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By Francis C. Blake

Although the use of gaseous fuel in blast-furnaces has been often proposed, I hope the description of a very simple, yet practical and valuable, application of natural gas to the smelting of lead-ores and residues, at the works of the Pennsylvania Lead Company, will prove interesting. In May, 1886, directly after replacing the use of bituminous coal at the above works by that of natural gas, half-inch pipes from a branch gas-main were inserted directly into the tuyeres of a lead blast-furnace, and through these pipes gas was delivered into the furnace, with the air-blast at a pressure a little more than double that in the tuyere-pipes. At the same time the blast-pressure at the tuyeres was increased by an amount estimated to give a sufficient air-delivery when mixed with the gas-supply. The amount of gas delivered to the furnace is easily regulated by stop-cocks at each tuyere, and is under the immediate control of the furnace manager. Upon the introduction of gas into the tuyeres of the furnace the coke charged at the mouth was reduced 30 per cent., this being the amount of coke which I thought could be advantageously replaced by gas. This first estimate has proved to be very close to the working results, though probably the average gas-consumption corresponds to a little less than 30 per cent. of the former coke used. The proportion that we use varies, with the nature of the furnaceburden, between 20 and 40 per cent. of the total fuel. We have used 60 per cent. of gas; but there is difficulty in keeping a cool furnace-mouth when the proportion is so high. With some residues, notably metallic drosses containing some zinc, we have found it best not to use over 20 per cent. gaseous fuel. The percentage used with ore-charges has generally been higher than that used in smelting the higher-lead charges of residues from our refining works. It results from this use of natural gas that the temperature of the hearth is under almost immediate control, and, for this reason chiefly, a cleaner and more uniform slag can be run, and the furnaceworking can be made more nearly independent of the effects of atmospheric conditions or the variable moisture in the furnace-burden.

Jan 1, 1887

By Richard E. Chism

Some years ago, when I was seeking an illusive fortune and gaining a precarious existence in the primeval forests of Brazil, there penetrated, even to my headquarters in that far-off land, the story of a new-found mining district, where mountain peaks were ribbed with silver, and valleys teemed with virgin gold. Such were the stories that caused hundreds of men to seek their fortune in Sierra Mojada, and to return heaping curses, loud and deep, upon the vivid imaginations that had evolved the glittering fiction. Nevertheless, the rumors had some foundation of truth. The ribs of silver exist, if not the placers of gold; and a flourishing town, of some three thousand people, with two leading mining companies and several smaller ones, in operation, represents what was permanent in the excitement of 1879. Geographical Situation. The town of Sierra Mojada is situated in the State of Coahuila, Republic of Mexico, in latitude 27' 24' N., and longitude 26' 40' W. of Washington, 4' 36' W. of the City of Mexico, and 103' 43' TV. of Greenwich. It lies about 70 miles, in an air-line, N. E. of Escalon station, on the Mexican Central Railroad; but by the present wagon-road, which makes a long detour to turn the mountain range, the distance to the station is about 105 miles. The nearest towns are Huajuquilla, in the State of Chihuahua, about 125 miles due west, and Cuatro Cienegas, in the State of Coahuila, 112 miles to the eastward. Between these points and the town of Sierra Mojada, and to the north of this town, the country is an immense desert, entirely uncultivated, almost uninhabited, and very little known. This

