Search Documents

The old De Beers mine, which lies northwest of Dutoitspan mine at Kimberley, was the mine which launched Cecil Rhodes (In his historical career. It was the nucleus of the De Beers Mining Co. Ltd., formed in 1880, which later became De Beers Consolidated Mines Ltd. Inactive for more than a half century, the De Beers Mine is being rejuvenated for a new era of operations. Both mines were on the Vooruitzicht farm owned by the De Beers brothers, who had bought it from the Orange Free State Government ten years previously for £50. Although the brothers sold it soon after the discovery of diamonds at Dutoitspan, they are remembered for having given their name to the foremost diamond mining company in the world. Diamonds worth nearly R180,000,000 have come from this ground, and more will be recovered when the mine is re-opened.

Jan 9, 1963

Looking forward to growing demand for the output of the coal mines over the next decade, producers face serious problems in meeting the market. Among the difficulties are the Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969, wildcat strikes, growing shortage of skilled and supervisory labor, pollution control and rising costs. The two-day program, planned by R. L. Frantz, covered all of these subjects and presented a few remarks on such wholesomely noncontroversial matters as ground support. A prediction of coal for electricity generation in 1980 was made by Philips amounting to 550 million tons, an amount equal to total output now, With respect to competition in this market, he said: "For the foreseeable future there is enough energy demand for all participating fuels." Banana oil conies not from bananas but from coal and science may just convert coal to meat loaf or some other surprising application may come out of research for product markets. Philips sees no revolution in mining methods although longwall mining will be expanded.

Jan 1, 1970

We are advised by Carrington Phelps, Secretary of the professional Classes War Relief of America, having offices at 33 West 42d Street, New York, that this organization is now prepared for active relief of professional men who have enlisted in military service or are assisting the Government in the civil service or in civil life, at the sacrifice of their usual sources of income. The organization has found that the main obstacle to such relief is the hesitancy of this class of persons to make known their needs. Relief cases have to be sought out; the organization has already found some but has asked the cooperation of the Institute to assist in finding as many more as may exist. It is suggested that the Institute can render useful service in this connection, first, by informing our members of this feature of war relief, by being on the alert to report those needing relief, and to make all possible inquiry after such cases. It is further desired that information as to all such cases be forwarded immediately upon their discovery.

Jan 3, 1918

There were present eleven Directors, the Institute's Legal Counsel, the Secretary, the Assistant Secretary, and twenty-three guests. The Report of the Committee on Nominations (listed elsewhere) was presented and ordered to take the statutory course. The appointment of a Committee on Mine Taxation was approved. An Advertising Manager was appointed. E. G. Spilsbury and A. S. Dwight were appointed as representatives of this Institute on the Franco-American Engineering Committee. The Transactions were presented to the University of Louvain, and the monthly Bulletin to the French Technical Index. Permission was given to publish in full the argument of William H. Shockley on simplified spelling. A committee was appointed to have charge of the publication of the Raymond Memorial Volume. There were elected 70 members, 15 associates, and 1 junior associate. Three members were reinstated and the resignations of two were ac-cepted. The clues of 10 members who had been in active service with the allied armies were remitted. An extension of time for the payment of dues was granted to the 11 members.

Jan 12, 1919

AN unprecedented expansion of the mineral industries began in mid-1950. There are few minerals on the strategic list for which some source of supply here at home has not been found. All types of inducements have been utilized, ranging from RFC loans to guaranteed-price purchase contracts. No one can deny that tremendous progress toward mineral self-sufficiency has been made. Despite the greatness of these accomplishments, made' in the name of national defense, one cannot help but. have a feeling of uneasiness over the price which has been paid-in indebtedness, in freedom, and in the sacrifice of private enterprise. The people of the Soviet have been enslaved by a military state which attempts complete control of the economy. A similar yoke has been imposed on the business life of this nation. Of course, there is a difference in degree of control and in purpose. We are dedicated toward defense and the resistance of aggression. And, our personal liberties have not been usurped. The realization of the extent to which this nation has been forced by Communist aggression to adopt the practices of the socialized state is appalling.

