The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-10-09
ERIMENTS 0F
 GREAT MOMENT BY
 NEW MINE STATION
Something About New Depart ment at University Which Will Have Central Off,
 flee in Birmingham
By HUGH W. ROBERTS washinston Bureau The Age Herald
 hln laaiAsn. p..ulI-.


 500 Davidson Building
 Washingtno, October S.-(Special.) With the recent establishment of a mining experiment station of the United States bureau of mines at Rollo, Mo- with central office at St. Louis, to con sloer problems in the metallurgy of ieao ana zinc and at Tuscaloosa Ala With central office at Birmingham to assist the mining industry of the south especially in by-product coke and iron problems, there have been completed thirteen mining experimeI- sta tons au- z lhorized by Congress to a.d the mining industry and to co-opeTate with the in- dustry in the development of the na- tion's mineral res ources.
 These stations, designed to do for the mining industry wha- the agricultural experiment stations do for farming, are speclanzlng on co operation with the mineral industries pec iliar to their fer ritory, taking up the difficult problems encountered, especially in the treatment of complex or low grade ores, and as- sistlng mining companies n bringing tneir products through the twilight zone 2of science into commercial success Metallurgical problems which will add to the general welfare of the industry and the public are also considered The bureau of mines refuses cooperation only when the benefits derived will ac- crue to some one individual or some sin gle concern.
 The claim has already been made thA these stations, especially in western metal mining, have been instrumental in greatly increasing the production of rare and precious metals, winch. of course, has resulted in the employment of more men. A no.ib.e increase in the production of radium in Colorado and also in such metals aS ipoly5denum and tungsten has been due, seine mining men claim, to the work of these sta tions These stations, it IS said, were factors in winning the war through the development of ore deposits of metals which were used for war purposes.
 During that time, when the nation needed some of the rare metals as al Joys in special steels, the increased pro- auction of minerals of these metals was undoubtedly factor toward success
 This work of aiding the mineral in dustry is continuing and the bureau through its several stations, now has definite cooperative agreements with more than forty mining ard metallurgi- cal concerns universities and state or ganizations for the solution of indus trial problems which will add to the prosperity and greatness sos American mineral industries. The work of these stations has been growing so increas- ingly important and so much business is being carried on with them by the industry that following a suggestion made by Dorsey A. Lyon. supervisor of stations, the stations have been re- classified and given definite names, so that there will be a better understand ing of the work performed and a arreSoihi1ifu the industries interested.
 The experiment station at Bartles- vile, Okla.,' will continue as the center of the petroleum experiments and will continue to be known as the petroleum experiment station. The metallurgical treatment of ores common to California and adjacent states will be dealt with at the Pacific station, at Berkeley Cal. Experiments relating to ceramics and the clay industry will continue to be carried on at Columbus, O., which will continue to be known as the ceramic station. The Alaskan station, dealing with problems of the mining industry of Alaska, is located at Fairbanks. Problems connected with the mining and beneficiation of low-grade iron ore manganese and other ores of the Lake Superior district will be dealt with at the north central station, at Mianeapo- lis Minn.
 Coal mining in all its phassa, inciud- tug mine safety, first aid and mine rescue work, the testing of explosives and the metallurgy of iron and steel will constitute the chief work of the parent station at Pittsburg. which will bear its former name of the Pittsburg station. The station formerly at Col. den, Col, has been moved to Reno, New, and will be known as the rare and prec- ious metals station, dealing with rare metals investigation and the problems of mining and metallurgy of gold and silver ores common in some of the west ern states. The station at Seattle, Wash. dealing with the problems of mining and utilization of coal and the treatment of non-ferrous ores of the Pacific northwest will be known as the northwest station. The station at Salt Lake City, Utah, engaged upon experi- ments with the complex and low grade ores found in that part of the country, particularly those of lead and zinc, will be known as the inter-mountain station.
 The metallurgy of ores common to the southwest, and especially the treatment of low-grade copper ores, constitute the principal work of the station at Tucson, Ariz., known as the southwest station. The station at Urbana. H., dealing with tho eoals of the central district fields, will be known as the central district station. The station recently estab- lished at Tuscaloosa. Ala, with it's cen tral offices at Birmingham, will be known as the southern station. dealing primarily with the mining problems of that region. The other station of re- cent establishment which will be de- voted to problems connected with the metallurgy of lead and zinc, Is at Rollo, Mo, with central offices at St. Louis, and will be known as the Mississippi valley station.