Mining Engineering Commons^™

The Mechanical Properties Of Mine Rocks And A Standardized Test Procedure For Their Determination, Walter Edwin Lewis

Masters Theses

"The problem involves studies of the mechanical properties of rocks and was undertaken in an attempt to determine practical data that will help in estimating the supports required to maintain the roofs of mines during and after mining operations. One of the most important problems in mining today is that of the analysis of the action of mine-rock under stresses. From such an analysis in any given mining venture it should be possible to obtain cheaper methods of mining because the supports necessary to maintain the walls and roof of an excavation may be determined on the basis of how …

An Analysis Of Man Power Efficiency In Drilling Procedures In The Tri-State Mining District, Julian Alban Fuller

Masters Theses

"This thesis embodies the results of an investigation, by the time study method, of certain phases of drilling procedures recently brought into practice in the Tri-State mining district. The field work was accomplished during the months of July, and August 1945; the data obtained therefrom and the analysis presented in this dissertation apply to the practice in effect at that time"--Preface, page ii.

Exploration For Barite Deposits In Cole County, Missouri, Arthur William Brune

Masters Theses

"Barite is mined in the Southeastern and Central districts of Missouri. The Counties of Franklin, St. Francois, and Washington comprise the Southeastern district, and the counties of Benton, Camden, Cole, Miller, Moniteau, and Morgan comprise the Central district. Although the latter region is the larger of the two, its production of barite is far less than that of the other. The area which is discussed in this report is in the southwestern corner of Cole County. The main points of the problem were: 1. To determine the features, if any, which apparently controlled the localization of the barite deposits in …

A Study Of Mine Scraper Buckets And Their Efficiency, Austin Bond Clayton

Masters Theses

"The use of power drawn scrapers, often called "slushing", for the moving of ore, stops filling, and waste rock has become standard practice in many mining operations. Several types of scrapers have been developed by practical application or by trial and error methods. However, a direct comparison of these scraper types under identical conditions has not been noted in a review of literature on the subject of mechanical loading. Written inquiries to authorities on scraping practice have brought replies that no previous comparisons of scraper types on a modal scale have been attempted. Therefore, the following thesis problem was set …

Prospecting, Developing, And Mining Bentonite Deposits, John Patrick Rasor

Masters Theses

"Clay and clay-like minerals are mined in many localities for a large number of uses. Most of these mines are small, seasonal operations. Common practice in these types of pits is to strip and mine clay from shallow overburden depths without the aid of careful prospecting and developing, and with little or no engineering technique. Bentonite deposits which must be continuously mined at tonnages from 5,000 to 7,500 tons per month require that the entire project be carefully planned and engineered so suitable equipment may be obtained and operational cost minimized. This thesis is concerned with the prospecting, developing, and …

A Comparative Analysis Of Some Recent Mining Practices In The Tri- State Mining District, James Francis Alexander Taylor

Masters Theses

"The Tri-State District, encompassing contiguous corner portions of Southwest Missouri, Southeast Kansas, and Northeast Oklahoma, has been, for many years, the leading zinc producer of the United States. However, rising labor costs and decreasing grade of ore reserves have meant that many of the mines gradually have become marginal in the economic character of their operations. In an attempt to counteract these adverse effects, steps were taken to attain lower cost mining methods, and mechanization has been introduced over a period of years. Further, the research program of the Eagle-Picher Company, the leading producer of the district, has been accelerated …

A Technique For Making Torsion Balance Surveys Of Inundated Areas, Karl Frederick Hasselmann

Professional Degree Theses

"The need for a technique for making torsion balance surveys of inundated areas was brought to the writer's attention during the years of 1927 to 1933, while employed by The Sinclair Exploration Company to prospect for oil in Austria, Hungary and North and Northwest Germany. At that time, the company was using ten torsion balances, supplementing the work with magnetometer surveys and refraction seismograph detail. During part of this period an elementary and relatively insensitive gravimeter was used. Some reflection seismograph work was also done during the last year of operations. During the course of surveying in North and Northwest …