Jan 1, 1952

Colorado School of Mines Scientific Society held its first meeting on Friday evening, Jan. 14.1916. H. C. Parmalee gave an interesting talk on the Loss of Cyanide by Hydrolysis. F. E. BRIBER, Secretary. The School of Mines Society of the University of Minnesota held a meeting on Thursday evening, Jan. 13, 1916, at which Fred A. Jordan gave a talk on Magnetic Concentration of Iron Ores. Mr. Jordan is at present testing the new magnetic concentrator designed at the. School of Mines Experiment Station. This apparatus, if successful, will open up an enormous tonnage of ore on the Cuyuna and Mesabi ranges. ADOLPH DOVRE, President. At the College of Mines, University of Washington, Seattle, 33 mining men, with experience varying from one to 25 years, have enrolled in the 19th Annual Three Months' Short Session. At the annual smoker tendered the Short Session miners by the student branch of the American Institute of Mining Engineers, Capt. R. H. Stretch of the Alaska Bureau, Seattle Chamber of Commerce, delivered an address on The Mineral Belts of Alaska.

Jan 3, 1916

I strongly endorse Mr. Jackson's (Inland Steel Company) oral comment on the authors' paper that, as blast furnace slag is removed from the BOF charge, lime solution may be retarded. After two or three pourings, the blast furnace slag will contain some iron oxide and considerable manganese oxide, and it is hot and possibly still liquid. A few thousand pounds of this slag will speed up the slag development rate considerably and could be considered a good auxiliary flux. Although the removal of blast furnace slag from the BOF charge lowers the total sulfur load by 40 to 50%, we must have a good, quick slag development in the BOF to bring .030 to .035% sulfur hot metal to .020%, a requirement on a high percentage of our steels today. In discussions at off-the-record meetings and one not published at last year's annual meeting as well as discussions with many operators over the past 1-1/2 years, I predicted that the removal of blast furnace slag could slow down lime dissolution and that, if a shop had dissolution problems before, the problem could be quite serious.

Jan 1, 1972

By Dr. Hermann Wedding

Albert Ludwig Serlo was born February 14, 1824, at Crossen-on-the-Oder. After completing his school-studies and his training as a mining official, he received in 1851 an appointment as Royal Manager of salt-works (Salinenfactor) and member of the Administratioll of Salines at Konigsborn, near Unna, Westphalia. The issue of new regulations for the training of higher State officials in the Department of Mining, Metallurgy and Salines, led him to pass in 1856 a special examination for the rank of Assessor, in consequence of which he was called to Berlin, to serve for a few months as an assistant in the Ministry of Commerce, which had charge of mining, etc. In the same year he became Bergmeister and member of the mining administration at Bochum, Westphalia, and in 1858 Oberbergrath and member of the provincial administration, called the Oberbergamt, having its headquarters located at Dortmund. In 1861 he was appointed Director and head of the newly-reorganized mining

Jan 1, 1900

CAMBRIDGE, MASS., May 22, 1913. TO THE PRESIDENT, American Institute of Mining Engineers. Dear Sir: Referring to Mr. J. WV. Finch's letter printed in the Institute Forum of the May Bulletin, I am very much in sympathy with his suggestion that the Transactions be printed in several volumes devoted separately to the various subjects covered by the Institute papers, such as " Iron and Steel," "Mining Geology," " Precious and Base Metals," etc. The advantages of this plan appear to me so great and so obvious as to far outweigh any possible objections. At a meeting of the Iron and Steel Division Committee held on June 28, 1912, I moved that the Committee recommend to the Council that papers on Iron and Steel be published in separate annual volumes. The motion was seconded and passed. Since then I have never failed to repeat my request whenever an occasion presented itself, and I welcome the opportunity offered by Mr. Finch's communication to again call the attention of those interested to an innovation which appears to me so highly desirable. ALBERT SAUVEUR.

