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By AIME

WILLIAM WALLACE MEIN, known to his intimates as "Will" or "Billy", is a mining engineer who has taken the fundamentals of successful mining--operating, engineering, and financial-and applied them to the founding of new industries. Born in Nevada City, Calif., in 1873, Will Mein grew up in an atmosphere of mining, and began to develop his sound judgment in a practical way before starting his formal technical education. As a young man he supplemented his early observations by helping his father, Captain "Tom" Mein, on mining work in California and Alaska. He then went with his father to the Rand, and after a period of milling experience as operator and shift boss he became, in 1894, manager of the chlorination of gold ores at the Robinson mine.

Jan 1, 1947

By Philip Kraft

WHEN it came time to write a biography of Philip Kraft, we got out a copy of Bartlett's "Familiar Quotations" and looked through the references to Travel, Traveled, Traveler, and Traveling, feeling sure there would be some reference to Mr. Kraft. Sure enough, we found: "Travel, in the younger sort, is a part of education; in the elder, a part of experience." Had Francis Bacon done his writing three and a half centuries later, Mr. Kraft might well have served as the inspiration for that sentence. New Yorker born, he received his B.S. and E. M. degrees from Columbia. In 1912, then 22 years old, he took off for Germany where he spent two years studying at the Royal School of Mines, Berlin, for his Doctor of Engineering degree. Contrary to the Greeley-Soule precept, Mr. Kraft, on his return from Europe, went north to South Porcupine. Ont., working as geologist and mining engineer for the Dome Mine. From South Porcupine his next stop was Washington, D. C., where, during the years the country was in the first World War, he was engaged in war work.

Jan 1, 1947

By AIME AIME

AT bottom of this page is a photograph recently taken by a student-John E. Stewart-of the most northerly situated college in the world, the Alaska Agricultural College and School of Mines. It is situated at College, near Fairbanks, Alaska, approximately on the 65th parallel of latitude, and therefore just south of the Arctic Circle. It is farther north than Hudson Bay, and in about the same latitude as southern Greenland.

Jan 1, 1932

Mr. John J. Porter, Chicago Ill. (communication to the Secretary†):—Mr. Baker's account of his experiences with stock-distribution has been particularly interesting to me, as it

Jan 1, 1905

By W. J. Garmoe

Distinct areas of mineralized and non-mineralized brecciated rock are found in the Ontario Unit of the United Park City Mines. These breccias contain an appreciable fraction of the present ore reserves and probably will become even more important as deeper levels are developed. Three ages of breccia have been recognized in the Ontario Mine to date: ( 1) Pre-mineral breccia that may or may not be mineralized, (2) early post-mineral breccia with mineralized fragments, and ( 3) late post-mineral breccia that is younger than and cuts through ( 1) and (2) above. These age ,relations are known from detailed underground mapping. Locally, both pre-mineral and post-mineral breccias have sufficient lead-zinc-silver content, either as matrix or fragmental material, to constitute ore. Ore-grade breccias occur throughout a vertical range of over 1000 feet and are found in both the Humbug and Deseret formations from above the Ontario 1300 level to below the Ontario 2200 level. The mineralized breccias, which are difficult to distinguish on mine maps, are not well delineated by underground workings, and their horizontal outline and vertical extent are not known beyond the immediate mining areas. The greatest amount of truly mineralized breccia is exposed on the 2200 level.

Jan 1, 1968

By AIME

Lewis E. Young, who will formally assume his duties as President of the AIME at the Annual Meeting in San Francisco in February 1949, was born in Topeka, Kansas, Oct. 1, 1878. Dr. Young received his engineering education at the Pennsylvania State College, where he received the degree of B.S. in Mining Engineering in 1900. In 1904 he received his E.M. degree from Iowa State College, and in 1915 a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois. In 1947, the University of Missouri conferred on Dr. Young honoris causa the degree of Doctor of Engineering. His active career began in the educational field as instructor at Iowa State College, and following that, as professor of mining at the Colorado School of Mines, 1903-1907. While he was at Golden he launched hi: career as consulting mining engineer for various Western companies. Leaving the Colorado School of Mines, Dr. Young returned to Missouri, serving the University of Missouri as director of the School of Mines and Metallurgy at Rolla, 1907-1914. Leaving Missouri he went to the University of Illinois as assistant professor of business organization, 1915-1918, during which period he wrote exhaustive treatises on mine subsidence and mine taxation, which won for him the degree of Ph.D. before mentioned.

