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By D. B. Hobbs, H. O. Burrows, T. D. Stay

ALUMINUM which has lost its original identity as to source may be considered as secondary. This would include scrap originating in the fabrication of aluminum, which is not consumed at the plant of fabrication, and all material resulting from fabrication, which has lost its original identity regardless of whether it be consumed at the plant of fabrication or not. In general, secondary aluminum may be divided into two classes, commercially pure and alloyed. The chief impurities found in commercially pure aluminum are copper, iron, titanium and silicon; while in aluminum alloys, copper, iron, titanium, silicon, zinc, manganese, magnesium, nickel, or tin, may be present in varying proportions. Occasionally lead and antimony are found in secondary aluminum alloys, especially if the alloy results from remelting vender's automotive scrap. Such alloyed elements as are found in the scrap cannot be removed on remelting. In this, the remelting of secondary aluminum differs from the smelting of secondary copper or most other secondary metals. The majority of secondary materials reach the consumer in the form of remelt ingot or remelt No. 12 ingot. This ingot varies greatly in quality, depending upon the source of the material, and the manner in which it is refined and blended. The principal differences between primary and secondary ingot are: 1. The composition of secondary ingot may be more or less indefinite. 2. Secondary ingot may contain more dross and oxide. Secondary ingot may, however, be used successfully in a great many products. RELATION OF PRIMARY PRODUCTION TO SECONDARY PRODUCTION Table 1, compiled from data published by The American Metal Market, gives an approximate idea of the relation of primary to secondary production. Information obtained from other sources leads the authors to believe that the figures for secondary production are somewhat low.

Jan 1, 1928

By Kenzo Ikeda

The Kosaka smelter is situated in the extreme northern end of Hondo (the main island of Japan) 15 mi. east of Odate, on the government railroad, to which it is connected by a private railway. It contains ten blast furnaces having a maximum daily capacity of 1600 short tons of ore, conducting a slow pyritic smelting entirely without coke or limestone, and with a charge carrying over 50 per cent. of briquetted and agglomerated fines. The matte (35 per cent. Cu) is blown in two basic-lined barrel converters, the blister copper (98.8 per cent. Cu) being cast at once into anodes. The adjoining refinery contains 600 tanks with a maximum capacity of 1300 tons of cathodes per month, the byproducts being gold, silver, and bismuth. At present, working at about half capacity, the whole plant consumes 2000 kw. of hydro-electric power, and employs 850 men and women. The ores are derived from two principal sources: The relatively new Hanaoka mine, 20 mi. from the smelter, yielding copper pyrites by underground mining, and the old Kosaka open-cut mine, 1 1/2 mi. from the smelter, yielding three different ores: (a) kuromono, a compact finegrained mixture of barite (32 per cent.), zinc blende, galena, and pyrite, the whole carrying about 2.5 per cent. Cu; (6) cupriferous pyrites with 2.4 per cent. Cu; (c) siliceous ore with 2 per cent. Cu. The Hanaoka ore now constitutes approximately one-half of the charge, almost replacing the Kosaka kuromono which was the ore chiefly smelted until 1913.'

Jan 1, 1923

By F. E. Bash

WHENEVER electric and open-hearth steel men discuss the relative advantages of their respective methods, the question of temperature is always discussed, so that this paper is written in the hope that definite data may settle some of the questions and encourage further investigations along these lilies. The writer has had the opportunity of taking the tapping temperatures of steel from electric furnaces of different sizes in various plants and from a number of open hearths handling the same kind of steel. All temperature measurements were made with the same disappearing-filament type optical pyrometer and the corrections for emissivity applied were those worked out by Burgess,1 which are 0.40 for steel streams and 0.65 for slag. The correction is applied by calculating the curve giving the relation between the true and apparent temperature in the following formula: Log E = CZ log e( 1 _ 1 x \T2 T1) in which E = emissivity; C2 = 14,500; e = base of Napierien logarithms; ? = wave-length of light used = 0.65/4; T2 = true temperature, in degrees absolute; T,1 apparent temperature, in degrees absolute. The curve showing the relation between true and apparent temperature for steel and slag arc given in Fig. 1. For the purpose of comparison of open-hearth and electric furnaces, there are given in Table 1 the tapping temperatures of two 25-ton Heroult electric furnaces and one 6-ton with one 50-ton acid, one 40-ton basic, and one 65-ton acid open-hearth furnace, all making nickel ordnance steel for guns. The two 25-ton Heroult electric furnaces were finishing steel refined by the triplex process and the 6-ton Heroult finished steel that was partly refined in an open hearth.. In this table, the tapping temperature and the temperature of the steel stream into the first ingot

