coming to notice. Any enumeration would probably be incomplete and soon out of date.

Jan 1, 1935

By I. M. LeBaron

The phosphate ore, or matrix, is a mixture of white pebbles of phosphate, of all sizes but mostly minus I to 1 1/4-in. diameter, in a matrix that varies from nearly all silica-sand gangue to a mixture of pebble, sand and clay. There is an occasional streak of hard pan of sand cemented with iron oxide, which can be drilled without much difficulty.

Jan 1, 1948

By I. M. LeBaron

The phosphate ore, or matrix, is a mixture of white pebbles of phosphate, of all sizes but mostly minus I to 1 1/4-in. diameter, in a matrix that varies from nearly all silica-sand gangue to a mixture of pebble, sand and clay. There is an occasional streak of hard pan of sand cemented with iron oxide, which can be drilled without much difficulty.

Jan 1, 1948

By Charles W. Carter, Alfred H. Bell

In 1942, Illinois produced 106,590,000 bbl. of crude oil, or 7.6 per cent of the entire amount produced in the United States. It ranked fifth among the oil- producing states. The production for 1942 declined 20.5 per cent from the previous year's total of 134,139,000 bbl. Tie daily average production for 1942 was approximately 292,000 bbl., or 74,000 bbl; less than the 366,000 daily average for 1941. At the beginning of 1942 the daily production was 367,000 bbl. This production declined steadily to 282,000 for June and to 246,000 for December. This steady decline was caused partly by the reduction in drilling resulting from Federal Conservation Order M-68 and partly by the fact that no major pool was found during the year. Discoveries Forty new fields (Fig. 2, Table 2), 48 extensions (Table 3), and 45 additional producing zones in existing fields (Table 4) Were discovered in 23 counties in Illinois during 1942. Of the 40 new fields, three

Jan 1, 1943

By Alfred H. Bell, Charles W. Carter

In 1942, Illinois produced 106,590,000 bbl. of crude oil, or 7.6 per cent of the entire amount produced in the United States. It ranked fifth among the oil- producing states. The production for 1942 declined 20.5 per cent from the previous year's total of 134,139,000 bbl. Tie daily average production for 1942 was approximately 292,000 bbl., or 74,000 bbl; less than the 366,000 daily average for 1941. At the beginning of 1942 the daily production was 367,000 bbl. This production declined steadily to 282,000 for June and to 246,000 for December. This steady decline was caused partly by the reduction in drilling resulting from Federal Conservation Order M-68 and partly by the fact that no major pool was found during the year. Discoveries Forty new fields (Fig. 2, Table 2), 48 extensions (Table 3), and 45 additional producing zones in existing fields (Table 4) Were discovered in 23 counties in Illinois during 1942. Of the 40 new fields, three

Jan 1, 1943

By Lamar Weaver

THE introduction of the tungsten-carbide bit and the single-use bit to the mining industry has had far-reaching effects on the advancement of drilling techniques. Six years of testing these new bits has disclosed new factors not previously considered. The mining industry, which is ordinarily slow to change, has accepted the new methods of drilling as a possible relief for the reduced manpower available to the mines. In 1950 an extensive program of testing was begun at the Calloway mine of the Tennessee Copper Co. to gather data on rock-drill bits and drill steel: When these tests are concluded the information should be sufficient to establish a drilling program. The scope of this article is a progress repor the years 1950 and 1951. The deposits of the Ducktown, Tenn. mining district are massive sulphide replacement lenses in folded and metamorphosed Cambrian schists and graywackes. The primary ore consists of pyrrhotite, pyrite, and chalcopyrite with minor amounts of zinc blende, bornite, specularite, magnetite, quartz, chlorite, and iron-magnesium-lime silicates. The deposits are high-temperature hydrothermal replacements. The drilling conditions vary from a hard highly siliceous rock to the softer material of the ore body, thereby giving a range of hardnesses to be considered. Single-Use Bits Test work was done first on two single-use bits to determine life expectancy, costs, rate rate of penetration, gage wear, and ease of use. At the same time a test was conducted for comparison using the conventional detachable steel bits to obtain the same for

Jan 1, 1952

By Edward H. Robie

THOUGH the final figures are not available as this is written, it seems certain that the Institute accounts will show $7000 to $8000 surplus for the year 1951. This is the first time this has happened since 1941. No money had to be taken from any of the Funds to bring about this happy condition. Furthermore, the amounts allowed for depreciation, bad debts, and inventory adjustment were more liberal than in the past. Income increased some $29,000 over 1950. Dues received from old members increased moderately, but dues from new members dropped off $2000 and from initiation fees quite severely-from $17,000 to $11,000. The number of new members did not come up to expectations and a change in procedure caused a delay in getting some of them on the rolls. A large number of the new members paid an installment of $5 on their initiation instead of the full $20. Junior Members, of course, pay no initiation fee. Brightest spot in the income picture was the increase in advertising income-from $103,000 in 1950 to $143,000 in 1951. All three of the journals shared in this, Mining being up $18,000; Metals, $9000; and Petroleum $13,000. Nonmember sales of the journals dropped off slightly, and sales of Transactions volumes more so from $35,000 in 1950 to $27,000 in 1951, with a further drop of $5000 accounted for by a change in accounting procedure. On the other hand, sales of other publications increased by $10,000.