Jan 1, 1949

By L. H. JEFFRIES

In the mining operations of The Canyon Corp., Deadwood. S. D., the use of mucking machines has been of definite advantage. The type used is that which depends upon the traction of the motor-driven wheels to crowd the dipper into the muck pile, while the car in which the muck is received is coupled to the mucker and moves forward or back with it. This general arrangement is entirely satisfactory on a substantially level track. The ores which occur in this district are a replacement of dolomite and the beds are now tilted to an inclination of about 7-1/20. In our operations it is necessary to drive inclines down-hill on this slope, which makes a difficult hand-mucking job even if water were not present. With these facts in mind, an attempt was made to use the mucking machine for driving down the in- cline, but as expected, the traction was insufficient to handle the machine and the necessary car. The means used to correct this condition will perhaps impress most readers as too complicated and cumbersome to effect any economy, but the idea may be of service to some who have a similar condition. After considering several s

Jan 1, 1940

By AIME AIME

TWO weeks ago the writer was lunching in the Engineers` Club in New York with a man who has perhaps the widest acquaintance among engineers of anyone in the country a member of another of the Founder engineering societies. "By the way," lie asked. "who have they nominated for your next president."' "Doctor Becket," I told him- "Oh. that's line," he replied, in a heartfelt tone that rang with sincerity. "I have come in contact with him occasionally and he is just the right type.' And that is the way Dr. Frederick M. Becket impresses everybody. The right type. Most Institute members of the western group of hard-rock minors do not know him, but then they meet him in his swing around the circle next year they will not require a long acquaintance to sense his kindly and outstanding personality, to realize that he is a gentleman in the bet meaning o1 that word, a man of wide sympathies and interests.

Jan 1, 1932

By J. Leslie Goodier

The International Law of the Continental Shelf, so far ratified by 35 nations, extends the national boundary of any coastal nation to the edge of the continental shelf, this normally being at a continuous water depth of 200 m. The Law further extends this boundary to include the floor of the deep ocean to any depth that can be mined by advanced mining technology. In effect, proof of mining can constitute proof of ownership of the subaqueous land and the minerals on or below the sea floor. Irrespective of the fact that present technology is too limited to permit mineral exploitation in the high seas-and the law regarding the right to mine appears hazy-the U. S. Treasury Department's Bureau of Customs, has a ruling that would further deter mining operations on the high seas. This law contends that minerals mined on the continental shelf of the United States are actually mined within the continental United States and are free of tariff, but mined products or other articles obtained from the ocean or the sea floor beyond the continental shelf, if brought into this nation, must be considered as imported and are subject to such customs duties as are applicable under the tariff schedules of the United States.

Jan 7, 1968

Jan 1, 1927

By Ralph H. Phelps

WHAT information do you have on precision investment casting? Please send me all available information on the removal of paraffin from oil wells and pipe lines. How can I find out how to remove magnesium oxide from lime? I want a good book on the pickling of steel. Can liquid oxygen be used as an explosive in a mine? Where can I get a bibliography on the plasticity of metals? These questions, selected from the scores of questions asked the Engineering Societies Library staff every day, indicate some of the diversity of the requests received. The samples chosen relate to interests of AIME members but the questions that come to the Library by mail, telephone, telegraph, and in person cover all fields of engineering, science, and technology. Some questions can be answered quickly; others require extensive searching. Those that can be answered in a few minutes or ten, twenty, or even thirty minutes are usually done without charge. For the more difficult questions a charge is made. In this way those requiring considerable service pay for it and the Library finds it possible to serve more persons.