Jan 9, 1919

By A. W. Fahrenwald

The function of the c1assifier in modern fine-grinding practice is to remove a finished product from the grinding-mill discharge, leaving material that needs further comminution. The classifier, therefore, makes two products: (1) "finished" product, which overflows the rim of the classifier tank, sometimes referred to as "slimes" or as "classifier overflow," and (2) "unfinished" product, which settles to the sloping bottom of the classifier tank and is removed by dragging or raking. This product is generally referred to as "sands" or "oversize." One of the outstanding features of the closed-circuit classifier is its ability automatically to return the unfinished product of the ball-mill discharge to the feed end or scoop box of the ball mill. This is a distinct advantage because it avoids dilution of the ball-mill feed, and, furthermore, the particu1ar method of removing the settled sand, by raking it up the inclined bottom of the classifier, gives a classifier discharge containing a minimum of water. This leads to maximum classifier efficiency, in this type of classifier, because the maximum volume of water is displaced upward by the settling sands. The closed-circuit classifier is required to deliver a finished pulp of closely specified density requirements, therefore added hydraulic water generally is not permitted. Relation of Classifier Efficiency to Grinding Efficiency The energy of crushing, and therefore the cost, according to Rittinger's Law,l is proportional to the new surface exposed in crushing. Since the new surface produced in crushing is nearly proportional to the reciprocals of the diameters crushed to, it is obvious that the cost of crushing in the finer sizes is tremendously greater than in the coarser sizes for equal ratios of reduction. High circulating load of finished sand in the circuit of the classifier and grinding mill is therefore obviously expensive practice. It is the classifier's function to reduce this to a miniMum.

Jan 1, 1930

ALABAMA Anniston. Carrington, F. G. Ashland.-Herr, I. Auburn.-Brown, R. L. Bessemer.-Abbott, C. E. Dobbs, G. G. Ferguson, V. Salmon, H. S. Schaber, C. F. Birmingham.-Adams, J. H. Aldrich, T. H. Aldrich, T. H., Jr. Allen, A. W. Ball, E. M. Bonnyman, J. Bowron, J. Bush, M. W. Crawford, G. G. Crockard, F. H.

Jan 1, 1917

THE Institute assembled on Tuesday evening, October 24th, in the hall of the Franklin Institute, Mr. Frank Firmstone, VicePresident, in the chair. Mr. J. Price Wetherill, of Tremont, Pa., read a paper on An Outline of Anthracite Coal Mining in Schuylkill County, Pa. The paper was discussed by Messrs. Coxe, Rothwell, Heinrich, Harden, and Symons. The second session was held on Thursday evening. Mr. A. L. Holley, Chairman of the International Committee, appointed by the Institute to consider the nomenclature of iron and steel, offered the following report of the committee, signed by all the members: WHEREAS, The recent production of soft, cast, malleable compounds of iron by the Bessemer, the Siemens-Martin, and the crucible steel processes appears to demand a new nomenclature of iron compounds, for the following reasons: 1st. The term "steel," by which these soft products are commercially and professionally designated in England and in the United States, does not completely distinguish them from previously existing "steel which would harden and temper. 2d. A nomenclature recognized in all languages seems desirable, as well for commercial as for scientific purposes, especially as lawsuits, already commenced, depend on the meaning of the term " steel." 3d. Although homogeneity, due to fusion, is usually recognized, and is by this committee recognized as the most definite characteristic of both hard and soft steel, this quality may be equally well expressed in other terms, thus leaving the old term, " steel," to define the malleable compounds of iron, which will harden and temper. Therefore, resolved, That this committee recommends the following nomenclature : 1. That all malleable compounds of iron with its ordinary ingredients, which are aggregated from pasty masses, or from piles, or from any forms of iron not in a fluid state, and which will not sensibly harden and temper, and which generally resemble what is called " wrought iron," shall be called Weld Iron (German, Schweisseisen; French, fer soudé). 2. That such compounds, when they will from any cause harden and temper, and which resemble what is now called puddled steel," shall be called Weld Steel (German, Schweiss stahl; French, acier soudé).

