The Washington herald., 1908-03-26
WORLDS MINING EXHIBIT
BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

money by buying silver bullion at IS OF 81
cents an ounce. which is passed back
/ to American citizens on par With gold
at the ratio OF $i-29 per ounce.
The exhibit OF the Geological Survey at
the mining exposition viii show that
about seventy-fye minerals are produced
I in this country. ranging from cheap
! grades OF coal 10 diamonds. Few dia-
monds have been found. but they were
widely scattered. and as their locations
and surroundings were similar 10 the
places where diamonds are found in
/ great abundance in South Africa. seIen-
\ fists hold out 10 prospectors the hope OF
4 finding a Kimberley field in the New
/ World
! There are vast mineral resources in this
country. notably in the case OF cement,
Y that are as vet practically untouched. but
/ IN other cases the end OF the known SUP
ply is in sight American coal deposits,
I for instance. IL is calculated. viii only
I last a comparatively short time With
such facts in mind, the mining experts OF
the world are now developing new proc
esses and new machinery 10 utilize low
grade minerals which in the past have
been wasted. in the Pennsylvania coal
fields there are thousands Of tons of slack
coal. once regarded as waste which can
be utilized commercially High-gTade gold
ore is disappearing in certain localities.
but by means OF the cyanide process Of
extracting the metal. abandoned mines
and pIacers can be worked again with
profit One OF the most interesting fea-
lures Of the exposition viii be that per-
ton OF the government exhibit dealing
with the black sands, which are the resid-
ual sands left after placer mining. Re
cent Investigations by the government
experts conducted at Boston and at the
Portland (Oreg) exposition showed that
these waste sands contain upward OF If
teen different minerals. including gold.
garnet and platinum which can be eX-
tracted by scientific processes. This dis
covery means that when the present sup
ply Of these minerals is apparently ex-
Eausted. the sand along watelcourses and
even on the seashore can be made 10 pay
tribute TO the industry Of the. American
miner.
II is expected that promoters Of tin
mines will take especial interest in the
exposition At present there is no Amer
lean process for working tin ore in the
United States. although there are large
deposits or the mineral in Alaska. South
Dakota, North Carolina and other States
American Tin ore now has 20 so 20 HAM
burg Germany TO be worked II IS
hoped that q practical process for work
ing the Gre here will be an outgrOwth OF
the exposition
Petroleum. officially classed as min
eTal. offers the least dangerous Occupa-
ton in the mineral industry, and proves
the most profitable The Standard OF
Company disburses about SS0,0o0o00 an
nually in dividends. The metal mines OF
this country Weld very little more proft.
and sixty-nine per cent Of this is credited
70 the copper mines.
The more scientific. practical and
thorough the manner in which mineral re-
sources are worked. the greater are the
financial returns That explains why me-
chanics. engineers. scientists, and invent
ors are constantly at work improving the
system OF mining. until to-day mining in
America Is more nearly an art than ever
before Electricity and compressed air
have taken the place Of mule power in
hauling ore-laden cars along subterTanean
tramways in the mines The hand drill
that had 20 be hammered has given way
20 drills driven by compressed cir. Water,
a great enemy OF the practical miner. is
pumped out by electricity or hydraulic
power. The idea of the wright Of a col
umn Of water serving 10 eliminate other
water from mine seems the very acme
of utilitarianisrn. Electric light is used
in mines where the deadly fire damp may
be exploded by the flame Of lantern.
An electric fame is the latest source OF
heat IN reducing ores. thus saving coal
and gas. This electricity is frequently
made by water power, which also oper-
stes hoists in the shafts or mines. Hy-
draulic mining is practieed in California,
where banks Of gold-bearing gravel melt
away before a powerful stream OF water
from a hose nozzle. In the Western des-
erts automobiles have taken the place OF
the oId-time wagon and pack-hOrse in
transporting ore 10 market. 50 il is all
along the line Of mining machinery and
equipment
Improvement and advancement are the
order Of the day In mining. This the
exposition expects to prove. II also ex-
poets 20 demonstrate the urgent need OF
a department Of mines and mining. a
practical and commercial interest in min
ing to augment the scientific work Of the
Geological Survey. Numerous bills now
pending in Congress provide for such
measures, being prompted by the fact
that 7.000 lives are annually sacrificed IN
mine disasters.
To-mSrrOw-Bureau OF American
Republics.
Theatrical Warfare Averted.
Special 20 The Washington Herald