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Jan 1, 1894

C. A. Stetefeldt, San Francisco, Cal. (communication to the Secretary): In view of Mr. Louis's statement that the balance and weights employed in his experiment were '(by no means first-rate," the results can scarcely be entitled to weight. And if a slight variation in specific gravity were to be accepted as proof of the existence of allotropic modifications, we should be obliged to conclude that every metal existed in such modifications. When the observed specific gravity of an alloy (as is often, and perhaps generally, the rase) differs from the calculated one, it seems more reasonable to explain the difference (apart from errors of determination) by assuming that actual chemical combination takes place between some atoms of the metals. MR. Louis (communication to the Secretary): In reply to the criticisms with which Mr. Stetefeldt has favored me, I beg to point out to him that, in the first place, I do not myself attach very much weight to the results I have obtained. I merely claim to have pointed out that amorphous gold obtained from dissolving up the alloy with silver has a higher specific gravity than common gold—a result corroborated by the quoted results of Rose. At any rate, it is easy to repeat my observations, and I hope this may be done by men who have better opportunities than myself for this investigation. Surely it is worthy of attention from assayers at the mints. I am not prepared to say that I should regard slight variations in specific gravity as absolute proof of allotropism, but I do consider

Jan 1, 1894

By Alexandre Pourcel

The phenomena of liquation in steel or iron ingots of all sizes, but naturally to greatest extent in the heaviest ingots, have been noticed ever since the commencement on a large scale of the Besse mer and open-hearth manufactures; but they have been studied with care during the last few years only. The English and the Ameri cans were the first to publish the results of investigation upon phe nomena of this clam, to which they have given the name of segregation. Historical. Passing by that which has been written concerning the segregation observed in gray pig-iron, of which instances were given by Karsten, we shall confine ourselves here to that which is known of this subject with exclusive reference to ingot steel and iron. Mr. H. M. Howe, of Boston, in his Metallurgy of Steel, the most complete and well-arranged treatise upon steel, gives a resume of observations, with the results of numerous analyses, bearing upon the phenomena of segregation. According to Tchernoff (with whom we discussed this question at length in 1878, in connection with the cast-steel plates of large dimensions designed for the Italian fleet, which we showed him at Terre-Noire), Kalakoutsky called attention in 1866 to the lack of homogeneity in Bessemer ingots, especially when cast in sand. Our own attention had been called to the phenomena of liquation in 1868 by a somewhat surprising fact which appeared in almost every one of a number of steel-rail ingots coming from the works of Messrs. Pierre and Emile Martin at Sireuil, to be rolled at TerreNoire. In the heating or in the first groove of the rolls, a slice of from 6 to 10 centimeters (2.4 to 3.9 inches) separated itself from the head of each ingot. As a general consequence, the section of

Jan 1, 1894

E. G. Spilsbury, Trenton, N. J.: Mr. Case's paper possesses much interest for me, because my attention was called many years ago (early in the seventies) to the deposit he describes, and his explorations seem to have confirmed the predictions I then made as to the form of the deposit, namely, that the ore would be found to occur, not, as was then imagined, in loose boulders, distribnted

Jan 1, 1894

Jan 1, 1894

Prof. H. S. Munroe, New York City : In his reference to cop per-dressing at Lake Superior, p. 325, Mr. Douglas says that " the .. concentration .. . has been carried out with greatest financial economy,... I do not say with the greatest economy of min eral." And again, on p. 344, referring to the same, " it would not pay to reduce the quantity treated, and increase hand-labor, in order to save a few hundredths of one per cent. of copper." Mr. Douglas probably has in mind the fact that the copper lost is all included copper, locked op in grains of sand. To save this, the rock must be crushed finer. If the mesh of the stamp-screens be reduced, the stamps will crush less; and thus we shall have to reduce the quantity treated in the mill per day, while the labor re mains the same per day, or is increased per ton, as he says. Submitting to the loss of copper, however, is not the only solution of the difficulty. A large quantity of rich sand is now collected by the jigs, and it would be easy to save so much of this material that the escaping sands would be quite poor. What is wanted at Lake Superior, and at many dressing-works in this country, is an efficient crushing-machine to treat the sands thus collected. Abroad, we have the Heberle machine and the Schranz mill for this purpose, the latter being the more successful. The Heberle grinder was tried at the Calumet and Hecla mill for crush ing these rich sands, with what success I do not know. I should like to ask Mr. Douglas if we have no American crushing-machine that will reduce jig-sands to a fine state of division