By W. M. Weigel

THE rapid advance, during recent years, in the manufacture of articles that have been in common use for generations and the development of new materials entering into appliances and devices unheard of fifty years ago, have created a demand for some of the more common non-metallic minerals. To supply this demand there has quietly developed a branch of the mining industry of which little is known by most mining engineers the mineral-filler industry. In this paper, and generally in the trade, the term mineral filler is applied to a mineral used, in its natural state after mechanical preparation only (such as. grinding, milling and washing), without undergoing any chemical change and without exerting any chemical action on the substance with which it is incorporated. The consumption of mineral fillers is confined chiefly to large manufacturing centers in the eastern and northern states. Where available, materials originating near the place of consumption are used, as most fillers bring a comparatively low price and, frequently, the freight may equal the cost of the finished filler at the mine. The southern states have abundant deposits of non-metallic minerals suitable for fillers, which supply the manufacturing industries in adjacent states. Many of these deposits are equal to, or superior, in quality to those mined in the north, but they can not compete with them because of the freight rates. The mineral-filler industry has felt the present depression, but it has suffered less than most mining industries for as a rule the mills are simple, the overhead expenses are low, and the labor is entirely local and can revert to farm work when the plant closes down. Many other deposits in the southern district will undoubtedly be developed when business. revives and freight rates are adjusted.

Jan 2, 1922

By H. M. Howe

On commencing the construction of the Orford Company's copper smelting works, at Bergen Point, N. J., I endeavored to convince our President, Mr. W. E. C. Eustis, by actual tests, that at the pressure of from 15 to 18 ounces per square inch, employed by us in smelting, less power was consumed in delivering a unit of blast by a Baker blower than by a fan blower. I attempted to prove this in the following manner: Across the mouth of a No. 5) Baker blower I firmly fastened a board with two round holes, 6 inches in diameter, cut in it. The board was fastened so tightly that no air could escape except through the holes. I then drove the blower at several differerent speeds, observing the pressure at which the air excaped through the two openings for each different speed of the blower, and also indicating the engine, whose only work at that time was to drive the blower. From this I calculated the quantity of power required to deliver, with a Baker blower, sufficient air to keep the pressure at a given point, while it escaped freely through the two six-inch apertures into the open air; or, in other words, to deliver air at a given pressure through these two openings. From the total power so consumed it was, of course, necessary to deduct the power which was required to drive the engine itself. This was ascertained by removing from the engine the belt which drove the blower, and then noting the quantity of power consumed in simply turning the engine over without any

Jan 1, 1882

By W. S. Gresley

The object of this communication is to give a description of some remarkable spheroidal specimens of anthracite coal recently encountered in stripping the Mammoth seam at Milnesville, Luzerne county, Pa. Somewhat similar forms of coal, occurring in France and in Australia, have been described already. In vol. xxxvii. (1888) of the Transactions of the North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers, under the title "Coal Nodules from the Borehole Seam at Newcastle, New South Wales," Mr. T. E. Forster describes and illustrates, with two plates of specimens, a series of " nodular " forms of anthracite coal taken from a depth of 300 feet beneath the town of Newcastle, and possessing the following characteristics : The lines of cleavage of the coal-seam are more or less curved, giving a rouuded appearance to the blocks. Dikes of intrusive dolerite intersect the coal, and the coal-nodules occur with with greatest frequency where the seam is most disturbed. They are easily separated from the surrounding coal. "The seam at this point is remarkable, not only for its splendid proportions but also for its extremely bright and rich appearance, which gives the working-places x strong resemblance to those in the Pennsylvania anthracite mines.....The cleavage of the coal is, in some park of the pit, noticeable for a series of small impressions or concavities about the size of, and resembling roughly in shape, a mussel-shell raised vertically on its longest edge.....To some extent the nodules appear to have a more or less concretionary structure, and to be, roughly speaking, composed of several concentric layers, through which the ordinary cleavage of the coal passes, while in others thin layers may be observed, resembling the coats of an onion!' The chemical composition of one of the nodules, as well as of the seam inclosing them, is as follows:

Jan 1, 1893

By Roshan Bhappu, Laszlo Dudas, Herman Maass

Introduction Chemical and mineralogical constitution play a very important role in the processing of ores because they dictate the method, either physical or chemical, for extracting the mineral or metal. Similarly, the mineralogical nature of the ore, especially the grain size of the valuable minerals, is very important in its processing. The fineness of the grain may be such that physical separation pro- cesses may be eliminated in preference to chemical techniques. In the past, very little attention has been devoted to the geo- logical and mineralogical occurrences which may be potential sources of ores by both the geologist and mineral processing engineer. On the one hand, geologists have devoted less attention to lower grade, complex mineral deposits, and, therefore, may have inadvertently curtailed an exploration 2rogra.m. On the other hand, the metal- lurgists have neglected to study in detail the geological environ- ments and mineralization of potential ores with the view of deter- mining the critical parameter that could assist in economically processing complex submarginal deposits. In the final analysis, a chemical processing technique converts the valuable metals to a mobile state under conditions similar to those which deposited originally in the host rock. The relationship between ore-genesis and chemical processing is close when the process of mineral or metal deposition in a particular ore deposit is understood--putting the metal in solution by reversing the process of deposition is re- latively easy. For this reason, some researchers and educators have been stressing the importance of ore-genesis, geochemistry, mineral equilibria, and ionic equilibria in studying and explaining the

Jan 1, 1974

By Wiley C. Buford

Gary Works No. 1 BOP Shop is a three furnace shop which went into operation December, 1965. The heat size is over 200 tons, with a substantial percentage of the production used to feed a Continuous Slab Caster. Vessels are driven by a shaft mounted bull gear and main housing utilizing eight 35 HP flange mounted motors and primary gear reducers. Torque absorption is controlled by two spring actuated torque arms. At 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 6, 1970, as "E" furnace was being turned down for a preliminary test, the drive side trunnion bearing failed. The furnace dropped slightly and shifted several inches north in the direction of the drive unit. The decision was made to tap the heat which was done without incident and the vessel uprighted. No attempt was made to completely drain the slag from the vessel, so as to avoid any further damage to the trunnion shaft bearing surface. The bearing failure occurred approximately four years and eight months after start up of the shop. Unfortunately ?M? furnace had gone down for a normal reline two days prior to the bearing failure, leaving the shop with only one operating furnace.

Jan 1, 1972

By G. R. Rigby

Used basic brick taken from copper anode furnaces, reverberatory furnace roofs, md copper converters have been examined by chemical analysis, petro-graphical examination, and X-ray diffraction tech-niques. In the anode furnace roof, brick absorb copper and copper oxides, whilst in the reverberatory roof, iron oxide with smaller amounts of alumina and silica are absorbed. Chemical reactions in the converter are most complex since the brick absorb both a copper-copper oxide slag and a fayalite-magnetite slag. CHANGES taking place in basic brick after use in copper smelting furnaces have received attention from C. Burton Clark and J. Spotts Mc Dowell,' who examined brick taken from copper converters, and by G. R. Rigby and B. G. Hamilton' who examined brick from copper anode furnaces. This paper describes the changes taking place in basic brick from all types of copper smelting furnaces and discusses the major reasons for lining wear. A) METHODS OF EXAMINING SAMPLES A variety of used brick have been taken from the following positions in various furnaces, a) roofs, reverberatory arches, and bottoms of copper anode furnaces, b) roofs of copper reverberatory furnaces and c) the tuyere line and end walls of copper converters. The method of examination was standard in that brick were first measured and the extent of wear-back computed. They were next sawn in two by a central cut vei-tical to the working face to enable the freshly cut surfaces to reveal any zonal changes and cracks, both of which usually ran parallel to the working face. Each well-defined zone was then sampled for a) chemical analyses, b) petrographical studies using transmitted and reflected light techniques under the microscope, and c) X-ray diffraction studies on powdered samples. From the data accumulated, changes taking place in a variety of

Jan 1, 1962

By Morgan Walker

INTERMITTENT injection of gas in gas-lift pumping is a variation of the common practice in that the gas is' .delivered to the well for a short, period, called the "on time," followed by a period during which none is admitted, called the "off time," instead of being admitted continuously at a constant rate or by intermittent flowing in which it is occasionally delivered to the well in just sufficient quantity to flow off the accumulated head of fluid. The term "gas" is used throughout this discussion but it should be remembered that in so far as the operation is concerned either air or natural gas may be used. The equipment at the well is the same as commonly used in gas-lift installations and gas may be admitted to either the tubing or the casing. It seldom occurs that all the wells on a lease can be pumped economically by intermittent injection from one header. Wells that. have flow characteristics which permit their being handled together have their intake lines grouped at a central compressor station. Well groups may consist of two or more wells. The total volume of gas delivered by each group of compressors goes to one well at a time through a quick opening valve, each well connected to the header receiving its charge of gas in turn. Special cases may require a deviation from this arrangement. The distribution of the gas to the different wells is effected by an automatic timing device which operates quick-opening valves on the intake lines. The timing mechanism may be actuated by electricity, liquid or gas pressure. The essential factor in the operation of the timing mechanism is that as one intake valve is closed another must be opened.