The Use Of Carbon Dioxide For Dislodging Coal In Mines, Durward Rice Schooler

Professional Degree Theses

"The coal mining industry prior to 1940, was undoubtedly facing a period when operating economies and efficient utilization of labor, machines and modern practices were more necessary than ever before. With its markets definitely threatened by other sources of heat and power produced with a minimum of labor, "Coal" had to exert every effort to secure the lowest possible production cost and also to produce a more satisfactory product with greater safety to men and mines...Many attempts have been, with various methods, to invent a method of breaking down coal that would fulfill the requirements stated above. In 1924 or …

Drainage As A Factor In The Development And Operation Of A Mine, Peter Paul Ribotto

Professional Degree Theses

"Peele's "Mining Engineers' Handbook" lists six of the more vital factors influencing the method of development and operation of a mine. These are (1) topography, (2) local geology, (3) location and mining of oreshoots, (4) haulage problems, (5) drainage, and (6) ventilation and safety. The purpose of this thesis is to provide a scheme for studying the drainage factor and to show how much a scheme works out in actual practice. Even the casual observer will note the interdependence and interrelationship among the factors listed. So closely tied together are they that the reasonable discussion of an item such as …

Geological Reconnaissance Of The Coldwater River, Mississippi, Pinckney Ronald Mabrey

Professional Degree Theses

"This report was the result of an assigment [sic] to make a geologic reconnaissance of the headwaters of Coldwater River in northwest Mississippi, on which a site for a flood control dam had been made. At the time of the last field work in November, 1940, the boring program for borrow areas and for foundation had been completed.

The Sardis dam on the Little Tallahatchie River, some 35 miles southeast of site for the Arkabutla dam had been recently completed, it being the first of several designed for flood control purposes in the Yazoo basin, Mississippi. This was a hydraulic …

Operations Of The Colquiri Tin Mine, Cia. Minera De Oruro. Colquiri, Bolivia, Oscar David Niedermeyer

Professional Degree Theses

"I have selected for my thesis, the discussion of the more important phases of the operation of the Colquiri Mine, owned and operated by the Cia. Minera de Oruro, Oruro, Bolivia. This company is a stock company and is listed on the Santiago stock market, Santiago, Chile. Dr. Mauricio Hochschild is the controlling stockholder and the Cia. Miners de Oruro is responsible to his management. Mr. William Val De Camp, who is general manager for all the mines of Dr. Hochschild, is also general manager for the mines operated by the Compania Miners de Oruro. My position is that of …

Coal Mine Safety Engineering, Charles F. Herbert

Professional Degree Theses

"The progress of coal mine safety may be compared to the development in mining through the years. When coal was first discovered centuries ago, it was taken from river or creek beds and from the outcroppings on the sides of hills. After removing the most accessible coal from the surface, it was necessary to mine the coal by quarrying or stripping the overburden from the coal seams. It is reasonable to assume that when such operations began, accidents of a serious nature also began to occur. Such accidents were no doubt due to rolling rocks or stones, falling material, and …

The Scope Of Functions Delegated To The Engineering Department Of A Typical, Progressive Metal Mine, Alvin William Knoerr

Professional Degree Theses

"Nearly every conscientious engineering student will subject his college courses to an occasional critical analysis in an effort to assure himself that the studies he is pursuing will be a valuable aid to him in future practice. Possibly this skeptical attitude is accentuated by published letters of graduate mining engineers who decry the courses of mining schools in general and clamor for more practicability and higher specialization. Pure science as it is taught may at times seem to be very remote from any possible practical application. Mathematics may appear to be highly abstract. It seems quite logical that the degree …

Dewatering & Rehabilitating The Oronogo-Webb City Mining Area, Robert Knox Stroup

Professional Degree Theses

"The object of this paper is to describe the dewatering of the Oronogo-Webb City mining area, and the subsequent mining operations which were carried on in the northern section of that area. It deals with the development in that district during the time the writer was familiar with operations there; i.e., from 1935 to 1939, inclusive, and no attempt is made to describe the open pit mining and local milling which have been carried out as a latter part of this same project. Also, no attempt is made to describe the surface drainage work which was planned and carried out …

A Preliminary Report On The Placer Gold Deposits Of The Rio Acandi Seco, Choco, Republic Of Colombia, South America And A Possible Method Of Their Exploitation., Emmett Lee Arnold

Professional Degree Theses

"This property covers the valley of the Rio Acandi Seco, in the district of Acandi, Intendencia (Territory) of Choco, Republic of Columbia, South America.