Jan 1, 1887

By C. H. Hitchcock

The puiblication by the Institute of a small geological map of the United States calls for an explanation of its peculiarities. The title intimates that it is intended "to illustrate the schemes of coloration and nomenclature recommended by the International Geological Congress." By way of further explanation it is said to be "based, by permission of the Director of the United States Geological Survey, upon the map published in his Fifth Annual Report, the portions not colored in that map being here supplied from other sources." The map referred to was prepared by W. J. McGee, and in the text of the report containing it he has given a list of the authorities employed in the compilation. The scheme of coloration used for the map was the one proposed by the Director, in the Seeond Annual Report, for the publications of the United States Geological Survey, which differed materially from those employed by the older American geologists. Because of the increasing diversity in the particular colors employed to represent rocks by geologists in different countries, and of the existence of very dissimilar schemes of nomenclature, it seemed best to the American Association for the Advancement of Science, at its Buffalo meeting in 1876, to appoint an international committee of geologists, who should consult together, and, if feasible, to call an International Congress to discuss these subjects. The proposition met with favor, and the meeting was called. The first session was held at Paris, in 1878, when geologists were present from twenty different countries. Once organized, the Congress has perpetuated itself, enacting regulations for its conduct, choosing the French language for its medium of communication, and arranging for the compilation of a geological map of Europe upon which the perfected schemes of coloration and nomenclature will be delineated. The American Association maintains a standing committee to represent it at the international sessions, and to report their proceedings. Sixteen countries were represented at the second Congress, at Bologna;

Jan 1, 1887

By Theodore B. Comstock

a. Boundaries of the District.—The district here considered comprises that portion of Colorado commonly known as " the San Juan Country." In order to bring the principal geological features of this region within the scope of a map of convenient dimensions upon a suitable scale, I have found it desirable to mark off boundaries near the parallels of 37O and 38O 10', and the meridiaus of 106' 30' and 108' 30' (West Longitude from Greenwich). This area of (approximately) 9400 square miles includes all the formations which we should have to discuss if our territory were greatly enlarged, excepting such as are distinctly characteristic of adjoining areas with independent orographic genesis. By limiting this review to these confines we miss very little of the geology of the eight counties of the San Juan region, viz.: Dolores, San Miguel, Ouray, Hinsdale,

Jan 1, 1887

By F. A. Emmerton

I have used for about two years, in the laboratory of the Joliet Steel Company, a rapid method for the determination of phosphorus in iron, steel, and ores, which possesses one or two features sufficiently novel to warrant description. In general, it is the method described by Mr. Benjamin B. Wright (Transactions, vol. x., p. 197), involving the precipitation of the phosphorus by means of molybdate solution, and its estimation in the yellow precipitate by reduction of the molybdic acid, and titration of the resulting oxide with a standardized permanganate solution, according to the principles laid down by Werncke (Fres, Zeit., vol. xiv., p. 1). In the use of this method, I had difficulty at first in obtaining a yellow precipitate of reasonably uniform composition. It is a well-known fact that, to secure this result, the conditions of precipitation must not vary. The principal condition is temperature; and acidity, concentration, proportion of nitrates and chlorides, and time, are important elements. I am aware that uniformity in these conditions has been obtained to a reasonable extent by many chemists,. so that they are enabled to use with success, methods based on the

Jan 1, 1887

By George W. Small

The ore, as it is raised from the mine, has all average assay-value of $11 per ton, chiefly in the form of free gold. All the ore goes directly to the stamp-mills, of which there are two. The older and larger mill contains sixteen batteries of five stamps each, with one Frue vanner to each battery. The new mill has eight batteries of five stamps and two Frues to each battery. The large mill is driven by Leffel turbine wheels, with a pressure of eighty feet, and a consumption of 600 miners' inches of water. The smaller mill is driven by "hurdy-gurdy" wheels with a pressure of about 550 feet and a consumption of 150 inches of water. At both mills the tailings from the stamps pass over about 20 feet of plates on their way to the Frues. In each set of plates the first or upper one is copper, the rest are so-called silver plates. The bullion from the stamps is about 800 fine in gold and 200 in silver. The concentrates from the Frues average from 11/4 to 1 ; per cent. of the ore stamped. They very rarely exceed 2 per cent. I was unable to get the exact assay-value of the concentrates, but it is said to vary between $100 and $200 per ton. The concentrates are treated at the chlorination works at the rate of one hundred tons per month. The capacity of the works is somewhat greater than this, but as the supply of concentrates is limited it is not deemed advisable to work them up any faster. Care is taken to keep the concentrates always damp until they are put into the roasting furnace. If this is not done, a decomposition of the pyrites begins, forming lumps which do not roast, and which consequently cause a loss of gold in the residues from leaching. A Fortschaufelungsofen is used for roasting. Its dimensions, incloding fire-box, are 12' X 80'. The hearth is one continuous plane, but the charges, of which there are three in the furnace at one time, are kept entirely separate. The furnace-men call the three compartments, the "drying," the " burning," and the " cooking" compartments. In the middle, or "burning" compartment, the ore is spread

