CONTENTdm
Mining and industrial record
British Columbia Historical Books Collection
Haggen, E. A.
"monthly. Title varies: v. 1-15 (1895-August 1908) as British Columbia mining record; v. 16-17 (August 1910-July 1912) as British Columbia mining and engineering record; v. 18-19, no. 2 (August 1912-October 1913) as Mining and engineering record; v. 19, no. 3-v. 21, no. 4 (October 1913-August 1916) as Mining engineering and electrical record; v. 21, no. 5-v. 29, no. 3 (September/October 1916-March 1926) as Mining and electrical record. Several suspensions in publication. Absorbed Economic and financial record, March 1925 (v. 28, no. 1-2 repeated in numbering). Not indexed." -- Lowther, B. J., & Laing, M. (1968). A bibliography of British Columbia: Laying the foundations, 1849-1899. Victoria, BC: University of Victoria, p. 128. Alternative title from Lowther & Laing (1968).
263, xxiii pages : advertisements, photographs, maps, table, illustrations ; 30 cm
application/pdf
*\ MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD STONE FOR BUILDING 1 And LIME CEMENT & MARBLE METAL & MINERAL PROPERTIES CONSULT A. A. CROWSTON NOTARY PUBLIC VANCOUVER, CANADA J. R. WILLIAMS PROVINCIAL ASSAYER AND CHEMIST 540 Thurlow St. Vancouver, B. C. Phone Sey. 7105 My Prices are Moderate and Accuracy is Guaranteed Price List Mailed on Request Vancouver Engineering Works, Ltd. VANCOUVER, B. C. ENGINEERS, BOILERMAKERS, STEEL, IRON & BRASS FOUNDERS, BOLT & RIVET MANUFACTURERS — Our — White Iron Balls and Liners for Ball Mills are giving Excellent Service — Use — 1 VEW" Steel Castings and avoid costly breakdowns. Office and Works: 519—6th AVENUE WEST Phone: Fairmont 240 DIAMOND DRILL CONTRACTING COMPANY SPOKANE, WASH. Contractors for all kinds of Diamond Drill work. We have complete outfits in British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan. Write for Prices ROSSLAND, B. C. SOtc ORE BAGS-BURLAP ALL GRADES OF SACKS Write Us For Quotations R. G. Bedlington & Co., Ltd. 345 Water St. Vancouver, B. C. CRUSHER JAWS Genuine " Manganese I Steel , You can get them right here at home.' We have patterns for the following sizes " Hadfield " Crusher Jaws "— 9£ in.xl6 in., 20 in.x 10 in., 24 in.x 13 in We can make you a pattern for any other size or make. Manufactured by Washington Iron Works Seattle, Wash. Agents for B. C.— Vancouver Machinery Depot LIMITED 1155 Sixth Avenue West, - Vancouver, B. 0. Also Agents for " Crawford's " Aerial Tramway MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD CRANE VALVES CRANE LIMITED Head Office and Works 1280 St. Patrick Street Montreal BBANCHESt Toronto, Winnipeg, Vancouver SALES OFFICES: Halifax, Quebec, Ottawa, Calgary Taylor Engineering Co. Limited CONSULTING AND CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERS 850 Hastings Street West Vancouver, B. C. WHEN YOU PLAN TO WORK ANY MINING PROPERTY NEAR VANOOUVER INVESTIGATE YOUR POWER SUPPLY We have 133,700 horse power available for this territory. It will pay you to Consult us. Can-all & Hastings Phone Sey. 5000 Vancouver New Westminister Victoria The Pleasure of Travel is fully realized in travelling on the Canadian Pacific Railway. By its lines can be reached all Canadian points, and its arrangements with American railroads enables its agents to issue tickets to all points in the United States. It operates its own Sleeping and Dining Cars, and has its own Hotels and Steamships. Its magnificent scenery, and the excellence of its service have made it the favorite route across the Continent. Illustrated pxiblications as to its route, Banff, Yoho Valley, Glacier, etc., sent on application to any C. P. R. agent, or General Passenger Department. Vancouver, B. C. CXL- EXPLOSIVES FORCITE, fumes minimum, Force maximum. Orders given "CXL" service Results assured. Can be used in wet or dry work. Insist on "Polar Forcite" for hard rock work Tamping bags save you money, order some now Efficiency and "Forcite" go together. POLAR AMMONIA DYNAMITE. Have you used-it? Ask any mine in B. C. about our "CXL" Polar Ammonia Dynamite. It represents economy and efficiency. ACCESSORIES.—Order Anything for Blasting, we have it. "Write for information regarding our Explosives and Accessories. Offices: Vancouver, Victoria, Nanaimo, Prince Rupert, Nelson, B. C, and Calgary, Alta. CANADIAN EXPLOSIVES, LTD. Established 1805 E. A. HAGGEN, Editor Published Semi-Monthly by TECHNICAL PRESS, LTD. The Mines Building, 426 Homer St., Vancourer, B.O. Telephone Seymour 8825 Gable Address: ''Kanagan,'' Vancouver, B.O. The Mines Building Subscribers requiring* change of address must notify the office of the publishers in writing. Subscriptions payable in advance $3.00 pei annum, including postage in Canada, and tq Qreat Britain. To United States and other countries $3.50 per annum, including postage. ' Advertising Rate Cards supplied on application •6 publishers. Volume XXVI., Nos. 1 & 2 VANCOUVER, B.C., JANUARY, 1921 Single Copies 25c CONTENTS EDITORIAL NOTES MINERAL PRODUCTION OF BRITISH COLUMBIA FOR 1920 The principal features of the year's production are pointed out, the increased value being due to the coal output, which was the highest since 1910. A RECKLESS CHARGE AGAINST COAL OPERATORS It has come to be the custom to attribute the high prices of coal to profiteering by the operators. The Editor briefly reviews the history of the various operating companies; their difficulties and losses. DEVELOPMENT OF THE MINERAL RESOURCES OF CANADA The Editor makes a plea for a more active interest on the part of the Dominion and Provincial Governments in the development of the mineral resources. He shows the importance of the industry; the manner in which it has been neglected; points out the great power resources which might be utilized for increasing at reduced cost the manufacture of fertilizers, explosives, and cyanide used in the metallurgy of gold. The new regulations affecting the Mackenzie River oil field are discussed at length and condemned as unfair to the prospector and investor. GENERAL ARTICLES DIVIDENDS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA MINES FOR 1920 7 The dividend earnings for the past year are stated and compared with previous year. The total dividends to date of the companies mentioned are also given. PLATINUM DISCOVERY AT QUEEN CHARLOTTE ISLANDS 7 GOLD DISCOVERY AT QUEEN CHARLOTTE ISLANDS 7 MINERAL PRODUCTON OF BRITISH COLUMBIA FOR 1920 8 The preliminary estimates of the Provincial Mineralogist are given, with a detailed review of the production of the metals and industrial minerals from the different sections of British Columbia. Particulars are given of the mines from which the production was derived; and comparisons made with previous year. COAL AND COKE | 11 The year's coal and coke production affords many features of interest. The output of all the mines in British- Columbia is given, and compared with previous year; also particulars of development and by-product production,, THE MINING NEWS 14 PERSONAL 15 METALS AND MARKETS 16 ',03sss^- •SUM' SsSlpfi '.. ■ I1 i lisl ' DOMINION pXYGEN —Growing with Canada THE Dominion Oxygen Company, Limited, is contributing a commodity and a service to Canadian industry. The Commodity is the highest grade of commercially pure oxygen. The Service is a growing chain of distributing stations that makes Dominion Oxygen always available in the quantity needed. The first four distributing stations already in operation are the result of the Dominion Oxygen Company's first year of expansion. They are the measure of the success of the Company's efforts to give immediate and unfailing co-operation to gas users. By placing within easy reach of every manufacturer in Canada an unlimited supply of the oxygen he needs for production and repair work— By filling all orders for oxygen on the day they are received— By using a cylinder light enough to make handling more economical, yet large enough to hold 220 feet of gas, and strong enough to pass the rigid requirements of the Railway Commission, and— By adopting a liberal cylinder loan policy, The Dominion Oxygen Company, Limited, feels that it is aiding materially in Canadian industrial expansion, and is justifying its program of additional plants and warehouses. DOMINION OXYGEN COMPANY, Limited Hillcrest Park, Toronto, Ontario Hamilton Montreal Windsor D-1S 'ig^^M^^l ;4*3g^fiLy '■asal^::)$i. ;J«Ste! m ^iEffrysW -abvaatgEj Mining and Engineering Record Volume XXVI., Nos. 1 & 2 VANCOUVER, B.C., JANUARY, 1921 Single Copies 25c EDITORIAL Dr. M. S. Wade, of Kamloops, is publishing in the . Vancouver Daily Province, a series of articles reminiscent of the early days of the Cariboo goldfields. These articles are well written and full of interest to their readers. * * * The policy of the Vancouver Board of Trade, in making excursions through the outlying portions of the Province, is having a splendid effect in awakening business and public men to the mineral wealth of Bri'-'sh Columbia. The beneficial effect of these excursions was well illustrated in the impressions conveyed by W. J. Blake Wilson, President of the Board, when he said:—"Realization of the fact that there is in the province some of the greatest gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc and coal mines in the world, is an inspiration for the future. That this mineral wealth does actually exist we have seen with our own eyes.' We have also positive proof that the vastness of the mineral wealth has so far only been touched upon. Borings and testings by scientific experts show that scores of these individual mountains which we have seen have locked in their depths a wealth beyond our computation. No one who has gone over those operating mines and seen what we have can come to any conclusion other than that the prospects for mining in British Columbia were never so bright. New methods of smelting in the future will turn unproductive low grade properties into wealthy mines that will employ thousands of men where today only hundreds are working." * * * It is gratifying to see that the British Columbia Government is learning something of mine finance, and has discovered that there is such a thing as a wasting industry. In the new Companies Act to be submitted to the Legislature, provision is made whereby a mining company, as its mine is exhausted, may refund its shareholders moneys set aside to provide, for the exhaustion of a mine without having to apply to the courts to authorise the reduction of its capital in proportion. * * * The next International Mining Convention is to be held at Portland on April 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9. The programme is an ambitious one, dealing with gold and silver; the future of copper, lead and zinc; tariffs on industrial minerals; coal, its beneficiation, utili zation and low temperature distillation; and the phosphates of Idaho. The Portland Committee is bashful. Nothing is said in the programme about the mineral resources of Oregon, which are important, and concerning which there is a lack of information which the Convention would have afforded a favorable opportunity to supply. There is to be a British Columbia day when Hon. W. Sloan, Minister of Mines, and the Resident Engineers will occupy the platform. The prospectors are also to have an innings, headed by J. Mulholland, president of the British Columbia Prospectors' Association. Competitive contests will be arranged in the identification of minerals, and moving pictures will be exhibited by the U. S. Bureau of Mines. We wish the Convention all success, but feel that a programme covering three days instead of five would have been a more favorable factor. * * * British Columbia is suffering from excessive taxation; yet Provincial Ministers appear to lie awake at nights devising further schemes for increasing the load on the taxpayer. That the cost of government in British Columbia has reached $20 a head is a disgrace to the Province. Now that war expenditures are over, the public policy calculated to improve conditions, increase settlement, and develop new mining and industrial enterprises is a decrease in the burden *of taxation. * * * It is something new to see a Farmers' Convention dealing sympathetically with mining problems. It was therefore gratifying to find a delegate to the Farmers' Convention at Vancouver bring up the question of encouraging silver mining. J. G. Reveler, of Burton, on the Arrow Lakes, who, we suspect, is more prospector than farmer, suggested that Canada should follow the lead of the United States in fixing a minimum prtfce for silver mined in this country. When he said the note issue of Canada was not supported to the extent of 20% in gold bullion, he was wrong however. The Dominion gold reserve is about $100,- 000,000, and the note issue about $297,000,000, so that the gold reserve is a third of the note issue and this is considered a safe reserve. Mr. Reveler urged a policy of bimetallism, and unless the gold production increases materially we should not be surprised to see an international convention with that object. MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD most important public util- British A very desirable reform was suggested by the power companies, is the Farmers' Convention at Vancouver, when a resolu- ity corporation confining its operations to tion was adopted urging the taking over of the tele- Columbia. It finds itself hampered by existing con- phone systems by the Government. There is no pub- ditions from undertaking new developments required lie utility conducted in British Columbia today in to meet the extensions demanded by the public be- which the public interest is less consulted than the caufe its existing franchises are too complicated or telephone operation. The public would not stand for uncertain to enable it to enlist the investment of new the conscienceless methods now in vogue if it could find a remedy, and the remedy appears to be Government acquisition and operation. The low prices towards which silver is steadily declining will have a bad effect on mining in the Alice Arm and Slocan this summer unless an unexpected improvement takes place. * # * At the Nelson Mining Convention A. G. Langley, Resident Engineer for the Southeastern Mineral Survey District, urged prospecting for the rarer minerals. Several of these are known to exist in the Province, though they have not been found in payable quantities. Tungsten, tin, the radio-active minerals, asbestos, potash minerals, mineral waters, fluorspar, foundry sands, fuller's earth, glass sand, monazite, graphite, lithium minerals, magnesite, lithographic stone, meerschaum, mica, mineral pigments, gypsum, barite, asbestos, precious stones as diamonds, emerald, opal, beryl, garnet, peridot, ruby, sapphire, tourmaline, turquoise, variscite, strontium, sulphur, pyrite, talc, soap- stone, tripoli, wavellite, are all minerals with the nature and occurrence of which prospectors would do well to become acquainted, and which would form a new basis of important mining and industrial development. & % "^ The Cornish tin mines have reached the limit of their exploitation, and after proving among the longest lived of the world mines, all but three properties are now closed down. The remaining mines, may follow suit. ^ ♦ # One of the greatest mistakes made by the Provincial Government was the abolition of the office of Major J. L. Retallack as Public Utilities Commissioner. The result of the mistaken policy is seen in the difficulties of the B. C. Electric Railway Company, Ltd., which finds itself face to face with uncertainties as,to where it stands in the exercise of its franchises among the several municipalities in which it operates. To get over the difficulty the company has applied to the Dominion Parliament for consolidation of its interests as the Vancouver, Fraser Valley and Southern Railway, and the control capital. * * * MINERAL PRODUCTION OF BRITISH COLUMBIA FOR 1920 The mineral production of British Columbia for 1920 is a matter of congratulation, considering the difficulties with which the industry was faced during the year by serious labor troubles and disorganization of markets in the closing months of the year. The Provincial Mineralogist places the production for 1920 at $35,580,625, as compared with $33,- 296,313 for 1919. The production of gold shows a loss of three-quarters of a million dollars; silver and copper are about the same for both years; lead fell off by about 8,000,000 lb.; but the deficiency in the other metals was much more than made up by the increased production of zinc, which was 50% over previous year, and made the highest production on record. This satisfactory showing in zinc is entirely due to the success which has attended the work of the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company in solving the problem of the metallurgical treatment of the complex ores of its Sullivan Mine. Coal also showed an increase, amounting to about 400,000 tons, the production being the highe:.t on record since 1910. The coke production was the lowest in nine years, but we think the Department will revise its figures under this heading as it does not appear to have taken into account the coke produced at the Granby Company's by-product coking plant at Anyox. Ninety per cent, of this coke should be credited to British Columbia and 10% to Alberta, a mixed coal having been found to give the best results. A RECKLESS CHARGE AGAINST COAL OPERATORS Moses Cotsworth is reported in the press to have said at a public meeting at Vancouver: "The coal mines of this Province have been corralled by fraud, and are in the hands of a syndicate in Vancouver." If Mr. Cotsworth is correctly reported he made statements for which there is not a shadow of foundation, and owes an apo.logy to the coal mine operators therefor. As to Vancouver Island mines, the Can- of its affairs by the Railway Commission, thus tak- adian Collieries is owned by the debenture holders ing it out of the hands of the municipalities. The who had to take over the properties at a loss of 50% B.C. Electric Railway Company, with its associated on their investment. The Canadian Western Fuel MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD Company is the successor of the Western Fuel Company, which took over the property from the New Vancouver Coal Co., after financial failure. The shareholders in the Pacific Coast Coal Mines, Ltd., have practically lost all the capital put into the mine. The same may be said of the Jinglepot Mine. The Granby Company made the money it put into Cassidy out of copper and has been losing it in coal. The Nanoose Colliery will not earn any profits for its shareholders. Taking the Mainland mines, the original shareholders in Middlesboro lost their money, and the mines were taken over by the bank guarantors because they could not help it. The Inland Coal and Coke Company shareholders lost their money, and the mine was taken over by Hon. Joseph Martin on a payment, on account of the outstanding liabilities. The Coalmont Colliery was taken over by the present owners after the former holders failed to make it a productive property. The Princeton mine is owned in London and has no,t paid any dividends from coal. The Crows Nest Pass Coal Co. has not paid regular dividends for some years, and those paid have been nominal. If Mr. Cotsworth had been the victim instead of the shareholders in the mines we have mentioned, he would have changed his tune and accused the coal mines of "having corralled his money by fraud." It is scandalous that the coal mining industry should be pestered. with demagogues who don't know what they are talking about and care less. * * * DEVELOPMENT OF THE MINERAL RESOURCES OF CANADA Canada should aim at becoming independent of every other industrial nation in the production of minerals required for fuel and home manufactures, apart from the development of an export trade. This country can provide coal, coke, copper, lead, zinc, silver, nickel, gold, platinum, manganese, chrome, potash, nitrates, petroleum, sulphur, phosphates, cement, molybdenum, asphalt, bitumen, pyrite, barite, fluorspar, building stone, cadmium, gypsum, lime, tri- poli, diatomaceous earth, mineral paints, pumice, garnet, arsenic, bismuth, bromine, abrasives, fuller's earth, mercury, antimony, mica, actino.lite, asbestos, feldspar, graphite, magnesite, natural gas, quartz, talc, clay products, grinding pebbles, cobalt, chalk, kaolin, monazite and salines. In some cases Government assistance would be required to initiate the industry, but any sound scheme for provision of new mineral and Chemical supplies should have Government support without question. The years of war demonstrated how backward Canada has been in the development of her mineral wealth, and the powers that have been at Ottawa have been largely responsible for this negligence. Today we see the disastrous effect in the building up of a huge adverse trade balance. Coal and iron constitute 90% of the world's mineral production, and have been well described by De Launey as "the two grand signeurs of the mineral world." With the aid . of a railway administration directed to the development of the east-west, instead o.f the north-south haul, the coal and coke requirements of Canada from the Atlantic to the Pacific could be supplied from her own coalfields; while, with the assistance of Newfoundland, and a similar railway policy, the iron ore resources of Canada could be developed to furnish all the ore supply required for the iron and steel plants. In the past the Government policies have been directed almost solely to agriculture, and while that is the leading pursuit of the Canadian people, the fact has been overlooked that the mining industry is the second largest wealth producer in the Dominion. The mining industry has, like Topsy,"just growed" with little government stimulus or support, except that given through the Geological Survey, with subsidiary work by the Mines Branch. The portfolio of Mines has for the most part been regarded as a political football to be kicked into the party stop-gap; and when the French-Canadian politicians had to be mollified one of their number was appointed Minister of Mines regardless of the fact that he might have known less of the business of mining than a British Columbia schoolboy. One of the greatest drawbacks to mining at the present time is the high cost of explosives, due to the fact that all the raw material has to be imported from other countries. The same is true of most fer- * tilizers required in agriculture. With her immense water powers running to waste the Dominion Government might well undertake harnessing the best available powers, and produce the nitrates required for 'he manufacture of explosives and fertilizers as a public utility. The cheapest power is a basic neces- sily of such industries, and the Government can provide the necessary capital at less cost than the individual or corporation. Besides, these industries are not likely to be attractive to private capital, which can get bettar returns in many other lines of industry. The British and American Governments have already undertaken the establishment of such plants. There was never a time when the financial stability of the Dominion required as large a gold production as possible. That production could be stimulated by the production of the cyanide required in the metallurgy of gold at the plants referred to. The encouragement of by-product coking would supply another essential in present-day explosives in tri- nitrite of toluene. MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD Canada has been weak in the development of her petroleum resources. The eastern provinces have rich petroliferous shales with which the oil shales of Scotland cannot be compared. Oil-bearing shales exist in other provinces. The article on the Mackenzie River oil field which we shall publish in April issue of the Mining and Engineering Record shows that Canada has the world's largest prospective oil field. Yet nothing has been done to develop it by the Government, which controls the territory. We recognize the transportation difficulty, but in building her transcontinental railways and canal systems Canada has successfully overcome greater difficulties. Chemists tell us the tar sands of the Athabasca could produce all the petroleum, gasoline, asphalt and other byproducts of that nature required in the Dominion. Yet not a dollar has been expended in a practical way to utilise this resource, which is directly controlled by the nation. The transcontinental railway systems are being connected by railway with the locality of these deposits by the Alberta and Waterways Railway which is being put in shape for transportation, so that problem is no longer an excuse. Instead of promoting the development of the northern oil fields the Dominion Government is trying to kill the industry by idiotic regulations, which appear to have been framed by an office boy of the Minister of the Interior. Certainly, no practical oil operator had any hand in compiling such an abortion. It is unfortunately the case that public regulation, makes a mess of things by starting with measures that are wholly restrictive in effect, because abuses have often subsequently led to restrictive enactments; but that is no reason why such regulations should not be promotive of legitimate development and wealth production. These regulations have in a large measure destroyed confidence on the part of those interested in legitimate oil development in the Government of the day. Whether justified or not, the man in the street believes that since the Imperial Oil Company and some favored individuals in high places have secured all the area required for the present these regulations have been prescribed by improper influences at work to discourage other prospectors and capitalists from entering the field. Certainly no conservative capitalist will invest his money under these regulations, and the prospector will, under existing conditions, find few ready to finance him even among the rankest speculators. This is a gross injustice inflicted on the prospector and the public generally. There are so many unemployed in the country at present that every development which will assist in affording an outlet for the energy of the people and employment of idle labor should be encouraged in every possible way, subject of course to necessary restrictions in regard to provision for entry into an inhospitable country and the proper maintenance of those who go in there. Canada wants to know more about herself, and the way to get that information is through the prospector; the geologist; the mining and petroleum engineers; those who love the romantic life of the explorer; investors who are willing to finance the employment of others in prospecting and exploration work on the chance of possibly remunerative discoveries. That information is not to be obtained by senseless restrictions. The British Government has set the example to the Empire in the successful combination of Government control with personal self-interest, by subsidising development companies in which the public are largely interested, and in which the effort of the managers, directors and investors to do the best for themselves also assures the best results for the Government, free from the dangers of patronage and graft unfortunately so often identified with Government enterprises. Such a policy in the oil development of the Mackenzie River oil region would prove a national benefit. For the past two years it has been remarked by the press and business men that what Canada needed more than anything else to overcome the ravages and losses of war, and aid in lifting the financial burden which these have imposed on the nation, was the discovery of a great oil field. For many years it has been known that such a reserve was in cold storage in the Mackenzie River Basin. The exhaustion of other oil fields has paved the way for its development, and now that the opportunity has arisen for that development the Government has adopted a policy of stifling it at its inception. In the Mackenzie River Basin Canada has a great Empire, rich in natural resources, capable of affording profitable employment to a large population. With the development of these resources and improvement of transportation, the difficulties of what is now considered an inhositable country will disappear. Its climatic disadvantages are no greater than those of other parts of the Dominion in which development has been successfully carried on. Nature has done much in facilitating access through that country during the summer months by providing great and numerous navigable waterways, and while these means of communication are open for only a third of the year, still an enormous amount of travel and transportation can be arranged within the open season, short though it be. The Dominion Government could greatly facilitate the opening of the country by sending engineers there to improve the waterways and means of transportation and ascertaining the most economical and efficient means of future transportation for oil and other products all the year round. The question of MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD getting the products of the country into the centres of civilization is one on the solution of which not a minute should be lost. Whether the pipe line route suggested by the late William Ogilvie, via McDougall Pass from the navigable waterways of the Mackenzie River to the head of navigation on Porcupine River, and thence down the Yukon; the railway route suggested by Dawson up the Laird River and through British Columbia to the Coast; or any other route or means of transportation available is the best that can be adopted should be ascertained with as little delay as possible. What the gold of the Yukon did for the development and exploration of a formerly unknown part of the Dominion, the oil of the Mackenzie River Basin will do for that vast portion of the Northwest Territories. It means, the upbuilding of the cities of Cal gary and Edmonton, the townsites of Peace River, McKay, McMurray and other centres through which must pass the traffic and supplies required in the development of the field. It means much to the farmers, merchants, manufacturers and transportation companies in furnishing and transporting supplies. With such advantages to an important section of the Dominion, why should it be necessary to plead for generous terms to those who have the courage and enterprise to use their time, or risk their lives and fortunes in the exploration and development of the Great Northwest? The advantages of a liberal policy of opportunity are self-evident, and the sooner the regulations recently issued are withdrawn and replaced by something broader, more business-like and practical, and better adapted to the risk of the industry, the better will it be for the nation as a whole. DIVIDENDS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA MINES FOR 1920 The following are the dividends paid by mining companies operating in British Columbia for 1920 as compared with previous year, and with totals to December 31, 1920:— Total Dividends Company Dividend Dividend to 1919 1920 Dec. 31,1920 Belmont Surf Inlet $375,000 $ 500,000 $ 875,000 Con. Mining & Smelting .... 1,052,743 790,026 6,836,852 Crows Nest Pass Coal Co... 372,669 5,894,546 Florence Silver 34,746 34,746 Granby Con. M., S. & P. Co. 562,500 10,761,438 Hedley Gold 48,000 2,484,000 Howe Sound (Britannia) .... 396,828 396,828 892,663 Rambler-Cariboo 17,500 560,000 Silversmith , 25,000 25,000 $2,859,986 $1,711,854 $28,339,245 The Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company, which has for some years paid a regular quarterly dividend of 2%%, was obliged, owing to the condition of the metal markets and the large stock of metals unsold, to pass its dividend for December quarter. * * * PLATINUM DISCOVERY AT QUEEN CHARLOTTE ISLANDS George Clothier, Resident Engineer for Northwestern Mineral Survey District No. 1, reports that platinum has been found in appreciable quantities in the Swede Group, Moresby Island. The Swede Group is one of the oldest copper locations on Queen Charlotte Islands and created a boom at the time of its discovery, when it was held for a big price. It is located on tidewater, with timber and power, and shows extensive mineralization with chalcopyrite and bornite, but the average value is low. The Swede Group consists of eight claims owned by Larsen, Pearson and Rogers, and is located on Lockport Harbor. The formation is diorite, in which chalcopyrite is disseminated, with veinlets of bornite. Development consists of two tunnels, one 170 ft., long and another 80 ft., in both of which the walls show mineralisation with chalcopyrite to the extent of 1 to \y2%. The property was at one time under bond to the Granby Consolidated Mining, Smelting and Power Company, which did 2,000 ft. of diamond drilling with discouraging results, when it was returned to the owners, who are among the pioneer prospectors of Queen Charlotte Islands. * * * GOLD DISCOVERY AT QUEEN CHARLOTTE ISLANDS. A promising gold discovery is reported from Moresby Island, where new claims were staked at Kootenay Harbour, West Coast—Blue Mule by J. H. Jones, and Paystreak No. 2 by Geo. McRae, both of Skidegate; and Paystreak No. 1 by E. P. Riggs, of Queen Charlotte City. The group is known as the Blue Mule, and includes the old Chapman property, where rich ore was discovered some years ago but proved pockety. The group has been examined by Geo. Clpthier, Resident Engineer at Prince Rupert, who reports that parallel shear-zones of brecciated quartz and basic igneous rock are more or less py- ritized, with good gold values and occasional specks of free gold. The lower vein on the Blue Mule has been developed by open cuts and stripping over a length of 400 ft., and assays $10 a ton in gold over a width of 26 in. The upper or "big" vein is exposed for 600 to 700 ft., and attains a width of 6 ft. It is strong and well-defined, and can be developed at depth by a short cross-cut. MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD 1 I Mineral Production of British Columbia for 1920 h t I Hi! lijrl 1 Is II hU IS 1 1 ■ill !l Ii I [ 1 III ■ i :;l! B ■ll'l' ji| Hjjj 1 Erf t The following is the estimate of the mineral production of British Columbia for the year 1920, as compiled by W. Fleet Robertson, Provincial Mineralogist, and compared with the figures for previous year: Gold, Gold, Silve Copp< Lead Zinc, Placer, lode, c r, oz. .. cr. lb. .. lb per lb. 1919 Quantity Value 14,325 $ 286,500 152,426 3,150,645 1920 Quantity Value 13,250 $ 265,000 118,176 2,442,608 3.403.119 42,459,339 29,475,968 56,737,651 3,592,673 3,404,926 7,939.896 42,773,660 1,526,855 21,545,047 3,540,429 76,763,268 3,265,324 7,485,390 1,540,471 5,143,272 Total Metals .... Coal, long tons .... Coke, long tons .... Miscellaneous Total $20,036,998 $20,142,155 2,267,541 11,337,705 2,712,228 13,561,140 91,138 637,966 68,190 477,330 1,283,644 1,400,000 $33,296,313 $35,580,625 PLACER gold The decrease in placer gold was 7.5% over previous year. The principal producing districts were:— 1919 1920 oz. oz. Cassiar, comprising Atlin. Stikine and Liard 8,850 8,250 Cariboo 3,900 4,000 Of the Cassiar production Atlin accounted for 6,300 oz., as compared with 8,750 oz. for 1919. The Shuttle Island placers at Lockport, which produced 700 oz. gold for 1919, do not appear to have any production for 1920. LODE GOLD • The decrease is due to the closing down of the Phoenix mines of the Granby Company which were important producers of gold as a by-product of the copper ores; to the lessened production of the Rossland mines; and to the closing down of the Nickel Plate Mine at Hedley in the fall. Of the shortage as compared with 1919, 17,750 oz. is accounted for by the lessened production of the Phoenix and Nickel Plate mines alone. Northern British Columbia was the leading gold producer for the past year; the Surf Inlet Mine producing over 50,000 oz., the Granby mines at Anyox, 9,160 oz.; the Premier, on Salmon River, Portland Canal, 2,701 oz.; Golkeish Mine at Anyox, 585 oz.; the Patterson Group, on Porcher Island, 50 oz.; the Drumlummon Mine on Douglas Channel, 31 oz.; the Ikeda Mine, on Queen Charlotte Islands, 26 ozs., and the Esperanza Mine at Alice Arm, 4 oz. The comparative production of lode gold for the various districts was: 1919 1920 oz. oz. Cassiar 60,076 62,561 Rossland 50,229 30,230 Boundary-Yale 33,526 16,359 Coast 5,514 6,321 Lillooet 2,506 120 Nelson 297 2,133 The Rossland production was from the mines operated by the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Co. Ltd., and Le Roi No. 2 Ltd. The Coast production was entirely from the Britannia Mine. The Lillooet output was from the Lome, ihe Pioneer, which produced 2,450 oz. the previous year, not having been operated following the dropping of the bond on the property by the Mining Corporation of Canada. The Nelson production was mainly from the Nugget. The Perrier produced 165 oz., and there was also a shipment of concentrates from the Second Relief, remaining over from the previous year, when the mill was destroyed by fire. The Boundary-Yale production was almost entirely from the Nickel Plate Mine, but the Providence Mine contributed 575 oz., and the Horn Silver Mine, 152 oz. The southern Coast production was almost entirely from the Britannia Mine, the production having increased from 5,514 oz. to 6,312 oz. The only lode gold produced in the Omineca Mining Division was from the Silver Standard Mine, the concentrates of which yielded 200 oz. SILVER. Silver made the sensational slump of the year, dropping from $1.32 per oz. in January to 65.8c. in December. Skeena replaced Slocan as the leading producing district. The falling off in Slocan production was largely due to labor troubles engineered by the O. B. U., and amounted to over 500,000 oz. The Dolly Varden mine at Alice Arm, operated by the Taylor Mining Co. Ltd., was the largest producer in the province with an output of 870,000 oz. Other Skeena producers were: Granby Smelter at Anyox, 439,238 oz.; Premier Gold Mining Co., Salmon River, 92,183" oz.; Belmont Surf Inlet Mines, 30,000 oz.; Esperanza Group, Alice Arm, 3,788 oz.; Golkeish Mine, Anyox, 1,625 oz.; Drumlummon Mine, Douglas Channel, 540 oz.; Ikeda Mine, Queen Charlotte Islands, 290 oz.; Patterson Group, Porcher Island, 30 oz. The following was the silver production by districts : MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD 9 1919 1920 British Columbia's banner silver-lead mine in its oz- oz. palmy days, shipped 800 tons. Skeena 920,413 1,438,082 T .. n ^ , . \ £ .. , ci , ,r,„, nin^nn ln the <-oast District, the silver production was Slocan 1,556,714 919,390 , ... ,. , r x,' . . K... r, j ,,- , -,, enn ™s\-r~ almost entirely from the Britannia Mine, the out- Boundary-Yale .. .. 231,599 296,650 . , . irWo-,-, j ii ,** nL A. . .,,,,, %$Wwri Put being 109,873 oz., as compared with 104,806 oz. Ainsworth 167,453 243,150 , ., . t- <^ 1 -,nr rnn *«., V,™ tor the. previous year. Fort Steele 205,500 193,000 | Coast 104,806 109 873' Jn tne Omineca Mining Division the Silver Stan- Omineca 72,573 105,000 dard was the soIe producer, the silver output being Windermere - Golden 68,634 53,030 about 10°,000 oz. Nelson 44,280 17,000 Northwest Kootenay was a smaller producer than T „, ,.".,, Wmk tne previous year. The two principal shippers were In Slocan, the principal producers were the Rose- ., ■»* , n I m m ± j i) ur „.>,,„., , _., the Monarch-Couverapee at Field, operated by W. berry—Surprise, Clarence Cunningham and Silver- . ,,. | ,r , , , , . . , . , , . , . ° Wm Adkins, of Vancouver, under lease, and shipping be- smith. Roseberry-burprise shipped 4,672 tons of ore, .. rnn a znn «. c 1 j u , . , , _ ., , „ „ ' . tween 500 and 600 tons of lead ore carrying small to which the Bosun contributed 2,360 tons; Surprise, -i , -da- t u r 1 -ot " - silver values; Paradise, on ioby Creek; Ptarmigan, 2,162 tons; Canadian, 105 tons; Ivanhoe, 45 tons. t ~ u- u oen >i u- a u m \*t I ' \ ' ' from which 250 tons were shipped by E. Watson, The Queen Bess and other Clarence Cunningham ^ 1 T vr -> s 1 S§8S . . S§| b the lessee; Isaac, on JNo. 2 Creek, which was opera- properties shipped 762 tons clean ore, 888 tons * j l r> 1 t» i. * * c ...1 a a a -?o f _f , , , _,j; . ' ted by Paul Denhart, of Seattle, and produced 72 lead, and 1,152 tons zinc concentrates. Silversmith I f a v> .. a^i. 1 u-u tons of ore; and Bunyan, at Athalmer, which pro- sent out over 1,800 tons of clean ore and concen- , A , £ on , _, y ' , _. , duced about 80 tons, trates. The Noble Five completed the mill and 1 , j , • ,, I ,, , , . , it Nelson district was a great disappointment, and it started shipping in the fall when the prices of the ... ,, .. r , • • , , 1 „ • t>u 11 j 1 would be well if at one of the numerous mining con- metals were slumping. 1 he ore milled was low . , ,, . . * IM , . r ., , . c . , ... , , , ventions held in the city of Nelson a session of self- grade, concentrating 15 to 1, with a value of around . . , J , m , . . , a.rn £ li. t-i • j -n examination were adopted. Nelson is one of the $5(J per ton for the concentrates. Ihe mine and mill . . . ...... , . ijj t-,t-i,- , , richest mining divisions in the province in mineral have since closed down. Rambler shipments showed :, , ,. , ... T., .„. . - ,, I , . . wealth, and m the past has been one of the most a big reduction. McAllister sent out 31 tons which . , „,, , , 'i • u j n «7rvo -i ^.< i- j enn important producers. The only two producers of yielded 9,708 oz. silver. Ottawa shipped 500 tons. .,, . , ^ J ,, . ,.,, silver-bearing ores were the Emerald, in which the Boundary-Yale made the highest silver produc- silver values are very low, with a production of 900 tion in six years. From 945 tons shipped by the tons, and the Molly Gibson, operated by the Con- Providence, 149,000 oz. silver were obtained, the solidated Mining and Smelting Co., which produced property being operated by Morrison and McGillis, 300 tons, of Greenwood, on lease from C. Madden, of Chicago. copper. The Horn silver mine at Keremeos made a creditable j&j . . . , . „..,„,,. , , , .„„,„,. The copper mining industry of British Columbia showing under- the management of tL. W. Condit, . ,. i i __ j , S* ,, . t i ^r-™n r~, ,,r „ ■,,■ • t is the growth of 20 years, and ranks next to gold m who produced 65,000 oz. The Wallace Mountain , , r ^ /, S$P1 j ,.- t, r. . ,„„ ,,T^-»r the value of the total metalliferous production. To properties were active, the Bell operated by D. Mc- . , . inor. „ ... , ^ , ,. , , f. r, ,^^ '.. Z^r , the end of 1920 British Columbia produced copper Intosh and P. Crane, shipping 265 tons ore; the & , , „..<■* ^rr iffiB T > 'SfctS 1 „ n^n , ' T Mm *„r to the value of $161,166,355. Last year's production Sally, 360 tons; the Wellington, 105 tons. ... , .ni . ,, ... J ° was the lowest in value since 1914, though the quan- Ainsworth did better than the previous year. The tity was slightly in excess of 1919 . Formerly, the Bluebell and Florence were the largest producers, largest producer was the Boundary, where at one Other shippers were: Retallack, under lease, 830 time there were three large mining and smelting corn- tons; No. 1, under lease to T. Haws, 700 tons; panies in operation. Now the mines are exhausted Spokane-Trinket, operated by J. McDougal, 400 and the smelters dismantled. The Coast has become tons; Highland; operated by Consolidated :Mining the producer of almost the entire copper output, and Smelting Co., 201 tons; Silver Bell, on South Credited' to Skeena, the Granby Company's Hidden Fork, 200 tons. Creek Mine at Anyox, heads the list, with Britannia '•7-m , , , . r on the southern coast, a close second. The follow- Fort Steele usually makes a good showing from . . , . ,. , „ . , , ing are the copper producing districts: the Sullivan and North Star mines, but last year operations were hampered by O. B. U. agitators, and 1919 1920 the Sullivan production was mainly directed to zinc lb. lb. ores. Thompson and McKinney, who operate the Skeena 20,411,421 22,863,197 North Star, made a most creditable showing, pro- Coast 17,062,100 18,295,034 ducing 8,000 tons from a mine that was closed down Boundary -Yale .. 3,835,516 867,679 some years ago as exhausted. The St. Eugene, Rossland 1,112,133 742,750 iii I iii m i< Fort Steele Slocan Ainsworth Windermere-Golden Nelson 10 MINING ft ENGINEERING RECORD In addition to the Granby Co's. production, Skeena producing district. Fort Steele showed the largest is credited for 1920 with 800,000 lb. from the Surf production, which was derived from the Sullivan, North Star and St. Eugene mines. The Sullivan produced about 7,800,000 lb., North Star, 2,000,000 lb., and St. Eugene about 200,000 lb. Slocan production fell off 50 per cent, but Nelson shows an increase of over 100 per cent. The following was the production by districts: 1919 1920 lb. lb. 10,729,483 10,000,000 12,156,845 6,154,034 4,336,602 3,176,984 1,659,279 1,175,562 292,010 700,000 The remarks under "Silver" apply to lead, the ores producing silver being also for the most part those from which the lead production is derived. In Ainsworth Division the Florence produced about 1,400,000 lb.; the Spokane Trinket, about 450,000 lb.; and in North-east Kootenay the Paradise is credited with 1,250,000 lb. The Bluebell at Ainsworth was an important shipper of oxidized lead ores. In Omineca Mining Division the Silver Standard produced 190,000 lb. ZINC. The zinc production was the most interesting item of the year, showing an increase of about 50 per cent and constituting a record in the output of this metal. Fort Steele was a long way ahead of other districts, as the result of the more extended development and operation of the Sullivan Mine, from which the smelter plant at Trail derives almost the whole of its ore. Of this ore, 240,000 tons were shipped to the smelter. The following is the production by districts: 1919 1920 lb. lb. Fort Steele ...... 46,460,703 70,000,000 Slocan 10,015,624 6,157,075 Omineca 224,539 450,000 Ainsworth 36,785 158,193 The Standard was the largest producer in the Slocan, with 2,000,000 lb. as against 5,000,000 lb. for previous year. Idaho and Silversmith were next in order. The Omineca production was from the Silver Standard Mine, which shipped its zinc concentrates to American spelter works. Its production was 450,000 lb. The Whitewater, at Ainsworth, produced about 100,000 lb. Inlet Mine; 39,600 lb. from the Drumlummon Mine, and 21,088 lb. from the Ikeda Mine. In addition to the Britannia production on the southern coast, the Indian Chief Mine at Sidney Inlet, on the west coast of Vancouver Island, operated by the Tidewater Copper Co., made a small production, when the copper situation forced closing down. The Marble Bay Mine, on Texada Island, which has been a producer for 22 years, has closed down, the known ore-bodies being exhausted. These ore-bodies extended to a depth of 1,700 ft. below sea level. The Boundary-Yale production was from the Emma Mine, operated by the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Co., and from a short run made by the Canada Copper Corporation's Copper Mountain Mine, but operations ceased shortly after the railway and power line were completed, because of the copper market situation. At the company's mill at Allenby, 37,000 tons of ore were put through. This mill can handle 2,000 tons a day, the concentrates from which are nodulized and smelted in the blast furnaces at Trail. Rossland, at one time a large producer of copper, is becoming almost entirely a producer of gold. From about 50,000 tons of ore shipped from the mines operated by the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Co., 11,000 tons from Le Roi No. 2, and 300 tons from the Velvet, worked under lease by E. Nord- man, the copper production was about 742,750 lb. The Iron Mask Mine at Kamloops was not a producer last year. The copper prospects for British Columbia are bright. This province has, in the Britannia, Hidden Creek and Copper Mountain, the three largest developed copper mines in the British Empire, and in the Anyox and Trail smelters we have the two largest copper smelters in the Empire. At Trail smelter is the only plant in Western Canada refining copper by hydro-electric power. That plant is being supplemented to produce 65 tons a day of refined copper . The Consolidated Mining and Smelting Co. is also adding to its plant at Trail a mill to- produce copper wire, rods and sheets. Two new mills for treatment of copper ores will be constructed, one of a capacity of 500 tons a day at the Sunloch Mine, on Vancouver Island; and one of 250 tons a day at the Old Sport Mine on Vancouver Island. As soon as the copper market situation clears, British Columbia is in a position to bring up its copper production to 100,000,000 lb. of copper per annum. LEAD. The lead production in 1920 was the lowest in 16 years, due to the same causes that affected the silver production in Slocan, which is the principal lead- OTHER MINERALS The following other minerals were produced: Arsenic, from the Nickel Plate Mine at Hedley, $15,000. MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD 11 Manganese from Hill 60, Cowichan Lake, 600 tons ore. Fluorspar, from Rock Candy Mine at Lynch Creek, in the Boundary, operated by the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Co., 7,500 tons concentrates, valued at $175,000, partly used in the manufacture of hydro-fluoric acid used in the lead.refinery at Trail smelter, and the rest exported. Epsom salts, 1,100 tons from Clinton. Talc, 100 tons from Leech River, Vancouver Island. Iron pyrites, 4,300 tons from Sullivan Mine to Trail smelter, for manufacture of sulphuric acid. Portland cement, 300,000 brls., from the cement plants on Tod Inlet. Fireclay, firebrick, building materials, mainly by the Clayburn Company. The Gabriola Island Shale Products Co. Ltd. is operating a yard on Gabriola Island, producing 18,000 red brick per day. The Denman Island sandstone quarry has been acquired by a new company organized in Vancouver, and the quarry will be re-opened. COAL AND COKE The coal production of British Columbia for 1920 was the largest since 1910, and the second largest of any year in the history of the industry. The coke production is estimated by the Provincial Mineralogist at 68,190 tons, but we are under the impression that he has not included the coke produced at the by-product plant at Anyox Smelter, 90% of which was from coal mined at the company's mine at Cassidy, on Vancouver Island. The figures of production are as follows, compared with 1919:— VANCOUVER ISLAND 1919 Long tons Canadian Collieries, Ltd.-— Comox Mines 552,196 Extension Mines 225,714 South Wellington 85,508 Canadian Western Fuel Co. .. 638,565 Granby Colliery No. 1 72,885 Pacific Coast Coal Mines 65,843 Nanoose-Wellington 21,642 British Columbia- Coal Co 36,995 NICOLA FIELD Middlesboro Colliery 77,550 Fleming* Coal Co 39,110 Total' Nicola Production 116,660 COALMONT Coalmont Collieries 10,189 PRINCETON Princeton Coal and Land Co. .. 22,193 CROWS NEST PASS Crows Nest Pass Coal Co.— Coal Creek Mines 306,191 Michel Mines 172,868 Corbin Coal and Coke 79,747 1920 Long tons 459,779 199,558 91,348 697,260 207,236 100,108 44,996* 1,441 Total Van. Island Coal Mines 1,699,348 1,801,726 93,403 31,190 124,593 7,584 21,985 431,646 273,659 156,344 NORTHERN B.C. Telkwa Collieries Co 1,752 1,279 Grand Total 2,408,951 2,818,816 COKE Canadian Collieries 14,865 Crows Nest Pass Coal— Fernie 13,494 Michel 43,573 68,190 Granby Co's By-product Plant at Anyox, 90% 69,561 From Vancouver Island Coal— Total Coke 71,067 137,751 Total Crows Nest Pass 558,806 861,649 CANADIAN COLLIERIES, LTD. These figures show that Vancouver Island mines increased their production by about 105,480 tons. The output of the Canadian Collieries, Ltd., shows a decrease of 92,417 tons at Comox, and 26,156 tons at Extension, while the output of the company's South Wellington mine showed an increase of 5,840 tons. It is understood the management applied for $250,000 for improvements to its plant and equipment, which would have enabled the mines to make a better showing and result in cheaper coal, but as the present owners had made heavy losses on their investment they refused to provide further capital. The Extension Mine is nearing exhaustion, but a promising area has been opened at Cumberland. During the year considerable expenditure was made in an endeavour to locate seams of coal which would warrant opening as new mines. In the Tsaable River section about seven miles of roads were opened up to provide access for drills .and supplies. Two diamond drills were employed and 7,453 ft. of drilling done without any encouraging results. On the Has- lam flats 1,000 ft. of diamond drilling' was also done without satisfactory result. J. M. Savage, formerly managing director, succeeded H. S. Fleming as chairman and vice-president. 1 1:1 ill! Ii I ! !2 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD pacific coast coal mines, ltd. have been acquired from the Canadian Collieries, -, -,tt-„ • • j 1- ft HP f t T trl Thp area has been found to be considerably Geo. Wilkinson resigned his position as Chief In- J-ta. ine area nab uccii « r T./r- ,:,.'.■ „ . f .i faulted The toD seam is highly sulphurous, due to spector of Mines to resume the management of the iauitea. ine iup swm s j e ' ... the pyritic content, but the lower Pacific Coast Coal Mines, Ltd., and succeeded in bringing up the production of the Morden Mine by 34,265 tons, but the mine has now been closed as the result of litigation, without any immediate prospect of its being re-opened. The same company has extensive holdings in the Suquash field, of which Mr. Wilkinson has a high opinion, and it was expected some steps would be taken to re-open this field, but for the same reasons nothing was done last year. class coal. Control of the company has been acquired by Seattle interests, and F. H. Lantz, formerly of Vancouver, is vice-president and general manager. The company increased its production by 23,- 000 tons during the year. BRITISH COLUMBIA. COAL CO. The British Columbia Coal Co., which succeeded the Vancouver-Nanaimo Coal Co., a Von Alvensle- ben organization, closed down the Jinglepot Mine during the year, the coal reserve being exhausted. CANADIAN WESTERN FUEL CO. The Canadian Western Fuel Co.. Ltd.-, made a good showing, increasing its output by 58,695 tons, a good deal of which was exported. The company operated the No. 1, Reserve, Harewood and Wakesiah Mines, East Wellington Colliery, organized by J. J. Grant, but the Harewood Mine has been closed down on formerly of Vancouver-Nanaimo and Nanoose col- NEW MINES Two new coal properties are being' opened up—the account of lack of demand for coal. In any case this was an expensive mine to work and the coal from it is inferior to the production of the other mines operated by the company. The Reserve Mine cost about $1,000,000 to develop and equip, and has proved a great disappointment, the ground being much faulted and broken. GRANBY COLLIERY R. R. Wilson, manager of the Granby Company's mine at Cassidy, is entitled to much credit for the excellent showing he made in increasing the production by 134,351 tons. The greater part of this coal was shipped to the company's by-product plant at Anyox, where, by mixing it with 10% coal from the Jasper Park Collieries Co., Pocahontas, Alberta, an excellent smelting coke was obtained. The new dock at Ladysmith, constructed for handling the mine output, was completed with storage bins, from the manager, J. Graham, has succeeded in opening which the coal is delivered to the ship's hold by a up a new area from which production is now being conveyor belt 1,300 ft. long. A dump of about 10,000 maintained. The field shows an increase in produc- tons of slack coal accumulated and efforts to solve tion for the past year, the increase being from the the problem of cleaning it for the market resulted in Middlesboro Collieries. lieries. Mr. Grant secured a lease of 2,800 acres north of the Jinglepot from the Canadian Collieries, Ltd. The area includes the old East Wellington Mine, which it is proposed to- unwater and re-open. A site of ten acres has been cleared for mine buildings, and slopes and counter are being driven. J. Arbuthnot and E. Hodgson have arranged to open a new mine on the Douglas coal at Round Island, where the Douglas formation rises close to the surface in an anticlinal fold. The coal can be worked by slopes both ways, but the area is almost entirely submarine. NICOLA The Nicola mines have been much hampered by fires which have occurred in the Nos. 4 and 7 mines of the Middlesboro Collieries and the No. 3 Coal Hill mine of the Fleming Coal Co. At the latter mine the installation of seven Overstrom tables, the operation of which has proved a valuable addition to the washery. The mine has been in litigation under the claims of the E. and N. Railway, but the company is no longer mining coal from the ground in dispute, having extended its slopes 3,500 ft. into an area concerning which its mining rights are not in question. Ventilation has been improved by the installation of a fan with a capacity of 150,000 cubic feet of free air per minute. NANOOSE COLLIERY The Nanoose Collieries Co. at Nanoose Bay occupies a small land and submarine area, being an out- COALMONT One of the most interesting developments of the year is the successful opening up, and placing on a producing basis, of the Coalmont Mine after it had long lain idle. This mine is now opened up for over a mile, the measures being free from faulting and interrupted only by small rolls. The coal is clean; makes a large proportion of lump; and is in special demand by the railways as a steam coal. It has a great future as a bunker coal, and when production is sufficiently large to allow it to be placed in quantity at the port of Vancouver, it will be in active demand. Production is at present about 250 tons a lier of the old Wellington seam worked by the Duns- day, but the output will shortly be doubled, and event- muirs, and the mining rights to the land area of which ually increased to about 1,000 tons a day.' Transpor- MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 13 tation at present from mine to tipple is by aerial tramway, three miles in length, but the mine will eventually be opened up from the eastern side next the railway grade, when production can be developed to 3,000 tons a day—the largest production of any mine in the Province. The question as to whether Coalmont is a coking coal has been a -subject of difference of opinion, the tests made on samples selected by W. Fleet Robertson, Provincial Mineralogist, some years ago, being the subject of an unfavorable report by him. Tests made by the Department of Mines at Ottawa and by Campbell, Wells and Elemn- dorff, at Seattle were favorable. To settle the matter the directors sent a shipment to the Granby Mining Smelting and Power Co., Ltd., at Anyox, for a practical test in their by-product plant. The result is to prove that Coalmont coal makes a first-class metallurgical coke, with sufficient porosity and strength to carry the furnace load, low ash, and freedom from sulphur, so that in the event of an iron and steel plant being organized on the Coast we have here a first-class byproduct coking coal available to meet fuel requirements. The credit of the successful development of the mine is due to Alexander Sharp, M.E., formerly general superintendent of the Duns- muir mines on Vancouver Island. both sides have asked the Dominion Government that his services be retained as a successful adjustor of troubles that all others have failed to solve. An important development is projected in the opening up of the coal fields in the Elk River section, controlled by the Great Northern and Chicago-Milwaukee railway interests. A railway is to be constructed up the Elk River and may be extended to Calgary, supplying also transportation for the Burns Mines on Sheep Creek, Alta. NORTHERN B.C. The only coal mine opening in the north was that at Telkwa, operated by J. Ashman, of Smithers, B.C., on behalf of the Telkwa Collieries, Ltd. The area has been found to be much broken and disturbed by faults. A. C. Garde,. M.E., has obtained an option on the Copper River coal area, and is promoting a company to take it over along with the iron ore deposits on Copper River, also a high-grade limestone deposit, and construct an iron and steel plant on Kaien Island. Copper River coal produces a high-class metallurgical coke. The field will be proved by diamond drilling the coming summer. New coal deposits have been discovered on Vancouver Island, but the prospectors have not disclosed their location owing to the embargo placed by the Lands Department on coal locations. Alberta coal is now entering the coast markets in competition with Vancouver Island coal, and already commands the market in northern British Columbia. . BY-PRODUCT OPERATIONS The Granby Company's byproduct coking plant at • Anyox was successfully operated during the year, treating 126,000 tons of coal, of which over 100,000 tons was shipped from the company's coal mine at Cassidy. The rest was imported from the Pocahontas Mine in Alberta, and used as a mix. The plant produced 77,290 short tons of coke, 5,896 tons breeze, 737,057 galls, tar, 2,465,955 lb. sulphate of ammonia, 1,203,954 cubic feet of gas, and 121,734 gallons benzol. The coke was used in the copper smelting furnaces ; the breeze as fuel; the tar and gas used in Dominion Fuel Controller, the Crows Nest steaming the boilers of the auxiliary power plant, a successful method being devised of feeding the tar to the furnaces on much the same principle as fuel oil; the, ammonia sold to the Barrett Co., Ltd., of Vancouver, and the benzol shipped to Vancouver as motor fuel, for which purpose it is found to be superior to gasoline, and is sold at 43c per gallon. PRINCETON The Princeton Coal and Coke Co. have been unfortunate in having had to close their former mine owing to fire, and have opened a new area. The company also had the misfortune to lose its hoisting plant and tipple, but is again producing coal, which is a high-grade lignite, with great heating power. Complaint is made by consumers that it is often high in ash, but this difficulty can be overcome by washing. CROWS NEST PASS The Crows Nest Pass mines made a creditable showing, with an increase in production of about a quarter million tons. The field has in past years been a chronic sufferer from labor troubles, but thanks to the splendid public service rendered in eastern British Columbia and Alberta by W. H. Armstrong, Pass mines have had the advantage of a year of steady operations, being. interrupted only by a two- week strike in October. So much satisfaction has been given to all parties by Mr. Armstrong's handling of the difficulties of the frequent strikes and disagreements between employers and employees that in 14 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD THE MINING NEWS BRITISH COLUMBIA. The mineral production for 1920 showed an increase of 7 per cent over 1919. Metal production was only $105,157 more, so that the increase was almost entirely due to the larger quantity of coal mined and the higher prices therefor. Cariboo is looking forward to a revival in placer mining. Advices from there anticipate the inauguration of gold dredging and treatment of the tailings dumps for the gold and platinum values which they still retain. The lode gold production fell off 22 per cent last year. Rossland mines produced 40 per cent less ore in 1920 than 1919. Gold production shows a falling off of 50 per cent as compared with pre-war years. The Granby Smelter at Anyox treated 200,000 tons more ore for 1920 than 1919, when operations were hampered by fire and labor troubles. The Granby Company increased its silver production by 100,000 oz., and copper by 5,750,000 lb. over previous year. The Bella Coola Mining Division is considered a promising field for prospecting. The beach placers east of Massett Inlet, Graham Island, made a showing last year, but the Shuttle Island deposits off Moresby Island do not appear to have been worked. Seattle parties who bonded the Producer Group on Queen Charlotte Islands ran 375 ft. of tunnel without proving copper ore in mineable quantity and abandoned the bond. Japanese investors propose opening up the low- grade ore bodies on the Ikeda Mine, Moresby Island, and installing a mill. Chalcopyrite occurs in a hornblende gangue om Campbell Island, Queen Charlotte Group. During the past summer several engineers examined the Copper Queen Group, Queen Charlotte Islands, owned by J. S. McMillan. The Belmont Surf Inlet Mines, Ltd., has done 2,000 ft. of drifting on the vein of the Pugsley Group on the south side of the gulch with satisfactory results. The company recently completed its title to this property, which is one of the oldest gold mines in the Province, having been worked about 20 years ago by Jas. Findlay, of Vancouver, on account of eastern interests. W. Warner owns the Great West claim on the east side of Banks Island, about opposite the anchorage on McAulay Island. A quartz vein in diorite cuts gneissoid granite. Development by open cuts shows the width of the vein to average a foot over a length of 50 ft. Mineralization is chalcopyrite. Jas. Hickey, of Prince Rupert, has located the Payroll and Payroll No. 2 claims on a vein 6 ft. wide, showing chalcopyrite, estimated to average 1% copper, at the head of Kiltuish, or Long Inlet, south side of Gardner Canal. Graphite also occurs on these claims. The main drift in the Drumlummon Mine has been run 170 ft. with two crosscuts. The vein cut out in the last 100 ft. On the Bald Mountain Group, Porcher Island, stripping and trenching has been done on the ore- body. At the Paterson Group, owned by P. Sharp, Porcher Island, several tons of ore are on the dump and a small shipment of 17 tons was made to the smelter. This shipment gave a return of 3 oz. gold and half an ounce silver per ton. An open cut, 80 ft. long, shows considerable ore. An ore bin, 300 ft. tram, and arrastra have been constructed; a ditch 1,000 ft. long and flume 50 ft. long made to carry water to run an overshot wheel to drive the arrastra. Joe Dawson owns the Eagle claim, on Porcher Island. Micaud Bros., of Terrace, have developed a promising showing of molybdenite on the Ptarmigan Group, Lakelse. The Lucky Seven Group at Lakelse is a gold prospect owned by Olsen and Dahl. Another gold prospect at Lakelse is the Iron Hat, owned by A. Olsen, of Terrace. A tunnel has been driven 70 ft. to crosscut the vein which outcrops above. The face shows 3 ft. of quartz and country rock mineralized with iron sulphides with which the gold values are associated. Geo. Clothier, M.E., reports that free gold can be panned along the vein. • Ernest Hault has driven a tunnel 36 ft. on the Golden Penny, adjoining the Iron Hat on the north, and following a quartz vein 1 ft. wide in schist. Kitsumgallum Lake was the scene of prospecting 'last summer, and J. Baldwin had the enterprise to cut out his own trail for 13 miles up Nelson Creek. On the Treadwell No. 2, Joe Belway and partners were engaged all su'mmer in development. The Motherlode Group was located by O. Gendron, J. Couture, Olander and Brodine at the head of Falls Creek northeast of Kitsumgallum Lake on mineralized schist float carrying native silver, tetrahedrite, galena, sphalerite and chalcopyrite. A good trail has been made and cabin built at an elevation of 5,200 ft. MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD PERSONAL if C. F. Law has returned from an extended business trip to California and the Central States. H. G. Nichols, M.E., formerly on the staff of the Ymir Gold Mines at Nelson, and now resident in Vancouver, is taking steps to interest British capital in mining here. R. H. Stewart, M.E., has been making an extended visit to Texas in connection with the sulphur mines of which he has charge for W. H. Aldridge, of New York. Alex. Sharp had recovered sufficiently from his recent illness to attend his office at Vancouver, but has taken a relapse which necessitated his returning to the hospital. He hopes, however, to be able to spend the summer at the Coalmont Mine, the successful development of which is due to his foresight, and his many friends will be glad to learn of his recovering his old-time form and vigor. R. W. Wolvin, president of the Dominion Iron and Steel Co. Ltd., who has been on a visit to England in connection with the merger with the British Empire Steel Corporation, has returned to Canada. Dr. Dolmage, of the staff of the Vancouver office of the Geological Survey, was tendered a complimentary luncheon by members of the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy on his leaving to join the staff at Ottawa. There were present Dean Brock, who occupied the chair, and Drs. Schofield, Hanson, Profs. Turnbull, Thompson and Gillies, Messrs. K. S. Robinson, P. W. Racey, G. S. Eld- ridge, H. N. Freeman, H. Mortimer-Lamb, E. C. W. Lamarque, F. E. Payson, S. J. Crocker, R. R. Hedley, C. E. Cartwright, and A. J. Nettell. The chairman spoke in high terms of the work done by Dr. Dolmage during his stay in British Columbia, and expressed regret at his departure, but recognized that it was promotion in the interest of their guest. J. D. Mackenzie introduced Dr. G. Hanson as successor to Dr. Dolmage, who expressed his thanks for the kindly things said of him. Dr. G. Hanson has entered on his duties at the Vancouver office of the Geological Survey, where he succeeds Dr. Dolmage. He is a graduate of the University of Manitoba and an old student under Prof. R. C. Wallace, who has been one of the most' prominent University educationalists of Manitoba, and has done so much for the advancement of geological science in Canada. Dr. Hanson is a postgraduate in geology at Harvard, and was awarded the degree of Ph.D. by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston. He enlisted for service in the war and was a lieutenant in the Royal Air Force, with which he served two years. His work for the Canada Geological Survey, which he joined in 1915, was in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia, covering portions of Kootenay, Vancouver and Lillooet mining divisions tributary to the P. G. E. Railway and the Hudson Bay mountain section of Omineca. W. M. Nolan, M.E., formerly of Skagway, Alaska, has returned from Mexico, where he was on a visit in connection with oil development. He operated for a time in the Cobalt field, and proposes spending the summer in oil exploration in the Mackenzie Basin. Dr. R. F. Ruttan, of McGill University, has been appointed chairman of the Hon. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research in succession to Dr. McCallum, who resigned to go on a visit to China in connection with educational work. F. J. Crossland has been to Queen Charlotte Islands, where he examined iron ore deposits for Vancouver clients. J. G. Dickinson, M.E., has arrived on the Coast from Cobalt to investigate certain mining interests on behalf of M. J. O'Brien. T. H. Eaton, manager of the Blue Diamond mine at Coalspur, Alberta, has been on a visit to the coast. M. J. O'Brien, W. R. Errington, Mclntyre and Temiskaming mining companies are interested in Blue Diamond. Prof. J. A. Allan, of the Geological Department of Alberta University, lectured at Calgary and created much interest by his observations on the seismic disturbances on the Pacific coast, which, from Alaska to South America, he said, is undergoing one of the great periodical geological adjustments that in ages gone by have changed continents into oceans and mountain-tops into islands. , W. G. Norrie Lowenthal, M.E., has been addressing the Credit Men's organization and other bodies on the mining industry and its relation to the common weal. Dr. M. Y. Williams, formerly on the staff of the Canada Geological Survey at Ottawa, has been appointed professor of Paleontology in the Science Department of the University of British Columbia. , Major G. A. Walkem lectured before the Technical Association on " Railway Construction in Palestine Durkig the War," in which work he was engaged. The lecture was well illustrated by slides. H. R. Van Wagenen, manager of the Canadian Copper Corporation Ltd., operating the Copper Mountain mine near Princeton, has been on a visit to the Coast. W. R. Bonnycastle, electrical engineer of Vancouver, succeeds E. A. Cleveland on the Provincial Executive of the Professional Engineers of British Columbia. ■I &t I III .1 16 MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD Gomer P. Jones, manager of the Hedley Gold at Columbia University, worked his way up from Mining Company, Ltd., has gone to Los Angeles to his position as a coal miner ten years ago. confer with the President, T. L. Merrill, regarding G. Allan Crane, M.E., M.I.M.M., who has opened the resumption of development work at the Nickel an office as mining engineer at 612 Dominion Bldg., Plate mine at Hedley. Vancouver, did splendid service for the British G. A. Lafferty, formerly manager of the Bank of Government during the war. Owing to the dullness Montreal at Rossland, is now manager of the bank's $ mining promotion in England he decided to move branch at Calgary, and continues to take an active from London to British Columbia, and hopes to interest in the work of the Canadian Institute of terest British capital in meritorious mining invest- Mining and Metallurgy. ments here. Mr. Crane is a B.A. of Cambridge and has done mining engineering work in many fields. J. Murphy, M.E., representing the Day interests tt , . , ^. • m t> i a ™ n a- I • I e ia u ■ . a Dr. W. H. Collins, who has been appointed Direc- m the Burke and Mullan districts of Idaho, intends „ „ g . ' _ , , , r t> v u r i u- lL' ~ A. i i tor of the Geological Survey, has been a member ot visiting British Columbia this summer on the look- j „. . „*„ ... • , Wz , . the staff since 1902, and has been mainly engaged in out for investments. . . . ^ ~ . . , r the examination of the Pre-Cambrian geology ot B. L. Roth, M.E., who has been operating in Cali- Northern Ontario, in which he is a specialist. He is fornia, will inspect mining properties in British Co- a graduate of Toronto and took his degree of Ph.D. lumbia this summer. at the University of Wisconsin. J. A. Slater, of the Nelson office of Canadian Explosives Ltd., has been transferred to the Van- METALS AND MARKETS. couver office- of the company. New York London S. G. Blaylock, general manager of Trail Smelter, Copper, electrolytic, per lb... 12.10to 12.15c. 8%d. has been on a visit to the coast. Lead, per lb 3.75 to 4c. 2%d. D. O. Lewis, divisional engineer for the C. N. R. Silver, per oz., foreign 54c. 31%d. on Vancouver Island, has been promoted to the posi- Zinc, per lb 4.75c. 3d. tion of Engineer-in-charge of Maintenance of Way COPPER.—The copper market is in the worst of the Canadian National system in Ontario, with position experienced for some time, prices being the headquarters in Toronto. lowest since 1914. It was expected the reduction in H. L. Johnson, C.E., formerly located at Kamloops, Prices would encourage manufacturers to place has succeeded D. O. Lewis as Divisional Engineer orders, but this has not resulted. The trouble is the of the Canadian National Railways on Vancouver depression in trade and manufacturing generally, Island. with no demand and no market—everybody marking J. B. White, president of Silversmith Mines Ltd., time M the Present uncertainties in the business has made an examination of the Slocan Star and W01"ld a"d EuroPean situation can be cleared up or c-i -i.1. .. c j modified. Silversmith mines at Sandon. r>rT/~TA-j a a jxiat LEAD.—This metal is now, like copper, being sold Prof. J. G. Davidson addressed the Vancouver sec- . , r , . VT. ■ii r ., A • T &&. . n n?, it- at Pnces under cost of production. Prices were fe- fion of the American Institute or (hlectncal En- « •, ^ • , ,.,.. , .. „ .. „e tt jtt-i^-1-t.-- duced to induce buying and with a favorable effect, gmeers on Some Features of Electrical Precipita- | , , \. . as there has been active demand from manufacturers tion. , . | , . . , ot paint, electrical and auto requisites. Herbert Hoover has been elected President of the SILVER.-The market is bad. China is in the Federal American Engineering Societies. .market as a sdler instead of a buygr The markets Col. J. E. Leckie, M.E., C.M.G., C.B.E., D.S.O., of India and China are overstocked. Production is has been awarded the Serbian Order of the White being largely reduced, many mines finding it unpro- Eagle in recognition of his services as commander of fitable to produce silver at present prices and costs, the Allied Forces in Murmansk, which included 1,000 ZINC—Little is doing. Producers have curtailed, Serbians.^ and dealers have reduced prices without inducing A. Stephen Knowles, M.E., has opened an office any activity in the market, which is adversely af- at 66 Broadway, New York, as consulting engineer fected from the same causes which are responsible in coal and its by-products, testing coal for coking for the condition of the copper market. properties, reports on plants and processes, design- ing, constructing and operating by-product ovens. r^u -,,-,1...^ „f *^ , , ■kr v i r . IpjMKi tj°Id values of $6 per ton are reported from the Mr. Knowles was for ten years with the Semet- rnlnmhia rm.m ««,.,,. +1,^ t-. n v j m c , n -.1. TT c o. i ^ „ Columbia Lrroup, near the Dolly Varden. The Solvay Co., six years with U. S. Steel, and five years nwt,«r p a«,Wc™ un~ ~ oa L r •o n v, . , % , ~ y owner, f. Anderson, has run 80 ft. of tunnel with with Consolidated Coal Co. _ , • ,„ .„ « . • M , rx «r a „ I 1 , • , t0 deveI°Ping the large vein, packing his sup- Dr. W. A. McCall, a recently appointed professor plies on his back from the Dolly Varden. MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD RUPERT W. HAGGEN D. L. S., B. 0. L. 8. NOTARY PUBLIC WATER SUPPLY, LAND AND MINERAL CLAIM SURVEYS ESTIMATES PREPARED QUESNEL, and 150 Mile House, B. G. iNDBEW a. LARSOK Mining Bnffineer 926 Old National Bank Building SPOKANE, WASH. Cable Address: "Larmac" Bedford McNeill Code 20to Mining Machinery OF EVERY DESCRIPTION Second Hand and New Bought and Sold B. C. EQUIPMENT CO-, 602 Hastings Street W% Vancouver, B. C. CAKT-ffSISHT, K4THESON * CO Civil Engineers & B.C. Land Surveyors Mining Claims Surveyed Plans, surveys and superintendence of construction for Railways, Tramways, Cableways, Wharves, and all structures for Ore Transportation—Water Supply, etc 445 Granville Street Phone 7070 ■Vancouver. B. C. ROBERT H. STEWABT Milling and Metallurgical Engineer Vancouver Block, Vancouver, B.O P. W. Racey MINING ENGINEER 736 GRANVILLE STREET VANCOUVER, B. 0. PROVINCIAL ASSA-JTE3S G. S. ELDBIDQE & CO. with which is incorporated THE VANCOUVER ASSAY OFFICE (Established 1890) We guarantee accuracy of our results. Write for price list. Cave Building 567 Hornby St. Vancouver Send for particulars regarding a possible Ten Hundred per cent. Profit on a $10 investment in Shallow Oil Fields of Ky. & Tenn. O. E. GIBSON, 207 Ideal Bldg., Denver, Colo., U.S.A. We have one of the most Up-to- Date Plants in British Columbia and are equipped to turn out Good Printing at a reasonable price and on prompt time. Tee&mieal Piross^ Lk(m0 S The Mines Building } 426 Homer St. Vancouver. B.C. Telephone Sey. 3825 Three-Magazine Model Eight Linotype BILLHEADS BOOKS, BOOKLETS BUSINESS STATIONERY CARDS, CATALOGUES ENVELOPES, FOLDERS LABELS, LETTERHEADS if MADE W*& BG MANUf^CTURERS ASSOCIMO* w .OF BRITISH COLUMBIA J LOOSE LEAP FORMS MENUS, NOTEHEADS ORDER FORMS PAYCHECKS RECEIPT FORMS RULED FORMS I MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 1 i Use I Clayburn Firebrick and Clayburn Fireclay if you want Clayburn Quality throughout your work Clayburn Company, Limited CLAYBURN, B.C. CAMMELL LAIRD a CO., Ltd. Phone TBAOE ^* Seymour 5943 MARKS Hea4 0ffice. Sheffield (camel) BBS England CYCLOPS FROM ORE TO FINISHED PRODUCT Basic Open Hearth and Crucible Steel Products Rails, Forging-Billets, Blooms, Slabs, and Bars. $d t &$Pil* i ■•■-.-• •■-••>f:p MINING EQUIPMENT Including Ball and Tube Mills, Roll Shells, Crusher Jaws, Shoes and Dies. Also SOLID and HOLLOW DRILL STEELS. Crucible and High Speed Tool Steels, Nickel and Nickel Chrome Steels, High Grade Files and High Speed Twist Drills , Branch Office and Warehouse: The Best Book for Prospectors Prospector's Field Book and Guide '" prospectors m Fie d-Boojsand Guide I s ft«0M-w»B£RN»»2JI By H. S. Osborn, Revised and Enlarged by M. "W. Von | Bernewitz. 4-5/8 by 7 inches. 425 pages. 57 illustrations. |Flexible Binding for carry- ling in pocket. Published by |Henry Carey Baird and Co. Price: $3.50. LIST OF CHAPTER HEADINGS. Tungsten, Uranium, Vanadium XI.—Tin . XII.—Mercury, Bismuth. Nickel, Cobalt Cadmium XIII.—Aluminum XIV'.—Petroleum, Asphalt Oil Shale, Ozokerite. XV.—Various Useful Minerals XVI.—Abrasives, Greenstones and Useful Bocks Appendix, Glossary of Terms, Index. Copies Supplied on application to— THE TECHNICAL PRESS, LTD. The Mines Building 426 Homer Street Vancouver, B. C. I.—Introduction XL—Preparatory Instruction m.—The Blowpipe IV.—Crystallography V.—Surveying VI.—Analysis of Ores VH.—Copper VIII.—Lead Zinc and Antimony IX.—Iron X.—Chromium, Manganese, Molybdenum, Titanium, Keep Track of Your Mine Costs DIRECT COST FORMS PRICE 10c EACH TECHNICAL PRESS, LTD. The Mines Building 426 Homer Street Vancouver, B. C. MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD STONE FOR BUILDING And LIME If CEMENT & MARBLE METAL & MINERAL ^PROPERTIES CONSULT A. A. CROWSTON NOTARY PUBLIC VANCOUVER, CANADA J. R. WILLIAMS PROVINCIAL ASSAYER AND CHEMIST 540 Thurlow St. Vancouver, B. C. Phone Sey. 7105 My Prices are Moderate and Accuracy is Guaranteed Price List Mailed on Request Vancouver Engineering Works, Ltd. VANCOUVER, B. C. ENGINEERS, BOILERMAKERS, STEEL, IRON & BRASS FOUNDERS, BOLT & RIVET MANUFACTURERS — Our— White Iron Balls and Liners for Ball Mills are giving Excellent Service — Use — IVEW" Steel Castings and avoid costly breakdowns. Office and Works: 519—6th AVENUE WEST Phone: Fairmont 240 DIAMOND DRILL CONTRACTING COMPANY SPOKANE, WASH. Contractors for all kinds of Diamond Drill work. We have complete outfits in British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan. Write for Prices ROSSLAND, B. C. SOtc aaauM**/ agMrei wraemntwaLa ORE BAGS—B<ji\i^ ALL GRADES OF SACKS Write Us For Quotations R. G. Bedlington & Co., Ltd. 345 Water St. Vancouver, B. C. CRU Genuine " Manganese I Stee «You can get them right here at home.' We have patterns for the following sizes " Hadfield " Crusher Jaws "— 91 in.x 16 in., 20 in.xlO in., 24 in.x 13 in We can make you a pattern for any other size or make. Mauufactured by Washington Iron Works Seattle, Wash. Agents for B. C— Vancouver Machinery Depo LIMITED 1155 Sixth Avenue West, - Vancouver, B. C. Also Agents for " Crawford's " Aerial Tramway MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD I .!bif ml at CRANE VALVES PANE LIMITED Head Office and Works 1280 Si. Patrick Street Montreal BBANCHES: Toronto, Winnipeg, Vancouver SALES OFFICES: Halifax, Quebec, Ottawa, Calgary Taylor Engineering Co. Limited CONSULTING AND CONSTRUCTION . ENGINEERS 850 Hastings Street West Vancouver, B. C. WHEN YOU PLAN TO WORK ANY MINING PROPERTY NEAR VANCOUVER INVESTIGATE YOUR POWER SUPPLY I We have 133,700 horse power available for this territory. It will pay you to Consult us. Carrall & Hastings Phone Sey. 5000 Vancouver New Westminister Victoria lilS m The Pleasure of Travel is fully realized in travelling on the Canadian Pacific Railway. By its lines can be reached all Canadian' points, and its arrangements with American railroads enables its agents to issue tickets to all points in the United States. It operates its own Sleeping and Dining Cars, and has its own Hotels and Steamships. Its magnificent scenery, and the excellence of its service have made it the favorite route across the Continent. Illustrated publications as to its route, Banff, Yoho Valley, Glacier, etc., sent on application to any C. P. R. agent, or General Passenger Department. Vancouver, B. C. CXL- EXPLOSIVES FORCITE, fumes mindmum, Force maximum. Orders given "CXL" service Results assured. Can be used in wet or dry work. Insist on "Polar Forcite" for hard rock work Tamping bags save you money, order some now Efficiency and "Forcite" go together. POLAR AMMONIA DYNAMITE. Have you used it? Ask any mine in B. C. about our "CXL" Polar Ammonia Dynamite. It represents economy and efficiency. ACCESSORIES.—Order Anything for Blasting, we have it. Write for information regarding our Explosives and Accessories. Offices: Vancouver, Victoria, Nanaimo, Prince Rupert, Nelson, B. C, and Calgary, Alta. CANADIAN EXPLOSIVES, LTD. Established 1895 E. A. HAGGEN, Editor Published Semi-Monthly by TECHNICAL PRESS, LTD. The Mines Building, 426 Homer St., Vancouver, B.C. Telephone Seymour 3825 Cable Address: "Kanagan," Vancouver, B.C. Ill* Utne* Building Subscribers requiring; chance of address must notify the office of the publishers in writing. Subscriptions payable in advance: $3.00 per annum, including postage in Canada, and to Great Britain. To United States and other countries, $3.50 per annum, including postage. Advertising Bate Cards supplied on application co publishers. Volume XXVL, Nos. 3 & 4 VANCOUVER, B. C, FEBRUARY, 1921 Single Copies 25c CONTENTS EDITORIAL NOTES 19 AN ENTERPRISING PROSPECTOR 20 GRANBY CONSOLIDATED MINING, SMELTING & POWER CO., LTD. ...... 21 BUNKER COAL 21 AMERICAN JINGOISM 21 A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR MANITOBA 21 The bond on the Flin-Flon copper mine in Manitoba depends on the construction of a railway by the Provincial Government to give access to the property. If this is provided Manitoba will have a smelter handling 2,000 tons of copper ore a day, an important addition to the copper production of Canada. The representations of Prof. Wallace, Commissioner for Manitoba, are set out, and present an unanswerable argument for the undertaking. CANADIAN INSTITUTE OF MINING AND METALLURGY 22 The Institute is congratulated on the success of its annual meeting of the British Columbia Division at Vancouver, a full report of which will appear in our March Number. The two new features of the meeting were the encouragement offered to students of the Mining Department of the University of British Columbia, and the co-operation of the Institute with the Government in matters affecting the mining and metallurgical industries. COAST RANGE STEEL COMPANY, LTD. .. 