Jan 1, 1948

By AIME AIME

ASIDE from the annual dinner-dance, the two outstanding social events of the Annual Meeting were the dinner- smoker on Monday night and the informal dance on Tuesday night, both of which were held at the Commodore Hotel. Approximately 400 attended the former event, compared with 570 a year ago, and about 250, people were attracted to the dance.

Jan 1, 1933

By Ernest J. Stocking

ENGINEERS are the key men in our war program today. Upon the technical knowledge and skill of the engineer and upon his administrative and executive abilities rests the entire success for the production of vital materials of the war. Naturally the work load of the engineering examining unit of the U. S. Civil Service Commission has increased greatly since our active participation in the war. At present, over 550 separate requests for certification of eligibles are received by the engineering unit per week. These represent more than a fourth of the total requests received for personnel by the Commission's central office at Washington and represent a recruitment work load of three to four times that carried by the whole Commission previous to January 1940. These requests represent a minimum of a thousand vacancies to be filled each week, while an average week will produce, at present, approximately 1400 vacancies and a weekly maximum may approach well over 2000 vacancies.

Jan 1, 1942

By William B. Plank

RECENT interest in the character of employment of young mining engineering graduates has been stimulated by my studies, during the past ten years, of student enrollment and employment of graduates of the mineral technology schools of the United States and Canada. Enrollment data in the following article are taken from these studies and information about the kind of work engaged in by mining engineers is assembled from my professional experience, sixteen years of which have been as professor of mining engineering.

Jan 1, 1938

Albert Arents, Alameda, Cal.: From Mr. Furman's description of his crucible-assays I infer that he regards iron nails as a necessary or advisable adjunct. Against such a notion I must beg leave to protest. Nails should not be used in

Jan 1, 1896

By AIME AIME

INSTITUTE members attending the Annual Meeting in New York who want to see one of the mining engineers' newest aids, photoelastic stress analysis, are due for an interesting afternoon on Thursday, Feb. 15, when open house: will be held at the Columbia University mining laboratory. Information as to the direction and distribution off stresses in mine structures, which has been developed by Professor Bucky, associate professor at the Columbia School of Mines, and David Sinclair, research assistant, is useful in the design of pillars and in the placing of openings relative to working places such as gangways and haulage levels.: This work has been sponsored during the last ten years by the Engineering Foundation.. It is fully reported in T. P. No. 1140.

Jan 1, 1940

THERE have been two important accomplishments of the Truman administration; the Hoover Commission report on inefficiency and waste in government and the report of the Paley Commission on the natural resources of the United States. Both reports are in the interest of the American people and should transcend the boundaries of political parties. Both reports are starting points for the formulation of policies which must be continuously revised to meet changing conditions. Regardless of the outcome of the election the principles embodied in these two great documents must be kept alive. The Paley report is right in our own bailiwick of mineral raw materials and it behooves us to study it carefully as our responsibility to posterity. To those in the mining industry who have limited their field of observation to moving rock or to metal prices it may come as a surprise that our production of such staples as copper, lead, and zinc has fallen behind increased requirements to the point that substantial tonnages must be imported. Iron ore is next on the list and everybody knows that such metals as tin, tungsten, chromium, manganese, nickel, and cobalt are imported almost exclusively. The crisis in raw materials pointed up by the Paley report has been reported annually by Elmer Pehrson and others to small gatherings at the Mineral Economics Division sessions at the Annual Meeting for as long as we can remember. In September 1949, the United Nations Economic and Social Council held an international resource conference at Lake Success which disclosed these same grave conclusions: - Consumption of raw materials is multiplying at an alarming rate, faster than discoveries or replacements are being made. - Production has been wasteful and utilization lavishly beyond enginee¬ing and practical requirements. - Industrialized nations are depleted and many raw materials consumed by industry are not found in the industrialized countries. - Nations formerly exporters of raw materials are increasingly building their own consuming industries. - Political forces in the world are limiting access to raw materials. The Paley Commission selecting the quarter century, 1950 to 1975, to project raw material requirements for the United States, pointed out obstacles to meeting these requirements, and made recommendations for procurement. It is not important that we disagree that cobalt consumption will reach 344 pct of present, or fluorspar 187 pct when iron and ferroalloys are only expected to increase 75 pct. What is important it that the fabulous appetite of the United States for mineral raw materials has consumed more since World War I than was consumed by the entire world in all recorded history prior to 1914. And, unless the people of the United States are satisfied to remain at their present standard of living (which is unthinkable) this consumption is correctly plotted by the Paley Commission as continuing to expand. If the U. S. is to continue on a course of progress, it must procure raw materials wherever it can at the lowest possible cost. Natural resources are clearly an area in which the broadest cooperation between industry and government must exist to achieve efficient exploitation, economic consumption, and expansion of sources of supply. The message of the Paley report requires action comparable to that of the North Atlantic Pact. Its implication is as significant as military preparedness. It is a world problem. It is a mining engineering problem. Don't let it die!