Jan 1, 1887

By Joseph D. Weeks

When I presented at the Chicago Meeting of the Institute, in May, 1884, a paper on Hadfield's manganese steel,* which had about that time been brought to the notice of steel manufacturers, I promised to furnish some physical tests of the steel for publication in the Transactions. The fulfilment of the promise then made has been delayed by various circumstances; but I have recently been put in possession of tests of this steel carefully made at the Woolwich, England, arsenal. Messrs. Hadfield & Co. prepared for the arsenal a series of twelve test-pieces, made from the same heat. An analysis of the steel gave the following results: Carbon,.........73 Silicon,.........37 Sulphur,.........06 Phosphorus,. .08 Manganese,...... 9.83 The test-pieces had been heated to a white heat and plunged into cold water prior to being put into the machine. This treatment

Jan 1, 1887

Jan 1, 1887

By Alfred E. Hunt

The application of the color-method for the estimation of manganese in iron and steel, based upon the depth of the characteristic purple color of permanganic acid, was first made in this country, the writer thinks, by one of the members of the American Institute of Mining Engineers, Mr. Samuel Peters, in 1874, at the laboratory of the Bay State Iron Company, and was published by him in the Chemical News. The method is credited to him in the new edition of Crooke's Select Methods. The principle of oxidizing manganese with peroxide of lead, or other oxidizing agents, and determining the amount of manganese from the color of the purple permanganic

Jan 1, 1887

By Edgar S. Cook

At the close of the Bethlehem Meeting, the writer was experimenting with large fuel-charges, 4000 Ibs. basis, as compared with 2000 Ibs., hot had not made sufficient progress to draw any safe conclusions. Previously me had always used 2000 Ibs. fuel, the ore-burden being proportioned to this as a basis. I could never persuade myself that there was any advantage to be derived from following the more popular method of larger fuel-charges. Our men were accustomed to the old way of filling ; and we did not care to run the risk of the errors likely to follow any alteration in routine work, particulary as I could not, by my course of reasoning, discover ally compensating gain. Nevertheless, after reading Mr. Gordon's discussion of Mr. Birkinbine's paper, '' Operations of Warwick Furnace from August 27th, 1880, to September 1st, 1885" (Transactions, xiv., 833), I determined to test by actual experiment the value of large fuel-charges : the change was made in the week commencing March 28th, 1886, and continued until July 25th, about four months. The fuel and ores remained during the trial the same as had been used before, and have been used since. For the first two weeks, the furnace worked with great regularity, giving excellent results, exceeding those of the two weeks immediately preceding. But for my remembrance that the furnace had on former occasions worked with equal uniformity for longer periods without any apparent reason, I should doubtless have concluded that this improvement was due to the different method of filling and congratulated myself that a means had at last been found to prevent inconvenient "dirt" accumulations. Before abjuring my previous skepticism, however, I resolved to pursue the trial further. The fourth meek developed the peculiar conditions that had prevailed previous to the change; and these continued with more or less frequency during May, June and July. At last, finding no improvement over the smaller charges—no change in fact for better or for worse—I commenced filling the 2000 lbs. fuel-charge in the latter part of July, and have continued it up to present writing, September 4th.