23 The Government is criticized for lending itself to the camouflaging of the public here and financiers in Great Britain in connection with this promotion by allowing the registration of the company for a nominal fee, and entering into a contract which has the effect of creating the impression that the Government is granting the company valuable concessions, when, as a matter of fact, the contract provides for nothing more nor less than any producer of iron ore or pig iron can claim under the law without fear or favor. The statements of one of the direc tors at a meeting at North Vancouver are criticized, and their fallacy exposed. GENERAL ARTICLES COMPETITION UNDER AUSPICES OF CANADIAN INSTITUTE OF MINING . AND METALLURGY 24 GRANBY CONSOLIDATED MINING SMELTING AND POWER CO., LTD 25 The company's production of gold, silver, copper, coal and by-products is reviewed, with notes on earnings and changes in the staff. UNITED VERDE EXTENSION MINING COMPANY 26 E. E. Campbell, formerly Superintendent at the Hidden Creek Mine at Anyox, has been appointed General Superintendent of this mine, which is one of the most remarkable producers of dividends among the world's copper mines. MINERAL PRODUCTION OF ALASKA FOR 1920 26 PREMIER MINE LITIGATION 26 In the lawsuit between M. W. Bacon and R. K. Neill, in which the former claimed a half interest in the Premier Mine, on Salmon River, Portland Canal Mining Division, judgment went in favor of defendant. COMPANY REPORTS 27 The annual reports of the Asbestos Corporation of Canada, and Black Lake Asbestos and Chrome Co., of Canada, Ltd., are summarized. , WELLS GROUP AT SURF INLET 27 THE MINING NEWS 28 THE GOLKEISH MINE, ANYOX, B.C 28 ALASKA BRITISH COLUMBIA METALS CO 29 This company is the holding company for the Tidewater Copper Co., operating on Vancouver Island, and Forty-Nine Mining Co., Ltd., which took up a property at Portland Canal. GRAPHITE 29 BENTONITE AT MERRITT, B.C 30 METALS AND METAL MARKETS 31 WHALE CHANNEL MINES, LTD 32 Ii I1 IK! jfi m m 3 Eh 2D S-*,*?:^ » Dominion Oxygen | m is ready for you any time, § at any place, in any quantity T**HE Dominion Oxygen Com pany, Limited, has fulfilled A its promise to Canadian Industry. Already four of the modern distributing centers called for in its building and distribution program are in operation, and Canadian-made oxygen of the highest and most uniform purity is available in sufficient quantity to supply the entire Dominion. , Co-ordination of production and distribution has made it possible to ship orders on the day of their receipt—insuring prompt delivery to all parts of industrial Canada. An exceptionally light and strong type of cylinder has been adopted which greatly reduces freightage and handling charges, while insuring a gas content sufficient to make constant reorders unnecessary. Unfailing and uniform purity, always reliable immediate service, a conveniently handled cylinder of large gas capacity and a liberal policy of cylinder loans make Dominion Oxygen and Dominion Oxygen Service the choice of Canadian oxygen users. DOMINION OXYGEN COMPANY LIMITED HILLCREST PARK, TORONTO, ONTARIO. HAMILTON MONTREAL WINDSOR 1 -OXYtJ'AHji D-14 -1 l>r | Mining and Engineering Record Volume XXVI., Nos. 3 & 4 VANCOUVER, B. C, FEBRUARY, 1921 Single Copies 25 c EDITORIAL The average weekly wage paid coal miners in British Columbia is $37.64; metal mining, $35.96; metal trades, $31.14; contracting, $31.61; explosive and chemical industries, $31.53; oil refining, $28.52; smelting, $36.44; railways and power plants, $32.81. * * * F. W. Anderson, C.E., M.L.A. for Kamloops, complains of the regulations of the Dominion Public Works Department providing for 40 ft. clearance above high water of bridges over the North Thompson River, and suggests 15 ft. as sufficient. He says the regulation complained of increases the cost of bridges by 40%, and necessitates swing spans which- are never opened. * * * The British Empire Steel Corporation is likely to prove one of the most valuable industrials organized for the development of the iron and steel industries of Canada and the marketing of the product. F. W. Harboard, a leading iron and steel expert, says of it:—"It should be of the greatest help in enabling various finishing mills in this country to be kept running at top speed. It opens out a new source of supply of raw materials for the United Kingdom for many years to come, as the resources controlled by the British Empire Steel Corporation are not only among the largest known deposits in the world, but mining costs are exceptionally low and shipping facilities almost unique." * * * The water powers of Canada form one of the greatest assets of the future. On his visit to the Dominion nothing impressed Lord Desborough, President of the Associated Chambers of Commerce, more than these power resources. On his return to England he told his audience:—"Undoubtedly Canada is going to be not merely a wheat-producing country as now, but in the very near future one of the greatest manufacturing countries of the world. Niagara alone will afford five million- horsepower. Canada will soon have tremendous and uninterrupted facility for working power turbines. We shall have to take the great Dominion of Canada into serious consideration regarding our manufacturing systems and the manufacturing power of the world." * * * The B.C. Electric Railway Co,., Ltd., has issued a circular to the business men of British Columbia in which it claims that the electric railways, light and power systems are virtually out of the buying market because they have been unable to make a fair return on the capital invested in them. They are consequently unable to raise new capital and have stopped growing. The B.C. Electric has a payroll of $4,000,000 a year and spends $1,250,000 a year for current supplies. The company applied to the Dominion Parliament to be placed under the Railway Commission owing to difficulties with the municipalities within whose jurisdiction it operates its public utilities. The company scored as the result for the municipalities immediately took steps to meet the requirement of the Company in putting itself in a position to obtain new capital for proposed extensions of enterprises. * * * The B. C. Prospectors' Association is making a huge mistake in asking the Government for loans for its members amounting to $2,500 in amounts of $500. There is no more speculative business than prospecting, and its attraction is the romance it offers in possible acquisition of sudden wealth, together with the freedom and adventure connected with the pursuit. The prospector is only a small proportion of the community, and he has no reasonable claim to ask that practically 95% of the population should tax themselves specially for his benefit. There are other and better ways of promoting his interest, and to these he should give his attention, when he will find a sympathetic public on proper presentation of his case. No government can afford to lend itself to squandering public funds entrusted to its care in purely speculative pursuits; and if we mistake not some of the expenditures of that character through the Industrial Bureau will yet react as a boomerang on the government which sanctioned them. In a recent address W. J. Bowser dealt with the manner in which the application of the D'Arcy Exploration Company for a concession to explore Peace River for oil had been turned down by the British Columbia Government. He said "a cable had been received from the Secretary of State for the Colonies asking that every assistance be given to the Company. The oil, declared Mr. Bowser, was desired for the use of the navy, and it was the intention of the D'Arcy Company to spend £1,000,000 in prospecting. 20 MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD, Tm f M\\ He!.. lit One of the matters considered by Admiral Jellicoe on his trip to Canada was the possibility for fueling the navy in Pacific waters. The Oliver Government lacked a broad enough vision to grasp the significance of the needs of the Empire, he asserted. At the present time there was a stampede to the Peace River block directly north of Swan Lake, where the Imperial authorities desired to prospect for oil. He pictured what the development of oil wells would mean to British Columbia, not only in the way of general prosperity, but in royalties." * * * Recent developments on Sheep Creek, Nelson Mining Division, indicate the desirability of an up-to-date geological survey being made of the camp. It is a long time since Dr. Brock, then on the staff of the Geological Survey, made his examination and report. It was due to his hints to prospectors before any development of consequence had been done that the first gold discoveries were made there. The camp has been an important producer of gold; and now that gold mining is again coming into its own, there is no reason why the camp should not take on new life and be developed to one of the most important gold producers of British Columbia. When Dr. Brock examined it he had to form his observations frorn surface evidence alone. Now that the ore-bodies and underground conditions are open to inspection as the result of considerable development, it is possible that the Geological Survey, through another examination by him, may be able to make suggestions of economic importance in the future development of the camp and we commend it to the attention of the Director in organizing his season's work. * * * We protested most vigorously against the policy of the Railway Commissioners of Canada in raising wages, freight and passenger rates, and pointed out that the policy was most inimical to the national interest; would result in the destruction of railway traffic, trade and commerce; and would prove a serious factor in closing down mines, sawmills and logging industries, throwing many thousands out of employment and promoting revolutionary conditions. The mischief has been done; yet we do not hear of a member of the House of Commons or of the Senate raising his voice in protest. Railway officials realize the situation, however, and a leading eastern railway man is reported to have said: "We Canadians cannot sell wheat, forest products and ore in world markets and against world competition, then we have got to quit and throw half our population out of work. Present labor costs in Canada are gradually making it impossible for Canada to hold her place in international markets and we have got to, or go bankrupt. Railway wages are holding all wages up. Something has got to give way." Mining engineers would do well to assist the development of local industries by placing their orders as far as possible with manufacturers of machinery operating plants in this country. The Vancouver Engineering Works, Ltd., operates a plant that has already manufactured large quantities of mining and hydraulic machinery with entire satisfaction to the companies for whom the work was done. The plant is probably the best and most complete in Western Canada, and would be extended to meet any reasonable requirements. Most of the companies operating here are American, with their own engineers in charge, and they naturally prefer to place their orders with American plants and machinery supply houses with which they are acquainted. We may point out, however, that as they produce their wealth from the natural resources of this coountry it has first claim on their business; and by placing what orders they can with local manufacturers they not only obtain more prompt service, but save customs duties and heavy freight charges, and promote that spirit of good fellowship with the manufacturers and employes of this country in the metal trades which is of great value to them in the operation of their industries. * * * AN ENTERPRISING PROSPECTOR The prospector who does something to help himself commands the admiration of every mining man. Too many prospectors are satisfied with staking a claim, putting a fictitious value on it, and sitting around waiting for somebody to turn up and accept the terms placed upon it, irrespective of its merits or the business principles of mining. The prospector who helps himself deserves the help and admiration of the investor and legitimate promoter. A man who has set a remarkable example as a prospector is P. Sharp, of Porcher Island, who holds the Paterson Group of claims carrying auriferous quartz. He has demonstrated the prospective value of his property by making a shipment from which he had a smelter return of about 3 oz. gold and half an ounce of silver per ton. He has opened out his prospect and exposed considerable ore tonnage. He has built an ore bin, tramway, an arrastra, and brought in a head of water for power by a ditch and flume. Those who are looking for a prospective gold mine should not overlook the Paterson Group. The owner has shown his good faith in the most practicable manner possible and deserves the opportunity to- place his prospect with mining engineers and investors who are on the lookout for something with merit from grass roots down. We have run across some enterprising prospectors in our travels, and Mr. Sharp is among the best of them. MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD 21 GRANBY CONSOLIDATED MINING SMELT- Commission, informs us that he and his fellow com- ING AND POWER CO., LTD. missioners are alive to the importance of proper pro- The Granby Consolidated Mining Smelting and vision for handling bunker coal being made at Van Power Company maintains its position as the largest producer of copper in the British Empire, and it is a high tribute to the management that the Company is able to carry on to full capacity when all the other large copper producers in British Columbia, and most of those in the United States; have been forced to close down or seriously reduce production. Granby was one of the biggest assets of the British Empire in the great war, when its production was maintained to the highest possible degree, and the copper from its mines was at the order and disposal of the British Government for the manufacture of munitions of war. At the present time Granby must be operating more as a national and philanthropic industry than as a producer of profits for its shareholders. It has earned no dividends for about a year, and at the present price of copper is certainly operating at a loss to maintain the efficiency of its organization and avoid throwing its employees out of a means of livelihood. The labor agitator is never-ceasing in his abuse of the capitalist and the large industrial organization, forgetting that, in times of world-wide financial disorganization and industrial depression, it is to companies like Granby that we look for the means of carrying the community through its trying period of readjustment and reconstruction. * * * BUNKER COAL In view of the growing importance of the ports of British Columbia, it is time that steps were taken to establish up-to-date coal bunkering plants. Action in this direction has probably been delayed by the fact that so much' shipping uses oil fuel. The difficulty of obtaining oil supplies, and the necessity of the conservation of oil fuel for naval purposes, means an important increase in the use of coal as fuel for steamships. It is, therefore, essential that ample supplies of coal be maintained at the ports, and that these ports should be equipped with the most efficient and economical means of receiving shipments of coal by water from Vancouver Island or by rail from mainland mines; and of delivering the same into ship bunkers. The Alberta coal operators have been active in pressing for accommodation at Prince Rupert, which port they hope to supply with the necessary bunker coal. Hon. J. L. Cote, Minister of Mines, and H. Stutchbury, Trade Commissioner for Alberta, have been doing active work in this direction, with the result that the management of the Canadian National Railways has promised to make the required provision at that port. Col. Kirkpatrick, Chairman of Vancouver Harbour couver, and they will represent to the Dominion Government the desirability of providing necessary funds for it. * * * AMERICAN JINGOISM It is high time the American people became aroused to the fact that an attempt is being made to lead them into a militarism as damnable as that of Germany. Every true Canadian cannot but be indignant when he reads an announcement like that of Rear-Admiral H. P. Huz, commandant of the New York Navy Yard,, that "We will have to have a navy large enough to fight England. We have to know in the navy against whom we build ships. This is necessary so that we can decide on what kind of ships we must build. We can construct different ships against Japan than against England." If any public officer in Great Britain or Canada uttered similar sentiments he would promptly be dismissed from the public service, but Huz appears to rule the roost at Washington without reproof. Canada is the neighbor and friend of the United States and wishes to remain so; but such bombastic militarism as we have just quoted is not the way to promote a permanent spirit of friendship. Canada is the leading Dominion of the British Empire, and will not wantonly submit to insult of the Mother Country by any nation or responsible individual. Americans control 95% of the mining investments in Canada, 100% of the pulp and paper investments in Western Canada; 75% of the lumber industries; 75% of the fisheries. American capital has always had a square deal and American citizens have been 'accorded greater privileges in Canada than are accorded to Canadians in the United States. Let us hope the good sense of the American people will condemn this jingoism, which has its birth in the intrigue of hyphenated Irish-Americanism and German- Americanism. * * * A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR MANITOBA The Provincial Legislature of Manitoba should have no hesitation in adopting the suggestions in the report of Dr. Wallace, Commissioner for Northern Manitoba, regarding the building of the Pas-Flin Flon Railway a distance of 80 to 90 miles. Dr. Wallace has already rendered great service to Manitoba, and it was on his reports that the Mining Corporation of Canada and the Thompson interests of New York took an option on the Flin Flon Mine, which rivals the big copper mines of British Columbia in ore reserves. The option was entered into on the representation that the Government of Manitoba would see to it that transportation would be provided. j H| .mm 22 MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD M f So far, however, the Government has taken no definite action. The bondees have spent a large sum of money on development, with satisfactory results, except the assurance of transportation. In April the first payment under the bond is due, when the bondees must either go ahead with the deal or drop it. To drop it would be a calamity to Manitoba. Dr. Wallace has made this clear to the Government when, in his report, he says:—"It is estimated that the building of such a railway would permit a two- thousand ton a day extraction of valuable ore for 27 years, and enable a population of not less than 3,000 persons to make their living by working it. . . . A large number of persons not connected with the Flin Flon line itself will be attracted to these regions just as soon as travel becomes easy." The cost of the proposed line is estimated at $2,500,000, and it is pointed out that the Temiskaming and Northern Ontario cost more than $21,000,000, and yet has paid excellently because it opened a mineral district. Dr. Wallace concludes: "I would respectfully recommend that the Government of Manitoba undertake the building of a railway from The Pas to the Flin Flon property along the route followed by the preliminary survey recently completed, at an estimated cost of $2,500,000; such undertaking being contingent on the guarantee of the Flin Flon syndicate that the purchase of the property will be proceeded with gaged in the profession or industry of mining. It should be the holiday of the year for the mining men of the Province." A new feature of the meeting was the extension of the hand of fellowship of the older men in the business of mining to the younger men who are in training to take their places. The students of the Mining Department demonstrated by their papers the value of the training they are already receiving at the University of British Columbia, young as it is, and working under difficulties. In Dean Brock, Drs. Uglow, Schofield and Williams, Profs. Turnbull and Thompson, the University has a staff that is not beaten by any mining school in the Dominion, and the Province will shortly get its first results from the work that is being done so well. The discussion on the "Relation of the Institute to Government" developed in the highest degree the value of the Institute in national service, and if the Government of this or any future day will show its good judgment in accepting the invitation for co-operation we shall not have repeated the farce of a Minister of Finance framing taxation measures for an industry of which he knows nothing; of a Minister of Lands stopping prospecting for coal and making an ass of himself and his government by barring prospectors and investors from exploration of oil resources in order to satisfy ignorantly conceived visions in March, 1921; that the mine and smelter will az of a Provincial Treasury swimming in oil exploita- operated on the completion of the railway on a basis of at least 2,000 tons of ore per day, and that security will be deposited adequate to protect the government in the undertaking until such time as the mine and smelter are in operation." * * * CANADIAN INSTITUTE OF MINING AND METALLURGY The Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy is to be congratulated on the success of the annual meeting of the British Columbia Division held at Vancouver this month. In the character of the papers presented, the discussions, the harmony that prevailed throughout the gathering, the meeting set a record which has not been surpassed by any previous tneeting, even at the eastern headquarters. This achievement was largely due to the work of the Secretary, H. Mortimer Lamb, whose energy, organizing ability and thorough intimacy with the work of the Institute formed the basis on which the success of the gathering was founded. In the preliminary announcement of the meeting issued on Nov. 24th, 1920, Mr. Mortimer Lamb said: "The annual meeting should be in effect a reunibn; a time for renewing and strengthening old acquaintanceships; and an opportunity for widening one's circle of frieds among one's provincial associates en- tion; or a Minister of Mines hampering a great industry by ill-devised regulations merely at the instigation of the professional agitator, with positive disadvantage to the industry and immensely increased cost to the public. The British Government has demonstrated the value o'i co-operation with the British Institute in devising its taxation policy as applied to mining. In the war all governments appealed to the mining organizations for their help and co-operation in their most critical days with benefit to the national interests. The United States Government has sought the help of the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers, and of the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, in solving national problems connected with the industry. No call for such co-operation has ever been issued in vain. The Government of British Columbia should not hesitate a moment to accept the helping hand which the British Columbia Division of the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy has seen fit to extend, and if it does, the Government will find it has the sympathetic and effective help of the best men in the industry. In this way the Province will be assured of better government administration; improvement in its mining legislation; promotion of the development of natural resources along the best lines; and removal of causes of adverse criticism which in the end policy if it is to be successfully national industry. It is better MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD undermine the confidence of the electorate in public men and governments. In the British Columbia Branch of the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy the Government has at hand a well organized and effective advisory board, such as it should esteem a privilege to be able to consult and confer with; siderations, misrepresentation and dealings with irresponsible interests will be attended with more dis- 23 developed as a great a thousand times to wait a little longer than to rush into an industry of this kind before conditions are favorable. There is no enterprise in which undue haste, improper con- egotism of Ministers and we hope that neither the nor the indifference of Cabinet counsel will let the opportunity pass without the co-operation of the Institute being invited to the fullest extent in matters which concern the mineral and metallurgical industries and their deveolopment. * * * COAST RANGE STEEL CO., LTD. No Government should assist in camouflaging the public. We regret to see the Government of British Columbia has lent itself to a questionable proceeding in ordering the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies to register the Coast Range Steel Company, Ltd., with a capitalization of $15,000,000 for the fee of $15, when every bona fide industrial incorporation has to pay the full fees specified under the Companies Act, and these fees are a guarantee of bona fides. Then the Government did a most improper thing in entering into a contract with this company, which is intended solely for financial exploitation purposes. No such contract was necessary. The Iron Bounties Act provides for certain bounties payable on the mining and reduction of such ores, and any person complying with the law can claim these bounties irrespective of any contract with the Government. The Coast Range Steel Company, Ltd., has not produced a ton of ore and may never do so. On the other hand its business methods and the publicity announcements of its promoters justify suspicion as to its bona fides. Owners of iron ore properties irl- form us they are being asked to give conveyances without any present consideration and accept agreements acknowledging that such conveyances do not carry title. Yet these conveyances may be registered and the company may in this way be represented as having assets to which it has no actual title. Fortunately there are members of the Legislature who are not likely to be hoodwinked by this kind of thing, and who may be depended on, when the time comes, to have a thorough investigation made of such matters. One of these is C. S. Hanes, C.E., M.L.A. for North Vancouver, who has had extensive experience in the mining and marketing of iron ores. Mr. Hanes knows the problem, and he has already shown that improper acts of administration will get short shrift from him. Of all enterprises which should be placed on a sound and business-like basis from its inception, free from political graft and frenzied finance, the iron and steel industry is that which demands the most cautious and conservative government astrous effects than an iron and doomed to failure. ;teel industry fore- The mischief of so many iron and steel promotions at present is that they are in the hands of men who have not the slightest practical knowledge of the business. We had an instance of this the other day in F. T. Congdon, K.C., addressing the Kiwanis Club at North Vancouver on the -iron and steel industry. Mr. Congdon may be, and no doubt is, a good lawyer, for that is his profession. But when he spoke on iron and steel, if we may rely on the newspaper reports of his address, he illustrated the old adage of the shoemaker sticking to his last. He told his audience the Coast Range Steel Co., Ltd., of which he is solicitor and one of the promoters, proposed to install three blast furnaces, each of 400 tons capacity, with an output of 1,000 tons a day, employing 1,300 men, using 2,200 tons of coke, 4,500 tons of ore. He is also reported to have said the Coughlan Shipyards were in favor of the development of the industry as a valuable asset to shipbuilding, and that the iron and steel consumption of the Pacific Coast is 4,000,000 tons a year. Mr. Congdon evidently overlooked the fact that on his figures the average product of the plant would cost about $43.00 a ton. We need hardly point out that a plant operating at such a cost could not possibly compete in outside markets; and the local market which alone would be open to it could only absorb a fraction of the proposed production. As to shipbuilding, it is well known the boom days for that industry are over for some years; that the war losses have been more than made good; that many ports are full of idle shipping; and that the future of the industry is anything but bright. Besides, the main value of an iron and steel plant to ship-building is in the production of plates. A few hours' run of a local plant would supply all the plates required to meet the local demand for a year. To be a success a plate1" mill should be in a position to run from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, and have a market for its product. Regarding Mr. Congdon's figures on relative amounts of ore and coke required, metallurgists tell us it takes an average of a ton of coke to the ton of ore based on hematite, and up to four tons of coke to the ton of certain grade Mr. Congdon's company more easily reducible hematite ores for its supply of raw material. It i of steel. is not depending on the dealing for properties containing 24 MINING k ENGINEERING RECORD m It* ii ii ii!i;j magnetite ores, to reduce which a greater proportion of fuel is needed. The average consumption of 281 furnaces taken over a month's run was 1.56 tons of coke to each ton of pig, and that from hematite ores, so that if Mr. Congdon's figures, together with the proposed capitalisation, are those on which the Coast Range Steel Co. is working, it would appear that the estimates on which the Company is basing its claims to public and Government support require revision. Now what are the facts about the outlook in the iron and steel industry? Like everything else, prices of iron and steel are in for a big drop, and will probably return to pre-war prices. The Mining Journal, of London, says:—"Because our prices are far above those of Continental producers, blast furnaces are being laid idle, and steel mills are going out of operation or are working short time. Some of the blast furnaces in the Cleveland district, which were to have blown out, are still operating, but failing a swift change in the position still more will be laid idle before long. On the west coast one or more furnaces have been damped down at Cleator Moor, so that the whole of the Whitehaven Company's plant is idle, and. only five furnaces are blowing in West Cumberland. Scottish makers, also, finding themselves unable to compete with Belgian iron, are reducing output and that is in fact the general policy." Representative bodies of citizens should not allow themselves to be used as media for fooling and misinforming the public. An old proverb tells us the result of the blind leading the blind, and organizations like the Kiwanis Club should aim at securing and publishing facts rather than the visions of dreaming promoters. No doubt the Kiwanis Clubs wish to inform their members concerning matters of community in terest. Then let them go to the lawyer for a lecture on law; and to the mining engineer or metallurgist for information concerning an iron and steel industry and its prospects. In this way they will learn the truth to their own advantage and that of the community in which their activities are carried on. -:o:- COMPETITION UNDER AUSPICES OF CANADIAN INSTITUTE OF MINING AND METALLURGY At the annual meeting of the British Columbia Division of the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, held at Vancouver this month, two prizes were offered, one for the best paper on "Mining," and the other for a paper on "A Metallurgical Subject." The competition was open to students in the third and fourth years at the University of British Columbia; the papers not to exceed 2,500 words, and the prizes were technical books to the value of $10 each. The competition in Mining papers brought four competitors:—C. O. Swanson, on "Stoping Practice at Britannia Mine"; D. L. Thompson, on "The Mining Methods and Practice at Britannia Mines; O. A. E. Jackson, "Operations in the Britannia Mines"; and R. G. Anderson, "A Modern Electric Transmission Line"; P. D. J. Honeyman, "Portland Canal Mining District." The paper by C. O. Swan- son was awarded the prize. The competition in "A Metallurgical Subject" elicited five papers:—L. D. Shaw, on "The Metallurgy cal Plant of the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Co."; H. G. Bell, "Copper Smelting as conducted at Anyox, B.C."; N. W. McLellan, "Notes on the Manufacture of Basic Electric Steel and Cast Iron"; Donald F. Stedman, "General Investigation of Metal Losses in Trail Copper Slags." The prize in this section was awarded to L. D. Shaw. The papers were judged by J. D. Mackenzie, H. G. Nicholls, and H. Mortimer Lamb. In announcing the results to the Institute meeting, Mr. Nicholls said nine papers were submitted and the judges regretted there were not nine prizes to be awarded. The award for the paper on a metallurgical subject was made to L. D. Shaw on the ground of its being an original essay on an interesting subject, presented in a very excellent way. The characteristics of the paper by C. O. Swanson on the mining subject, "Stoping Practice at the Britannia Mine," were thoughtful- ness, originality and the excellent method of presentation. The papers were all highly creditable to their authors, and the committee felt they would like to see them published in the Transactions of the Institute. The Chairman, W. Fleet Robertson, called on Hon. W. Sloan, Minister of Mines, who was present, to present ftie awards to the successful authors. L. D. Shaw was not present. In presenting the Institute cheque to C. O. Swanson, Hon. W. Sloan said he appreciated the policy of the Canadian Mining Institute in encouraging the younger generation to present these papers. He would ask the Provincial Mineralogist to consider the publication of the winning papers in the Annual Report of the Department of Mines. At Nanaimo they had the team which was the champion of Canada in First-Aid work and these papers showed that in the metal miners they could produce men who could take their place along with the champion team among the coal miners. MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD Granby Consolidated Mining, Smelting and Power Company, Limited 25 The Granby Consolidated Mining, Smelting and Power Co., Ltd., is to be congratulated on the fact that its production for the past year exceeded that of 1919 by a value of $1,176,989. This result was achieved in face of the fact that the Phoenix Mines and smelter at Grand Forks were closed down last year and did not add to the production of the past year. The entire production was therefore derived from the Hidden Creek Mine, reflecting the highest credit on the officials in charge of the Company's enterprise. The average force employed for the year was 1,277 men, of whom 368 were employed in mining; 285 in smelting; 131 in operating the coke plant; 140 in looking after the housing accommodation for the employees ; and 353 in the service departments. PRODUCTION In 1919 the company smelted at Grand Forks 434,- 134 tons ore, yielding 573 oz. gold, 11,241 oz. silver, and 438,846 lb. copper; and at Anyox, 647,466 tons ore, yielding 4,864 oz. gold, 348,408 oz. silver, and 19,544,588 lb. copper. Last year the Company smelted at Anyox 818,534 tons of ore from its own mines, yielding 9,160 oz. gold, 439,238 oz. silver, and 25,304,400 lb. copper. This was an increase over previous year of 171,068 tons ore, 4,296 oz. gold, 90,830 oz. silver, and 5,759,- 812 lb. copper, or an increased value of $1,176,989, despite the reduced prices of the metals. The Company used, in addition to its ore supply, 3,550 tons of ore carrying $4.50 in gold and silver, as flux from the Golkeish Mine, and 14,763 tons of silica flux in the shape of barren quartz from the Rambler; also 47,177 tons of limestone flux from its Swamp Point quarry. * BY-PRODUCT COKING PLANT The by-product coking plant, the only installation of its kind in Western Canada, made an interesting record, treating 126,000 tons of coal, of which 12,600 tons came from the Pocahontas Mine in Alberta, and the balance from the Company's own coal property at Cassidy, on Vancouver Island. From this plant were obtained 77,290 tons of coke for the smelter furnaces, 5,986 tons of coke breeze available as fuel; 737,057 imp. gall, tar; 2,465,955 lb. ammonia sulphate; 1,203,954 cubic ft. gas; and 121,734 gall, benzol, sold as motor fuel. The value of these byproducts was about $75,000, or about 60c per ton of coal. BOUNDARY At Grand Forks the dismantling of the mine and smelter plants was carried on by C. M. Campbell, formerly superintendent of the Phoenix Mines. An investigation was made of the problem of concentrating the ore remaining in the mines to make a com mercial product, but it was found that the necessary plant would cost $75,000, and that a concentrate could not be produced at a cost in proportion to the market value of the copper content. COLLIERY NO. 1 The Company's colliery at Cassidy produced 207,- 236 tons of coal for the year, an increase of 134,351 tons over previous year. The Company is the third largest producer of coal on Vancouver Island. The small coal was sent to the coking plant at Anyox, and the nut and lump sold in Victoria and Vancouver. During the year the new dock below Ladysmith was completed with storage bins and conveyor belt 1,300 ft. long to deliver coal from the bunkers into scows on the hold of a ship. Seven Overstrom tables were added to the washing plant at Cassidy to more effectually clean the product. Additions were made to the machine shop equipment. The main slope was extended to 3,500 ft. into the Company's ground not in dispute with the E. and N. Railway. A Dorr thickener, 75 ft. in diameter and 13 ft. high, on concrete foundation, was added to the plant; also a Sirocco fan of 150,000 cubic ft. per minute. COPPER AND EXCHANGE The Company's copper production at present is about 2,500,000 lb. per month, the blister copper being shipped via Panama Canal to New York for treatment at the Nichols refinery. The exchange situation has been a material benefit to the Granby Company, which makes a profit on the side in this way of little short of half a million dollars a year. This windfall has been of material assistance in enabling the Company to continue its operations in the face of depressed metal market conditions. DIVIDENDS While the Company has had to pass its dividend for the latter half of 1920, and will not be able to resume dividend payments until some time after present readjustment conditions have settled down to a steady condition of manufacturing industry and prices, the Company has done fairly well in the past, having, up to last year, paid in dividends $10,761,438, of which $562,500 was distributed last year. The Company has thus, in its 20 years of operation, returned to its shareholders 66% on their capital, although the average annual dividend has been low, around" 3% per annum. Still it has a valuable property—one with a long life, and which can, under favorable operating conditions, enable the Company to resume the dividend basis of 10% which prevailed during recent years. It is under first-class management, and the handicaps from which the Company has recently been suffering will be removed with the business re- 26 It 1 vival to which we are all looking forward once the trying time at present experienced passes over. CHANGES IN STAFF The head office of the Granby Consolidated Mining, Smelting and Power Co., Ltd., is at the Birks MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD up to $460,000,000, over half of which is to be credited to the last decade. The apparent prosperity of the Alaska mining industry during the year is due solely to the increase in the output of copper from 47,220,- 000 pounds valued at $8,783,000 in 1919, to about Building, Vancouver, and the New York office is at 71,000,000 pounds, valued at $12,400,000, in 1920. Alaska has now produced 616,200,000 pounds of copper, worth $127,000,000. Alaska has been seriously affected by the worldwide depression of the gold-mining industry of the past four years, during which the output of her gold mines has been steadily declining. The output of gold in Alaska fell from $9,426,000 in 1919 to about $8,000,000 in 1920, bringing the total gold output up to a value of $320,000,000. This condition is most serious, for about 60 per cent, of Alaska's population has been supported, directly or indirectly, by gold 42 Broadway. H. S. Munroe, general manager, makes his headquarters at Anyox, the site of the Company's Hidden Creek Mine and Smelter. The Company recently lost one of its best men in E. E. Campbell, who had for some years been superintendent of the Hidden Creek Mine, and who resigned at the end of the year to accept the position of general superintendent of the United Verde Mine at Jerome, Arizona. Dr. Bancroft, of the Mining Department of McGill University, has been appointed to succeed Mr. Campbell as superintendent. Mr. Bancroft has a high reputation as an economic geologist, and spent two summers at the Hidden Creek Mine, working out the geology of the ore deposits there. He will retire from McGill at the end of the present session and enter on his new duties at Anyox in May. :o: UNITED VERDE EXTENSION MINING COMPANY The United Verde Extension Mining Company, of Jerome, Yavapai Co., Arizona, of which E. E. Campbell, formerly Superintendent of the Granby Company's Hidden Creek Mine at Anyox, B.C., has been appointed General Superintendent, is a remarkable example of conservative mine finance. It has an authorized capital of $3,250,000, of which only $525,- 000 has been issued. It has $1,069,442 cash in hand and $2,946,581 in Liberty bonds. The company has a monthly production of about 3,200,000 lb. copper. Since it began to pay dividends in August, 1916, if has distributed 19 quarterly divi: dends of 50c per share, and eight extra dividends, its dividend distributions totalling $13,755,000, or more than 26 times the outstanding capitalization. The ore averages 15% copper. ,The smelter consists of a 600-ton blast furnace and reverberatories in which pulverized coal is used as fuel. The companv produces copper at 9c per lb. -:o:- MINERAL PRODUCTION OF ALASKA FOR 1920 The value of the total mineral production, of Alaska increased from $19,620,000 in 1919 to $22,070,000 in 1920 according to estimates by Alfred H. Brooks, United States Geological survey. This brings the value of the total mineral production of the Territory PREMIER MINE LITIGATION When a good mine is discovered it is unfortunately almost certain to become the subject of all kinds of litigation. The Premier Mine at Stewart has not escaped. Maurice W. Bacon, M.E., of Spokane, brought suit against R. K. Neill for a half interest in the mine and P. Daly, of Stewart, has brought another law suit claiming a substantial interest. The former suit has been decided at Spokane where it was heard by Federal Judge Rudkin, who said that for a time there was a partnership agreement between the parties regarding the property. Plaintiff sent A. Rounsavell as his representative along with Neill to examine the property. Rousavell will be remembered by many in British Columbia as having been in charge of the Vancouver office of the Quatsino Copper Co., while Mr. Bacon was developing the Old Sport at Quatsino. His report was unfavorable, and on it Bacon turned the property down, whereupon defendant in 1917 took it up on his own account, associated with E. R. Wood, Trites, and W. R. Wilson, of Fernie. Evidence was given that plaintiff had offered one Benson of Salmo, witness for defendant, $100 not to appear; and that defendant had paid W. G. Harris $1,260 with the same object, the Judge remarking that "There can be no doubt that the payment had a corrupting influence on the witness; that the testimony of Harris was "impeached by contradictory statements" and that "no credence" could be placed upon it. Plaintiff claimed to have paid defendant $3,000 on account of the Premier Mine, but defendant said it was for stock in the Hudson Bay Mine, and the Court upheld this view. Judgment was given in favor of Neill. MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD COMPANY REPORTS. 27 ASBESTOS CORPORATION OF CANADA Profits of the company from operations for 1920, after provision was made for Government taxes, amounted to $1,661,672, a gain of $187,020 over 1919, when the total reached the then unprecedented level of $1,473,752 and an increase of $484,493 over 1918. The corporation's net revenue for 1920 reached $1,786,938 against the 1919 total of $1,573,317, and $1,253,823 in the preceding period. After all deductions there remained a balance available for distribution among the holders of the company's participating preferred .and common stock of $1,058,940, representing approximately 15 per cent. on the combined issues, compared with 14.4 per cent, in 1919, 11.4 in 1918, and 3.6 per cent, in 1917. Total surplus, as at December 31 last, reached the substantial total of $2,052,831, the sum of $466,440 being added as a result of the year's successful operations. Net working capital at end of 1920 amounted to $3,398,494, compared with $2,921,728 in 1919, and $2,353,355 in 1918. The increase was due mainly to the growth in the company's investments, which stood at $2,038,746 at the end of last year, an increase of upwards of $400,000. Cash in hand is $614,808, or less by almost $160,000 from the total of a year ago. Accounts and bills receivable on the other hand, are up by almost $200,000, while inventories of asbestos, materials and supplies are down by some $470,000. The head office of the company is at 263 St. James St., Montreal, and it operates the King's, Beaver, British Canadian and Standard Mines at Thetford and Black Lake, Quebec. * * * BLACK LAKE ASBESTOS AND CHROME CO., LTD, By the election of a board of directors, nominated by J. A. Jacobs, of Montreal, who owns 29,000 out of the 40,000 shares of the company, differences which have existed over the management of the com- 1 pany are in a fair way of settlement. At the annual meeting in Toronto bondholders named an alternative slate, but were outvoted. Mr. Jacobs was not present on account of illness. W. E. Neuman, of New York, for Mr. Jacobs, said the bondholders had no reason to fear the future, as, if the company succeeded, their position would be improved. J. C. Chalmers, of Copper Cliff, Ont., who led the bondholders, said the owners of the bonds had pooled their holdings to protect their interests, and would meet later with a view to renewing the pool. The report for the year ended December 31 showed an increase in profit from operations of $161,097, against $155,129. Bond interest for both half-yearly terms was paid, amounting to $71,280, against $35,- 745 in the previous year for one term. Total income was $195,668, compared with $179,835. After paying all expenses, interest on bonds, and allowing for depreciation, there was a surplus of $1,510, compared with a loss of $4,975 in the previous year. Total assets are now $5,245,100, against $5,324,877. Current assets are $365,550, against $377,345, and current liabilities $53,848, compared with $115,876, so that the company's working capital has increased by $50,000 in the year. President Massie reported the cash value of the company's output much in excess of previous years, advantages having accrued from changes in process of extraction and enhanced value of fibre. New methods of extraction, he believed, would add materially to earnings this year. A substantial portion of the estimated output for 1921 has been sold. The head office of the company is at 9 Victoria St., Toronto, and the mines are at Black Lake, Que. WELLS GROUP AT SURF INLET F. Wells owns a group of claims near the Surf Inlet Mine, Princess Royal Island, on which he has done considerable development work. The location? were made on what he believed to be the upper outcrop o.f the Surf Inlet vein, showing above the tunnel to a width of 10 ft., and his assays show about the same values as were contained in the original development of the Surf Inlet Mine, of whi'ch Mr. Wells was one of the original promoters. In the summer of 1919 a camp was built at an elevation of 2,300 ft., and a tunnel run 300 ft. under great difficulties as to transportation of supplies, -everything having to be packed in on men's backs. The first 150 ft. of the tunnel shows a vein of pyr- itized quartz up to 2 ft. in width. Then the tunnel swings to the left and is driven in the hanging wall on a well mineralized vein from 7>y2 to 5 ft. wide. Of his examination of the prospect, Geo. Clothier, Resident Engineer, remarks:—"Altogether it is a very promising showing, and justifies further development if the average values are sufficient to make it a milling-grade ore. Mr. Wells, the owner, and one of the original owners of the Belmont Surf Inlet property, certainly deserves commendation for the amount of exploratory work accomplished under such difficult conditions." F. W. Holler, manager of the Surf Inlet Mine, is of opinion that the strike made by Mr. Wells is not on the upper outcrop of the veins being worked by the Belmont Surf Inlet Mines, but on an entirely different ore body. mUUM f=1 28 MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD THE MINING NEWS i tw< i The Bear Group is a gold prospect consisting of the Bear, Hawk, Whistler and Goat claims, located by M. Allard, of Terrace, et al. Access is provided by trail from Kisumgallum Lake. On the Bear claim the vein has been opened by cuts for a distance of over 600 ft. Country-rock is schist, to which the vein conforms in strike and dip. The vein is quartz, a foot wide, panning free gold, with which galena is associated. Water power is at hand, and Geo. Clothier, M.E., suggests that it may be profitable to operate a small mill. The Sunlight Group at Kitsumgallum, owned by Egan and McKinnon, of Terrace, consists of two claims, the Marmot and Sunlight, and is reached by a branch trail from the Bear Group. A quartz vein in slate has a width of from a few inches to 12 ft. An incline shaft has been sunk 17 ft. and shows vitreous quartz sparingly mineralized with sulphides of iron and copper, with a paystreak on the hanging wall assaying—Gold, 0.10 oz.; silver, 20 oz.; lead, 40%; copper, 3%. A tunnel has been started at an elevation of 3,800 ft., and another tunnel has been run 14 ft. On Cedar Creek, Kitsumgallum, are prospects located by Olander et al. The Roundy property at Alice Arm, bonded ten years ago by Capt. John Irving, of Victoria, has been famous for the rich silver ore it contained. During the past year it has been operated by Salinas, Vaughen and Luffgren. It is now known as Black Bear or Esperanza, sometimes called the Spanish Mine, and is under bond to eastern parties. A shipment made last year gave a return of 21 oz. silver, and $3.80 in gold per ton. J. C. Smith, of Seattle, has bonded the Ruby at Alice Arm. H. B. Price,' representing the United Fruit Company, of New York, abandoned his options on the Tiger and Last Chance at Alice Arm after doing some development. A. Pickett, the owner of the Tiger, intends continuing the work. The Last Chance is owned by McPhail, Morley and Cilbeck, of Alice Arm. A. D. Meenich, of Seattle, who purchased the Musketeer at Alice Arm, has run a drift of 72 ft. on the vein, which is 10 ft. wide where crosscut; also a crosscut tunnel of 72 ft. with drift of 27 ft. Olie Bisner, of Prince Rupert, and M. P. Olsen, of Vancouver, have been developing the Climax Group, which they own at Alice Arm. The Homestake Group, on which the Mineral Claims Development Co., Ltd., with offices at 1004 Standard Bank Bldg., had a bond, and made considerable payments, has reverted to the owners, who have again bonded it, and efforts are being made in Vancouver to raise fresh capital for its development. It is located at head of Kitsault River, 8 miles from the Dolly Varden Mine. The Vanguard was under development last season by the owners. The Matilda, owned by A. Smith, and the Fox, owned by O. Flint, are located above the Homestake on Kitsault River, and have been under development by the owners, who obtain access by a branch trail which they built to connect with the Vanguard trail. The Alice Arm Silver Mining Co. Ltd., has installed a compressor plant and machine drills at the North Star under the superintendence of Jas. Mc- Aleenan. A large amount of development was done last summer and ore taken to the Dolly Varden Railway for shipment. A. R. Hodgson, of Anyox, has a promising prospect in the Silver Star Group, on Illiance River. Considerable development has been done on the Silver Bell, Alice Arm. Prospects on McGraw Mountain, Lime and Roundy Creeks, Alice Arm, are said to be looking well. Investigations have been made as to the prospects of profitably working the black sands on the east coast of Graham Island for their gold and platinum values. ■:o:- THE GOLKEISH MINE, ANYOX, B.C. H. Heidman operates the Golkeish Mine at Anyox as a quartz flux for the Granby Smelter there. The ore carries values of about $3.20 per ton in gold and about half an ounce in silver, with occasional pockets of galena carrying high gold values. The vein is in argillite; averages 6 ft. wide, and is developed by an open cut 450 ft. long and 25 ft. deep. A crosscut tunnel 226 ft. long gives a depth of 90 ft. on the vein, which is developed from the tunnel by drifts of 100 ft. to the left and 30 ft. to the right, from which stopes are being opened, and the rock delivered at the tunnel portal to scows for transfer to the smelter. Last year a compressor was installed. The mine employs an average of 14 men. It is owned by Golkeish Mines Ltd., with registered office at 602-6 Pacific Building, Vancouver. The -capitalization is $50,000 in shares of $1. MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD ALASKA BRITISH COLUMBIA METALS COMPANY This company operates the Indian Chief Mine at Sidney Inlet, on the west coast of Vancouver Island. The mill and hydro-electric power plant were completed last summer and a start made with production, 400 tons of concentrates being produced when the plant shut down owing to the break in the copper market. The company has a capitalization of $2,000,- 000 in $1.00 shares, with head office at 1, Wall St., New York. The United Fruit Company is the principal shareholder. The directors are:—S. Silverman, president and managing director; C. S. Cohen, vice-president; H. H. Hanson, secretary-treasurer; H. M. Keith and H. L. Dudley. The Indian Chief was formerly owned by the Dewdney Canadian Syndicate, and is operated in the name of the Tidewater Copper Co., a subsidiary of the A. B. C. Metals Co. The Tidewater Copper Co. is organized in the State of Washington with a capitalization of $1,000,000 in $1.00 shares, 90% of which are held by the A. B. C. Company. The working capital was provided by a bond issue of $300,000, in 7%, 7-year, first mortgage debentures guaranteed by] the A. B. C. Metals Co. H. B. Price, who was President and general manager, recently left for South America to look after other mining interests of the United Fruit Co. D. M. Drumheller, Jr., is superintendent. The Indian Chief was formerly operated by the late Ex-Governor Dewdney and associates. It is stated to have produced 15,000 tons of 4%% copper ore, occurring in a contact metamorphic deposit between granite and garnetized limestone. The mineralization is bornite, chalcopyrite and chaleocite. The Tidewater Copper Company was organized in 1916; built a 100-ton flotation mill in 1917; and made a heavy loss on its first operation. Then H. B. Price assumed the management, scrapped the former mill; built a new mill with a capacity of 200 tons a day; and an aerial tram 3,000 ft. in length connecting mine and mill. The main ore zone is 480 ft. in length, but the ore occurs erratically in widths of from 4 ft. to 40 ft., and diamond drilling will be extensively employed in locating pockets and' shoots of ore. The company claims to have an ore reserve of 500,- 000 tons averaging 2% copper, 1 oz. silver and 0.2 oz. gold per ton. The company is continuing develop- •29 Alice Arm. The two latter have been abandoned, but the Forty-Nine is still held. FORTY-NINE MINING CO., LTD. This company, which is also a subsidiary of the A. B. C. Metals Co. was organized in 1918 under the laws of British Columbia with a capitalization of $1,500,000 in shares of $1.00. The stock was listed on the New York Curb, where, during the boom at Portland Canal, it sold as high as $5.00. The head office of the company is at 701 Rogers Building, Vancouver. The directors are: S. I. Silverman, president; H. B. Price, vice-president and manager, with office at 227 Pemberton Bldg., Victoria; Silas P. Silverman, sec-treasurer; C. F. Caldwell, of Kaslo; and O. B. Bush, of Vancouver. The company has done considerable development on the Forty-Nine Group under H. Howson as superintendent. A tunnel has been run 132 ft. and crosscuts north 92 ft. and south 27 ft. under the croppings of the Forty-Nine; and a tunnel run 95 ft. on the Occidental. In the Occidental tunnel a streak of 8 in. of high grade ore was followed for 50 ft. when it pinched out. The Forty-Nine tunnel and crosscuts also, proved disappointing, developing only a small stringer and small bunches of ore. Several open cuts have also been made on the Million Dollar Fraction. This is a very different statement from the publicity matter which accompanied the New York Curb issue, when it was represented that the property, consisting of five claims and two fractions, carried two parallel veins, 40 ft. and 50 ft. in width respectively. It was then claimed that on the Forty-Nine claim was 20 ft. of ore averaging $40 per ton in silver and gold: 12 in. carrying 987 oz. silver and 1 oz. gold per ton; 20 ft. averaging 50 oz. silver per ton; 10 ft. on the Occidental averaging $100 per ton; 2 ft. assaying $400 per ton; on the Dumas claim, 1 ft. averaging 300 oz. silver and % °z- gold; on the Yellowstone, $200 to $300 per ton in silver; on the Chicago, an ore- body 200 to 300 ft. wide of milling ore—the largest ore-body in the district. The dreams of 1919 must be disappointing to the New Yorkers when compared with the facts of to^ day,, as stated by Geo. Clothier, Resident Engineer, in his preliminary report for the past year. GRAPHITE The production of graphite in Canada for 1920 is estimated by the Mines Dept. at 2,227 tons, valued at ment and hopes to prove ore for a vertical depth of $173,537, or $77.90 per ton. The highest production about 2,000 ft. towards sea level, but this is problem atical in such erratic ore occurrences. The A. B. C. Metals Co. went in strongly at Portland Canal and Alice Arm in the 1919 boom in the north, taking up' the Forty-Nine Group on Salmon River, and the Tiger and Last Chance Groups on was in 1917, when the output was 3,714 tons, valued at $402,892, an average of $108.50 per ton. Graphite was one of the war minerals and production was stimulated to the uttermost during the war. The mineral was marketed as No. 1 Flake, No. 2 Flake, No. 3 and Dust. Ontario is the largest producer, i 30 MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD k 1 k 1 m with an output for last year of 1,994 tons, valued, at $141,624. Quebec produced 233 tons, valued at $31,913. Graphite is imported into Canada under the names of "plumbago" and "black lead." It is a nearly pure carbon, the purest samples from Ceylon being 98.8 to 99.7 pure, and from Buckingham, Canada, 97.6 to 99.8 pure. The Canadian production is mostly exported to the United States. Exports last year were 2,142 tons, valued at $159,817. It is a remarkable thing that Canadian manufacturers are not alive to the use of the mineral as a basis of industry, for we find that Canada imports more graphite products than she exports of the raw material. The imports for 1920 were:— Plumbago, not ground .$ 4,352 Ground and manufactured 102,568 Crucibles 156,711 Canadian graphite averages 22.38 to 30.51 carbon, and the mineral has been worked in New York State to as low a point as 6%. Coal is sometimes converted into graphitic anthracite, as at Newport in Rhode Island, Mexico, Russia, and Graham Island of the Queen Charlotte Group in British Columbia. In this form it is known as schungite, and is valueless as fuel, though it has been worked for graphite. Graphite is used in the manufacture of lead pen-, cils, lubricants, stove blacking, paints, refractory crucibles, foundry facings, crucibiles, fertilizers. The United States Bureau of Mines has been doing research work in the manufacture of graphite crucibles. The United States imported in 1919, 26,626 ton.? of graphite. Bohemia and Moravia are the largest producers, with an output of 31,234 tons; Austria and Syria come next with 17,000 tons; Korea, 12,000 tons; Mexico, 4,955 tons. The United States produced in 1919, 3,629 tons of amorphous, and 3,372 tons of the crystalline varieties. Lead pencils are now made in Canada; but this country should also manufacture its crucible and lubricant requirements. During the war artificial graphite was produced by the International Acheson Graphite Co., at Niagara Falls, Ont., the production being 1,808,000 lb., but the industry was evidently not profitable and was dropped. Graphite occurs in several sections of British Columbia, and the mineral was one of the first reported in the Province from occurrences at Bute Inlet. It occurs also at Swanson Bay, and Geo. H. Clothier, Resident Engineer for Prince Rupert, recently reported claims located at the head of Kiltuish or Long Inlet, on the south side of Gardner Canal, opposite Low Point, and 15 miles from Verney Passage. The locator was Jas. Hickey, of Prince Rupert, who staked Payroll and Payroll No. 2 claims, where graphite occurred in soft, decomposed schists, and in bands of 1 in. to 2 ft. The deposit is exceptionally convenient to transportation, but no analysis appears to have been made, so that its quality is unknown. P. Ches- ley and D. Stanwood have located claims on graphite in granite on south side of Skeena River, opposite Salvus. The French Engineering firm of Creusot and Schneider was recently enquiring in British Columbia for graphite, but has since secured a large deposit recently discovered in French Algeria. BENTONITE AT MERRITT, B.C. Deposits of Bentonite occur at Merritt and other points in Nicola and Similkameen Mining Divisions. The deposit at Merritt was examined last summer by • H. S. Spence, of the Canada Dept. of Mines, in answer to enquiries from Great Britain. Bentonite is a peculiar soapy clay of enormous absorptive power attended by an increase in bulk to several times that of the original mass. Merrill* gives an instance of this in stating that a small plug of Bentonite, fitted to accurately occupy a space of 20 cubic centimeters in the bottom of a conical measuring flask, and kept saturated with water for two days, swelled to a bulk of 160 cubic centimeters. The absorption was so complete that none of the water ran off when the flask was inverted, and the condition of the clay resembled that of flour or starch paste. The mineral has been in demand in New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago for paper manufacture; as a filling for horses' feet, as soap, in the manufacture of antiphlogistine, a substance widely used as a plaster applied to the chest in cases of pneumonia and croup; and as a retarder for hard-finish plasters. It originates through decomposition of feldspar, as labradorite, and contains:— Silica 59.78 to 65.24 Alumina 12.62 to 17.12 Iron ' 2.40 to 3.70 Magnesia 1.82 to 5.34 Some samples show small quantities of soda, sulphur, and water. The principal producing districts in the United States are Albany, Crook, Weston, and Natrona counties of Wyoming. It brings $5.00 to $25.00 per ton. The deposit at Merritt is 9 ft. thick, as hard as rock, and has to be quarried. B. A. Cunliffe, of Renwick and Cunliffe, Ltd., 365 Water St., Vancouver, has done considerable experimental work on this clay at his laboratory. ♦Non-Metallic Minerals, p. 247. MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 31 Metals and Metal Markets. New York London American Government of 30,000,000 lb. of cartridge Copper, electrolytic, per lb. .. 11.75c 7%d cases to brass manufacturers. Lead, per lb 4c 2d The larger producers are even now holding up Silver, per oz 56%c 32%d their stocks for a price of 123/4 to 13c per lb., so that Zinc, per lb 4.75c 3d the present low price is due to smaller producers The metal market situation is generally worse, being forced to find a market at any price. The demand for new metal is being hampered by the The large purchase by Germany is held up owing amount of war scrap still available, though that source to tne recent adverse developments regarding the of supply is believed to be approaching exhaustion. indemnity. It is now suggested that American pro- copper ducers should enter into an arrangement to supply ^, . , . ..... . T Germany with copper and receive in return manufac- Ine price of electrolytic is the lowest since Jan- ,, A t r Ma u> 7 j 10rv> h , • ™ ™ T , tured goods, for Germany is one of the worlds lead- uary, 1892—the lowest in 29 years. The London • , ' , J ....... . ,. . , t-mM . ., . mg manufacturers of copper, especially in electrical price is firmer at an equivalent of 15c, and if it were ,• ™ . , , . H ffi A j , £ ■ r , , . . . supplies. The trouble is that the great hydro-electric not for the exchange situation the price on this side i , I ipi&l i. • m Wei j. , . , ,, . M . developments which have been projected are held up ot the Atlantic would improve sufficiently to start mIi^¥W ■ i •.. ^ i_ ^ i „ , . , •". on account of the financial situation; but there are up all the mines that can operate on a paying basis. • ■,• | r , , , , - , . . .... b indications ot money becoming cheaper and more free- This is a striking instance of the manner in which , • , I A * ., , , Wm . ? ly circulated. As soon as the banks can see their American financiers are forcing the United States % , .« ■ a c ±- < . . , ° way to replace the present period of contraction bv to commit national suicide; and there is every indi- ,., , , , ,.. a . £ more liberal extensions of credits the copper mar- cation that the worst is not yet for our neighbors , . •,, , r ^ r- ± ^ . t-^ , , . ,. „,.. , M . , , . , ket will be one of the first to benefit, south of the line. With the financial highwayman ,, „ • ., , r ,i 1 i IRON AND STEEL on the rampage in the shape of the exchange extortionist the world's markets are closed to American The British market is in bad shape, most of the production, and as the most of the Canadian product furnaces and mills having had to shut down on ac- goes to the United States through the refineries this count of want of demand on one hand and the un- country has to suffer from the same injurious influ- dercutting of the market on the other by the output ences of Belgian furnaces being offered at lower prices. T* • l ui /- j -it i i. j. 1 i- . American production is rapidly declining for the It is probable Canada will have to take action to ^ Wsm • ,, r. • ... ., £ ., ,. ' r ,i same reasons, and has fallen off 40%, American ensure the refining on this side of the line of the . ' , .. j . I i,- , -r, ... , /- plants not operating to half capacity. U. S. Steel, copper production and to establish a Bntish-Cana- r . ,. , . . rl. ,. . , ,, which promised some time ago to reduce prices, has dian clearing-house system. If this were done the mm ,..„,. . . „,. ", u^iji r not done so, and is still endeavoring to maintain war Canadian copper producer could take advantage of ° . ,. .„ . . . $m „rvi r • 1^ j ^1 * scale, no. doubt to compensate for the production the British market. With freights down as they afe, .... . r i 1 • i „ . .. ,,,,,.. , . ,, under high prices for labor and materials. Sheet Canadian copper should be bringing 14c per lb., a f . ... . . , 1 11 ^1 • • iron is offered at Pittsburg by independent producers price which would enable all the copper mines in ,, , , , • 1 >- ., n „ , , „ IhBhI at—blue annealed, 3c; black, 4c; galvanized, 5.10c; Canada to operate to full capacity. If the Cana- . . ' , ,. 8 & i i u pig is offered at $23 to $26, but as the pre-war price dian Copper Corporation should not resume opera- r& A, „._ rnZ , ■ • , , ■ ■ , ... , | ma ., ^ ,.j . j was $13.98 a 50% reduction is due to bring it down tions at Allenby the contract with the Consolidated / . . . & ^r. . .„.. ^T.j ui ^1 to the point which it must reach in order to meet Mining and Smelting Co., Ltd., would place the op- , m . .... ,, , ... . . ..... , , j. ., the readiustment prices for which world business is eration or the mine and mill m the hands of that ' company, as, with the necessity of providing traffic P1 ^ s' for, and revenue from, the Copper Mountain branch of the Railway, and the supply of the raw material TheTre was some activity in this metal recently, but to enable the new copper mill at Trail Smelter demand has again slackened off, and the outlook to operate at capacity, this mine must be is not encouraging. The American market is over- operated. It is the third largest mine in British stocked. Britain can get all the lead required from ■Columbia as well as the third largest in the British the Continent at favorable prices. Elfectrical and Empire, and no interest connected with it can af- chemical manufacturers are almost the only consum- ford to let it lie idle if a fair market for the ore can ers in tne market, be obtained. Granby is working to full capacity, silver turning out $2,500,000 lb. copper per month. London demand for India showed a little improve- An instance of the bad effect of the scrap supply ment, and the prices responded in proportion, when on the market for new metals is the sale by the China became a competitor to fill the Indian demand MH Mai ■MM ■MM BErtt m m 11 11. 32 from its large silver reserve. China has established an up-to-date mint and will probably coin its reserve, so that this dangerpoint in the market may be removed. United States producers are of course in clover so long as the Government is paying the bullion price of 99%c for the requirements of the American Mints to replace the huge shipments made to India on British account during the war, and this keeps American silver off the world's markets. This condition is likely to continue for two years. In Canada a demand is being made by those interested that the Government should buy silver for minting at a fixed price of, say 80c per oz., and Robert R. Hedley, M.E., presented an interesting statistical paper and argument before the Chamber of Mines MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD endeavoring to educate the world's statesmen and financiers to this view, and although their efforts have in the past been without success it is now generally recognized that the time is ripe for an international discussion of the problem. ZINC Belgian and German zinc offered at low prices has closed the British market against exports from this side. American manufacturers appreciate the low price situation and are reported to be laying in stocks for future consumption, but if so the total purchases must be small, as they have not had any stimulating effect on the market. Zinc suffers from the same causes as copper—the demand for zinc in brass manufacture is largely filled from supplies of brass at Vancouver in support of such a contention. Certainly there is room in Canada for a more extended coinage of silver. It is not to the credit of this country, that, although the world's third richest country in silver, it is the poorest in silver coinage, comparable only to Turkey—the outcast of Europe. That is a condition of which any civilized country might well be ashamed; and it is due to the indifference and want of knowledge of monetary statistics on the part of the public men of the country. On the other hand Canada has not the same reason for buying a large amount of silver at a fixed price as the United States had for its policy; and it is not likely that the public or Parliament, especially in these times of strained national finance, would consent to the payment for silver or any other commodity a price from 30 to 50% over the market value merely to assist the industry of silver mining. Our own view is that the remedy lies in the adoption of international bi-metallism. It is recognized that the world's gold production is falling far short of the increasing demands of trade and commerce for a sound metal backing of the national and banking currencies and that something else must be sought. Silver is the natural and recognized handmaiden of gold in the world's monetary systems. An international agreement would set in motion the economic law of supply and demand to maintain the value of silver in a fixed ratio to gold, and so achieve a necessary reform in bullion reserves, while at the same time stimulating the mining industry and placing the mining of silver ores on the same standard of solidity that the gold mining industry has so long maintained. Moreton Frewen, Rt. Hon. A. J. Balfour, W. Jennings Bryan and many others have long been scrap still on the market. Like copper, too, zinc will be one of the first metals to be favorably affected by a renewal of industrial activity. A new demand is springing up for the use of zinc as a rust preventive in iron, and it is believed this will result in an enormous demand. GOLD is still bringing a big premium in the open market in London where 105 shillings and upwards per oz. is being paid. American bankers are now charging their customers a premium on gold payments. WHALE CHANNEL MINES, LTD. This company was organized in 1919 by A. H. Wall- bridge, of Vancouver, and associates, to develop the Moose Group at Rivers Bight, on Princess Royal Island. The property includes three claims—Moose, Moose No. 2, and Moose No. 3. A mile from the beach, and at an elevation of 450 ft. above sea level, a quartz vein, 6 ft. wide, outcrops, and has been traced for several hundred feet by open cuts. At the base of the outcrop a tunnel has been driven 70 ft., and follows the vein for 25 ft., then turning to the right and ending in country rock. The vein has a strike of N. 70 E., with dip of 40 deg., and shows a little mineralization. A shaft shows pyrite and chalcopyrite in veinlets. Last year further development, consisting of two open cuts, showed the vein to have a width of 8 ft., fairly well mineralized, according to Geo. Clothier, Resident Engineer, who examined it. The upper end of the cut shows the vein split into stringers. The Belmont Surf Inlet Mines, Ltd., have been negotiating for a bond on the property. MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD RUPERT W. HAGGEN D. L. S., B. C. L. S. NOTARY PUBLIC WATER' StHPPLT, LAND UStti MINERAL CLAIM SURVEYS ESTIMATES PREPARED QUESNEL, and 150 Mile House, B. C. AHDEEW a. I.ARSOIT llintng Engineer 926 Old National Bank Buildintf SPOKANE, WASH. Cable Address: "Larmac" Bedford McNeill Code 20te Mining Machinery OP EVERY DESCRIPTION Second Hand and New Bought and Sold B. C. EQUIPMENT CO., 602 Hastings Street W-, Vancouver, B. C. CABTWBiaHT, MAIffESON & CO Civil Engineers & B.C. Land Surveyors Mining Claims Surveyed Plans, surveys and superintendence of construction for Railways, Tramways, Cableways, Wharves, and all structures for Ore Transportation—Water Supply, eta 445 Granville Street Phone 7070 Vanoouver, B. C. *= ROBERT H. STEWART Mining and Metallurgical Engineer Vancouver Block, Vancouver, B.C P. W. Racey MINING ENGINEER 736 GRANVILLE STREET VANCOUVER, B. C. PX&OVIITCIAXi ABSAYEBS G. S. ELDRIDGE & CO. with which is Incorporated THE VANCOUVER' ASSAY OFFICE (Established 1890) We guarantee accuracy' of our results. Write for price tnti. Cave Building' 567 Hornby fit.* Vanoouver Send for particulars regarding a possible Ten Hundred per cent. Profit on a $10 investment in Shallow Oil fields of Ky. & Tenn. C. E. GIBSON, 207 Ideal Bldg., Denver, Colo., XT.S.A. Up-to-Dai We have one of the most Up-to- Date Plants in British Columbia and are equipped to turn out Good Printing at a reasonable price and on prompt time. Taelhumical Press, Lftdc, The iines Building 426 Homer St. Vancouver, B.C. Telephone Sey. 3825 BILLHEADS BOOKS, BOOKLETS BUSINESS STATIONERY CARDS, CATALOGUES ENVELOPES, FOLDERS LABELS, LETTERHEADS Three-Magazine Model Eight Linotype LOOSE LEAF FORMS MENUS, NOTEHEADS ORDER FORMS PAYCHECKS RECEIPT FORMS RULED FORMS MADE IN>5 B. C.' MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION . OF BRITISH COLUMBIA J 'I -: IkiTi 1 ill EI 1 pi Wm I M if; Ii fit IP m Mi Pi ■ MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD Use Clayburn Firebrick and Clayburn Fireclay if you want Clayburn Quality throughout your work Clayburn Company. Limited CLAYBURN, B.C. CAMMELL LAIRD a CO., Ltd. rv\ tCAMElQ Phone TRADI Seymour 5943 CYCLOPS CCYCLOPSj FROM ORE TO FINISHED PRODUCT marks Head office: Sheffield England Basic Open Hearth and Crucible Steel Products Rails, Forging-Billets, Blooms, Slabs, and Bars. &««,«,„<*» HI ... mk ■ TO I.4NYpC?l P^HP MINING EQUIPMENT Including Ball and Tube Mills, Roll SheSs, Crusher Jaws, Shoes and Dies. Also SOLID and HOLLOW DRILL STEELS. Crucible and High Speed Tool Steels, Nickel and Nickel Chrome Steels, High Grade Files . and High Speed Twist Drills Branch Office and Warehouse: The Best Book for Prospectors Prospector's Field Book and Guide _^_CT_a-sgSa By H. S. Osborn, Revised j33ESh&and Enlarged by M. W. Von Bernewitz ImflmMMk 4-5/8 by 7 inches. 425 pages. 57 illustrations. Flexible Binding for carrying in pocket. Published by Henry Carey Baird and Co. Price: $3.50. LIST OF CHAPTER HEADINGS. I.—Introduction II.—Preparatory Instruction III.—The Blowpipe IV.—Crystallography V.—Surveying VI.—Analysis of Ores VII.—Copper VIII.—Lead Zinc and Antimony IX.—Iron X.—Chromium, Manganese, Molybdenum, Titanium, Appendix, Glossary Tungsten, Uranium, Vanadium XI.—Tin XII.—Mercury, Bismuth. Nickel, Cobalt Cadmium XIII.—Aluminum XIV.—Petroleum, Asphalt Oil Shale, Ozokerite. XV.—Various Useful Minerals XVI.—Abrasives, Greenstones and Useful Bocks of Terms, Index. Copies Supplied on application to— THE TECHNICAL PRESS, LTD. The Mines Building 426 Homer Street Vancouver, B. C. Keep Track of Your Mine Costs DIRECT COST FORMS PRICE 10c EACH TECHNICAL PRESS, LTD. The Mines Building 426 Homer Street' Vancouver, B. C. MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD STONE FOR BUILDING And LIME CEMENT & MARBLE METAL & MINERAL PROPERTIES CONSULT A. A. CROWSTON NOTARY PUBLIC VANCOUVER, CANADA J. R. WILLIAMS PROVINCIAL ASSAYER AND CHEMIST 540 Thurlow St. Vancouver, B. C. Phone Sey. 7105 My Prices are Moderate and Accuracy is Guaranteed Price List Mailed on Request Vancouver Engineering Works, Ltd. VANCOUVER, B. C. ENGINEERS, BOILERMAKERS, STEEL, IRON & BRASS FOUNDERS, BOLT & RIVET MANUFACTURERS — Our — White Iron Balls and Liners for Ball Mills are giving Excellent Service — Use — ^VEW" Steel Castings and avoid costly breakdowns. Office and Works: 519—6th AVENUE WEST Phone: Fairmont 240 DIAMOND DRILL CONTRACTING COMPANY SPOKANE, WASH. Contractors for all kinds of Diamond Drill work. We have complete outfits in British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan. Write for Prices ROSSLAND, ORE BAGS-BURLAP ALL GRADES OF SACKS Write Us For Quotations R. G. Bedlington & Co., Ltd. 345 Water St. Vancouver, B. C CRUSHER JAWS Genuine " Manganese " Steel i You can get them right here at home.' We have patterns for the following sizes " Hadfield " Crusher Jaws "— 9£ in.x 16 in., 20 in.x 10 in., 24 in.x 13 in We can make you a pattern for any other size or make. Mauuf actured by Washington Iron Works Seattle, Wash. Agents for B. C.— Vancouver Machinery Depot LIMITED 1155 Sixth Avenue West, - Vancouver, B. C. Also Agents for " Crawford's " Aerial Tramway YOUR POWER SUPPLY We have 133,700 horse power available for this territory. It will pay you to Consult us. Carrall & Hastings Phone Sey. 5000 Vancouver New Westminister Victoria The Pleasure of Travel is fully realized in travelling on the Canadian Pacific Railway. By its lines can be reached all Canadian points, and its arrangements with American railroads enables its agents to issue tickets to all points in the United States. It operates its own Sleeping and Dining Cars, and has its own Hotels and Steamships. Its magnificent scenery, and the excellence of its service have made it the favorite route across the Continent. Illustrated publications as to its route, Banff, Yoho Valley. Glacier, etc., sent on application to any C. P. R. agent, or General Passenger Department. Vancouver, B. C. CXL- EXPLOSIVES FORCITE, fumes minimum, Force maximum. Orders given "CXL" service Results assured. Can be used in wet or dry work. Insist on "Polar Forcite" for hard rock work Tamping bags save you money, order some now Efficiency and "Forcite" go together. POLAR AMMONIA DYNAMITE. Have you used it? Ask any mine in B. C. about our "CXL" Polar Ammonia Dynamite. It represents economy and efficiency. -Order Anything for Blast- ACCESSORIES.- h'g, we have it. Write for information regarding our Explosives and Accessories. Offices: Vancouver, Victoria, Nanaimo, Prince Rupert, Nelson, B. C, and Calgary, Alta. CANADIAN EXPLOSIVES, LTD. Established 1895 E. A. HAGGEN, Editor Published Semi-Monthly by TECHNICAL PRESS, LTD. The Mines Building, 426 Homer St., Vancouver, B.C. Telephone Seymour 3825 Cable Address: "Kanagan," Vancouver, B.C. The Mines Building Subscribers requiring change of address must notify the office of the publishers in writing. Subscriptions payable In advance: 13.00 put annum, including postage in Canada, and to Great Britain. To United States and other countries. $3.60 per annum, including postage. Advertising Rate Cards supplied on application to publishers. Volume XXVI., Nos. 5 & 6 VANCOUVER, B. C, MARCH, 1921 Single Copies 25c CONTENTS EDITORIAL NCTES 35 GOVERNMENT FINANCE AND P.G.E, RAILWAY 37 David Whiteside, M.L.A. for New Westminster, made charges of extravagance against the Oliver Government in the British Columbia Legislature and suggested the abandonment of the P. G. E. Railway. The Editor contends this is the most important colonization road undertaken in the Province, and that it has an important future anead, as providing railway communication with the northern portions of the Province, including Atlin; also that it will eventually be the railway highway into the Yukon and connecting the United States and Alaska as well as Asia via Behring. Strait. NUGGET GOID MINES, LTD 37 THE UNKNOWN NORTHLAND 37 A prospector claims there is another Klondike in the north-eastern portion of British Columbia. The Editor refers to past efforts to have this unknown country explored, and suggests that the Government undertake this work as soon as possible in case of a stampede which may not be justified. A BAD MINING POLICY 38 The questionable payment of $10,000 by the Provincial Government to English engineers ' alleged to represent and be in the employment of British capital is discussed and condemned. THE CANADIAN COAL SUPPLY 39 Members of the Dominion Parliament appear to have at last awakened to the necessity of promoting the use of Canadian coal for the requirements of the Canadian people. The Editor discusses the means of utilizing the coal resources in this manner. GENERAL ARTICLES IRON AND STEEL INDUSTRY FOR BRITISH COLUMBIA 40 ■ By.E. A. Haggen, Editor Mining and Engineering Record. Particulars are given of the ..British enterprise which has taken definite steps to establish an iron and steel industry in British Columbia as the result of investigations made by the late Walter D. Rock. The problems of ore and coke supplies are referred to, with notes on other promotions concerning the development of iron and steel industries. PHOSPHATE IN CANADA 41 -CANADIAN INSTITUTE OF MINING AND METALLURGY—ANNUAL MEETING OF BRITISH COLUMBIA DIVISION .. 42 BUSINESS SESSION 44 REPORTS OF RESIDENT ENGINEERS- NORTH-EASTERN MINERAL SURVEY DISTRICT 48 By J. D. Galloway. EASTERN MINERAL SURVEY DISTRICT 52 By A. G. Langley. WESTERN MINERAL SURVEY DISTRICT 54 By W. M. Brewer. SOUTHERN MINERAL SURVEY DISTRICT 56 By P. B. Freeland. NORTH-WESTERN MINERAL SURVEY DISTRICT 57 By Dr. S. J. Schofield and P. \Y. Racey. APPEAL FOR RETURNED SOLDIERS .... 58 THE COMPLEX ORE PROBLEM 58 By Prof. H. N.. Thompson. PROBLEM OF TREATMENT OF COMPLEX ORES OF BRITISH COLUMBIA 60 By H. N. Freeman. BOARD OF TRADE LUNCHEON 62 COAL 62 By Geo. Wilkinson and Alex. Sharp. HOGGED FUEL 63 By F. Sawford. AID TO PROSPECTORS 64 A PROSPECTIVE NEW GOLDFIELD .... 