Jan 1, 1894

By W. C. Roberts-Austin

The subject with which the Council of the American Institute of Mining Engineers has entrusted me is one of much interest. It has been so admirably treated in America by Prof. Carl Barus* that I should have hesitated to deal with it had not the adoption of pyrometric methods in England recently occupied much attention, especially in relation to metallurgical industries and research. I shall endeavor to show what is the present state of our knowledge of practical pyrometry by briefly tracing the history of the efforts which have been made to measure high temperatures. This paper will, therefore, be limited to the consideration of those forms of appliance which have either marked distinct stages of advance, or have remained in use with more or less modification through a considerable range of time. The earliest pyrometers were essentially thermoscopes, and although their graduation presented great difficulties, their importance as affording a means for the measurement of high temperatures has been recognized for centuries. It would be difficult to illustrate this better than by a brief record of the testimony which has from time to time been offered by those who have had to apply the heat of furnaces in research or in industry, and it is mainly for the sake of the light incidentally thrown on the progress of both that the following historical notes are offered. In the eighth century, Geber, the chemist, wrote a treatise on furnaces, and showed that he was familiar with many and varied means of applying heat; but he points to the difficulties that are met with in conducting operations at high temperatures, which he attributed to inability to measure heat, his actual words being: " sed quoniam non est res ignis, quae mensuari possit." t

Jan 1, 1894

By William H. Case

The Bertha zinc-mines of the Bertha Zinc and Mineral Company are in that part of the State of Virginia popularly known as Southwest Virginia, and are included in that division of the " Great Valley " named in recent years the " New River-Cripple Creek Mineral-Region of Virginia." The mines lie wholly in the southeast part of Wythe county, two miles from Pulaski county on the east, and three miles from Carroll county on the south. The only other zinc-mines that are opened in the region are those of Manning & Squier, which adjoin the Bertha zinc-mines on the northeast, and the mines of the Wythe Lend and Zinc Company, at Austinville, eight miles to the southwest. A little farther southwest of Austinville, near Ivanhoe, a new company is preparing to mine zinc-ores. The mining properties named are included within a distance of ten miles along a direct line, bearing north 55' east, on the south side of New river, which here flows northeastward in a tortuous course. The greatest distance of any of the mine-openings from the river is a little less than two miles. It is not the magnitude of the operations in zinc-mining in this particular region, as compared with that of other well-known districts, that merits especial notice. Aside from the exceptional purity of the spelter made directly from the Bertha ores, some peculiar features of the zinc-ore deposih, as shown at the Bertha mines, and

Jan 1, 1894

Joseph HartshoRnE, Pottstown, Pa.: I have read Professor Akerman's valuable paper with great interest. Few of the present generation of American steel metallurgists are aware of the very important part taken by Swedish engineers in the successful development of the Bessemer proeess, and I am afraid some of the older ones have forgotten it. Certainly, I think, most of us would have said that Terre Noire was the first to introduce the use of metal direct from the blast-furnace. It is very well, therefore, that honor should be given to whom honor is due. I can speak from personal experience upon one part only of Prof. Akerman's paper; namely, the effect of the temperature at which the molten metal is cast upon the quality of the finished steel. In a general way I have, of course, known for a long time that the

Jan 1, 1894

By T. A. Rickard

The lode-formation of the Bendigo gold-field was described in a former paper.* It presents a striking identity of arrangement with the general geological structure of the region, which is one of comparative simplicity. The alternating beds of slate and sandstone which constitute the prevailing country-rock have been extremely contorted ; yet notwithstanding their highly developed cleavage it is possible to discern in their structure the evidences of original sedimentation. Along the crests of the waves which are the axes of anticlinal folds occur bodies of gold-bearing quartz, of great economical importance, which the miners have appropriately termed " sad-

Jan 1, 1894

Jan 1, 1894

Jan 1, 1894

By Emanuel Trotz

As the long-felt need of a reliable and easily-managed pyrometer has now been fully supplied, by the latest form of Professor Wiborgh's pyrometer, an account of this instrument will, per-

Jan 1, 1893

By E. T. Clymer

It has been the custom, from the earliest time, to grade pig-iron by the appearance of the fracture; and although, since the pneumatic and open-hearth methods of steel-making have come into existence, chemistry has been called to the assistance of the steelmaker in selecting material for his use, the consumers of forge- and more especially of foundry-iron, still rely almost entirely, as they did a hundred years ago, on the appearance of the fracture of the pig to guide them in the choice of iron. To this rule, however, each year sees more exceptions; and there are now many foundry-men

Jan 1, 1893

By A. Neustaedter

The following method of plumbing a shaft, suggested itself to me as practicable and at the same time more accurate than the methods commonly employed. It consists in obtaining a longer base by suspending the plumblines from the extreme corners, lengthwise of the shaft, and repro-