Jan 1, 1952

Mr. Tays (communication to the Secretary): Mr. Wynne's criticism of my paper* brings forward a few points which are really important, and might properly have been considered in the original paper. By calling attention to them he has rendered me a service. It is quite true, as Mr. Wynne says, that, in the tests reported by me, the Bryan mill was always working at a relative disadvantage, and my comparison of the work of this mill with that of the stamp-battery should be interpreted, therefore, so much the more favorably to the mill. Of course, wire screens can be used to advantage on the Bryan mill, if they are not of smaller size than 30-mesh; but

Jan 1, 1902

The selection of a particular machine for production drilling is the most critical drill evaluation the pit engineer is called upon to make. It is a true engineering design problem requiring value judgments. Generally, the procedure follows these steps: (1) Determine and specify the conditions under which the machine will be used, including such service factors as labor, site, weather, etc. (2) State the objectives for the rock-breakage phases of the production cycle of operations--considering excavation and haulage restrictions, crushing capacity, production quota, and pit geometry-in terms of tonnage, fragmentation, throw, etc. (3) On the basis of blasting requirements, design the drill-hole pattern (hole size and depth, in- clination, burden, spacing, etc.) (4) Determine the drillability factors and select the drilling methods which appear feasible for the kind of rock anticipated. (5) Specify the operating variables for each system under study, considering drill, rod, bit and circulation fluid factors. (6) Estimate and compare performance parameters, including costs. Major cost items are bits, drill depreciation, labor, maintenance, power and fluids. (7) Select the drilling system that best satisfies all requirements with the lowest over-all cost.

Jan 10, 1967

By C. H. White

Discussion of a Paper by Mr. C. H. White, read at the Atlantic City Meeting, February, 1904. (Annual Meeting, February, 1005.) ARTHUR JARMAN, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia (communication to the Secretary*) : All designs for modern metal¬lurgical and chemical laboratories should provide each student's desk with a hood or cupboard for the removal of fumes, but I doubt the advisability of placing air-baths and similar apparatus close to the hot plate. It seems to me that unless the draft be exceptionally strong the fumes from ordinary wet assay work will corrode the iron-work of the fittings, in which case the baths would have to be removed to a general desk in order to lighten the work of the laboratory attendant. Since the laboratory described by Mr. White has been in use for two years, I should like to ask if any inconvenience has resulted from this corrosion. If not, it is certainly an important improvement to have the air-baths and similar apparatus placed -on the student's desk. The hoods described by Mr. White are supplied with a good draft by means of a fan, which gives them a great advantage over those at the metallurgical laboratory at the University, Sydney, in that no doors to the hood are needed. Each hood in the laboratory at Sydney is connected by a glazed earthenware drain-pipe with a vertical flue, 20 ft. high, having a lighted gas jet at the bottom to assist the draft. Although the draft is good, fumes of sulphuric acid cannot be drawn o$ unless the doors of the hood are lowered more than half-way. In my opinion, a fan should be used for the purpose of creating the draft, and glazed drain-tile should invariably be used for the flues because no other material possesses the same advantages. I know of a recent instance in which a laboratory containing

Mar 1, 1905