64 illustrated. \m \MONTR-EAL HAMILTON JK¥*» il~& *cS!a •^ii- ■**JS WINDSOR. A R% TORONTO Hh iiT m T AM* in * Iff i i nrm iiiiiji a Jiun UUlS a "liiiii fflfa a^rrnTT a K J? =jnB Dominion Oxygen wA^w and where you want it FROM four centrally located points the Dominion Oxygen Company, Limited, supplies Canadian industry with the commercial oxygen it needs. Thanks to the completion of these first four distributing stations, Canadian manufacturers can now rely on a never-failing source of immediate oxygen supply. Delivery of pure oxygen in any quantity, at any point, at any time, is made certain by Dominion's producing and distributing organization. The manufacture of uniformly pure oxygen in quantities large enough to insure prompt attention to your needs has been the aim of the Dominion Oxygen Company, Limited, since the formal announcement of its building plans. The fact that every order for oxygen is filled on the day it is received is evidence of the efficiency already reached. Dominion Oxygen Service is based on the Company's realization of Canada's need of an always available supply of uniformly pure oxygen. Dominion oxygen, in the high capacity cylinder built for economical and safe handling, fills that need. DOMINION OXYGEN COMPANY,' LIMITED Hillcrest Park, Toronto Hamilton Montreal Windsor Mining and Engineering Record Volume XXVL, Nos. 5 & 6 VANCOUVER, B. C, MARCH, 1921 Single Copies 25c EDITORIAL Manitoba proposes a tax of 1% on the gross profits of incorporated companies. * # # The Edmonton Board of Trade is urging the Dominion Government to revise its present impracticable regulations covering oil holdings in the Northwest Territories. * * * A new route for a highway between the Coast and the interior is being advocated via Harrison, Anderson and Seaton lakes and Lillooet. This was an active route of travel in the days of the Cariboo rush. * * * A great engineering enterprise is the proposal of Lord Headly before the British Society of Engineers to explore the Goodwin Sands for the shipwrecks of centuries with a view to recovering lost wealth estimated at many millions of pounds sterling. * * * The proposed legislation authorizing construction of a railway up the Elk River from Sparwood to Kananaskis Pass to open the coal fields in that area is adversely criticised by Premier Oliver, who contends it is an attempt to over-ride the provisions of the existing law. The company is capitalized for $1,000,000, when he says the road is estimated to cost between $6,000,000 and $7,000,000. * * * D. Whiteside, M.L.A. for New Westminster, in an address on the financial position of British Columbia, said:—"I have an idea that the ambitions of the Hon. Minister of Mines will require curbing this session. I have an idea that the money spent on mineral development is being wasted, and can show the Minister of Mines where he can save $189,374.' I will ask him some pointed questions on this later:" * * * The use of Canadian stone in the construction of monuments to our soldiers who fell in the. Great War is to be commended. There is too much Italian and American marble, Scotch granite and other imported stone used in construction and monumental work in Canada, when this country can supply granites, sandstones, limestones and marbles of grain, polish and quality unsurpassed the world over. The turn for the better of the financial tide seems to be in sight. Interest rates have dropped in Great Britain and the United States, The Royal Securities Corporation, in its February circular, says:—"It is our opinion, and fortunately one which we believe is shared by many others, that long before the close of this year. 1921, the entire commercial world, and particularly Canada, will have completed a widespread re-establishment of profitable commercial and industrial activity." * * * An ambitious politician proposes to convert the C.P.R. main line through the Fraser Canyon into an automobile road; instruct the C.P.R. to send its trains over the C.N.R. track; erect by-product plants to extract 700 by-products from coal, and divide the profits among the people Needless to say the rights of the C.P.R. to its own property, or the cost of extracting the by-products and finding a market for them, are passed over by this Canadian "red" as unworthy of consideration. * # sfc F. T. Congdon, one of the promoters of the Coast Range Steel Company, Ltd., is reported in the press as having stated:—"Government assistance from the Oliver administration had been a prime factor in financial success in Britain." It would be interesting to know the nature and extent of the "Government assistance" referred to and we hope R. K. Esling, Capt. Hanes or some other member of the Legislature will take steps to obtain that information from the Government before the close of the session. The question of unemployed insurance is attracting a good deal of attention in Canada at a time when most of the mines have been forced to close down for want of a market for the metals and through no fault of the operating companies. Thousands of miners have been unable to find employment during the past winter, and there is no immediate prospect of an improvement in conditions. The Dominion Government has announced its investigation of unemployment insurance and an old-age pension system similar to those in force in Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand. Ii w 36 MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD it If i 1 An iron and steel industry for British Columbia Government will be justified in giving support to the is assured by British investors who have been inves- establishment of an iron and steel industry." • lie tigating it for the past two years; who have ample said "certain gentlemen were willing to place large capital of their own to develop the industry; who sums in the enterprise if sufficient encouragement own large iron and steel works; who have experience in other fields and know where to market their surplus product; who have not asked and will not have to beg the Government to use the public funds for subsidizing their personal engineers; who have no policy of graft or holdup of the Government, as we unfortunately see in other quarters. These are the people who can make a success of the industry without charitable aid from the Government, and should be encouraged in their enterprise. In his contributions to the press on War Finance, Sir Thomas White pays a high tribute to the assistance given by the Canadian Pacific Railway. He says:—"To this period belongs phe episode of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company, through Lord Shaughnessy, offering to issue in substitution for its were given by the Province." The motion was seconded by J. B. Thomson and adopted. Unfortunately, Mr. Falconer had in view the Coast Range Steel Co., Ltd., in the promotion methods of which we have no confidence. Steps have already been taken to establish the industry here on its merits without any special Government financial support, graft, camouflaged contracts or other schemes of high financiers to fleece the Provincial Treasury. It is high time that governments and municipalities took steps to reduce taxation instead of increasing it. A deputation representing the mining industry has told the Provincial Government of British Columbia very plainly that industry cannot stand any further taxation, and if such is imposed the few mines that are operating will have to follow the lead of the sterling debenture stock outstanding in Britain and others and close down. To force mining operators requisitioned by the British Government, bonds payable as to principal and interest in Canada and the United States, which could be used as collateral for further Imperial loans to be floated in the United States. From first to last, throughout the entire war period, the Canadian Pacific Railway Company aided to the limit of its great financial power the British Government and the Canadian Government in finding money for the vast purchases made by the former in the Dominion." * * 5fc The Member for Fernie has raised in the Legislature an important question in his suggestion for proper recompense to miners engaged in first-aid and mine rescue work. We have seen in the work into that position is to kill the goose that lays the golden egg. The taxpayers stood the strain of heavy increases of taxation during the past few years on the patriotic grounds that it was necessitated by war conditions. Now that the war is over it is time that all governments, whether federal, provincial or municipal, took steps to economise in their expenditures and reduce taxation. Otherwise the productive industries must suffer, and with lessened production, will come unemployment and serious economic conditions. Hon. T. D. Patullo, Minister of Lands, has had placed on the estimates the sum of $60,000 for inves- of mine rescue crews bravery and self-sacrifice not tigation during the coming summer of oil prospects excelled on the field of battle, and several members of rescue crews have lost their lives in the voluntary effort to save their fellows. Mr. Uphill suggests insurance at Government expense to $5,000 for members of rescue corps in addition to Workmen's Com- of the portion of Peace River within the jurisdiction of the British Columbia Government. Mr. Patullo closed the area against prospectors two years ago, and since then has expended $25,000 per annum, or $50,000 in all, in geological investigation for oil. This pensation allowance, and full wages during period of money has been practically thrown away and the ne w grant of $60,000 will go in the same direction. The Minister knows nothing about oil, and has not a petroleum expert on his staff. His policy is foredoomed to failure. Exploration for oil is a highly technical, not a political business, and the Government of British Columbia would even now do well to follow the example of the British Government in encouraging private enterprise in oil exploration, with At the convention of the Associated Boards of the public interest sufficiently safeguarded. If Hon. Trade at Vancouver, J. H. Falconer, President of the Mr. Patullo has visions of filling the Provincial B. C. Manufacturers' Association, moved "That in Treasury with fabled profits from oil, he is destined the opinion of the Associated Boards of Trade the to a rude awakening. disablement in the service. Such provision is fair and reasonable, and Hon. W. Sloan, Minister of Minec, should have no hesitation in asking the support of his colleagues to make suitable provision for miners engaged in the most hazardous and unselfish work which can fall to their lot. MINING & ENGI GOVERNMENT FINANCE AND P.G.E. RAILWAY David Whiteside, M.L.A. for New Westminster, is to be congratulated on the excellent address and shrewd financial observations he made on the financial position of British Columbia. He condemned the expenditure of $450,000 on public buildings in Prince Rupert, with a population of 6,000; the extravagant management of the Government Printing- Bureau at Victoria; the extravagance of the Department of Agriculture in subsidizing 16 instructors to teach 45 University students. He condemned the Pacific Great Eastern Railway, scheme in toto, and suggested turning the grade into an automobile road. However far his criticism may be justified in other matters we do not agree with his views concerning the P.G.E. Railway. This is the most important colonization road in British Columbia, opening up the northern interior; providing direct transportation between the Coast and the north-eastern • boundary of the Province; providing Lillooet and Cariboo with reduced transportation rates which will be reflected in new mining developments; opening up the Stuart Lake country where there is a possible new coal field; providing access to eastern Omineca, which is rich in mineral resources; bringing the grain of Peace River to the Coast where it is so urgently required; opening up the Peace and Pine River coalfields to transportation; providing transportation to the unexplored portions of northeastern British Columbia ; and doubling up the mineral production of British Columbia. The road is a heavy financial burden at present, but if it is well managed, and Government encouragement is given to the development of the natural resources of the country along its route instead of hampering such development as at present by impracticable and visionary regulations, this railway can be made one of the greatest assets of the Province. Its destiny is its inclusion in the National Railway system. Its extension to Atlin and the Yukon is inevitable to provide these outlying sections of Canada with transportation. When this is done the railway will become the great highway between the United States and Alaska; and ultimately between the continents of America, Asia and Europe, via Behring Strait. * * * NUGGET GOLD MINES, LTD. While the annual report of the Nugget Gold Mines, Ltd., is disappointing, it presents no exception to the difficulties .which have universally attended gold mining during the past few years. As was pointed out at the meeting of shareholders, operating conditions have been the worst that could be experienced. A change for the better has now come about in reduced wages for miners; reduced cost of supplies; NEERING RECORD 37 and sufficiency of competent labor. The plant has been put in good shape and is ready for operation. The increase in capitalization from $1,000,000 to $3,000,000 is more than the property warrants, and will reduce its attractiveness as an investment, while it may not allow of the amortization provision that should attend the operation of every mining enterprise. The Directors have assured the shareholders they will only place so much of the new issue as is necessary to make the required financial provision. The company may, of course, strengthen its position by increasing its holdings and extending its development so as to assure large ore reserves. One of the most essential features of the management of a gold mine is provision for sufficient development to assure reserves. This is not only essential to keep the mill running, but to allow of the selection of ore.from different portions of the mine, and of varied values, so as to provide the best available mill feed and ensure the utmost economy of operation. We do not agree with Mr. Forbes' estimate of the average value of Nugget ore. We know the mine well, and believe that an average mill feed of $10.00 per ton can be maintained when the mine is properly developed; and that a profit of $4.00 to $5.00 a ton can be made under favorable operating conditions, cost of labor and supplies. It is probable that the mill may have to be shut down during the win- ■ ter months for want of power owing to the sources of water supply being frozen up; but even that difficulty may eventually be overcome by the extension of the West Kootenay Power and Light Company's transmission line from the Hall Mines to the Sheep Creek camp. We have always had -great faith in the Nugget Mine, and the disappointing report of the past year's operations does not change that opinion of the capabilities of the property. With good management, the best technical direction, and sufficient development there is no reason why Nugget should not yet give a good account of itself. The lean years of the gold- miner are rapidly passing and the future is full of prorru^e. * * * THE UNKNOWN NORTHLAND J. J. Burns, who states he made a prospecting trip through the country between the Mackenzie River and the headwaters of the Liard River, states:—"In that region, drained by the head waters of the Liard River, I believe there lies a mineral field that will prove richer than the Klondike." The desirability of exploring that country has long been recognized by mining men. At the International Mining Convention at Vancouver two years ago, S. S. Fowler, M.E., was the mover of a resolution urging the Gov- SK! 3S MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD 1 § I I I ernment to undertake exploration work there, and at subsequent meetings of the British Columbia Division of the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy the matter has been persistently drawn to the attention of the Minister of Mines. There is an area of 28,000 square miles south of the Liard River, bounded by Dease Lake on the west and Fort Nelson River on the east, concerning which nothing is known. Then there is an area of 8,000 square miles northwest of Dease Lake, lying between the headwaters of the Nisutlin and Frances Rivers which has never been explored. In the northeastern corner of British Columbia is an area extending from Fort Nelson River to the headwaters of Black River, and northeasterly to Mackenzie River, aggregating 40,000 square miles, concerning which no information is available. From the 60th parallel north to Gravel River is an area of 40,000 square miles, entirely unexplored. This area includes the headwaters of the Nahanni Rivers, where Indians report gold. So far as British Columbia is concerned, had the $40,000 wasted on the prospecting parties who went out last year been expended in an investigation of the unexplored areas within the boundaries of the Province, the Government would have had information worth the money, assuming that such exploration work was placed in the hands of competent men. The sooner the Government takes steps to investigate these unexplored areas the better; for they may possibly be found to Contain resources in gold to afford employment for all idle men in the Province who are willing to work and help themselves. If Mr. Burns's statements, published in another column, are to be depended upon, the area at the headwaters of the Liard River offers a new eldorado to the prospector and placer miner, and it is the duty of the Provincial Bureau of Mines to have an investigation made at the earliest possible moment. It would be a cruel thing to permit a stampede of prospectors into a country so far removed from transportation and means of communication, unless there is an area of auriferous ground sufficiently rich and extensive enough to justify it. The facts should be ascertained beyond question, and an authoritative pronouncement made thereon. A BAD MINING POLICY The answer of Hon. W. Sloan, Minister of Mines, to the question of R. K. Esling, M.L.A. for Rossland, in regard to the payment by the Government of $10,000 to Messrs. Williams and Percy, two English engineers whom the promoters of the Coast Range Steel Co., Ltd., informed the press were sent out as representatives of English capital to advise their principals on the prospects of an iron and steel industry in British Columbia, appears likely to involve the Oliver Government in a public scandal. Hon. Mr. Sloan has hitherto had a high reputation for his administration of the Department of Mines, but his dealings with the Coast Range Steel Co. are endangering that record. If the representations of the Coast Range Steel Co. to the public are true, these engineers would be paid for their professional services by their principals in England who employed them, and their duty would be to make an independent and impartial survey of the British Columbia field for their information. If these engineers were employed and paid for their services by principals in England, receipt of payment from the Government of British Columbia is unprofessional; a transaction commercially dishonest in its nature; and calculated to convey the impression that the Government lent itself to a most improper expenditure in the nature of a bribe to secure a favorable report for the promoters of the Coast Range Steel Co., Ltd., who appear to be in a position to force the Government to meet any demands they may choose to make. The effect on the English principals, if they are men of standing and commercial integrity, when they find out that their engineers have also been in the pay of the British Columbia Government, will be disastrous to their mission, and properly so. The payment was entirely unnecessary. The Government had already, with public approval, employed Dr. Stansfield, one of the best authorities on iron and steel in the British Empire, to make a report on the prospects of the industry, and that gentleman supplied an exhaustive and complete report. Then the reports of Wilmot, Galloway and others also completely cover the field, so that the Government had all the technical information it requires for its own purposes and those of outside investors who might wish to investigate the problem. ' Last year Major Martin, J. H. McVety and N. Thompson were sent to the United States on an iron and steel investigation for the Industrial Bureau. While Mr. Thompson presented a valuable report, he was the only member of the trio who knew anything of the subject they were investigating; and so far as the other two were concerned it looked like a holiday trip at the expense of the Provincial Treasury, if not a piece of political graft. This $10,000 to Messrs. Williams and Percy was not only a most improper payment, but a squandering of public funds utterly unjustified in these days of financial stringency, when the University of B.C., the schools and municipalities are all told by the Government it has not a dollar to spare to help them. The policy of the Minister of Mines in placing a reserve against prospectors on limonite deposits at Taseko in the interest of J. H. Hawthornwaite, who MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD held mineral claims on these deposits, and who was a member of the Legislature at the time, also the expenditure of public moneys in development of these claims, have been subjects of much adverse criticism of the Government, and properly so. The extraordinary action of the Government in paying bills, and making a nominal company registration fee, in connection with the promotion of the Coast Range Steel Co., Ltd., is meeting with severe denunciation. A continuation of a policy of this kind, so glaringly suggestive of political graft, cannot fail, if persisted in, to destroy all public confidence in the administration of. the Mines Department; and must reflect on the Oliver Government as a whole. •Ji) * * * THE CANADIAN COAL SUPPLY It is not often that members of the House of Commons at Ottawa depart from tariff and other controversial discussions to consideration of the coal rnands of Saskatchewan and Manitoba from the mines of Alberta and Eastern B.C. until such time as the carbonization of Saskatchewan lignites is satisfactorily demonstrated; and for filling the demands of Ontario, Quebec, and Atlantic Provinces from the coalfields of Nova Scotia. Cana'da imports from the United States coal to the value of over $70,000,000, and coke to the value of about $9,000,000 annually. The coal mines and coke plants of Canada could fill this demand, and it is nothing less than national suicide that, in view of the extortionate exchange levied by the United States on remittances from Canada, the Dominion Government does not take steps to assist the coal miners of Canada to place themselves in a position to fill the entire demand of the home market. The British and Australian Governments adopted a policy of this nature with successful results. Instead of complaining about the national railways starving for want supply. Dr. Michael Steele, M.P. for South Perth, of revenue, the revenue now lost could be more than is to be congratulated on his action in drawing the made up by hauling coal from eastern British Colum- attention of members to the importance of the problem. His proposal to set up a special committee to investigate the matter is commendable, and we are glad to see that Hon. A. J. Meighen, Prime Minister, announced his intention of supporting the proposal. In his address on the subject Dr. Steele pointed out that Canada would require more coal than ever, and made suggestions to relieve the strain on the. present supply so that it might be available for heating in the homes of the-people and for industries. He urged electrification of the railways to save coal consumption in transportation; and central heating plants in the cities to economize fuel; also the standardization of coal so that the consumer may depend on getting what he pays for. In the discussion, Major Pedman, M.P. for Calgary, repeated the suggestion we have frequently mac[e—that the great waterways between the Alberta coal fields and Winnipeg should be so improved that coal may be transported by water in the summer months. This could be done at low cost, as compared with railway rates. In supporting Dr. Steele's resolution, D. C. Ross, M.P. for Middlesex, made the forceful point' that, under present conditions, Canada, though possessing 12% of the world's coal resources, is forced to take the humiliating position of asking the United States for enough coal to keep the wheels of industry turning and the people from freezing," bia and Alberta at rates that would enable the entire demand from western Canada to be supplied from these sources. An instance of the inequitable rates on Canadian railways is seen in the fact that Crows Nest Pass coal is delivered in Seattle and Portland at much less cost than to Vancouver. A Mexican smelter recently endeavored to obtain a coke supply from the Grows Nest Pass coking plants. The railway freight haul from Fernie to Vancouver killed the opportunity to develop an otherwise important and valuable export trade. • This is the sort of thing Canada is getting from the Railway Commission as at present constituted. A worse bunch of incompetents never held public office than the men comprising the present Canadian Railway Commission. They have done the country more injury during the past two years than the war or all the labor strikes in the history of Canada. The Dominion Government, which is responsible for the constitution of the Railway Commission will find this out to its cost at the next general election, so indignant are the people at the manner in which the public interest has been sacrificed by the Railway Commission at the dictation of a few eastern magnates who knew little and cared less for the mischievous effect of the rate increase policy they fostered, and got into effect. The deficit of over $100,- 000,000 in the budget for the National Railways for D. D. McKenzie, M.P., suggested Nova Scotia as the past year is only what is to be expected under a source of coal supply for Ontario, by using the ships employed in the grain trade to bring cargoes up the St. Lawrence on their return trips. Certainly some strong national effort | should be made to devise ways and means of meeting the de- the administration of the present Railway Commission to whom it appears as if a Railway, Express, Telegraph or Telephone Company has only to apply for an increase of rates to get authority to soak the public to the limit. 40 MIXING & .ENGINEERING RECORD IRON AND STEEL INDUSTRY FOR BRITISH COLUMBIA. SI I 1 1 (By E. A. HAGGEN): An iron and steel industry in British Columbia is assured, and will be established by a British firm that already operates a large iron and steel plant in another part of the British Empire. The credit for the establishment of the industry is due to Ex-Mayor Jas. Findlay. Mr. Findlay was one of the first men to volunteer for war service in' 1914, and being a mechanical engineer was given charge of important works in England operated by the British War Department. Before returning to Canada at the close of the war he got in touch with a British firm engaged in the iron and steel business, who were open to establish a plant on the Pacific Coast provided conditions appeared favorable. They retained Walter D. Rock, an eminent coal and iron engineer, who had rendered specially valuable service to the War Department in the utilization of coal for the manufacture of explosives, his work in the production of T.N.T. being particularly successful. HISTORY OF THE INVESTIGATION Mr. Rock was engaged during the years 1918-20 in the investigation of the prospects of an iron and steel industry in British Columbia, and made several trips between England and Vancouver in connection with the work. He thoroughly investigated the iron ores and. coals of British Columbia, as to their suitability in the manufacture of metallurgical coke, and had shipments of the ores and coal sent ■ to England ' for exhaustive tests. He was a man of retiring disposition, and realized that the ultimate results of his work depended on long and patient investigation before making any announcement as to the nature of his work or the intentions of his principals. At Vancouver, newspaper reporters got some information as to the nature of his. business and sought to interview him, when he put them off with the remark that his business in British Columbia was "buying apples." During his investigation he was continuously in touch with Mr. Findlay, who is the representative of the company in British Columbia. He had completed his work, arid was about to return to England last fall when he was taken' suddenly ill and died, his health having been completely undermined by his patriotic war service. The results of his investigations were satisfactory to his principals and they have decided to go ahead with the industry. For a time negotiations were carried on with the Canadian Collieries, Ltd., with a view to the acquisition of their coal and iron holdings, for this company has one of the best magnetite iron ore properties in the Province, located on the west coast of Vancouver Island. On this property is an actual reserve of 5,000,000 tons of high grade magnetite, with further extensive probable and possible reserves. The Cumberland coal field operated by the company has also had the reputation of supplying the best metallurgical coke tributary to the Coast. SITE OF THE INDUSTRY Some hitch arose in the negotiations with the Canadian Collieries, Ltd., and the deal fell through. Had it been consummated. Union Bay, on Vancouver Island, would have been chosen as the site of the iron and steel works. Investigation of the Nicola coal fields showed the coal deposits there were well adapted to the manufacture of metallurgical coke in a by-product plant. and this fact, coupled with convenience of transportation on Burrard Inlet or the Fraser River for receipt of ore by water, decided the vicinity of Vancouver as the site for the industry. The firm's representatives are now on the way from England to select the site for the works and carry out the plan as recommended by Mr. Rock.' METHOD OF OPERATION The company is strongly financed, with a first-class directorate. It will not tie up its capital in the purchase of coal or iron ore properties, but will install a by-product plant for the manufacture of its own coke supply and utilisation of the gas and other byproducts, purchasing the coal required under contract. The ore supply will be treated in the same way. The company will purchase ores offered of suitable quality and quantity, but owners of iron ore properties must do their own mining. The company, on the other hand, will assist in financing the equipment of properties carrying approved ores with the necessary .mining and transportation plants to enable the owners to supply the ore in the event of their not being in a position to finance the development and equipment themselves. The ores used will be a mixture of magnetite and hematite in furnace charges of ton for ton, the investigation carried on having demonstrated that pig iron can be most economically and efficiently produced from coast magnetites with this mixture. The hematite will be imported from Mexico or California. EXPORT TRADE The company recognizes that the local market for iron and steel is limited, and that to take care of the surplus product an export market must be developed. With their extensive iron and steel trade connection the management knows where'to place the surplus product, and it is this feature of the firm's organization that enables it to undertake with confidence the MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD establishment of an iron and steel industry on the Pacific Coast at Vancouver. An iron and steel industry in British Columbia has been a dream of many years. The nearest approach to it was the scheme propounded by Mr. Valentine, a Scotch ironmaster, about 20 years ago. Mr. Valentine came to British Columbia and decided to make investments here. He bonded the Britannia Mine and made a heavy payment on it. He arranged to establish an iron and steel industry also; but on his return to Scotland to complete his plans he died, and with his death the schemes he had outlined fell through. About seven years ago a California syndicate took the matter up, after two years of investigation, but decided on Puget Sound as the best site for the industry, though proposing to use British Columbia and Alaska magnetite mixed with hematite from Mexico or California, the furnace mixture to be two tons of hematite to one of magnetite. This scheme fell through as the result of the war, when the plans for financing it had to be dropped. . About the same time H. Landahl, the principal promoter of the Coast Range Steel Co., Ltd., acting as agent for the late Henry Hewitt, of Tacoma, proposed to establish an iron and steel industry, the chief feature of which was to be a large bond issue by the Provincial Government, most of this bond issue to go to Mr. Hewitt in payment of iron ore properties hei held in British Columbia. In other words the Government was to buy back at a high price its own iron ore assets which Mr. Hewitt had acquired at a nominal price. The Vancouver Board of Trade was asked to assist the project and appointed a commit! < c to investigate it. That committee reported unfavor ably, and the project was dropped until revived recently in the promotion of the Coast Range Iron and Steel Co., Ltd., in another form. Other iron and steel promotions are the Vancouver Magnetite Company which proposes to produce pu: iron by a duplex process; the Shipton Electric Inland Steel Co., Ltd., which proposes to produce pig from ore by an electric process; and the Steel Smelters, Ltd., a Seattle Company, which claims to produce steel direct froth ore and has been mining ore for the purpose at King Island, British Columbia. ^m^m^ *Editor Mining and Engineering Record. 42 MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD K'< Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, f Annual Meeting of British Columbia Division. The annual meeting of the British Columbia Division of the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy opened at the Hotel Vancouver, in the City of Vancouver, on February 9, and the activities occupied the rest of the week, till February 12. THE ATTENDANCE The following attended the meeting:— Aclan, E., Vancouver, B.C. Adams, Thos., Commission of Conservation, Ottawa. Allen, P., Vancouver, B.C. Anderson, R. G., Pacific, B.C. Anderson, S., Hope, B.C. Andrews, P. C, Edmonton, B.C. Archibald, E., Vancouver, B.C. Archibald, H. P., 1304 Walnut St., Vancouver, B.C. Armstrong, W. H., Vancouver, B.C. Austin, J. W. Britannia Beach, B.C. Bacon, W. S., Vancouver, B.C. Barnwell, C. F., Vancouver, B.C. Banks, C. A., Vancouver, B.C. Batten, H. L., 615 Pender St. W., City. Blanchard, R., 788 Mills Bldg.., San Francisco, Cal. Blois, J., Kamloops, B.C. Bonner, L. A., Van Winkle, B.C. Botterill, C, Merritt, B.C. Bower, G, Vancouver, B.C. Boyles, E., Spokane, Wash. Breadon, L. H., Marpole, B.C. Breeze, J. F., Stewart, B.C. Brett, R. G., D'Arcy, B.C. Brewer, W. M., Resident Engineer, Nanaimo, B.C. Brock, Dean R. W., University of B.C., Vancouver, B.C. Brown, H. F., Britannia, Wire Rope Works, Vancouver, B.C. Burton, W. D., University of B.C., Vancouver B.C. Cameron, G. S., University of B.C., Vancouver, B.C. Campbell, Miss, Vancouver, B.C. Campbell, S. G., Standard Bank Bldg., Vancouver, B.C. Campbell-Johnston, R., Vancouver, B.C. Campbell-Johnston, Mrs. R. C, Vancouver, B.C. Carpenter, N. O., Vancouver, B.C. Carson, J., Vancouver, B.C. Carter, B. N., Vancouver, B.C. Cartwright, C. E., Vancouver, B.C. Cassidy, R., Vancouver, B.C. Castleman, S. J., Vancouver, B.C. Clark, E. R., University of B.C., Vancouver, B.C. Cleveland, E. A., C.E., Water Rights Branch, Land Dept., Victoria, B.C. Coates, J. F., Vancouver, B.C. Cock, C. J., University of B.C., Vancouver, B.C. Collins, G. A., Credit Foncier Bldg., Vancouver, B.C. Cook, E. E., Vancouver, B.C. Conway, E. J., Anyox, B.C. Conway, G. H., University of B.C., Vancouver, B.C. Copp, C. L., 1918 York St., Vancouver, B.C. Corwin, T. J., Vancouver, B.C. Cox, A. A., 718 Granville St.. Vancouver, B.C. Cradock, C. S., Bank of Nova Scotia Bldg., Vancouver, B.C. Craig, J. Aldergrove, B.C. Crane, G. A., Vancouver, B.C. Cunliffe, J., Vancouver, B.C. Daniels, Prof. J. A., University of Washington, Seattle, Wash. Davys, M. S., Vancouver, B.C. Dawson, J. A. M., Inland Revenue Dept., Pender and Granville Sts., Vancouver, B.C. Dickson, J. A., Victoria, B.C. Duff, A., 2015—7th Ave. W., Vancouver, B.C. Dufresne, J. C, C.E., Penticton, B.C. Ebbott, F. Creston, B.C. JEilbeck, R. J., Vancouver, B.C. Eldridge, G. S., Vancouver, B.C. Emmons, E. F., University of B.C., Vancouver, B.C. Erich, Egra E., 788 Mills Building, San Francisco, Cal. Evans, C. S., University of B.C., Vancouver, B.C. Faulds, A., Vancouver, B.C. Fisher, J. C, Vancouver, B.C. Fletcher, T. W., 3351 Osier Ave., Vancouver, B.C. Fowler, S. S. Riondel, B.C. Freeland, P. B., Resident Engineer, Grand Forks, B.C. Freeman, H. S., 1860 Comox St., City. Gaichi Yamada, Asst. Professor of Metallurgy, Kyoto Imperial University, Kyoto, Japan. Galloway, J. D., Resident Engineer, Hazelton, B.C. Garde, A. C, Yorkshire Bldg., City.. Geigerich, J. R., University of B.C., Vancouver, B.C. Gerherd, Capt. A. C. H., Vancouver, B.C. Gillies, Prof. G. A., University of B.C., Vancouver, B.C. Goranson, R. W., New Westminster, B.C. Gordon, R. H., Vancouver, B.C. Graham, Chas., Cumberland, B.C. Graham, Thomas, Cumberland, B.C. Grainger, M. A., 837 Hastings' St. W., Vancouver, B.C. Gray, W., Sec. Chamber of Mines, Vancouver, B.C. MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD Griffiths, W., 784 Thurlow St., Vancouver, B.C. Guernsey, F. W., Vancouver Block, Vancouver, B.C. Guernsey, T. D., University of B.C., Vancouver, B.C. Hager, A. L., Foot Gore Ave., Vancouver, B.C. Haggen, E. A., Editor Mining and Engineering Record, Vancouver, B.C. Hanson, Dr. Geo., Geological Survey, Pacific Bldg., Vancouver, B.C. Harkness, J. A., University of B.C., Vancouver, B.C. Harlett, C. E., University of B.C., Vancouver, B.C. Heidman, H. W., Golkeish Mine, Anyox, B.C. Helme, R., Dominion Express Co., Vancouver, B.C. Herring, A. M., New Westminster, B.C. Heyer, B. W., Standard Bank Bldg., Vancouver, B.C. Hill, H. H., Vancouver, B.C. Hodson, R., University of B.C., Vancouver, B.C. Honeyman, P. D., University of B.C., Vancouver, B.C Houghton, C. M., Alice Arm, B.C. Howson, H., Stewart, B.C. Hunt, J., Nanaimo, B.C. Hunter, G. C, Vancouver, B.C. Huyck, C. B., 1972—35th St. W., Kerrisdale, B.C. Irvine, Robt., Hotel Vancouver, Vancouver, B.C. Job, P. J., Vancouver, B.C. Johnston, J. T., Coalmont, B.C. Jarrett, Fred. G., M.A.I.M. & M., North Vancouver, B.C. Jones, M. A., Vancouver, B.C. Jackson, O. A. C, University of B.C., Vancouver, B.C. Jones, Gomer P., Hedley, B.C. King, A. E., Nanaimo, B.C. Kingham, J. R., Victoria, B.C. Kirkpatrick,. Col. G. H., Credit Foncier Bldg., Vancouver, B.C. * Kitto, G. B., Sunloch Mine, Jordan River, B.C. Klinck, Prof. L. S., University of B.C., Vancouver, B.C. Lachmund, O., Spokane, Wash. Lade, J. A., Stewart, B.C. Lafferty, G. A., Manager Bank of Montreal, Calgary, Alta. Lamb, H. Mortimer, Sec-Emeritus Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, Burnaby Lake, B.C. Langley, A. G., Resident Engineer, Revelstoke, B.C. Leckie, Col. J. E., Vancouver, B.C. Leckie, Gen. R. G. Edwards, Pacific Bldg., Vancouver, B.C. Lee, Chester, 328 Lyon Bldg., Seattle, Wash. Lee, Henry, Birks Bldg., Vancouver, B.C. Lock, W. F., Kootenay, B.C. Lockyer, A. L., Vancouver, B.C. Loveridge, J. T., University of B.C., Vancouver, B.C. McAlonan, J., Vancouver, B.C. Macdonald, P. J., Stewart, B.C. ii McDonald, P. H., Philipsburg, Mont., U.S. McDowell, J. A., Stewart, B.C. McDougall, R. J., Victoria, B.C. McGregor, J., Chief Inspector of Mines, Victoria, B.C. McKay, A. A., Lynden, Wash., U.S. McKinnon, A., Dawson, Y.T. McLaughlin, J. A., Allenby, B.C. McLean, D., Coalmont, B.C. McLellan, N. W., Vancouver, B.C. McLennan, L. S., Hope, B.C. McPhee, R., Surf Inlet, B.C. McRae, J. K, 1958 Barclay St., Vancouver, B.C. McVittie, C. A., University of B.C., Vancouver, B.C. Mandy, J. F., San Francisco, Cal. Marsh, S. J., Quesnel, B.C. Martin, R. W., Vancouver, B.C. Martinson, H., 501 Lonsdale Ave., North Vancouver, B.C. Mathers, C, University of B.C., Vancouver, B.C. E. E. Campbell, Retiring Chairman British Columbia Division, Canadian Institute of Mining & Metallurgy. Michell, D., Mines Dept. of Alberta, Edmonton, Alta. Middleton, G. H., Supt. Dominion Assay Office, Vancouver, B.C. Miller, C, University of B.C., Vancouver, B.C. Moore, H. A., Vancouver, B.C. Nettell, A. J. C, Geological Survey, Pacific Bldg., Vancouver, B.C. Newman, W. T., Point Grey, B.C. Nicholls, H. G., 901 Vancouver Block, Vancouver, B.C. Norrie-Lowenthal, W. G., J. W. Stewart and Co., Ltd., Winch Bldg., Vancouver, B.C. 44 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD I i ii Noel, A. F., Bridge River, Lillooet, B.C. Walker, J. F., University of B.C., Vancouver, B.C North, Major C. B., Taylor Mining Co., Ltd., Credit Wallbridge, A. H., 333 Homer St., Vancouver, B.C. Foncier Bldg., Vancouver, B.C. Waterman, E. J., Princeton, B.C. O'Grady, Capt. B. T., Asst. Resident Engineer, Revel- Watson, R. P., Vancouver, B.C. stoke, B.C. Weber, W. A., Vancouver, B.C. Oliver, H. A. H, 1330 Comox St., Vancouver, B.C. Wells, F. M., Vancouver, B.C. Osborne, W. F., 3549—15th Ave. W., Vancouver, B.C. Whiteside, A. M., Rogers Bldg., Vancouver, B.C. Parker, R. W., University of B.C., Vancouver, B.C. Winfield, H., Pender Harbor, B.C. Perry, R. H., Wilmer, B.C. Peterson, S. E., Anyox, B.C. Pirrie, N. W., 789 Granville St., Vancouver, B.C. Pratt, W. A., Stewart, B.C. Racey, P. W., Vancouver Block, Vancouver, B.C. Rice, H. M. A., University of B.C., Vancouver, B.C. Richardson, J., Nelson, B.C. Williamson, W. H., Cassidy, B.C. Wilson, R. R., Cassidy, B.C. Woodside, Aid. F. E., 2594 Eton St., Vancouver, B.C. Woodworth, J. B., Thorley Park, Vancouver, B.C. Young, T. N. Vancouver, B.C. His Worship Mayor Gale appointed Aid. F. E. Roberts, Dean Milnor, University of Washington, Woodside, a former resident of Rossland, to repre Seattle, B.C. Robertson, W. Fleet, Provincial Mineralogist, Victoria, B.C. Robertson, W. R., Vancouver, B.C. Robinson, K. S., Winch Bldg., Vancouver, B.C. Robinson, Mrs. K. S., Vancouver, B.C. Rose, W. A., University of B.C., Vancouver, B.C. Rowlands, F. J., 718 Granville St., Vancouver, B.C. Rushbury, H. B., University of B.C., Vancouver, B.C. Savage, W. C, New York City, U.S. Sawford, F.:j: Taylor Engineering Co., Ltd., Credit Foncier Bldg., Vancouver, B.C. Schofield, Dr., University of B.C., Vancouver, B.C. Semmens, ;E. J., Industrial Agent, C.P.R. Station, Vancouver, B.C. Sloan, Hon. W., Minister of Mines, Victoria, B.C. Smart, Robt., M.A.I.M. & M., Spokane, Wash. Smith, A. E., Merritt, B.C. Smithson, H. W., University of B.C., Vancouver, B.C. Somerville, W. B., Alice Arm, B.C. Spruston, T. A., Ladysmith, B.C. . Stevenson, Col. Robt., Lytton, B.O. Stewart, J., Prince Rupert, B.C. Sutton, M., 148-1—10th Ave. W., Vancouver, B.C. Swanson, C. O., Kaslo, B.C. Thomas, W. W., Vancouver, B.C. Thompson, D. L., Nanaimo, B.C. Thompson, Prof. H. N., University of B.C., Vancouver, B.C. Thompson, N., 837 Beatty St., Vancouver, B.C. Thompson, W., Jessica, B.C. Tierney, G., Nelson, B.C. Todd, A. A., University of B.C., Vancouver, B.C. Tracey, M., Vancouver, B.C. Turnbull, Prof. J. M., University of B.C., Vancouver B.C. Uglow, Dr., University of B.C., Vancouver, B.C. Vance, J. F. B., City Hall, Vancouver, B.C. sent the City of Vancouver at the meeting, and the Vancouver Board of Trade delegates were J. F. McRae and T. W. Fletcher. CIVIC WELCOME E. E. Campbell, Chairman of the British Columbia Division, presided. Aid. Woodside, in the absence of Mayor Gale, extended a civic welcome to the assembly, and said he was pleased to see so many of the old-time mining men there—men whom he had known for a quarter of a century—and he was pleas- . ed to see they were still at the wheel. The Chairman was an old friend of his family from Prince Edward Island. He extended to them a hearty welcome on behalf of the City of Vancouver, and hoped good results would follow their deliberations. Vancouver was the main centre of population and the principal supply point of the Province and the City- wanted their business and co-operation. chairman's address The Chairman said that during, the past year the Canadian Mining Institute in the Province of British Columbia had shown a very fair record of activities. Of a total of 288 new members who joined the Institute throughout Canada during the year, 92 were from British Columbia, this Province contributing the largest addition to the membership outside Ontario. During the past two years they had been striving to make the British Columbia Division somewhat distinctive in its work of organization, and arranged to have a permanent secretary in British Columbia, which he considered differently situated from the other provinces. In order to finance the work of the Division they were obliged to go to the Government and to private parties for subscriptions. As the Government could only finance a purely provincial organization they were obliged to drop parts of Alberta and the Yukon Territory formerly included in their spheres of activity. The Government had promised the Division $1,500 for the present MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 45 year. Another feature was that in carrying on their S. S. Fowler suggested the Committee be appoint- work they had drawn no funds from the parent body, ed by the Council; otherwise by the Chairman. He The Division was now self-sustaining. moved as an amendment that an executive committee Regarding the mining industry, the past year had of five be appointed by the Council at a meeting to taxed the nerve of most mining engineers. Engin- De held at the close of the session, and in the event eers would not be mining engineers unless they had 0I the Council failing to make the appointments the nerve and optimism. This was the time to develop same be made by the Chairman, new mines and extend the development of the older W. Fleet Robertson seconded. Carried, ones. The next ten years would show greater ad- It was decided to appoint a committee of three to vances than many of them imagined. They had the nominate the Council, S. S. Fowler, W. Norrie-Low- advantage of great mines under development which, enthal, and H. Lee being appointed to this commit- in the next two or three years, would be producing, tee. and would surpass those of the sister Province of western annual meeting Ontario. The work of the Division had always been H. Mortimer Lamb brought up the question of hampered by the difficulty of getting meetings of next Western General Meeting, and said Alberta was the executive committee owing to the distances which suggested for it. He considered November a more favorable time for such a meeting than later on. E. A. Haggen moved, "That the next Western General Meeting be held in Alberta." S. S. Fowler seconded. Carried. co-operation with other organizations The Chairman brought up the matter of co-operation between the Institute and other organizations. H. Mortimer Lamb considered it desirable thev separated the members, and it was proposed to appoint an executive committee of members in or near Vancouver, so that they could get together when required, j . COUNCIL AND COMMITTEES H. Mortimer-Lamb: It frequently happens prompt action is necessary in connection with the work of the Division, and we should have a committee that can meet and decide on what action should be taken. At present we have a committee of 14 members scattered all over the Province, and it takes some weeks to get in touch with all of them. I send out circular letters, and on one occasion did not get more than five or six replies, which all happened to be favorable, and I acted on that mandate, though it did not represent the majority. I therefore urge tCh,e appointment of an executive, committee, as they have in Montreal. - Most of the work can be done by a small committee in Vancouver. H. G. Nichols moved that such a committee be appointed. S. S. Fowler: I second the motion. I have been one of the 14 during the past year and have not attended a meeting of the Provincial Executive. I have all the time realized the impracticability of the present system. It has been as inconvenient for Mr. Campbell to come from Anyox as it has been for me I i Fowier) Vice-Chairman of British Columbia to come from Kootenay. Cases arise where prompt action is necessary. Other organizations have—I will not say usurped the functions of the Institute. The boards of trade have been active all along as primarily interested and it has been left to them to do things it is the function of this Institute to do. W. Fleet Robertson: I thoroughly agree that some Division of Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy for 1921-22. should co-operate with the Boards of Trade, Manufacturers' Associations and other representative bodies, and referred particularly to the Mining Bureau of the Vancouver Board of Trade. They might co- such suggestion as that conveyed in the motion should operate with the Manufacturers' Association in probe carried out. If there is any matter of vital im- moting the manufacture of mining machinery here, portance it can be safeguarded by referring it to the A. M. Grainger, representing the timber interests, had Council, and the committee can use its judgment in also asked their co-operation. He read a letter from deciding on any matter that should be so dealt with, Mr. Snodgrass in regard to the constitution of the by taking a letter ballot of the Council. Technical Council and the organization of a Club « 46 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD I § i ii i* m for professional men. A letter from the B.C. Technical . Association invited the Institute to appoint a Committee to meet delegates from other technical associations to unite in arranging for common headquarters with a secretary and library. G. S. Eldridge proposed that a committee consist-, ing of E. A. Haggen, H. G. Nicholls, H. Mortimer- Lamb, and J. D. Mackenzie be appointed to confer with -the other technical organizations and report to the Council, but it was understood the matter N. Thompson said the Vancouver Board of Trade would be dealt with by the executive committee. had adopted the Bureau system. The Mining Bureau consisted of about 40 members representative of mining interests directly or indirectly. They had discussed various matters and accomplished some good. Recently it was suggested that a Technical Section be organized in connection with the Mining Bureau, to consist of technical men who were members of the Board. J. D. MacKenzie considered it essential that all interests having to do with the mining industry should work together to one end. At the present time they had four organizations with similar objects. It was desirable they should get together, unite on a policy and speak as a united body. Let them sink their personal differences and pull together for the benefit of the industry and of the Province. E. A. Haggen said the Manufacturers' Associations would appreciate the assistance of a Committee of the Institute, who could confer with the Metal Trades section in particular in regard to promoting the manufacture of machinery and appliances to meet the requirement of the mining industry. There were machine shops here capable of producing much of the machinery now imported and prepared to make additions to their plants to meet any situation that might be warranted. The Chairman: This is a broad question. I suggest the appointment of a committee to co-operate with the different organizations and report back to the Council. S. S. Fowler: The Canadian Mining Institute is a thing by itself. It is not made up of professional men. We are not a professional body and must not go too far in carrying out professional functions. These are matters the Council can just as well decide as this meeting, and if they cannot decide about them let them take a letter ballot of the members. G. S. Eldridge explained the aim of the technical men in organizing to have a paid secretary and reading room supplied with all periodicals of interest H. N. Freeman said the object was to have a complete organization. Not one of these organizations could be said to be complete at the present time. They ORE DRESSING PLANT FOR BRITISH COLUMBIA The Chairman Introduced the matter of the ore- dressing plant which the Dominion Dept. of Mines had proposed to establish in this Province for the benefit of the prospector and the men who were developing small mines. He said a prospector might have a complex ore with which he could do nothing, but if there was a place where he could send his ore H. Mortimer-Lamb, Secretary British Columbia Division Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. to ascertain whether it was of commercial value it. had a Board of Trade which was a power in build- would be a great advantage to him. He might have ing up the city, and it was in great need of technical an ore worth $50 a ton, but if the ore-body was small assistance. The best way would be to follow Mr. and the ore complex it might be valueless. Thompson's suggestion to organize a technical bureau N. Thompson: This is another matter in which to co-operate with the Board of Trade, and enable the Mining Bureau of the Vancouver Board of Trade them to get the best results in the most expeditious has rendered conspicuous service. I happened to be interested in a property where the ore is complex, manner, MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 47 and had tests ..made on it at the plant of the Bureau of Mines at Ottawa. While there I took up with Hon. Martin Burrell, Minister of Mines, and with the Minister of Finance, the matter of having an ore- dressing plant established in British Columbia, with the result that $100,000 was placed on the estimates notice when we want any work done it is sent out of the country. H. N. Freeman: Mr. Eldridge's point is well taken. W. Fleet Robertson pointed out that the experience of the U. S. Bureau of Mines had been in favor of limiting their experimental plants to the problems for the purpose. When the year expired without the affecting the particular districts in which they were grant being expended the Mining Bureau of the Board of Trade took steps to have the vote continued into the following year so that it should not lapse, and had the assurance of the Government that the work would be started. The University made a proposition to operate the plant in the interest of the mining students. The Mining Bureau had taken the matter up with the Federal members with a view to having the Government carry out its undertaking. E. A. Haggen: The cause of delay is probably due to the fact that there is a division of opinion as to where the plant should be located, and the mining men should unite on this point. The Nelson Board of Trade and R. F. Green, M.P. for Kootenay, had been active in urging that the plant should be located at Nelson rather than at the Coast. H. N. Freeman stated he had induced the Committee of the Research Council to get down to one point, and he was now engaged on the complex ores of the Province, in which there was a great field for re- rearch work. The appropriation was not very large. What they really needed was a research laboratory, or a series of laboratories to cover the needs of the Province in industrial research work. S. S. Fowler pointed out the difference between an ore-dressing plant and a sampling plant. A research laboratory was a very different matter, t N. Thompson said that in the instance he spoke of. they shipped 20 sacks of ore to Ottawa for a test and were then requested to send a carload, which they did, at a cost of $600, whereas had there been an ore-dressing plant in the Province it would not have cost more than a quarter of the sum. The Chairman: An experimental laboratory is really the only thing that could be established at Vancouver. Every mine must have its own method of treatment. You cannot build an ore-dressing plant here and expect the miner to ship his ore from Slocan. What is wanted is a place where a miner or prospector can ship his ore and find out whether it is commercial. G. S. Eldridge: I am very much interested in this subject. A research laboratory is required, but an ore-dressing plant is a waste of money. You can get just as much information from a 10-lb. sample as from 50 tons. You might as well ask the Government to do your development work for you. We talk a lot about patronizing home industries, but I W* Fleet Robertson, Provincial Mineralogist, Chairman Wednesday Afternoon Session of British Columbia of Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. located. Mr. Eldridge was right in saying as much information could be obtained from the treatment of the small sample as from the large test shipment. S. S. Fowler proposed that a Committee of three be appointed by the Council to set forth the views of the Institute on the matter. Dean Milnor Roberts said the U. S. Bureau of Mines had five plants in the west engaged in experi- I m 4b MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 11 mental work. The heads of the different plants met and discussed the subdivision of their work. The United States Government contributed $25,000 a year to the maintenance of the large stations. Then the States co-operated in the maintenance of those of the States. The State of Washington for instance contributed $10,000 to their station, which was mainly devoted to coal beneficiation and ceramics. All coal to be investigated in the Western States was sent to their station. CONGRATULATORY A telegram was read from the Secretary, of the j Institute at Montreal congratulating the British Colombia Division on its annual meeting and wishing it all success. I ' ' WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON SESSION If-rtW- Fleet Robertson, Provincial Mineralogist, pre- Sjjied, and briefly reviewed the results of the year's mining operations as outlined in his preliminary report for 1920. The increase of $2,000,000 over previous, year was rather a surprise. It was remarkable how' well they did considering the conditions. while R. W. Thomson, Resident Engineer for the Central District, was absent owing to illness. NORTHEASTERN MINERAL SURVEY DISTRICT NO- 2 J. D. Galloway, Resident Engineer for this district, said: The Northeastern District embraces a vast extent of country, containing four Mining Divisions —Omineca, Quesnel, Cariboo and Peace River, and has an area of nearly 100,000 square miles. It contains portions of the Rockies and Coast systems of mountains and parts of the Fraser and Nechako plateaux lying between the mountain systems. It is in effect a cross-section of two mountain systems, with an intervening plateau area. Rock formations representative of almost every geological age are found somewhere in this great expanse of country and an almost infinite variety of topographic features occurs. A great deal of this district is unknown and unexplored, particularly that part lying north of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway. Prospecting has been carried on in many parts' of the district, but a still larger area remains as virgin ground for prospecting. Even the areas that have been prospected have only been touched on but light- Placer, gold had fallen off, and lode gold had gone ly, and will yet receive more intensive prospecting, down by about $750,000, partly through the shutting Metal mining in British Columbia practically com- down of gold properties. Silver was greater than menced in this district in the placer gold rush to the anticipated and would be about the same as pre- Cariboo in the early sixties. Some years later there was a smaller placer boom in the eastern end of the vious year. Copper production was greater, but the value less. Lead was considerably less than previous year, but the higher price showed a slight increase in value over previous year. Zinc showed a large increase due to the very large output of the Sullivan Mine, brought about by improved processes of treating the complex ore. Coal production had also shown a considerable increase, but coke had fallen off. No coke was produced by the collieries on the Coast. Fluorspar showed a value of $117,700, the growth of two years of operation. Omineca Mining Division centering around Manson, Omineca and Germansen Rivers. Prospecting for lode minerals commenced along the Skeena and Bulkley rivers and tributaries in 1902, but little progress in development was made until the completion of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway in 1914. As yet the district is very new and the opening up of it during the last few years has been slow. We have not, as yet, a large production of minerals, but this is due to a lack of exploitation and a lack United States costs of producing copper, taken . of capital rather than to any other cause. The vast over 95% of the producing mines, was:—1913-1916, expanse of mineralized territory in the north-eastern 9c per lb., and rose in 1917 to 12c; 1918, 16c; 1919, district will most certainly in the future produce a 19c; 1920, 20c. The cost of production was greater great deal of mineral wealth. The greater number of the unproven mineral prospects in the north-eastern district so far discovered fall into the classification of medium-grade ore, although low-grade deposits and veins carrying high values are not lacking. In this connection it is interesting to point out that the district collection of ore specimens from Usk on the Skeena River, this year won the Grand Challenge Cup at the Prince Rupert Fair, an honour which, in previous years, the Alice Arm section has had no difficulty in annexing. The mineral production for the year 1920 from the north-eastern district will, show a considerable in- Resident Engineer for District No. 1 was unable to crease as compared with 1919. Placer gold produc- attend, having had to go to Queen Charlotte Islands, tion will be about the same as in the previous year, than the selling price for 1920. Under these conditions prices must go up or costs come down. There would probably be a compromise between the two. There was a considerable stock of copper in hand and they could not expect a very serious rise in the price. The price of labor and supplies was showing a distinct tendency downward, and it should not be very long before these two lines cross. REPORTS OF RESIDENT ENGINEERS The reports of the Resident Engineers on their various districts were called for, but Geo. Clothier, MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD 49 while copper will show a decrease, as practically no copper ore was mined in 1920. Increases in silver, lead and zinc were due to a nearly doubled production from the Silver Standard mine at Hazelton. The coal production is not as yet an important factor but the possibilities for the future are most promising. The different kinds of mining in this district may be enumerated under the heads of Placer. Mining, Lode Mining and Coal Mining, with a possibility in the future of adding to this list the production of oil from the Peace River District. The main products of these forms of mining are Gold, Silver, Lead, Zinc, Copper. PLACER MINING It is not necessary to remind you of the enormous placer gold production of the Cariboo in the sixties and seventies which centred around the towns of Barkerville and Van Winkle. As the bonanza creeks were worked out, the production gradually declined until at the present time the annual production varies from $50,000 to $100,000. In the past thirty years a number of deep drifting propositions were commenced in the Barkerville section. Expensive plants were erected and much money was spent, but in most cases these have been failures. The inability to handle the heavy ground owing to high water pressure, together with, in some cases, poor management, have been the principal causes of these failures. During the last few years a Considerable amount of work has been quietly carried on to determine if certain areas of gold-bearing gravel would pay to work by dredging. Such areas on Williams Creek, Antler Creek and Willow River, have been tested by drilling with Keystone drills, while on the Cottonwood River and other streams other testing methoSs have been used. Several of these areas have in this way been proven to be most attractive dredging propositions, and undoubtedly the near future will see the erection of one or more dredges in the Barkerville section. Another Bonanza spot of the old days of the Cariboo district is Harper's Camp. Testing of the low grade gravels in this area by Keystone drilling was started last year by the B.C. Department of Mines. As yet no conclusive results have been arrived at.' An interesting enterprise in connection with Placer Mining is now being commenced at Quesnel by the Cariboo Gold-Platinum Extracting Company. The primary object of this company is to engage in the business of extracting gold and platinum values from the black sand occurring in the placer gravels. S. J. Marsh, promoter of the company, has experimented with this matter for some years past, and now has a patented process for extracting these metals. Furthermore, as a result of his investigations, Mr. Marsh claims that at many places on the Quesnel and Fraser Rivers and their tributaries, the gravels do contain black sand containing appreciable platinum values. These values, together with a certain amount of flour gold, are not recovered in the ordinary processes of hydraulic mining or dredging, and Mr. Marsh therefore believes that his process will open up a new field of activity in mining in the district. The Company has machinery on the ground for the erection of a plant on 2-Mile Flat at Quesnel, which will treat the black-sand concentrates from any placer-mining enterprise in the district. In order to have something to start on, and also to demonstrate the possibilities, the Company has erected a dragline scraper plant on certain placer ground situated some fifteen miles up the Quesnel River from Quesnel. This plant will mine the gravels for the black- sand content as well as any coarse gold that may be recovered. It is known that the black sands of the Quesnel River and some of its tributaries do contain varying and irregular amounts of platinum, especially where a natural concentration of the gravels has taken place. It is therefore encouraging to have an attempt made to mine some of these gravels for the platinum content. Other portions of the North-eastern District besides the Cariboo give promise of an increased placer gold production in the future. Keystone drilling of dredging leases on the Finlay river was carried on last summer by an Edmonton company, and testing by other methods of many dredging leases in the Peace River Division was started. A revival of interest in placer mining in the old camp of Manson is apparent, and considerable activity is expected next summer. I would like to emphasize strongly that much virgin ground for the placer prospector still remains in the North-eastern District. The country lying between Barkerville and Keithley creeks will probably repay further intensive prospecting. Another large area which is virtually unexplored lies around the headwaters of the Stikine, Skeena and Finlay rivers. Placer-mining of all kinds would seem to be about ready for a period of renewed activity during the next few years, as many prospective enterprises are about to be launched. The recent changes in the Placer-Mining Act would seem to have been beneficial in encouraging fresh capital for development, and the impending era of lower costs and prices, which automatically effects a higher relative price for gold will undoubtedly "stimulate the search for the yellow metal. LODE MINING. Prospecting for lode minerals in this district has centered mainly around the Skeena, Bulkley and Telkwa rivers and their tributaries. Many hundreds ft if1 50 MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD of claims have been staked in this area in the Seven the Hazelton series the most favourable rocks for Sisters, Zymoetz, Rocher De Boule, Hudson Bay and the deposition of minerals of economic value. Babine mountains. A few of these have made pro- The ore-occurrences can be classified broadly as ductive minees, a few more are progressing favour- belonging to three types, shear zones, fissure veins, ably, but a large number of these prospects have never and contact ore-bodies, with the first type (shear received any further development than the prospec- zones) being most frequently met with, tors could give them, which, as you know, amounts Mineralogically many diverse types are met with: to but little. Many of these claims, probably as high the two main types of copper-iron minerals and silver- a percentage as in any other district, will warrant lead-zinc minerals preponderating. At the New consideration and development by those desirous of Hazelton Gold-Cobalt Co's. property, on Rocher De- seeking to acquire mineral property. Before describ- Boule mountain, a peculiar combination of minerals ing any of the properties in this district, I want to occurs, consisting of iron-cobalt sulphides and arsen- say a word with regard to the ore-bodies in this ides associated with molybdenite, and carrying in area from the mineralogical and geological stand- places good gold values. points. In veins in the Kitsalas series rocks, bornite and Geologically the rocks in this section belong mainly chaleocite are frequently the important metallic min- to three periods: first, the Kitsalas series of Triassic erals present. As a rule, wherever gold values occur age or partly older, consisting of a highly metamor- they are found to be closely associated with the ar- phosed complex, the rocks of which were mainly of senical iron. The galena as a rule carries very fair silver values, running from one to two ounces to the unit of lead. Tetrahedrite (grey copper) is found in small amounts with galena and zinc blende and almost invariably carries high silver values. I will now describe briefly a few of the more important properties in this district. In the vicinity of Usk, a town on the G.T.P. Ry., small scale work is being carried on at several places. The Kitsalas Mountain Copper Company completed the erection last summer of a thirty-ton mill, and carried on. development of the Cordillera until late in the year. The Kleanza Company was engaged during the summer prospecting a number of quartz veins, carrying irregular gold values, on Kleanza Mountain, a few miles from Usk. At the head of Kleanza Creek, some twenty miles from Usk, there are widespread occurrences of copper minerals that deserve more attention than they Thomas Graham, General Superintendent Canadian have had The,e deposits consist of chaleocite, bor- Collieries, Ltd,, who addressed the Complimentary nite and chalcopyrite, occurring in sheared and sheeted Luncheon of the Board of Trade on the Coal Industry zones, often of considerable width. While the small of Vancouver Island. volcanic origin, with but a small proportion of sedimentary rocks; secondly, the Hazelton series, consisting largely of sedimentary measures with, in places, volcanic rocks predominating; thirdly, a series of granitic rocks consisting of granites, diorites, grano- stringers of ore are high grade, the possibility for the camp would seem to lie in the way of the development of considerable tonnages of medium to low grade ore. On Legate Creek there are many claims staked which have veins showing mineralizatron with bornite, chalcopyrite, tetrahedrite and galena. High PI diorites and various porphyries, which are intrusive values in copper and silver are obtained. Some of into the Kitsalas and Hazelton series. These these claims are now under option to the B.C. Ex- granitic rocks (known in part as the Bulkley erup- ploration Company, of Vancouver, and development tives) are apparently contemporaneous in age with was carried on last summer. the main Coast Range batholithic rocks lying to the From Legate Creek we will jump to Hazelton, al- West, and would seem to have been the main mineralis- though the intervening country has many prornismg ing agency throughout this area. Ore-bodies are prospects. The Rocher De Boule Mine, situated on found in all three of these formations, with perhaps the mountain of the same name, acquired prominence MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 51 a few years ago by reason of the very considerable production of copper ore that it made. About two years ago the mine was closed and when it will be re-opened is uncertain. There is considerable tonnage of milling ore in the mine and further development of the main vein may yield continuations of the ore concentrate, containing about 200 oz shoot snoots previously worked out, so that sooner or later this mine will be re-opened. The Delta Copper Company's property adjoining the Rocher De Doule Mine has two veins practically identical in characteristics with those of the Rocher De Boule, and which are partly developed. This company has laid out an extensive campaign of diamond drilling for next summer and the drill is now on the ground. THE SILVER STANDARD MINE situated some five miles from Hazelton, has been a nearly steady producer since 1913. On this property there are a number of approximately parallel quartz veins in which the valuable minerals are galena, zinc blende and tetrahedrite. The propert y was veloped by a shaft and later by tunnels. It is equipped with a power plant at the mine and 50-ton water concentrator 2% miles ' from the mine in the valley of Two-mile Creek, the ore being hauled to the mill by motor truck. The lead concentrates run over 200 oz. silver to the ton, while the zinc concentrates carry about 60 oz. silver. The concent rating-mill was operated from early in the spring until the end of October. The year's operations were satisfactory and a larger tonnage of ore was milled than in any previous year. It had been hoped that production would have been continued all winter, but the management decided th^t this would be inadvisable. The difficulty7 of marketing silver-zinc concentrates, the lowered market price for silver, and the recent excessive rise in freight rates were the factors which caused the decision to close down. Marketing conditions have reached the point where the best policy is to leave the ore in the ground. Doubtless these conditions are but temporary, and a resumption of operations may be expected soon. During last winter a low-level crosscut tunnel was started, and this work proceeded with but few interruptions until the mine was closed in October. This tunnel will cut all the veins at a considerable depth below the present workings and eventually will be the main entry of the mine. So far this tunnel m the mountain lies the main vein, from which much good ore was extracted from the old shaft-workings and the 200-feet level. The production for the year is estimated to have been 600 tons zinc concentrate and 270 tons lead old, 100,000 oz. silver, 190,000 lb. lead, and 450,000 lb. zinc. The tonnage of ore milled was about 5,600 tons. BABINE-BONANZA Co's. MINE One of the important developments of the past summer in this district was the success attending the development of the Babine-Bonanza Co's. property, better known as Cronin's Mine. The showings on this property consist of two types, viz., fissure veins and a contact ore-body in schist, developed at or near an intrusive body of rhyolite. Silver lead-zinc minerals are found in the showings, and in considerable amounts in the contact ore-body. After doing considerable development to a depth of roughly 150 feet with satisfactory results a long crosscut tunnel first de- was decided upon by Mr. Cronin. This tunnel has been driven about 1,000 feet, and has encountered a substantial ore-body at a depth of over 400 feet below the surface. Whether or not this is the contact ore-body exposed in the upper working has not been definitely ascertained, but Mr. Cronin believes that the main ore-body lies still further ahead. Before development was stopped in December for the winter, the ore-body had been proven for a length of 200 feet or more. It has a width of 6 to 12 feet of good milling ore with many streaks of nearly solid sulphides. The ore is a mixture of galena and zinc blende occurring in a quartzose gangue and carries from \y2 to 2 oz. of silver to the unit of lead. It is expected that the question of equipping the property with a power plant, tramway and concentrating mill will now be considered as Mr. Cronin considers that the mine has passed the prospect stage. BABINE RANGE In the vicinity of Cronin's mine in the Babine range there are a number of promising prospects and the success attending Mr. Cronin's operations should encourage further development. During the past season properties on Hudson Bay mountain, Driftwood Creek * and at the head of the Telkwa River were further developed. The Taltapin Mining Co's. property, situated 28 miles north-easterly from Burns Lake (a town on the G.T.P. Ry.) was further developed during the year and work is being continued during the winter. The veins, of which there are has been driven about 1,000 feet and three veins have been cut by it and some stringers. The present several on the property, are quartz-filled fissures objective of the tunnel is the No. 4 vein, which carrying varying quantities of galena, zinc blende, should be reached in a further distance of about 380 and pyrite. High silver values are reported from feet. This vein contained some excellent shoots of some of the showings. ore in the 200-foot, cross-cut level workings, which cariboo mining dtvision are expected to continue at depth. Still further ahead The Mica Syndicate—An interesting development 52 MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD i i during the year was the work commenced at Tete Guarantee Trust Co., liquidators of National Fi- Jaune by the Mica Syndicate, a Calgary company, nance, Ltd. Two excellent seams of coal and other The syndicate has taken up a group of claims, on smaller ones occur. A drill is on the ground, but never which mica showings occur, 'on Mica Mountain used. The coal is excellent, analysis showing very reached from Tete Jaune, a station on the Grand low in ash. Trunk Pacific Railway, 184 miles east of Prince EASTERN MINERAL SURVEY DISTRICT George. Owing to the short season, and the necessity of building roads and trails to get access to the property, not much actual mining was accomplished before the coming of snow stopped the development until next season. The syndicate has taken up the question of marketing the mica pretty thoroughly and has submitted large samples to prospective buyers. Favourable reports on these samples have been received, together with offers to purchase the output, so it is believed that when ready to mine no difficulty will be found in marketing the product. The mica is muscovite (white mica) occurring in considerable quantities in pegmatite dykes. Crystals or "books" ranging from 4 by 4 to 12 by 12 inches occur in the dykes, together with masses of fine crystals. It is expected that next year the syndicate will commence to make an appreciable output of mica. coal mining No. 5 A. G. Langley, Resident Engineer for this district, said: The district has witnessed more than usual activity among the smaller properties and prospects, which were not seriously affected by labour shortage or interfered with by strikes. On the other hand the larger producers were greatly hampered by these conditions, more especially in the predominant silver- lead district, the Slocan, where a strike called by the O.B.U. in May greatly curtailed production and the development of many properties until late in the year. The outstanding feature of the year was the increase in production of the Sullivan Mine, owned and operated by the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company. The number of small producers and number of prospects worked each year is quite remarkable, at the same time significant of the potentialities of the district. The shipping list of the district includes between 70 and 80 names, while there The only productive coal mine in the district is a are at least as many more upon which development small one situated some five miles from Telkwa, and work is being done. known as the Telkwa Collieries. Mining is as yet on Naturally enough the attention of field engineers a small scale, the coal being hauled on wagons to the and mining men has been attracted more frequently7 railway, mainly for distribution locally, in the dis- to those areas near the main arteries of transporta- trict. One seam is now being mined which yields a tion, and we find the majority of shipping properties considerable percentage of high-grade blacksmith coal, are grouped in close proximity to lake or rail, but A market for this has been secured in Vancouver and there is a time coming when capital will have to go already carload shipments have been made. further afield than in the past, and then the less These coal areas, which are situated on the Telkwa easily accessible properties of the district will re- River have never been developed to any great extent. ceive greater and more careful consideration. Many of the exposures are fragmentary and represent remnants of the coal measures left by erosion. On the Aveling property, Telkwa Collieries and Cassiar Coal Co's. holdings there is, however, sub- It is such properties as these that the Department of Mines has aided very substantially, by giving assistance under the "Aids to Mines Act" towards road and trail construction, always with a view to stantial promise of considerable areas of coal. The opening up the country and to the advancement of coal in this locality is a high grade bituminous coal, mining generally throughout the Province. Of course and some of it is of very good quality, while other applications for benefit under this act, made by corn- seams run quite high in ash. The seams are large, panies or individuals operating in established camps, the widths running from a few feet up to 12 feet als0 receive due consideration. The recommendation or more. that assistance be given is made to the Honourable There are two other important coal areas in this Minister of Mines by the Resident Engineer, after the district which both lie at a distance of about 40 miles property has been examined. from Telkwa. One of these, the Jefferson-Dockrill coal field, situated on the low divide between the PRODUCTION At by far the largest number of properties, silver- Morice and Telkwa rivers has been partially proven lead-zinc ores are being mined. The metals produc- by diamond-drilling, and is reported to contain a ed in order of the gross value of production, based large tonnage of good grade bituminous coal.; on the average prices for the year, are as follows: Another area which holds considerable promise is Zinc, lead, silver, gold, copper, representing a total the Copper River field, situated on a tributary of value of about $10,0000,000, plus the value of the Copper River. It is now controlled by the Yorkshire coal produced by the Crows Nest Pass Coal Com- MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD 53 pany, makes the total mineral production of the district between $14,000,000 and $15,000,000, which is a large increase over that of last year. EAST KOOTENAY The bulk of the zinc was mined by the Sullivan Mine at Kimberley, as was also about 50% of the lead. This deposit of silver-lead-zinc ore is probably the largest of its kind on the American continent, but it was only in recent years that the metallurgical problems Swere •: salved, which allowed the mining and treatment of the ore on an economic basis, in other words its possibilities as a producer depended on suitable separation for the recovery of the metallic constituents. In order to accomplish this the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company erected a large electrolytic zinc refinery at Trail, and also spent considerable sums on the installation of magnetic and oil flotation concentrators. Not only has a satisfactory flow sheet been worked out, but great strides have been made in reducing the costs of production. The ore is an intimate mixture of zinc blende, galena, pyrrhotite, and iron pyrites. Other important producers of silver-lead ore in East Kootenay were the Paradise mine, at Inver- mere, the North Star at Kimberley, the St. Eugene at Movie and the Monarch at Field. SLOCAN In the Slocan where about 55% of the silver, and a large percentage of the lead was produced in spite of adverse labour conditions, the following properties were the principal producers: The combined Cunningham mines, including the Queen Bess, Idaho- Alamo, Wonderful and Sovereign; followed by the Roseberry-Surprise Mining Co's. properties, nameiy, the Surprise and Bosun Mines, then the Silversmith, Standard, and Rambler-Cariboo. The new concentrator at the Noble Five was completed during the year, and a few cars of concentrates were shipped from this property after many years of non-productive activity. At the Silversmith Mine a large ore body has been developed, and at the Bosun ore has recently been encountered between the level of the long new adit and the upper .workings. AINSWORTH In the Ainsworth Division the Florence mine easily ing watched with interest, for this property produced a considerable tonnage many years ago. In recent years a long crosscut tunnel was driven by the owner, A. W. McCune, to tap the vein at depth, and was abandoned after reaching its objective. This year the property was worked by leasers who shipped about 150 tons from surface workings. They ajre now driving an upraise from the lower tunnel to connect with the upper workings. Mining has been active up the South Fork of Kaslo Creek, and in the vicinity of the Whitewater Mine. NELSON In the Nelson Mining Division the principal producers of silver-lead ore were the Emerald at Salmo, and the Molly Gibson near Kitto. The Trout Lake, Lardeau and Revelstoke divisions experienced an unusually quiet season, the Lanark Mine near Illecille- waet being the principal producer. ROSSLAND Practically the entire gold output and all of the copper was produced at the Rossland Camp by the War Eagle-Centre Star group of the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company, supplemented by a considerable tonnage from the Josie. Owing to general economic conditions production was curtailed, though development work was proceeded with and permanent improvements made, of which not the least important was that of concreting the Centre Star shaft. In the Sheep Creek Camp, the Nugget Mines, Ltd., completed the long crosscut tunnel from the Motherlode workings to the Nugget vein, and stoping operations were started early in the summer. The season's run was short, mining operations being hampered by the shortage of labour. This year there is every reason to believe that the production will show a substantial increase. The Yankee Girl Mine at Ymir was taken under option by the Canada Mining Corporation, and extensive underground development and exploratory work was done. Mining operations were recently suspended, but whether the company will continue or drop their option, is not known. Placer mining has shown a little more activity, operations being principally confined to Wild Horse Creek near Fort Steele, and Perry Creek near Cranbrook. The mining divisions which probably re- leads in production and has been largely responsible ceived most attention from prospectors and small for an increase in the total for this division. At the Bluebell Mine, operations were confined to mining ore from the large surface exposures in the vicinity of the big Glory hole. The lower workings of the mine are still under water. Other properties which substantially contributed to the year's production were the Spokane-Trinket, Whitewater, and Utica. The development of the Skyline at Ainsworth is be- operators were Slocan, Ainsworth, Windermere and Nelson. Three returned soldier prospecting parties were sent out by the Government, one in the Golden Mining Division and two in the Big Bend district of the Revelstoke Division. In all 10 claims were staked, and it is to be hoped that an opportunity will be afforded this year to examine their findings. 54 MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD m m MINE IMPROVEMENTS The past season has seen considerable activity in construction work, many of the mines have built new bunk houses and generally improved the accommodation for the men, while the following plants have been completed or are in the process of erection :—* At the Noble Five Mine, at Sandon, 100 ton concentrator, embodying jigs, Wilfley tables and Callow flotation cells. At the Emerald, a 50-ton concentrator was completed. At the Ottawa, a 50-ton oil flotation concentrator. At the Victor, near Fort Steele, a 50-ton mill is being erected. At the California, the old. Athabasca mill was remodelled. OUTLOOK FOR 1921 The outlook for the production of silver, lead, zinc and copper for the coming season obviously depends on the available iriarket and labour. The present metal market conditions are not favourable, and it is difficult to foresee what they will be in the future. But one thing is certain, and that is, that the price of any commodity is governed by its cost of production. Therefore the price of metals will have to go up or that of labour come down, if the world is to be satisfied in its requirements. The cost of labour apparently has a tendency to decrease, as also does the cost of supplies—conditions which no doubt will give an impetus to gold mining. As far as this district is concerned, I expect to see as much if not more activity in development at both the large and small properties. WESTERN MINERAL SURVEY DISTRICT No. 6 W. M. Brewer, Resident Engineer, said:— The Western Mineral Survey District is made up of all of the territory west of a line drawn north from the eastern end of Chilliwack Lake and the International boundary to a point about 20 miles west of Lytton, or about 120 miles north from the starting point. From that point the eastern boundary of the district follows the water shed between the Fraser River and the coast about 200 miles in a north- which contains the earliest settlements of the pioneers in placer mining, the location of the first bar diggings on the lower Fraser River; early discoveries of gold bearing quartz on Vancouver Island, and one of the first, if not the very first discovery of copper sulphide ore of the bornite variety in the mountains near the head of Salmon Arm of Sechelt Inlet, about 40 miles from the City of Vancouver. Within the district on Vancouver Island, near the head of the Koksilah River, is the first discovery of silver ore in the Province, while on the east coast of the Island coal was first discovered in 1834 at Suquash. George Wilkinson, General Superintendent Pacific Coast Coal Mines, Ltd., who contributed the paper on Cost of Coal. Being the oldest in point of settlement as well as regards the discoveries mentioned, it is only reasonable that with age conservatism has followed. It is quite true that there is a lack of the spectacular rush, and high life usually found in newer mining camps, but as age improves whiskey and wine, so has it im- westerly direction to that part of the province lying proved the conditions in District No. 6, until today west of the Chilcotin Plateau. The northern boundary crosses the Coast Range in a south-westerly direction to the junction of Seymour Inlet with the sea at the south side of Queen Charlotte Sound. In addition to this part of the mainland the district includes Vancouver and all of the islands southerly from Queen Charlotte Sound. With limited time at my disposal it is not possible to narrate the past history of this part of the Province the progress m the mining industry in the district is hardly surpassed by that in any other district in the Province. COAL The coal mining industry which is the most important on Vancouver Island, as it provides a payroll of approximately $500,000 per month, has been carried on during 1920 without any interruptions or discord between the operators and their employees. As you MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD 55 will be addressed during this meeting by Thomas in order to do this standpipes had to be driven to bed Graham, General Superintendent for the Canadian rock, a depth of 150 feet, before diamond drilling Collieries (Dunsmuir), Ltd., on the subject of coal, could be started. During 1920 this ore body has I will merely call your attention to the fact that the been prospected on the 1900 level. coal mining industry on Vancouver Island, of which In addition to the development work being done in no man is more competent to speak than Mr. Gra- the mine proper, a raise is being driven on the 4,100 ham, supports the towns of Nanaimo, Cumberland, level from the face of the adit, which is more than Cassidy, South Wellington and Ladysmith, and when 4,000 feet long, to make a connection between the it is considered that Nanaimo is reputed to be so 4,100 and 2,700 levels. This raise, when completed, prosperous that there are more automobiles owned will supplant the incline railway as an ore carrier, there per capita than in any other town on the North and on December 31st had reached 600 feet. American Continent, and that the other coal mining I may be pardoned for quoting so many figures towns are all well heeled financially, some intelligent with regard to this property, but I do so because, al- idea is conveyed of the importance of this industry though within about 30 miles of Vancouver, its im- on the east coast of Vancouver Island. portance is hardly recognized, when as a matter of Britannia mine fact the area comprised in the holdings of the com- The most important operations in metal mining Panv extends for a distance of about 12 miles along during 1920 were carried on by the Britannia Mining the belt and ^"des some 500 claims. The schist and Smelting Company, which' increased their pro- belt m which the ore bodies occur is an example | duction over 1919 in spite of the fact that owing to one occurrence of the inclusion or undestroyed area the low price of copper in November last, the com- of much altered stratified rocks which occur in the pany reduced the force by about 40 per cent, of its granodionte batholith, noted by Charles Camsell usual number, closed down the concentrating mill and alon? the lme of the RG-K Rv- The Bntanma belt incline hoist, and confined operations to extending was the first of such bands or belts to be developed its underground development. The electric railway in the Coast RanSe- , • , ! _. .