Jan 1, 1893

By William P. Blake

In my short " Contribution to the Early History of the Industry of Phosphate of Lime in the United States,"* mention is made of the erection by Dr. Emmons and myself of a magnetic machine for the removal of iron-ore from the so-called "red sand," a granular form of apatite. At the time of writing, it was not possible to refer to my diary and notes, and the general statements were made from recollection. The subject seems to have special interest at this time, by reason of the many forms of machines now being introduced and patented for similar purposes; and, having received letters of in quiry for further details, I have availed myself of the opportunity, when recently at home for a few days, to refer to the original notes and records made by me in 1852, when living at Crown Point and Moriah, on Lake Champlain. The machine mentioned in my former communication mas pur chased of Ransom Cook, of Vermont. It arrived, and was un loaded from the boat and taken part way up to the nine, on October 18,1852. The weight was 1400 pounds and the cost $1200. It was constructed, not with permanent magnets but with electro-mag nets. It was set up and first turned by hand on October 28th, using twelve battery-cups or cells, the connections being made with wires in small cups of quicksilver. The magnets were not sufficiently strong, and the machine did not work well. More batteries were sent for, arid the machine was started with steam-power on Novem ber 6th. The ore was dried in kilns, then put through a coffee-mill crusher or grinder, and then fed upon the leather belt which carried it under the magnets. Many experimental runs were made, and some diffi culties were overcome, before December 21st, when the record states that the machine was working pretty well, using 24 cells and giving a product of from 3 to 5 tons a day of granular phosphate. The ori-

Jan 1, 1893

By E. T. Dumble

THE first specimens of this material which came under my notice, as found in the State of Texas, were sent to me by Mr. J. C. Melcher, of Fayette county, soon after the organization of the State Geological Survey. I wrote him concerning it, and had the locality and manner of occurrence described, but 1 had no opportunity to visit and examine the deposit until the present field-season. Later, specimens were collected by Dr. Penrose and myself on a trip made by boat down the Rio Grande, from Eagle Pass to Hidalgo, in June, 1889. At the time of collection I marked the substance "Albertite," doubtfully, but, on examination, it proved to be nearer Grahamite. The geological horizon of the two occurrences is Tertiary. The first locality mentioned is in the upper part of the beds called by us Fayette beds, and provisionally correlated with the Miocene, or Grand Gulf of Hilgard's Mississippi section, while the latter is in the lowest strata of the Eocene which are exposed on the Rio

Jan 1, 1893

By Titus Ulke

About two years ago, in making an examination of the Etta mine for the Harney Peak Tin Co., I discovered, in a vertical secondary quartz-vein in the granite massive of Etta mountain, the mineral about to be described. The vein was from a few inches to 3 feet wide, and was exposed for a length of about 15 feet. It was

Jan 1, 1893

By David Baker

Devices for saving labor in immediate connection with the operation of the iron blast-furnace have received comparatively little attention. Machines for hoisting and blowing, always employed in some form, have been improved; but charging, tapping, casting and handling the pig-iron in the beds are still performed chiefly by manual labor. At almost all furnaces, filling is done with the handbarrow of twenty-five years ago; and it is only recently that, here and there, chills have been employed in the cast-house instead of the usual sand-beds, to lessen the labor of handling the pig, as well as to secure its greater purity. The manual labor of opening and closing the tapping-hole has

Jan 1, 1893

By R. H. Richards

In October, 1891,I read a paper before the Institute on a "A HandTelescope for Stadia-Work" (Bans., xx., 732), and promised to report at an early date some results showing the degree of accuracy attained with the instrument. I am now able to report on these results and also on certain improvements that I have made in the target since the first paper was read. I may say that I prefer the title, "Prismatic Stadia-Telescope," to that used in my earlier paper, for while the instrument can be used with perfect satisfaction for short sights up to, say, 300 to 600 feet when held in the hand, it is impossible to read milch longer distances without the use of a tripod, as a steady support for the instrument. Results are here given upon four combinations of prism and telescope. No. 1. A telescope made by Alvan Clark & Sons, 3-inch objective, 28 inches focal length, magnifying 60 diameters, the prism covering half the objective: Feet measured Reading of Distance reduced Reeding of rod pro by tape. the rod. to feet. portional to 100 ft. 127.66 1.1825 100 .92629 211.35 1.9585 100 .92666 326.59 3.0265 100 .92669 484.88 4.4925 100 ,92652 606.91 5.6225 100 .92641 Average,,92651 The value of this prism therefore is .92651 feet on the rod for 100 feet of distance, or 1 foot on the rod corresponds to 107.931 feet of distance. No. 2. A Bardou telescope having a 1-inch objective, magnifying 20 diameters, and a prism covering half the objective:

Jan 1, 1893