Jan 6, 1913

By E. M. Furness, A. S. Henderson

ORIGINALLY the Babbitt experimental plant grinding circuit consisted of one rod mill 101/2 ft diam by 12 ft long in open circuit followed by two ball mills 101/2 ft diam* 12 ft long in parallel cir- the slow-speed ball mills. The next step was to improve rod mill operation by changing the speed of this mill. Such an attack would affect only one mill and would allow slower speed on the ball mills. The rod mill, as originally purchased, operated at 15.45 rpm. Additional pinions were purchased to test this mill at 16.45, 17.45, and 18.45 rpm. When the mill speed was increased by the use of these pinions, rod breakage with this short mill increased out of all proportion to the improved grinding, until at 18.45 rpm breakage became as high as 7 lb per

Jan 1, 1958

The National Labor Board, on June 25, ended its activities preparatory to final, dissolution by the President. No new cases will be heard nor new applications received. Controversies, jointly submitted, that could not be concluded prior to June 30, were assigned to the joint chairmen or a section of the board for disposition. The conclusion of the board's activities marks the passing of. one of the governmental agencies created during the war to further production of war materials. The board was organized under a Presidential proclamation with former President Taft and Frank P. Walsh of Kansas City as joint Chairmen, and with five members representing labor, five employers' representatives, and two members acting for the public. Mr. Walsh resigned soon after the signing of the armistice and was succeeded by Basil M. Manly of Washington. During the year that ended May 31, the hoard received 1245 cases, made awards in 462 cases, dismissed 391 for various cases, referred 315 to specified agencies, and suspended one case. Fifty-three cases remained on the docket because the hoard could not agree, and 23 cases were pending.

Jan 8, 1919

At the close of the current academic year, there will be eight vacancies to be filled in research graduate assistantships which are maintained by the Engineering Experiment Station of the University of Illinois. In addition to these assistantships, there are available two research graduate assistantships in gas engineering, which are supported by the Illinois Gas Association. These assistantships, for each, of which there is an annual stipend of $500 and freedom from all fees except the matriculation and diploma fees, are open to graduates of approved American and foreign universities and technical schools who are prepared to undertake graduate study in engineering, physics, or applied chemistry. An appointment to the position of Research Graduate Assistant is made and must be accepted for two consecutive collegiate years, at the expiration of which period, if all requirements have been met, the degree of Master of Science will be conferred. Not more than. half of the time of a Research Graduate Assistant is required in connection with the work of the department to which he is assigned, the remainder being available for graduate study.

Jan 3, 1919

[Appalachian Petroleum Section: Walter H. Chapman, chairman; Jean Freeland, first vice-chairman; John Galpin, second vice-chairman; Jack L. Trittipo, secretary-treasurer. Meets 4th Tues., Humphreys Restaurant, Charleston. Balcones Section: William E. Richards, chairman; William C. Miller, Jr., first vice-chairman; Brantley G. Myers, second vice-chairman; Harold Vagtborg, Jr., secretary-treasurer. Meets 4th Wed., Petroleum Center Club, San Antonio. Big Horn Basin Subsection: Donald G. Davis, chairman; B. E. Yester, vice-chairman; J. F. Keleher, vice-chairman; Samuel N. Conley, third vice-chairman; William O. Snyder, secretary; M. J. England, treasurer. Billings Petroleum Section: N. J. Matthews, chairman; Guy J. Lookabaugh, first vice-chairman; George O. Ellis, second vice-chairman; Robert L. Spottswood, secretary-treasurer. Meets 3rd Tues., Turf Penthouse.]

Jan 1, 1961

By J. J. Marcus

Mineral industry decision-makers are frequently required to select between competing equipment. Various criteria and methods are currently being used, and this writer would like to suggest a method recently tested on two large power shovels in an open pit mine. An initial examination of both shovel A and shovel B indicated that the latter should give the best overall results. since: 1) It swings 13% faster; 2) it carries a dipper with 23%: greater capacity; 3) purchase price is 8.6% lower; 4) shovel weight is 12.5% greater; 5) it has considerably greater bail pull under most operating conditions; 6) the electric controls are of a more modern design. However, shovel B has half the service life. With these points in mind, shovel A was selected by The Buckingham Method, an operations research technique.

Jan 9, 1965

September steel production established a new record for a 30-day month with 9,034,000 tons. It was the highest of any month since March. Output of ingots and steel for castings was 535,000 tons more than was poured in August 1952, and 373,000 tons over the total for September 1951. Prime Minister Daniel F. Malan touched a gold button to start South Africa' a first uranium plant into production on the premises of the West Rand Consolidated Gold Mine, near Krugersdorp, Transvaal, 25 miles west of Johannesburg. Uranium oxide is being extracted from mine tailing after removal of the gold. Thirteen gold mines in the region are scheduled for uranium production. Defense Materials Procurement Agency signed an agreement-with the Bagdad Copper Corp., Bagdad. Ariz., for expansion of the firm's facilities to enable delivery of at least 27 million lb of copper a year and 91,0000 lb of molybdenite. It is said that the company will spend about E million on the expansion.