-i- „ , ,„ I I 1 r „ As that part of my district on the mainland in- and aerial tramway are utilized to transport ore trom * J , , \ , • ., *• i . 1 otn eludes the Coast Range as far north as the south side development work in the mine, on which about AM ° , , of Oueen Charlotte Sound it is gratifying to be able men are employed. ~ . , \ \ , , , „ . ™ im ino<-> to call attention to what has been done by the Bntan- The output for 1920 was:— . . J ™ . , /n- nnn nia Company for the reason that it may prove an. Tons mined 697,900 . . r •* J , . . „ , ~A/, r.,*, incentive to prospectors and others interested in nun- Tons transported 704,04/ . r . , ... „ ... , -r-ir, Atn in? to give more attention to those sections of the Tons milled 710,450 & _ff ^ . , . , -e -,-tr Coast Range which can be reached by water trom Tons product shipped /o,/zo ° , ,» . , , „ , , . , any ot the many inlets which penetrate the Mainland Contents of product shipped:— „J . J . c ... 8 , , r A-,e Coast, and crosscut the range at several points trom Gold oz o,4Zd . , ,. . „., in-innn the International boundary line north to Alaska. Silver oz iOZ,uuu < . gs «" ' ' ,0-tnnm During the past year, especially, there has been Copper, lb le,Z50,000 . J - ^. ' .... , . ,rv-i^ <■ e urn more attention paid to prospecting on the Coast trom Diamond drilling during 1920, feet 5,696 j it. , , . ° Howe Sound northerly, also to re-opening and ex- In addition, a total of 7,581 feet of working open- tending development work on some of the old pro- ings were completed during 1920. The levels' are perties which have been closed down for the past .all above sea level in the Britannia Mine and are 15 years or so> an(j such worjc -s generally proving figured from the outcrop about 4,200 feet elevation satisfactory. There is a better understanding today down, with the 4,100 level at the roof of the mill at amongst prospectors as to the values of their mineral Britannia Beach, about 2% miles from the main ciaims. They realize more fully the amount of capi- line. During last year there was considerable de- ta\ necessary to open up a copper mine. In conse- velopment work done on the 1,400 and 1,600 levels quence the engineers representing big companies are in the Bluff section opening up that body of ore for aDje to make (jeais attractive to their principals, actual stoping. A main transfer raise was completed for the direct handling of the Bluff Glory Hole ore 0N Vancouver island from the surface to the 1,600 level. the progress in metal mining during 1920 has been In the Fairview section the sixth vein has been considerable*' so far as development work is concerned, opened to the 1,600 level. Prior to 1920 this vein especially at the Old Sport and Sunloch Mines, was known only to the 1,200 level. A raise is being which are controlled by the Consolidated Mining and driven from the 1,600 up to the 1,200 and 1,000 Smelting Company of Canada. The Old Sport is levels. During the latter part of 1919 a new ore body near the north end of the Island near Quatsino was discovered on the Victoria claim by drilling, but Sound, while the Sunloch is about 42 miles by auto I 1 1 |''S. PI 56 1 m. road from Victoria on Jordan River on the west coast. The Old Sport Mine is in an area of meta- morphic contact rocks with the main concentration of ore occurring in a bed of limestone lying between two andesite flows. The series has been intruded by diorite, which has metamorphosed the limestone and the andesite, and according to Victor Dolmage produced the ore. The Sunloch ore bodies occur in. shear zones in volcanic rocks which contact with gabbros. Devel- MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD of work on the Phoenix properties of the Granby Company. Grand Forks Division had been the largest producer in British Columbia, and had the largest smelter in the Province. The Granby Mine at Phoenix had been dismantled. It would cost 18.7c on the copper content of the ore remaining in the mine to adopt concentration. In the Franklin Camp the Union was one of the most attractive properties. They had gone through opment on both of these mines has shown large ton- the shipping ore and the rest was low grade. A mill nages of copper ore of commercial grade adapted might be installed to treat it. Platinum had been to Flotation concentration. found in the Maple Leaf, in which a concentrated sam- One instance of notable progress has been that pie gave half an ounce of platinum to the ton, but of the Tidewater Copper Company on the Indian Chief Mine on Sidney Inlet, west coast of Vancouver Island, which, after a history none too brilliant, shows, after systematic development work during 1918-19-20, costing some $250,000.00, an ore body containing about 200,000 tons of "actual" ore, blocked out by working openings on three sides, which had never been known previously, although the mine has been in operation spasmodically since 1898. This ore body- belongs to the contact-metamorphic type and is one of three opened in the mine. Other operations in metal mining on Vancouver Island during last year are those carried on by the Gabbro Mining Company of Victoria on the Gabbro Group of Mineral Claims on Jordan River, adjoining the Sunloch; by the Ladysmith Smelting Corporation on Mt. Sicker; by J. B. Woodworth on some gold bearing quartz veins in the Big Interior Mountains near the centre of the Island; by the Paramount Mining Company on Myra and Price Creeks at the south end of Buttle Lake, Strathcona Park; where about 2,000 feet of diamond drilling was done on a wide zone of mineralized schists resembling the Britannia Belt. lasqueti island A Vancouver syndicate under the superintendence whether there was enough platinum to enable the ore to be mined profitably remained to be proven. The Rock Candy Mine was still producing fluorspar, though it had been closed down on account of some difficulty in the mill. This was one of the largest deposits of fluorspar in America, having an extent of 50 x 250 x 500 ft. The mineral was concentrated, passed through rotary kilns with oil flares and brought to a red heat, by which it was decrepitated and a product of fairly good grade obtained. More difficulty was experienced with the mineral high in silica. Some of the old mines at Greenwood had been shipping, particularly the Providence. The Hedley Gold Mining Co. ceased operations on account of the high operating costs, but it was likely they would re-open the mine shortly. A new find had been made northwest of Hedley, where a fairly large outcrop of copper sulphides had been developed. A tunnel had been run and struck some nice ore. At Summit Camp, W. H. Hess had acquired the Mountain View where a vein containing silver and lead had been proved for 1,500 feet. There were other veins in that camp carrying silver and lead with some zinc. At the Knob Hill, on Roach River, a good deal of of Henry Lee is working on Lasqueti Island in the prospecting had been going on, and they had ore Strait of Georgia near the south end of Texada Is- which could be shipped after concentration. If the land, where there occurs an ore body of high grade Provincial Highway goes in there it will open up copper-gold-silver values at or near the contact be tween diorite porphyry and diorite with an amyg- daloidal basaltic phase. SOUTHERN MINERAL SURVEY DISTRICT No. 4 P. B. Freeland, Resident Engineer for this district, comprising Grand Forks, Greenwood, Qsoyoos and Similkameen Mining Divisions, gave the tonnage production for 1920 as: Grand Forks, 28,925; Greenwood, 1,861; Osoyoos, 39,684; Similkameen, 37,000; total, 107,470 tons, as compared with 252,106 tons for previous year. The falling off was due to cessation good territory which will be well worth looking into. Copper Mountain was operated only a short time. Difficulty had been experienced in bringing the ore down to the size required at the mine, as it required a hard blow to reduce it. Good flotation results were obtained, but only one unit of the mill was operated. When this mine is in full operation, it will mean a large increase in the production of the district. The amount of ore treated at the mill was about 37,000 tons. The Coalmont Collieries is one of the largest producers in the district, shipping coal from the mine to the railway, a distance of 15,000 ft., by aerial mm MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD tramway capable of handling 60 tons an hour. A tipple equipped with Marcus screens had been installed and the company had put in a steam electric plant to generate its own power. The coal was of good quality. Some trouble had been experienced with the cables. The copper industry would probably revive sooner than they expected. In the Tulameen there was a large area of olivine rocks which carried platinum values, and deserving of some attention. Lectures to prospectors were being arranged and the proposal to supply them with cheap powder would be of material assistance to them. NORTHWESTERN MINERAL SURVEY DISTRICT No. 1 In the absence of George Clothier, Resident Engineer for this dictrict, Dr. S. J. Schofield and P. Y\ . Racey gave some information concerning the results of their season's work. Dr. Schofield said the district as a whole was situated on the east side of the Coast Range batholith. The most important rocks so far as they had been investigated were the tuffs, or volcanic ash rocks. The ores occurred in these rocks, or in the contact with quartz porphyry dykes intruding them. The tuffs were mineralized from Salmon River through Hazelton and down through Ootsa and Eutsuk lakes. Tuffs were easily recognized. Along the fault planes cutting the veins they got their high values. It was the opinion of O'Neill, who worked there, that the cross fractures played a very important part in the occurrence of the high silver.values. Prospecting northwest of Salmon River was in progress and he had seen ore sent out by prospectors which carried ruby silver that would run 1,200 to' 1,500 oz. to dfe ton. Transportation was the difficulty, but they were pushing into that northern country and bringing out ore which would bear investigation. On the Hercules, Spider, Premier, International, and Bush development was being actively pursued. He saw some ore from the Algunican property which would run as high as 150 oz. silver to the ton. On Alice Arm the rocks were similar to those on Salmon River. Work had been done on Marmot River under the supervision of Dr. Uglow and the geology of that area appeared to be similar to that of Salmon River. P. W. Racey said Alice Arm section had attracted a considerable amount of attention. A large number of prospectors had gone into that district and were endeavoring to find other mines. They had been partially successful. Conditions were similar to those on Salmon River. Tuffs appeared to be the chief rocks in .which the valuable minerals were found. They were looking forward to having a member of the staff of the Geological Survey go in there and carry on further geological investigation. THE DOLLY VARDEN was the centre of attraction. Considerable work had been done there, and 25,600 tons of ore shipped, which averaged 25.5 oz. silver, yielding 800,000 oz. silver, which was rather encouraging for one mine. The ore in the Dolly Varden came from No. 4 level, 200 to 250 feet below the outcrop. No ore was mined below that level, although development showed ore existed to a further depth of 230 feet. There was still a considerable amount of ore above No. 4 level. The high grade ore found in the upper portion of the mine had been demonstrated to exist on the next level below No. 5. It was found by diamond drilling and developed by driving a crosscut far enough to demonstrate the extent of the ore bodies. 500 feet of work had been done on No. 5, and the values- were sufficient to determine the management to start another tunnel at 640 feet. This would be the main working tunnel, and it was practically at the level of the railway. The mine had been closed down on account of the low price of silver and the high cost of production. He might say the Taylor Engineering Company spent a considerable amount of money in improving the railway, laying heavier steel, building bunkers, and putting in a power plant on Trout Creek, a few miles above the Dolly Varden. They had put in a unit to develop 500 h.p., and it was arranged so that it could be increased as required. The Doll}7 Varden was the only mine in the district on which extensive development had been done. OTHER PROPERTIES The Esperanza was the only other property to ship ore, and no development was done. Development on the Moose showed 10 to 15 feet of ore averaging 30 oz. silver per ton. In the lower tunnel work was progressing and some ore had been developed there, but development had not reached the point where the ore was showing in the upper tunnel. Ore was exposed for a distance of 600 feet horizontally, and 400 feet vertically. No work was done last summer on the Wolf, but this year it was expected there would be considerable work done there as the Taylor Engineering Co. planned extensive development of that property. Most of the other development work in that section was on prospects concerning which he had no reliable data to give them. THE BELLEVIEW East of Kitsault, on the Illiance River, development on the Belleview was quite promising. There was a shear zone of considerable extent in which milling ore existed. The shear zone had been traced over a long distance. Work was done at two points, I 58 MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD one showing ore for a length of 85 feet by a width The difficulties of separating individual metals of 20 feet, carrying values of 20 to 25 oz. silver. There from ores containing zinc associated with copper or were several promising prospects there and it would lead, or with both, were great. It was still a combe well worth while for those searching for mining mon error to think that all these metals will be paid properties to look over that district. The fall in the for at current market quotations, price of the metals had damped the enthusiasm of ln case of copper and zinc mixtures shipped to cop- prospectors, but he hoped they would bear in mind per smelters, zinc does no good in furnaces, goes out these bad times would not last long. The whole of as fUme or in slag, and is not recovered, although at the Alice Arm district looked quite promising. He SOme plants slags high in zinc are being kept separate believed there would be several mines developed m hopes of profitable means of treatment being devised in future. In large amount zinc sulphide is a positive evil in copper smelting furnaces, reducing capacity of settlers and giving trouble with tap-holes, there, and that it would become a large producer of silver. APPEAL FOR RETURNED SOLDIERS J. D. MacKenzie, of the Geological Survey, and himself a returned man, appealed to employers to consider the returned soldiers who had come back to Canada and taken up their studies at the University. There was an opportunity here presented to those who were hiring technical engineers to secure men who were not students just out of college with a little technical training, but men who had filled more or less responsible positions in the army, where not only their own lives but the lives of the men under them depended on them. Some of them were decorated for their service in the cause for which they fought. There was not one of them but held a position of more or less responsibility. They were men of character and experience/ far above the ordinary. He had keen appreciation of their position and would like to bring the matter to the attention of those who wanted men of vital experience in life. They were far-sighted enough and had the moral courage to take up their work again on their return from the war. The opportunity for the employer was a double one —he could add a man of exceptional experience to his staff and at the same time aid a returned man to a fresh start in his civil career. Dean Brock said there was a double reason why these men should be absorbed into civil life. They were getting a better man than under ordinary circumstances and providing him with employment. It was the experience of the Universities that the returned soldier made the best student they had ever had. TOWN PLANNING In the evening a lecture was given by T. B. Adams, of the Commission of Conservation, on Town Planning. THURSDAY, FEB. 10—MORNING SESSION S. S. Fowler occupied the chair. THE COMPLEX ORE PROBLEM also some silver is carried off by zinc vapors mechanically or possibly volatilized. Alexander Sharp, who contributed the paper on "A Better and a Cheaper Coal." Lead in copper ores smelted in copper furnaces gave no recovery in most cases, although some plants have installed bag houses or Cottrell apparatus in connection with converters, and recover some of the lead. Copper in lead ores smelted in lead furnaces gave a variable recovery, 60% to 90%, depending on amount in ore. Recovery necessitates two to four re-treatments, costs money and loss of appreciative amounts of the lead associated with it. In lead-zinc sulphide combinations shipped to lead smelters, the zinc penalty is not a camouflage to ex- Prof. H. N. Thompson gave a witty and original tort a high smelting rate. Presence of zinc sulphide address which proved one of the most interesting js a very real trouble from s'tart to finish. Sulphide features of the meeting. ores smelted in lead blast furnaces must be roasted MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD 59 to get as high a direct production of lead as possible. Much sulphur in the charge puts too much lead in matte when it is wanted in the bullion. This means additional expense and losses. Zinc sulphide is difficult to roast, especially in presence of lead minerals. Heat is generated so quickly by formation of zinc oxide that some galena (lead sulphide), fuses and prevents the necessary access of air to the material. Regarding blast furnace troubles, blende (zinc sulphide), in blast furnace is a wonderful educator in fluent use of cuss words, or produces a profane silence. It volatilizes in the lower part of the furnace and condenses in the upper part of the furnace shaft as a mixture of metallic zinc, zinc oxide, together with zinc sulphide and various lead compounds which are sticky at comparatively low temperatures. The furnace tonnage is rapidly reduced, while labor and overhead expenses remain the same. Zinc sulphide gets into the matte, it gets into the slag, and makes separation of matte from slag bad. It fills up settlers and freezes up tap-holes, crusts lead in the crucible forcing it out of the furnace into the settler where it is not wanted. In regard to possible recovery from slag, slag containing 12% zinc and 1.50% lead has been smelted at South Chicago with 25% coke and 10% limerock, 50% of the zinc being recovered as oxide by filtration through bags. ZINC Zinc sulphide containing lead minerals sent to zinc smelters makes roasting more difficult. The lead is left in retort residues, or gets into the zinc. This necessitates additional refining expense and residue treatment expense and lead loss. Brass, to be mechanically worked, should contain less than .07% lead, and as brass is made from zinc and copper this means that spelter (zinc) used must be very low in lead. Therefore lead is not wanted by zinc smelters. Iron and lime are not wanted either, as they make a slag with clay of which retorts are made. Zinc smelters want percentage of zinc in material retorted as high as possible. It costs almost as much to retort 25% zinc ore or concentrates as that containing 50%. This makes the cost of producing one lb. of zinc from 25% material double that expended in smelting 50% material. Recovery from 50% material is about 85% of zinc content; from 25% stuff only about 65%. Also there is less residue to handle from the high grade material, reducing costs and lessening chances of retort corrosion. Lead and silver recovery will be low as both metals will be found partly with the zinc, and partly with the residue. Silver going with the spelter is a loss; that with residue has to be sent to a lead smelter for recovery. An electrolytic zinc plant is very expensive, and success of lead-zinc separation depends largely on careful and thorough roasting. Temperature too high or too low leaves large amount of zinc with lead residue which is lost, as this residue is shipped to the lead smelter. Roasting of blende before retorting must also be most thorough as unroasted blende will remain with retort residue and the contained zinc be lost when sent to lead smelter. ATTEMPTS TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM Magnetic and electrostatic methods are not applicable for good separation of lead and zinc but are much used to separate iron and zinc minerals. Iron causes trouble in both retort and electrolytic zinc plants. In the electrolytic process it has a tendency to combine with zinc during roasting and make insoluble compounds. In the smelting process it shortens the life of the retort by slagging as already mentioned. Wonderful results have been obtained in separating lead and zinc by selective flotation, but it won't always work and when it does the extremely fine product from the flotation machines is often the devil's own job to roast in a manner essential for a good zinc extraction by either smelting or electrolytic methods. The present tendency is to make a high grade zinc plus lead concentrate and separate the metals in this by the electrolytic process. This scheme does away with the necessity of any extremely fine crushing and gives a small proportion of very fine material to handle. In zinc burning roasted ore and anthracite are charged on top of burning coals on a grate, air blown through, and the mixture of zinc oxide, lead oxide and lead sulphate driven off and caught in bag filters. This product is used for pigment, or filler for white goods. If off-color zinc may be dissolved in sulphuric acid and recovered by electrolytic process, and the insoluble lead sulphate sent to lead smelter. ELECTRIC FURNACE METHODS In Sweden electric furnaces are used as source of heat in distillation of zinc, the material being first roasted as for retorting. This scheme is possible on account of cheap power. At the high temperature of the electric furnace, and in the presence of lime, it is possible to distill zinc from blende without a preliminary roast. This is the basis of many electric furnace experiments. CHEMICAL SEPARATION METHODS A great many have been proposed. Bretherton's seems to have good possibilities. It consists of roasting, followed by leaching with ammonia in presence of carbon di-oxide. Ammonia is distilled off when zinc will be precipitated as carbonate. The residue not dissolved bv the ammonium carbonate 60 MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD contains the lead, copper, gold, and silver, and can be sent to a lead smelter. GAS METALLURGY This term is used by Dr. Cottrell to describe the volatilization of metals as chlorides with separate condensation of individual metals, or separation after condensation. Encouraging results are being obtained on oxidized zinc-silver ores, though trouble with the zinc has been encountered. Results on sulphide lead- zinc ores are very poor. The Chairman: It has been a pleasure to hear Mr. Thompson say in so pleasant a way what he has said. It is great art. PROBLEM OF TREATMENT OF COMPLEX ORES OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. Horace Freeman, who is conducting research work in British Columbia ores for the Hon. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research of Canada, said: Prof. Thompson has recounted to you many of the ' difficulties involved in the treatment of our complex ores. The bulk of ore in this class, and with which we are mainly concerned, consists of the unoxjdized sulphides. There are many developed mines in British Columbia containing large bodies o^ ore carrying lead, zinc, silver, copper, and iron, all chemically combined with sulphur. In thi. combination they are so intimately mixed, mechanica'i'y and chemically, that the cost of separating the lead, the zinc and the silver in the marketable state, is at the present time prohibitive, and these mines are languishing for want of improvement in our knowledge of m"ta11urgical treatment. The trouble arises from the zinc. A . you well know, the zinc content of our lead mines increases with depth; also some high grade native silver deposits are contaminated with zinc sulphides. In jead smelting and in silver cyaniding this /inc interferes, in the first car.e making infusible .slags, and in the second keeping a portion of the iUcr front dissolving in the cyanide solution. For many years it has been the practice to effect a separation of the zinc and iron ?uiphi''c from the argentiferous lead sulphide by jigging ana magnetic separation, and latterly by differential flotation methods. These yield a lead concentrate carrying some zinc and omc of the silver. In most cases the zinc product is set aside as unmarketed'.'!. Consequently, and notwithstanding good silver values, the cost of milling, concentrating, freight and smelter charges is so great there is little or no profit, and we have tied up millions of dollars in potential value which might be released at any tithe by the progress of research and invention. It is hardly possible for the small mine to look for a profitable market to the electrolytic zinc pr< cess- which has been developed since 191.4 in Canada, the United States and Tasmania; because this process must be placed near a very large supply of zinc ore; is not yet a cheap process, and requires electric power at low cost. THE CUBE-ALL I believe that the cure-all which is sought bv our British Columbia lead-silver zinc miners, if found, will' entail a simple concentration of the 1ead, silver and zinc into one concentrate, shipment of this total concentrate to the place of treatment, and treatment there by a process which will yield the three metalf in a very few steps. This would entail economies all along the line from the mine to the refinery. It could only come from a more intimate knowledge of the metallurgy of zinc than we now possess, i>nd not from exploitation of methods developed without recourse to scientific research. It is for a research on these sulphide ores that the Hon. Council for Scientific and Industrial Research has made i'.s first grant in British Columbia, and on which the work i now progressing. NECESSITY FOR RESEARCH I would like to take this opportunity to emphasise the necessity for research on several industrial problems outside of mining, in British Columbia. Scientific research is costly and is u ually beyond the means of the individual qualified to carry it on. I venture to say that if even a portion of the money loaned by our Department of Industries to certain specific developments had been devoted to applied scientific research in that particular line of endeavor, these industries would be operating today, and the Provincial Government would be reasonably certain of repayment of the loans. This I say in the spirit of constructive criticism. The Chairman said there had been some improvements in the recovery of lead sulphate from ore. He had been trying to do that, and had succeeded to some extent. It was exceedingly rare that lead sulphate occurred in nature, but at the Bluebell Mine they had both lead sulphate and lead carbonate. Nobody had taken any notice of the oxidized ore since the mine started to operate in the 80's though some was shipped to the Pilot Bay Smelter in the early 90's. In the last few years he had undertaken work on these sulphate ores, and while they had not succeeded they found that a large part of this sulphate ore was in such a condition that it could not be concentrated on tables, and he resorted to handling some of the slime in open vats at a time of the year when evaporation was rapid, and th£ slime dried to such an extent that only 8 to 9% of water remained in it. But in autumn this water would not evaporate and MINING & ENGI remained at 28 to 30%. The smelter had a way of charging for all the moisture in the ore, and while it was worth about $5 or $6 a ton when it left the mine it was that much worse when it got to Trail. He did not know of such an ore anywhere else except at the North Star and Paradise, where the lead occurred as carbonate. At the North Star they had a large tonnage of low grade ore which it did not pay to handle at the time it was mined, but lately the dumps had been gone over and a large amount shipped profitably. N. Thompson spoke of the necessity of steps being taken to secure to owners of complex ores the value of the metals they contained. R. C. Campbell-Johnston said there was no difficulty whatever in separating ore from gangue by flotation. The subsidizing of chemical research was absolutely necessary. In his experience at Swansea they resorted to the reverberatory furnace. Their method of getting the zinc and copper separated was to use salt cake, and by specific gravity the zinc went to the top and the copper to the bottom. In Alberta and Saskatchewan there were enormous deposits of soda and they could have cheap flux by which it would be possible to apply a known process to the separation of the zinc and the lead. E. E. Campbell said the discussion did not offer much encouragement in the complex ore problem. The smelter could not be run on a strictly scientific basis. At.their plant they had a few problems. They had quite a large body of pyritic and silicious ore. They had disseminated ore in greenstone where the two occurred in 50% proportion. The heavy sulphide with the silica made a perfect charge, and they were able to use a certain proportion of the greenstone gangue, but they could not do this and have tha tonnage. This got them to the problem of concentration. This greenstone gangue contained 15 to 25 per cent iron and 25 to 30 per cent insoluble, and they could not treat this ore by notation. They could get a 12 per cent copper concentrate and reduce 8 to 10 tons to 1, which eliminated a large amount of iron but this also applied to the copper. The average recovery was 89 to 91 per cent. 1 Thev tried sintering but this made trouble. Mr. Campbell Johnston had suggested the reverberatory furnace. They treated ore of 2 per cent, and it was absolutely impossible to get a uniform mixture in ore of that grade. Mr. Freeman said Mr. Campbell had made the point that out of this discussion there arose little hope for the owner of the complex ore mine. In this complex ore work great difficulty was experienced in getting money from the Government for research work. It was true smelter practice was not exactly scientific, but it was based on scientific deduction. He was obliged to take a smaller grant than was NEERING RECORD 61 necessary on the principle of " No cure, no pay," and he had some hope at least of securing results in the future. Practically no real, scientific research had been carried on in the province to solve its problems, and until they got sufficient financial help they could not hope for progress. W. Fleet Robertson: One point has been overlooked—that is, metallurgy is a commercial business. Metallurgists were aware losses were made but it would cost more to save the lost values than they were worth. Metallurgists knew how to save these losses, but the question was, Would it pay? Mr. Campbell-Johnston brought back something to his memory, and although he had 25 years active metallurgical experience it was 20 years ago since he had been in close touch with it. The original discovery of the successful treatment of the nickel- copper ore of Sudbury was due to Thomas Kiddie, who' was chemist for the Orford Company, and between them they evolved a process for the separation of the nickel from the copper by using soda carbonate in the blast furnace. The nickel formed a heavy sulphate which formed at the bottom, and the copper settled above with the slag at the top. We had small quantities of nickel in ores here and it would be possible to make a concentration if there were a sufficient supply of ore to justify the plant. If they went to Trail and asked them to take up the matter they would ask, How much ore can we depend on? The first thing is to make a rough concentration. Mr. Thompson suggested having a lead concentrate carrying some zinc, or a zinc concentrate carrying some lead. They will always overlap, or if you attempt a complete separation you leave in between a nasty mixture of lead and zinc. One of the predominant troubles is that the zinc carries with it silver which may amount to 20 oz. per ton, equivalent to a value of $10 to $20, and it was a question whether it was better to let the zinc go and save the silver. It was purely a commercial question, and it is along the line of improving present methods that scientific research must go rather than starting de novo. A. G. Langley had listened to Messrs. Thompson and Freeman with great interest. Nothing should be left ^undone to further research work on these complex ores. In the Kootenay there were hundreds of thousands of tons of ore tying on the dumps which they could do nothing with—ore that carried 80 oz. silver and 30 per cent lead, but which they could not realize on account of the zinc. For years experts had been working on concentration. The trouble was they had a large percentage of silver with the zinc they could not get rid of. A good deal of it had been shipped across the line for treatment and to Belgium, but owing to the freight rates this m HI I I ■i ii 62 MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD W: h H could no longer be done. Then there was the penalty of 35 to 40 per cent before any allowance was made for the silver values. A number of people did not really appreciate the importance of what Mr. Freeman was doing. They should do something at this meeting to influence the boards of trade and other influential bodies towards helping on this work and make such further provision as may be necessary. O. Lachmund suggested the establishment of sampling plants in the different centres. Many properties were closed down for want of a market cents per ton while that of the distributors was $1.25 per ton. The inference seemed to be that the coal operators could not be a very good business crowd or they would hold the paying end of the business so as to supplement their profits and pay their debentures. Charles Graham said he was not interested in the selling end but in the production, and he appreciated some of the things Mr. Sharp said with regard to increased production to be obtained by machine mining. That was applicable to mines that had uni- for their ore. They should put the government be- form conditions, and not altogether adaptable to the hind these works which could mix the ores received conditions under which they had to work. At Comox to a point where they would be acceptable to the they had machines which made about half the pro- smelters. This was done at sampling works in the duction. They had purchased some more machines. United States . He had presented this suggestion to The principal benefit was the higher production ob- the Minister of Mines but he did not consider it tained from a smaller area and considerable reduc tion in cost. It was difficult to adapt machines to room and pillar work. With machines they got a better and cleaner product. They were endeavoring at Comox to increase machine mining as much as possible. They had increased the number of ma- tion at a luncheon at the Hotel Vancouver, tendered cnines 100 per cent. To show the difficulties they by the Vancouver Board of Trade. W. J. Blake- Wilson, President of the Vancouver Board of Trade, presided, and at the close of the luncheon Thomas favorably. BOARD OF TRADE LUNCHEON. The delegates were entertained along with the delegates to the Associated Boards of Trade Conven- met with in the way of machine mining they purchased machines and only got two cuts with them when they ran into a fault which put the machines out of business till they opened up another face. Machine mining was the only system where it could be applied. The percentage of lump coal was increased. It was lump coal the consumer demanded. In proposing a vote of thanks to Mr. Graham, the Fine coai was cieaner than lump arid much better Graham, Superintendent of the Canadian Collieries, Ltd., gave an address on "The Coal Industry of Vancouver Island," which we shall publish in full in a future issue. chairman said he was a wise man who would listen to the other side of the story. The}7 had heard from Mr. Graham a great many things which would give them cause for thought. J. P. D. Malkin, Vice-President of the Board, said that about nine months ago the Board of Trade went over to Vancouver Island, and were addressed by Mr. Graham, who gave them something to think about. He seconded the vote of thanks to Mr. Graham, and this was adopted by acclamation. AFTERNOON SESSION. N. Thompson presided. A paper by Geo. Wilkinson, Manager of Pacific. Coast Coal Mines Ltd., on "Cost of Coal" was read by the Secretary, H. Mortimer Lamb, and will' be published by us in full. The Chairman read a paper on "A ■ Cheaper and a Better Coal" by Alex. Sharp, who was in attendance at the meeting, but had not sufficiently recovered from his recent illneses to enter into the discussion. This paper we are also publishing in full. DISCUSSION H. Mortimer Lamb said one thing that must strike them was the profit of the operators was only 38 fuel. There was no doubt the public themselves were a great deal to blame for the high price of coal here and in other cities by demanding lump coal so that they might take it into their cellars and smash it up. If they would buy run-of-mine coal there was no question the consumer would find a substantial reduction in the cost of coal. R. Campbell-Johnston expressed himself extremely pleased with the papers and particularly with that of Mr. Sharp. It was a fine paper. The reason people wanted lump coal was for use in open fireplaces. It was not only domestic coal that should be available but bunker coal and coke for their industries and shipping. Domestic coal was the smallest end of the stick. The Harbour Board proposed to spend considerable money in providing bunkering accommodation, and it was proposed to bring coal from Alberta. C. Graham: The Union Bay coking plant is idle and also half the coke ovens of the Crows Nest Pass. COST OF RETAILING COAL C. A. Prowse, manager of the Marpole Coal Co. Ltd., read a short paper on the cost of retailing coal in which he enumerated the items and amounts en- MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD 63 tering into the costs of distribution. As we have already published these figures in connection with the coal investigation by the City of Vancouver, they need not be repeated. The items included wharfage, cost of loading, towage, marine insurance, demurrage, unloading, shrinkage of 2 per cent, loss in handling, loss in re-screening 12 per cent, sacking, storage, overhead expenses as rent, office salaries, insurance on stocks, and advertising. In Seattle, coal was delivered in bulk. The principal reasons for the high cost of coal in Vancouver were the fact that the consumer would not accept the coal as it came from the mines, the dealer having to re-screen it and make a loss on the small coal. If the consumer would buy coal as delivered from the mine, with delivery in bulk in place of being sacked, he would save at least $1.50 per ton. The large coal could be used for open grates and kitchen stoves, and the small coal would make an excellent furnace fuel. The public should have arrangements at their buildings to allow coai being delivered in bulk instead of at the back of the buildings. Vancouver dealers' prices included delivery into the consumer's bin whereas the price in Seattle was for delivery at the wharf. DISCUSSION Thomas Graham said with reference to Mr. Campbell-Johnston's suggestion that the fine coal lost in the washers should be used for making coke, this could not be done. The fine coal from the washers was elevated and again crushed to recover the fines. The residue was of no value for fuel, being too high in ash. S. S. Fowler: How far have you progressed in experimenting with flotation? The Minerals Separation people have done a lot of work in economizing* and making use o'f material hitherto regarded as waste. Mr. Graham: It is the Minerals Separation Company that is carrying on the investigation for us and their results promise much success. Prof. Daniels: We have been conducting experiments at the University of Washington on flotation of fine coal and did not get results, but the results of tests on one group of coals was not indicative of what might be done with other coals. The flotation of coal, however, was not a commercial possibility. He mentioned two new processes for recovery of fine coal, one of which was that adopted by the Trent people who were coming to the Pacific Coast to follow up this work. E. A. Haggen said he did not take so pessimistic a view of the coal situation as Mr. Thos. Graham in the address which they had heard that day as regarded the Vancouver Island coal fields. The Suquash field in the northern portion of the Island was a large field. He had examined the measures and found little evidence of faulting there, so that it did not present the same difficulties in that respect as the coal deposits further south. Then new discoveries had been made on the Island, but those who discovered them had not made their discoveries known on account of the stupid manner in which the Government had placed a reservation on coal at a time when . they wanted to have their coal resources developed to the utmost. Then there was the successful development of the Coalmont field, which would provide the coast shipping with an excellent quality of bunker coal. The carbonization of the lignites would provide a new source of fuel. Then there was the Copper River field, within 30 miles of water transportation, tests of which had given the best metallurgical coke tributary to the coast. The Stuart Lake country, tributary to the extension of the P. G. E. Railway was also a possible coalfield. HOGGED FUEL F. Sawford, of the Taylor Engineering Company, gave a paper on the use of hogged fuel, illustrated by diagrams. Hogged fuel is the waste of sawmills put through machines and chipped into small pieces which are treated in a by-product recovery plant ai'd affords a substitute for coal and oil as fuel for industrial plants and domestic purposes. He said the use of this class of fuel was receiving a great deal of attention as a possible substitute for coal and oil. Of the by-products, the potash contained in the ash was valuable for fertilizer, and some of the oils would be suitable for the flotation process of minerals separation. DISCUSSION H. N. Freeman said in connection with these byproducts the future had to be taken into consideration. Three or four years ago the Forests Department in Wisconsin made tests on the mill waste of the Pacific Coast lumber mills and found the yield of byproducts to be so small as to be a negligible factor. He made tests as to the potash value of this waste and found it to be 2|10 of 1% of weight of ash, practically negligible. The sodium chloride of sea water took up potash, and as the logs used in the mills often lay a long time in salt water he was certain potash was lost in this way. Wood alcohol v as a very different thing. In the United States they were making ethyl alcohol from wood and it was an excellent motor fuel. R. Campbell-Johnston suggested the use of waste mill wood in producing charcoal for the manufacture of iron and steel, and saving the by-products. S. E. Peterson said that in connection with their work at Anyox they had made experiments in the production of flotation oils, using sawmill waste. V/n m 64 MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD m m-:- hemlock they obtained ll%of flotation oils, two gallons alcohol, charcoal and acetic acid. The byproduct yield from cedar was higher, and that f. om pine about the same. Fir gave 20% of flotation oils, and for floating minerals these were entire'v satisfactory. .As a source of revenue, however, the byproducts in the wood now wasted was an impossibility. (To be Continued in Next Issue). *. * * AID TO PROSPECTORS P. Daly addressed a meeting at Nelson on "The Need for Aid to the prospectors." The attendance was small. J. W. Mulholland presided. The speaker said that though mining was the main industry of British Columbia, no real help was extended to prospectors by the Government, although all sorts of assistance and encouragement was given to other industries to foster develeopmenr. Mining was suffering a period of stagnation largely because no inducements were being offered prospectors to go into ihe hills and search out new mineral bodies. And until the prospectors were back again in the hills cf this province, which had barely been scratched for mineral wealth as yet, mining was doomed to remain stagnant. He charged that it was almost impossible to get financial assistance to develop claims within the province and little inducement was offered to outside investors. He urged on prospectors to gain strength by co-operation and to press their claims for financial assistance to develop properties of merit to a stage at which they would be marketable, and further to insist that a Government sampling and assaying plant be established in some central point in the province where prospectors might readily ascertain the value of their samples with accuracy and at small cost. J. F. Hume, a former Minister of Mines for British Columbia, P. J. Sherran and R. G. Joy supported the speaker. The following resolutions were adopted:— (1) That prospectors should be assisted by the Government to the extent of from $1,500 to $2,500 to develop a prospect .of merit favorably reported on by the Government engineer, such money to be repaid by the prospector on the sale of the property or otherwise; and, (2) That mineral claims should be staked with a stake bearing the imprint of a Government stamp so designed as to record by whom the claim was staked. J. F.Hume, R. G. Joy, J. Nelson, A. Houston, P. Daly, and J. Fisher were appointed a committee to draft resolutions and arrange for their presentation to the Government. * * * A PROSPECTIVE NEW GOLDFIELD J. J. Burns states that during the past fall and winter he prospected the headwaters of the Liard River, in Northwestern British Columbia, and found promising indications of a new goldfield. He went north via Edmonton, Peace and Mackenzie Rivers and headed for the Rocky Mountains from Fort Simpson, which he left in August. According to a press report he is responsible for the following information :— The South Nahanni River forks 50 miles above the Liard River, one branch flowing directly south to- the Liard, within the British Columbia boundary and the other cutting through a low pass in the mountains and joining the Liard River after it crosses the boundary into the Northwest Territory further east. Coal and Smith Rivers, tributaries of the Liard, are much longer than indicated on the maps. Failing to cross the height of land at the divide between the headwaters of the Frances and Pelly Rivers, he retraced his steps down Coal River, and followed that south to the Liard, then up that river to Dease River, which he traversed under winter conditions, striking down the Stikine to Telegraph Creek, and then by the Yukon Telegraph trail to Whitehorse, where he was treated at the hospital for injuries received in an accident during his trip. Burns states he prospected 64 streams in the unexplored northeastern corner of B.C. and found gold in- 52 creeks, including Dease, Frances and Pelly Rivers. A miner can rock out $5 to $10 per day and several streams are rich enough to pan $17 a day, while there are hundreds of streams that have never been panned. He reports a fossil bed on the Liard River and states the country is rich in game. - RUPERT W. HAGGEN D- L. S., B. 0. L. g. NOTAEY PUBLIC WATER SUPPLY, LAND AND MINEEAL CLAIM SUEVEYS ESTIMATES PREPARED QUESNEL, and 150 Mile House, B. C. AJfDBEW Q. LARSON Mining- Engineer 926 Old National Bank Bnildin* SPOKANE, WASH. Cable Address: "Larmac" Bedford McNeill Code ROBERT H. STEWART Mining and Metallurgical Engineer Vancouver Block, Vancouver, B.C Tedfoimiical Press, Lm0 The Mines Building 426 Homer St. Vancouver, B.C. 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MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD THE DIVER MINERAL SEPARATOR Extracts upwards of 95% of Fine Gold from all kinds of Gold Bearing Sands, Free Milling Ore, and Crushed Quartz, Dumps, etc., by a new Patented Process. No chemicals. Economical, high capacity, easily portable. Gold collected in locked chamber, preventing thefts by operators. For Full Particulars and Terms, apply W. D. FAWTHROP 1830—47th AVE. EAST, VANCOUVER, B.C. Patented in Canada, U.S.A. etc. Vancouver Engineering Works, Ltd. VANCOUVER, B. C. ENGINEERS, BOILERMAKERS, STEEL, IRON & BRASS FOUNDERS, BOLT & RIVET MANUFACTURERS Our White Iron Balls and Liners for Ball Mills are giving Excellent Service — Use — " VEW" Steel Castings and avoid costly breakdowns. Office and Works: 519—6th AVENUE WEST Phone: Fairmont 240 DIAMOND DRILL CONTRACTING COMPANY SPOKANE, WASH. Contractors for all kinds of Diamond Drill work. We have complete outfits in British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan. Write for Prices ROSSLAND, B. 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C, APRIL, 1921 Single Copies 25c CONTENTS EDITORIAL NOTES 67 BRITISH COLUMBIA COAL COMMISSION 69 A SCANDALOUS PROCEEDING The Editor criticises the action of the members of the British Columbia Cabinet and Legislature in raising their salaries and allowances at a time when production and thrift are being urged on the people; and when the workers are being asked to accept lower wages to allow of the cost of the metals . and other products being brought within market prices. GRANBY CONSOLIDATED MINING, SMELTING & POWER CO., LTD. The affairs of the Granby Company are discussed and the drop in the market value of the shares attributed to the New York management. The valuation on the company's properties by an expert placed a premium of 50% on the par value of the shares, and there is something seriously wrong with the control under Dr. Nichols when the market value of the stock represents only about ten. per cent, of the conservative valuation placed on it by Dr. Finlay. GENERAL ARTICLES CANADIAN INSTITUTE OF MINING AND METALLURGY 69 The report of the papers and discussions at the annual meeting of the British Columbia Division of the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy at Vancouver is continued under the following subjects:— COAL PRODUCTS AND SUBSTITUTES .. By J. A. M. Dawson. 72 MINE RESCUE APPARATUS 72 RELATIONS OF GEOLOGY TO MINING IN BRITISH COLUMBIA 73 By S. J. Schofield, Professor of Geology, University of British Columbia. A discussion followed, in which Dean Brock, J. D. MacKenzie, Dr. W. L. Uglow and H. G. Nichols took part. RELATION OF THE MINING ENGINEER AND GEOLOGIST TO THE PUBLIC .. 75 By W. G. Norrie Lowenthal, Mining Engineer, Vancouver. RELATION OF CANADIA INSTITUTE OF MINING AND METALLURGY TO GOVERNMENT 75 By H. Mortimer Lamb, Sec. Emeritus Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. A discussion ensued in which E. A. Haggen, S. S. Fowler, Dean Brock, Dr. M. Y Williams, Thomas Graham, N. Thompson, and . E. E. Campbell took part. CARIBOO MINERS' ASSOCIATION 78 S. J. Marsh asked the support of the Institute in the required amendment of the laws covering placer operation in Cariboo to conform with present requirements in the development of the district. THE DINNER 79 VISIT TO INDUSTRIAL PLANTS M COST OF COAL 80 By George Wilkinson, Manager Pacific Coast Coal Mines. The writer gives detailed costs ofTmining coal and of placing it on the market. He makes suggestions by the adoption of which a reduction in the cost of coal to the public, amounting to $3.21 per ton, may be secured. PERSONAL 84 NECROLOGY 85 RECENT PUBLICATIONS 86 NEW BOOKS 88 11 fir mi 1 Iii B: WESTERN OIL BROKERAGE -i OFFER UNTIL APRIL 30th, 1921. ONLY 60,000 417 PENDER ST. W., VANOOUVER, B.C.J SHARES AT 50c PER SHARE. GOING FAST. FORT NORMAN We believe the -world's greatest oil field Nothing like it in the history of Don't let this go by, but come in with us on the .Always remember that nothing risked, nothing gained. This might be your Oil is the cleanest, quickest and surest form of investment Oil is the world's master fortune builder and Presents \J £1.1X3.(13. § as now for practical investment. itself for development and should yield fabulous returns on investments. Great mineral wealth has ever looked as good Greatest Opportunity chance of your life and shaTe the prosperity that lies before you. to make a big fortune by . risking a little. -M-> Anyone with a small capital can get in while we are making ri f\ir our first offering and partake in the benefit when we get jur first gusher. ;! _ _ fortunes have been made over night. Be Immense •»» •»*«« ^ Wealth that this should yield in dividends in the near future. We have discovered a.t our door what we believe to be the master pool of the world. Think of the Extract from "Sunday Sun," April 17th, 1921:—"Can fill barrel every minute in Norman Gusher," etc., etc. Mackenzie River Drilling and Petroleum Co. Capital $1,000,000. Par Value $1.00 Each. Fully Paid and Non-Assessable. AN EXTRAORDINARY INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY This company has complete drilling equipment ready for shipment to the Fort Norman District as soon as transportation opens. SHOULD PROVE A GREAT REVENUE ADVANTAGE OF LOCATION The Company will take contracts for drilling wells on the holding of leaseholders in the Fort Norman district. For such work there will be extraordinary demand on exceptionally profitable terms during the v^SS^^^^S^ /"HfSi- coming season. fet. H K ssSss * •*%\\°* ISffif WM ^§ & m %: %> -4' % % The Company has already secured exceptionally well located acreage in the district on Xhich drilling will be done this season. The Company's acreage holdings will be increased this season by taking rights on proven tracts as recommended by its engineers as part payment for drilling operations. Only 60,000 shares to be sold at 50e per share. Set aside to finance our trip to the Norman Oil Fields. They won't last long—you will have to hurry to get yours, as they are going fast. $100 invested in the Fowler well, Burk Bur- i|** nett, Texas, paid $15,000. Ep§?:'' From us now you buy a $100.00 unit for $50.00—-as long- as they last. Transportation of Oil5—Inasmuch as the big interest with the active cooperation of the Government are devising means of getting this out we believe as soon as we have the Oil, means will be found for getting this out. However, our only eoncern now is to get production. Our good well will mean millions to our stock holders. i» Mining and Engineering Record Volume XXVL, N< & 8 VANCOUVER, B. C, APRIL, 1921 Single Copies 25 c EDITORIAL The research work on the complex ores of British Columbia by H. N. Freeman, of Vancouver, will be watched with interest. Mr. Freeman is one of our most capable chemical engineers and has already established a high reputation as a research worker by his development of cyanide production. * * * The monthly luncheons of the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy at Vancouver are proving a great success in bringing the membership together and providing educative discussions of live topics. The April meeting was exceedingly well attended, and the address by Prof. M. Y. Williams on the oilfields of Ontario proved most interesting and instructive. The renewal of the development of the mica deposits at Tete Jaune Cache by a Calgary Company is of interest. These deposits have long been known, and shipments were made from them in 1898 and 1899, the dressed mica being taken out by pack train to Kamloops. Some of this mica brought $3.00 per lb. It is a muscovite of high quality save for a greenish cast. Canada produces about 900 tons of mica annually, most of which is exported to the United States, which is the world's largest consumer of mica. * * * , The paper on Smelting of Complex Ores by Prof. H. N. Thompson, at the annual meeting of the British Columbia Division of the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy should be read by prospectors and others who are continually accusing the smelters of robbery. Prof. Thompson described in a clear and entertaining way the difficulties of the smelters in handling complex ores. He showed how and why values were lost and failed to constitute a commercial value in the ore, such as the prospector too often bases on his assay certificate. * * # The National Railways should co-operate in the development of the coalfields along their routes. While much development has been done in the coal fields of Alberta tributary to the railway the important coal areas on Copper River, the Jefferson- Dockrill area at the headwaters of Morice and Telkwa rivers, the Aveling and Cassiar Coal Co. properties have been neglected. These fields can not only supply coal for the railway but for the domestic, in dustrial and bunkering requirements of the northern coast, providing important freight traffic for the railways, developing important natural resources and affording a field of employment for the idle labor of the country. * * * The Consolidated Mining and Smelting Co., Ltd., has set a world record in the successful development of a complex ore mine. The Sullivan had a chequered career till the Consolidated took hold of it, and built success on a foundation of failure. In five years the zinc production alone has been increased from 180,- 000 lb. to 70,000,000 lb., apart from the silver, lead and pyrite for the manufacture of sulphuric acid, which the mine has produced. We do not know that any definite estimate has yet been made of the ore reserves, but we do know that they represent enormous figures. * * * The Marble Bay Mine has hitherto been regarded as the deepest mine in British Columbia, having extracted ore to a depth of 1,600 ft. The Britannia Mine has now been proved to that depth with successful results. The War-Eagle-Centre Star Group at Rossland has reached a similar depth; while diamond drilling on the Hidden Creek Mine, at Anyox, indicates a relatively deep extension of the ore bodies. With these results before us British Columbia can claim credit for its ore bodies extending to great depths, making big mines with a long life and capable of enormous wealth production. * * * The Coalmont Collieries, Ltd., promises to remove, the pessimism which has so long been associated with coal mi#ing as an investment in British Columbia. The company only began commercial production in a small way about the beginning of the year; yet its development has been so successful that, though as yet only producing about 25% of the output arranged for, it is earning a net profit of about $10,000 a month, and with the growth of production this profit can be increased to from $30,000 to $40,000 a month. It has taken a lot of money and courage to develop Coalmont, and the enterprising gentlemen who undertook the work well deserve the success which they have -achieved. 68 MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD In his paper before the Canadian Institute of Min- vey district, Willow River, and Antler and Williams ing and Metallurgy W. M. Brewer, Resident Engineer Creeks, in Cariboo have been investigated for dredg- for the Western Mineral Survey District, drew at- ing with favorable results. It is believed there are tention to the importance to prospectors of the Coast dredgeable areas on the Fraser River. Dredging has Range batholith, in which remain roof pendants of been one of .the most successful and economical the sedimentary rocks which have produced such means of recovering placer gold in Australia, New important mines as Britannia, Surf Inlet and Hid- Zealand, Alaska, Yukon and the United States under den Creek. We might add to Mr. Brewer's sugges- conditions comparable with those in British Colum- tion by stating that prospectors should not overlook bia. It is true dredging has been tried here without occurrences of pyrite or marcasite, barren of copper success, with one exception, but the explanation of though the surface exposures may be. In the Coast failure is found in the nature of the promotions and Range such outcrops are invariably associated with types of dredges adopted, copper ores. The copper may be completely leached * * * out on the surface but the opening of the deposits with depth invariably demonstrates their association with copper. The Mining and Scientific Press notes in the March Bulletin of the British Institution of Mining and Metallurgy, the large amount of space devoted to discussion at a meeting in proportion to the length of the papers presented. If the editor of our contemporary will look over the reports in the Mining and Engineering Record of the annual meeting of the British Columbia Division of the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy he will find that the discussions bore a most creditable relationship to the papers originating these discussions. The •British Columbia Division of the Canadian Institute has reason to be proud of its achievements at the annual meeting in February, by means of which much valuable information was brought out and disseminated among the members. * * * The geological periods of mineralization described by Drs. Brock and Schofield at the annual meeting of the British Columbia Division of the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, are of great interest to the prospector. The mineralization of the Rocky Mountains has usually been attributed to the Jurassic period, but there is now abundant evidence that it also extends through the Cretaceous and Tertiary, thus widening the field of prospective ore de- The sympathy of the community goes out to the Britannia Mining and Smelting Company, Ltd., in the loss sustained by the destruction by fire of the concentrator. The plant was one of the most complete and efficient metallurgical installations of its size on the Continent. It was the creation of J. W. D. Moodie, the late manager, under whose regime the Britannia Mine was developed to the largest copper mine and the second largest copper producer in the British Empire. The Britannia Mining and Smelting Company has been for eight years one of the most enterprising industrials in Canada, employing a large amount of well-paid labor, and being a large contributor to the patriotic, social and community life of the people. It is only a few months since E. J. Donohue was promoted to the position of General Manager, but he has been actively connected with the mine for the past ten years, during which time he has earned the highest esteem of all with whom he became acquainted. His many friends feel the mis- fortunte of Britannia as a personal loss. * * * It seems pretty certain that the time is not far distant when a smelter will be established on the Coast by the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company. There appears to be little hope of the Lady- smith Smelter resuming under present ownership, and its acquisition by the Consolidated would form the basis of an important new metallurgical indus- posits. To these may probably be added the Quater- try. while the Sunloch and Old Sport mines owned nary, as it is quite likely the Pleistocene mineralization by the Company will not supply nearly enough ore in the neighbouring state of Washington may have t0 run a smeltter, it is probable an important custom extended to British Columbia. The more import- business could be developed, including shipments ant ore deposits, however, are likely to be confined to from Yukon Territory and Alaska, as well as" from the older rocks, in which there has been more time gold and copper properties on the British Columbia and opportunity for mineralization. Coast or tributary to the National, C.P.R. and P.G.E. * * * railways. Associated with a copper stack should also The question of dredging for gold is receiving re- be a silver-lead furnace. The Mayo field in the newed attention in British Columbia. Investigation Yukon, and the territory along the Grand Trunk of the Ingenica River shows gold over a length of Pacific Railway could probably furnish enough ore to 35 miles under conditions favorable for dredging op- run a lead furnace. Omineca Mining Division prom- erations. According to the report of J. D. Galloway, ises to be as important a producer of silver-lead ores Resident Engineer for the Northeastern Mineral Sur- as the Slocan. II MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD 69 Our old friend, Jim Cronin, is to be congratulated on his success in the development of a new mine in the Babine Range, tributary to the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway. He is a good man who successfully develops and operates one mine in his lifetime. About 25 years ago Jim took hold of the St. Eugene Mine at Moyie, at a time when there was no transportation within 30 to 40 miles of it. He developed and operated it to the point where it became the largest silver-lead mine in British Columbia in its day, with a production of about $11,000,000. When he left the St. Eugene he went into the far north, where there was even then less prospect of transportation, and now he has successfully developed another silver-lead mine there to the point where a mill is justified. Mr. Cronin is in New York endeavoring to enlist capital in placing his new mine on a producing basis. He deserves the best the New Yorkers can give him for they can depend on getting from Jim a square deal. * * * BRITISH COLUMBIA COAL COMMISSION The Oliver Government has made the same mistake in the appointment of the Coal Commission that the McBride Government made in the former investigation. Coal mining is a highly technical business and the appointment to the Commission should have been made from among mining engineers with a practical knowledge of coal mining. It is not a matter for a lawyer or for the exercise of party political graft. The handling of the matter in any other way can only lead to unsatisfactory results; an incompetent investi-. gation; and promotion of a feeling among the public that they are not getting a square deal. In fact many people go so far as to accuse the Government of adopting this method of hedging the inquiry. No one doubts the integrity of Commissioner Henderson or his desire to do his best; but he is handicapped from the start by a want of technical knowledge of the matter he has been appointed to investigate. He tried to remedy this by the appointment of General R. G. Edwards-Leckie, M.E., to assist him, and this was the only good feature of the investigation. But General Leckie was not conducting the investigation, and had not an opportunity of handling it as efficiently as he undoubtedly would have done had he been appointed the Commissioner. Evidence was taken at great length and loss of time which was not germane to the object of the inquiry and from some witnesses who were not competent to give evidence of value and responsibility. It is unfortunate that in our political system efficiency of public service is ever subservient to party favoritism or political graft. Public business ought to command the highest and best type of men and service, and until this principle is recognized by the people and governments, so long shall public funds be uselessly squandered and the public camouflaged by incompetent service. ♦" * •♦ A SCANDALOUS PROCEEDING The action of the Oliver Government and members of the new British Columbia Legislature in raising their salaries and sessional indemnities by 25% at a time when the country is suffering from financial depression, an army of unemployed, and the worst economic conditions, has aroused public indignation as nothing else could, and if the members had to go to the electorate today they would be swept almost entirely out of office. Premier Oliver is the object of the most severe criticism, and rightly to, in connection with this matter. He has been appealing to the people to produce and save, as was his duty in the position he occupies. He has told the University, the municipalities, the school trustees and others that the Government has not a dollar available to assist them. Yet at the first opportunity he and his fellow members calmly appropriate to themselves something like $30,000 a year of the public funds. To two members of the Legislature alone is credit due for their protest. These are W. J. Bowser, leader of the opposition, and Capt. G. S. Hanes, member for North Vancouver, who refused to sign the round robin. The members of the opposition outside their leader proved traitors to the electorate. They were sent to the House as watch dogs, but instead of remaining faithful to* their trust they disavowed their leader and the interests of their constituents at the first opportunity and joined hands with the Government and their supporters in what is nothing more nor less than a public steal. There was not the slightest excuse at this time for the action that was taken. Cost of living is going down. The workers are being asked to accept proportionately less wages to assist in bringing about the reduction in cost of production that is necessary to put industries on a sound and successful basis. We see most of the mines closed down because on account of reduced prices of metals on one hand and cost of labor and supplies on the other, they have no margin left on which to operate. We see the lumber industry killed by similar conditions and an insensate increase of railway rates. How can these legislators ask the workers of the country to accept lower wages when they take steps to appropriate to themselves in higher salaries and sessional indemnities the public funds entrusted to their care. The Victoria Times, which supports the Government, apologizes for the position in which Hon. John Oliver was placed by saying a gun was held at his head by the members. His duty was to refuse to be held up and to appeal to the electorate. If he had m 70 MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD I life had the manliness to do this the hold-up gang would have fled. There is no necessity for any apology on his behalf. He has shown himself to be one of the worst of ihe free-booters, as he justified a rise in salary to himself by stating he had to carry the load of the P. G. E. Railway management requires a special training and experience. Premier Oliver knows nothing about the management of a railway, and one of the most farcical features of Government administration today is that the directors of the P. G. E. Railway consist of three men who are absolutely ignorant of railway management—Premier Oliver and Hons. J. Hart and J. W. de B. Farris. It is no wonder that under such conditions the P. G. E. Railway should present such a dismal result as it does financially. Why, then, should the province pay increased salaries to men who know nothing about a public service they have voluntarily undertaken to manage and have made such a mess of? Why not appoint G. S. Hanes, C.E., and F. \\'. Anderson, C.E., to the directorate of the railway? The technical training of these men would at least be of great practical value to the Premier in advising him as to the management of the road even if he believes he is a heaven-born railway administrator who requires no practical knowledge of, or training in, this highly specialized business. The Premier is a farmer, and if he made 10% of the salary which he has appropriated to himself at Victoria he would consider he was doing well. He has been proud of the sobriequet of "Honest" John. Does he want to see a substitution to that of "Grafter" John? Well may the members of the Legislature responsible for this nefarious act hang their heads in shame if they have any sense of public integrity^ There was never a better argument for the necessity of the system of recall when elective legislators fail in iheir trust. If we had that today in British Cohimbia, Hon. John Oliver, his Ministers and the membership of the Legislature responsible for the outrage would be promptly recalled by an indignant electorate. They hope that by the time another election comes round the electors will have forgotten the incident. We do not believe they will. This is a time when the greatest economy, thrift and industry are required on all hands to restore any country to sound conditions and prosperity as soon as possible. It is the duty of the Government and members of the Legislature to set the example in this respect instead of exhibiting rank treachery to the public interest and that of the people who elected them. GRANBY CONSOLIDATED MINING, SMELTING AND POWER COMPANY, LTD. The affairs of the Granby Consolidatel Mining, Smelting and Power Company, Ltd., call for investigation by the shareholders. About three years ago the directors had a valuation of the company's property made by J. R. Finlay, who is one of the highest authorities on mine finance on the continent. As a practical mining engineer Mr. Finlay personally examined the company's mines and smelters; investigated the mining and metallurgical methods adopted; examined the accounts; and compiled a report in which he placed a valuation of $150 a share on thfe company's assets after making full deductions for amortisation, depletion and depreciation. Why, then, is it that we see the company's shares today quoted at $17.00 to $22.00. The company has not parted with any of its assets. Since Mr. Finlay made his valuation the assets have been increased by the construction work which has been continuously in progress at Anyox until last year to place the mine and smelter on a basis to ensure the greatest economy in production. Granby once before went through the period of bearing its stock. In 1910 the company sold its remaining shares in the treasury at $85 a share, and subsequently obtained a report on the Phoenix property by Dr. Sussman, whose estimates of reserves were about half the amount formerly stated. On this report becoming public the shares dropped to about $25 and for a time Granby was at a low ebb. On F. M. Sylvester being appointed general manager he took steps, in view of the approaching exhaustion of the Phoenix Mines, to secure new properties and obtained an option on the Hidden Creek Mine. On the examination and favorable reports of O. B. Smith, then General Superintendent of the company, and H. J. Macdonald, the property was acquired and developed to a point where it rivalled Britannia as the largest copper mine in the British Empire. A smelter was built and in a short time the Hidden Creek Mine became the largest copper producer in British Columbia, and one of the best dividend paying copper mines on the Continent. This was an achievement of which the company and the officials responsible for it had reason to be proud. As the result of such a successful policy the shares steadily rose on the market till thev were quoted at the highest price in their history, reaching, in 1916, a premium of $20 over par. The mining and metallurgical methods were quoted world wide as remarkable developments in economic treatment of low-grade copper ores. In 1919 metal market conditions became unsettled as the result of the readjustments which had to be MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 71 made following the war, and Granby suffered in common with all other copper operators. The New York office became dissatisfied when dividends had to cease with Granby just the same as with other mining companies—a condition which was to be expected. That office sent out men to investigate who knew nothing of local conditions; and whose main business appeared to be to find fault with everybody and everything except irresponsible gossip on which they based their deductions. On a disagreement as to future policy, F. M. Sylvester, who had built up the business and assets of the company to a foremost place among the mining enterprises of the continent, resigned. O. B. Smith, General Superintendent and W. A. Williams, Superintendent of Smelters, also active members of the staff who were intimately acquainted with Granby affairs, and had conducted them with credit to the company and themselves, followed. With the disorganization of the staff and cessation of dividends shares began to drop till they are now down to the lowest point in their history, and the company has suffered in prestige as well as on the stock markets, reflecting a want of confidence in the New York office management. The operating end of the company's business fortunately continues to be in good hands under H. S. Munroe, who, we understand, has insisted on full responsibility for the mines and smelter. It therefore appears the trouble is with the administrative end of the company's affairs. Formerly the company's business was practically managed entirely from the Vancouver office. Now it appears to be handled from the office of the President, Dr. Nichols, at New York. The cause of failure of so many British mining companies in Canada was'that they insisted on managing the business from the London office, where they knew nothing about the local conditions. Granby is repeating the same mis take if it proposes to manage that company's affairs from New York. On Dr. Nichols, therefore, appears to rest the entire responsibility for the mess which is being made of the company's affairs, and the destruction of the interest of the shareholders in the depreciated.value of the stock. Dr. Nichols is a busy man, and can probably give little personal attention to Granby, the success or failure of whose destinies appears to depend on his assistant, Dr. J. T. Crabbs. If the company's business is being injured, and the stocks beared in the interest of a Wall Street ring to make a clean-up at the expense of the shareholders, it is a policy anything but creditable to Dr. Nichols and his associates. If the present situation is not influenced by any such ulterior motive, but is the result of Dr. Nichols and his staff assuming direct con trol, it is a most serious reflection on his business administration. We do not know of course what reports were made by Dr. Crabbs as vice-president, and Henry Bruere, a director, on their visits to British Columbia to investigate Granby affairs; but it is significant that the results have been seriously injurious to the interests of the shareholders, and that without any reasonable justification. As a business and financial man, Dr. Nichols is being measured by the manner in which he is handling the affairs of the Granby Company, and while his main interest in that company may consist of the profit made by his refinery in handling Granby's blister copper, we may reasonably expect him to take a broader outlook of the interests of the company of which he is president, and lend his help and influence to sustaining rather than depreciating the interest of the shareholders. While Granby is suffering in common with all mining companies from existing business conditions, it has exceptionally valuable properties, with about 20,000,000 tons of ore reserves at the Hidden Creek and associated mines, and 7,000,000 tons of coal reserves at Cassidy. While the acquisition and development of the coal mine at Cassidy and the by-product coking plant at Anyox cost a large sum, the result has been to assure the company of a reliable supply of coke to ensure the continuance of smelter operations. The saving in cost of coke also amounts to $6 per ton, or about $500,000 per annum, equal to about 14% on the capital involved. l*i A regretable feature of the coal acquisition has been the litigation attending it, but the Provincial Government having placed itself behind the title, the company will be entitled to compensation for any loss it may sustain in its endeavor to maintain that title. American capital is welcomed in British Columbia and gets a square deal. But to maintain the public goodwill that capital must also do the fair thing by this Province. Many people here bought Granby shares because the operations of the company were of local interest, and the value of the property was known and appreciated. To adopt a policy calculated to eliminate the market value of the shares and involve the investors in heavy loss is certainly not the way* to maintain public confidence and public goodwill towards the New York management of the company. Dr. Nichols and his associates would do well to give this matter due consideration, and.leave no room for suspicion that a policy of jockeying shareholders out of their investment is being adopted. The present administration of the New York office is severely condemned, and rightly so; and Dr. Nichols and Dr. Crabbs are being held responsible for it until such time they can show that the blame is being placed on the wrong shoulders. 