Jan 1, 1928

By J. B. Ackerman, J. D. Miller

Alunite [KA13(S04)2(OH)6] is a promising non-bauxitic aluminum resource, the domestic reserves of which are estimated to be 800 x 106 tons at 35 percent alunite. The major gangue mineral associated with alunite is quartz. The thermochemical process that has been developed for treatment of this ore does not provide for the initial removal of gangue prior to processing. In this regard, it may be desirable to concentrate the ore to gain significant technical and economic advantages. Experimental results indicate the effectiveness of an oleic acid flotation technique and exemplify the problems encountered in fine particles processing. These results show that the quality of separation studied as a function of temperature, collector addition, and depressant addition is dependent on the degree of liberation achieved during size reduction. At coarse grinds the quality of separation was limited by the presence of locked particles while for finer grinds where more extensive liberation is achieved, better separations were obtained. The degree of liberation for each size interval was determined by an SEM/energy dispersive x-ray technique and found to be independent of the extent of size reduction, suggesting that liberation occurs by indiscriminate fracture and not by detachment. Up to 89 percent liberation was realized for a minus 400 mesh grind. Under these circumstances, the quality of separation appears not only to be limited by the remaining locked particles, but, also, by contamination of the alunite concentrate with fine quartz gangue (< 2µm). The best separation for the minus 400 mesh grind was a rougher recovery of 88 percent with a grade of 65% alunite at 50°C.

Jan 1, 1980

By George Langford

THE McIntyre mine is in the Pearl Lake section of the Porcupine gold area. The rocks are Keewatin lavas intruded by quartz porphyries and albitite dikes of Algoman age. Gold-bearing quartz veins are found in the Keewatin rocks near the porphyry stocks. The whole area has been highly compressed by forces acting along a N. 20°W. line. These forces folded the Keewatin rocks before the intrusion of the Algoman rocks, and later schisted both the Keewatin and Algoman rocks. Vein fractures were developed after the folding but before the development of the schist by the compres-sive forces being locally broken up into couples. These couples were set up by the differential resistance to deformation of porphyries and basalts, and also by the competency of the dacites and incompetency of the tuffs and fragmental rocks. During the important period of vein formation, two zones were developed-an inner productive zone in which the quartz veins are ankerite-bearing and an outer barren zone in which the quartz veins are calcite-bearing. The vein solutions originated in the same magma that supplied the albitite dikes.

Jan 1, 1938

By J. D. Miller, M. Misra

The processing strategy for the effective separation of bitumen from low grade (<l0 weight percent bitumen) Utah tar sands by a hot water process differs significantly from that used for the processing of high grade (> 10 weight percent bitumen) Utah tar sands. Excellent separations (coefficient of separation = 0.9) can be achieved for high grade Utah tar sands by intense hot water digestion followed by a modified froth flotation step. Such a technique is ineffective for low grade tar sands. In order to change the characteristics of the low grade tar sand an attempt was made to enrich the bitumen content of the feed to greater than 10 weight percent by recycle of bitumen concentrate to the digestion stage. However, the quality of the separation was not improved under these circumstances. Similarly feed enrichment by heat treating the low grade feed with recycled concentrate prior to digestion did not improve the separation. More successful separations of low grade Utah tar sands were finally achieved by modification of the viscosity of the low grade bitumen with controlled addition of diluent. These results of the hot water separation tests and variations in the quality of separation are interpreted in terms of the physical properties of the bitumen and the surface bonding forces operative at the bitumen-sand interface.

Jan 1, 1981

By W. L. Zeigler

The mill is a departure from gravity concentration and has gained a reputation for the low initial cost of erection, extreme simplicity and the low cost of milling on the refractory character of the ore which is treated. The structure is of heavy timbers with board walls and corrugated roofing. The floors are concrete and the general layout is of the ground floor only. All the machines are driven by individual motors and the transmission usually found in such a plant is entirely absent. (Fig. 2.) ORE The ore from the Galena mine is sheared Wallace quartzite replaced with quartz, siderite, pyrite, sphalerite, gray copper (tetrahedrite) and very fine-grained argentiferous galena. Much of the silver is undoubtedly associated with the gray copper, the amount, however, apparently varies with different localities in the vein. An average assay of the ore is 6.0 per cent. lead, 1.3 per cent. zinc, 0.3 per cent. copper, 17.5 per cent. iron and 4.5 oz. silver. The concentrates produced are of an average 53 per cent. lead, 40 oz. silver, 8 per cent. zinc and 11 per cent. iron, while the tailings are 0.5 per cent. lead, 0.4 oz. silver. With the present market for zinc no attempt is made to produce a zinc concentrate.