It consists of four claims, or pertenencias, each straddling and paralleling the course of the Acandi Seco River. Each claim is two kilometers in width, one kilometer on each side of the stream bed, and five kilometers in length, making an area two kilometers (1 1/4 miles) in width by 20 kilometers (12 1/2 miles) in length, containing about 10,000 acres, the conversion being only approximate. These four claims are shown on the attached map as …

Essentials Of Rock Drill Design, Lister Merriken Cummings

Professional Degree Theses

"The earliest history of the rock drill is obscure and only fragmentary evidence concerning it is recorded in the Patent Office. However, no other tool has played a more important part in mining and excavating work. There have been two general classes of pneumatic rock drills -- the reciprocating, or piston machine, and the hammer drill. Fowler played an important part in the early development of piston machines, and the first hammer drill was made in about 1895 by a man named Brothers"--History, page 1.

Organization Of Geophysical Parties For Foreign Exploration, Charles Howard Dresbach

Professional Degree Theses

"Special conditions encountered in much foreign work make it necessary to consider many factors which are not encountered in domestic programs of geophysical exploration for oil. Although extremely difficult working conditions are frequently met in domestic operations by company and contract crews, the large store of past experience, the availability of fresh supplies, replacement or new equipment, and the proximity of the helpful home office make their surmountal more or less a matter of routine. Contrariwise, foreign operations are frequently conducted under much more difficult conditions, supplies and equipment can be secured only after long and costly delays, and the …

Construction Of A Concentrating Plant In The Waco Area Of The Tri-State District, William Henry Backer

Professional Degree Theses

"Company: St. Louis Smelting and Refining Company...The fee is some five hundred acres of mining land is owned by the company, and an additional two hundred acres is held under a mining lease. Drilling had proved the ore to occur in a dolomitic horizon and to contain from 3 to 12 per cent zinc and small quantities of lead. Early in 1930, some thought was given by the officials of the company to the erection of a concentrator to mill the ore from this acreage. During the ensuing months a basic flow sheet and type of structure were tentatively approved, …

The Management Of Mobile Loading Units In Mines Working In Number V And Vi Seams Of Illinois And Indiana, Kirk Vern Cammack

Professional Degree Theses

"The knowledge and skill a face boss must have today is far beyond that required of even a mine foreman in hand-loading days. the care of material, the direction of the working force, the care and maintenance of equipment, the provisions for the safety of the men: all these are problems requiring the best of a boss' efforts. Because of these factors, the maintenance of a constant tonnage today rests almost directly on the section foreman. With this in mind, the following material has been prepared from the viewpoint of the face boss rather than from that of a superintendent …

The Design And Equipment Of A Model Coal Mine For The Union Pacific Coal Company, Superior, Wyoming, William Thomas Sharp

Professional Degree Theses

"In order to replace several mines in the Superior field that are near completion, the Union Pacific Coal Company have opened up the D. O. Clark Mine at Superior, Sweetwater County, Wyoming. They first contemplated opening up the individual seams from the out-croppings. This would have necessitated moving the present camp of Superior several miles west of the present site and building several miles of additional railroad. This plan was abandoned because of the burdensome cost. Then the idea was conceived of driving rock slopes down against the pitch of the various seams. By doing so, they could locate the …

Reopening An Abandoned Tri-State Zinc Mine - Waco, Missouri, Edgar Carroll Long

Professional Degree Theses

"Early in the year of 1937, the company employing the writer decided to reopen an old mining property located in Kansas, one and one-quarter miles west of Waco, Missouri. This property is known as the Grasselli No. 1, the lease of which had been acquired a short time prior to the depression of 1930. This property had been extensively mined on upper levels (195-foot, 176-foot, and 150-foot) by former operators and was a noteworthy producer of sphalerite. It was worked from the time of the beginning of the World War until about 1928. The lowest level, 285-foot, had hardly been …

Some Effects Of Geology On The Relation Between Rainfall And Run-Off, James Smythe Reger

Professional Degree Theses

"For the past five years, the writer has been engaged either directly or indirectly in the investigation of water supplies. Studies and observations made in Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, and New Mexico, have brought to his attention the importance of geology to hydrology. This is especially true in reference to the relation between rainfall and run-off. In all texts and other publications relating to hydrology, the importance of geology to the subject is hardly more than mentioned. In the absence of actual stream flow records, many engineers resort to either the "direct comparative method", or the "rainfall percentage method", in estimating …