72 MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD CANADIAN INSTITUTE OF MINING AND METALLURGY (Continued From Last Number). COAL PRODUCTS AND SUBSTITUTES This was 10% more efficient than gasoline. It was J. A. M. Dawson read a paper on this subject, better if they increased the piston pressure. They treating of solid, liquid and gaseous fuels. He pointed never had any pre-ignition trouble with it. In burnout the advantages of by-products treatment of coal, ing this benzol with distillate they got 25 to 30% more and said by-product coke had a heating capacity of efficiency. The coke breeze they burned under the 68%, as compared with anthracite at 66% and bitu- boilers mixed with coal. They utilized all their by- minous coal at 52%. Coke was clean and smokeless products. If they did not utilize them the by-product fuel. Experiments had been made in the low-tem- plant would not be a commercial proposition. They perature carbonization of coal. The use of coal in made their own coke and were saving $6.00 per ton pulverized form was increasing. Colloidal fuel was over what it would cost them if they bought their a combination of pulverized coal up to 49%. The coke. Taking it all in all their by-product coke ex- scarcity of fuel oil was only temporary. Supplies of perience had given excellent results, natural gas were decreasing. Fuel conservation involved central heating plants and railway electrifica- MINE RESCUE APPARATUS T. Strachan, Inspector of Mines, wrote suggesting problem of releasing atomic power. He described M standardization of mine rescue apparatus. Alberta carbocoal, briquetting of coal with oil, the Estevan tion, while scientists were endeavoring to solve the plant for the carbonization of lignites, the utilization of peat, utilization of the mill wood waste in British Columbia, pulverized coal, the mixtures of coal and oil, pulverized coal and oil, fuel oil, and the benzol from the Anyox by-product plant used in Vancouver. DISCUSSION E. E. Campbell referre'd to the results of the operation of the by-product plant at Anyox. They could only use their hydro-electric powrer eight months in the year. For the balance of the year they had to use steam for power. For the metallurgical plant they required coke. By means of their by-product plant they were able to use the by-products which they could not otherwise do. They used coal from Cassidy, which was a low grade bituminous coal, but by mixing it with a higher grade Alberta coal it made a fairly good metallurgical coke. The products were coke breeze, tar, gas, motor fuel in the form of benzol, and ammonia sulphate. The coal yielded eight gall, tar per ton. As fuel the tar was worth 10% more than fuel oil. An interesting feature was the method of burning the tar. By experimenting they found that by heating the tar to a certain temperature they could use it in the same burners as they had installed for fuel oil. The temperature at which the oil was fed to the furnaces was 160 deg., and for tar 220 deg. at slightly greater pressure. They tried mixing the tar and oil but found the two could not be burned under the same conditions. With regard to Mr. Dawson's remarks as to extraction of by-products, their were engaged in British Columbia, eight on geological used the Proto, but in British Columbia different kinds of apparatus were used. Thos. Graham was opposed to the suggestion at the present time. The development of mine rescue apparatus was in its infancy. A few weeks ago he read a description of a new apparatus put out in America and Great Britain which had some new features. If they standardized mine rescue apparatus in its infancy they would discourage improvements in it. What he believed in was not standardization of apparatus, but the training of men in the use of the various types of apparatus. J. Cunliffe endorsed the remarks of Mr. Graham. In regard to the agitation for investigation of the prices of coal he suggested they investigate the cost of firewood, into which an investigation was more necessary than into coal. J. Hunt, T. Graham, and E. E. Campbell were appointed a committee to deal with Mr. Strachan's suggestion. ENTERTAINMENT In the evening the delegates were entertained at a smoking concert which included the presentation of a playlet "The Flower Girl," by the University Players Club. FRIDAY, FEB. 11, FORENOON SESSION J. D. MacKenzie presided. The Chairman reviewed the work of the Geological Survey for the previous season. Thirteen parties results were, from a ton of coal, 8 gall, tar, 50,000 cubic feet gas, 3 gall, benzol, 65% coke, and 2 to 3% coke breeze. Since starting the by-product coking plant they had bought no gasoline, running their own autos and motor boats with the benzol produced. and five on topographical work. As there were only 24 parties engaged throughout Canada, British Columbia had the service of a third of the whole, and was entitled to special service under the terms of Confederation. The fields covered in British Colum- MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD bia were:—Salmon Rivi rev, Dr. Schofield and Dr. Han- temperature and pressure. Silver-lead deposits were son; Eutsuk Lake, Dean Brock; Vancouver Island, usually confined to true fissure veins, but not al- Dr. Dolmage; Coquihalla, D. D. Cairnes; Lardeau, ways, and were formed under conditions of less tem- M. F. Bancroft; Delta, W. A. Johnston. The topo- perature and pressure, graphical parties were under W. H. Miller, C. H. Where the Boundary and Kootenay Belts merged Freeman, D. A. Nichols and S. C. McLean. RELATIONS OF GEOLOGY TO MINING B) BRITISH COLUMBIA they got the two types of ore. In the Sullivan the ores were formed under high temperature and pressure, and at the Blue Bell, under similar conditions, but the latter was not a true fissure vein. Another thing was that on the west side the copper was close to the contact, whereas in the silver-lead ores the Dr. S. J. Schofield said the original Canada Geological Survey had done work in British Columbia since .1871, and under the Department of Mines since 1896. The contact was some distance away. On the Coast the work of the Survey was divided into two periods, roof rocks were eroded or buried, whereas in the The first was that of exploration, from 1871 to 1895,' interior they rose high over -the batholithic roof and during which time the work was pursued under great had been preserved. If the buried rocks of the Pa- difficulties by Dawson, Richardson, Selwyn and cine Belt were exposed he believed they would get others, who laid the foundations upon which others more copper. had built their superstructure. During this period the coal fields of Vancouver Island were investigated and the quantity approximately determined, the coal fields receiving the first attention as coal was the foundation of all industry. Since then a great mining industry had developed sufficiently to enable them to say that the mining industry of British Columbia would grow with ever increasing strides. MINERAL BELTS Mineral fields occurred both east and west of the Coast Range batholith. On the north and south they had great batholiths which covered the southern interior of British Columbia. He illustrated by charts the various minerals with the particular metals or other minerals associated with them. He divided the Province into mineral belts. The Pacific Belt included the territory along tfye western edge of the Coast batholith, and was marked by the presence of copper, as at Anyox, Texada Island, Sunloch on Vancouver Island, Britannia and other properties. Silver-lead deposits in this belt were neither abundant nor promising. The East side of the batholith was characterized to a large extent by silver-lead ores, as at Alice Arm, Hazelton, Ootsa and White Sail Lakes. There were two exceptions on this side of the batholith-—the Rocher de Boule Kootenay Lake presented another factor. The deposits along the lake had been mineralized under high temperature and pressure. The Kootenay Valley had been deeply grooved down near the contact, and was an exception as to the metals on two sides of the batholith. THE SECOND PERIOD. The second period of geological investigation was that covering the study of the mineral deposits from 1905 till the present time, and had been inaugurated by Dean Brock when Deputy Minister of Mines at Ottawa. The problem was to find out where ore deposits existed in certain places. This brought the geologist into close relation with the mining industry. In general the ore deposits of British Columbia were of primary origin and had not been enriched to any great extent as had ore deposits in the south, where they had been enriched to such an extent as to pay from grass roots. Here they did not always pay from grass roots but required a large expenditure of money to put them on a paying basis. Exceptions were seen on Salmon River and Alice Arm, where-- there were certain characteristics that pointed to a zone of secondary enrichment. PETROLOGY The chemical and physical properties rocks and Gun Creek Copper Mountain, the explanation came zander the branch of petrology. Students did of which was that they occurred in granite rocks. not like the study of petrology, and could not see the The Boundary Belt was characterised by copper value of it. Lime was a very important rock asso- ores, as at Highland Valley, Copper Mountain, ciated with ore bodies as at the Bluebell, Florence Phoenix and Rossland. The Kootenay Belt was and other mines. Granite, diorite, gabbro, volcanic characterized by silver-lead ores. Thus they had tuffs, as at the Highland; quartzite, as at the St. different metals on each side of the great batholiths. Eugene; slates, as at the Slocan Star, were instances That was a difficult problem, in explanation of which of simple rocks, easily identified, so that any prospec- he could only offer a suggestion. The first fact they tor might recognize them and form an idea where to had was that these copper deposits were not con- search for ore. Then there were the dyke rocks, al- fined to true fissure veins, but resembled impreg- tered rocks and schists. The largest ore deposits were nations of country rock, indicating conditions of high found in the bedded rocks. f II 74 MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD. The importance^of igneous rocks in the formation of ore bodies was pointed out. What must strike them was the small number of rocks that contained valuable ore in British Columbia, and the simplicity that characterized them. If the results of 20 to 30 years' experience were of value to them, the greatest possibilities for ore discoveries lay where these rocks were exposed, and every prospector should be acquainted with that factor. STRUCTURE Dr. Schofield emphasized the importance of faulting in the development of ore bodies and instanced the Britannia Mine. The commercial ore bodies were restricted to the faulted- area where the beds were folded and dipped S.W. This faulting was the principal factor in the mineralization of these ore bodies. From a study of the surface conditions the mining engineer was able to form an opinion as to the possibility of ore deposition under such conditions so that structural geology was of value to the mining engineer. The first thing that should be done in connection with any mine was to make a study of the surface geology, and this would prove of great value in the exploration of the property. In the Tyee Mine, on Vancouver Island, for instance, the ore was found to occur on the southern limb of a syncline. FAULTING From the work done by O'Neill in the study of the high-grade silver ores of British Columbia, and in the Boundary by Brock and Reinecke, cross fractures were extremely important in the localization of the ore bodies. Native silver had been deposited along these fault fissures as a result of secondary enrichment. This was determined by the study of lithology, so that structural geology went to petrology for its basis. HINTS TO PROSPECTORS They had been dealing with the occurrence of ore- bodies in host rocKs. Now let them look at the source of these ore-bearing solutions. Where did they come from? The ores of British Columbia were associated with the intrusion of the granite batholith, which was of Mezozoic Era. The Sunloch Mine, on Vancouver Island, was of Tertiary Age. This enlarged the scope for the prospector. The value of this generalization, that ore bodies were restricted, in ,age, was important. Since ore bodies were restricted to certain geological horizons, it was useless to look for ore in those horizons which were not of commercial value. The place to look for them was where mineralization ha.d been active, due to the eruption of igneous rocks. In the Pliocene they had the mercury of Kamloops; in the Oligocene, the copper ore of the Sunloch; and in the Miocene most of their commercial ore bodies. To this era were ascribed the silver- lead ores, gold, platinum and diamond occurrences of Boundary and Tulameen. The Paleozoic was not represented as an ore producing period. In the Bel- tian they had the ores of East Kootenay. The ore-producing periods were therefore four in number. The oldest trace of mineralization occurred in East Kootenay, where the country was underlaid by quartzite, into which were intruded the Purcell sills, which contained segregations of silver-lead ores, and resembled the sills of Cobalt and Sudbury. These were composed of gabbro characterized by occurrences of cobalt and nickel. The copper ores were mostly Jurassic. There had been a long period between the Pre-Cambrian and Jurassic, which gave them the iron ores, limonite and magnetite, epsomite, placer gold, the platinum of Tulameen and the manganese of Kaslo, most of which were still being formed at the present time. The Pleistocene gave the secondary silver of Alice Arm and Salmon Arm, and the gold of Cariboo. To the Beltian were ascribed the hematite ores of East Kootenay. In an ideal sense they should have in ore bodies an oxidized zone, an enriched zone and a primary zone; but while they had found native silver ores due to enrichment in East Kootenay, the Boundary, Beaverdell, Salmon River and Alice Arm in Northern British Columbia,' most of their ores would be found to be primary ores due to the erosion that had taken place. DISCUSSION The Chairman said Dr. Schofield had shown the value of surface exposures in prospecting. If they did not get ore on the surface in this country there was not much use trying to find it underground. If they could not work it right from the start they might as well pack up and go elsewhere. The importance of geology in determining the age of mineral deposits was shown in the work of Clapp on the West Coast of Vancouver Island, where the Sunloch ore deposits were attributed in his first report to the Jurassic. The subsequent discovery of a Tertiary fossil caused him to change the age to Tertiary, and it might be that they might have a period of Tertiary mineral deposits in British Columbia.- Dean Brock congratulated Dr. Schofield on his paper. It was instructive to have these general papers from time to time reviewing the work done in the various districts. There were only a few men who were gifted in such work, and they were fortunate in having in Dr. Schofield one who could bring together the work of various investigators in various fields. With regard to his remarks on the exploratory work of Dawson the value of that work was not even yet fully recognized. Few appreciated that as MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD 75 he did, because Dawson appointed him (the speaker) tant point, because the more periods of mineraliza- to go to^ British Columbia to carry on his work here, tion they had the more chance there was of finding Dawson's reconnoissance work was absolutely phe- ore, and he was glad to find they did not have 1 nomenal, and he had never yet found any work in confine themselves to the Jurassic, the class with that which Dawson did. He was a In regard to Secondary Enrichment, that took genius. He was one of the greatest men Canada had place also in the Tertiary. In the Boundary he found ^yet produced. He was very pleased to see Dawson's enrichment in the Tertiary as well as the Mezozoic. memory kept alive in British Columbia for there He was glad to get evidence of secondary enrich- was no one who had done so much for this Province, ment in the economic geology of the north. Horace There was a difficulty in generalizing from the V. Winchell had read a paper in which he explained many exceptions. In referring U> the batholiths, why there was no secondary enrichment in British they were complex in their petrology and age, so Columbia, and why it had not much of a future as that while they might have a batholith of Jurassic a mining country. He (the speaker) took exception they might also have one of Cretaceous. That ex- to that, and suggested that before making such state- plained the mineralization from the Jurassic to the Cretaceous. Copper ores were largely confined to the Pacific Coast and the Boundary, and the explanation which he considered the correct one was that this condition was due to the depth at which these rocks were mineralized. He noticed this in the Boundary district, and as they got away from the immediate contact they got into the silver, lead and zinc minerals. With' regard to the lithology, the rocks which carried the ore bodies were easily recognizable, and this was what they might expect. ments the writer should have ascertained the actual facts, instancing the cases of secondary enrichment with which he was acquainted. He was glad to know these important secondary enrichments had since been discovered in northern British Columbia. Dr. W. L. Uglow said that in addition to the more common minerals they had a group of rare minerals, some of which were present in British Columbia. He referred to platinum and palladium occurring in intrusive peridotites and olivines, with which were also associated chromite, epsomite, magnesite, asbes- Another factor was the physical characteristic, and tos and diamonds> as fc the Tulameen. Then there were the pegmatites, some of which carried deposits of mica. He believed the Drumlummon Mine, on the Coast, was associated with pegmatite. Pegmatites were phases of intrusions of a molten magma. H. G. Nicholls knew of no country in the world where geological facts had been presented to the mining industry more generally and delightfully than in British Columbia. The statistics of the mineral production of the Province showed remarkable progress. RELATION OF THE MINING ENGINEER AND GEOLOGIST TO THE PUBLIC W. Norrie-Lowenthal read a paper on this subject which we shall publish in full in a later number. Geo. Winkler said the geologist was more helpful to the prospector than the mining engineer. He remembered the time when the Coast was considered a pooi; mining field. Dr. Schofield's paper dealt with the different periods of mineralization in British Columbia. The discovery of copper deposits in the Metchosin volcanics led him to look into the matter as to whether there were not areas that had been overlooked. He read the Geological reports carefully. One of the best ways of the prospector keep- Last summer he found an area of comglomerate ing posted was to read these geological reports care- which held boulders of the Mezozoic rocks, showing fully and so form ideas as to the most likely places there had been mineralization following these batho- to prospect. It was in this way that he had been led lithic intrusions, so it was quite certain they had to prospect the gabbros on the Jordan River and mineralization in that period. That was an impor- discover copper ores there. this was extremely important. One reason the alkaline rocks were not mineralized was that they were Tertiary and had no chance to be mineralized at that time. There were certain rocks that were more favorable than others. From the number of mines located in limestone they might say the limestones were unusually susceptible to mineralization. With regard to structure he had noticed the effect of folding in Kootenay and Lardeau. In the Nettie L. #the ore was deposited in a synclinal fold. In regard to age, this was a point on which he differed to some extent from Dr. Schofield. Work was done on ore deposits in Nova Scotia, and they found a great deal of the mineralization was due to these Jurassic batholithic intrusions. In Kootenay and Boundary he found there was mineralization due to Tertiary eruptives. He therefore concluded that while there might have been mineralization in the Jurassic, there was in the Tertiary. Southwest of Rossland, on the Kootenay River, there were conglomerates which were mineralized by alkaline intru- sives. This mineralization was certainly Tertiary, and he was able to point out to prospectors the value of the Tertiary eruptives in mineralization. 76 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD I The Chairman: To a Government Geologist Mr. Winkler's remarks are encouraging. m at the instance of the Government, and one of the items which they held should be altered and amended was that dealing with mine reserves. In 1916, when Hon. Sir Thomas White brought in his new taxation no provision was made for depletion. The RELATION OF CANADIAN INSTITUTE OF Canadian Mining Institute laid the matter before Sir MINING & METALLURGY TO GOVERNMENT Thomas and he took immediate action, and the industry was relieved of a burden to which his lack of experience in the matter had left it open. He saw that if some such provision was not made there might be paralysis of the industry. The present taxation AFTERNOON SESSION At the afternoon session Dean Brock presided. H. Mortimer-Lamb introduced a discussion on The Relation of the Institute to Government in an exhaustive paper which we are re-producing. The Chairman said Hoover had stated that what measure was not what it should be and was a burden on the miner. It was not that the miner wanted to escape his fair share of taxation, but because the manner of levying the tax was wrong in principle. This.just proved that it might be possible to send :\ deputation to talk over the matter with the Government as to what was wanted, but there was no adequate machinery by which the Institute might take action. The deputation which recently waited on the was wanted at the present time was economic gov- - ernment. It was of great assistance to a Government Department to have the assistance of a body like the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, to whom they could refer matters of public import and get a disinterested opinion. Practically all the advice that the Government obtained was from interested parties. Governments claimed to represent public opinion, but the last place to know public opin- Government represented about 95% of the metal and ion was Parliament Hill. When he was Deputy Min- coal industries of the Province. So far as reprer.en- ister of Mines he found the Canadian Mining Insti- tation was concerned no better delegation could have tute of considerable assistance when Ministers were been selected. Hon. W. Sloan himself said the repre- changing rapidly. He had six different Ministers sentation of the larger interests was desirable. If inside of 16 months. they could impress on the Government their willingness to co-operate with them and proved by such meetings as this that they were a power in the in- E. A. Haggen referred to the assistance given the dustry; they wouM be j a better position tQ ap_ British, Canadian and American Governments by the prQach the Government. The Institute had been DISCUSSION Mining Institutes of these countries during the war, and said their Division could be of material assistance to the Government of British Columbia in advising it on such subjects as the exploration of the unknown portions of the Province; taxation of mines, the iron and steel industry; transportation to the coast of the oil of the Mackenzie River Basin; suppression of wildcatting; aid to prospectors, exploration of the oil and coal resources. If the Government was willing to avail itself- of the technical cooperation of the Institute it would find it would make fewer mistakes in public policy and the mining de- successful in the past in regard to legislation and there was no reason why it should not be an influence in Provincial legislation, by which they could gain what was necessary for the welfare of the industry. One hundred years ago their American neighbours had established their democracy, but were gradually going away from the old democratic notions which their forefathers had put into the Government. It was a great mistake. Lately there had been a bill before Congress to exempt farmers from the operation of anti-trust laws. That was class legislation at the expense of the rest of the communitv. All should velopment of the country would be promoted along be equal before the law. the most effective and successful lines. The Chairman said Mr. Fowler had put his finger S. S. Fowler said he had had a lot of experience on one of the most important features of this meet- in mining and also in advising the Government as to what should be done. He had more or less to do with attempts to influence legislation of interest to the mining industry, because it was a basic industry So far as the Institute was concerned its policy should be to continue to hold meetings as successful as this, when so shrewd a man as Hon. W. Sloan must recognise its influence. One of their difficulties had been that they could not get quick action in ing. If the mining men of the Province took the interest in the Institute which they should take the Government must recognize that it represented the industry. It was easy to point to what the Government should do and omit what they themselves should do. There were a great many things in which the mining men should take a greater interest, and which they could bring before such a gathering as this. J. D. MacKenzie said he was glad of the opportu- an emergency. Mr. Lamb had referred to the last nity of bringing to their attention the work of the occasion on which a deputation of mining men went Geological Survey. He would like to say that in to Victoria in regard to mining taxation. They went Dean Brock they had a man who had been at the head i of the Geological Survey of Canada and who would do as good work in the position he now occupied. Dean Brock was Director of the Geological Survey for some years and became Deputy Minister of Mines. Since he left the Survey it had been proved that his organization of it was so perfect that it ran for some years under practically no direction. They were by no means out of the woods yet and needed the public support in the worst way. They needed an educated public opinion behind them to support them in their work. Dr. Williams said it gave him great pleasure to attend this Western Meeting of the Institute. It was a surprise to him to find here a membership which was the equal of, if not superior to the membership of the east. On second thoughts it was not so much a surprise, when he realized how much the welfare of British Columbia was bound up with the mining industry. He appreciated the sympathy they had for their national institution in the Geological Survey of Canada, the high standing of which had been mainly due to the work of their Chairman, Dean Brock, while under his administration. They did not know how much their support had helped that institution. The motion passed in the Provincial Legislature last session had helped the Survey tremendously. Briefly stated there were on the Survey approximately 33 field officers. They had several young men just returned from overseas, and from the Universities. They were included in the Civil Service and the Survey was a small item among 60,000 Government employes. The Government had engaged an American firm to reclassify .the service. They recognized in the Geological Survey the most highly organized section of the Government service. They had the highest qualified men in the Government service and there was no other department that demanded the same service. That organization proposed to give them proper classification with adequate salaries, but something happened and the whole thing was pared down. The maximum salary available had been $4,000. Under the new classification it was $4,200. Last June officers of the Survey were approached by the represenetatives of an English Oil Co., with the result they lost eight men, and these men took with them young students, promising men, preparing for the work of the Survey. Since that time other men had gone, so that the staff of the Survey was reduced to 19 field officers. To make matters worse there were only three students taking the post graduate work. There were a number of men connected with the colleges who could assist during the summer. The Geological Sur- instead of increasing in numbers, had been de MINING 6 ENGINEERING RECORD 77 and the low salaries paid by the Government. Professional men in the Government service had been paid inadequate salaries, and the Government were shy to give an increase covering so many men. If the Geological Survey was to be put in a position to do its share in the development of their mineral industry, there must be larger salaries. When a man was on the Geological Survey he had only three weeks holidays and had no means of increasing his income. In regard to the Geological Survey it had been • very heartening to the members of the Geological Survey and other officers of the Department of Mines, that Charles Camsell had been appointed Deputy Minister and Dr. Collins, Director. There was this disadvantage, however, that both of these officials had been so shorn of power that they could only make recommendations. They had been handicapped by being unable to get their maps and reports published. If a man had taken the trouble to prepare a report he was naturally anxious to see it out, but it had been difficult to get money to get these reports published. A great many people did not know what they were trying to do. To have only 21 field men working for the mining industry of Canada was not adequate to its importance. (Cries of "No.") The Chairman: Dr. Williams has called your attention to a field in which the Canadian Mining Institute can do good work. The present difficulties were not the only ones that had been experienced by the Geological Survey. In 1908 there was a re-classification with the result that great dissatisfaction resulted.. Now the members of the Geological Survey were recognized as the highest type of technical men in the public service. In 1908 they held that geologists came under the clerical.class. The help of the Canadian Mining Institute was absolutely essential if they were to build up the Geological Survey as an organization of the value it should be to the mining industry. It was absolutely essential to develop the Geological Su rvey, and it was for the mining- men ve\ creasing because of the demand outside for geologists to see that this was done, not only in their own interest but in that of the citizenship generally. Thomas Graham said no doubt the coal and metal mining* industries would be much benefitted by a closer relationship between the Institute and the Government. An organization so representative as the Canadian Mining Institute in British Columbia was undoubtedly an organization that could be beneficial to the Government in preparing its legislation. Both the metalliferous and coal mining industries had suffered from legislation that was sometimes detrimental—legislation which would never have been adopted had the Government consulted such a body as this Institute. The Institute could be of great as- » Ml m 78 sistance in preventing legislation detrimental to the industries of the country. N. Thompson: This meeting will pass into history as one of the most important meetings we have ever had, and this proposal of Mr. Lamb is one of the most important features of it. The Companies Act is being cancelled and a new Act being drawn. The boards of trade have had three or four conferences with Messrs. Garrett and Pineo, making suggestions and giving assistance in connection with the working of the new Act. Those of them who knew the present Minister of Mines knew he was anxious to do the best that was possible for the industry. In the past they had been accustomed not to do anything till the legislation was framed. They forgot they were the Government. The Government at Victoria was anxious to get their views on the framing of legislation. Now that Charles Camsell was Deputy Minister of Mines at Ottawa this Institute would get a fair hearing, and any resolutions they might adopt would have the very greatest attention. S. S. Fowler moved, That the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy specially recommends the Council to promote the interests of the industry by appealing to the Provincial and Dominion Governments to work in co-operation with them. He referred to the work of the boards of trade as directly interested in the industry. They were composed of men interested in all sorts of business activities, and their help had been very material. So far as mining legislation was concerned they might very well take steps to initiate it, but should invite their co-operation. H. Mortimer-Lamb said the Institute should take the initiative in these matters, but could co-operate with other organizations—both industrial and professional. E. E. Campbell said Mr. Lamb had brought out a very vital point in suggesting co-operation between the Government and those interested in the matters under advisement. The first move was to get the organization into such shape that it would be of value to the Government. He was proud to say the organization in British Columbia was in good shape to be of such value. In other provinces they were not in shape to be of such service. He attended a meeting at Toronto last year, and there was a good deal of opposition, especially where the Institute had been organized for industrial work. There were the Steel Section and the Coal Section in Nova Scotia, but they did not want to consolidate along provincial lines. Ontario had more branches of the Institute than anv other province, but they were not tied altogether to working for the mining interest in Ontario, i He would like to impress on them the desirability of every MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD province having its own branch of the Institute, with headquarters at the capital of the Province where they would be closely in touch with legislation, and could carry on their work to the best advantage. He seconded the motion proposed by Mr. Fowler.—Carried. STUDENTS' PAPERS C. O. Swanson, winner of the prize for the paper on "A Mining Subject," summarized his paper on the Britannia Mine and thanked the Institute on behalf of the students of the Mining Department of the University of British Columbia for the interest it was taking in them. CARIBOO MINERS' ASSOCIATION ' S. J. Marsh asked the support of the Institute for a series of resolutions submitted by the Cariboo Miners' Association asking for amendments of the placer mining laws. He said Cariboo had produced gold to the value of $70,000,000. Most of the successful men of the past had left the camp, but it was again on the eve of important development. During the last three or four years an investigation had been carried on of the black sands as to the content of gold and platinum, and the results were favorable. It had been found that concentrates from these sands carried values from $40 to $160 per ton. 22 lb. of these concentrates had given a yield of $320 per cubic yard, equal to 52-2|3% platinum. Most of these values were in the nature of inclusions. In October last Cariboo miners organized themselves into an association, and had set to work to restore order out of the chaos which had existed concerning the placer holdings of the country. It was estimated that there were on the Fraser River 200 miles of payable dredging ground, and on its tributaries another 300 miles, of which 75% was ideal dredging ground. He had made 400 analyses of samples, and if that ground would average 10% of the returns it was the largest placer mining field in the world. If they could get a title which was a commercial asset they could interest capital in development. The Chairman said Dawson had drawn attention to the possibility of many of the rivers of British Columbia, and it had been a matter of surprise to him that more attention had not been paid to the possibility of dredging operations. Dawson had compared the Fraser River to a great ground sluice, and it was a matter of extreme importance that these possible resources should be developed. The placer laws had been framed to meet conditions of small operations, and it was a question whether they should not be revised to meet the new conditions. S. S. Fowler said he had no knowledge of the conditions, but the necessity of revision undoubtedly ex- . MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD isted. Something more than an annual lease was required to secure title and enlist capital. He did not know what they could do except to express their sympathy with the movement. They should not commit themselves by any precipitate motion beyond expressing their sympathy. He had a knowledge of what Mr. Marsh had been doing, but so far as action was concerned the subject might be very well left to their new executive, and if it was advisable to refer SATURDAY Saturday morning was devoted to visits to industrial engineering plants and to the University of British Columbia. Motor cars were kindly provided by members of the Institute, Aid. Woodside, as representative of the city, and by several citizens. The first plant visited was that of the Britannia Wire Rope Works. The visitors were divided into three groups in charge respectively of Supt. Harding it to the Council they could give it more mature con- Messrs. Brown and Rolston, who explained the op sideration than could be given by that meeting. They eration of the various machines. could then take the whole matter up with the Government. He moved accordingly. Seconded by E. A. Haggen and carried. Thanks were tendered to J. D. MacKenzie, N. Thompson, and A. J. C. Nettell for the services they had rendered in making such a success of the meeting. THE DINNER In the evening a dinner was held at the Hotel Vancouver, at which Hon. W. Sloan, Minister of Mines, had been expected to speak, but was unable to be present. E. E. Campbell presided. H. Mortimer-Lamb expressed regret that their chairman was leaving the district. He had probably done more for British Columbia than any other mining man and it was due to him that the Institute was in its present flourishing condition. He had done for it the same excellent work that he had done for the Granby Company. He proposed a toast to Mr. fidd £,.., ,, u ,; . ; , T'a.MUj. .,.„ : , Campbell, with wishes that the same success that had attended his work in British Columbia should continue with him in his new sphere. The toast was The Vancouver Engineering Works were next visited, and the visitors shown over the, plant by Mr. Davis, general manager. The subject of principal interest here was the operation of the new electric furnace installed for the manufacture of special steel and hard alloy castings, the Company having kindly arranged to give a full demonstration of the operation of the furnace. The University was next visited, where the guests were shown over the Engineering, Geological, Metallurgical and Testing Departments by Dean Brock. At the Britannia Wire Rope Works, Vancouver Engineering Works, and the University, hearty votes of thanks were tendered by the visitors, who expressed their appreciation of the instructive morning they had spent. The Chairmen of the various committees were:— Attendance and programme, J. D. MacKenzie; smoker, Dean Brock; entertainment, Dr. S. J. Scho- cursions, E. A. Haggen; publicity, F EXECUTIVE cordially honored. • The Chairman then introduced the Chairman of the Division for the ensuing year, Col. J. E. Leckie, D.S.O. In acknowledging the compliment paid him by his election, Col. Leckie said his father had been one of the organizers of the Federated Institute which was the fore-runner of the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. Mining had some black eyes Kenzie, Vancouver; H. S. Munro, Anyox; H. G. during the past year, but would revive during the Nichols, P. W. Racey, N. Thompson, Vancouver; next twelve months. He recited reminiscences of the H. W. Van Wagenen, Allenby; R. R. Wilson, Cassidy. The following have been nominated as the Council of the British Columbia Division for the ensuing- year :— Chairman—Col. J. E. Leckie. Vice-Chairman—S. S. Fowler. Council—T. W. Bingay, Trail; C. P. Browning, Britannia Beach; R. R. Bruce, Invermere; F. Glover, Princeton; Gomer P. Jones, Hedley; J. D. Mac- Murmansk expedition into Russia, at the close of the war, the expedition being under his command. His address was illustrated with slides. Administrative Committee—H. G. Nichols, J. D. MacKenzie, P. W. Racey, T. W. Bingay, and H. S. Munro. ill ill i > OT II COST OF COAL By GEORGE WILKINSON* The price of coal to the consumer today in the large of material. It is also compulsory to timber at regu- cities of British Columbia, and more especially those lar distances, the cost of timber and wages for tim- on the Coast is receiving a large amount of criticism, bering running very high. Stringent regulations are so the purpose of this paper is to briefly put forward also in force regarding blasting. This can only be a few facts regarding the production and prepara- done by certified officials, tion of coal, briefly stating a few of the difficulties L0SS IN handling which confront the coal operators on Vancouver Is- Regarding the large amount of foreign material land- handled in the coal and paid for by the operators, Vancouver island coal fields tbjs may be verified by quoting figures from the The coal fields of Vancouver Island belong to the Minister of Mines Reports. For example take the Cretaceous Age. The coal seams found as a whole report for 1919. On page 298 we find under the are much alike, varying from nothing to over 35 beading Coal output, etc., 1919, Vancouver Island feet in thickness in short distances. This variation District. Sales and output for year. Tons of 2,240 is caused by irregularities in either the roof or floor, pOUIKls • and sometimes in both. Tons Parts of the coal seams are dirty, the coal layers Total output 1,699,348 being mixed to a great extent with both a soft brown Sold for consumption in Canada 858,001 carbonaceous shale and a rash coal, which in many Sold for export to United States 385,927 places is slickensided and about the same specific Total Sales 1 243,928 gravity as the coal, and also contains a great amount Lost ■ wasbing 251,239 of fuel value. A large amount of this is consequent- Used under Colliery Boilers 151,736 ly loaded by the miners among the cleaner coal at the Used jn making coke 55,672 face or working place. As a product loaded by the /. . made 34 071 miner (in compliance with the Coal Mines Regula- „ 1 I . ... . . .... . From these figures it will be seen that approxi- tions), has to be truly weighed before screening he iSSPBIHPBS • 1 1 w ' ,-ii, 11 mately 15% of the output mined was lost in washing gets paid for everything he loads, consequently the . . n . , . . .. ,,. .. and preparation, and approximately 9% 01 the out- mine operator is paying for a great deal of material . . , , ... , ., , , , put mined was used under colliery . boilers, leaving he cannot sell, and after getting the material to the WMSm. 1 T ..t j r . some 76% for sale. In other words, for every ton surface and screening, cleaning, and washing the . , ' , , , . I | . of coal produced and paid tor to -the miners on a same, there is some 80% to 85% of the product sale- ..... M . run of mine basis, the operator, after preparation, able after preparation. ., , ocr* ±1. u t. j a *± a a ^ had only 85% that could be used, and after deduct- difficulties of mining ing 9^ more of the worst grade, which is used under The irregularity of the seams makes a large amount the colUery boilerS) there was 76% o{ each ton ]eft of extra cost driving headings. The pinches or wants for salCj whkh would yield about the followmg per are quite extensive and sometimes the main drivages centages of grades and prices Assuming the amount have to be extended in solid rock for hundreds of used under colHery boilers I tQ be dassed as saleSj feet. Brushing cost in thin coal places is another and Qnly allowing for the actual wastej we have for important factor in bringing up the costs. The roof the seUing value of the product rec0vered from one also is usually friable and requires close timbering, ton of CQal mine run after preparation and sold at this being another expensive item. current prices f ob mine bunkerS) the foiiowing: costs of operation Lump, gross ton 2,240 lb. .. 50% @ $9.75. .$4,875 The seams undulating a great deal make very dif- Nut, gross ton 2,240 lb 8% @ 9.25.. .74 ficult haulage conditions, and make haulage very Pea, gross ton 2,240 lb 12% @ 8.25.. .99 costly. Materials used are very expensive and of a Slack, gross ton 2,240 lb. . . 15% @ 2.50. . .375 wide variety, such as pipes, rails, ropes, lumber and all Waste, gross ton 2,240 lb. . . 15% sorts of repair parts for machinery and equipment. Laws are very stringent at coal mines. Take for 100% $6.98 instance ventilation. Brattice has to be carried in . every working place and maintained within four So apparently the selling value of the product re- yards of the working face. This keeps a number of covered from one gross ton of 2,240 lb. as mined and men busy at all times, and requires a large amount sold at current rates at mine bunkers, and including MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD 81 slack sold to mine boilers is, $6.98. This estimate is Mining 92c based on the average for the Island, and will no Yardage 268c doubt vary more or less at individual mines, some Timber, Labour 214c having a greater selling value and some less, accord- Timber, Material 26c ing to the percentages of grades recovered. War Bonus 458c miners' costs ' The general public, in referring t6 the price of Tota1' per ton $2-12 coal, frequently uses the expression that the miner other costs only gets 80c for digging the coal and then quotes From this it will be seen that a ton of coal mine the price they have to pay for it. They fail to realize run has cost $2.12 per ton when it leaves the hands that the actual digging of the coal is only one of the of the miner at the face of a level. In addition to many costs that confront the coal operator, and also this cost at the face there are a great many costs that the miner participates in many costs beside the to be added before it reaches the wharf prepared for tonnage price, such as yardages, timbering, brushing, shipment such as haulage, ventilation, trackwork, deficiencies for rock in coal places and other causes, general timbering, pumping, prospecting, hoisting, which in a good many cases will bring the cost up . weighing and dumping, screening and cleaning, wash- to $2.00 per ton and over before the coal leaves the ing, railroad transportation, shipping, general expen- woricmg places. seS) Government royalties, taxes, insurance on plant Take for instance a level being driven. The miner and buildings, workmen's compensation, assessments, receives the tonnage price, which varies on the Is- etc. land from 92c to $1.08 per ton. In addition to this I may say that all coal produced at the faces is he receives $2.50 to $3.00 per yard, and from $2.00 not subject to yardage costs as mentioned, but where to $3.00 is paid him for sets which are to be not more yardage costs as mentioned are not paid there are a than four ft. from centre to centre. good many other deficiencies costs paid on wide To give an illustration, we will assume a level which work for rock in coal, and brushing, etc., which will has to be driven 6 ft. by 10 ft. in the clear. This bring the production costs up to, and well over, $2.00 level having sets put in will need to be excavated about per ton in a good many cases. 7 ft. by 12 ft. Then the cubical contents in three Frequently the levels and main drivages strike lineal feet of advance of the level will be 12 x 7 x 3, wants or pinches and have to be driven hundreds of equals 252 cubic ft. Assuming 27 cubic ft. in the feet in solid rock until the coal is again found. In solid as producing one ton of coal, we have 252 di- these places the miners have to be put on a straight vided by 27 equals .9.33 tons of coal per yd. of ad- yardage basis, the yardage price varying according vance of the level. to the hardness of the rock to be driven through. Now, to get the cost of the coal at the face of the When several of these places are being driven in rock level under the lowest prevailing prices we have as at the same time production costs can rise very follows: rapidly, upwards of a dollar per ton. This, from a Mining 92c per ton. twofold reason, namely increased yardage costs and Yardage will equal 2.50 divided by 9.33 equals .268c. reduction in output of coal. Timber cost for labour will equal 2.00 divided by A casual glance around the mines will reveal rock 9.33 equals .214c. piles that will convince the most skeptical that in op- And to this must be added the cost of the timber, erating a coal mine it is'also necessary to handle which will equal one set 12 ft. long, and two posts large quantities of rock. 7 ft. each, which equals 26 lineal ft. at 5c. per ft, a Without going into a detailed statement regarding total of $1.30. , itemised costs, I would estimate the cost of produc- To this must be added the cost of lagging, say eight tion based on a ton of mine run coal from mining pieces on top and three on each rib, a total of 14 at 8c to prepared product, for a general average in the each. Then the cost of timber per yard, $1.30 plus Vancouver Island field, at about $6.25. That is $6.25 $1.12, equals $2.42, and 2.42 divided by 9.33 equals for mining and preparing one ton, of which 85%> 26c per ton. would be a saleable product. To this must be added the war bonus. Each miner Inside Costs.—Including mining, yardage and al- receives $2.14 per day war bonus, then twice $2.14 lowances, brushing, haulage, trackwork, ventilation, equals $4.28 and 4.28 divided by 9.33 equals .458c timbering, pumping, superintendence, etc., $4.00. per ton. Outside Costs at Mine.—Including weighing, dump- Then the cost per ton of coal mine run put in the ing, preparation and loading, repairs to plant and car at the face of the level is as follows: machinery, handling material, rock, etc., 80c. K: I 1II -, i I 111 82 ■; MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD Railroad and Shops and Washing and Shipping.— about $8.71 per net ton of 2,000 lb. Therefore hi Maintenance of way, equipment, structures and con ducting and transportation, etc., $1.00. General.—Including salaries and office expenses taxes, workmen's compensation assessment, Govern costs are about as follows for a net ton of 2,000 lb.: Cost at bunkers ment coal tax, insurance, etc., 45c. Total Inside $4.00 Total Outside Mine 80 Railroad, Shipping and Washing .... 1.00 General Expenses -45 Per ton $6.25 OPERATORS profit Against this cost there is an apparent return of $6.98; then $6.98 minus $6.25 shows an apparent profit of .73c per ton. Nothing is provided for depreciation or depletion of coal reserves in tire above costs. The above figure:, are based on a general estimate of the Island conditions, and from percentages of recoverable coal from all the mines as shown by annual returns in the Minister of Mines Reports. Some individual collieries may show better results, and some worse, depending largely on the percentages of grades recovered, but it is apparent that the operators as a whole are not making what may be termed excess profits. If a depletion of coal reserves charge of 25c per ton and 10c per ton for depreciation of plant is added to the above costs it will reduce the apparent profits to 38c per Lon. RETAIL COSTS Leaving the operator and proceeding to deal with the retail costs in the cities, it is noticeable that the consumer demands the best grades, and special means of preparation have to be resorted to in getting trade. The retailers chiefly buy what is known as lump coal, the highest grade prepared at the mine, and which forms about 50% of the output mined. In the loading and unloading of this grade from the barges there is considerable breakage, and to keep the trade the dealers have to re-screen this coal, and naturally have to sell the screenings at a much less price. This drop of price on the screenings naturally forces the price of the better grade higher, and the consumer generally demands this better grade of lump coal, so that he may go into a cellar and have Towage Insurance Unloading Sacking - Costs of Sacks Delivery Degradation by re-screening Overhead Expenses $8.71 .80 .05 .30 .35 .20 1.65 .90 .10 Total $13.06 A total cost of $13.06 per ton for the coal which is delivered at $14.50 leaves an apparent profit of $1.44 per ton on lump coal. The price the dealer pays for nut coal at the mine bunkers, $9.25 per gross ton of 2,240 lb., or approximately $8.25 per net ton of 2,000 lb. Therefore his costs for a net ton of 2,000 lb. delivered to customers is as follows:— Cost at bunkers $8.25 Towage 80 Insurance 05 Unloading 30 Sacking 35. Costs of sacks 20 Deliver}7 1.65 Degradation by re-screening 80 Overhead expense 10 Total $12.50 Total cost per ton, $12.50 for coal which is delivered at $13.50, or an apparent profit of $1.00 per ton. The smaller standard grades, not including lump coal screenings, are usually handled in bulk, and a smaller profit earned, from 35c to 50c per ton. Assuming a dealer's percentage of sales at 70% for lump, 10% for nut, 15% for pea, and 5% for slack, his average profit on his turnover would be approximately $1.20 per ton. how consumers can reduce costs From the foregoing it is readily- seen that the preparation and handling of coal from the producer to consumer is responsible for a great deal of the increased costs, and if the consumers were willine the pleasure of breaking up the large lumps with to adopt the method of using a mixed grade coal, and a sledge hammer. „ tbe present system of re-screening could be abolished To provide this high grade for the consumer, the dealer is confronted with approximately the follow- it would certainly mean a considerable saving to the consumer. The method of sacking coal for deln ^ $9 M- > costs: The method of sacking coal for delivery is also He buys the gross ton of 2,240 lb. of lump coal at very costly and means a substantial increase in price .75 f.o.b. the mine wharf. This figures -out at to the consumer. If this method of delivery could MINING & ENGINFERING RECORD .83 be discarded in favor of delivery by bulk, it would The more that is wasted in better preparation result in considerable saving to the consumer. means less merchantable product recovered, .which in By using a mixed grade of coal delivered in bulk turn means a higher price for the prepared product, the consumer would make a saving approximately with the result the consumer is paying for something as follows: he is compelling the producer to throw away. The dealer would buy the mixed grade at approxi- Take for instance the 251,239 tons lost in wash- mat ely $7.20 per net ton of 2,000 lbs., a saying in inS durinS 1919- There is no doubt a larSe Percent- price of $8.71, minus $7.20, equals $1.51. To'this aSe of this could have been used without any appre- could be added 35c for sacking and 20c for cost of ciable deference in the burning if mixed with the sacks, also 90c for degradation. No doubt the de- i-243'928 tons sold, if the whole had been sold on a livery charges would be reduced if the delivery was mixed basis' instead of separately prepared grades, made in bulk instead of in sacks, say 25c per ton, and the consumers would have received considerably making the total saving as follows:— more Product for the same price. Price at bunkers $151 comparison with pre-war prices Sacking 35 Claims are made that the increase in price of coal Cost of sacks 20 at mine bunkers is out of all proportion to increase Degradation 90 of wages paid. While the increase in the price of Delivery (reduction in) 25 coal may slightly exceed the proportionate increase in wages, the increase in the price of materials used Total $3.21 in mining will make up the difference. The fol- \ • j- <i'i ->i u i i.8 • r i lowing are approximately the increases over pre-war A saving of $3.21 below the present price of lump ° vr J v coal. Then $14.50 minus $3.21 would equal $11.29 rates: i • j 1- j «■ -j j Coal—114%. per ton as ihe once delivered for mixed grade. tv, u i r ■ ♦• Wages-93%. The whole cry from consumer is preparation. ^^ ^ J mining_12S% to 250% Even m the industrial plants burning small grades .>..;&. i . . | , , . . I . . • , , , , The proportion of cost of wages and material in the demand is persistently being made tor lower ash . r ° . ,, .. . gj . ^ mining is about 70% wages and 30% material, so as- content, and the operators, to accomplish this, must . .... . , „ . . , , . , , ., Ss summg the average increase in price of material is install more elaborate washing plants, and the ulti- ,~eM . . , , , 1/5%, and the average increase in wages is 939?, we mate result of lower ash content means more waste ,>i •*._£,-. Ms , .„„„ „„ , , . , . , . . have 175 x 30 plus 93 x 70 equals 117.3-5%. An ap- and loss in washing, and a consequent increase m . . ' . ..*,- - . , . , T1. . , parent raise in wages and material of 117.3-5% as price of the better prepared product. It more thought . ...~ ■ •' , . I , ... r , . , , against 114% rise in the price of coal, were given to devising means ot burning tuel con- . . . , . , , . . , . , these figures would indicate that the increased taming higher ash content it would mean a consin- ,, ? , r 1 i cost ot coal has not been out of proportion to the erable saving, as a large amount ot the waste at the . . ... .... r j- , increase in wages and cost of materials, washers today contains a high percentage ot tuel values. *General Manager, Pacific Coast Coal Mines, Ltd. 84 MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD PERSONAL i The Victoria Times places T. Uphill, M.L.A. for Fernie, among the six feature members of the new Legislature, and gives him credit for his humor, the attention he commands from his fellow members, his success in promoting labor legislation, and his popularity with the society ladies of Victoria. Paul S. Couldrey has resigned as manager of Le Roi No. 2 Ltd., at Rossland, and has gone to Spain. Sir Alfred Mond, of the Mond Nickel Co., Ltd., of Canada, has been appointed Minister of Health in the British Cabinet. Glenville A. Collins, M.E., of Vancouver, who recently took over the management of the Drumlummon Mine, has succeeded in raising in New York the necessary capital for development, the financing being done through J. J. Stewart, of New York and Montreal. A. E. Savage is superintendent at the Pathfinder Mine in the Boundary. Louis Bovette, discoverer of the Keno 11 ill silver- lead deposits in the Yukon, has left Mayo on a visit to the Coast cities. Dan Matheson, superintendent of the Rock Candy Mine, is remaining- at the property since the fire and arranging for reconstruction of the mine buildings. Geo. T. Coffey, resident manager of the Yukon Gold Co. at Dawson, and F, C. Powell, the cashier, have gone to Mayo in connection with the company's development of the silver-lead deposits there. Jean Yanophem, president of the Algunican Development Company, which has been operating at Stewart, is at ihe Inverness Apartments, San Francisco.- H. S. Munroe, general manager of the Granby Consolidated Mining, Smelting and Power Co., Ltd., recently came south from Anyox and visited the company's coal property at Cassidy, besides spending a few days at the business office of the company at Vancouver. J. Stewart, foreman for the Yukon Gold Company at Keno Hill, was badly injured by falling down a bluff at the mine. A. B. Ritchie, of the engineering staff of the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Co., Ltd., has been on a visit to the smelter at Trail. H. H. Johnstone, inspector of mines, is making his home at Deer Park on Arrow Lakes. Geo. W. Wooster, who has been treasurer of the Granby Company since its inception 22 years ago, has resigned, and was the recipient of a presentation from the staff on his leaving the service of the company after his long and honorable connection with it. W. M. Brewer, Resident Engineer for the Western Mineral Survey District, is giving a series of lectures to prospectors on Vancouver Island, and exhibiting samples of ores and associated rocks for the information of those interested. He told his audience at Victoria that in 1898 there were 200 prospectors at work from that city. P.'B. Freeland, Resident Engineer for the Southern Mineral Survey District, has been giving lectures to prospectors at Penticton and Hedley. B. Crilly, an old Kootenay prospector, has returned to British Columbia from Mexico, where he is developing the Viega Mine in association with W. H. Turner, of the California Mine at Nelson, and associates. T. Fairbairn, President, and General Bertram, Treasurer of the Engineering Institute of Canada, propose visiting the western branches at an early date. E. J. Donohue, General Manager of the Britannia Mining and Smelting Co., Ltd., has been confined to his home by illness following the reaction from the stress imposed on him at the time of the fire at the concentrator. W. W. Thomas, who has been acting as business agent for the Britannia Mining and Smelting Co., Ltd., for the past six years, and also maintained a mining brokerage office in Vancouver, has closed his office here and left for California where he is interested in mining property in that State as well as in Mexico. J. C. Houston, of Haileybury, Ont., has been appointed manager of the Adargaf Mine in Mexico. W. D. Hogg has resigned as secretary of the Greater Vancouver Drainage Board, to accept the position of secretary-treasurer of the B.C. Silica and Talc Co., Ltd. Prof. J. A. Bancroft, of McGill University, who has been appointed assistant to H. S. Munroe, General Manager of the Granby Company, will devote most of his time to the study of the economic geology of the Hidden Creek Mine and of the surrounding district with a view to working out the problem of securing a more favorable smelting mixture of ores from the vicinity. Gordon Perry, president of the National Iron Corporation, of Toronto, has been appointed chairman of the Board of the English Electric Company which is entering the field for the supply of electric equipment in Canada. E. James, of Ottawa, has been appointed representative of A. D. Swan on the construction of the Bal- lantyne Pier at Vancouver. J. D. Galloway, Resident Engineer for the Northeastern Mineral Survey District, has been at Victoria assisting in the compilation of the annual re- MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD 85 port of the Pn rovincial Bureau of Mines for 1920. Thos. W. Gibson, Deputy Minister of Mines for He will return to Hazelton this month and give a Ontario, and Dr. W. G. Miller, Provincial Geologist, course of lectures to prospectors. have been visiting the mining camps of Northern G. L. McNichol, who has been purchasing agent Ontario. for the Granby Company for 20 years, has resigned Frank Shorts, manager of the Yukon Gold Com- to go into business on his own accounut. On leaving pany's silver-lead mining operations at Mayo, has re- the offices of the company he was the recipient of a turned to his duties after a short holiday on the coast, presentation from the staff. Ernest Levy is returning to Rossland as manager Valentine Quinn, of the Vancouver office of the of Le Roi No. 2, Ltd. Since his former residence Granby Company, has been appointed executive at Rossland, Mr. Levy has been managing a mine in agent and treasurer, with R. L. Thomas as assistant. Cuba. Kenneth Racey succeeds G. L. McNichol as pur- At the conclusion of a lecture to prospectors by A. chasing agent for the Granby Company's Vancouver G. Langley, Resident Engineer for the Eastern Min- office. Prof. G. A. Gillies lectured before the B.C. Technical Association on the volcanic origin of oil. Dr. F. G. Cottrell has resigned as Director of the U. S. Bureau of Mines to become chairman of the Division of Chemistry and Chemical Technology of the U. S. Research Council. P. Philip, who is Public Works Engineer for British Columbia, received his engineering training at the Royal University of Ireland. On coming to Canada he entered the service of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway, with which he was associated for three years. He then joined the engineering staff of the City of Vancouver, and in 1917 entered the Public Works Department of British Columbia, being district engineer for Kamloops and Lillooet districts. A. G. Langley, Resident Engineer for the Eastern Mineral Survey District, has been giving lectures to prospectors at Cranbrook, Nelson, and other centres of his district, the subjects of his lectures being "Geology" and "Mineral and Ore Deposits." Walter Blumenthal, a prominent New York financier, has been on a visit to the Sullivan Mine at Kimberley, War Eagle, Centre Star, and Le Roi, at Rossland, and Trail Smelter, in company with P. A. O'Far- eral Survey District, a resolution was adopted on the motion of J. F. Huchcroft, seconded by G. J. Sproull, "that the Government be informed of the Prospectors' appreciation of Mr. Langley's work, as Resident Engineer, and asking that he be given assistance so that he might spend more of his time in East Kootenay." F. B. Hardin, engineer for S. Junkins and Co., in charge of the concreting of the Connaught Tunnel R., is making his headquarters at Van- on the C. P. couver. NECROLOGY H. B. St. John, formerly of the engineering staff of the C. P. R., died at Vancouver. He was born at Norfolk, England. Capt. T. D. Shorts, a pioneer of Omineca, Cassiar and the Yukon, died at Hope, B.C., aged 84. Thos. W. Bain, locator of the Laurie and Dunve- gan mines near Revelstoke in the eighties, died at Revelstoke, at the age of 66. John Enos, a pioneer of the Fraser River diggings, died at Nanaimo, aged 87. A memorial service was recently held at Stanford Memorial Church, Palo Alto., Cal., in memory of rell, the party being shown over the properties by Chester A. Thomas, formerly manager of the Yukon W. M. Archibald, manager of Mines for the Con- Gold Company. solidated, and by F. S. Peters, Superintendent of A. G. McGregor, managing director of the Cana- Mines at Rossland. dian Pipe Co., Ltd., of Vancouver, died at Ottawa Angus K. Stuart has resigned as office manager on March 18. for Angus W. Davis and Salvus, at Rossland, and has W.McBride, a pioneer of the Cassiar rush, died on moved to Penticton. W. G. Swan, of Vancouver, has been elected president of the Association of Professional Engineers of British Columbia. H. Whitaker has been employed as engineer to adjust some difference with sub-contractors in connection with the Rossland-Cascade road contract on the Provincial Highway, let to Davis and Salvus. April "40, at Mud Bay, B.C., aged 74. Thomas Earl, formerly of Lytton, and a miner on the Fraser River in 1858, died at Vancouver on March 25, aged 92. T. D. Conway died at Ladysmith at the age of 77. He was father of E. J. Conway, who has been for some years on the engineering staff of the Granby Company. His position as superintendent of con- N. Thompson represented the Vancouver Board struction for the Collins overland telegraph line, to of Trade and Chamber of Mines at the Mining Con- connect America with Asia and Europe, brought him vention at Spokane. to British Columbia in 1864, and in the face of the 86 MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD if' ■«&* enormous difficulties of transportation in those days he carried the work through from the Coast to Telegraph Creek, on the Stikine River, when the successful laying of the Atlantic cable caused the work to be abandoned. In 1876 he was appointed superintendent of telegraph construction for the Dominion Government. In 1885 he was appointed collector of Customs at Ladysmith, where he ended his days. He was a graduate of McGill University. Robt. W. Turner, who operated diamond drills for Boyles Bros., of Spokane, at the Granby Company's mines at Phoenix, Hidden Creek and Alaska, died at Spokane, aged 36. * * * RECENT PUBLICATIONS Annual Report Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., 612 p., green cloth, with plates and diagrams. By Dr. Chas. D. Walcott. Form Value of Energy in Relation to its Production, Transportation and Application. Paper by C. G. Gilbert and Jos. E. Pogue, at Fuels Session A.S.M.E. Operating Regulations to Govern Production of Oil and Gas. U.S. Bureau of Mines, Washington, D.C. Dissolved Gases in Glass. 39 p. with plates and diagrams. Bull. 118, Engineering Experiment Station University of Illinois, Urbana, 111. By E. \\*. Washburn, F. F. Footit, and E. N. Bunting. The Mining Industry of Northern Ontario in 1919, by Arthur A. Cole, M.E. 52 p. with plates. Munition Resources Commission, 1920. 260 p., green cloth, with plates, diagrams and maps. Hon. Col. Thos. Cantley, chairman; Geo. C. Mackenzie, secretary. Mining Operations in Province of Quebec for 1919. 160 p. with maps, plates and diagrams. T. C. Denis, Supt^of Mines. L'Or, by G. P. Proust, M.E., Gauthier-Villars et Cie. Editors, Library du Bureau des Longitudes, De L'Ecole Polytechnique, Quai des Grand-Augustins, 55 Paris, France. 319 p. with diagrams. A Glossary of the Mining and Metallurgical Industry. 754 p. By Albert H. Fay, U.S. Bureau of Mines, Washington, D.C. A most useful publication on which the author has spent an immense, amount of time and labor, resulting in a volume that is unique in its completeness and accuracy. Data of Geochemistry, 4th edition. 832 p. By F. R. Clarke, U.S. Bureau of Mines, Washington, D.C. Bull. 695. This is a reprint of a book which is a standard work of reference, brought up to date by the author. It covers the» widest field of any textbook of its class, and exhibits a wonderful kndw- ledge of scientific research arranged in convenient form. Catalogue of Illinois Mining Investigations. State Geological Survey, Urbana, 111. Queensland Geological Survey, Brisbane. B. Dunstan, Chief Geologist. Publication 265. Clon- curry-Camooweal-Burketown Area, with maps, plates and diagrams. 48 p. No. 267, Petrified Plant Remains, of Queensland Mezozoic and Tertiary formations, with plates and diagrams, by Birbal Sahni, M.A., Cantab, M.Sc, London, and Hindoo University, Benares. Fuels of Western Canada. 44 p. with map and diagrams. By Jas. White, Commission of Conservation, Ottawa. The Coking Industry of the Pacific Northwest. By Prof. Jos. B. Daniels, Associate Professor of Mining and Metallurgy, University of Washington, Seattle. 33 p. with plates, map, and diagrams. Standard Specification for Steel Railway Bridges. By Canadian Engineering Standards Association, Room 112, West Block, Ottawa. Accidents at Metallurgical Works. By A. H. Fay, U.S. Bureau of Mines, Washington, D.C. Mining and Mineral Prospects in Northern Manitoba. By R. C. Wallace, Commissioner for Northern Manitoba, The Pas, Man. 45 p. with maps, plates and diagrams. Canada Geological Survey, Ottawa. Mem. 115, Geology of Matachewan District, Northern Ontario, By H. C. Cooke. 60 p. with maps and diagrams. Mem. 117, Geology and Ore Deposits of Ainsworth Mining Camp, British Columbia. By Dr. S. J. Schofield. 73 p. with maps and diagrams. Summary Report 1919, Parts B. D. G. U.S. Geological Survey, Washington, D.C. Gypsum in 1919, by R. \\ . Stone; Gems and Precious Stones in 1919, by B. H. Stoddard; Chromite in 1919, by J. S. Diller; Secondary Minerals in 1919, by J. P. Dunlop; Salt, Bromine and' Calcium Chloride in 1919, Mica in 1919, by H. Insley; Fuller's Earth in 1919, by J. Middleton; Phosphate Rock, near Maxville, Mont., by J. T. Pardee; Potash Resources of Nebraska, by W. B. Hicks; Coal in Eastern Idaho, by G. R. Mansfield ;Catalogue of -Mezozoic and Cenozoic Plants of North America, by F. H. Knowlton. Bull. 696, 815 p.; Oil Possibilities in and Around Baxter Basin, Wyo., by A. R. Schultz. Bull. 702, 104 p., with maps and plates; Geology of Igneous Rocks of Essex Co., Mass., by Chas. H. Clapp; Bull. 704, with maps, plates and diagrams; Lance Creek Oil and Gas Field, Wyo., by E. T. Hancock, Bull. 716-E, 32 p. with maps and plates; 41st Annual Report of U.S. Geological Survey, by G. Otis Smith, 180 p. with maps. / MONTREAL fcailSl. c *■**.-, HAMILTON WINDSOR TORONTO ', m " i> ■ I il'jlU]] s'- """mm."' juiMiiiiiiiiuii1 ^ Dominion Oxygen Is Ready for Immediate Delivery Anywhere in Any Quantity TN accordance with its published pro- •*■ gram of expansion, the Dominion Oxygen Company, Limited, announces the opening of still another Distributing Station at Welland. This new link in the Dominion Oxygen Service chain, together with similar stations at Montreal, Hamilton, Windsor and Toronto, make it possible to supply highly pure oxygen in any desired quantity to any point. Every order lor Dominion Oxygen is filled on the day it is received, thus insuring to Canadian oxygen users a never-failing and prompt supply in high capacity cylinders built for economical and safe handling. By maintaining the high standard of purity of its product and by developing still further the efficiency of its distributing organization, the Dominion Oxygen Company, Limited, will strive to continue to merit the generous patronage accorded it by Canadian oxygen users. T DOMINION OXYGEN COMPANY, LIMITED Hillcrest Park, Toronto Hamilton Montreal, Welland, Windsor m: MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD NEW BOOKS TECHNICAL WRITING, by T. A. Rickard, Editor Mining and Scientific Press, San Francisco, Cal. 178 p. cloth. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York; Chapman and Hall, Ltd., London, Publishers. A new edition of this useful work has appeared, the original consisting of a series of lectures delivered by the author to the Engineering Classes of the University of California. * * * INDUSTRIAL OIL ENGINEERING, by J. C. Battle. 1131 p., cloth, with thumb index. J. B. Lip- pincott Co., Philadelphia and London, publishers. This is a reference book of data relating to lubrication and industrial oils, well arranged. It includes tables, general oil information, engineering and industrial requirements for the use of engineers, salesmen, industrial manufacturers, mechanical engineers, machinery designers, mill and power plant superintendents, teaching the principles of efficient utilization of oil products and equipment, and conservation of power. It is well illustrated by diagrams. Methods of handling and distributing oils are discussed, and the lubrication of all types of machinery referred to in detail. The volume should be in charge of the engineers and superintendents of all industrial, mining and manufacturing plants, and fills a long-left requirement in industrial literature. J. R. WILLIAMS PROVINCIAL ASSAYER AND CHEMIST 540 Thurlow St. Vancouver, B. C. Phone Sey. 7105 My Prices are Moderate and Accuracy is Guaranteed Price List Mailed on Request Instruments Limited INCORPORATING E. R. WATTS & SON, LTD., London. Eng. CAMBRIDGE & PAUL INSTRUMENT CO., LTD.,. Cambridge, Eng. NEGRETTI & ZAMBRA, London, Eng. ROSS, LTD., London, Eng. Engineering Instruments Drawing Office Material Blue Print Papers, etc. 365 CORDOVA STREET, W. Vancouver, B.C. Geo. Cradock & Co. (B.C.) Limited 175 CORDOVA ST. W. Vancouver, B.C. ma£&£& ^^^■ta^vSS" PRODUCERS OF High-Grade Mining Ropes Silverlock, Lock Coil Hoisting Ropes Tramway Systems Brattice Cloth GEO. S. PETTAPIECE, Managing-Director Mackenzie River Development Corporation Limited (Now Toeing Incorporated under Dominion Statutes) OFFICE: 508-509 BOARD OF TRADE BUILDING, VANCOUVER, B.C. A thoroughly sound legitimate business enterprise, formed for the purpose of acquiring by staking and 'otherwise, natural resources of all kinds, and especially Petroleum, Oil, and Natural Gas, and Gold and Precious Metals, Coal and other Minerals. The Company has. acquired valuable and tangible assets, consisting of five oil leases at Pine Point in the Great Slave Lake District; also a rich placer gold: property and a gold dredging lease in British Columbia, and an extremely rich Platinum property also in British Columbia, and other properties. Fullest possible investigation is invited. An investment in this Corporation should realize big returns. SHARES NOW ON SALE For full particulars and application forms, apply to Office— 508 BOARD OF TRADE BUILDING VANCOUVER, B.C. MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD RUPERT W. HAGGEN DOMINION AND B.C. LAND SURVEYOR HYDRAULIC ENGINEER NOTARY PUBLIC QUESNEL, and 150 Mile House, B. C. . ANDREW a. LAMM Mining- Engineer 926 Old National Bank Building- SPOKANE, WASH. Cable Address: "Larmac" Bedford McNeill Code 20tc Mining Machinery OF EVERY DESCRIPTION Second Hand and New Bought and Sold B. C. EQUIPMENT CO., 602 Hastings Street W-, Vancouver, B. C. ROBERT H. STEWART Mining and Metallurgical Engineer Vancouver Block, Vancouver, B.O PROVINCIAL ASSAYERS O. S. ELDRIDGE & CO. with which is incorporated THE VANCOUVER ASSAY OFFICE (Established 1890) We guarantee accuracy of our results. Write for price list. Cave Building' S67 Hornby St. Vancouver Good Print ing Prompt Deliveries Right Prices Homer Publishing Co. Limited 426 Homer St. Vancouver. B.C. Telephone Sey. 3825 ,r~- ;.r-.r Three-Magazine Model Eight Linotype BILLHEADS BOOKS, BOOKLETS BUSINESS STATIONERY CARDS, CATALOGUES ENVELOPES, FOLDERS LABELS, LETTERHEADS LOOSE LEAP FORMS MENUS, NOTEHEADS ORDER FORMS PAYCHECKS RECEIPT FORMS RULED FORMS MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD m II Use Clayburn Firebrick and Clayburn Fireclay if you want Clayburn Quality throughout your work Clayburn Company, Limited CLAYBURN, B.C. CAMMELL LAIRD a CO., Ltd. CM\ Phone Seymour 594.5 a a a CVCLOP.S MAR*S Head Office: Sheffield England Ccycuops) FROM ORE TO FINISHED PRODUCT Basic Open Hearth and Crucible Steel Products Rails, Forging-Billets, Blooms, Slabs, and Bars. MINING EQUIPMENT Including Ball and Tube Mills, Roll SheHs, Crusher Jaws, Shoes and Dies. Also SOLID and HOLLOW DRILL STEELS. Crucible and High Speed Tool Steels, Nickel and Nickel Chrome Steels, High Grade Files and High Speed Twist Drills Branch Office and Warehouse: The Best Book for Prospectors Prospector's Field Book and Guide 1 prospectors FiEUJ-BoOKANo Go1 By H. S. Osborn, Revised >and Enlarged by M. W. Von j Bernewitz. 4-5/8 by 7 inches. 425 pages. 57 illustrations. Flexible Binding for carrying in pocket. Published by Henry Carey Baird and Co. Price: $3.50. LIST OF CHAPTER HEADINGS. I.—Introduction II.—Preparatory Instruction III.—The Blowpipe IV.—Crystallography < V.—Surveying VI.—Analysis of Ores VII.—Copper VIII.—Lead Zinc and Antimony IX.—Iron X.—Chromium, Manganese, Molybdenum, Titanium, Appendix, Glossary Tungsten, .Uranium, Vanadium XI.—Tin XII.—Mercury, Bismuth. Nickel, Cobalt^ Cadmium XIII.—Aluminum XIV.—Petroleum, Asphalt Oil Shale, Ozokerite. XV.—Various Useful Minerals XVI.—Abrasives, Greenstones and Useful Bocks of Terms, Index. Copies Supplied on application to— HOMER PUBLISHING CO., LTD. 426 Homer Street Vancouver, B. C. STONE yFOR BUILDING And LIME CEMENT & MARBLE METAL. & MINERAL PROPERTIES CONSULT A. A. CROWSTON NOTARY PUBLIC VANCOUVER, CANADA MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD It Gets the Gold THE DIVER MINERAL SEPARATOR Extracts upwards of 95% of Fine Gold from all kinds of Gold Bearing Sands, Free Milling Ore, and Crushed Quartz, Dumps, etc., by a new Patented Process. No chemicals. Economical, high capacity, easily portable. Gold collected in locked chamber, preventing thefts by operators. For Full Particulars and Terms, apply W. D. FAWTHROP 1830—47th AVE. EAST, VANCOUVER, B.C. Patented in Canada, U.S.A. etc. Vancouver Engineering 1 Works, Ltd. VANCOUVER, B. C. ENGINEERS, BOILERMAKERS, STEEL, IRON & BRASS FOUNDERS, BOLT & RIVET MANUFACTURERS — Our — White Iron Balls and Liners for Ball Mills are giving Excellent Service — Use — I VEW" Steel Castings and avoid costly breakdowns. Office and Works: 519—6th AVENUE WEST Phone: Fairmont 240 DIAMOND DRILL CONTRACTING COMPANY SPOKANE, WASH. Contractors for all kinds of Diamond Drill work. We have complete outfits in British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan. Write for Prices ROSSLAND, B. C. 30tc ORE BAGS — BURLAP ALL GRADES OF SACKS Write Us For Quotations R. G. Bedlington & Co., Ltd. 345 Water St. Vancouver, B. C. CRUSHER JAWS Genuine " Manganese " Steel • You can get them right here at home.' We have patterns for the following sizes " Hadfield " Crusher. Jaws "— 9} in.x 16 in., 20 in.x 10 in., 24 in.x 13 in We can make you a pattern for any other size or make. Manufactured by Washington Iron Works SedFttle, Wash. Agents for B. C.— Vancouver Machinery Depot LIMITED 1155 Sixth Avenue West, - Vancouver, B. C. Also Agents for " Crawford's " Aerial Tramway IS® YOUR POWER SUPPLY We have 133,700 horse power available for this territory. It will pay you to Consult us. Carrall & Hastings Phone Sey. 5000 Vancouver New Westminister Victoria The Pleasure of Travel is fully realized in travelling on the Canadian Pacific Railway. By its lines can be reached all Canadian points, and its arrangements with American railroads enables its agents to issue tickets to all points in the United States. It operates its own Sleeping and Dining Cars, and has its own Hotels and Steamships. Its magnificent scenery, and the excellence of its service have made it the favorite route across- the Continent. Illustrated publications as to its route, Banff, Yoho Valley, Glacier, etc., sent on application to any C. P. R. agent, or General Passenger Department. Vancouver) B. C. CXL- EXPLOSIVES FORCITE, fumes mindmum, Force maximum. Orders given "CXL'* service Results assured. Can be used in wet or dry work. Insist on "Polar Forcite" for hard rock work Tamping bags save you money, order some now Efficiency and "Forcite" go together. POLAR AMMONIA DYNAMITE. Have you used it? Ask any mine in B. C. about our "CXL" Polar Ammonia Dynamite. It represents economy and efficiency. ACCESSORIES.—Order Anything for Blasting, we have it. Write for information regarding our Explosives and Accessories. Offices: Vancouver, Victoria, Nanaimo, Prince Rupert, Nelson, B. C, and Calgary, Alta. CANADIAN EXPLOSIVES, LTD. Established 1895 E. A. HAGGEN, Editor Published Semi-Monthly by HOMER PUBLISHING CO., LTD. J. B. MATHERS, Pres. H. C. RAYMER, Secy.-Treas. 426 Homer St., Vancouver, B.O. Telephone' Seymour 3825 Cable Address: "Kanagan," Vancouver, B.C. m The Mines Building Subscribers requiring change of address must notify the office of the publishers in writing. Subscriptions payable in advance: $3.00 per annum, including postage in Canada, and to Great Britain. To United States and other countries, S3.50 per annum, including postage. Advertising Rate Cards supplied on application co publishers. Volume XXVI., Nos. 9 & 10 VANCOUVER, B.C., -MAY, 1921 Single Copies 25c CONTENTS EDITORIAL NOTES 90 UNNECESSARY RESTRICTIONS IN COAL MINING 93 OIL PROSPECTS IN MACKENZIE BASIN 93 The Mackenzie Basin is the subject of a special article in this number. The adverse opinion of F. G. Clapp is commented on, and the policy of the Provincial Government in locking up the Peace River country against private enterprise is criticized. ■INCREASE OF TELEPHONE RATES .... 94 The argument of Lome A. Campbell, a leading Electrical Engineer of Canada, against the increase of rates demanded from the Railway Commission is presented and supported, with additional arguments against the proposed impost on the public by a private utility corporation. GENERAL ARTICLES ■♦MACKENZIE RIVER OIL FIELDS 95, By E. A. Haggen, Editor Mining and Engineering Record. The writer reviews the exploration, topography, historical record, mineral and other resources of Mackenzie Basin. Special reference is made to the geological conditions and their relation to petroleum development. The transportation problem is dealt with, the distances between different points being given, with information as to elevations, opening and close of navigation, recording offices, trading posts, climate, and hints to prospectors. The active companies are listed with full details of the work of the Imperial Oil Company, the results obtained at various horizons in the pioneer bore, and the quality of the oil. Articles by geologists concerning the oil prospects of Mackenzie Basin follow. For convenience of our readers the main points of the article will be found on the following pages:— TOPOGRAPHY OF MACKENZIE BASIN .. 95 HISTORY OF MACKENZIE BASIN 96 EARLY REFERENCES TO OIL RESOURCES 97 MINERAL RESOURCES OF MACKENZIE BASIN 98 PETROLEUM PROSPECTS OF MACKENZIE BASIN 101 GEOLOGY OF MACKENZIE BASIN 103 CRETACEOUS STRATA OF PEACE RIVER AREA 105 TRANSPORTATION 107 TRANSPORTATION COMPANIES 108 TABLE OF DISTANCES 110 ELEVATIONS ABOVE SEA LEVEL U0 OPENING AND CLOSE OF NAVIGATION 110 DISTRICT LAND AND RECORDING OF- f ICES 110 TRADING POSTS Ill CLIMATE Ill HINTS TO PROSPECTORS Ill OPERATING COMPANIES 112 PROSPECTS OF OIL AT PEACE RIVER .. 116 By Edmund M. Spieker, Geologist for Government of British Columbia. The writer describes geological conditions S.'} favorable for oil, structural conditions east of the Rocky Mountains, various anticlinal folds of the structure and their favorable or' unfavorable character, and indications of oil and gas. He sums up the favorable and unfavorable factors of the area controlled by the Government of British Columbia, and which it is taking steps to drill for oil. 'THE SEARCH FOR OIL IN THE NORTH 120 By Dr. T. O. Bosworth, formerly Chief Geologist for Imperial Oil Company. The writer was the locator of the site of the well in which the Imperial Oil Company I has proved oil at Fort Norman. He narrates the history of previous attempts to develop oil in the north. MINE ACCIDENTS 121 BRICK AND POTTERY 121 BRITANNIA 'MINING AND SMELTING CO., LTD 122 DIVER MINERAL SEPARATOR 122 *THE LATE ALEXANDER SHARP, M.E. 123 PERSONAL 126 * Illustrated. "•■'fttHmwrnmrw I I WESTERN OIL BROKERAGE 1 417 PENDER ST. W., VANCOUVER, B.C J SHARES NOW SELLING AT $1.00 PEE SHARE. GOING FAST. FORT NORMAN We believe the world's greatest oil field Nothing like it in the history of Don't let this go by, but come in with us on the- Always remember that nothing risked, nothing gained. This might be your Oil is the cleanest, quickest and surest form of investment itself for development and should yield fabulous returns on investments. Presents Canada's Greatest Opportunity 1"^ Anyone with a small capital can get in while we are making ri /"^"l* our first offering and partake in the benefit when we get Great mineral wealth has ever looked as good as now for practical investment. chance of your life and share the prosperity that lies before you. to make a big fortune by risking a little. our first gusher. Oil is the world's master fortune builder and Immense Wealth Be that this should yield in dividends in the near future. fortunes have been made over night, sure and get yours. We have discovered at our door what we believe to be the master pool of the world. Think of the Extract from "Sunday Sun," April 17th, 1921:—"Can fill barrel every mjnute in Norman Gusher," etc., etc. Mackenzie River Drilling and Petroleum Co. Capital $1,000,000. Par Value $1.00 Each. Fully Paid and Non-Assessable. AN EXTRAORDINARY INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY This company has complete drilling equipment ready for shipment to the Fort Norman District as soon as transportation opens. SHOULD PROVE A GREAT REVENUE The Company will take contracts for drilling wells on the holding of leaseholders in the Fort Norman district. For such work there will be extraordinaiy demand on exceptionally profitable terms during the >». «.*"v<vV{» **C] coming season. in ^w^-P** v=wfc~«y^ ^sitf^ AN A mmm Bslife MM ADVANTAGE OF LOCATION The Company has already secured exceptionally well located acreage in the district on which drilling will be done this season. The Company's acreage hold- l||||§§lk. ings will be increased this 'iiilllliN>. season by taking rights on flifllfPiii',. proven tracts as recom- lslil||:. mended by its engin eers as part payment for drilling opera- HhMMH* tions. PS ■ tt w ssl" mm r><* ■ - /P>k\'*> %* J, * 1 \% \°t> e^ \ 11 mat flHBtt • • V .ft 1 *X% % Q *<5- %: Only 60,000 shares are being sold now. Set aside to finanee our trip to the Norman Oil Fields. They won't last long—you will have to hurry to get yours, as they are going fast. • $100 invested in the Fowler well, Burk Burnett, Texas, paid $15,000. Transportation of Oil—inasmuch as the big interest with the active cooperation of the Government are devis- means of getting this out we believe as soon as we have Oil, means will be found for getting this out. However, only concern now is to get production.. Our good well I mean millions to our stock holders. $%si Mining and Engineering Record Volume XXVI., Nos. 9 & 10 VANCOUVER, B.C., MAY, 1921 Single Copies 25c EDITORIAL It is encouraging to have a cheering note' from the most northwesterly corner of Canada. Advices from the Yukon tell us they expect.the busiest season for some years, with increased gold production from the dredges and hydraulic mines, and the development of the silver camp at Mayo. Dredging operation will start on Gold Run, Upper Dominion and Klondyke creeks early in May. * * # Governments do fool things which would be avoided if they consulted technical organizations such as the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. The Nova Scotia Steel and Coal Co. had arranged for opening up a considerable export trade in coal when the Dominion Government placed an embargo on coal exports and resulted in the present depressed condition of the coal mining industry of Nova Scotia. * * * The proposal of the Ontario Government to heavily increase the taxation on mines is most ill- advised, and has aroused the protest of every mining camp. Last year the revenue from the mines exceeded the expenditure five times over, so that the government had already a rich milk producer in the mining industry. To increase taxation on it at a time when half the miners of the Province are out of work is suicidal policy. * * * In Europe there is a demand for the substitution of metal money for much of the paper that is in circulation, one argument being that besides having a commodity value such money is more sanitary than bank-notes. '± -ree notes recently examined in a scientific laboratory carried respectively 236,900,000, 69,480,000, and 90,880,000 germs of tuberculosis and other diseases. Should this movement develop it will have an appreciable effect in increasing the price, of, and demand for, silver. * * * Mayor Todd, of Victoria, and Col. Peck, of Prince Rupert, have adopted an extraordinary policy in seeking to split up British Columbia into three email provinces, one of which would be limited to Vancouver Island and the other to .the portion of the Province north of the 52nd parallel, together with the Yukon. What British Columbia wants is a united, not a divided purpose. Men who try to stir up local and factional strife are enemies of the public weal, and should be branded as such. We recognize Col. Peck's national service and regret that he chould thus bring discredit on the honors he has so deservedly won. * * * The Dominion Government has failed to recognize the value of gold mining in stabilizing financial conditions. The charge of the Wall Street Journal, that Canada cannot get gold, ought to awaken the interest of the Minister of Finance to the importance of gold production in international economics. The Journal points out that the balance of trade between Canada and the United States is between $300,000,000 and $400,000,000 against Canada. This country could, with proper encouragement of the gold mining industry instead of taxing it to death, produce gold to the value of $50,000,000 a year, which would represent an international credit equal to the amount of adverse trade balance and immensely increase the financial strength of the Dominion. The success of the T. & N. O. Railway in Ontario should prove an object lesson to the Government of British Columbia in regard to the P. G. E. Railway. On the route of this railway is a country richer in natural resources than northern Ontario. The T. & N. O. made an operating profit of $298,842 for the year as compared with $53,152 for previous year. The excellent showing was due to the improvement made in the management by the appointment of G. W. Lee. The revenue of this railway is almost entirely from the mining industry, and if the Government of British Columbia will promote the development of the mineral resources tributary to the P. G. E. Railway, they can, with efficient management, achieve similarly successful results. * * * One of the most striking features of the meeting of the British Columbia Division of the Institute of Mining and Metallurgy was the appeal of J. D. MacKenzie, of the Geological Survey, for the employment by the mining companies of the returned men who had been completing their course at the University. Himself a returned man who was seriously wounded in the war, the appeal of Mr. MacKenzie is deserving of every sympathy and consideration. The duty to the nation does not end with the contribution of taxes to cover the financial burden imposed by the war. Wherever a place can be found for a 92 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD I returned man it should be done, and while there will burdens remaining from the war. The company or be disappointments we believe that many of these individual which refuses to fall in line with • this men will make good and reward the opportunity given policy is a national enemy and should be put out of them by loyal and efficient service. business. 