Jan 1, 1952

JAMES ASHWORTH, Livingstone, Alberta, Can. (written discussion*).-About the year 1878, the writer commenced to experiment on safety lamps, the results of which will be found in the Transactions of the North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers 1879-1880, the Transactions of the Manchester Geological and Mining Society, and in the technical press. He has also made a careful investigation of the flame caps produced by chemically prepared methane when mixed with air in accurately measured percentages. Before the conclusion of these experiments he personally fitted the hydrogen gas test to a special pat-tern of the Ashworth-Gray patent safety lamp. Later, as pure hydrogen gas was not always available, the writer constructed a safety lamp that would separately burn oil and alcohol; and still later, a somewhat similar lamp to burn alcohol only for specially testing low percentages of methane. This lamp was known As the Ash-worth alcohol safety lamp.

Jan 12, 1919

By Joseph M. Chelini

A cash-flow factor is any figure acquired in an evaluation that effects the cash flow potential of an eventual operation. Table I is a list of some of these cash-flow factors. There are more, such as, the payments and penalties in a smelter schedule if the concentrate would be sent to a smelter. During an evaluation it is necessary to maintain a two-way flow of communication between the evaluation people and financing people. To accomplish this, it is necessary to translate the vocabulary of the evaluating people into the vocabulary of the financing people, or geologic and engineering jargon into dollars and cents. This is done by cash-flow studies in which cash-flow factors are input, which when logically manipulated using accepted rules and procedures of accounting, provide an output in dollars and cents.

Jan 5, 1972

The following delegates were appointed to the National Conservation Congress on May 2, 3, and 4, 1916, in Washington, D. C. HENRY S.. DRINKER, a GEORGE OTIS SMITH, A. F. Lucas, - W. L. SAUNDERS, VAN H. MANNING. President Ricketts was appointed delegate to the dedication ceremonies of the new buildings of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in June. W. L. Saunders was appointed delegate to the ceremonies in celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the founding of Rutgers College to be held in October. George C. Stone was appointed delegate to the meeting on Standard Screen Scale of the U. S. Bureau of Standards. George D. Barron and Thomas T. Read were appointed delegates to the Second National Exposition of Chemical Industries to be held in New York in September. It was resolved, that the Institute shall pay the transportation of the Secretaries of the Local Sections to and from the Arizona Meeting. It was resolved that certain general topics' should be selected for discussion at the next meeting of the Institute and a session devoted to each.

Jan 6, 1916

The paper by Professors Sun and Mitchell illustrates the value of ultrasonics as a tool for the mineral engineer. In particular, it opens up a number of possibilities to those interested in the field of comminution. The provision of desliming technique, which is thorough as well as rapid, is a distinct contribution, but the data of the paper suggest applications beyond desliming, in that the same treatments may be useful for size determination purposes. Fig. 1 shows that a marked dependence exists between particle size and the height to which it can be elevated by ultrasonic vibrations. While the curves are only extended down to a size of about 100 p, the fact that they appear to be increasing in slope in this range suggests that the separation may be even more marked here. This, we feel, is very strong evidence that a method for fine sizing could be developed to use ultra- sonic waves as the separating force.

Jan 1, 1957

By Calvin C. Brown

A university is a place to build minds and develop leaders. It provides the tools necessary for the development of new ideas which come from the inquisitive mind and is one of the stepping stones to management responsibilities for the truly ambitious. However, it is not always a financially sound investment! Lately, there have been several articles published on the economic advantages of a college education. These articles tend to average wages together according to education and years of service. Their tabulations generally include the chairman of the board, various vice presidents and plant managers and do not reflect the achievement of the average graduate. They consistently fail to include an analysis of the investment a college education requires. In reality, the bright high school graduate would make more real money over a 20-year period if he went directly to work "on the hill" than he would if he graduated from college. Furthermore, he would find little difference between his wages and those of the college graduate in the period from 20-30 years after high school graduation.

Jan 1, 1971