Jan 1, 1887

Jan 1, 1887

By Byron W. Cheever

In my paper on the estimation of manganese, etc., presented at the Halifax meeting, in September, 1885 (Transactions, xiv., 372), I said that the colorimetric process "can never be made to give reliable results." This statement was based on the results of many trials made by my assistant, Mr. E. D. Campbell, and myself, following in our work the printed and oral directions of others, and such modifications as suggested themselves from time to time. The accuracy of the statement having been questioned, I have, since then, endeavored to find some method of conducting the operation which would give accurate results; I have also tried the methods used by five different chemists; and I am not able to bring the process within the limits of an exact method. While it can fairly be ranked with the colorimetric carbon-process, and can be used for checking the operations of a steel plant, yet it requires more care to obtain uniform results, and is liable to greater variations from slight causes than the carbon-process, and, in my judgment, is not a safe method to employ when exact results are sought.

Jan 1, 1887

By John A. Church

The operations of the Tombstone Mill and Mining Company, in Arizona, have been extensive and interesting; and I will eudeavor to describe what is novel in their work, without attempting to go over the well-known facts of silver milling, concentration and smelting which are the general branches of their business. Their mines are at Tombstone, and their mills at Charleston, ten miles distant. The ore has been mined only above water-level, and at first was

Jan 1, 1887

Jan 1, 1887

By R. W. Raymond

In a paper on the Divining-Rod (Transactions, xi., 411), presented at the Boston meting, in February, 1883,I suggested, among other signs of which the skilled prospector might consciously or unconsciously avail himself in the search for springs of water or mineral deposits, the presence of particular grasses or shrubs, and the general appearance of the flora. There are not wanting, in the literature of our art, indications that greater attention was paid to such signs in ancient days than at present. It is the tendency of a scientific age to ignore, or regard as superstitious, what cannot be classified or explained. But the acute though unscientific observation of earlier times often, doubtless, accumulated facts which it would be worth our while to re-examine. It is highly probable that the mining prospectors of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, to go no further back, were close students of nature, and knew, though they could not explain, and, for reasons of private gain, would not communicate, many curious and significant facts. We can generalize better than they could; but for that very reason we are, perhaps, their inferiors in observation. They let nothing pass, because all things were equally significant to them. We take wider views, and miss more. And, no doubt, there still exists among practical millers, prospectors,, hunters, Indians, etc., an unwritten.

Jan 1, 1887

By W. M. Courtis

In compliance with the suggestion in Mr. Emmons's paper on the Genesis of Certain Ore-Deposits (Trans. xv., 125), that facts should be accumulated for study and future compilation, I wish to put on record, before the data are lost, a section of the Animikie series of rocks and the vein-phenomena exposed by the explorations at the Duncan mine, Port Arthur, Thunder Bay, Lake Superior. This may serve as a supplement to my paper on this district (Trans. v., 473). I trust this information will not be without interest at. the present time. The recent discoveries of very rich silver-ores at Rabbit and Silver Mountains, on the same belt, have brought the district once more before the public; and a study of the facts here set forth may assist some fellow-engineer in the determination of the value of property offered for sale in this neighborhood. The vein at the Duncan mine was tested to a depth of over eight hundred feet by shaft and drifts, and to nearly a thousand feet with