Jan 1, 1927

By Charles A. Mitke

Excluding top-slicing and sublevel caving, large production caving methods may be divided into two general classes, the branch raise, or undercut caving method, and the combined shrinkage and caving method, each of which has a number of variations, the result of continual efforts towards obtaining lower costs and better extraction, by the introduction and substitution of minor improvements and modifications. Early Caving Methods Present caving methods are the cumulative result of developments covering a period of many years, with the most rapid growth during the past 15 years. They originated, presumably, from early English stoping methods, and, as far as is generally known, were first introduced in the Michigan iron district. They have had their greatest expansion and application in the large low-grade porphyry coppers. In their present form, they are probably a development and combination of sublevel caving and shrinkage (back stoping on ore) with gravity handling of broken material. Sublevel caving, as practiced in the Michigan district today, is a combination of drift, or crosscut, mining, with top-slicing, and caving, supplemented by later refinements in the shape of mechanized handling of broken ore. A height of anywhere from 16 to 20 ft. is generally taken, and the ore is drilled and blasted along the drift or crosscut for half this height (say 8 to 10 ft.), after which the upper 8 to 10 ft. caves and breaks of its own weight, with comparatively little assistance from drilling. This

Jan 1, 1928

By L. S. Darken, H. A. Wriedt

The equilibria at 1 atm total pressure and 600° to 1300°C (1112° to 2372°F) between gas mixtures with various partial pressures of the reactive constituents (principally sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, water vapor, oxygen or carbon monoxide, and hydrogen) and coexisting solid phases (groups variously including calcium oxide, calcium carbonate, calcium sulfide, calcium sulfate, iron, ferrous sulfide, and the iron oxides) are examined. Tables and charts show the combinations of temperature, oxygen activity, and carbon dioxide partial pressure under which the various groups of the solid phases coexist and the corresponding sulfur dioxide pressures. In the presence of calcium sulfide, calcium sulfate, and calcium oxide, the partial pressure of sulfur dioxide has a peak value at each temperature which increases from 101 atm at about 800°C (1472°F) to 1 atm at about 1200°C (2192°F). With water vapor present, hydrogen sulfide may predominate among gaseous sulfur compounds, particularly at low temperatures and oxygen activities; under all other circumstances considered, sulfur dioxide is the dominant gaseous sulfur-bearing species.

Jan 1, 1974

By C. T. Van Winkle

MINE fires are always dangerous and are frequently accompanied by loss of life during the period of confusion which is apt to follow their discovery. In metal mines, fires may result from the accidental ignition of some combustible material, or they may be of spontaneous origin resulting from the rapid decomposition of sulphide. They occur frequently enough to demonstrate the need of some special equipment and a general plan for controlling them, in addition to measures for their prevention. Nearly all the large copper mines have had fires, and the methods of fighting them have been well described in recent papers, notably-by C. L. Berrien,1 R.. E. Tally,2 and others in discussion. The Copper Queen mine has many shafts, which are connected by underground workings. The deeper parts are ventilated by fans, but in the shallower portions natural ventilation through numerous connecting raises or shafts is sufficient. There have been several fires in the past few years, of which all are extinguished but one, and that is under control. These notes cover particularly the preparations that are being made-to check a new fire, partially or temporarily, and to facilitate the escape of workmen in the interval before a definite plan of fighting it can be established. A fire may occur in a shaft or station, or in some working father away. In case of fire in an upcast shaft, the gas would escape to the surface and the immediate result would probably not be dangerous to workmen, as they could escape by other shafts. In a downcast shaft, however, the gas would be distributed very rapidly throughout a large portion of the mine, and men might easily be trapped and asphyxiated. A fire in mine workings, drift, raise, or stope, would be dangerous in a degree, but the draft there is likely to be less strong than in a shaft and probably a smaller area would be invaded by the fire gases.

Jan 1, 1918