5p ))t j)t 3p ^K <t» The session of the University will shortly close Atlin is one of the richest sections of British Col- and a number of mining students will seek employ- umbia, and the importance of this far-off corner of ment with the mining companies during the summer, the Province from a mining point of view is not Hitherto the students have been discouraged by the generally appreciated. It should become a feature of refusal of the mining companies to find a place for Provincial policy to have the railway system extend- them. We ask that every effort be made by mine ed to Atlin as soon as possible. H. F. Kergin, M.L.A., managers to assist these young men, who will be the pointed out at last session of the Legislature that this future managers of the mines. They can be depend- constituency, which he represents, produced last year ed on to give loyal and intelligent service. The Consolidated Mining and Smelting Co. have done magnificent service in the past by finding places during the summer months for mining students from McGill, the School of Practical Science, and other technical Granby Company at Anyox, which is not part of the institutions, and in the end they have been the gainers Atlin district proper to which we particularly refer, for their consideration of these young men, some of Mr. Kergin's appeal for greater interest in the nor- b 2% of the gold production, 43% of the silver, 50% of the copper, 32% of the total mineral production, and $34,000,000 of the provincial wealth production. He was of course including the production of the them portion of the Province was fully justified. He said there was vast wealth to be recovered, and only through Government assistance in opening up the country could the best results be secured. * * * H. F. Kergin, M.L.A., is to be congratulated on his remarks in the Legislature on mine litigation. He whom have attained the lead in their profession in Canada and the United States. * * * A man who holds the position of a Cabinet Minister should have some sense of responsibility and respect for the truth. Hon. T. D. Patullo, Minister of Lands, is reported in the press as having said in the Legislature at Victoria that the British Government pointed out how the development of Atlin has been was not interested in the operations of the Anglo- tied up b)' the litigation over the Engineer Mine fol- Persian and D'Arcy Exploration companies which lowing the death of Capt. Alexander. People who proposed to investigate the oil resources of Peace have rights are of course entitled to have them en- River and pay the Government a heavy royalty in forced, but in the case of the Engineer some of the the event of their being successful. If Mr. Patullo litigation has been proved to be without a legal foun- will visit the Legislative Library the Librarian can dation, and there should be some way of punishing show him financial and oil publications and directories people who bring litigation of this kind in the hope to prove conclusively that control of these cornpan- of holding up somebody else or obtaining something ies is held by the British Government. To represent to which they are not entitled. We notice the Gov- the contrary is a prevarication discreditable to a ernment is a party to the existing litigation and con- Minister of the Crown and the Government with sider the Attorney-General should clear his skirts of which he is associated. this kind of thing unless his association with it is of * * * a merely technical nature. The development of new Delegate Martin, at a meeting of the Electrical mines | attended with sufficient difficulties without Workers Union, is reported in the press as stating lhe Government lending itself to the promotion of that if the B.C. Telephone Co. got the increase in mme litigation rates applied for, estimated at $3,000,000, it would * * * divide up with the employes. If this statement is The railway situation lies at the root of much of true it amounts to a conspiracy against the public for the unemployment and closing down of mining and which the company, or whoever is responsible for a lumbering industries in western Canada. When the deal of this nature, should be prosecuted. What the Railway Commission authorized the increase of rates public interest demands everywhere today is economy which is responsible for much of the mischief they of operation, reduced costs, lower prices, wages in ignored the fact that in the case of the C. P. R. lines proportion, and until such a policy is adopted by the the western operating cost is lower, and the mileage B.C. Telephone Co. and everybody else the founda- earnings higher, than in eastern Canada. Mr.- Moule, tion will not be laid for a permanent recovery of in- assistant comptroller of the C.P.R., has the gall to tell dustrial conditions, employment of labor and the us that the west should also carry the load of the wealth production necessary to carry the taxation eastern terminals which have been installed for the MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 93 benefit of western traffic. Then let the C. P. R. send its western traffic to the western terminals at Vancouver, which can handle the wheat and other products of the west just as well as the eastern terminals, and at less expense. With $33,000,000 in cash, $16,000,000 in accounts receivable, and $37,000,- 000 in Imperial securities, the C. P. R. did not require the increase in rates granted by the Railway Commission. * * * If labor representatives in the Legislature want to win the respect of their fellow members and of the public they should stick to the truth, and not allow the red glamour of bolshevism to blind their vision. In the Legislature S. Guthrie, M.L.A. for Ladysmith, again referred to the disgrace of "closed towns in British Columbia," and added: "The men are herded in them like a bunch of chattel slaves. In fact they are just as badly off as slaves chained to their work." Any unprejudiced person who has visited the mining towns of Cassidy and Anyox, controlled by the Granby Company, and Britannia Beach, controlled by the Britannia Mining and Smelting Co., knows Mr. Guthrie's statements are untrue. The accommodation provided for the employes is of the best; every provision is made for the enjoyment of the employes during their hours of recreation and the policy of the management is to create a community service directed by the employes themselves. The man who does not like the industrial town is the labor agitator and walking delegate whose balm of life is the mischief he can make between employers and employed. * £ .* UNNECESSARY RESTRICTIONS IN COAL I MINING A big factor in the high cost of mining coal is found in the restrictions and limitations continuously devised as applied to operating companies. While all necessary steps to increase the safety and health of the employes are desirable, our candid opinion is that the Provincial Bureau of Mines at Victoria is lending itself to a policy of hampering the industry by unnecessary regulations calculated to camouflage the miner with the idea that the Department is doing something for him . At last session of the Legislature Hon. W. Sloan, Minister of Mines, presented a measure which became law prohibiting open lamps in coal mines. Now there are mines in this Province where it is not safe to use open lamps, and such lamps have neither been used nor permitted. There are others, such as Coalmont, that are as safe as metal mines so far as open lights are concerned, and which can be more conveniently worked by such lights. Why then impose on the operating company the heavy cost of providing closed lamps when they are not only unnecessary but actually hinder the work of production ? In the newspaper press are published flambouyant congratulations on the policy of the Minister; but the men responsible for them are Geo. S. Rice, Chief Engineer of the U. S. Bureau of Mines, whose personal acquaintance with mining conditions here is limited to the mines of the Crows Nest Pass; while the Minister's own private secretary is correspondent for the Canadian Mining Journal, whose opinion is quoted as a boost for the policy of the Minister. Let us have some stability as well as efficiency in mining laws and regulations. Continual tinkering with the subject, and enactment of unnecessary provisions, only add to the complexity and cost of the operation, and as Geo. Wilkinson, late Chief Inspector of Mines, has pointed out, to increasing the cost of coal to the public and to the industries. * * * OIL PROSPECTS IN MACKENZIE BASIN In view of the importance of the oil discovery at Fort Norman, in the Mackenzie Basin, and the prospects of this part of Canada as one of the world's most important oil fields, we have published in this issue an exhaustive review of geological and other conditions in that country, with papers by three eminent geologists and an extract from a paper by another authority. From the information given it is evident that the Mackenzie is a promising oil field. It has been said that only God and Charles Cam- sell know the resources of the Mackenzie District of the Northwest Territories. Some years ago Mr. Cam- sell read a paper on the geology of the country in which he expressed the opinion that it was the world's greatest prospective oil field: Nothing has since developed to change that opinion. On the contrary Mr. Camsell's prophecy gives promise of fulfilment to the letter. A discordant note is that uttered by F. G. Clapp. Though a noted geologist, whom the Canada Department of Mines employed to publish a memoir on the oil and gas resources of Canada, it is only fair to point out that Mr. Clapp has never made a personal examination of the geology of Mackenzie Basin. If he has based his conclusions on the work of other geologists we are at a loss to know who they are. We have studied the reports of most of the explorers and scientists who have investigated the Mackenzie Basin, and the opinions expressed by the writers in this number of the Mining and Engineering Record are entirely at variance with Mr. Clapp. The indurated upper beds of the Devonian still cover a large section if not the most of it, in which, case there would appear to be large reservoirs of petroleum and natural gas remaining undissipated. 94 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD "The rigors of the wilderness" against which Mr. had come down 26% in the Kootenays, and the Tele- Clapp warns his readers, exist largely in his imagin- phone Company recognized this fact. The contention ation. The facts we publish show that climatic con- of the Company that its wage scale should not be re- ditions are better than in a large part of populated vised was not sound. The fact was it did not con- Canada and the United States. The great drawback trol its business but let the unions run it, and the of the country is the want of winter transportation, upper country was made to suffer for this." He but if the oil resources are proved to be as valuable made a detailed comparison of the Consolidated Min- as the geologists anticipate that difficulty will soon ing and Smelting Company's scale with that of the disappear. Telephone Company. There is a regrettable tendency on the part of Mr. Campbell might also have pointed out that American engineers and geologists to "knock" Can- copper, which is the most widely used metal in the ada at every opportunity. Such a policy shows a nar- company's installations, is down to below pre-war row, selfish vision unworthy of men who profess to be scientists. The information published in this number concerning oil prospects, while favorable so far -as Mackenzie District is concerned, is not so encouraging regarding the Peace River area. That area will be further tested this summer by the Imperial Oil Co. and others. So far the results have been disappointing. The geological data are anything but encouraging,-in view of which Hon. T. D. Patullo, Minister of Lands for British Columbia, is adopting a most prices; and that the Telephone Company has already a surplus of $2,000,000 which it has invested in the extensions of its systems, and which should properly bear its share of the cost of operation. Business firms have this year to draw heavily on their surplus, where such exists, to tide them over the re-adjustment period, and few business firms expect to make any profits this year. Why, then, should the B.C. Telephone Company be placed in a position different from any other business enterprise? If it would reduce some of its high salaries, as those of President unjustifiable policy in throwing away another $60,000 Farrell and General Manager Halse, and bring its on top of the $50,000 already spent in prospecting that wage scales down to the same basis as the reductions country for oil. The public funds should not be in the wage scales in mining and other industries, wasted in this way at a time when every dollar should there would be no occasion to go to the Railway Combe conserved and applied to productive purposes, missioners and pray that body for special privileges Every facility should be given to the private operator to soak its customers by high and unwarranted rates. or company to explore the field and contribute to the public revenues. The locking up of the country against private enterprise is insensate, in view of the fact that regulations could be framed to safeguard the public interest should oil discoveries be made. INCREASE OF TELEPHONE RATES The B.C. Telephone Company has been one of the most unscrupulous of public services operating in Western Canada. Some years ago its methods so aroused public indignati©n*that the City of Vancouver proposed to install its own municipal telephone system. Then the B.C. Telephone Company employed all kinds of hireling writers to contribute articles to the press to mislead the public, and paid out a lot The best argument against the demand of the B.C. of money for the service. It wound up by promi;.- Telephone Co. for increased rates has been present- ing to reform, in consideration of which promise the ed by Lome A. Campbell, General Manager of the campaign for a municipal telephone service was West Kootenay Power and Light Company, Ltd., act- dropped; but is likely to be revived. If it is, the citi- ing as representative of Rossland Board of Trade, zens will on this occasion demand that it go through, Mr. Campbell is one of the most experienced and and put an end to the flimflam now being experienced successful electrical engineers, and while the Railway at the hands of the Telephone Company. ■Commissioners have shown a penchant for serving Mr. Lorne Campbell has pointed out that the Tele- the large corporations at the cost of the public whose phone Company is paying its linemen. $7 a day against servants they are, they will do well to attach due the current rate in the interior of $5 per day; and weight to the argument of Mr. Lorne Campbell. As we reCently had the spectacle of one of its employes I; i he pointed out this is a time for reducing instead of increasing costs to the public. He added: "The Kootenay is a mining country whose characteristic industry has to operate 24 hours a day with ores into which the Lord had only put so much value. If mining and smelting had to pay overtime on each shift, the country would not last four months. The cost of living urging at a Union meeting in Vancouver that the labor organizations support the increase on the ground that the company would divide up the steal with its employes. This, if correct, is a .breach of the criminal law for which both the officials of the Telephone Company and the employes responsible for it should be prosecuted. MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 95 MACKENZIE RIVER OIL FIELDS By E. A. The strike of oil at Fort Norman, on Mackenzie River, has attracted public attention to this great section of the Canadian Northwest as nothing else could except, perhaps, a repetition of the Cariboo or the Yukon gold discoveries. There is a demand for reliable information concerning the country, its means of access, internal transportation, oil and mineral resources, climatic conditions, government regulations, economic geology, particularly with reference to the rocks in which oil may be found, the areas thereof, information for, and hints to prospectors which may be of value to them in the exploration of the country. These features are covered in this article and it is accompanied by maps showing the routes of the trails to the Mackenzie Basin from Dawson and Selkirk, on the Yukon River; Atlin, Stikine, Fort St. John, on the Peace River; also the combined railway and steamboat routes via Edmonton. Another map shows the course of the Mackenzie River, with the geological boundaries clearly defined and locations of previous discoveries of oil and other minerals. A large scale map shows the Athabasca River, between Athabasca Landing and the railway terminal at McMurray, with the locations of the oil wells already drilled and the area of the tar sands which form one of the most interesting physical and economical features of Northern Alberta. TOPOGRAPHY. , While the name Mackenzie River is strictly applied to the waterway between Great Slave Lake and the Arctic Ocean, a length of over 1000 miles, the river may be said to take its rise in the headwaters of the Finlay River, in Northern British Columbia, following a course of 2525 miles from that point to the Arctic Ocean. Next to the Mississippi, it is the largest river system on the continent of North America and forms a counterpart with the main waterway of the United States in the drainage of' the northern portion of the continent. In its course the Mackenzie River also drains three of the world's largest lakes—Lake Athabaska, in Northern Alberta; Great Bear Lake, extending from the 61st to the 63rd parallel, and Great Bear Lake, extending from the 65th parallel to beyond the Artie Circle. Its principal tributaries are: Peace River, extending from the confluence of the Finlay and Parsnip rivers, occupying the trench on the west of the Rocky Mountains, to its confluence with Slave River, thirty miles north of Lake Athabaska. In high water the Peace River finds its HAGGEN* outlet in Lake Athabaska. It is 1965 miles in length, from the head of the Finlay River, and 670 miles in length from the confluence of the Parsnip and Finlay rivers. Liard River, which has its source in Yukon Territory and flows southward through Northern British Columbia, till it is joined by the Fort Nelson River, whence it heads northerly across the 60th parallel to its junction with the Mackenzie at Fort Simpson, formerly the head post of the Hudson's Bay Company for the Mackenzie River Basin. These rivers, cutting through the Rocky Mountains at low altitudes, afford the most practical routes of the future for transportation connecting the Mackenzie River Basin with Pacific Coast ports and the world's ocean highways. Athabaska River, which takes its rise in the summit of the Rocky Mountains and has its outlet in Lake Athabaska. Its length is 765 miles. Slave River, which connects Lake Athabaska with Great Slave Lake. Its length is 300 miles. The Mackenzie Basin covers 682,000 square miles, or over a fifth of the Canadian mainland, and the remarkable thing is that of this vast area, half of it is occupied by rocks of the Devonian System, with which are associated the oil occurrences of Northern Alberta and the Northwest Territories. LAKES. Lake Athabaska is the most southerly of the three great lakes included in the Mackenzie River Basin. It has a length of 195 miles by a width of 35 miles and is 695 feet above sea level. Hundreds of islands dot the north shore. Great Slave Lake is the fourth largest lake in North America. It has a length of 288 miles by a width of 60 miles. The north arm is 100 miles long, with numerous islands. Great Bear Lake has a length of about 170 miles and is" about the same in width. Numerous lakes, covering from small to large areas, occur over the Mackenzie River Basin. MOUNTAINS. The configuration of the Mackenzie Basin, east of the Rocky Mountains, is somewhat oval, covering a width of about 600 miles, at the south end, 900 miles in the centre and 100 miles at the Arctic Ocean. The Rocky Mountain system on the west is subdivided into three ranges—the Rocky Mountains, which die out at the Liard River; the Mackenzie Mountains, extending from Fort Liard to the headwaters of w 96 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD Peel River; the Richardson Mountains, following Peel River and extending to the Arctic Coast. To the north the mountain systems die away, from the lofty peaks of the Rocky Mountains, rising to an elevation of 13,700 feet at Mount Robson, to a maximum of 8000 feet for the Mackenzie Range and a maximum of 4000 feet for the Richardson Range. The Mackenzie Range flanks the Mackenzie River from the Nahanni River to Fort Norman, a distance of about 90 miles. The range then turns westward. The Richardson Range flanks the Peel River on the west. tween Peace River and Great Slave Lake; Buffalo Head Hills, south of Peace River, rising to an altitude of 2500 feet; Birch Mountain, rising to 2300 feet, west of Athabaska River, south of Fort Mc- Murray; Franklin ..-Mountains, which separate the Mackenzie and Great Bear basins. Between Providence and Simpson is Horn Mountain, 20 miles back from the river, with an elevation of 1000 feet. North of the Blackwater and eight to ten miles from the river, Mount Clark has an elevation of between 3000 and 4000 feet. Mount Charles, on the southwest side of Great Bear Lake, is 1500 feet. Bear Rock I. *8J S I if Wm *£ i: AV. *Z*v4F$ f. r mS^»* I 5^^^^**?T^*'* Irl. i OIL SEEPAGES ON FIRE AT WINDY POINT, GREAT SLAVE LAKE, N.W. TERRITORIES OF CANADA. The Mackenzie Basin occupies the Great Central Plain, east of the mountain systems, for a length of 1300 miles- and a width of 200 to 420 miles. It is bounded on the east by the Laurentian Plateau, extending to Hudson Bay. The area covered by the Great Central Plateau is that which is of immediate interest to the prospector for oil. In it are found the oil occurrences and its geology deserves his close study if he is to pursue his investigations to the best advantage. The Great Central Plain is relieved by lofty plateaux, indicated on the maps as "mountains." The principal of these are:—Cariboo Mountain, which rises to an altitude of 2000 feet and is located be at Fort Norman is 1,400 feet high. Roche Carcajou, 100 miles farther north, is 1000 feet. The southern end of the Reindeer Mountains forms the Lower Ramparts, with an elevation of 700 to 800 feet above the river. HISTORY. The search for the Northwest Passage and the explorations of officers of the Hudson's Bay Company, at the close of the eighteenth and beginning of the nineteenth century, were responsible for the early information and mapping of the islands and shores of that portion of Canada within the Arctic Circle and adjacent thereto.. Some of the explorers traversed the waterways south to Little Slave Lake, in Alberta, MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 97 and the headwaters of the Peace River, in British Columbia. One of the first features mapped by Mackenzie was the occurrence of oil on the river which bears his name and which he first explored in 1789. The early explorers were Samuel Hearne, Peter Pond, Philip Turner, Alexander Mackenzie, David Thompson, Sir John Franklin, Dr. John Richardson, George Back, Robert Hood, Thomas Simpson, Peter W. Dease. Travellers on the Mackenzie River and its tributary waters will find at several points interesting associations of the memorable work of these early trail-blazers. In more recent years the probable economic value of the country induced the Canada Geological Survey to give more attention to the exploration of the Mackenzie Basin than any other outlying portion of Canada and several parliamentary committees from time to time collected information from travellers, survey officers of the Department of the Interior and the Mounted Police. The most valuable exploratory work done for the Department of the Interior was by William Ogilvie, who was later so intimately associated with the gold fields of the Yukon. His travels in the Mackenzie Basin covered a period of three years, from 1888 to 1891. Several well-known members of the staff of the Geological Survey have contributed the important data, from an economic point of view. These are:— A. R. C. Selwyn, in 1875 ; Dr. G. M. Dawson and R. G. McConnell, in 1879; Robert Bell, in 1882; R. G. McConnell, in 1887-90; D. B. Dowling, in 1892; J. P- Tyrell, in 1892-93; Robert Bell, in 1899; J. M. Bell, in 1899-1900; Charles Camsell, now Deputy Minister of Mines for the Dominion of Canada, in 1902-05 and 1914-15; Joseph Keele, 1907-8; S. C. Ells,* in 1913-15; F. J. Alcock, in 1914-15; McLaren, Cameron, McVicar, in 1916-17; Kindle, in 1917. The information likely to be of value to prospectors for oil and other minerals, and to investors who may be desirous of furnishing capital for the development of these resources, as conveyed in reports of the various explorers and geologists, is summarized in this article. EARLY REFERENCES TO OIL RESOURCES Capt. Sir G. Back wrote in 1883, on the authority of Sir John Richardson, on the staff of Sir J- Franklin's expedition, concerning the Athabaska River:— "There is a peaty bog, whose crevices are filled with petroleum, a mineral that exists in great abundance in this district. We never observed it flowing from the limestone, but always above it, and generally agglutinating the beds of sand into a kind of pitchy sandstone. Sometimes fragments of this stone contain so much petroleum as to float down the stream." Sir Alexander Mackenzie refers to the occurrences of tar sands on the Athabaska River in his "Voyages Through North America to the Frozen and Pacific Oceans," 1789-93, and reference was made to the same occurrences by Sir John Richardson in "Arctic Searching Expedition" (1851). So early as 1888 the probable economic value of these northern oil fields was recognized by the government at Ottawa. In that year a select committee of the Senate reported:—"The evidence submitted to your committee points to the existence, in the Athabaska and Mackenzie valleys, of the most extensive petroleum field in America, if not in the world. The uses of petroleum, and consequently the demand for it by all nations, are increasing at such a rapid ratio that it is probable that this great petroleum field will assume an enormous value in the near future, and will rank among the chief assets comprised in the Crown Domain of the Dominion. For this reason, your committee would suggest that a tract of about 40,000 square miles be for the present reserved from sale and that as soon as possible its value may be more accurately tested by exploration and practical tests, the said reserve to be bounded as follows:— "The easterly, by a line drawn due north from the foot of the Cascade Rapids on Clearwater River to the south shore of Athabaska Lake; northerly, by the said lake shore and Quatre Fourche and Peace River; westerly, by Peace River and a straight line from Peace River Landing to the western extremity of Lesser Slave Lake; and southerly by said lake and the river discharging it to Athabaska River and Clearwater River, as far as the place of beginning." Dr. Bell, in the report of the Geological Survey for 1883, remarked on the Athabaska tar sands:— "The deposit is of Cretaceous age but rests directly on limestone of the Devonian System. The bedding of the latter undulates gently, while the as- phaltic sand lies in thick horizontal layers upon its surface, and in some cases fills fissures in the upper part of the limestone. The asphaltic matter has, no doubt, resulted from petroleum rising up out of underlying Devonian rocks, in which evidence of its existence can be detected. In descending Athabaska River, it was first observed a few miles above the junction of the Clearwater branch, below which it becomes more conspicuous, forming the whole banks of the stream, with the exception of a few feet of limestone at the base, for a distance of many miles. These banks are sometimes about 150 feet in height and frequently maintain an elevation of about 100 feet for a considerable distance. Except where they have been long exposed to the weather, they generally look as black as coal. A thick tar is often seen draining out of the deposit and in numerous places, at the foot of either bank, or on terraces 98 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD lower than their summits, this tar collects in pools, or flows in sluggish streams to lower levels among the peaty materials in the woods. The surface of these accumulations of tar is usually covered with a hardened pitchy crust. The boatmen on the river break through this crust to collect the underlying tar, which they boil down and use for pitching their craft." Quoting this report, William Ogilvie of the Department of the Interior, who explored the country in 1889, with remarkable prescience observed:— vation of 1200 feet, involving a pressure on the lower pipes of about 300 pounds to the square inch, but the cost of the strong pipes required would be counterbalanced by the comparative cheapness of the descent of the Mackenzie, Bell, Porcupine and Yukon rivers, while, from the mouth of the latter, it is only about 3600 miles to Japan, as compared with about 5000 from San Francisco." MINERAL RESOURCES The economic minerals found in the Mackenzie "These indications lead to the conclusion that all Basin inclU(ie Bitumen, Clays, suitable for manufac- this vast region is underlaid by a deposit of this material. It appears that it is of little or no value in itself, except in so far as it indicates the existence of petroleum. If it shows the presence of petroleum of good quality, we have here probably the largest oil-bearing district in the world, comprising nearly 150,000 square miles and as the indications are said to exist down the Mackenzie, below Athabaska, the Imperial Oil Co's. Fort Norman Well, No. 1. above area may be only part of our northern oil district. "When we consider the nearness of the southern limit of this district to the Western Coast of the continent (by the present trails and the railroads less than 1000 miles away), we see that, in supplying our Western country and a part of Asia with these products, this district possesses a great advantage. If it were once certain that an outlet could be had by the mouth of the Mackenzie for part of the year, the northern part of this district would, during the four or five months of navigation, have facilities almost unequalled, as the carriage down the Mackenzie would require very little motive power, only enough to keep the vessels from being beached. If it were found that the sea is not open long enough or is too uncertain and hazardous, a cargo could be discharged at the foot Of McDougall's Pass and the oil" could be pumped over the summit to navigable water on Bell River. True, it would have to be raised over an ele- ture of brick, stoneware, pottery and refractories, Coal, Cobalt, Copper, Gypsum, Iron, Lead, Limestone suitable for building and fertiliser purposes, Mineral Waters, Natural Gas, Nickel, Peat, Petroleum, Potash, Salt, Silver, Sulphur, Zinc. BITUMEN The outstanding deposit of Bitumen is that of the tar sands on the Athabaska River. These tar sands outcrop on the banks of the Athabaska River for a length of 110 miles with a thickness of from 125 to 225 ft., and are also exposed on the tributary rivers entering from either side for a width of about 15 miles, indicating an area of 1,600 square miles underlaid by these deposits. McConnell places the bituminous content at 6% cubic miles, or 4,700,000,000 tons. A deposit also exists at Egg Lake, 150 miles from the natural outcrop. Dr.. Robert Bell states the tar sands extend for 130 miles on the Athabaska River before it enters Athabaska Lake, and adds: "The Cretaceous strata, to which these sands belong, extend northwesterly from Dakota all the way to this lake. . . . Along the 280 miles of the Athabaska River above mentioned the Cretaceous strata consist of bluish-grey and drab- gray marls, on top, from Athabaska Landing to Drowned Rapid, 110 miles down stream; then heavily bedded gray sandstones, 225 feet in thickness, underlying these, form the banks for about 40 miles further. The strata appear to be horizontal, but they really dip very slightly to the southward. At Drowned Rapid we see the first of the tar sands resting on almost horizontal beds of bluish-gray limestone of Devonian age. In some places the limestone is associated with shaly or marly bands. Notwithstanding the great hiatus between the two series, the horizontal tar sands lie comfortably upon the almost level beds of the limestone wherever the two formations are seen together all along the river throughout a distance of more than 100 miles." Dr. Bell places the thickness of the tar sands at from 40 to 225 feet, and adds: "The petroleum which saturated this Cretaceous sand-formation evidently came up from the Devonian limestones on which it MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 99 rests, and probably from their deeper portions, as The origin of these deposits is a matter of con- the limited exposures seen below the tar sands con- troversy, the most generally accepted theory being that tain very little bituminous matter. In the cracks and the present course of the Athabaska River was origin- joint planes of these limestones, however, hardened ally carved out by ice acting on the broken apex of an pitch or tar may occasionally be seen, showing that anticlinal fold overlying the world's most extensive petroleum has passed upwards through them at a re- oil reservoir, and that on the removal of the sealed mote period." The united thickness of the limestones and shales exposed along the river is placed at 100 feet, and a capping 'by ice and water the impervious covering which held the oil in place was removed, and the gas and lighter oils escaped, leaving only the inspissated low E.-W. anticlinal axis would appear to cross the residuum in the shape of asphalt. On this theory-it river about Crooked Rapid. When piled on a wood was believed that important oil reservoirs still re mained sealed up by this asphaltic residue, but the attempts made to find such by drilling have so far failed, although a strong flow of natural gas resulted when the Pelican well, drilled by the Canada Geolog- fire the tar sand burns like cannel coal. Dr. Bell thus expresses his opinion that the tar came from the formation immediately below it, because the deeper the oil-producing strata the fewer points of escape it would have by the time it reached the Cretaceous sand, and he was of opinion considerable quantities may yet be imprisoned at various depths in some parts of the field. The tar exists in such enormous quantities, that he considered it would- be utilized in the near future. He placed the quantity of these sands at 50 to 100 cubic miles, or many billions of tons and practically inexhaustible. While the tar sands yield some good illuminating oil their principal value is in the fine lubricating oil produced from them, and which remains liquid at the cold temperatures experienced there. Uses suggested are for roofing, paving, electric insulation, manufacture of illuminating gas, lubricating oil, briquetting of coal and lignites, and manufacture of the finest glass from the waste sand. The salt deposits in the vicinity are capable of furnishing the sodium carbonate used in the manufacture of glass. He suggested a pipe line to Fort Smith for conveying the refined oils, and shipment thence via the Mackenzie River and Arctic Ocean to the Pacific Coast. An alternative suggestion was to send the oil by boat to the east end of Athabaska Lake and pipe it thence to Port Churchill; on Hudson Bay. The tar sands contain from 15 to 18%% bitumen, and will yield 15 to 25 gallons of low grade oil. Their utilization is a problem yet unsolved. The use of superheated steam, as in the Texas sulphur fields, has been suggested to reduce the viscosity and force it through wells drilled into the deposit. By removing the overburden, where not too heavy, the sand can be mined and shipped to municipal centres to be used in street paving, as is now done in the case of several bituminous deposits in California and elsewhere. A company is being organized to treat the cussing these deposits, places the area at sands by distillation and thus extract the oils and other by-products. Paving laid on Kinnaird Street, Edmonton, by S. C. Ells, of Canada Dept. of Mines, who made an investigation of the problem of utilization of these sands, gave excellent satisfaction. Charles Camsell, Deputy Minister of Mines, who explored Mackenzie Basin for Canada Geological Survey. ical Survey, and other wells since drilled, penetrated the tar sands. Similar sands are reported on Wabiscaw River, and at Bonnie Glen, Nakamum and Westlock. A»New York company has taken leases on 15,000 acres of the tar sands in an endeavor to work out their utilization, and an English company has also been working on the problem. Ness, geologist for the Imperial Oil Co., in dis- 10,000 square miles, "probably the largest deposit of asphal- tum in the world." CLAYS Clays of commercial value exist at several points. On Steepbank River is a good brick clay; on Muskeg 100 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD i River, an excellent refractory clay suitable for stoneware and fireclay products; on McKay River, a clay suitable for fire-proofing, buff face brick, and sewer pipe; on Moose River, a clay suitable for stoneware and pottery; on Athabaska River a clay adapted to refractory purposes as stove linings; on Fircbag River, a clay suitable for stoneware. COAL *■ Anthracite occurs on Smoky River; bituminous coals on Smoky, Peace, Pine, and Lockhart rivers; lignite on Peace, Athabaska, Christina, South Pine, Brule, Wapiti, McLeod, Nelson, Little Smoky, Hay, Heart, Cariboo, Rat, Marten, Montagneuse, Doig, Liard, Coal, Bonnet Plume, Peel, Mackenzie, and Little Bear rivers, and on Mountain Creek. McConnell reports seams of lignite up to 30 feet thick on Peel River, and a seam three feet thick of bituminous coal on the same river. Seams of lignitexhave been burning from the time when the country was first visited by explorers, the principal fires being those on Peel River and on the east side of the Mackenzie River near Fort Norman. COBALT Rocks on the east side of Great Bear Lake, and at the eastern side of Athabaska Lake, show cobalt. COPPER Coppermine River, east of Great Bear Lake, contains deposits of native copper similar to those of Lake Superior, and mining engineers report no difficulty in working the deposits when required. Copper is also found on the eastern shores of Great Bear Lake, and east of Lake Athabaska. - GOLD Placer gold occurs on the Peace, Liard, McLeod, Loon, Peel, Battle, Little Wind, and Bonnet Plume rivers. Indians report gold on the Nahanni rivers and bring in specimens of gold quartz from the headwaters of Fort Nelson River. Gold-bearing pyrites occur on Yellow Knife River, a sample assayed by the Geological Survey being reported to carry 2,158 oz. gold. The country north of Lake Athabaska is favorable for prospecting for gold. GYPSUM Gypsum occurs for a length of 15 miles on Peace River near its confluence with Slave River. Other deposits occur on Salt, Red, Little Buffalo, Slave, Athabaska, Great Bear rivers, and at Great Slave Lake. The deposit on Salt River has a thickness of 20 feet. Veins of gypsum cut the limestone of The- Rock-by-the-River-Side on the east bank of Mackenzie River. IRIDIUM Found in minute, silvery, flattened grains in Peace River. IRON Hematite occurs at Great Bear Lake. A sample from a vein 20 feet thick on the east slope of Cap Mountain, Fort Wrigley, taken by Kindle, gave on analysis: Iron, 56.01%; silica, 15.42%; sulphur, 0.914%; phosphorus, 0.031%. Hematite also occurs on Gravel River, and at McTavish Bay, Great Bear Lake. Magnetite and hematite are reported on Peel, Bonnet Plume, and Snake rivers. Hematite also occurs in the Tazin series northeast of Lake Athabaska, though not so far discovered under conditions of economic value. LEAD Claims have been located on galena deposits south of Great Slave Lake, and galena ores also occur east of the lake. MINERAL WATERS Saline waters occur at Salt Creek, Vermilion Chutes, Slave River, Athabaska River, La Saline, and sulphur springs on the south shore of Great Slave Lake, Jackfish, Little Buffalo, Athabaska, Christina, Clearwater, and Firebag rivers. Thermal springs occur on Bonnet Plume River, and on Mackenzie River at Rock-by-the-River-Side. NATURAL GAS Natural gas occurs associated with the tar sands on Athabaska River, at Tar Island on Peace River, at an island at the mouth of White Mud River, below Tar Island, and at mouth of Little Buffalo River. The Dominion Government determined to test the prospects of the tar sands for oil, and in August 1894. the Geological Survey began drilling a well at Athabaska Landing. Strong flows of gas were reported at 245 feet and 334 feet. At 1,770 feet the well was abandoned on account of it caving in. In 1897 the Geological Survey again started a well on the Athabaska at the mouth of Pelican River. At a depth of 820 feet a strong flow of gas was encountered. At 837 feet the pressure was such that it blew clouds of sand and gravel higher than the derrick. The roar of the gas could be heard for three miles from the well. This gas burned to a great height for about 20 years, and the well still has a small flow of gas. In the Victoria well gas was obtained at several horizons between 960 and 1,545 feet. The Pelican Oil and Gas Co. drilled three wells. No. 1 showed gas at 605 feet. In No. 2 well gas flowed strongly at a depth of between 845 and 848 feet. In No. 3 a strong flow of gas was struck at 2,040 feet. MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 101 In drilling at Tar Island, gas was struck at 800 Slave Lake we are 520 feet above sea level and can feet. The McArthur well at Peace River Crossing look for corrugations in which oil may have collected, struck gas at 1,100 feet, with such pressure that Here we have a basin which does not go very deep, it wrecked the derrick. The oil rocks are covered with a shale that is very Exudations of gas are found at several places along effective in holding the oil. There is a heavy bed of the Mackenzie River and on Great Slave Lake. The limestone, and beneath are beds which have oil in Tar Sands Area is an important gas reservoir, while them. There are springs on the north side of Great gas horizons occur in several strata near the base of the Cretaceous. NICKEL Nickel occurs in norite at Lake Athabaska though R. G. McConnell, late Deputy Minister of Mines, who explored Mackenzie Basin for Canada Geological Survey. not.yet found in commercial quantities, conditions are favorable for prospecting. Geological PEAT Peat occurs in many localities, though none of the peat beds have been investigated as to their thickness Slave Lake which bring up oil. Now we have an undisturbed area of limestone', the upper edge of which is leaking oil "On the Mackenzie River we get into an area in which the rocks are folded up and down into anticlines and synclines. Here we find oil seepages, and the banks of the river have been burning for years, showing the presence of carbonaceous matter. These shales have been distilled, and the carbonaceous matter is found to be oil. At Fort Norman are oil springs. This is therefore the most promising and largest reserve of oil in Canada. We have every reason to suppose the conditions are favorable for oil being found in a somewhat large area." The most notable evidences of oil are Windy and Pine Points on Great Slave Lake; Fort Norman; and on Garry Island, at the mouth of the Mackenzie, where Franklin described oil trickling down a steep cliff on the northwest side of the island. Indications of the existence of petroleum in Mackenzie Basin are found in gas and tar seeps from the Athabaska River to the Arctic Ocean, a distance of 1,200 miles as the crow flies. McConnell says: "The Devonian rocks throughout the Mackenzie Valley are nearly everywhere more or less petroliferous, and over large areas afford promising indications of the presence of oil in workable quantities. The rock is, in several places around the western arm of Great Slave Lake, highly charged with bituminous matter, and on the north shore tar exudes from the surface, and forms springs and pools at several points. . . . The springs are situated a couple of hundred yards from the shore, at the base of a low limestone cliff, which runs inland from the lake, and are three in number, each of them being surrounded with a small basin, three to four feet in diameter, filled with inspissated bitumen, while the soil apd moss for some distance away is impregnated with the same material. A small quantity of pitch is annually taken from these springs and used for boat building purposes, while a much larger supply could be obtained if needed. A sulphur spring, resembling those at Sulphur Point, on the south shore of the and extent. At Peel River a bed of peat 12 feet in lake, but much more copious, issues from the foot of thickness is reported. tne cnI1 m close proximity to the bituminous springs petroleum anc^ iee(is a considerable stream. In an address before the Canadian Mining Insti- "The rock through which the petroleum ascends lute, at Vancouver, in November 1919, D. B. Dowling, here is a heavily bedded greyish, rather coarsely crys- of the Canada Geological Survey, said: "At Great talline cavernous dolomite, and is entirely unlike the '.m 102 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD & IBS bituminous beds south of the lake and down the Mackenzie, which in most cases consist of calcareous shales. The dolomite is everywhere permeated with bituminous matter, which collects in the numerous cavities, and oozing up through cracks, often forms small pools on the surface of the rock. "The age of the bituminous beds here could not be clearly ascertained, as they are entirely unlossiH- ferous, but it is altogether likely that they are older than the Devonian shales and limestone which outcrop along the southern shore, and are more nearly related to- the dolomites which underlie the fossilifer- ous Devonian beds at the Nahanni River and other places. The presence of bitumen in such abundance here also suggests an anticlinal which would bring up lower beds. "Sulphur and tar sprngs are reported to occur at a point about halfway between this and Fort Rae, but as I did not hear of them until I had left the lake, I was unable to visit them. A tar spring is also known to exist under the surface of the water in the deep bay immediately east of the Big Island fishery, as many of the boulders and rocks along the shore in this neighbourhood are coated with bitumen which has been washed ashore, and hummocks of ice stained with the same material are often observed. On the south shore bituminous shales and limestones outcrop at several points, and it would thus appear that the oil-bearing beds underlie the whole western part of the lake." At Great Slave Lake, a mile and a half from Windy Point, a rough bedded dolomitic limestone, of crystalline structure and porous texture is saturated with petroleum which seeps into the waters of the lake, presenting a film of oil for several miles. Inland are small pools of oil, asphalt and sulphur springs. There are tar springs at Fort Good Hope, and in the vicinity of Old Fort Good Hope the river is bordered for several miles by evenly bedded dark shales of Devonian Age, which are completely saturated with oil. These shales are so highly charged with bituminous matter that combustion has taken place, leaving reddened shales from which the bitumen has been burned. The shales dip down the river at low angles and are overlain by the Saskatchewan gravels and boulder clay. At Peace River the oil struck at 852 to 905 feet was found to be highly viscous. The second sand, extending from 962 feet to 1,032 feet yielded a few barrels of oil per day, of which 6.87% was naphtha, 66.3% illuminating oil, and 26.5% lubricating oil, the results being similar to those obtained at the company's No. 1 well. The McArthur well, drilled at Peace River Crossing, struck a heavy black oil at a depth of 857 feet, and the production amounted to about a barrel a day. At Vermilion Chutes a well was drilled to 860 feet when, owing to an accident, it had to be abandoned. Peace River Company's well No. 3 proved a small amount of oil at 960 feet, and the Tar Island well had a showing of heavy oil at 970 feet. Hitherto, when the petroleum resources of the Mackenzie Basin have been discussed, the Tar Sands area on the Athabaska River has been regarded as the oil field of the future. When Dr. T. O. Bosworth, then Chief Geologist for the Imperial Oil Company, began to investigate the oil prospects of the Mackenzie Basin the oil resources of the Athabaska Tar Sands impressed him with their magnitude. He was credited with the statement that petroleum resources of these Tar Sands amounted to 14 gallons per ton, or about the.same as the petrol content of coal. Of the petroleum content of the Tar Sands he is quoted as saying that 5% is petrol, 60% kerosene, 15% lubricating oil, and 20% coke. He estimated the petroleum resources at 200,000,000 tons, or sufficient to meet the world's oil requirements for 2,000 years. D. B. Dowling, of the Canada Geological Survey, stated: "If you could figure up the area of Tar Sands, you could figure up enough oil to keep the world going for 100 years, but the question is, can you work it to pay ? The question before engineers is: What process will'be adopted to extract the oil from the sand, so that you may extract therefrom the lighter oils and lubricants, and make the thick asphalt available for road material and briquette binding?" The attempts to develop production from the Tar Sand area have been disappointing. . While the Pelican well drilled by the Geological Survey entered the' Tar Sands at a depth of 837 feet the oil was found to be inspissated, and of a viscous tarry condition which prevented its extraction. Several other wells drilled by Athabasca Oils, Ltd., and others, achieved no better result. The well drilled by the Imperial Oil Co. at Fort Norman is the first producer of oil in commercial volume. It was located in 1919 by T. O. Bosworth, Chief Geologist of the Imperial Oil Company, and demonstrates the value-of geology in oil engineering-. Of the result, E. M. Kindle, of the Geological Survey, remarks: "The success of the first well drilled for oil in the Mackenzie Valley suggests that in the near future the Mackenzie may become as well known for its oil as the Yukon for its gold. ... In view of the vast extent of the Devonian beds in the Mackenzie Valley, and the success of the first well drilled in the valley, we seem to be justified in taking a very optimistic view regarding the future oil development in the Mackenzie region." MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 103 PLATINUM occurs in Peace River in silvery grey, flattened veins Also reported east of Lake Athabaska. POTASH reports glauconite greensands associated McConne with the Clearwater shales, and these deserve investigation as a source of potash. SALT The most notable salt deposits are those associated with the brine springs on Salt River, where the Hudson's Bay Company has obtained its supplies. Salt River is a tributary of Slave River, the confluence being 18 miles below Fort Smith. The brine springs D. B. Dowling, who explored part of Mackenzie Basin for Canada Geological Survey. have coated the trees, boulders and ground with salt. There are four groups from which four tons of salt is collected annually. Two miles above the mouth of Red Earth Creek is a saline spring from which the sulphuretted hydrogen can be detected in the atmosphere for half a mile around. Salt also occurs at La Saline, on the Athabaska River, where the brine flows over a wide, smooth surface of the tar sands, leaving conspicuous deposits of salt in the neighbourhood. This salt is derived from the underlying Devonian strata. Salt was produced at a depth of 523 feet in a well drilled for oil. Salt also occurs at Great Bear Lake, Christina, Clearwater, Great Bear and Mackenzie rivers, and at Mount Clark. The Northern Alberta Exploration Co. report drilling through two beds of rock salt in the two wells they drilled at Mc- Murray. Rock salt occurs at Bear Rock, Fort Norman; on Liard River at junction with Nahanni, on Pembina River, and at Tar Island on Peace River. SILVER Galena from south of Great Slave Lake assayed 16 oz. silver per ton. The metal is also reported from the divide between Peace and Fort Nelson rivers where there is said to be a promising mineral country. The country north of Lake Athabaska is recommended to the attention of the prospector. SULPHUR Sulphur springs occur on Christina, Clearwater, Firebag, Jackfish, Little Buffalo and Snake rivers, and on the north and south shores of Great Slave Lake. ZINC Sphalerite is reported from south of Great Slave Lake, but no deposits of commercial value have yet been discovered. GEOLOGY The geology of the Mackenzie Basin is eminently favorable as a prospective source of oil. While all geological eras are represented from the Archaeozoic on the eastern boundary of the basin and from the Paleozoic on the western boundary, through Silurian to Quaternary, the central portion of the basin itself consists almost entirely of Devonian and Cretaceous, two systems which have proved petroliferous in other portions of the Continent. To the Devonian belong the Catskill and Chemung formations of Pennsylvania, the Catskill and Corniferous of West Virginia ; the shales of Ohio and the Corniferous of Indiana, amongst the most important oil producers on the Continent. The upper Devonian rocks of Bradford, Pa., have been amongst the world's most important oil producers. This represents the northwesterly extension of the Devonian oil producing rocks of Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, extending through southern Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, and having by far its greatest development in the Mackenzie Basin. The Devonian outcrops extend from Pelican Rapids, on the Athabaska River in the south to the westerly bend on the Mackenzie River to the north, a distance of about 1,050 miles. The Devonian exposure is widest in the south, where it extends from the western shore of Lake Athabaska to Fort Liard, on the Liard River, a width of 400 miles, narrowing gradually to the northern limit. In its southern limits the Devonian is directly overlaid by the Cretaceous; the Carboniferous, Permian, MACKENZIE RIVER BASIN SYvounnq Tva'il Routes -f-rom, <Win,, B.C.\ Do-ujsotv Avi3 ^e\KWK, U.T. Rclu. .x-aB. Wai« Routed via. E-awiont-on a.-ncl NIcNIutto*!, clyvB 'bocjgeste'i l s." Verve. TooV*fe. via. ^HtcTn iati 'ers in Ko-\t\\arn 8.C., co Yirte-cKng *Bxe fYta.cKg-TVZ.te.. "KCvcy Oi.l_rve.l3 mVtV\1'KejCooLsrh_ MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 105 Triassic and Jurassic periods being unrepresented. The Devonian rocks are mainly limestones and shales in which salt and gypsum are in evidence. Over much of the exposed area these rocks lie horizontally. On the Peace and Athabasca rivers the dip does not exceed three or four feet to the mile, interrupted by small folds. The color of the limestones here exposed varies from greyish to light yellow. The upper beds of the Devonian are very persistent over the entire area, having undergone little erosion, so that where structural conditions have been favorable for the accumulation of oil there is little danger of its impervious capping having been sufficiently removed to allow the escape of the gas and light oil as in the case of the Tar Sands on Athabaska River. While the average dip does not exceed 100 feet, to the mile, there is an area of importance to the prospector for oil for a length of 300 miles from Fort Norman south, where the rocks are crumpled into folds. The Middle Devonian series is considered the most favorable for oil. This series is absent on Peace River. On Great Slave Lake the Devonian limestones are notably bituminous. A mile and a half from Windy Point may be seen outcropping rough-bedded dolomi- tic limestones of crystalline structure and porous texture, saturated with fluid petroleum seeping into the lake and covering the water with an irredescent film of oil for several miles, while inland from the shore are pools as apshalt, oil, seepages of gas, and sulphur springs. On Hay River a bed of coraliferous lime, 16 feet thick, is bituminous and weathers white. The Presq'ille dolomite of Great Slave Lake is here at a probable depth of about 1,000 feet, and a likely source of oil. On the same river are limestone and shales corresponding to the petroliferous Chemung, and the Simpson shales are correlated with the Portage formation which is petroliferous across the line. A difficulty experienced .in prospecting is the extensive covering of the country by muskegs, forest and boulder clay. The Imperial Oil Company's No. 1 well at'Fort Norman starts in the Hope shales and sandstones, which are Upper Devonian. Abundant evidences of petroleum exist in the Devonian outcrops of the Mackenzie River Basin and consist of the bituminous character of the rock, the extensive areas of burned shales in. which the former bituminous content has been consumed; the pools of asphalt; and seepages of oil and gas. The Hope shales carry 2% gallons of oil per ton. The Beavertail and Ramparts limestones are correlated with Middle Devonian. John Ness, geologist for the Imperial Oil Co., Ltd., gives the following section at Fort Norman:— Beavertail limestone, dark, bituminous, thin-bedded, weathering dark, 300-400 feet. Hope shales, black, bituminous and carbonaceous, with concretions and thin beds of hard sandstone, smells strongly of bitumen, gives off gas under water and burns to brick-red, 800-1,000 feet. Lower Norman'sandstone, bluish green, poorly indurated, flaggy, massive in places and jointed, 300 feet. Lower Norman shales, dark blue, plastic, 250 feet Norman limestone, thin-bedded, hard, argillaceous, impure, greyish, 50 feet. Upper Norman shales, dark blue, soft, plastic, with thin sandstone members, 1,200 feet. Upper Norman sandstone, bluish green, thin-bedded to massive, soft, porous, good oil sands, 300 feet. fSGZBP!; .!eg?% pspsSfei "jsg^yveSKSSET 3"_§^ _ap^*f ^TSfc-Sf.- "^J Rock Exposures on Athabaska River, showing Tar l contact between ] Cretaceous Strata. exuding from contact between Devonian and Oil seepages occur for several miles along the river at Fort Norman. CRETACEOUS The Cretaceous system of rocks is petroliferous, but is not considered favorably as a large source of petroleum. It is productive in Louisana, Colorado (from the Benton to the Pierre), Wyoming (Lower Cretaceous), California (Chino and Knoxville), Kansas ^Trinity). Rocks of this series overlie the Devonian northwest of Great Bear Lake, and at the Tar Sands on Athabaska River; and cover almost the whole of the Peace River area. The most important member of the series is the Dakota sandstone, which forms the tar sands. The bituminous matter impregnating these sands evidently had its origin in the Devonian and passed up to the Cretaceous. Where drilled into at Pelican, Vegreville, Brooks, and Bow Island, it has been found to be an important reservoir for natural gas though it has not so far produced more than nominal amounts of oil in northern Alberta. 106 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD Reasons for this condition may be found in the almost ceived at various times, geological conditions in the horizontal stratification, affording no reservoirs for Fort Norman region are not entirely favorable. It the accumulation of oil; and in the fact that the sand- should be realized by prospectors that to assure a stone beds are lenticular, cutting out and in: The profitable field, something more is needed than mere tar sands are not represented in the Peace River seepages, petroliferous strata and reports of oil m area. shallow pools. The strata of the Mackenzie region The banks of Pouce Coupe Creek, where there has are in general of Devonian age, and the commercial been much staking of oil claims, are from 400 to 800 oil possibilities of the Devonian rocks have by no feet in height above the creek, and show oil seepages means been demonstrated. Indeed in this valley they in Cretaceous strata. Geologists suggest that drilling appear to be underlaid at comparatively shallow for oil in Peace River district should be carried to depth by pre-Cambrian metamorphic or igneous rocks, the base of the Cretaceous, from depths of 1,800 to which are, of course, absolutely unfavorable for oil. 2,500 feet, and that the Devonian be tested by drill- "Again, the Fort Norman area appears to lie in the ing where it lies at accessible depth. centre of a geosyncline or great basin, and for this The Cretaceous is exposed at Buffalo Head Hills reason also is not highly favorable for the existence for a thickness of 1,500 feet, and also on Hay River. 0f an important oil field. It is true that certain oil The Dakota sand is a favorable oil reservoir where pools in other parts of the world occur in the mono- structural conditions are favorable, being a soft por- clinal or anticlinal flanks of geosynclines where the ous sand, of a thickness of 250 to 950 feet, with conglomerate as a base. The Niobrara sand, which overlies the Dakota, and is separated from it by the Benton shale, is productive of gas at Medicine Hat. Cretaceous strata are a source of natural gas in West Virginia, Ohio, Kansas, Oklahoma and Caddo, La. STRUCTURE Anticlinal, faulted monoclinal, or dome structures are essential to the formation of oil reservoirs, over which the apices or adjacent flanks form sites of productive wells. The main anticlines in the Peace River area are described in the paper we publish by Spieker, so need not be further dealt with here. The main anticline associated with the Tar Sands crosses the Athabaska River at Crooked Rapids in a northwest and southwest direction, and is probably accompanied by smaller parallel folds worthy of prospecting for oil and gas. On Great Slave Lake a gentle anticline crosses the lake in a northwesterly direction from Pine to Windy Point and shows favorable indications of oil throughout the length of its exposures. An anticlinal fold occurs on Red River, 38 miles above the mouth; while similar folds occur on Hay, Buffalo, and Beaver rivers; also at Buffalo Lake. At Fort Norman anticlinal arches have an elevation of from 1,000 to 2,000 feet. Anticlines near the foothills of the high mountain ranges are not to be regarded with favor, owing to excessive folding and faulting. Many anticlines have been eroded away at the arch to a depth sufficient to allow the gas and light oils to escape, and only the flanks remain. In a paper issued by the Associated Petroleum Engineers, 120 Broadway, New York, of which F. G. Clapp is chief geologist, the following opinion is expressed: "Notwithstanding the glowing reports re- rocks are barren of water or devoid of artesian pressure; but the fact remains that few important oil fields have been found in the central portions of geosynclines under conditions such as those that obtain in the Fort Norman area. Some structurally favorable areas do exist; yet even these other conditions, less favorable, may offset the favorableness of structure "The entire Devonian system of rocks between Fort McMurray and the Arctic Ocean may be considered as an outcrop of the formations which are deeply buried further south. Thus the coming to the surface of Devonian beds in the Mackenzie region has given the oil an opportunity to leak out along outcropping porous strata. In other words an immense amount of oil has disappeared during the ages since the Devonian was eroded, and there are not to be expected any remaining reservoirs of oil, such, for instance, as those in California and Mexico, where the rocks are far younger geologically and there has been less time for the dissipation of the oil. It must be recognized therefore that, whereas great prospects of oil exist in Western Canada, the most favorable regions are not along the Mackenzie, but in certain areas which are structurally, stratigraphically and in other respects favorable at considerable distances from the outcrop of the formation which carries the oil • "The problem of transporting oil out of the Mackenzie region, if oil be discovered in quantity, may be considered a serious aspect of the situation. Northwestern Canada is one of the most difficult of regions in which to build a pipe line. ... In the face of the tremendous uncertainties now existing, there is no sound inducement for prospectors to brave the rigors of the wilderness of the north. Northern Canada is still much more attractive from the standpoint of ore deposits than from that of oil production." SSBKpM MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 107 NOTES The Dominion Government intends sending in three survey parties of ten men each to establish monuments for the guidance of surveyors employed in fixing boundaries of oil claims. The parties will work between Slave Lake and Fort Norman. The sixth meridian will be extended to Mackenzie River. The Department of Marine will buoy the navigation routes at the Athabaska delta on Lake Athabaska; the delta on Great Slave Lake at mouth of Slave River, and the channels leading from Great Slave Lake to the Mackenzie River. S. O. Finnie, formerly inspecting engineer of mining lands and Yukon Branch of Department of Interior, has been appointed acting Secretary of the Northwest Territories. The Geological Survey will have three parties at work this summer; and the topographical branch, two parties, these parties being in charge of Dr. M. Y. Williams, of the University of British Columbia. . The office of Mining Recorder for the Northwest Territories is at Edmonton, Sub-recording offices at Fort Smith and Fort Simpson. Other Sub-recording offices will be opened. A central office has been established at Ottawa, known as the Northwest Territories Office, to deal with leases and concessions. The claim of E. Proctor, on which the Imperial Oil Co.'s No. 1 well has been brought in, was staked in August 1914. There have been 126 oil leases granted in the Mackenzie District, and 50 more applications filed. Forty claims were staked during winter. H. H. Haeger, S. Rosenthal, and F. J. Bartilna will go into the field to make investigations for American oil interests. A. R. Mann and Stuart Cameron, of Vancouver, have acquired five square miles at Fort Norman, 20 miles south of the Imperial No. 1 well, the locations having been made in winter by J. Wada, the Japanese prospector, who has been operating between the Yukon and Mackenzie River for some years. Wada made the round trip from Fort McMurray in 86 days, and spent eight days in staking the claims. He left McMurray on January 8, 1921. The northern oil fields are located in the provincial district of Mackenzie, which extends from the northern boundaries of British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan to the Arctic Ocean. The district is bounded on the west by Yukon Territory and on the east by the 102nd parallel, being the northerly extension of the eastern boundary of the Province of Saskatchewan. R. A. Brooke located a number of claims on behalf of large eastern interests. About 600,000 acres have been staked in Peace River District for oil claims, most of the staking being done in March when there were over 100 men with pack trains employed in this work. The freight landed at McMurray and Peace River, awaiting the opening of navigation, includes four drilling rigs, sawmill plants, engines and supplies, gas and other boats from 24 feet to 40 feet in length. The Mackenzie Basin offers great opportunities for development of power. On the Athabaska above McMurray 100,000 h.p. can be developed. Peace River, at Vermillion Chutes, is capable of generating 20,000 h.p. The Fort Smith rapids on Slave River can be developed to 300;000 h.p., so that electric railway construction offers great promise in solving the transportation difficulties of the country. TRANSPORTATION The common point of general transportation into the Mackenzie Basin is the City of Edmonton, Alberta. Edmonton is one of the largest and most important commercial centres in Western Canada, and is _«s»8* Junction of Peace and Smoky Rivers at Peace River Crossing, ( Alta. in direct communication with the railway systems of Canada and the United States. Edmonton is headquarters of five systems of transportation operating from that point to the north. These are :■—■ Canadian Pacific Railway, operating the Edmonton, Dunvegan and British Columbia Railway to Peace River, Grand Prairie and Spirit River. Government of Alberta, operating the Alberta and Great Waterways railway to the Clearwater River, within 20 miles of Fort McMurray, the head of navigation on the Athabaska River. Hudson's Bay Company, operating steamers on Peace, Athabaska and Mackenzie rivers, Athabaska and Great Slave lakes. Alberta and Arctic Transportation Company, 10170 —103rd St., Edmonton, operating steamers and motor boats on Peace, Athabaska and Mackenzie rivers. Northern Trading Company, Ltd., operating steamers and motor boats on Peace, Athabaska and Mackenzie rivers. Other routes of travel are:— Vermilion, on Peace River to Hay River Post, and 108 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD down Hay River to Hay Harbour on Great Slave route, or McMurray by the Athabaska River route, Lake, 50 miles. By dog team in winter and trail and there is only one portage on the whole length of the canoe in summer. Mackenzie waterway. That is at Fitzgerald, where Hay River Post to Lake Bistcho, 50 miles, and there is a portage of 16 miles to Fort Smith. One of down Black River to Fort Liard, on Liard River, 50 the worst pieces of water on the route is Great Slave miles. By canoe in summer, travellers using this Lake, which is crossed for a length of 100 miles, and route miss the ice pack on Great Slave Lake, and can is subject to violent storms, dangerous to navigation.- get down the Mackenzie a month earlier than by wait- The open season for navigation on the Mackenzie ing for the opening of Great Slave Lake. waterways cannot be placed at more than three months Fort St. John, 150 miles by trail to forks of Fort —from July 1 to October 1; though the lakes may be Nelson River; thence by canoe down Fort Nelson open two weeks longer. The rivers are usually navi- River to junction with Liard River, and thence to gable for about six months. Mackenzie River. This route possesses the same ad- Nothing is gained by entering the district, earlier \ antage as that via Hay River Post and Lake Bistcho, than June or in that access is obtained into the country a month earlier than via Great Slave Lake. Canoes or scows can be built at Fort Nelson. By this, or the Hay River-Lake Bistcho route, the open water on the Mackenzie River can usually be reached about the end of y. The third week in June is as a rule a good time to arrange for leaving Peace River or McMurray. The Imperial Oil Company's expedition last year left McMurray June 24th, reached Fort Simpson on July 1st, and Fort Norman on July 8th. A British company proposes to solve the transporta- May. Fort Nelson River opens from April 10 to tion problem by the use of tanks, by which means it is claimed the swamps and muskegs can be negotiated, and roads made by the tanks themselves through brush and timber up to 18 in. diameter at a speed of 15 miles an hour. A Vancouver company proposes to put on a Hand- ley-Paige aeroplane capable of transporting 16 passengers per trip, the fare for the round trip by plane being probably around $1,000. A Calgary company proposes to employ a 9-passenger aeroplane in passenger transportation. RAILWAYS C. P. R. trains leave Edmonton Depot, 107th Ave. and 121st St. Mondays and Thursday at 3 p.m., arriving McLennan Junction at 7.30 next morning; Peace River at 1.30 p.m.; Spirit River, 2.20 p.m.; Grande Prairie, 8 p.m. Railway Fares—Edmonton to Peace River, $12.80; Edmonton to Spirit River, $14.60; Edmonton to Grande Prairie, $16.45. Sleeping car rates—Edmonton to Peace River, lower berth, $4.95; upper, $4.00; Edmonton to Spirit points is 300 miles shorter via the Alberta and Great River, lower berth, $5.80; upper, $4.60. Waterways Railway to McMurray than by way of A dining car is provided both to Peace River and Peace River, but the route has the disadvantage that 20 Spirit River. miles of railway into McMurray remains uncompleted. On the other hand it is straight sailing from McMurray to the portage on the Slave River at Fitzgerald. The route by Peace River has the disadvantage of May 7. Fort George, B.C., via Giscome Portage, Crooked, Parsnip and Peace rivers. Summer canoe route. Telegraph Creek, B.C., via Stikine, Dease and Liard rivers. Summer route by canoe and trail. Atlin, B.C., via Yukon Telegraph trail, Dease and Liard rivers. Summer route by canoe and trail. Skagway to Whitehorse, 100 miles by rail; thence via Hootalinqua and Pelly rivers to divide; and thence via Gravel River trail to Mackenzie. Winter or summer trail. Dawson, Y.T., to Mayo, 160 miles by steamer in summer and wagon road in winter. Thence to Norman by Gravel River trail, 350 miles. Dawson, Y.T., via Porcupine River, Lapierre Ho., and Peel River to McPherson. An old and much travelled route. By dog team in winter and canoe and trail in summer. CHOICE OF ROUTES The distance from Edmonton to Mackenzie River Edmonton to Clearwater, $20.00. TRANSPORTATION COMPANIES There are three companies engaged in transportation on the waterways of the Mackenzie Basin. The 300 miles longer travel and a four-mile portage at pioneer is the Hudson's Bay Company, but this com: Vermilion Chutes, but it avoids crossing Lake Athabaska where there may be delay with ice; although the advantage gained in this way is lost by the time required to wait for the break-up of the ice at Great Slave Lake. After leaving Vermilion Chutes by the Peace River pany is not making a specialty of transportation service, and supplies it only as an adjunct to its trading business. A schooner, the Lady Kindersley, was built during the winter at the works of the B.C. Marine and Shipbuilders, Ltd., Vancouver, for the company's Arctic trade. The vessel is fitted with a semi-Deisel MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 109 engine. The Lady Kindersley will make the trip from Vancouver to Herschel Island via Behring Sea, and take as part of the cargo four small schooners to add to the company's trading fleet of the Mackenzie River Delta. The company does a large business on Peace River, and has had built at Vancouver for this trade this spring one of the finest motor boats on the northern rivers to run between Hudson's Hope and Vermilion Chutes. It is 60 feet long with beam of 11 feet; draws 9 to 20 inches; has speed of 17 miles an hour, with cabin capacity for 40 passengers and sleeping accommodation for 20. It is equipped with engine ' of 90 h.p. Each season the company runs from McMurray to Fitzgerald, with side trips on Lake Athabaska, a steamer with a capacity of 40 passengers and 400 tons of freight per trip. The company also operates a steamer of similar capacity between Fort Smith and Fort McPherson at Mackenzie River Delta, making side trips up the Liard and Nelson Rivers and across Great Slave Lake. The company has already at McMurray 1,000 tons of freight, of which- 20 tons is for the Imperial Oil Co., and the balance mainly for its own posts. It has refused 450 tons of freight offered, and has issued a warning to prospectors that it can accommodate only a small number the coming season. Rates by company's steamers are :— Single per 100 lb. Fares Freight, McMurray to Chipewyan $13.50 $0.75 Chipewyan to McMurray $15.50 $1.50 Berths, $1.00 per night. ALBERTA AND ARCTIC TRANSPORTATION CO., LTD. This company is a Toronto reorganization to t^ke over the B.C. Express Company which has for many years operated between Ashcroft and Cariboo, and transfer the machinery from the company's steamers on the Fraser River to Athabaska and Mackenzie Rivers. C. Millar, of Toronto, is President, and Willis West, who has been manager of the B.C. Express Co., continues as manager of the new company, with headquarters at Edmonton. The Alberta and Arctic Transportation Co. has taken over the Canadian Lamson-Hubbard transportation interests, this company having, two years ago, acquired from the estate of the late Lord Rhondda the steamship and other interests on the Peace and Mackenzie rivers. The company will operate from McMurray to Fort Smith the steamer D. A. Thomas, the finest passenger boat in northern waters; and from Fort Smith, the Distributor. The D. A. Thomas was built in 1915, is 163 feet long, with 37 feet beam. The Distributor is 151 feet long, with 35 feet beam, has 40 state rooms,.accommodates 150 passengers and is lighted by electricity. Auxiliary to these steamers are the motorboats Canadusa, sailing from McMurray to Fitzgerald, and the Lady Mackworth, running from Fort Smith to the Arctic. The company expects to have the new boat, the B.C. Express, being built at Fort McMurray, ready for service by the middle of June, and the other new boat, the.B.X., being built at Fort Smith, will be completed if possible to assist in this summer's transportation. The B.C. Express will draw 18 inches of water, cost $150,000, and be capable of transporting 300 passengers and 150 tons of freight; will run from McMurray north and up Peace River to the Chutes. The company has 40 shipwrights engaged in construction. The B.X. boat being built at Fort Smith will cost $200,000. It will carry 300 passengers and 200 tons of freight. Hudson Bay Company's Transport over Portage between Fitzgerald and Fort Smith, Slave River, Alta. The company is also constructing a number of gas boats and expects to spend between $400,000 and $600,000 in boat construction this summer. With its present shipping facilities the company can transport 250 passengers and 300 tons of freight per trip, and expects to make four to five round trips in the season. When the new boats are ready the company's transportation facilities will amount to 295 passengers and 300 tons of freight per trip. The company has 750 tons of freight now on hand, including 250 tons for the Imperial Oil Co. This company intends to make a specialty of transportation service for prospectors, investors and tourists, and can be depended on to make every effort to meet the public demands in that respect. Rates are: Single Return Peace River to Dunvegan $ 6.00 $ 8.00 Peace River to St. John 20.00 27.00 Peace River to Hudson's Hope . . 27.00 35.00 Peace River to Fort Vermilion . . . 20.00 40.00 Peace River to Vermilion Chutes . . 25.00 45.00 ■M 110 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD P i State rooms, $3.00 per night; meals, $1.00. Fort Smith to Norman, $41.00 down, $47.00 up. Fort Smith to McPherson $60.00 down; $66.00 up. Peace River or McMurray to Fort Norman, return, $200.00. Berths: Upper, $1.00; lower, $1.50. NORTHERN TRADING COMPANY The Northern Trading Company is building a twin- screw power barge, equipped with two 75 h.p. engines, capable of transporting 75 passengers and 200 tons of freight per trip. With the present transport facilities the company, which makes its transportation headquarters at Peace River, expects to be able to transport 150 passengers and 400 tons of freight per trip. It has tractors at Vermilion Chutes and Fitzgerald with six steel trucks of 20 tons capacity each for handling freight at the portages. It is expected that these transportation companies will transport about 2,300 passengers and 4,000 tons of freight during this season. It is of interest to those intending to operate gas boats on Mackenzie River to know that the cost of gasoline at Fort Smith is $1.00 per gallon. TABLE OF DISTANCES RAILWAYS Miles Edmonton to McLennan Junction 262 McLennan Junction to Peace River 48 McLennan Junction to Spirit River 95 Spirit River to Grande Prairie 45 Edmonton to McMurray 293 STEAMERS Peace River to Hudson's Hope 240 Peace River to Fort Vermilion 280 Fort Vermilion to Vermilion Chutes (Portage) 50 Vermilion Chutes to Slave River 220 Slave-Peace River Junction to Fitzgerald .... 50 McMurray to Chipewyan 185 Chipewyan to Fitzgerald 80 Fitzgerald to Fort Smith (Portage) 14 Fort Smith to F°rt Resolution 190 Fort Resolution to Little Buffalo River 47 Little Buffalo River to Hay River 27 Hay River to Great Slave Lake 35 Great Slave Lake to Fort Providence 46 Fort Providence to Little Lake 24 Little Lake to Trout River 37 Trout River to Head of Rapids 26 Head of Rapids to Fort Simpson 71 Fort Simpson to Nahanni River 75 Nahanni River to Fort Wrigley 59 Fort Wrigley to River de Vieux Grand Lac .... 74 River de Vie.ux Grand Lac to Gravel River .... 41 Gravel River to Fort Norman 65 Fort Norman to Carcajou River 116 Carcajou River to Sans Sault Rapids 6 Sans Sault Rapids to Beaver River 27 Beaver River to Ramparts 12 Ramparts to Fort Good Hope | Fort Good Hope to Hare Indian River 2 Hare Indian River to Loon River 22 Loon River to Red River 190 Red River to Arctic Ocean 60 TRAILS AND CANOE ROUTES Fort George, B.C. to Hudson's Hope 322 Atlin, B.C., to Mackenzie, via Dease and Liard . 700 Selkirk, Y.T., via Stewart and Gravel Rivers . . 500 Dawson, Y.T., via Mayo and Gravel River to Norman 510 ELEVATIONS ABOVE SEA LEVEL Athabaska Lake Athabaska Landing . .. Dease Lake Dunvegan Edmonton Finlay Great Bear Lake Great Slave Lake .... Lesser Slave Lake . .. McMurray Peace River Rock-by-the-River-Side Feet 690 1,650 2,660 1,305 2,168 2,000 391 520 1,890 840 1,225 1,500 OPENING AND CLOSE OF NAVIGATION lee Breaks Navigation Up. First Ice. Closed. McMurray April 9 to Oct. 14 to Oct. 24 to May 4 Nov. 4 Nov. 14 Fort Simpson May 1 to Oct. 11 to Nov. 17 to May 13 Nov. 12 Nov. 30 Fort Norman May 17 to Oct. 5 to Nov. 2 to May 25 Nov. 2 Nov. 18 Lake May 10 to Oct. 10 to Oct. 10 to Athabaska - June 15 Oct. 25 Oct. 25 Great Slave June 18 to Oct. 5 to Oct. 10 to Lake July 5 Oct. 31 Oct. 31 DISTRICT LAND AND RECORDING OFFICES ALBERTA Edmonton District, Alta.—A. Norquay, Dominion Land Agent, Edmonton. Peace River District—J. E. Carson, Dominion Land Agent. Office,-Peace River Crossing. Grande Prairie District—F. L. Christie, Dominion Land Agent. Office, Grande Prairie. BRITISH COLUMBIA Fort St. John—H. Hoskins, Gold Commissioner; F. W. Beatton, Mining Recorder. Hudson's Hope—John Gregg, -Sub-Recorder. Peace Coupe—G. J. Duncan, Sub-Recorder. MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD TRADING POSTS AKLAVIK, in Mackenzie Delta—Hudson's Bay Co. ; son Liebes and Co., of San Francisco; Northern Trad- in Co., Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Anglican Mission. ARCTIC RED RIVER—Northern Trading Co. ATHABASKA LANDING—Hudson's Bay Co. CHIPEWYAN—Hudson's Bay Co. CHIPEWYAN LAKE—Hudson's Bay Co.; Revil- lon Freres. FOND DU LAC—Hudson's Bay Co. FORT GOOD HOPE—Northern Trading Co., Ltd. FORT MCKAY—Hudson's Bay Co. FORT McPHERSON—Hudson's Bay Co.; Royal Canadian Mounted Police. FORT McMURRAY—Hudson's Bay Co.; Northern Trading Co. Population, 100. FORT NORMAN—Northern Trading Co.; Royal Canadian Mounted Police. FORT PROVIDENCE—Northern Trading Co, Ltd. FORT RAE—Northern Trading Co, Ltd. FORT RESOLUTION—Northern Trading Co.; Royal Canadian Mounted Police. FORT ST. JOHN—Hudson's Bay Co.; Revillion Freres. FORT SIMPSON—Northern Trading Co.; Royal Canadian Mounted Police; Roman Catholic Mission Hospital. FORT SMITH—Northern Trading Company; Royal Canadian Mounted Police; Roman Catholic Mission Hospital. FORT VERMILION—Hudson's Bay Co.; Revillion Freres. FORT WRIGLEY—Northern Trading Co. Population in summer of 1920, 200. GROUARD—Hudson's Bay Co.; Revillion Freres. HAY RIVER—Revillion Bros. HERSCHEL ID.—Hudson's Bay Co.; H. Liebes and Co.; Royal Canadian Mounted Police. HUDSON'S HOPE—Hudson's Bay Co.; Revillion Freres. KEG RIVERR—Hudson's Bay Co.; Revillion Freres. LAKE SASKATOON—Revillion Freres. LITTLE RED RIVER—Revillion Freres. NORTH VERMILION—Hudson's Bay Co. PELICAN PORTAGE—Revillion Freres. PRAIRIE LAKE—Revillion Freres. RED RIVER—Hudson's Bay Co. SCENIC—Northern Trading Co, Ltd. SMITH'S LANDING—Northern Trading Co, Ltd. SPIRIT RIVER—Hudson's Bay Co. STURGEON LAKE—Hudson's Bay Co.; Revillion Freres. TROUT LAKE — Hudson's Bay Co.; Revillion Freres. WABASCA—Hudson's Bay Co.; Revillion Freres. Ill WHITEFISH LAKE—Hudson's Bay Co.; Revillion Freres. CLIMATE Camsell says of the climate:—"In general it may be said that any point in the Mackenzie Basin has a better winter climate than any corresponding point of the same latitude in Northern Manitoba, Ontario or Quebec." The following records prove this:— Latitude .... Hours Sunlight May 1 June 1 June 21 July 21 .... Aug. 1 Aug. 31 .... Hours Sunlight in May June July Aug Ottawa Chipewyan Sim pson Good Hope S£a ?herson Deg. Min." Deg. Min. Deg Min Deg. Min. D Bg. Min. 45 26 58 43 61 52 66 16 67 26 Hrs. Min. Hrs. Min. Hrs. Min. Hrs. Min. H rs. Min. 14 08 15 34 16 05 17 06 17 30 15 16 17 36 18 39 21 04 24 00 15 30 18 44 19 14 22 48 24 00 15 24 18 36 19 02 22 24 24 00 14 32 16 16 16 56 18 16 19 24 13 08 13 52 14 08 14 36 14 44 Hours Hours Hours Hours Hours 456 514 5 38 592 706 462 549 5 70 662 720 464 530 5 58 625 684 423 467 481 519 527 1,305 2,060 2,398 2,637 Th»r isfi Fort Simpson, Mackenzie River, N.W.T. HINTS TO PROSPECTORS In prospecting for oil exploration should be confined to the Devonian and Cretaceous areas outlined on accompanying map. Locations should be made on or near the apex of anticlinal folds of wide angles or domes at intersection of such folds, as indicated in rock outcrops or exposures in walls of rivers and streams. Bubbling of gas, seepages of oil, tar, sulphur, %alt, hydrous sulphate of lime (gypsum), bituminous appearance or odor of freshly fractured rocks are favorable indications. In prospecting for metals the Huronian schists, slates, limestones and quartzites of the Pre-Cambrian area, and the limestones, shales and schists of the Paleozic, the boundaries of which are defined on the accompanying maps, should be explored in the vicinity of granite or intrusive igneous rocks, and especially where sheared or faulted. Colored stains, as of iron 112 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD BfK life 11! or decomposed arseno-pyrite, deserve special attention. Honeycombing of quartz veins is a favorable indication, due to decomposition of the original sulphides by weathering. Points of intersection of veins striking at different angles are favorable places for mineral enrichment. Promising areas in which to prospect for placer gold are at headwaters of Peace, Liard, North and Yukon Territory, or McPherson, in the Provisional "No person shall enter, or attempt to enter, the Provisional District of Mackenzie, Northwest Territories, without first having satisfied the officer or non-commissioned officer in charge of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police at one of the following places, namely Edmonton, Peace River, or Fitzgerald, in the Province of Alberta; Whitehorse, Dawson or Herschel, in the South Nahanni rivers. Nelson River Indians chow rich gold quartz obtained at headwaters of Nelson River. This and Nahanni areas are worth prospecting for gold quartz. TIMBER With the exception of the Barren Lands north of Great Slave Lake, and portions of Peace River District of Mackenzie, that he is not likely to become a public charge while in the district." No person shall enter the Northern section of Alberta without a permit from Alfred Cuddy, Provincial Commissioner of Police for Alberta. Representatives of companies must- produce certificates that they are furnished with ample supplies; a boat cannot be boarded till the permit is vised; prairies, the Mackenzie Basin is well wooded with every boat will be numbered; holders of permits must pine, tamarack, white and black spruce, balsam, aspen, come out by August 20, or by the last boat; or be assured of supplies for a year; no arms permitted; no underworld characters allowed entry; no permits to women unless exceptional cases; gas boats must be assured of supplies of gasoline and transportation at portages; those proposing to make the journey in canoes must prove arrangements with transportation companies for return; permits will, in any case, be limited to about 500 persons. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police will place a fast patrol boat on the rivers to control traffic, and may institute an aeroplane service. Of the total of 24 permits to enter the country this winter, six had business, and 24 went in by dog team to stake oil claims. The trading posts had advised the police they could not undertake to provide for more than 30 persons over the resident population. Each permit is numbered with name of holder, next of kin, age, nationality, residence, and purpose of trip. OPERATING COMPANIES .IMPERIAL OIL COMPANY This is a subsidiary of the Standard Oil Company birch. The heavy growth of spruce in the southern portion of the district diminishes in size of trees towards the north but is large enough for building cabins and boats right through to the Mackenzie Delta. Steamers use wood as fuel. GAME Moose, caribou, mountain sheep, goat, muskox, wood bison, rabbits, ducks, geese, grouse, ptarmigan, form the food game of the region. Fur animals are: Bear, beaver, muskrat, lynx, fox, otter, mink, marten, fisher, wolverine, wolf, weasel, skunk. Fish are abundant, and include whitefish, lake trout, pike, grayling, pickerel, goldeye; herring in Great Bear Lake and in the Mackenzie below the confluence with Liard River; inconnu in Mackenzie River, north of Fort Smith, and in Great Slave Lake. Inconnu is a species of trout weighing as much as 60 lb. The outlet of Bear Lake is open all the year round and affords a favorite resort for Indians in winter on account of the fish supply available. FRUITS AND VEGETABLES Raspberries, strawberries, and Saskatoon berries of the United States, and was organized to carry on and gooseberries are plentiful in summer. Vegetables oil production, refining and marketing in Canada, are grown at all the posts. Even the Imperial Oil 80% of the stock being owned by the Standard in- Company's camp at Fort Norman had a fine vege- terests. It operates refineries at Sarnia, Ont, and at table garden last summer, growing potatoes, peas, loco, Vancouver, the oil supply for the latter coming lettuce, radish, turnips. from Peru C. O. Stillman is vice-president and A. M. McQueen, vice-president. The company has for FODDER FOR STOCK some years conducted "drilling operations in Alberta Many hay meadows are available for summer graz- without success, and recently acquired control of the ing and putting up hay for winter. At Salt River Calgary Petroleum Products Company, operating the cattle and horses winter out, and this is as fine a Dingman well, from which a wet gas has been pro- grazing area as can be found in the northwest. POLICE REGULATIONS The Commissioner of the Northwest Territories issued the following order under date March 16, 1921: duced for about six years, yielding a considerable amount of gasoline and oils. A subsidiary company has been registered as the Royalite, with a capital of $1,000,000, of which $800,000 is held by the Imperial and $200,000 by the Calgary Petroleum share- Norman, Windy Slave Lake. In the rigs were shipped in MINING AND EN holders. It is proposed to spend $400,000 in new development and erection of a plant for extraction of gasoline and oils from the wet gas. For some years the Imperial has had geologists at work in the Mackenzie country, and it was as the result of the reports of Dr. T. O. Bosworth, Chief Geologist, that the company took up leases at Fort oint, and Pine Point, on Great summer of 1919, drilling to the Mackenzie River, one plant being delivered at Windy Point, on Great Slave Lake, and the other on Oil Creek, 40 miles north of Fort Norman, the prospecting work being in charge of T. A. Link. On August 25th oil was struck at the Fort Norman well under considerable pressure at a depth of 783 feet, carrying it 15 feet or more over top of the derrick from a 6-in. casing. The well was immediately capped to prevent waste of oil until storage facilities could be provided, and while it has been stated that the well is of 1,500 to 2,000 barrels capacity per day, the truth'is the well was allowed to flow for only 30 minutes before being capped, so that no test has been made as yet to ascertain this. Any estimates given out are purely speculative. Extensive seepages are reported in the neighborhood of the well. The specific gravity of the oil is given as 38 Be, and it is claimed it can be piped at a temperature of 70 deg. below zero without trouble from freezing. F. G. Benson, of the Western Oil Brokers, 417 Pender Street, Vancouver, has obtained through S. J. Crowe, M.P. for Burrard, the following official statement concerning the oil strike at Fort Norman:— Norfhwest Territories, Canada, • Office of the Commissioner, Ottawa, 9th March, 1921. * Dear Mr. Crowe: With reference to your inquiry regarding the development for oil in the Mackenzie district, I have the following information from the Engineering Branch of this Department: The Imperial Oil Co.'s Well, No. 1, at Fort Norman, is located on E. Proctor's claim, under Petroleum and Natural Gas Lease No. 11491. It is situated on the north bank of the Mackenzie River, about 40 miles down stream from Fort Norman. The location of the well, and the various claims in the Fort Norman field, of which we now have record, are as shown on the blueprint herewith. The well was begun in strata of the Middle Devonian Age, composed mostly of limestone and calcareous shales. From the surface down to 180 feet almost every porous bed yielded from one to two barrels of dead oil per day. Below 180 feet the strata changed to a dark, calcareous shale, and in this, too, almost every porous bed produced more or less oil GINEERING RECORD 113 and also gas in increasing volume. At 783 feet a crumpled and faulted shale horizon was penetrated, and these beds yielded oil in large quantities. The oil flows from the well by "heads," that is it flows intermittently under considerable pressure. The volume of oil produced was not measured. It was allowed to gush two or three times when one of the intermittent flows subsided. The cap was quickly placed on the well. It gives every indication of being a rather large producer, but as yet we cannot tell what the production from it will be. The following analysis is given by the University of Alberta, of the oil encountered at 783 feet:— Specific gravity 38 Be. Distillation Per cent. 70-150 ' 23.8-Gasoline 150-300 38.2-Illuminating oil 300-350 33.7 Light lubricating oil 350-375 4.00 Medium Loss 0.3 The analysis indicates that the oil is of good grade. As the bulk of the residues obtained are paraffines it is classed as a paraffine oil. Yours truly, W. \Y. CORY, Commissioner, N.W.T. The Ramparts, Mackenzie River. The drill had penetrated the productive bed a distance of 5 feet when the oil shot up through the casing. This bed is believed, from an outcrop near the Ramparts, to be about 200 feet in thickness. The company's well at Windy Point, on Great Slave Lake was down about 40 feet when operations were shut down for the season. The company had a bill introduced in the Alberta Legislature giving it the necessary power to construct a pipe line for transportation of oil. It is proposed to lay on« 24-inch or two 12-inch mains. A small refining plant has been taken to Fort Norman and will be put in operation this spring to supply the company's requirements for gasoline, and the 114 MINING AND ENGI 1 Mi. public demand as far as the capacity of the plant will permit. The first news of the oil strike at Fort Norman was brought to Dawson, Y.T, by H. Kindersley, son of Sir Robert Kindersley, Governor of the Hudson's Bay Co., who made a canoe trip down the Mackenzie and out via Fort Macpherson to Porcupine River and Fort Yukon. When this party passed Fort Norman the men in charge of the Imperial Oil Company's drilling plant had struck oil at 130 feet, and estimated the flow at 30 gallons a day. The company is sending down the Mackenzie River two more drilling plants this season so that it will have four plants operating at different points. The company's operations in the northwest are in charge of Charles F. Taylor, who makes his headquarters at Edmonton. His view of the Fort Norman strike was thus expressed: "Well is very encouraging, and while over-rated by the press, renders hope that prospecting of the area will result in sufficient production being obtained in a few years to warrant the development of some transportation scheme whereby the production can be utilized." The company has brought two aeroplanes to be used in furnishing transportation between the railhead at Peace River and the several sites of drilling operations on the Mackenzie. The machines were flown from New York, and made their first trial trip from Edmonton on April 8, going as far as Hay River, where they left an emergency supply of gasoline. An aerodrome and machine shop have been established five miles west of Peace River. The company's holdings at Fort Norman aggregate 30,000 acres, and 75,000 acres have been taken up in the Peace River country, covering portions of the Dominion Block in British Columbia immediately north of the area under control of the Government of British Columbia, and regarding which C. F. Law, of Vancouver, applied about two years ago for drilling concessions on behalf of the DArcy Exploration Company, controlled by the British Government—an application which was refused. The Company has also taken up a large area adjacent thereto within the Province of Alberta. About 100 homing pigeons have been purchased to carry messages between the company's camps, or between the aeroplanes and camps. The company has taken in a drilling plant to operate on Pouce Coupe Creek, Alta., at a point 15 miles from the confluence with Peace River, 80 miles north of Grande Prairie, and 35 miles from Spirit River. The following is an analysis and report by Milton Hersey Co, Ltd, 84 St. Antoine St., Montreal:— Report—45765, Sample of Crude Oil marked "Fort Norman Gusher." NEERING RECORD Associated Underwriters, Ltd, 263 St. James St, Montreal, P.Q. "Dear Sirs: We have conducted a distillation test on the sample of crude oil marked as above, and obtained the following yield of the simpler products:— Gasoline 20 % Kerosene 34.0% Lubridant 13.5% Residue 30.0% Loss 2.5% Water trace Specific gravity of Gasoline 59.5 Be. at 60f. Specific gravity of Kerosene 42.5 Be. at 60f Specific gravity of Lubricant 13.5 Be. at 60f. . Specific gravity of Residue 37.5 Be. at 60f. Cold test on crude oil 50f. This oil is generally rich in all products and is comparable in the yields of gasoline and kerosene with the Pennsylvania and other oils. The yield of lubricant is somewhat lower, but has no great bearing on the value of the oil. The gasoline, with a gravity of practically 60 Be. is of a fair grade, the quality of which can be increased by limiting by a few degrees the temperature of distillation, and the yield of it can be augmented by cracking of the kerosene and lubricant fractions. The residue is liquid and should form a good fuel oil with the proper addition of lighter oils. It has a very low sulphur content. The cold test on the same oil is 50 F. and at temperatures as low as this will flow readily in the pipe lines." President C. O. Stillman, of the Imperial Oil, Ltd, says of the strike:— "What we have uncovered at Fort Norman is as good commercial oil as has ever been produced in Canada, and runs about 40 Baume gravity. This is the character of oil the world is looking for, as it appears to contain large yields of light products, such as gasoline- and kerosene." FORT NORMAN OIL COMPANY, LTD. This company has been registered in Canada but is being floated in England by Lord Beaverbrook and associates to take up leases adjoining those of the Imperial Oil Co, at Fort Norman. The directors are: Joseph M. Aitken, president; R. S. Sheppard, W. H. Thoburn, J. T. Coleridge, and J. T. Eastwood, of Toronto. MACKENZIE RIVER OIL, LTD. This company is registered in Ontario with a capital of $5,000,000 in $10 shares, the head office being at 59 Yonge St, Toronto. The directors are: C. Millar, of Millar, Ferguson and Huntef, solicitors, president; F. E. Davison, vice-president and general man- MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 115 ager; W. J. Smith, treasurer; R. J. Fleming and E. W. Backus. Mr. Millar is president of the Alberta and Arctic Transportation Co, Ltd.; Mr. Davison is president of the Universal Gas and Oil Co, Ltd, of Toronto; W. J. Smith is president of John B. Smith and Sons, Toronto; and Mr. Backus is president of the Fort Francis Pulp and Paper Co, Ltd, of Fort Francis, Ont.; Keewatin Lumber Co, Ltd, Kenora, Ont.; and Minnesota and Ontario Paper Co, Ltd, International Falls, Minn. Mr. Fleming is manager of the Toronto Street Railways. The company has acquired 3,840 acres of, leases taken out under the old regulations, located near the holdings of the Imperial Oil Co, Ltd, at Fort Norman, and 10,000 acres at Peace River. It is also employing geologists to make other locations this season. Three National drilling rigs have been ordered for exploration of the company's holdings. The holdings were acquired from Mr. Davison for 200,000 fully paid up shares in the company. Patterson Bros, 12 King St. E, Toronto, are brokers for the company. Shares are being offered in the principal Canadian cities, W. F. Irwin and Co. being the brokers for the company in Vancouver. CANADIAN U.S. OIL AND REFINING CORPORATION This company is represented by the Fidelity Securities Corporation, Ltd, with head office at 518 Standard Bank Building, Vancouver, and branch office at 1106 Douglas St, Victoria. It claims to have 58 producing wells delivering oil into pipe lines and owning 12,000 acres in Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma oil fields; that it is on a quarterly dividend basis; and that it proposes active operations in Peace and Mackenzie River fields. The registered capital is $5,000,000.in $1 shares. The directors are: President, J. E. Wilson, Chicago, 111.; vice-president, C. iL. Bachelor, Wichita Falls, Texas; sec.-treas, J. H. Knight, Chicago, 111.; directors, W. C. Moody, Chicago; H. C. Roberts, Humble, Texas; Col. M. S. Peacock, Calgary, Alta.; H. C. Ralph, Vancouver, B.C. It has taken up locations at Pouce Coupe; at Windy and Pine Points on Great Slave Lake, and at Fort Norman. The locations of the company's producing wells are given as: Burkburnett, Texas, 2; Caddo, Louisiana, 4; Ramsey, Okla, 37; Alta Vista, Texas, 15. The company controls the Allen Cms.; U. S. Canadian; Alta Vista Syndicate and Westminster oil companies. MACKENZIE RIVER DRILLING AND PETROLEUM CO. This company has been organized by the Western Oil Brokers, 417 Pender Street W, Vancouver, with a capitalization of $1,000,000 in $1 shares. It has secured holdings at Fort Norman and has acquired drilling rigs which it is taking into the field to develop its holdings as well as to contract for the development of other holdings on an interest basis. The company is operating under Dominion charter, and 60,000 shares are being sold at $1.00 to provide the funds for preliminary operations. The three drilling rigs which the company is taking into the Mackenzie field will be employed not only in the development of the company's holdings, but in carrying out drilling development on other holdings, contracts for which will be taken on a cash basis or for an interest in the property where considered of sufficient merit. F. G. Benson, manager of Western Oil Brokers, who are organising the company, has obtained from the Mackenzie field a magnificent collection of fossils characteristic of the petroliferous formations. MACKENZIE RIVER DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, LTD. The Mackenzie River Development Corporation, Ltd, has been organized in Vancouver by Lloyd Owen, M.E, and John McLeod to acquire natural resources, as oil, coal, gas, gold and other metal mineral deposits, and coal in the Mackenzie Basin and British Columbia. Mr. Lloyd Owen was for some years manager of the Lord Rhondda interests on Hay River Falls, Near Great Slave Lake Peace and Mackenzie Rivers and has a thorough knowledge of the country. The company has acquired five oil leases at Pine Point, on Great Slave Lake, placer.gold, dredging and platinum properties, and is raising capital for their development. The head office of the company is at 508 Board of Trade Building, Vancouver. The company is taking out a Dominion Charter and is capitalized at $500,000. Subsidiary to it is the Northern Aircraft, Ltd, with an authorized capital of $100,000, for which a Dominion charter- has also been applied with a view to inaugurating an aeroplane service between the railheads at- Peace River and McMurray in the south and the main points of activity in the far north. In addition to the five oil leases acquired at Pine Point the company has arranged to locate from 20 to 30 more oil claims in the Mackenzie oilfields, and has retained the services of R. A. Brooke, formerly of the Geological Survey. He is now on the ground. Mr. Brooke was employed last year by a Montreal 116 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD syndicate, the Associated Underwriters, Ltd., to make locations for them. The aircraft which it is proposed to place on the route will be a duplicate of the Government plane adopted for similar work, carrying a supply of gasoline for 10 hours, and making a speed of 80 miles an hour. It will be able to make the run to Fort Norman as the crow flies in 10 hours, carrying 16 passengers. SLAVE RIVER RAILWAY CO. The Slave River Railway Company has applied to the Dominion Government for a charter to build a railway over the portage between Fitzgerald and Fort Smith; and to develop and operate hydro-electric power, telegraph and telegraph lines, build and oper ate steamboats, and to construct wharves, warehouses, pipe lines, etc. OTHER COMPANIES The Shell Oil Company, now controlled by the British Government, has become interested in Peace River and Mackenzie fields. It is represented by Dr. J. A. L. Henderson, a British geologist, and J. B. Tyrrell, of Toronto. It is stated its representatives will be provided with aerial transport. The White Hall Oil Company, a British oil organization, had some exploration work done last summer on the Mackenzie and its representatives will be in the field again this summer. General J. W. W. Stewart, of Vancouver, has also been making a personal investigation of the field. PROSPECTS OF OIL AT PEACE RIVER m By EDMUND The attention of those interested in the development of the world's oil resources has in recent years been turned with some keenness of anticipation towards the region of moderately folded rocks between the foot-hills of the Canadian Rocky Mountains and the plains. In the effort to ascertain the promise of the area at least two prominent oil companies have had parts of it examined in geologic reconnaissance'. That part rj f the belt which lies in British Columbia has appeared worthy of study. In his report to the Department of Lands, Professor J. C. Gwillim recommended the furtherance of geologic work to determine more exactly the possibilities of the area, and the work on which this report is based was done in fulfilment of that recommendation. The object of the writer's work was to determine as completely as possible in the time available the degree of promise as a possible oil-field offered by the region in British Columbia fronting the foot-hills of the Rocky Mountains, between the Peace River in the general longitude of Hudson Hope and the Murray (East Pine) River in the latitude of Flat Creek. This it was planned to accomplish through a general geologic reconnaissance, supplemented by detailed work in localities which the general examination showed worthy of further attention. A FAIR PROSPECT As a whole the region may be classed on the basis of geologic evidence as a fair prospect. If transportation of materials can be arranged satisfactorily to the interests of drilling operations, tests should be made on the structures which can best be reached. Proof of the evidence of petroleum in commercial quantity must rest on the result of intelligently placed tvl. SPIEKER* drilling; the value of the geologic evidence in the case lies in its statement of either the presence of petroleum or the likelihood of its presence, and of the points at which such petroleum might have accumulated. In the region examined the likelihood cannot be denied (although the actual presence of oil is not proven) and the structures are known. All else depends upon the drill. GEOLOGY The geologic conditions which control the accumulation in commercial quantity of oil and gas may be grouped into four general heads: (1) The occurrence of rocks in which petroleum could have originated. (2) The presence near the "mother-rock" of a porous rock which might act as a reservoir. (3) The presence of a relatively impervious cover or "cap-rock." (4) The disposition of such a series in structural form which would trap the oil, effecting its accumulation. STRUCTURE The fourth consideration concerns the structure. The geologic structure of the belt fronting the foothills of Northwest Canada consists of a series of moderate undulations of the strata, the crests of the folds lying in the main parallel to the axis of the Rocky Mountain chain, and the continuity of many single structures being remarkable. The folds are nearly all open—i.e., the beds have not been compressed to the extreme—and many of them are of dimensions and conformation ideal to the retention of any oil and gas which might have existed in the rocks they embrace beneath the'surface. The region between the western limit of the area m<\ MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD n; and the mountains proper is known geologically as the Disturbed Belt. Within its confines the rocks have been folded and faulted to high degree, the forces which built up the Rocky Mountains having reacted on them with great intensity on account of their proximity to the region of great thrusting. To the east and southeast the effect of these huge forces was absorbed gradually until in the region which now forms the plains the strata underwent no displacement from their natural horizontal position. The belt considered in this report lies between thece two extreme areas, and there, although the full strength of the forces had been partially dissipated, enough pressure due to the thrusting penetrated the local rocks to cause ordinarily unbroken flexures of comparatively gentle slope. The structures occur along two or three principal lines of folding, and although it is not possible to trace the continuity of BOULDER CREEK WORK HARDER The conformation of the first anticline mentioned forbids its consideration as an ideal structure, and inasmuch as others of the region excel it in most essential characteristics, it may be dismissed with the statement that although it may offer promise in the future, in face of better economic conditions, its present consideration must be limited in view of the great difficulties that will attend exploratory drilling in the region. The second structure is better formed than the first, and if the locality is to be tested it will merit the first attempt; however, it is apparently local in nature and the area of its flanks is too small. BOULDER CREEK DOME The top of the Bullhead Mountain formation is about 300 feet above the level of the Pine River at the apex of the fold, and the underlying section consists accordingly of approximately 1,200 feet of the more than one of the anticlines in the area over great lanrrtu ti,„co „,u;~u «„:„* „_ „ i p 1 j r- ■.. sandstones, shales, and coals of the Bullhead forma length, those which exist are seen to he along definite .... lines. The sharpness of the folding decreases regu larh from west to east. ANTICLINES A determination of the possibilities for oil and gas requires for its completion in the large a consideration of those points at which the stratigraphi- cally hopeful formations mentioned above lie within drilling depth on the anticlines of the area, and in the interest of conciseness it may be best to incorporate such evidence into the description of the structures. The major anticlines of the area, in the order of their distance from Hudson Hope, are as follows: Hudson Hope anticline; Moberly Lake anticline; Miller Creek anticlines; Pine River anticline; Boulder Creek dome; Table Mountain anticline; Sukunka anticline; Rocky Mountain Lake-Moose Lake-Flat Creek anticline; Canyon anticline; Bullmoose Creek anticline. The Hudson Hope fold occurs entirely within the Peace River Block; that consideration, in addition to the fact that it is hardly pronounced enough to afford an ideal reservoir, prompts the omission here of its detailed discussion. The Moberly Lake structure, too, occurs within the Peace River Block at all points conveniently accessible to drilling equipment, and although it-presents geologically favorable conditions its discussion would lack point in this report. The Miller Creek anticlines are the most easily accessible of all the structures. The northernmost major fold crosses Miller Creek 4 miles from its mouth, and is about 30 miles by trail from Hudson Hope. The St. John shales outcrop at the axis of this anticline, and the sandstones in the lower part of that formation are estimated to be from 1,000 to while drilling, and general economy of prospecting, 1,200 feet below the surface on Miller Creek. the top of the St. John shales is at least 1,000 feet tion, with the Pine River shales and limestones below. The possibility of oil-bearing horizons below the Bullhead Mountain formation, coupled with the dome-like shape of the structure, presents a geologically attractive situation as far as oil and gas are concerned, and inasmuch as no other locality of the area appeared as promising as did this, the writer planned to study the structure in detail for the purpose of making a drilling location. Such work as was possible in the weather of September was done and a location marked. The Boulder Creek structure promises most of all the folds in the area for the following reasons: (1) Its dome-like shape makes it almost perfect as a reservoir structure. (2) It is underlain within 1,300 feet of the surface by the lower sandstones of the Bullhead Mountain formation and the upper shales and limestones of the Pine River formation, a series of at least 300 feet in thickness, and probably more, which may contain petroleum. (3) The extremely hard Boulder Creek member of the Bullhead Mountain formation has been cut away by erosion at the apex of the dome; the amount of hard rock to be penetrated in order to reach the lower section is less than it would be elsewhere. TABLE MOUNTAIN ANTICLINE The Table Mountain anticline is in conformation well worthy of consideration as a possible reservoir of oil, but it has the disadvantage of embracing beneath the surface and within reach of a drill too limited a section of possibly petroliferous rocks. The St. John shales outcrop at its crest. In the Pine River Valley, where a drilling location would be most advisable in the interest of accessibility, depth of worth- 118 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD K W above river-level. The total thickness of the St. than those in which oil is sought the structure may John shales is not known exactly in this locality, but well continue to; some depth, and may even grow it is not likely to be much different from the 1,400 more pronounced; but if the rocks below are harder feet measured on the Pine at Boulder Creek, and a they may not have yielded to the pressure which simple subtraction shows at once that the thickness folded the softer strata, and the anticline may not of hopeful strata below the surface is probably not exist below. more than 400 feet. Below that lies the 1,500 feet or seepages more of the Bullhead Mountain formation, in the No questionable seepages of petroleum were ob- main body of which no oil need be expected. served by the writer, and none have been noticed by A prediction concerning the possibilities in beds any of a number of residents who were questioned, below these is not entirely safe; the Pine River shales The only well-established seepages known in this may be present at a depth of from 1,900 to 2,200 part of British Columbia occur about 45 miles east of feet, but since nothing is known as to their lateral the eastern limit of the area examined. One of these, persistence to the east it is not possible to make a for whose existence the writer can vouch, occurs on valuable estimate of the chances in deep drilling on the Pouce Coupe River east of Rolla, B.C, and the the Table Mountain fold. A borehole on the Boulder other, whose general location was made known to the Creek dome would yield information which might writer by E. Mast, of Rolla, in 1919, exists on Moose throw considerable light on this question, and, at all Creek about four miles north of its mouth on the events, if it is desired to test the Pine River forma- Peace. These seepages occur at a horizon which is tion the Boulder Creek locality far excels any other probably at the top of the Dunvegan sandstone. ■ They in point of drilling depth, amount of hard rock to offer no direct encouragement to prospective devel- be penetrated, and degree of sureness of the presence opment in the area covered by this report, but they of the formation underground. indicate that petroleum does .exist at places in the The Table Mountain anticline should, in view of series, these limitations, be held in abeyance as'a possibility The writer observed a thin film of oil on the sur- whose investigation will be well worth while if oil face of water in an old well east of Hudson Hope is discovered elsewhere in either the Lower St. John on the homestead of Joseph Lemiaux. The well shales or the Pine River formation. penetrates the St. John shales to a distance of about The folds south of the Pine River are at present 15 feet. It was not possible to collect any of the oil, and proof of its composition is hence not offer'able. Thin films of some sort of oil were noticed on the water of the Pine River east of Pass Creek. The film did not have the brilliant iridescence peculiar to petroleum, and inasmuch as the quantities were much fold which has been called the Canyon anticline crosses too small to permit the collection of a sample the the valley of the Murray River. Its contour on the value of its evidence is small; furthermore, the point so difficult of access that their consideration may in the interest of space be brief. MINOR ANTICLINES About six miles below the mouth of Flat Creek a Murray River is favorable to the storing of oil, and inasmuch as the major portion of the St. John shales probably underlies the surface at its crest, it is worthy of note geologically, but it is at present too difficult of access to be considered on economic grounds. Close examination of the smaller stream-courses will probably reveal the presence of other structures in regions where the attitude of the beds is nearly horizontal. However, consideration of minor folds must be tempered by a weighing of the probability of their persistence in depth. It is frequently true that smaller warpings of strata such as these die out in depth, and locations on them, should any prove advisable, should be made with allowance for that fact in mind. The persistence of the structures above noted may be assumed with safety to be sufficient to ensure a reservoir within shallow depths, but, depending on the character of the underlying formations, it is not policy to expect results from drilling at which the oil was noticed is so far from the nearest outcrop of CQuntryrock that its source is at best very inexactly determinable. GAS A seepage of gas was found on the west flank of the Boulder Creek dome, at the base of the cliff of Boulder Creek conglomerate, and northwest of the drilling location. The gas bubbles up intermittently through water in a hole at the base of a tree. The roots of the tree have undoubtedly afforded a channel through which the gas may escape from the underlying sandstone to the surface. The gas is highly inflammable and contains a considerable percentage of hydrogen sulphide. When it is burned the odor of sulphur dioxide is strong. TRANSPORTATION At present the region is accessible via three routes of travel, one from the west and two from the east. The western route from Fort George via the Gis- on local upwarps. If the surface strata are harder come Portage, Crooked River, and the Parsnip MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 119 River to the Peace, is a water route, and is preferred by some prospectors, travellers and engineers for comparatively light travel. It is not a good route for the transportation of heavy equipment. The routes from the east leave the end of steel on the Edmonton, Dunvegan and British Columbia Railway at Peace River Crossing and Spirit River or Grande Prairie respectively. The first of these is the most used and is the best for the transportation of all classes of freight; it makes use of the Peace River, which is navigable by vessels of light draught between Fort Vermillion and Hudson Hope. The season for navigation on the stretch between Peace River Crossing and Hudson Hope embraces the. months of June, July and August as a rule, and in some years the large steamer makes the trip in September. Smaller craft ply the river as late as the first formation of ice. The third route mentioned is a land route. From the railway points of Spirit River and Grande Prairie wagon-trails lead to Pouce Coupe, whence a more or less passable waggon-trail leads to the Pine River at the mouth of the Murray, at the eastern edge of the area in question. The trail from Spirit River to Pouce Coupe is not used in summer on account of muskeg; it is a winter trail, and is used chiefly by the farmers of the Pouce Coupe Prairie, for the haulage of their grain to the' railroad. The road from Grande Prairie to Pouce Coupe is by far the better; it is passable to automobiles in dry weather and is extensively used for freighting into the Pouce Coupe District. West of the Pine River at the mouth of the Murray- travel by wagon would involve much road-cutting. A road is supposed to exist as far as Hudson Hope, but is not used by teams, and it is not likely that a wagon could make the trip without much road-building work. Within the area travel is nearly all by pack-train in summer and by sleigh in winter. Wagon roads exist about Hudson Hope and on Lone Prairie, but they are of local importance only and most of them would not suffice in their present state for the haulage of heavy freight. The transportation of equipment from the end of steel to any of the localities at which drilling might be contemplated would involve the cutting and grading of road if the materials were to be hauled in summer. In winter the frozen rivers offer roadways to sleighs when the ice is favorable, and the problem of present day transportation of drilling materials to the region must not be considered without examining the possibilities of winter travel. SUMMARY. With the main facts concerning the stratigraphy, structure and economic features of the region, a brief summation of their application in general concerning the prospects for oil may be worth while. A conclusion regarding the advisability of attempting exploration with the drill must naturally be based on a balancing against one another of the favorable and unfavorable facts (not opinions) which have been gathered. Without attempt at the differentiation of geologic from economic data, these facts may be. summed up as follows: UNFAVORABLE FACTORS. (1) Absence of evidence through seepage or other appearance of the presence of petroleum in the rocks. (2) The great cost of transporting drilling equipment to any of the advisable locations. (3) In corollary to the preceding, the expense attached to the disposal of such petroleum as might be found. FAVORABLE FACTORS. (1) The presence of a number of formations in which oil could occur. (2) The presence of anticlines which dispose the possibly oil-bearing strata favorably to the retention of petroleum, (3) The comparatively reasonable depth within which the beds to be tested may be reached. A balance of these facts against one another is not easy. No matter with what accuracy the information concerning their details is obtained, the measure of probabilities inevitably to be drawn in makes an unqualified conclusion difficult to reach. However, as far as the geologic factors are concerned, it is possible to arrive at a conclusion as to the advisability of further exploration, and although the dictates of such evidence must be qualified by the consideration of economic problems incident to development, a review of all the factors will tend to make the situation clearer. Of the unfavorable factors, the first may not tell the whole story. Vast oilfields, today yielding millions of dollars in petroleum, exist without a single surface indication within their limits. Oil-seepages would offer in their presence a decidedly encouraging circumstance, but their absence need not be entirely unfavorable if other features of the rocks involved contribute no negative evidence. And this condition exists in the area considered. The second and third of the unfavorable factors, those involving expense, are difficult of calculation through lack of precedent. Inasmuch as there is no freight traffic to those points at which drilling equipment would be necessary, no transportation rates exist. They might be approximated roughly, however, if drilling were considered, from rates existing elsewhere in the north. Ill railroad, long in contemplation, might be called into active existence before the time which would normally see its presence. 120 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD All three of the favorable factors indicate possi- ings of oil on this globe. Here, at the bottom of the bilities. They offer positive evidence only in so far Cretaceous deposits, is the famous as they do not deny the possibility of an oilfield with- tar sand. in the area. But the facts that oil could have origi- of the Athabasca region. This sandstone bed, 100 nated in the rocks considered, and that it would have to 200 feet thick, is more or less saturated with accumulated at the points mentioned as favorable, heavy, black asphaltic oil. The beds lie nearly hori- point toward a possibility, the degree of whose sug- zontal and the river has cut its deep valley down gestion would certainly be strong enough to have at- through them, so that for a length of 100 miles, high tracted investment in drilling operations long ago if cliffs of the tar sand occur On either side. The rock transportation were less difficult and cheaper. If gj soft and plastic, and in places the heat of the sun the oil resources . of Northwest Canada are to be melts the heavy black oil out, so that it trickles slowly- proven, these factors show clearly that the area down the cliff. If this rock is heated in a retort, must not be slighted. some 10 to 20 gallons of oil per ton can be distilled. Transportation difficulties, which at present are There is no doubt that the tar sand underlies a the chief obstacles to unqualified recommendation of large area, variously estimated at 2000 to 10,000 the area, might be solved, and if oil were found, a SqUare miles. Naturally oil men have been attracted to the McMurray district and during recent years some twenty holes have been drilled. A number of these wells were carefully located and have been drilled through varying thicknesses of overlying shales into the tar sand. But up to the present, no commercial production of oil has been discovered, though gas in great amount has been found. AT PEACE RIVER. drilling commenced in 1915 (the McArthur well), and in 1916 some heavy oil was found near the bottom of the Cretaceous, at a depth of 980 feet. Other holes were soon commenced and there.are now six wells, having a depth of 1000 feet or more. The first well was located 12 miles down stream from the town, near Tar Island, where a seepage of gas and oil had long been known. The other wells are alongside the river, between this place and Peace River town. In most of these wells some heavy oil was met with near the base of the Cretaceous and also a useful quantity of gas was proved. Several barrel;, of oil per days have been baled from two or three of the wells, but a large flow of water, which is encountered very near the position of the oil-sand, has greatly interfered with their successful completion. Unfortunately, none of them yet can be considered commercially productive, though they have demonstrated the presence of some quantity of heavy oil. Perhaps somewhere in this neighbourhood better *G-eologist Keporting for Government of British Columbia. * * * THE SEARCH FOR OIL IN THE NORTH By DR. T. O. BOSWORTH* During the past few years there has been much talk of oil fields in the Peace River district and in the northern regions beyond, and at the present time considerable development work is in progress. There are in the north land two great geological systems of deposits which contain oil:—• The Cretaceous system. The Devonian system. THE CRETACEOUS SYSTEM. The Cretaceous formations are spread over the; Peace River district, extending westward to the Rockies and. eastwards to the Athabasca River and. beyond. In these Cretaceous deposits indications of oil are met with in various parts of Alberta and in the south portion of the Province there are valuable gas fields at Bow Island and Medicine Hat and a small production of oil in the Okotoks field. In the Peace River district, the Cretaceous de posits bear small seepages' of gas and oil at Tar Island, at Smoky River and also near High Prairie. The results may yet be obtained, but the geological evi structural conditions, however, are discouraging, for dence does not contain, much that is favorable. over much of this territory the strata lie very nearly Also, hopes are entertained by the operators that horizontal, a fact which is quite evident at Peace further oil will be found when the Devonian forma- River, where a conspicuous bed of sandstone, known tion below the Cretaceous is penetrated. The pres- as the Peace River Sandstone, is exposed on the ent wells have only reached the top of this formation sides of the valley, with a dip of only a few feet per and the prospect in these rocks remains to be tested. mile, for a distance of 90 miles. a+ tj-u tj ■ • *££ i r T At High Prairie, near the west end of Lesser Away to the east, on the Athabasca River, how- Slave Lake, a well is now being drilled in the vicin- ever, there is one of the most extensive surface show- ity of some oil seepages. The results in this new field MINING AND ENGI of operations will be awaited with much interest. Attention is now being turned, westward, along the Peace River, towards the foothills of the Rockies. In. that territory the Cretaceous deposits do not lie flat but have been folded, and some well-developed anticlines are known to exist. Seepages of oil and gas also are reported. No drilling has yet been undertaken in the foothills west and southwest of Peace River,—but in Southern Alberta, the little Okotokos oilfield lies in somewhat similar ground. THE DEVONIAN SYSTEM. of formation lies underneath the Cretaceous of the Peace River and Athabasca River region. Away further north, the Cretaceous cover has been denuded so that the Devonian rocks are on the surface. Thus in the northern part of the Peace River, beyond Fort Vermilion, those Devonian beds are well exposed ,and also in the north part of the Athabasca. In the North-West Territory, around the Great Slave Lake and all along the Mackenzie, are copious seepages of oil—and there can be little doubt that important oilfields some day will le opened up. On the Peace River, 40 miles down-stream from Fort Vermilion, there is an interesting showing of oil at the Chutes. This oil is a heavy tar, occupying the crevices in a bed of limestone breccia. The "Thomas" well was drilled at this place in 1915— 1916 for the late Lord Rhondda. The geological conditions, however, were unfavorable at this place, for the strata lies almost horizontal and the oil-bearing bed is close to the surface. After drilling through this rock, the bit soon went into a thick series of red clays, which yielded only sulphur, gas and salt water. t On the Athabasca River a number of wells have been drilled deep into the Devonian without success, though some quantities of gas were found. These wells are at Pelican, at McMurray and below Fort McKay. In all these, a thick series of red clays, with salt water, was found below the limestone. On the shores of the Great Slave Lake, at Sulphur Point, and especially near Slave Point, there are many pools of heavy dark oil among the rocks, from which small pails of oil can readily be bailed up, This dark, tarry oil is the residuum from a light oil. A bed of crystalline dolomite occupies the surface at this place, and in it drops of yellow oil are found in the cavities. A drilling outfit has been sent to the Great Slave Lake, and a test well is being drilled this year in the hopes of finding further oil-bearing horizons at depths below the beds which are exposed. MACKENZIE RIVER On the Mackenzie River, oil seepages were found long ago by the explorer. Mackenzie and have been' NEERING RECORD 121 noted by others since—especially by R. G. McConnell of the Geological Survey. The region was investigated by the writer in 1914 and many showings were found throughout a very large range of country. Some of- the most notable seepages occur below Fort Norman, in a series of clay-shales and sands. This series is underlain by a group of black, bituminous shales, with black, bituminous limestones beneath them. The oil is of light gravity. Anticlinal structures of good form were found, and altogether the evidences are favorable. A drill outfit was sent down the Mackenzie this summer. The location of the well is somewhere beyond Fort Norman, 500 miles north of any other well in Canada. There is no certainty that oil will be found in the first location, but there is a possibility that oil in quantity will be obtained in the region eventually. *Chief Geologist for Imperial Oil Co., Ltd. * * * MINE ACCIDENTS The ratio of mine accidents shows a gratifying reduction in both metal and coal mines. Statistics of Ontario mining show that the accidents in surface mining are much greater than those in underground mining, quarries showing the largest fatality list. In the United States the accident ratio is the lowest on record, indicating the success of the Safety First movement. At the No. 5 Mine of the Canadian Collieries Ltd, at South Wellington, James Bateman was killed in January by a fall 6f rock. At the Granby Company's No. 1 Mine at Cassidy, J. E. Thompson was injured by being crushel by a log which fell on him in the slope. A. Richardson, an employe of the City of Kamloops, was electrocuted while repairing a 2,200v. cable. * * * BRICK AND POTTERY The Lakeside Clay Products Corripany, Ltd, is being organized to manufacture brick at Vernon. W. G. McGinley, of Vancouver, is financing the industry. Chas. R. Gow, a Boston engineer, declares there is an understanding, among bricklayers in his city not to lay more than 500 bricks a day, whereas formerly it was not uncommon to lay from 1,500 to 2,000 bricks daily. The Saskatchewan Government is making a survey of the clay industry with a view to encouraging the use of brick instead of lumber for building purposes. Hon. C. A. Dunning, Provincial Treasurer, says:— "The Dominion Geological Survey reports indicate that we have in Saskatchewan among the most valua- 122 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD ble clay deposits in the world." Yet Saskatchewan is fully covered by blanket insurance over the has been importing brick from the United States to plants at Britannia Beach and El Potosi, Mexico, the tune of $108,000 a year. There are eleven clay- The cause of fire is unknown, but as it was first ob- working plants in the Province, of which three- served over the casing of an electric motor it is prob- fourths have been in financial difficulties. The Clay able a spark from the motor may have ignited the Products Company, of Moosejaw, is making face and lubricating oil. A strong wind was blowing at the fire brick and cannot supply the demand. It is estimated the established plants have a capacity of 400,- 000 brick per day. The Atlas Brick Company has been organized in Quebec with a capital of $150,000. The clay industries of Canada showed a healthy increase during the past year, the value of the pro- time. There was an excellent water supply, but the 10-in. main burst and the auxiliary 6-in. main was duction being $10,533,271, as compared with $7,996,- 366 for 1919—an increase for 1920 of over 33%. The items making up the amount were:— Brick, common, Th, 315,110,000 $4,868,958 Brick, pressed, Th, 81,776,000 1,756,760 Fireproof ing, tons, 49,220 591,216 Hollow building bricks 284,163 Kaolin, tons, 683 15,022 Terra Cotta 120,875 Pottery 207,410 Fireclay 517,333 Sewer Pipe, tons 58,827 1,549,090 Tile, drain, Th, 16,061,000 619,442 BRITANNIA MINING AND SMELTING CO, LTD. The copper production of British Columbia this year will miss the output of the Britannia Mine and Mill. The new mill, which had a capacity of about 2,400 tons a day, started operations in 1916, when the production of the mine jumped from $1,616,133 in 1915 to $4,495,727, and maintained a steady aver- Eiiii Site of Britannia Mining and Smelting Co.'s after the fire. Mill put out of business by the intense heat. The mains above the mill had to be tapped to fight the conflagration. The power-house, which was adjacent to the mill on the east side, was saved. The new ore shoot on the Victoria Claim is turning out well, having developed 2,500,000 tons of ore, some of which will run 11% copper. * * * age production during the five years it was in operation. From the time when it went into commission in 1916 to the time of its destruction by fire on March 19th, the new mill produced metals to- the value of $19,584,209, the annual output being as follows :— jold, Silver, Total oz. oz. Value 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 Copper, Gold, lb. oz. 16,288,835 791 16,357,329 992 18,322,482 3,045 17,330,844 4,349 DIVER MINERAL SEPARATOR W: D. Fawthrop, of 1830, 47th St. E, Vancouver, has been appointed agent for the Diver Mineral Separator, and is taking steps to interest operators of placer mines, mills and concentrating plants in the device, which is claimed to be an effective means of saving the values lost in the fines. It is stated the machine is particularly well adapted to the recovery of gold values in black sands. The machine is being adopted by two dredging plants to operate on Peace River. Economy of operation, high capac- 91,905 $4,495,727 ity and portability are features which the patentee 91,504 3,540,007 claims for his invention. Steps are being taken to 98,131 4,668,668 place machines manufactured under the Diver patents 99,863 3,437,100 in Cariboo, and Tulameen this season. 18,295,034 6,312 109,873 3,442,70/ It will take another year to rebuild the mill, and until it is again in operation the production of the Britannia Mine will be limited to shipments of high- grade ore taken out in process of development. The loss by the fire is placed at $1,225,000, but it Prof. A. B. McCallum of McGill University, who has gone to China to lecture at Pekin Medical School on behalf of the Rockfeller Foundation, gave an address before the Vancouver Medical Association, when passing through Vancouver. MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 123 THE LATE ALEXANDER SHARP, M.E. By E. A. During the past four years British Columbia has lost by death some of her most prominent mining engineers—the men who were the pioneers in the mining industry of which they well and truly laid the foundation, and which has developed during the past 25 years to the leading industrial enterprise of the Province outside lumbering and its associated industries. A pioneer among the mining engineers who built up the coal-mining industry was Alexander Sharp, who passed away at his home at 2526, Seventh Avenue West, Vancouver, on Saturday, April 9th, after an illness from intestinal trouble extending over two years, during which he underwent treatment at Calgary, Spokane, California, as well as Vancouver. Mr. Sharp and the writer had been close friends for some years, following the discovery on a' joint trip up the Coast on mine examination that their families had, in the days of Mr. Sharp's youth, been neighbours and acquaintances in Scotland. EARLY LIFE Alexander Sharp was born at Clackmannan, in the county of the same name, on the north side of the Firth of Forth, Scotland, on November 14, 1853. He was educated at the parish school, after which he went to Bath Academy, Bathgate, Linlithgow. His first industrial work was in connection with the shale- oil industry, developed by Dr. James Young, the celebrated Scotch chemict, who had, in 1850, taken out the first patent for "obtaining paraffine oil, or an oil containing paraffine, and paraffine from bituminous coals." Dr. Young had established at Bathgate chemical works for the extraction of coal oil and other by-products from the bituminous shales of the coal measures of Linlithgow. The industry was carried on under the name of Young's Paraffin Light and Mineral Oil Company, Ltd, which had been registered in 1866 with a capital of $3,500,000, and a debenture capital of $1,500,000. Mr. Sharp's experience in this industry accounted for his appreciation of the by-product value of .coal, of the utilization of which he was a never-ceasing advocate. From Bathgate he went to Fifeshire, where he entered the coal mines operated by the celebrated Scotch coal and iron operators, the Wemyss family, one of whom was so prominent in naval affairs during the war. In 1873 he moved to St. Helens, Lancashire, where he entered the office of W. Hopton, mining engineer and surveyor. In the following year HAGGEN* he began a technical course extending over three years at the Geartsherrie Technical College, Glasgow, where he had as a fellow student the late Thomas Russell, afterwards superintendent of the Cumberland Mines on Vancouver Island, operated by the Dunsmuirs at the same time as Mr. Sharp was general superintendent of their Wellington mines. Having obtained his First-class Certificate as Colliery Manager, Mr. Sharp was appointed assistant manager and surveyor at Gilmerton Collieries, and subsequently entered the service of the Omoa and THE LATE ALEXANDER SHARP, M.E. Cleland Coal and Iron Company as general manager, having full charge of their works at Motherwell, east of Glasgow. His last position in Scotland was manager, of the Herman Oil Company, mining oil shales and refining the product at West Calder, west of Edinburgh. When the Dunsmuir interests were reaching their greatest expansion they decided to obtain the services of three of the best mining engineers who could be obtained, and sent to friends in Scotland to secure suitable men. As a result three Scottish engineers, who have taken an active part in the development of the coal mining industry on Vancouver Is- m MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD land, came to British Columbia. These men were: Alexander Sharp, Thomas Russell, and Alexander Faulds—all men who had the highest reputation as successful coal mine managers in the south of Scotland. ON VANCOUVER ISLAND Arriving in British Columbia in 1889, Mr. Sharp was appointed assistant to John Bryden, then general superintendent of the Dunsmuir Wellington coal interests, succeeding to the position of general superintendent on retirement of Mr. Bryden shortly afterwards. During his management the Wellington Colliery attained its highest and most successful development, but the end of the mine was drawing near. Robert Dunsmuir, the founder of the celebrated Vancouver coal firm, had urged the necessity of keeping the coal reserves well ahead, and of securing the best possible data as to the quantity of coal available and of future sources of supply. "Behivins Alick, be sure that it is there" was a favorite expression in which he pronounced the policy which made his name and that of his mines famous. Mr. Sharp was on the look-out for another field to replace Old Wellington, and when a settler brought him a sample of coal of similar quality found eight miles to the south of Wellington Mine, he immediately recognized the prospective value of it. The settler referred. to had taken up a ranch on the E. and N. Belt, controlled by the Dunsmuirs, and suggested to Mr. Sharp that if the E. and N. Railway. Co. would release the title to his homestead, he would indicate the locality of his discovery. The arrangement was made, and the result led later on to the discovery and development of the Extension Mine as a successor to Old 'Wellington. In 1895 The Alexandra Colliery was opened at South Wellington. In 1896 there had been a strike of serious character at the Wellington Mine. Mr. Sharp had succeeded in arranging a settlement on terms which he had discussed with Jas. Dunsmuir, and which he understood that gentleman to agree to. On the terms being presented to the miners they said Mr. Dunsmuir would not agree to them. Mr. Sharp replied that he would give his personal undertaking the terms would be accepted and a settlement was effected. When the matter came before Mr. Dunsmuir, however, he refused to confirm the settlement, and Mr. Sharp, considering he had been the victim of a breach of faith, resigned his position. Shortly after Mr. Sharp came to Wellington he had received a letter from Thomas Russell, then manager of the Union Colliery Company's Mines at Cumberland, asking if he was the same of that name who had been a fellow student at the Gertsherrie Technical School at Glasgow, and Mr. Sharp replying in the affirmative these two colliery managers often met and collaborated to mutual advantage in handling the problems which they were often called upon to solve. In this way the coal mining interests of the Dunsmuirs benefitted to the utmost extent, and the mines operated by them reached a degree of financial success since unknown. ACTIVITIES AT ROSSLAND When he resigned at Wellington, the Rossland boom was at its height and Mr. Sharp determined to throw in his lot with the new camp. He had charge of development on the Iron Colt, of which J. F. Mc- Crae was secretary-treasurer. In partnership with A. S. Goodeve, he took hold of the Spitzee, and spent a considerable sum in development. The property was acquired by an English company, but has been shut down for some years. Mr. Sharp maintained the Spitzee would come back, and would yet prove a profitable mine. During the time he resided in Rossland he examined for investors many metal mining properties. CONSULTING ENGINEER FOR P. BURNS AND CO. In 1900 Mr. Sharp was appointed consulting mining engineer for P. Burns and Co-, a position which he retained till his death. During his illness he frequently referred to the handsome manner in which he was treated by that firm in continuing his full salary, although he was unable to render them any active service. His duties took him as far as Mexico, where Mr. Burns was interested in copper. For some years he operated for Mr. Burns silver-lead mines in Slocan and had charge of tthe First Thought Mine in Washington, while owned by Mr. Burns. From this property he shipped gold ore to the value of $605,659. He was the discoverer and locator of the Burns Coal Mines, on Sheep Creek, Alberta, a property which contains several seams of semi-anthracite coal, and is considered one of the most valuable coal properties in Canada. Development to the present stage was done under the supervision of Mr. Sharp, and the mine is now ready for railway transportation and production, j Mr. Sharp had contended that when this mine starts shipping its product will be in exceptionally good demand as a bunker coal and for export. DISCOVERER OF COALMONT The mining development of which he was proudest, however, was the Coalmont Mine, and during his illness he remarked on several occasions his opinion of the great future ahead of this mine. "When you EZ MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 12E write my obituary," said he, "don't forget to say that I was the discoverer of Coalmont," and he told how, when he had been drilling for coal in the Similkameen with disappointing results, getting nothing better than lignite, Col. Robert Stevenson came to him one day and told him that he knew where there was good coal. Always determined to get to the bottom of things, he accompanied the Colonel to a place where he said he had seen the coal, but could not then find any owing to its being buried by drift. Mr. Sharp took his pick and cut away the overburden. To his delight he knew by the feel of the pick that it was in coal, got some out, had it analysed, and found it was a quality of coal he was looking for. He laid it before his principals, but they said "There can be nothing there as your drilling operations proved up only lignite which we do not want." Coalmont knew no more of Mr. Sharp till the Winnipeg syndicate which was developing it came to the end of their finances and abandoned development, as did likewise their successors. J. R. Donald and J. T. Johnston, who were heavily interested in the property, again brought it to the attention of Mr. Sharp, and remembering his favorable impression of it he discussed the desirability of taking hold of it with J. A. Whittier, R. S. Lennie, P. Burns, W. J. Blake Wilson and others, offering to put his own money into it. A syndicate was organized to do preliminary development, and the results being attended with success the Coalmont Collieries, Ltd, was organized, the mine equipped, and placed on a producing basis under direction of Mr. Sharp, who had the fight of his life with the railway companies in getting them to test out the coal. The Canadian Pacific Natural Resources Department sent its mining engineers to investigate at the start, and these men were sceptical. At last Grant Hall, of the C. P. R, came along and Mr. Sharp told him the merits of the coal; how it was of bituminous classification, carrying high heat values, with free ash, no clinkering on the engine furnace bars from iron in the ash; and its superior grade as steam coal. The Great Northern and Canadian Pacific Railways tried it out and found Mr. Sharp's representations fully established. Grant Hall asked: "How is it our own engineers have been unable to discover any of these things?" The result was the railways offered to take all the coal that was being produced, and declare it has given the best satisfaction of any coal in western Canada for railway purposes. Mr. Sharp looked forward to the time when Coalmont will be producing 3,000 tons a day; supplying the coast shipping with a first-class bunker coal; its export to bunkering ports on the Pacific; and its financial reward as distributor of regular dividends to those who have had the courage and enterpfice to follow his advice. In fact he once told his principals "If you don't take up this proposition I will never submit another to you." In his capacity as consulting engineer for P. Burns and Co. he was allowed to make outside examinations, and made many reports for private parties and companies in mines in which they were, or proposed to be, interested. The candour, integrity, and thoroughness of his work commended itself to his clients at all times. He was called into consultation by the Mackenzie-Mann interests in connection with difficulties in their coal investments in Alberta and on Vancouver Island, and got himself into hot water with them because of his criticism of the over-capitalization and management of the Canadian Collieries (Dunsmuir) Ltd, when he was bluntly told to mind his own business. But he was right all the same, and had they followed his advice their reputation as promoters and coal mine operators would have been saved. There was not a coal or metal mining camp in Western Canada with which he was not thoroughly acquainted. While other engineers complained of poor business his services were always in demand. MEMBERSHIP OF ORGANIZATIONS He was a member of the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy for many years; of the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers ; B. C. Chamber of Mines; Vancouver Board of Trade Committee on the Fuel Problem; Prince Arthur Lodge of Freemasons; and of the Committee of Management of the Presbyterian Church at Kit- silano. SOCIAL ACTIVITIES Mr. Sharp took a great interest in public affairs. He was a Liberal in politics, but placed the public welfare before party affiliations. As instances of this he supported A. S. Goodeve as Conservative candidate for Kootenay in the House of Commons, and Lorne Campbell as Conservative candidate for Rossland ^n the Provincial Legislature. He frequently spoke at political gatherings, and at the Vancouver Board of Trade, and Chamber of Mines. He contributed papers to the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy on the Burns Mines in Alberta and on Longwall Mining of Coal. He was a firm believer in the value of economics and considered governments did not give nearly enough attention to this 126 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD phase of public service. He considered conservation of coal important, and reported to P. Burns and Co. on the desirability of a project to construct a pipe line between the coal deposits of Nicola or Similkameen and the Coast Cities, treating the coal by byproduct processes; extracting and marketing the byproducts; and delivering the waste gas by pipeline to cities like New Westminster and Vancouver. He contended gas could be sold at 50c per thousand cubic feet, and used to heat the buildings and provide a fuel supply for industries at a cost below that of coal, while ensuring smokeless and clean cities. He made a plan of the geological section of Alberta in the neighbourhood of Okotoks and had it placed in the railway station there as a guide to those interested in the exploration of the country for oil. He believed the time would come when British Columbia would become the centre of large iron and steel industries, the sites of which he considered should be on the Coast and at Trail. He considered Trail an ideal location, as it was handy to the hematite ores of East Kootenay, the magnetites of Rossland, of which he stated large deposits existed on Big Sheep Creek, and the coalfields of the Crows Nest Pass. He made a favorable report on an iron and steel industry for Mr. Valentine, a Scotch capitalist who proposed taking over the Britannia Mine and establishing an iron and steel industry here in the nineties, but died on his return to Scotland to complete his arrangements. ^.' At the meeting of the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy at Vancouver in February last he contributed a paper on "A Cheaper and Better Coal," of which he gave the writer a copy for publication in the Mining and Engineering Record at an early date. Among the coal properties which he examined and of which he formed a favorable opinion was the Suquash field on Vancouver Island; and am<,ng metal mining properties, he recommended to his clients diamond drilling on the Big I. on Vanccuver Island, a policy that was adopted, but dropped on account of difficulty in obtaining title. In 1904 he was married at San Diego, Cal, to Miss Matilda M. Sorgatz. Although' married for some years, it was not till five years ago that a boy was born to him. Coming as his only child did at that late time in life it gave him a new interest, and it was his one regret in the face of death that he must leave his wife and only child at such an early age. The late Mr. Sharp was a model citizen, a faithful husband, a loving father, and a pillar of the profession which he adopted and followed all his life. Besides his widow and son Alexander, he leaves to mourn his loss two sisters, Mrs. Rollan, resident at Spokane, and Mrs. Russell, resident in Edinburgh, Scotland. The high esteem in which he was held was attested by the many personal friends who attended the funeral services conducted by the Rev. Dr. McLaren, and Rev. J. W. Ogden. Among those who assembled at the house of mourning were many old friends from Rossland, men who frankly acknowledged they owed Mr. Sharp much for the helping hand he had extended to them in time of need. In an address before the Chamber of Mines he once- pointed out how much Vancouver owed to many old residents of Rossland, and particularly mentioned Aid. Frank Woodside, who was one of his most intimate friends. The pall bearers at the funeral were: W. J. Blake Wilson, R. S. Lennie, J. R. Donald and J. T. Johnston, associates in Coalmont Collieries, Ltd.; N. Thompson and J. F. Lamont. P. Burns and Dominic Burns were amongst those who attended the funeral services. 'Editor Mining and Engineering Eecord. PERSONAL k m, Major J. L. Bfetallack, whose appointment as pub lie Utilities Commissioner for British Columbia was cancelled by the Government without notice, applied to the Legislature for compensation by a grant of ten years' salary. The committee recommended he receive three months' salary, but the Legislature did not adopt the report. In the enquiry Major Retallack informed the committee that as managing director of the Whitewater Mine he drew a salary of $3000 a year and had a retainer of $1000 a year as agent from Beer, Sondheimer & Company in the purchase of zinc ore, together with 50 cents a ton on the ore purchased. His earnings from this source were:— 1908, $18,000; 1909, $28,775; 1910, $25,997; 1911-14, and average of $12,000 a year. H. W. Young, manager of the Maple Leaf Mine at Franklin Camp, has been on a visit to the Coast. A. E. Dyment, director of the Maritime Coal Company Limited, has been appointed president of the Canadian General Electric Company. F. J. Crossland gave a lecture before the Art, Historical and Scientific Association of Vancouver on "Oil in the West." wiNosoa TORONTO HP|flP DOMINION Oxygen of the highest and most uniform purity is now being supplied to users throughout Canada from five perfectly equipped distributing stations. At Toronto, Hamilton, Montreal, Welland and Windsor are efficiently organized forces whose business it is to insure prompt delivery of your oxygen requirements. Wherever your location, whatever quantity of Dominion Oxygen you may need—your order will be filled on the day it is received. It is through such service that the Dominion Oxygen Company Limited has secured the generous patronage of Canadians, which it hopes to continue to merit. DOMINION OXYGEN COMPANY, LIMITED Hillcrest Park, Toronto Hamilton, Montreal, Welland, Windsor 128 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD m\ m Senator Smeaton White of Montreal has been appointed a director of the Steel Company of Canada. Lt.-Col. Hon. Fred Nichills has resigned as president of the Canadian General Electric after 33 years' service. He was given a bonus of 2000 shares in the company. W. H. Malkin addressed the Electric Club of Vancouver on the economic situation, in which he urged the application of the old-time principles of thrift and industry, and pointed out that $1.50 was doing the work of $2 a year ago. — OIL MAPS — Of the Mackenzie Basin and Northern Oil Fields, Fort Norman, Windy Point, Pine Point, Pouce Coupe, Coalspur, Brazeau and Peace River Oil Fields. PRICE $1.00 EACH. THE MACKAY, TURNER CO. MAP MAKERS 514 TEGLER BUILDING, EDMONTON. Also Printed Maps at Special Rates. Write for List. J. R. WILLIAMS PROVINCIAL ASSAYER AND CHEMIST 540 Thurlow St. Vancouver, B. C. Phone Sey. 7105 My Prices are Moderate and Accuracy is Guaranteed Price List Mailed on Request Instruments Limited INCORPORATING E. R. WATTS & SON, LTD., London, Eng. CAMBRIDGE & PAUL INSTRUMENT CO., LTD., Cambridge, Eng. NEGRETTI & ZAMBRA, London, Eng. ROSS, LTD., London, Eng. Engineering Instruments Drawing Office Material Blue Print Papers, etc. 365 CORDOVA STREET, W. Vancouver, B.C. Send for Particulars regarding a possible Ten Hundred Per Cent. Profit on a $10 Investment in Shallow Oil Fields of Ky and Tenn. C. E. GIBSON, 207 Ideal Building, Denver, Colo., U.S.A. Geo. Cradock & Co. (B.C.) Limited 175 CORDOVA ST. W. Vancouver, B.C. tme&a& PRODUCERS OP High-Grade Mining Ropes Silverlock, Lock Coil Hoisting Ropes Tramway Systems Brattice Cloth GEO. S. PETTAPIECE, Managing-Director Mackenzie River Development Corporation Limited (Now Toeing Incorporated under Dominion Statutes) OFFICE: 508-509 BOARD OF TRADE BUILDING, VANCOUVER, B.C. A thoroughly sound legitimate business enterprise, formed for the purpose of aequiring by staking and otherwise, natural resources of all kinds, and especially Petroleum, Oil, and Natural Gas, and Gold and Precious Metals, Coal and other Minerals. The Company has acquired valuable and tangible assets, consisting of five oil leases at Pine Point in the Great Slave Lake District; also a rich placer gold; property and a gold dredging lease in British Columbia, and an extremely rich Platinum property also in British Columbia, and other properties. Fullest possible investigation is invited. An investment in this Corporation should realize big returns. SHARES NOW ON SALE Por full particulars and application forms, apply to Office— 508 BOARD OF TRADE BUILDING VANCOUVER, B.C. RUPERT W. HAGGEN DOMINION AND B.C. LAND SURVEYOR HYDRAULIC ENGINEER NOTARY PUBLIC QUESNEL, and 150 Mile House, B. C. ANDREW a. LARSON Mining' Engineer 926 Old National Bank Building SPOKANE, WASH. Cable Address: "Larmac" Bedford McNeill Code ROBERT H. STEWART Mining and Metallurgical Engineer Vancouver Block, Vancouver, B.C Prompt Deliveries Right Prices H Homer Publishing Co. Limited 426 Homer St. Vancouver, B.C. Telephone Sey. 3825 Three-Magazine Model Eight Linotype BILLHEADS BOOKS, BOOKLETS BUSINESS STATIONERY CARDS, CATALOGUES ENVELOPES, POLDERS LABELS, LETTERHEADS LOOSE LEAP FORMS MENUS, NOTEHEADS ORDER FORMS PAYCHECKS RECEIPT FORMS RULED FORMS MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD m ! = m Use Clayburn Firebrick and Clayburn Fireclay JK if you want Clayburn Quality throughout your work Clayburn Company, Limited CLAYBURN, B.C. CAMMELL LAIRD a CO., Ltd. Phone Seymour 5943 MARKSHead Office: Sheffield England Ccvclop^J FROM ORE TO FINISHED PRODUCT Basic Open Hearth and Crucible Steel Products Rails, Forging-Billets, Blooms, Slabs, and Bars. MINING EQUIPMENT Including Ball and Tube Mills, Roll SheHs, Crusher Jaws, Shoes and Dies. Also SOLID and HOLLOW DRILL STEELS. Crucible and High Speed Tool Steels, Nickel and Nickel Chrome Steels, High Grade Files and High Speed Twist Drills Branch Office and Warehouse: The Best Book for Prospectors Prospector's Field Book and Guide r H. S. Osborn, Revised d Enlarged by M. W. Von Bernewitz. 4-5/8 by 7 inches. 425 pages. 57 illustrations. Flexible Binding for carrying in pocket. Published by Henry Carey Baird and Co. Price: $3.50. LIST OF CHAPTER HEADINGS. Tungsten, Uranium, Vanadium XI.—Tin XII.—Mercury, Bismuth. H—Introduction II.—Preparatory Instruction III.—The Blowpipe IV.—Crystallography V.—Surveying VI.—Analysis of Ores VII.—Copper VIII.—Lead Zinc and Antimony IX.—Iron X.—Chromium, Manganese, Molybdenum, Titanium, Nickel, Cobalt Cadmium XIII.—Aluminum XIV.—Petroleum, Asphalt Oil Shale, Ozokerite. XV.—Various Useful- Minerals XVI.—Abrasives, Greenstones and Useful Bocks Appendix, Glossary of Terms, Index. Copies Supplied on application to— HOMER PUBLISHING CO., LTD. 426 Homer Street Vancouver, B. C. STONE FOR BUILDING And LIME CEMENT & MARBLE METAL & MINERAL * PROPERTIES CONSULT A. A. CROWSTON NOTARY PUBLIC VANCOUVER, CANADA . ■. - YOUR POWER SUPPLY We have 133,700 horse power available for this territory. It will pay you to Consult us. Carrall & Hastings Phone Sey. 5000 Vancouver New Westminister Victoria The Pleasure of Travel is fully realized in travelling on the Canadian Pacific Railway. By its lines can be reached all Canadian points, and its arrangements with American railroads enables its agents to issue tickets to all points in the United States. It operates its own Sleeping and Dining Cars, and has its own Hotels and Steamships. Its magnificent scenery, and the excellence of its service have made it the favorite route across the Continent. Illustrated publications as to its route, Banff, Yoho Valley. Glacier, etc., sent on application to any C. P. R. agent, or General Passenger Department. Vancouver, B. C. CXL- EXPLOSIVES FORCITE, fumes minimum, Force maximum. Orders given "CXL" service Results assured. Can be used in wet or dry work. Insist on "Polar Forcite" for hard rock work Tamping bags save you money, order some now Efficiency and "Forcite" go together. POLAR AMMONIA DYNAMITE. Have you used it? Ask any mine in B. C. about our "CXL" Polar Ammonia Dynamite. It represents economy and efficiency. ACCESSORIES.—Order Anything for Blasting, we have it. Write for information regarding our Explosives and Accessories. Offices: Vancouver, Victoria, Nanaimo, Prince Rupert, Nelson, B. C, and Calgary, Alta. CANADIAN EXPLOSIVES, LTD. I li'si' CANADA—Department of Mines ■ mi Hon. SIR JAMES LOUGHEED, Minister MINES BRANCH, Recent Publications Smelter Treatment Rates, Trail, B.C. Phosphate in Canada, by H. S. Spence. Building and Ornamental Stones of Canada (British Columbia), Vol. V., by W. A. Parks, Ph.D. Annual Mineral Production Reports, by J. McLeish, BA. Analyses of Canadian Fuels, Parts I. to V., by E. Stansfield, M.Sc., and J. H. H. Nicolls, M.Sc. Graphite, by H. S- Spence. Summary Reports of the Mines, etc. The Helium Sources of the British Empire, by J. C. McLennan and others. The Mines Branch maintains the following laboratories, in which investigations are made with a view to assisting in the development of the general mining industries of Canada: Fuel Testing Laboratory, Ore- Dressing Laboratory, Chemical Laboratory, Ceramic Laboratory, Structural Materials Laboratory. Applications for reports and particularly relative to having investigations made in the several laboratories should be addressed to The Director, Mines Branch, Department of Mines, Ottawa. CHARLES CAMSELL, Deputy Minister GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, Recent Publications Summary Report. The Annual Summary Report of the Geological Survey is now published in parts. Applicants should therefore state what particular geologist's report is required, or what subjects they are interested in. Memoir 110.—Preliminary report on the economic geology of Hazelton district, British Columbia, by J. J. O'Neill. Memoir 116.—Investigations in the Gas and Oilfields of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, by D. B. Dowling, S. E. Slipper and F. H. McLearn. Memoir 117-—Geology and ore deposits of Ainsworth mining camp, by S. J. Schofield. Memoir 123.—Sixtymile and Ladue Rivers Area, Yukon, by W. E. Cockfield. Map 1706.—Anyox, Observatory Inlet, B. C. Topography. Map 185a.—Sandon, Topography. Map 1584.—Blairmore, Geology. Map 1742..—Ainsworth, Geology. Map 1754.—Upper Elk and Upper Highwood Rivers, British Columbia and Alberta, Topogaphy. Application for Reports should be addressed to the Director, Geological Survey, Ottawa. THE CONSOLIDATED MINING AND SMELTING CO. OF CANADA, LIMITED OFFICES: SMELTING and REFINING DEPT. TRAIL, BRITISH COLUMBIA Smelters and Refiners PURCHASERS OF GOLD, SILVER, COPPER AND LEAD ORES PRODUCERS OF GOLD, SILVER, COPPER BLUESTONE, PIG LEAD & ZINC "TADANAC" BRAND Mining and Engineering Record Volume XXVL, Nos. 11 & 12 VANCOUVER, B. C, JUNE, 1921 Single Copies 25 c EDITORIAL The members of the Alberta Legislature, who insisted on the pipe-line rights applied for by the Imperial Oil Co., Ltd., being under public control, are to be congratulated on the stand they have taken. The Imperial Oil Co., Ltd., is the Canadian subsidiary of Standard Oil. Everybody knows the history of that monopoly in the United States. It is not in the interest of Canada that history should be repeated here. The only safeguard of the public and other operators in the Mackenzie field is government control of all pipe lines. It is the intention of the Alberta Government to submit a general bill putting all pipeline companies on the same basis and providing for government control. That is the sound national policy. The Imperial Oil Company has withdrawn its bill in consequence of the stand taken by the Alberta Government and Legislature. * * * The incompetent manner in which the Railway Commission of Canada has handled the railways is demonstrated by the statement of A. J. Mitchell, controller of the National Railways, who is reported in the press to have informed the special railway committee at Ottawa that if the National Railways had been run on the same basis as 1917 there would have been no deficit. Canada cannot afford to incur a loss of $100,000,000 a year in railway operation, and the sooner the railways get back to 1917 conditions the better. Of the deficit, $38,000,000 is accounted for by increased wages. The C.P.R. operates 13,402 miles with a revenue of $216,641,349, and the Canadian National, 13,852 miles with a revenue of $109,- 641,349, or less than half, the revenue of C.P.R. Operating expenditure on the C.P.R. was $183,488,305, and on the National lines, $136,532,011, equal to 84.7% for the C.P.R. and 124% for the National Railways. * * * Vaile, a student of railway operation, has pointed out the best railway policy is 'to encourage traffic to the limit by low rates, so that trains will be run at full instead of minimum capacity. He instanced the success of some European railways which adopted the zone system, whereby a passenger could travel to any point in that zone for the same fare, on the principle of the street car, postal and telegraph services. There appears to be a lot in his contention, and it would be well if the management of the National Railways gave the matter some consideration. Presi dent Hanna states that what the National Railways want is more business. Then let him apply the principles necessary to get it. One of the basic principles of increasing traffic is reduced rates. The hold-up rates authorized by the Railway Commission last year killed business on both the C.P.R. and Canadian National, and did incalculable mischief to the trade, commerce, industries and wealth production of Canada. * * * The report of C. Williams to the Provincial Government on the routes for the P.G.E. Railway into Peace River give the distance via Prince George and Pine Pass as 316 miles to Swan Lake, and cost of construction is placed at $18,000,000. The route via Vanderhoof, Hudson's Hope, and Pine River to Swan Lake has a length of 426 miles and will cost $17,982,- 000. The main choice between these routes appears to be the length of the railway. If a hundred miles can be saved it is an important factor in future cost of operation, saving of time in travel, and should have the preference. There is no doubt this road would in a few years develop an immense amount of traffic, and in any case the country that would be served by the Vanderhoof route would in the future be equally well served by a branch which will eventually be constructed through northern British Columbia into Atlin and the Yukon. * * * The Dominion Government Public Works Department requires some horse-sense injected into its administration. It insists on a clear span of 30 feet between the elevation of bridges and high water level on rivers such as the North Thompson, which it classes as a navigable river. All the navigation on the North Thompson will amount to small gas or steam launches serving the requirements of settlers along the river, or small tugboats used in towing logs; and* low-level bridge will not interfere with such traffic. The effect of the decision is to put the Provincial Government to heavy unnecessary expense in building high level bridges to give access to settlers. The Dominion Government is acting on the recommendation of J. P. Forde, its engineer at Nelson. It is time the Department got the advice of another engineer on the subject, with a view to assisting instead of hampering the development of the country by roads and bridges perfectly well adapted to the navigable conditions demanded. W: 132 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD w The Dominion regulations concerning oil and gas locations have called forth severe criticism in the House of Commons. Joseph Archambault, M.P., asked the Government if it was not aware the present regulations favored the Imperial Oil Co. to the disadvantage of prospectors and smaller operators. Brig.-Gen. W. A. Griesbach, M.P. for Edmonton, also severely criticized the regulations. * * * The proposal of Brig.