Jan 1, 1952

By E. P. Pfleider, O. Rellensmann

In the May 1959 issue of [=] the authors reported on the gyrotheodolite as used for determining azimuths in surface and underground work. Further research has led to the development of a new type of gyro instrument, the band-suspended gyro attachment, which is essentially an upset gyro attached to the top of a theodolite. The new gyro attachment is light enough to be mounted on any angle-measuring instrument if the design of the telescope standard permits. Gyrotheodolite units have been used to transfer meridian lines underground in the Coeur d'Alene mining district, although they have not been used extensively in the U.S. In other parts of the world, however, they have been adopted as the standard surveying instrument by mining engineers.

Jan 3, 1968

At a large meeting of the members of the American Fund for French Wounded it which Mr. Franklin D. Roosevelt presided and at which Mrs. B. Girault Lathrop, President of the Paris Administration A. F.F. W., gave a most interesting address, special rows of seats were reserved for the members of the W. A. A. I. M. E. Those who were unable to be present will be glad to hear that Mrs. Lathrop complimented our organization on having supplied the largest dispensary operated by the A. F. F. W. and the Red Cross in northern France. The A. F. F. W. is going to erect an American Memorial Hospital at Rheims and it is hoped that the one hundred beds in the hospital will be endowed in memory of the men who gave their lives for the liberty of the world. It will be possible not only to endow beds, for which sums of $6000 each are needed, but also to give, as. memorials, sun- parlors at a cost of $10,000 each, two roof gardens at $5000 each, a laundry at $10,000 and a garage at $10,000. The New York Section has undertaken to endow a heel in memory of members of the A. I. M. E. who gave their lives in the Great War. Perhaps other Sections or groups of Sections may wish to do the same thing, or if no other Section cares to assume so much responsibility possibly individuals may like to join the fund already growing in New York, in which case they should send their contributions to Mrs. W. Y. Westervelt, 1 Lexington Ave., New York, N. Y.

Jan 6, 1919

By W. L. Crentz, E. E. Donath, D. Doherty

IN 1948, the United States used nearly six million barrels of petroleum products every day. Although substitution of synthetic fuels for the natural petroleum product is not here yet, large quantities of special-purpose coal will be required in ever-increasing volume as the domestic production of oil from other sources fails to meet demand and the production of synthetic fuels begins. Petroleum economists do not agree as to when the shortages of domestic oil will appear; but the increasing per capita consumption of oil, coupled with a constantly growing population drawing on a potential domestic oil supply estimated to be 85 billion barrels, sooner or later will result in demand exceeding domestic supply. When this situation comes about, the excess demand will be either eliminated by curtailment of consumption or the demand met by increasing importation of foreign oil or by the production of synthetic fuels. The first recourse would definitely retard the heretofore unbroken rise in American living standards, while dependence upon a foreign oil supply during a war or other emergency would be dangerous. On the other hand, the enormous coal reserves in the United States, plus sizable deposits of oil shale, indicate adequate means of augmenting a diminishing domestic oil supply. Some idea of the impact of an expanding synthetic liquid fuels program on the coal-mining industry may be gathered when it is considered that to supply just half of our present-day petroleum needs synthetically from coal would increase the coal output by about 500 million tons annually, using an 11,900 Btu bituminous coal as the plant feed. If either a subbituminous coal or lignite were used, the quantity required would be materially increased. Synthetic Fuel Processes: The principal synthetic fuel processes using coal as a raw material are the Bergius, or coal-hydrogenation process, and the Fischer-Tropsch, or gas-synthesis process. These two processes not only produce different end products, but the preparation of the coal used in each presents its own individual problem to the coal-preparation engineer. The hydrogenation process brings together a mixture of dry, finely powdered coal, catalyst, and heavy oil to form a paste. Addition of hydrogen under rather high pressure and temperature conditions brings about transformation of the coal to a liquid product, from which a high-grade gasoline and other motor fuels may be obtained. The Fischer-Tropsch process requires the production of synthesis gas, a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen. At the Bureau of Mines Louisiana, Mo., demonstration plant, this gas is being made by reacting dried pulverized coal with carefully controlled volumes of oxygen and superheated steam. After purification and in the presence of the proper catalyst and suitable conditions of pressure and temperature, the hydrogen and carbon monoxide components of the synthesis gas react to form motor fuel. The two processes are not competitive but rather com-

Jan 1, 1951