Laboratory Concentration Of A Lead-Zinc-Fluorspar Ore From Southern Illinois, Shiou-Chuan Sun

Masters Theses

"The purpose of this investigation was to ascertain the feasibility of preparing marketable products from a rather complex sulphide-fluorspar ore"--Object, page 2. "The ore was examined exhaustively by chemical, microscopic, and mineralogical methods of analysis. After a thorough knowledge of the physical characteristics of the ore had been obtained, flotation concentration tests were made to separate the sulfide minerals from the fluorspar and to attempt to prepare lead-zinc and fluorspar concentrates of marketable grade"--Scope of Work Done, page 2.

Sinking And Equipping Inclined Shafts Of More Than 60 Degree Dip, Wilford Stillman Wright

Professional Degree Theses

"The advisability of putting down an inclined shaft in preference to the vertical type should be carefully considered before a definite choice is made. One, of course, presupposes the existence of a dipping ore body that is to be prospected or developed for subsequent mining. Unless a vein has been previously developed there is no certainty that it maintains the same degree of pitch for any great distance below surfaces. If straight, the proposed inclined shaft may depart considerably from the downward course of the vein with the result, that, at least some of the anticipated advantages of the shaft …

Mercury In The Terlingua District Of Texas, William Woodhouse Kay

Professional Degree Theses

"Material for this paper was assembled during 1936 when the author, with an associate, studied the Terlingua District and did some actual prospecting and mining in various parts of this district. This paper endeavors to describe mercury mining in the Terlingua District of Texas generally. No attempt is made to treat any of the various aspects of this industry too technically as this is not the purpose of this paper"--Introduction, page iii.

The Latouche Mining Method As Used At The Alaska Juneau Gold Mine, Willard Alexander Gallemore

Professional Degree Theses

"The Latouche Mining Method has been used at the Alaska Juneau Gold Mining Company only since 1933, and is used in that part of the mine below the main tramming level. It consists of a series of radiating "long holes" (21 feet) drilled from stope raises, over the back of the stope. These holes break the rock into the stopes, from where it goes through bulldoze chambers to oreways leading to chutes on the No. 10 level. On this level, the ore is drawn into Granby Cars, trammed to the Main Shaft, and hoisted to No. 4 level. On this …

Copper Mining In South America, Charles Kenneth Rose

Professional Degree Theses

"The Morococha district is situated in the Andes of Central Peru, Department of Junin, four miles east of the crest of the Western Cordillera, which there forms the Continental Divide. The town of Morococha is at an elevation of 14,800 feet and is connected by rail with Callao, the port of Lima, ninety miles to the west, and with La Oroya, the smelting center, thirteen miles to the east. The Peruvian Central Railway ascends from Lima along the valley of the Rio Rimac to Ticlio (15,665 feet) where it tunnels through the Divide and descends the Yauli Valley to La …

Conveyor Mining In The Thin Vein Coal Fields At Excelsior, Arkansas, Bernard Degen Boyd

Professional Degree Theses

"From the results obtained after a year and a half of operation using the long face system of conveyor mining in our thin seam of coal, four decided advantages over the old system of room and pillar work with wide rooms have been proven: 1. Operations are concentrated in small sections, thereby permitting larger tonnages to be loaded. 2. One hundred per cent extraction of the vein is obtained (with the exception of main slope pillars) which prolongs the life of the mine. 3. The ventilation of this gaseous vein is simplified. 4. Production costs are reduced"--page 15.

How South-West Wisconsin Tailing Piles Can Be Worked At A Profit, Gerald Henry Pett

Professional Degree Theses

"It was not until the Flotation Process was introduced in this S.W. Wisconsin zinc district that the writer was convinced that some of the tailing piles here could be worked at a profit. In 1928, the Badger Zinc Company built a 120 ton Flotation Plant about two miles north-east of Linden. It was after the second visit to the plant that the writer learned the above company was making a profit of a 5% zinc ore with very little lead and with a low market price for the finished product, namely $30.00 per ton for a 60% zinc concentrate...the body …

Development And Operation Of The Universal Coal Mine, Clinton, Indiana, Horace Herbert Clark

Professional Degree Theses

No abstract provided.