Jan 1, 1887

Jan 1, 1887

By Richard E. Chism

The metric system is now in official use in the Republic of Mexico, having been adopted by the Government in the year 1862. Athough it is used to compute all customs and other duties to be paid to the General Government, in the measurement of public and private lands arid in all freight and other transactions on the railroads, and is taught exclusively in the public schools, the system has made but slight head way among the people,and has not succeeded in displacing the old-time weights and measures, which are still used in ordinary commerce. The latter were founded on old Spanish models, but, owing to the inexactness of the first standards and to subsequent changes, differ at present very widely from their originals. As to local modifications, weights are the same all over the Republic, but measures of the same name differ greatly in capacity in different States, and even in neighboring towns. The value in the metric system here assigned to each denomination of the old weights and measures is that fixed by the Mexican Government at the time of the adoption of the metric system. The equivalents in American weights and measures were calculated by me from data found in Trautwine's Pocket-Book as to the comparison between the French and American weights and measures, and are believed to be correct. I shall be thankful for early notice of any error that may be detected, that it may be corrected before the final publication of this paper in the Transactions. Linear Measures. Kilometers. Miles. 1 legua (league) = 5000 varas . = 4.19 2.604375 Meters. Feet. 1 vara (yard) = 3 pies.....= 0.83800 2.749578 1 pie (foot) = 12 pulgadas.....=0.27933 0.916526 Inches. 1 pulgada (inch) = 12 lineas . = 0.02328 0.916526 1 linea (line).......= 0.00194 0.076577 The vara is also divided (for dry-goods-selling) into palms or cuartas (palms or quarters). Meters. Feet. Inches. 1 palmo or cuarta .. .. = 0.209500 =0.687394 = 8.248728

Jan 1, 1887

By Clemens Jones

A FORM of apparatus for volumetric determinations which shall possess the features requisite for the constant use of potassium permanganate, is a very desirable fixture in a well-appointed laboratory. Expedients to economize time and insure accuracy are generously employed for various other reagents, while the permanganate seems to have been consigned to the use of an ordinary burette, and a black bottle of the standardized solution. But the introduction of new, methods dependent on the permanganate, and the urgency of technical requirements where it has long been indispensable, require a revision of practice more scientific and convenient. The apparatus designed by the writer for the laboratory of the Thomas Iron Company at Hokendauqua, Pa., is so simply contrived and works with such entire satisfaction that a description of it may be of use. It may be prefaced that the characteristics of a suitable device offer some mechanical difficulties when combined in a continuous appliance. The burette, B (50 C.C. to 1/10 c.c.), shown in Fig. 1, consists of the graduated tube proper and an arm, E, fused to it below the 50 c.c. mark. At its top are rubber connections with the blast-aspirator, shown in the cut (Fig. 2) of the front view. By means of an extra stopcock, D, connection through E is established with the reservoir F. The burette is clamped Securely to a slide, C, which is counterpoised and moves freely on guides between two parallel sides, L, suitably

Jan 1, 1887

By John Birkinbine

An item of considerable importance to the producers of pig-iron is the disposition of the slag or cinder from the blast-furnace; and various plans have been adopted at different works to care for the rapid accumulation of this generally waste material. The charge per ton of iron made which must be allowed for the care of cinder is sufficient in times of business depression to give plants having facilities for disposing of their slags an advantage over others less favorably arranged, and to allow iron to be produced profitably in the one case and prevent a profit in the other. The varied methods employed and the means of conveyance utilized need not be detailed. It is sufficient to say that the large outputs of American blast-furnaces, and consequent rapidly augmenting dump-piles, have brought into general favor the use of cars carrying the slag in a liquid condition. The advantages of this method are the prompt removal of the slag, the reduced space occupied by the dump-piles, and the facility of converting the slag into such forms for use as may be desired. The progress in iron-manufactlire is also marked by a more general adoption of methods by which molten metal is carried in vessels away from the point of its production; and, anticipating the prospective advance in pig-iron manufacture, it does not seem unreasonable to prophesy the early abolition of casting-houses at blastfurnaces, particularly where several are grouped together; or the casting of steel ingots away from the converters or furnaces. In some large blast-furnace plants, the iron is carried molten from the blast-furnaces to the converters or other furnaces. Even where it is cast into pigs, casting-sheds removed from the immediate vicinity of the furnace-stack would, perhaps, be superior to casting in beds in front of the furnaces. The idea of casting-sheds appears to present the following advantages : 1st. The equipment of boilers, hot-ovens, and blowing-machinery could be closely grouped around the blast-furnace stacks, permitting

Jan 1, 1887