-Gen. W. A. Greisbach, M.P. for Edmonton, to give owners of surface rights a sixteenth of the oil produced on their homesteads would lead to endless complications and disputes, and be as fertile of lawsuits as the Settlers Rights legislation regarding coal on Vancouver Island. Titles to Dominion lands have for many years reserved to the Crown all mineral rights; and to give settlers a share in oil, just because it might happen to be on their farms without their knowledge, would be a gross injustice to others who have no oil. The position is clear as it stands. Let it remain so. The proposal is all right as a vote-catching proposition on the eve of an election, but should end there. * * * It is with some surprise that we read in the Ash- croft Journal a report of a meeting of farmers in the dry belt at which a resolution was adopted in favor of destroying the timber on the high plateaux. We know something of this matter, having travelled through these areas; and having studied the effects of forest denudation under similar conditions in other countries. The resolution is an illustration of how farmers and others will commit suicide with their own interests for want of knowledge and observation. Take Highland Valley for instance. The summits are rocky with sloughs and bogs covered with forests of timber of varying sizes. This timber affords shade for the snow and ice, and prolongs by some weeks the process of thawing, but for which the snow would be suddenly thawed and the watercourses flooded in the early part of the season, with considerable damage to the low-lying lands. Later on these creeks would be dry, affording no water for irrigation or use of stock. Forest Ranger Cameron warned the meeting of the mischief which would result from the adoption of such a resolution. Geo. Barclay, M. L. McAbee, W. Bose, T. D. Kitchell, P. Parkes, who appear to have been the chief supporters of the resolution, would regret it only once if carried into effect, and that would be for the rest of their lives. * * * For two years the Canadian Institute of Minine- and Metallurgy, especially in its Ontario membership, has been an advocate of nickel coinage for Canada, mainly because Ontario is a large producer of nickel. The House of Commons has now adopted legislation providing for the issue of nickel coinage in 5c pieces, legal tender to $5.00. The new coinage will cut into the demand for silver for small coins, and we fail to see any resulting advantage. The Monetary Times asks Sir Henry Drayton why he should place the blame for the depreciation of the Canadian dollar on Canadian housewives, when he knows that it is inflation of the currency over the gold reserve, and not the balance of trade, that is to blame. If the admonition of the Times will do something to educate Sir Henry Drayton to the importance of strengthening the gold reserve and encouraging gold production in Canada it will do good. Our contemporary remarks:—"If Canadian dollars are as good as gold, how can they be worth only 87c in New York? That is just what is meant by the statement that the Canadian dollar is as good as the American dollar, for the latter may be exchanged for gold at any time. Back of the issue of $290,000,000 of Canadian Government currency there is only $99,000,000 of gold, and $137,000,000 of securities which are certainly not worth their face value, leaving $54,000,000 entirely uncovered." It is encouraging to have an optimistic note sounded in these days of business depression. The Dawson News says Yukon promises to have the busiest summer for some years. The tonnage transported will be a record for years if not in the history of the Yukon. T. Blundell Brown, director of the B. C. Electric Railway Co., Ltd., is authority for the statement that the demand on the company's power resources, including the Western Canada Power plant, is at or close to the available limit so that arrangements must be made to develop more power. The company can of course add another 50,000 h.p. by its second Stave River installation, and has in reserve Jones Lake and Lillooet River as additional sources of power. We are in receipt of advice from the Acheson Graphite Company, of Niagara Falls, Ont., calling our attention to an error which appeared in the February number of this journal in which it was stated that "During the war artificial graphite was produced by the International Acheson Graphite Co., at Niagara Falls, Ont., the production being 1,808,000 lbs., but the industry was evidently -not profitable and was dropped." It MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 133 Mr. W. H. Arison, manager of the Canadian plant, states as follows:— "The figure given represents the normal annual production, and instead of the industry being dropped we are glad to tell you that it is a going concern. Our industry was established in the United States about 1900 and has steadily grown until the maximum production reaches many million pounds annually. The Canadian branch was established in 1905, and we have now in operation a one-thousand electrical horse-power plant producing large quantities of graphite, which in powdered form goes into all industries where graphite is used, and what is more important the production of solid pure graphite electrodes for electric furnace work has aided in the large development of electric furnace interests throughout the Dominion. We believe that every electric furnace installation in the city of Vancouver is operated with Acheson electrodes, which have been found to be . more economical than any other form of electrode in this work. As this field is constantly developing throughout Canada, we expect not only to continue to be a going concern, but to grow with the various industries." * * * THE MINING OUTLOOK When the prices of metals began to slump last fall we expressed the opinion that by June of this year bedrock market conditions would be reached, and that thereafter a change for the better would be experienced. There are now indications that war adjustments have reached their limit, and that from now on there will be a steady improvement in metal market and industrial conditions which will lead to a revival of the mining industry until it regains its former activities and becomes a regular distributor of dividends on the capital invested in the standard companies. There is no doubt that if the European situation were adjusted in manner mutually satisfactory to Germany and the Allies the metal markets would pick up quickly. Germany has for many years been one of the largest consumers of the metals in her manufacturing industries; and while Germany should pay to the limit of her ability for the damage wrought by the war, it is in the world interest that her commercial and industrial resources should enjoy their fullest development as soon as possible. Gold mining is, as might be expected, the first section of the industry to show revival. There is an active demand for gold properties, and all owners of properties of merit can place them on equitable terms. Gold is rapidly coming into its own as the prices of commodities fall and the purchasing power of the dollar is increased. The outlook for silver is not quite so satisfactory, and it is probable the price will remain around 60c. The American Government has already bought up a third of the silver under the Pittman Act for which the Treasury was authorized to pay $1.00 per oz. The other two thirds will be used up within the current year when the Pittman Act will automatically cease to operate. There is, however, a possibility the Act may not be exercised to the limit, as there is an active demand in the east for its repeal on the very reasonable ground" that the United States Treasury should buy its silver at the market value in the same way as any other purchaser. The Pittman Act has helped the silver market by keeping American silver from competition with the production of the rest of the world, and when American silver has to be sold in the outside bullion market it will have a weakening effect on the price. The London price of silver rules the world, and that price is mainly based on the demand from India. That demand has been lessened by the recent treasury orders which have had the effect of placing India on a gold basis; and by the government order that public payments be made in bank paper instead of bullion or silver coinage. China is said to be a seller of silver rather than a buyer. On the other hand the arrangements being made for the establishment of a mint of large coinage capacity in China will create a new market which will probably absorb the present surplus, and again make China a buyer of silver. The lead market is steady at $5.00 in New York, where the price of the metal has been advanced twice within the past few weeks; and this in face of the fact that Spanish lead is being offered in competi- iton. Present prices of lead are higher than those ruling for the 9-year period prior to the war, and would therefore appear to be on a permanent basis. The copper market is the most unsatisfactory of all, but the price shows a tendency to harden. The price this year is the lowest since 1897, and for the past six months sales have been only nominal, due to the large amount of war scrap which has been available at low prices both in Europe and America. No metal would be more quickly and favorably affected than copper by an adjustment of the European situation, and it is probable a market would be immediately afforded for 200,000 tons, or sufficient to absorb the present surplus stock. With that stock out of the way, the copper market would rapidly recover to from 14c to 15c, at which price mines now idle could operate profitably, thus bringing about a revival of the industry. Once the market is cleared, production will barely keep up with probable demand, as immense hydro-electrical developments are planned all over the world, and their execution will entail the consumption of immense amounts of copper — so much SO' that it is probable the metal will advance to 134 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD "IN. about 20c per lb., and again form one of the most attractive and profitable phases of the mining industry. Japan is in the market for copper produced in British Columbia and at Tacoma, and this probably ac-T counts for shipments of blister copper from the Granby Company's smelter at Anyox to Tacoma, instead of as usual to the Nichols Refinery at New York. Japan has been an important producer of copper, ranking second in the world's producing countries, but strange to say Japanese manufacturers find it cheaper to buy their requirements on this side of the Pacific than in their own country at present prices. Zinc has of late been least in demand of all the metals, but a gratifying change is evident in the market. An immense demand is springing up for rustproof iron and steel in the shape of the galvanized product, and this is having a healthy effect on the zinc market. At the same time it must be considered that many of the largest zinc plants have been shut Mint and the Precious Metals in Canada," Dr. Brown contended the financial position of Canada is being placed in a critical position by the indifference shown to the gold mining industry. Sir Henry Drayton, Minister of Finance, is a lawyer and a politician who knows little or nothing of economics, and in the adverse exchange with the United States, in consequence of indifference to gold production, Canada is today paying the price of incompetent financial administration. Canada should have at the head of her national finances the best economist available; and under such guidance we should see every effort put forth to increase the gold pro- > duction. Of the nine provinces of Canada, six are gold producers; and of the three Territorial Districts, the Yukon Territory is rich in gold resources. With a man who knew his business at the head of the Department of Finance, the gold production of Canada could be increased from $16,000,000 to between $40,000,000 and $50,000,000 a year, equivalent to the down for some months to curtail the over-production production of the United States. Such a policy would formerly experienced. The Trail Smelter has an immense stock on hand, but with prices ruling at $5.00 to $5.50 for electrolytic this stock should now find a market. This is a good price compared with the average of past years. This is the time, when the mining business is dull, for investors and operators to get in and secure new properties, and to carry on their development in readiness for the good times coming. The mining industry is in for the most prosperous years in its history, and those who are ready to take advantage of it will reap the reward of their foresight and enterprise. GOLD AND NATIONAL FINANCE An unforgiveable feature of Dominion finance has been the manner in which the Finance Minister has restore international credit, employ all the surplus labor now idle, place the Canadian dollar at par with that of Uncle Sam, create general commercial activity and prosperity, and build up the financial strength of the nation by a favorable trade balance. One political party is as much to blame as the other. The blame lies primarily with the people themselves; an education system incompetent to build up a healthy public opinion and create that demand for men of economic knowledge and experience being placed in control of the national pilot-house. Look where you will, you do not see a really big and capable man in charge of any department of the State. Cabinet Ministers and members of parliament are for the most part men whose main qualification is that of making jolly good fellows of themselves with the electorate, the tools of party organization. Until ptiblic affairs are placed in the hands of capable men, persistently refused to recognize the value of gold the national railways will continue to be the subjects of huge deficits; the national currency will continue to be depreciated; development of the natural resources of the country will lag behind; and the value of gold production as a factor in the stabilizing and maintenance of international credit will remain un- production and reserves in Canada. Dr. J. Brown, late Deputy Master of the Ottawa Mint, has drawn attention in a forcible manner to the mischief done to the stability of the country by this policy of indifference to gold as a factor in national finance. In a paper before the Royal Statistical Society on "The recognized. MINING AND ENGI REGULATIONS FOR OIL AND The following are the new rules and regulations governing oil and gas locations in the Northwest Territories, which include Mackenzie River Basin, the Peace River Block in British Columbia, and Alberta :— INTERPRETATION "Minister" shall mean the Minister of the Interior of Canada. "Location" shall mean the tract described in an oil and gas permit or lease. "Lessee" or "permittee" shall mean any individual, company, corporation or municipality, the holder of an oil and gas permit or lease in good standing. "Mining Recorder" shall mean the Agent of Dominion Lands for a district, or other officer appointed by the Government for the particular purpose referred to. "Sub-Recorder" shall mean a Sub-Agent of Dominion Lands, or other person appointed by the Government to receive applications, fees and rentals, and to immediately transmit the same to the mining recorder for this district. "Legal post" shall mean a stake or post of any kind, of sound timber of sufficient length so that when firmly planted in the ground in an upright position, not less than four feet of such post shall be above ground. The post must be of such diameter that when squared or faced for eighteen inches from the upper end each face of the squared or faced portion shall be not less than four inches in width across the face for the full eighteen inches, or if a tree of suitable size is found in position it may be made into a post by cutting the tree off not less than four feet from the ground and squaring and facing the upper eighteen inches, each face of the portion so squared or faced to be not less than four inches in width. Whether a post is planted or a stump of a tree made into a post, a mound of stones or earth shall be erected around the base of the post, such mound of earth or stones to be not less than three feet in diameter on the ground, and not less than eighteen inches high, cone-shaped and well constructed. "Location line" of an oil and gas location shall mean a straight line, opened or indicated throughout, between No. 1 and No. 2 location posts of the location and joining them. "Fraction" shall mean any parcel of land which is not of sufficient extent to admit of a location containing an area of at least eighty acres being located under the provisions of these regulations within its boundaries. "River" shall mean a stream of water, the bed of which is of an average width of one hundred and fifty feet throughout the portion thereof- on which NEERING RECORD 135 GAS PERMITS AND LEASES the tract applied for fronts. "Operator" shall mean the permittee or lessee of allocation or a duly appointed agent of such permittee or lessee in charge of operations. "Company," wherever it occurs in these regulations, shall mean a company incorporated under part one of the Companies' Act, Chapter 79 R.S.C., 1906, and amendments thereto, and the charter of such company shall provide for the issue of the shares of the capital stock of such company without any nominal or par value in accordance with section 7 ' (B) of the said Act. "Year" shall mean a continuous period of twelve calendar months. 1.—A permit for a location conveying the exclusive right to prospect thereon for oil and gas, the property of the Crown, in the Northwest Territories of Canada, may be granted to any person eighteen years of age or over for a period of four years under the provisions of these regulations. 2.—The maximum area of oil and gas rights which may be acquired by an applicant under permit shall be 2,560 acres, or four square miles, and no person shall be permitted to acquire a greater area except by assignment: Provided that such maximum area may be selected in not more than five separate blocks covered by five permits, but no person shall be permitted to hold under permit at the same time more than five locations acquired by application. (b) Provided that a person who has been granted a permit for a location, and who subsequently abandons or assigns the same, may, after the expiration of twelve months from the date of the said permit again apply for a permit under these regulations: (c) Provided further that such right shall not be granted unless all payments on account of rent or other liability to the Crown, due by such person, have been fully made, up to the date of the registration by the Department of the assignment of his right to such permit, or up to the date upon which the permit expired or was relinquished or lapsed. 3.—Application for a permit shall be filed by the applicant in person with the mining recorder for the district in which the rights applied for are situated, or with a sub-recorder for such district, for transmission to the mining recorder, but priority of application shall be based upon the date of the receipt of such application in the office of the mining recorder for the. district: Provided that where two or more persons lay claim to the same location, or to portions of the same location, the right to the permit shall be in him who can prove to the satisfaction of the Minister that he was the first to take possession of the tract in dispute by staking in the manner pre- 136 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD y k scribed in these regulations, and that application for a permit was made within the specified time. 4.—Application for a permit shall contain a description by metes and bounds of the location applied for, and shall be accompanied by a plan showing the position of such location in its relation to some prominent topographical feature or other known point. 5.—The location shall be rectangular in form, ex (4) The name of the person locating the claim. 0) The locator standing at Location Post No. 1 and facing in the direction of Post No. 2 shall have the right and left of the location line on his right and left respectively. (/) When the tract has been located, the locator shall immediately mark out the location line joining Post No. 1 with Post No. 2 so that it may be dis- :ept where a boundary of a previously located tract tinctly seen at every point throughout its entire is adopted as common to both locations, the length not to exceed four times the average breadth. 6.—The application shall be accompanied by evidence supported by affidavit of the locator to show that the following requirements have been fully complied with:— (a) That the location applied for has been defined length. In a timbered locality the line shall be opened up throughout its length by cutting away trees and underbrush and removing obstructions; and trees and brushwood likely to obstruct a clear view of the line throughout its entire length' or of the posts marking the claim shall be removed. The trees at each side of and adjoining the location line shall on the ground by the locator in person, by planting be marked by placing on each tree three blazes, one two legal posts firmly in the ground, one at each extremity of the location line, which shall be known as "Location Post No. 1" and "Location Post No. 2." The location line may have any bearing or direction, but must be a straight line, measured horizontally between the location posts. The distance between Post No. 1 and Post No. 2 shall not exceed 21,120 feet, or four miles, but may be less. (b) The inscriptions to be placed on these posts blaze on each tree facing the location line and one blaze on each side of the tree in the direction of the said line. In a locality where there is neither timber nor underbrush, the locator shall set aside legal posts or erect monuments of earth or rock not less than eighteen inches high and three feet in diameter at the base, so that such line may be distinctly seen through its entire length. (g) All the particulars required to be inscribed on shall be and remain clearly and legibly marked by posts No. "1" and No. "2" shall be set out in the ap- knife, marking iron or crayon, but not so as to be- plication and shall be accompanied by a plan in dupli- come illegible or obliterated. cate, drawn to a scale, showing the position of the (c) On Location Post No. 1 on the side facing location as staked on the ground. The plan shall in the direction of Location Post No. 2 shall be marked, beginning near the top of the portion faced, and extending downward, the following:— (1) Oil location. (2) No. 1. contain sufficient data to admit of the position of the location being shown in its proper position on the records of the department. Unless definite information is furnished as to the exact position of the location so staked, the application for a permit will not (3) The letter indicating the direction of Location be considered. Post No. 2,—"N" for north or northerly, "S" for 7.—The location shall be staked along its greatest south or southerly, "W" for west or westerly, and dimension, and the bearing of the location line shall "E" for east or easterly. be given in degrees and minutes. (4) The number of feet lying to the right and the 8.—The locator shall post a written or printed no- number of feet lying to the left of the location line,— tice in the Form "A" of these regulations, on a con- "R" for right and "L" for left. spicuous part of the location applied for, setting out (5) Distance to Post No. 2. his intention to apply within the period specified for (6) The month and date of the month upon which the exclusive right to prospect for oil and gas upon the location. the location was made. (7) The year. (8) The name of the person locating the claim. (d) On Location Post No. 2 shall be marked on the side of that post facing in the direction of Loca- 9.—The minimum area of a location which may be acquired under the provisions of these regulations shall be eighty acres. 10.—In case the tract applied for is located on tion Post No. I beginning near the upper end of the margin of a lake or river, its least dimension shall be in the general direction of the water frontage. 11-—The application shall be accompanied by evidence supported by the affidavit of the locator, in due form, to show that the above requirements of the regulations have been fully complied with. the portion faced and extending downward, the following :— (1) No. 2. . (2) The month and date of the month upon which the location was made. (3) The year. MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 12.—Application for a permit shall be made by the locator in person to the mining recorder for the district, or to a sub-recorder for such district, within thirty days after the date upon which the tract applied for was staked, as above provided, if it is situated within one hundred miles of the office of the mining recorder or sub-recorder, otherwise it will not be considered. One extra day, however, shall be allowed for every additional ten miles or fraction thereof that the location is distant more than one hundred miles from the office of the mining recorder or sub-recorder. (b) Application, however, shall not be accepted by the mining recorder or by a sub-recorder for a permit under the provisions of these regulations unless such applicant presents with his application a certificate granted to him in accordance with the provisions of the Entry Ordinance of the Northwest Territories. 13.—The rental for the first year of the location applied for, at the rate of fifty (50) cents an acre,, shall accompany the application filed in the office of the mining recorder for the district in which the rights applied for are situated, and no application for a permit shall be accepted or recorded unless it is accompanied by the full amount of the rental for the first year at the above rate. 14.—The permit, when issued, shall bear date from the day upon which it is so issued. 15.—The permittees shall, within two years from the date of the permit, have upon the lands described in such particular permit, a substantial and adequate drilling outfit, satisfactory to the Minister, to commence actual drilling operations, and he shall, within the same period, furnish evidence, supported by affidavit, showing the character, quantity and value of the drilling equipment so installed, the date of such installation, and the particular portion of the location upon which it is installed. 16.—If the required equipment is not installed on the location within the period specified, and if evidence of its installation is not furnished, the permit shall lapse without any declaration of cancellation or forfeiture on the part of the Crown. The said location may again be opened to re-location after notice has been posted for a period of thirty days in the office of the mining recorder for the district, if the Minister so directs. 17.—The rental for the second year of the term of the permit shall be at the rate of one dollar ($1.00) an acre, payable in advance to the mining recorder for the district, or to the Minister, but if evidence is furnished to show that the prescribed drilling equipment was installed on the location within one year from the date of the permit, payment of the rental for the second year shall not be required. 18.—The rental for the third year of the term of the permit shall be at the rate of $1.00 an acre, payable in advance to the mining recorder for the district, or to the Minister, but in case evidence is furnished to the satisfaction of the Minister to show that drilling operations on the said location were commenced, and are being actively prosecuted prior to the beginning of the third year, payment of the rental for such year shall not be required. If such evidence is subsequently furnished and duly accepted, the permittee shall become entitled to a refund of the rental so paid. 19.—At the termination of the third year of the term of the permit, the permittee shall furnish the mining recorder for the district with evidence supported by affidavit to show that he has drilled one or more wells to a depth of at least five hundred feet each on the location described in each permit, or has expended in actual drilling operations thereon the sum of not less than $5,000, exclusive of the cost of machinery and casing. In case such evidence is not furnished within thirty days after the expiration of the third year, the permit shall absolutely lapse, without any declaration of cancellation or forfeiture on the part of the Crown. 20.—If oil in commercial quantity has not been discovered on the location, as herein provided, to the satisfaction of the Minister, the permittee shall, during the fourth year, continue his operations, and shall drill one or more wells to an aggregate depth of not less than two thousand feet, or to such depth as may be. considered by the Minister to be sufficient to determine whether or not oil in commercial quantity exists on the location. 21.—If, at the termination of the fourth year of the term of the permit, oil in commercial quantity has not been discovered, to the satisfaction of the Minister, the permit shall absolutely lapse, and the location may, if the Minister so directs, again become available for application under the provisions of these regulations, after notice has been posted in the office of the mining recorder for a period of thirty days. 22.—If, at any time during the period of the permit, oil in commercial quantity is discovered on the location to the satisfaction of the Minister, the permit shall terminate and the permittee shall become entitled to receive a lease of the portion of such location hereinafter provided for. 23.—In order to obtain such lease, the permittee shall immediately stake out, within the limits of his location a square block containing not more than one- fourth of the area described in the permit, by marking the four corners of such square with legal posts, and he shall, within sixty days from the date of so 138 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD staking, file with the mining recorder an application and collected on the natural gas products of the lease for a lease thereof. It ffl 24.—The portion of every location acquired by permit under these regulations which is not included in a lease to the permittee, and every fraction resulting from the staking of locations under the provisions of the regulations shall be reserved to the Crown for stich disposal as may be determined by His Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada. LEASE 25.-—The term of the lease to be issued shall be hold, including products of wet gas manufactured or extracted therefrom. 30.—The permit or lease shall in all cases include only the oil and gas rights which are the property of the Crown, but the permittee or lessee may, upon application, be granted a yearly lease of whatever area of the available surface rights of the tract described in his permit or lease the Minister may consider necessary for the efficient and economical working of the rights granted him. The rental for such surface rights shall be at the rate of one dollar ($1.00) an twenty-one years, renewable for a further term of acre per annum, payable yearly in advance, and such twenty-one years, provided the lessee can furnish evi- rental shall be in addition to any rental or royalty dence satisfactory to the Minister to show that dur- which the permittee or lessee may be required to ing the term of the lease he has complied fully with pay for the oil and gas rights. the conditions of such lease, and with the provisions 31.—The boundaries beneath the surface of a loot the regulations in force from time to time during cation shall be the vertical planes in which their sur- the currency of such lease. face boundaries lie. 26.—The rental shall be at the rate of one dollar 32.—No well for the discovery of oil or gas shall ($1.00) an acre per annum, payable yearly in ad- be bored or drilled within two hundred feet of any vance. of the boundaries of the location described in any 27.—A fee of five dollars ($5.00) shall accompany permit or lease, except in accordance with regula- each application for a permit or lease, which will be tions duly approved by the Minister, and in the se- refunded if the rights applied for are not available, lection of the leasehold the boundaries thereof shall but not otherwise. be distant not less than two hundred feet from any 28/—Until the first day of April in the year 1926 well already drilled by the permittee, there shall be levied and collected by the Crown a 33.—If, for any reason, it is considered necessary royalty at the rate of five per cent, in amount or value or advisable to have a survey made-of any location of the oil production of locations acquired under the or locations acquired under the regulations, owing to provisions of the regulations, after which date the an alleged conflict of locations, or in order to deter- royalty which shall be levied and collected shall be mine the exact position of such location or locations, at the rate of ten per cent, in amount or value of such or in order to settle any dispute which may arise reproduction, specting the same or respecting any location or loca- (b) The person operating an oil location acquired tions reserved for the Crown, the Minister may direct under the provisions of these regulations shall fur- that such a survey be made by a Dominion Lands nish the Minister with sworn returns monthly, or at Surveyor under proper instructions and may require such times as the Minister may direct, accounting payment in advance of the costs of such survey to be for the full quantity of oil or gas recovered from such made by the applicant for or the recorded owner of location. the location or locations to be surveyed in whole or (c) If there is any default in payment of the in part, or the Minister may require such portion royalty on the products of any location, or in fur- of the payment of the costs as may seem to him just, nishing any returns in connection with such location, Failure on the part of the applicant, permittee or the mining recorder may cause a notice of such default to be posted in a conspicuous place on such location. If such default is not remedied within thirty days from the date of posting, all rights under the lease of such location shall thereupon cease and determine, and all title to the said lease and location shall revert to the Crown, without any further notice or other action by any officer of the Crown, and the lessee shall not be entitled to compensation for any loss occasioned him by the termination of the said lease. 29.—A royalty at such rate as may fr lessee to make such payment in advance when called upon to do so by the proper officer of the Department shall render the application, permit or lease subject to immediate cancellation in the discretion of the Minister. 34.—If the lease issued to an applicant under the provisions of these regulations is relinquished or cancelled, the location described therein, as well as the reservation created in connection therewith, may, if the Minister so directs, again be open to application under the provisions of the regulations after no- trom time to tice has been posted in the office of the mining retime be specified by Order in Council may be levied corder for a period of thirty days. !«(',; MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 139 35.—The operator shall, before commencing' boring operations on a location acquired under the provisions of the regulations, notify the Minister in writing of his intention to commence such operations, and the approximate date, and such notification shall contain the following information:— (1) The particular point on the location at which operations are to be conducted. (2) The number or other designation by which the well shall be known, which number or designation shall not be changed without the consent of the Minister. (3) The size and weight of casing to be used. (4) The kind of drilling rig to be employed. (5) The name and post office address of the person in charge of such operations. 36.—The operator shall at all times take reasonable measures to prevent the injurious access of water to the oil-bearing formation. Upon a well proving to be unproductive, or ceasing to yield oil in paying quantity, or being abandoned for any cause, the operator shall be at liberty to withdraw the casing from the said well, but in order to prevent water gaining access to the oil-bearing formation, such operator shall immediately close the well to the satisfaction of the Minister, by filling it with such material as shall have the effect of preventing water from gaining access thereto. 37.—Should water be encountered through operations upon the location, the operator shall immediately and effectively, to the satisfaction of the Minister, close the well at such a depth as may prevent such water from gaining access to oil or gas bearing formations. 38.-—In case gas is discovered through boring operations on a location, the operator shall take ail reasonable and proper precautions to prevent the waste of such gas, and his operations shall be so conducted as to enable him, immediately upon discovery, to control and prevent the escape of such gas. 39.—In the event of gas being discovered through boring operations on an oil and gas location acquired under the provisions of these regulations, or in the event of water being encountered through such operations, if the escape of such gas is not prevented, or if the flow of such water is not controlled, the Minister may take such effective means as nu.y appear to him to be necessary or expedient in the public interest to control and prevent the escape of the gas, or to close the well at such depth as may prevent the water from gaining access to any oil-bearing formation, or both, or to prevent water from gaining access to or escaping from such well, and to recover from the permittee or leasee of the location upon which the well was bored all costs and expenses incurred by the Crown in stopping the escape of gas, or the ingress or egress of water to or from the well, or in closing the well at such a depth as may prevent such water from gaining access to such oil- bearing formations. In taking such means for the control of the gas or water, the Minister may appoint such agent or agents as he may deem necessary, and may authorize such agent or agents to enter upon the premises and perform the work, and for that purpose to take possession of and use any drilling rig, derrick, tools, machinery, or other appliances or equipment necessary for the performance of the work, which may be upon the location, or which may be the property of the permittee or lessee. 40.—The Minister may, from time to time, make such additional regulations as may appear to be necessary or expedient governing the manner in which boring operations shall be conducted, the nature and extent of the information which the operator shall maintain and furnish to the Minister, and the manner in which the wells shall be operated, and such additional regulations shall apply to all permits or leases whether granted before or after the date of such regulations. 41.—In case the permittee or lessee desires to abandon a well bored on a location acquired under the regulations, he shall before abandoning the same and before removing the rig, derrick or other operating structure therefrom, and before removing any part of the casing from the well notify the Minister in writing of his intention so to do, and use every effort in accordance with approved methods to shut off and exclude all water from entering the oil-bearing strata which may have been encountered in the well. Before commencing the removal of the casing, rig, derrick, or other operating structure, the permittee or lessee shall obtain written permission to do so from the Minister, or from such officer as the Minister may designate for that purpose. The permittee or lessee shall, when making application to abandon, furnish a plan of the log of the well and submit a declaration containing the following information:— (1) The approximate date upon which the proposed abandonment or removal shall begin ; (2) The quantity and size of casing in the well; (3) The quantity and size of casing proposed to be removed; (4*) The depth at which water was encountered; (5) The manner in which water has been or will be effectively shut off; (6) The depth at which gas was encountered; (7) Whether any gas will be wasted or permitted to escape from the well by reason of the abandonment. 42.—The permittee or lessee may be permitted to relinquish at any time the whole or any portion of the location described in his permit or lease, provid- 140 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD ft: ,' P II ed he has complied in every respect with the provisions of the regulations, and that all payments on account of rental or other liability to the CrOwn, due in connection with the permit or lease, have been fully made, and provided the portion of the location which may be retained shall be of the prescribed shape, and in the case of a permit shall not be of a less area than eighty acres. 43.—The permittee or lessee shall not assign, transfer or sub-let the rights described in his permit or lease or any part thereof, without the consent in writing of the Minister being first had and obtained. 44.—Any company acquiring by application, assignment or otherwise a permit or lease under the provisions of these regulations shall be a company incorporated under part one of the Companies' Act, chapter 79 R.S.C., 1906, and amendments thereto, and the charter of such company shall provide for the issue of the shares of the capital stock of such com- - pany without any nominal or par value, in accordance with section 7 (B) of the said Act. 45.—The Minister may at any time assume absolute possession and control of any location acquired under the provisions of these regulations, if in the opinion of the Government of Canada such action is considered necessary or advisable, together with all buildings, works, machinery and plant, upon the location, or used in connection with the operation thereof, and he may cause the same to be operated and may retain the whole or any part of the output, in which event compensation shall be paid to the permittee or lessee for any loss or damage sustained by him by reason of the exercise of the powers conferred by this provision of the regulations, the amount of compensation, in case of dispute, to be fixed by a Judge of the Exchequer Court of Canada, provided that the compensation in any such case shall not exceed the profit which the operator would have earned' in the working of the location and the disposal of the products thereof, had possession and control of the location and of the buildings, works, machinery and plant not been assumed. 46.—If the location described in any lease issued under the provisions of the regulations shall yield oil in paying quantity, the lessee shall pump and work the well faithfully and uninterruptedly with due vigour and skill, with good and sufficient machinery and appliances in accordance with the provisions of the regulations and to the satisfaction of' the Minister, so long as the said wells continue to yield oil in remunerative quantity. 47.—At the end of each year of the term of the lease the lessee shall furnish a statement, supported by affidavit, showing the number of days during the year that operations were carried on upon the location; the number of men so employed; the charac ter of the work done; the depth attained; the total- expenditure incurred; a detailed statement setting out fully the purpose for which such expenditure was incurred; the quantity of crude oil or gas obtained; and the amount realized from the sale thereof. Failure to furnish such yearly return will render the lessee subject to a fine of ten dollars ($10.00) a day for each day's delay in furnishing the sworn statement, and after three months' delay the lease shall be subject to cancellation. 48.—The permit and the lease shall be subject in all respects to the regulations of the Governor in Council relating to oil or gas, and to any regulations that may be issued in amendment of and in substitution therefor. 49.—Failure or neglect on the part of the permittee or the lessee to comply fully with the requirements of these regulations shall render the permit or the leace subject to immediate cancellation. 50.—The permit and the lease shall be in such form as may be determined by the Minister of the Interior in accordance with the provisions of these regulations. 51.—Applications received in the Department of the Interior for leases of petroleum and natural gas rights in the Northwest Territories of Canada,, in accordance with the provisions of the regulations then in force, but in connection with which leases have not yet been granted shall be considered and dealt with under and in accordance with the provisions of these regulations. Provided the applicant has made application for leases of five or more than five separate locations under former regulations, consideration can only be given to not more than five such applications in accordance with the provisions of these regulations. If an applicant has applied for leases of less than five separate locations in the Northwest Territories, he may make application for additional tracts up to a maximum area of 2,560 acres in all, provided such maximum is not comprised in more than five separate locations. 52.—If an applicant withdraws his application which is pending on the date upon which these regulations come into force, he shall be entitled to a refund of the amounts paid in connection therewith. 53.—In case a lessee, desires to surrender his lease of petroleum and natural gas rights in the Northwest Territories, and to obtain in lieu thereof a permit under the provisions of these regulations, he may be permitted to do so, provided he has complied fully with the provisions of such lease and with the regulations under which it was issued. 54.—Petroleum and natural gas leases issued under former regulations, subject to renewal, the term of which may expire, may be renewed in accordance MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 141 with the provisions of these regulations, provided 1906 and amendments thereto, which had acquired the lessee is entitled to renewal. title under prior regulations and had disposed of stock 55.—The Minister, being satisfied that an appli- or made other commitments in connection with rights cant for or the holder of a permit or lease acquired so acquired. under the provisions of those regulations is commit- An addition to the section provides: "Citizens of anting or attempting to commit fraud, making or at- other country, the laws, customs, or regulations of tempting to make misrepresentations or evasion of which deny similar or like privileges to citizens or the provisions of the regulations, or that he is in any corporations of the British Empire, shall not, by stock way dealing or attempting to deal unfairly with the ownership, stock holding or stock control, own any public in connection therewith, and that it is advis- interest in any permit or lease acquired under the able in the public interest so to do, may refuse such provisions of these regulations." application or cancel such permit or lease. Sec_ 5i_Amended to provide that application for leases received under the former regulations, but for ATOT'Tr,T? which such leases had not been granted, shall be dealt with under the former regulations, but in case of de- ' fault in compliance with conditions the lease shall ° lapse without notice. hereby give notice that I intend to make application Sec 31_Amended March 2\, to provide the regu- within the period specified in the regulations for the lations apply Qnly tQ f and natural gas whkh may issue of permits and leases in the Northwest Tern- be recovered by boringj but shan not include 0ii snale tones of Canada, for the exclusive right to prospect fightS) ^ operation of which entail a large initial for oil and gas on this location. expenditure to be dealt with under separate regula- t;ons The lessee may be granted a yearly lease at PP g $1 an acre for such surface rights as the Minister may consider necessary for efficient and economical this day of , • I working. Order of March 24—Provides that where a petro- * * * leum and natural gas lease is cancelled, the rights amended regulations shall not again become available for application un- Sec. 44.—Amended Feb. 22, to exempt companies der the regulations, but reserved to the Crown for incorporated otherwise than under the provisions of disposal by public tender after notice; or at public Part One of the Companies Act, Chapter 7, R.S.C. auction on the written request of an applicant. =3 X 142 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD METALS AND METAL MARKETS m Copper, electrolytic, per lb.—New York, 13 to 13V4c; London, 8%d. Lead, per lb.—New York, 4%c; London, 2%d. Silver, per oz., foreign.—New York, 59c; London, 35 5-8d. Zinc, per lb.—New York, 4.55c; London, 3x/4d. ALUMINUM—Nominal at 28c. ANTIMONY—Cookson's 9 3-8c; Asiatic, 4y2c. BISMUTH—Dropped from $2.40 to $1.50. CADMUM—$1.00. COBALT—$4.00; black oxide, $3.00; sulphate, $1.35. COPPER—Stronger, and slow improvement expected from now on. Production is not more than enough to take care of the export trade and local orders are drawn from surplus. London advices report a stronger feeling. CHROME-^-5 to 55c for 50% with maximum of 6% silica. FLUORSPAR—$18 in Canada; $20 to $25 in States for 85% with not over 6% silica. GOLD—London price is weakening to around 102/- with the improvement in the exchange situation. Britain still pours gold into New York. Last month another gold remittance to New York from London amounted to $17,080,000, being the second instalment in payment of the $122,000,000 obligation incurred through silver purchases in the United States during the war. The payment represented $12,200,000 principal and $4,800,000 interest. The entire loan will be repaid in four annual instalments. Russia claims a gold reserve of $250,000.00, as against $786,000,000 in 1913, and the Soviet government declares it is not afraid of exhausing its gold reserve as it has many tons of platinum available for export on top to that to establish international credit. Australia exported $27,500,000 of gold within the past sixteen months, but the Government declares the reserve to maintain the banking credit will not be interfered with. On the other hand the Government of Canada has allowed its reserve to be depleted by about $20,000,000, which is having a bad effect in contraction of currency. The world's gold reserves have increased $3,000,000,000 since the beginning of the war, and now amount to $6,256,000,000, as compared with $3,181,000,000 in 1913. U.S. reserve is $3,089,679,- 782. Before the war the profit on mining gold averaged from $4 to $8.30 per oz. By 1916 it had fallen to $2.40 per oz., and in the following year showed a further fall to $1.29 per ounce. Since then gold has been producing at increased loss, averaging $5 per oz. in June 1918, and $10 per oz. at the close of that year. IRIDIUM—$250 to $300 per oz. Tasmania produces 2,000 oz. per annum. IRON AND STEEL—The demand for steel shows a steady falling off. The iron and steel industry is the barometer of trade. This condition is the most discouraging feature of the metal markets. United States Steel is operating at only 35 to 40% capacity, and independents find their operation only 20 to 25% of capacity. Basic pig is selling at Pittsburg down to $22; bessemer, $24; foundry $23.50. Billets command $37; slabs $38; sheet bars and small billets $39; rods $48. The British Empire Steel Corporation has listed its securities on Montreal and New York exchanges, amounting to $19,950,000 first preferred 7% series B ; $57,350,000 second preferred cumulative 7% ; and $24,450,000 common. LEAD—Price has receded half a cent, but the setback is temporary. Lead is the one metal the production of which is within the demand, and the outlook is good for better prices and steady market. MANGANESE—25 to 30c per unit; chemical, $55 to $60 per ton. , MERCURY—$47 at San Francisco. MOLYBDENUM—55 to 60c per lb. sulphide of 85% grade. NICKEL—Electrolytic 44c, showing an improvement in price, probably due to limited production. PALLADIUM—$65 to $70 per oz. PLATINUM—$72 to $75 per oz. PYRITES—12 to 14c per unit. SULPHUR—Gulf, $18 to $20. SILVER—The market is erratic and has been varying from 57 to 59 l-8c. Within the past few days it has picked up 2c. The future is regarded as uncertain. No. government in the world, except the United States is increasing its silver coinage, and that is' only being done to replace the silver bullion shipped on British account during the war. On the contrary many governments are melting down their silver coinage and selling the bullion or replacing it by paper and coinage of inferior fineness. In Britain the older coinage of 925 fine has been replaced by 500 fine;"in Holland, 720 fine; in Canada 800 fine. There is nothing that so quickly destroys public confidence in a precious metal as tinkering with it in coinage. It is bad policy, if not morally dishonest. Production is about 195,000,000 oz. Of that the United States absorbs 60,000,000 under the Pittman Act, equivalent to total U.S. production, which will be used in that way for 3% years. The Indian reserve is the largest on record, and even India has been exporting to China. China is the only MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 143 prospective customer for silver, now that the new mint is completed and extensive coinage is to be undertaken, but even China does not expect to maintain her former consumption of 98,500,000 oz. silver per annum. India has now a free silver market, even the import duty having been abolished. It was hoped this would increase the demand for silver, as during the past four years India coined 616,000,000 oz. silver. No doubt this would have been the effect had not public confidence been shaken by the depreciating of the coinage in reducing the fineness of the imperial silver coin. The Mexican situation should be a help, as the Government is buying heavily for coinage, and thus keeping Mexican silver off the market. The Britich plan to bring about a policy of inter- situatiori is that the outlook for higher prices for silver is most encouraging, and producers will have to make up their minds to pre-war prices. A Rochester broker has been making money by exchanging U.S. currency for Canadian in Canada and with that currency buying an equivalent in Canadian silver coinage .which he deposited to his credit in the United States where it was accepted at par, though in some American centres Canadian silver coinage is at a discount. TIN—The metal is selling around 33c and has strengthened on demand from London. ZINC—The price has dropped and the demand is small. European markets and demand do not permit of exports. It is believed that the outlook is good, as the use of zinc for rust-proofing will ensure large consumption. Research work by the U.S. Bureau of national bimetallism, which would have maintained Standards has shown that zinc is the best protective the price of silver, appears to have fallen through against corrosion, and its use in paints, coatings, lac- for the present, as it is understood it met with instant quers, varnishes and enamels should largely increase, rebuff from American authorities on their being Its value in resisting the destructive salt spray showed sounded on the subject. The plain English of the wonderful efficiency. NECROLOGY THE LATE WILLIAM FERNIE William Fernie, discoverer of the Crows Nest Pass coalfields, died at Victoria on May 16, at the age of 80 years. He was born at Kimbolton, Huntingdon, England, and was a wide traveller before settling down in British Columbia, having visited Australia, New Zealand and parts of South America. He came-to British Columbia in 1863, and went in for mining in Cariboo. In 1873 he was appointed Gold Commissioner for Southeast Kootenay, holding the office for four years. While in that position he became interested in the coal possibilities of the district. He told the writer he discovered the Crows Nest coal by finding pieces of coal in the wash of the Kootenay River. This he followed up till he came to the confluence with the Elk River, when he found no further traces on the Kootenay River itself. He then followed the Elk River to its confluence with Coal Creek, at what is now Fernie, where the evidences were strong. Having reached that far in his prospecting, it was an easy matter to find the coal deposits on Coal Creek where the mines of the Crows Nest Pass Coal Co. have been operated since 1897. Not content with his discoveries on Coal Creek, he followed the Elk River to the north, discovered the outcrops there as far as Michel, and continuing his prospecting to the Flathead Valley, where he confirmed the reports .of oil. For some years he spent his entire summers prospecting the Crows Nest Pass Coalfields. It was as a result of his discoveries that Selwyn and Dawson were sent by the Geological Survey to investigate and confirmed Mr. Fernie's reports. He enlisted the co-operation of Col. Baker and Col. Prior in the development of the fields, and they in turn obtained the financial assistance of Cox, Jaf- fray, and other Toronto capitalists, with the. result that the field was opened to transportation by he construction of the Crow's Nest Pass Railway. As showing the thorough knowledge which Mr. Fernie had of the field, he was called in to a directors' meeting of the Crows Nest Pass Coal Co. to consider the demand of the C. P. R. for a transfer of part of the coal area in consideration of their building the railway. Mr. Fernie insisted that the C.P.R. be offered the portion of the field on the northwest side of the C.P.R. track, and on Mr. Jaffray asking him for his reasons, he replied "Don't ask my reasons. I doh't wish to give them. You will find it to your interest to act on my suggestion." This was done, and it afterwards turned out that Mr. Fernie knew what the C.P.R. mining engineers had not discovered—that in that part of the field the seams were small, irregular, badly faulted and unfavorable for mining. This fact was demonstrated by the closing down of the C.P.R. coal mine and coking plant at Hosmer after the railway company had spent $1,500,000 on opening and equipping the mine. The railway operated it for some years, and, 144 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 1:1: I Hi iN. failing to make a success of it, closed the mine and dismantled the plant. Mr. Fernie was a director of the Crows Nest Pass Coal Co. up to the time of the Great Northern Railway acquiring control, and had charge of the business of the townsite of Fernie. In 1908 he removed to Victoria, where he had a beautiful home on the Oak Bay Road. After leaving Fernie he gave freely of his wealth for the development of the mineral industry of British Columbia, being a director of several companies. Among others he contributed money to the development of the mercury deposit at Seshart on Vancouver Island, with which he was favorably impressed, and was one of the first to back A. Gordon French in his promotion of the French Complex Ores Reduction Company for a method of treatment of the complex zinc ores of the province. He withdrew from that when Mr. French refused to allow him to have the process investigated by a metallurgist. He considered if the inventor was afraid of such an investigation the enterprise was a good thing to leave alone. * # * W. E. Brown, a prospector, died at Clearwater Lake, and his dying wish, that his body should be taken out and laid by the remains of his wife at Plain- well, Grand Rapids, Mich., was faithfully carried out by his partner, T. Barker, who brought the body out 150 miles by canoe, dog team and toboggan. * * * R. T. Lowery, formerly editor of The Lodge, published at New Denver, and later at Greenwood, died at Grand Forks Hospital from dropsy. He was a pioneer of the mining camps of Slocan and Ainsworth. * * * Chas. H. Morse, of the Fairbanks-Morse Co., died at Chicago on May 5th. J. R. WILLIAMS PROVINCIAL ASSAYER AND CHEMIST 540 Thurlow St. Vanoouver, B. 0. Phone Sey. 7105 My Prices are Moderate and Accuracy is Guaranteed Price List Mailed on Request Send for Particulars regarding a possible Ten Hundred Per Cent. Profit on a $10 Investment in Shallow Oil Fields of Ky and Tenn. C. E. GIBSON, 207 Ideal Building, Denver, Colo., U.S.A. It Gets the Gold THE DIVER MINERAL SEPARATOR Extracts upwards of 95% of Fine Gold from all kinds of Gold Bearing Sands, Free Milling Ore, and Crushed Quartz, Dumps, etc., by a new Patented Process. No chemicals. Economical, high capacity, easily portable. Gold collected in locked chamber, preventing thefts by operators. For Full Particulars and Terms, apply W. D. FAWTHROP 1830—47th AVE. EAST, VANCOUVER, B.C. Patented in Canada, U.S.A. etc. Mackenzie River Development Corporation Limited (Now being Incorporated under Dominion Statutes) OFFICE: 508-509 BOARD OF TRADE BUILDING, VANCOUVER, B.C. A thoroughly sound legitimate business enterprise, formed for the purpose of acquiring by staking and otherwise, natural resources of all kinds, and especially Petroleum, Oil, and Natural Gas, and Gold and Precious Metals, Coal and other Minerals. The Company has acquired valuable and tangible asse.ts, consisting of five oil leases at Pine Point in the Great Slave' Lake District; also a rich placer goldi property and a gold dredging lease in British Columbia, and an extremely rich Platinum property also in British Columbia,- and other properties. Fullest possible investigation is invited.' An investment in this Corporation should realize big returns. SHARES NOW ON SALE Por full particulars and application forms, apply to Office— 508 BOARD OF TRADE BUILDING VANCOUVER, B.C. .!!;•;« i MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD RUPERT W. HAGGEN DOMINION AND B.C. LAND SURVEYOR HYDRAULIC ENGINEER NOTARY PUBLIC QUESNEL, and 150 Mile House, B. C. ANDREW a. LARSON Mining: Engineer 926 Old National Bank Building SPOKANE, WASH. Cable Address: "Larmac" Bedford McNeill Code 20tc Mining Machinery OP EVERY DESCRIPTION Second Hand and New Bought and Sold B. C. EQUIPMENT CO-, 602 Hastings Street W-, Vancouver, B. C. P. W. Racey MINING ENGINEER 736 GRANVILLE STREET VANCOUVER. B. 0. ROBERT H. STEWART Mining and Metallurgical Engineer Vancouver Block, Vancouver, B.C PROVINCIAL ASSATTERS G. S. ELDRIDGE & CO. with which is incorporated THE VANCOUVER ASSAY OFFICE (Established 1890) We guarantee accuracy of our results. Write for price list. Cave Building: 567 Hornby St. Vanoouver DRAWINGS and CUTS (Original and Distinctive) of CATALOGUE ILLUSTRATIONS LABELS _ LETTERHEADS ILLUSTRATED ADS.—Etc. 518 HASTINGS ST. W. VANCOUVER, B.C. ins Prompt Deliveries Right Prices ■fat Homer Publishing Co. mm Jas mm Limited 426 Homer St. Vancouver, B.C. Telephone Sey. 3825 r Three-Magazine Model Eight Linotype BILLHEADS BOOKS, BOOKLETS BUSINESS STATIONERY CARDS, CATALOGUES ENVELOPES, FOLDERS LABELS, LETTERHEADS LOOSE LEAF FORMS MENUS, NOTEHEAD? ORDER FORMS PAYCHECKS RECEIPT FORMS RULED FORMS MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD i.'l I . . ; i Use Clayburn Firebrick and Clayburn Fireclay if you want Clayburn Quality throughout your work Clayburn Company, Limited CLAYBURN, B.C. CAMMELL LAIRD & CO., Ltd. Phone Seymour 5943 TRADE X',if\l M*RKS JI' t CAM el) a a 8 CYCLOPS ead Office: Sheffield England CCYCLOPS3 FROM ORE TO FINISHED PRODUCT Basic Open Hearth and Crucible Steel Products Rails, Forging-Billets, Blooms, Slabs, and Bars. MINING EQUIPMENT Including Ball and Tube Mills, Roll SheHs, Crusher Jaws, Shoes and Dies. Also SOLID and HOLLOW DRILL STEELS. Crucible and High Speed Tool Steels, Nickel and Nickel Chrome Steels, High Grade Files and High Speed Twist Drills Branch Office and Warehouse: The Best Book for Prospectors Prospector's Field Book and Guide Prospectors^ By H. S. Osborn, Revised and Enlarged by M. W. Von | Bernewitz. 4-5/8 by 7 inches. 425 pages. 57 illustrations. illjjl! Flexible Binding for carry- Mijjling in pocket. Published by Henry Carey Baird and Co. Price: $3.50. LIST OF CHAPTER HEADINGS. I.—Introduction II,—Preparatory Instruction III.—The Blowpipe IV.—Crystallography V.—Surveying VI.—Analysis of Ores VII.—Copper VIII.—Lead Zinc and Antimony IX.—Iron X.—Chromium, Manganese, Molybdenum, Titanium, Appendix, Glossary. Tungsten, Uranium, Vanadium XI.—Tin XII.—Mercury, Bismuth. Nickel, Cohalt Cadmium XIII.—Aluminum XIV.—Petroleum, Asphalt Oil Shale, Ozokerite. XV.—Various Useful Minerals XVI.—Abrasives, Greenstones and Useful Bocks of Terms, Index. Copies Supplied on application to— HOMER PUBLISHING CO., LTD. 426 Homer Street Vancouver, B. C. STONE # FOR BUILDING And LIME CEMENT & MARBLE METAL & MINERAL PROPERTIES CONSULT A. A. CROWSTON NOTARY PUBLIC VANCOUVER, CANADA MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD Mackenzie River Development Corporation Limited (Now being Incorporated under Dominion Statutes) Office: 508-509 BOARD OF TRADE BUILDING VANCOUVER, B. C. A thoroughly sound legitimate business enterprise, formed for" the purpose of acquiring by staking and otherwise, natural resources of all kinds, and especially Petroleum, Oil and Natural Gas, and Gold and Precious Metals, Coal' and other Minerals. The Company has acquired valuable and tangible assets, consisting of five oil leases at Pine Point in the Great Slave District; also a rich placer gold property and a gold dredging lease in British Columbia, and an extremely rich Platinum property also in British Columbia, and other properties. Fullest possible investigation is invited. An investment in this Corporation should realize big returns. SHARES NOW ON SALE For full particulars and application forms, apply to Office— 508 BOARD OF TRADE BUILDING Vancouver - B. C. The Best Book for Prospectors Prospector's Field Book and Guide Flexible Binding for carry- By H. S. Osborn. Revised ingx in pocket. and Enlarged by M. W. t Von Bernewitz. Published by Henry Carey Baird & Co. 4% by 7 inches. 425 pages Price $3.50 57 illustrations. LIST OF CHAPTER HEADINGS. I.—Introduction Tungsten, Uran II.—Preparatory In ium, Vanadium struction XI.—Tin III.—The Blowpipe XII.—Mercury, Bismuth, Nickel, IV.—Crystallography Cobalt, Cadmium V.-—Surveying XIII.—Aluminum VI.—Analysis of Ores XIV.—Petroleum, As VII.—Copper phalt, Oil Shale, VIII.—Lead, Zinc and Ozokerite Antimony XV.—Various Useful IX.—Iron Minerals X.—Chromium, Man XVI.—Abrasives, Green ganese, Molybde stones and Use- j num Titanium, ful Rocks Appendix, Glossary of Terms, Index. Copies supplied on application to: MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD 315 Bank of Scotia Bdg. Vancouver, B. C. Ii1 " You are Looking For Expert Workmanship, Satisfactory Service, | Reasonable Cost, Trustworthy Treatment, We are ready to answer these requirements at any time. No job too big. No job too little. NORTH SHORE PRESS LTD. 105 ESPLANADE WEST NORTH VANCOUVER Phone N. V. 80 J. R. WILLIAMS Provincial Assayer and Chemist 540 THURLOW ST. VANCOUVER, B. C. Phone Sey. 7105 My Prices are Moderate and Accuracy is Guaranteed. Price List Mailed on Request. Instruments Limited Incorporating E. »R. WATTS & SON, LTD., London, Eng. CAMBRIDGE & PAUL INSTRUMENT CO., LTD., Cambridge, Eng. NEGRETTI & ZAMBRA, London, Eng. ROSS, LTD., London, Eng. ENGINEERING INSTRUMENTS DRAWING OFFICE MATERIAL BLUE PRINT PAPERS, Etc. 365 CORDOVA STREET, W. Vancouver - B. C. MONTREAL "Planting" Another Milestone This expansion in manufacturing facilities will enable us to supply not only our regular patrons' steadily increasing demands for this highest purity product; but the needs of those who have wanted Dominion Oxygen and could not secure it. And with the doubling of our producing machinery — employees and equipment—Dominion Oxygen consumers receive double insurance that our policy of filling all orders on the day of receipt will be rigidly maintained. No matter where your location or what your requirements, an order dispatched to the nearest plant or distributing station — there are six of them—brings you the purest oxygen through the quickest service in the Dominion. f - SSK2J Dominion Oxygen Company, Limited Hillcrest Park, Toronto Hamilton, Merritton, Montreal, Welland, Windsor Established 1895 A. HAGGEN, Editor arid Publisher Published Semi-Monthly at 315 Bank of Nova Scotia Bdg. Vancouver, B. C. Telephone: Seymour 2889 I Subscribers requiring change of address mus;t notify the office of the publisher rn writing. Subscriptions payable in advance: $3.00 per annum, including postage in Canada, and to Great Britain. To United States and other countries, $3.50 per annum, including postage. Advertising Rate Cards supplied on application to publishers. Mining and Engineering Record Copyright Canada Volume XXVI., Nos. 13 & 14 VANCOUVER, B. C, JULY, 1921 Single Copies 25c CONTENTS EDITORIAL EDITORIAL NOTES ...... 1 - 145 EDITORIAL ARTICLES— Fuel Control Administration 146 United States Gold Montopoly and the World Depression - - 1 46 'GENERAL ARTICLES: "PETROLEUM IN MANITOBA AND SASKATCHEWAN - 148 By E. A. Haggen. "MINING REVIVAL AT ROCK CREEK, B. C. | -- 150 ROSES GULCH PLACER GOLD, LTD 153 DRUMLUMMON MINES, LTD - 153 c "McLEOD SLOCAN MINING SYNDICATE, LTD - 154 INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING— Frew Bros. Wire Ropes.. 155 Mill For Prospectors —— 155 Stoneite, Ltd - 155 New Type of Water Tube Boiler 155 Paints and Dyes for Galena, Ore 155 THE-MINING NEWS: Alaska, British Columbia, Manitoba, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Yukon ..- - - 156 PERSONAL -- 16' CANADIAN INST. OF MINING . AND METALLURGY -- - 163 CONSOLIDATED HOMESTAKE MINING AND DEVELOPMENT CO., LTD.... 163 CERTIFICATES OF COMPETENCY 163 "Illustrated Glenville A. Collins, M.E., is to be congratulated on the fair, and square manner in which he has carried out the re-organization of the Drum Lummon Copper Co., Ltd. The Company's financial affairs were in bad shape and the shareholders stood to lose all their interest in it. In his re-organization Mr. Collins has conserved the interest of the original shareholders to the fullest extent, unlike some financial men of Vancouver whose policy is to freeze out shareholders to their personal gain. Mr. Collins came to Vancouver as a stranger, but he has set local financiers an example which they may well follow. Mr. Collins and his associates have a promising and interesting mining prospect, and we wish them the success they deserve in its development, expressing the hope that it may result, in the addition to operating properties of another important producing and dividend-paying mine. * * * The International Mining Convention at Portland endorsed a demand for a reduction of railway tariffs on mine products. The products of the mine constitute 50 tc 60% of the total freight traffic of the railways. The raise in rates helped to destroy this traffic and the railway revenue has very properly suffered in consequence. The sooner the railways realize the value of the mining industry in transportation, and meet it accordingly, the better will il be for both the railways and the mines. * * * The public should discriminate in their support to the rifew companies being organized for oil exploration in the Fraser River Delta till the result of the present drilling is known. It would-be ten thousand times better to support liberally the three companies that have reached the deep stage of development and have carried on their operations in a bona fide manner. If there are economic oil deposits in the area being tested these companies have a good prospect of proving it. There are already too many companies organized with the sole idea of exploiting the pockets of the public rather than the oil prospects of the field. 1 *H* 46 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD m Important discoveries are being made of the precious metal* on the coatt of British Columbia. Recent investigation! have shown appreciable values in platinum, palladium and indium in ores, especially on Queen Charlotte Islands, and at the Drum Lummon Mine on Douglas Channel. For eleven years we have been urging that in the assaying of Coast ores, especially those or copper assayers should be instructed to pay particular attention to such possible values. The suggestion was made on important discoveries within the writer s personal knowledge. # # # The promoter made a tool of the International Mining Convention at Portland when he succeeded in getting through a resolution condemning blue sky laws. There is nothing that docs the mining industry so much harm as unscrupulous promotion, and nothing more beneficial than clean-cut, truthful, straightforward promotion. The latter is what is wanted in the interest of the prospector and the investor alike. The only way to get it is to limit the activities of the shoestring and shyster promoter. # # * Trail Smelter is one of the most important industrial enterprises in Canada. Its prosperity and -that of mine operators taut miners is indissolubly linked together. The Smelter has installed a plant for the manufacture of copper rods, bars, etc., to aid in finding a market for the copper produced from Canadian mines. Then the United States comes along with its Fordney tariff of 2 '/2C pc lb. on such products to prevent exports from Canada and other countries interfering with the home market for the American producer of copper. Copper rods are at present imported into Canada free of duty so that the Canadian copper producer is at the mercy of the American or other producer who can supply the metal in this form at a lower price- Similarly, scrap copper, brass and zinc may be imported into Canada free of duty to the disadvantage of home producers, whereas the American tariff is 2c per lb. Trail Board of Trade has properly asked the Dominion Government to put a compensating tariff on these items to maintain n home market for the products of the smelter. Northern Canada and Alaska are handicapped in their development by reason of their distance from the seat of government, and their subjection to the theories of experimentalist officials. The Yukon has been one of Canada s richest assets, but it is subject to the most scurvy treatment from Ottawa at a time when the Dominion needs all the gold production that can be obtained to maintain its credit. The appropriations have been seriously curtailed at a time when the Yukon Council is faced with the provision of transportation to the new field of mining activity in the Mayo District and other sections of the Yukon. Everything possible should be done to promote the position of the Yukon as a gateway to the oil fields of the lower Mackenzie Basin. In Alaska there are important resources in coal and oil, but all attempts at the development of these resources are hampered instead of being assisted through the control of officials at ^Washington who know nothing of the condition of the country they are called upon to administer, and care less. Home government for both territories is the solution of the problem. # * # In next issue we begin a series of articles reviewing the progress of oil development in the Fraser Delta. While the drill is the only thing that will tell the tale, the work being done shows increasingly favorable indications. It is a remarkable thing that in a new and unproved field the first three wells drilled to a depth of over 2000 ft. should all have showings of oil and gas. In a producing field a dry well is a common experience. There is oil m the Fraser Delta beyond a doubt. The point to be settled is ; whether it occurs in pools of economic value. The drilling now being done will find that out. FUEL CONTROL ADMINISTRATION In his administration as Fuel Controller for Alberta and Eastern British Columbia, vv. H. Armstrong, of the firm of Armstrong and Morrison, Ltd., rendered amongst the most valuable services of the war. His was a difficult position. For some years there had been continuous trouble and uncertainty of production owing to the never-ending disputes between the miners and the operators. Production had frequently ceased. Mines had been unable to operate owing to the smelters being closed down for want of coke; and a state of chaos at times prevailed in the coal mining industry. Mr. Armstrong was appealed to by the Dominion Government to take hold of the problem. He did so with notable success. Under his prudent and diplomatic administration operators and miners got together and pulled together for war-time production of coal, and a wholesome effect was produced in the industry whereby operators and miners became better acquainted and co-operated with one another as they had never done before. So highly was Mr. Armstrong's work appreciated and its economic value to both sides realized, that when the time came to abolish the special war-time provisions operators and miners alike asked the Dominion Government to retain Mr. Armstrong in the position of Fuel Comptroller which he had so well and successfully filled, as they considered his appointment had been a boon to all parties at a time when his work was amongst the most important that could have been undertaken to prevent the otherwise inevitable fuel famine and suffering that must have attended it. UNITED STATES GOLD MONOPOLY AND THE WORLD DEPRESSION People are puzzled that world industrial activity has not followed the declaration of peace. Demand for metals and minerals at high prices, factories working to high pressure, and 'employment for everybody willing to work at good wages were the predictions made two years ago. Today we look on a stagnated industrial world, with a surplus of unmarketable commodities, few buyers or consumers, prices of the metals at zero; the mines closed down, the miners out of work, factories closed or operating on short time, and millions suffering from want and lack of means of employment. Why is it? MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 147 The answer is simple. For over a century gold has been national gold supply is the spoiler and enemy of all other the monetary standard of Great Britain; for nearly 50 years nations. The public men and leading financiers of the, it has been the standard of Germany and the United States; United States would probably not countenance such a policy and more recently of Japan and other commercial nations. if they appreciated its consequences of wide-spread inter- It may, therefore, be said to constitute the money base national disaster. All the same that is ' the policy the of the civilized world. On the quantity of gold available United States has pursued and is pursuing, notwithstanding for money and the credit based upon it, the activities of the warnings of F. A. Vanderlip and other leading finan- trade, commerce, industry and international prosperity de- ciers who understand the problem and see the dire effects Pend. 0f tne policy. They well realize that the time will come During the war the United States drained the world's wnen the United States will have to pay for the policy treasuries of their gold reserves. Since the war not only an<* Pay Nearly—when the world markets for her products has the draining process gone on for purchasing of commodi- anc* manufactures will vanish because of it; when her fac- ties', but in repayment of war loans and interest. Added to"es ^ have t0 c^ose an(* her People by millions suffer to these is the manipulation of exchange by which the na- from enforced idleness and want. This is no pessimistic tions contribute to-United States huge sums for which they ProPhecy. Every student of economics understands the do not receive a cent of value. Canada alone contributes effect oi the United States policy in regard to gold. in this way $150,000,000 a year. On the other hand the United States seeks to still further intensify the burden by artificial tariffs designed to prevent Canada from sending the natural and manufactured products of this country across the border to help liquidate the accounts against this country for return of principal, interest on loans, and accounts due for purchase of commodities. Canada is the best customer of the United States but the treatment accorded this country is no better than that extended to the rest of the world. Having coralled the bulk of the world's gold supply, the United States seeks to put a tariff ring around her shores by which the nations who have contributed that gold cannot get an opportunity of recovering any part of it. National and international prosperity is built on the power of a country and its people to purchase from other countries the commodities it requires. That power is based on the sound money in average per capita circulation. If That is the secret of the world's suffering and distress today. That is the reason why Germany and France* formerly the largest industrial consumers of copper for instance cannot and do not buy the metal in large quantities; why the price has continued so long around the lowest prices on record; and for Senator Clark's pessimistic review of the mining industry. What applies to copper applies to other metals and commodities. Were Great Britain or France in receipt of the vast gold aggregation of the United States they would have known what to do with it. They would have made loans to the other nations' at rates to encourage borrowing, with the beneficial results that trade and commerce would have taken on new life; the work of rehabilitating war-torn Europe would have forged ahead; it would have carried its beneficent influence into the industrial life of the nations, with the mills and factories humming throughout other lands, and a demand for the food and raw products of America the gold supply is depleted the circulation and power of the ancl other countries. New railways would be built; the people to engage in trade and commerce is curtailed, and people of one nation cannot trade with those of another to the extent they otherwise would. Money and its exchange are among the greatest developments of civilization. Freedom of circulation and exchange is a blessing to nations and individuals and is re- great hydro-electric developments planned in Europe, Asia, South America, Africa, Australia and New Zealand, but held up for want of capital, would be undertaken and carried to completion. There would be a demand for every ton of coal, barrel of oil, pound of copper, lead, zinc, iron and steel that could be produced. International prosperity fleeted in individual, national and international progress and would take the place of the present stagnation, to the ad- prosperity. Curtailment of circulation is attended by unemployment, distress, financial disruption and destruction of values. The means of bringing about this disastrous condition of society have been the study of unscrupulous'monopolists in individuals as well as nations. As illustrations we have only to recall the terrible time vantage of nations as well as individuals. The stagnation in commerce, trade, manufacturing and employment of today is the price the world is paying with its suffering for the American gold monopoly, due to the control of a nation by the dollar worshipper, and the absence of farseeing financiers and statesmen of an interna- experienced by Great Britain early in the last century, when tional training and view-point. It is true the American Nathan Meyer cornered the national gold supply, and when Government has at Washington one of the ablest men, and distress was such that Carlyle tells us a million lives were lest from starvation. Nearer home we have the experience of the United States in 1869 when the "Black Friday" of that year marked the climax of the national tragedy resulting from Jay Gould's corralling of the gold supply. As with individual monopolists so with national monopolists. The nation which pursues the policy of cornering the inter- of the widest vision, in Herbert Hoover, M.E., whose war record will stand out on the pages of history for all time. Let us hope that he will get to work on this problem, and enlist the help and co-operation of America's biggest financial and public men, so that the nation may remove from its door the curse it has unwittingly inflicted on the other nations of the earth. HI 148 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD Petroleum in Manitoba and Saskatchewan HfP By E. A. HAGGEN* We have been accustomed to think of the prairie provinces as strictly agricultural, but that section of Canada is now •developing into an important mining field. The Flin Flon Mine in Manitoba has the largest reserve of copper ore in the British Empire, and within two years or so promises to become one of the largest producers of copper in Canada, having been taken up by the Mining Corporation of Canada, who have assurances from the Manitoba Government that a railway will be built to connect the mine with the National Railway system. The company proposes to construct a smelter to treat 2,000 tons of ore a day. OIL DEVELOPMENT IN MANITOBA Equally important in the mineral development is the exploration of the petroleum resources of these provinces. Petroliferous shales occur west of Lakes Manitoba and Winnipegosis. Several test wells have been drilled in different portions of the province. Gas is reported to have been struck in August, 1912, at a depth of 1200 ft. in a well being drilled for water three miles west of Miami. A well drilled to a depth of 1 070 ft. at Rosenfeld struck several flows of brine, one from a 50-ft. sand at a depth of flr*p SHOir/nc LOCftLITy - >=W0C/> HI/IS O/i. f/fW 935 ft. having a pressure which caused it to flow over tbe top of the well. In 1910 oil was found in the Pembina River valley, south of Manitou, and considerable gas developed in prospect wells. Gas was also found in sufficient quantities at Treherne and Melita to be used for farm and mill lighting. A well at Vermillion River, near Dauphin, was drilled to a depth of 743 ft, passing through the Dakota into the Devonian without any trace of oil or gas. At Morden, a well was drilled to a depth of 600 ft. and passed through the Dakota into the Devonian, in which salt water was encountered but no oil or gas. A well at Deloraine was sunk to a depth of 1,943 feet, reaching the Dakota sandstone. Salt water came in at the bottom of the well,, but no oil or gas. Of this work Malcolm says: "The sinking of one or two wells in any locality does not prove the absence of oil or gas in that locality. Experience has shown that the distribution of these hydro-carbons is often spotted, and dry ' Editor Milting and Engineering Becord. wells are often surrounded by productive wells. This peculiarity is probably due to the variation in the porosity of the oil or gas-bearing strata." , The Manitoba Government is drilling a test well at Mafeking, north of Swan Lake, where the Devonian rocks outcrop. DRILLING IN SASKATCHEWAN At Pense, 18 miles west of Regina, the Western Gas and Fuel Co. drilled a well in 1912 to a depth of 1,500 ft. and struck gas and artesian water. At Estevan a strong flow of gas was struck in drilling for water; and oil, gas and salt water were found in a well drilled by the Empress Hotel for water at a depth of 2000 ft., the well having le be abandoned in consequence. At Hanley a gas flow was struck in a well drilled for water at a depth of 11 6 ft. and burned for some years. The Saskatoon Gas and Oil Co. drilled a well to a depth of 1,800 ft. at Saskatoon and obtained indications of oil and gas. At Battleford gas was struck in a water well. A well was drilled at Kamsack 773 ft. and cut through an 8-ft. seam of coal at a depth of 618 ft. At Moosejaw a well sunk 1060 ft. by the City Corporation developed sulphurous water and some gas. The Maple Creek Oil and Gas Co. drilled to a depth ot 1,860 ft. at Maple Creek, and went through two seams of coal—one at 196 ft. and the other at 292 ft., the latter being 7 ft. thick. Three gas horizons were struck, one at 1,121 ft., and two between 1,220 ft. and 1,500 ft. A well sunk by Mackenzie, Mann and Co. to a depth of 1,358 ft. at Langham struck salt water at 1,340 ft. The following dry wells were drilled: McLean Station, 495 ft; Wilcox, 1,450 ft; Belle Plaine, 1,551 ft; Keithville, 414 ft.; Fort Pelly, drilled by Dominion Government to depth of 501 ft; Yorkton, 1000 ft; Edwin, 2,410 ft. The average result of these wells is favorable for petroleum exploration. The fact that oil was occasionally struck, though in small quantities, and gas so frequendy fourd, with the salt and sulphur in other wells, forms a combination of indications which point to the probability of economic deposits of oil and gas existing under structurally favorable conditions. The most promising sections of Manitoba for oil exploration are those covered by the Pasquia Hills, south of the Saskatchewan River and north of the Prince Albert branch of the Canadian National Railways; and a belt adjacent to the outcrop of the Devonian extending from the international boundary near Emerson northwesterly through Gladstone, Dauphin, and west of Swan Lake to the Pasquia Hills, while the most promising areas in Saskatchewan are the broad anticline extending from the inter- .national boundary between Saskatchewan and Alberta, and striking thence northwesterly through Alberta; also the western extension of the Pasquia Hills from the international boundary between Manitoba and Saskatchewan. MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 149 PASQUIA HlLLS which has its confluence with Carrot River immediately west The Pasquia Hills are drained by the Carrot and °* Shoal Lake. Pasquia Rivers, both of which have their confluence with Mclnnes gives the following section: the Saskatchewan near The Pas. Carrot River may be Thick-bedded, soft, grey, bituminous shale reached by taking steamer or launch from Prince Albert or a thin-bedded sandstone with fossils and going down the Saskatchewan River to Sipanok or" nsn and bivalves 25 to 40 ft. Channel, which connects with Carrot River. This route Hard, compact, impure limestone with fine is available as a canoe route. The Sipanok Channel is 60 shells 6 in. miles in length. The Canadian Northern Railway crosses Soft, fissile, light grey (almost black when Carrot River at Kinistino, in Saskatchewan, and may be wet) bituminous shales with fossils of fish followed from that point, or may be reached from the an<^ sne^s °* Foraminifera 120 ft. station further east at Melfort. Carrot River below Kin- CIav ironstone, containing 29.10% iron ..6 in. to I ft. istino is a succession of rapids. Carrot or Pasquia Rivers £>ort, fissile, grey shale 10 ft. may be ascended from their confluence with the Saskatche- Boulder clay, containing boulders of lime- wan River at The Pas. The Pasquia River parallels the stone and Sneiss- Hudson's Bay branch of the Canadian National Railways. In tne anticline of the Cretaceous strata extending north from the international boundary between Alberta and " Saskatchewan the eastern limb has a low northeasterly dip The geology of the Pasquia Hills is favorable for into Saskatchewan. At the rapids on Carrot River above petroleum exploration. Mclnnes considers the great plain the Indian Reserve the anticline strikes apparently north- of the lower Saskatchewan and Carrot Rivers is underlaid westerly, its limbs dipping at a low angle northeasterly and by Silurian rocks, the lower or Ordovician series of which southwesterly. It exposes the Dakota division of Cretace- gives us the oil-bearing Trenton of Ohio, Indiana, New ous strata. Exposures of Cretaceous strata occur in the .York, Kentucky and Ontario. The upper series of the gulches of the streams draining the summit of the Pasquia Silurian contains the Medina, which is petroliferous in New Hills. The best indications of oil are found on the northern York and Ontario; the Clinton, petroliferous in Ohio and and eastern flanks of the Pasquia Hills. An anticlinal fold Outario; the Niagara which has been a large producer is indicated near the confluence of Sipanok and Carrot of oil in New York, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Ontario; River, the entire series of the Cretaceous, the Devonian and and the Guelph, which is oil-bearing in New York and Silurian rocks being all respectively brought to .the surface Ontario. near the inter-provincial boundary between Manitoba and Overlying the Silurian System is the Devonian, which Saskatchewan, has proved the great oil-bearing formation of the eastern TOPOGRAPHY' States, including the Oriskany group, producing oil in New Carrot River flows through a low, marshy country, York, Indiana and Ontario; the Corniferous, producing the only exposures of rock in place being those 40 miles oil in Ohio, New York, Indiana and Ontario; the Hamil- west of the Redearth Indian Reserve. The Pasquia River ton, producing oil in Ontario; and the Chemung and Cat- heads in the Pasquia Hills and its two forks unite near skill, which have proved the great sources of oil in Pennsyl- the boundary between Manitoba and Saskatchewan. From vania, Western Virginia and Ohio. the point of junction this river also flows through a low The Devonian is directly overlaid by the Cretaceous, country, the distance between the forks and its confluence which is oil-bearing in Louisiana, Wyoming, Alberta, Cali- being about 30 miles. fornia, Texas and Colorado. The Cretaceous is the source The Pasquia Hills extend in the northeasterly and south- of the natural gas at Medicine Hat, Bow Island, and other westerly direction for a distance of about 120 miles. They points in Alberta. rise t0 an elevation of 2,100 ft. above sea level, or between o r> % „„ 800 and 900 feet above the drainage level. They are Structural Geology , , • 6 ,.,,,, surrounded by a low country, largely covered with shallow Anticlines and domes are the most likely places to , , j j l lakes, ponds and marshes. Drosoect for oil and gas. Mclnnes notes a low anticline • , r^ i i i il r , .u -j T Minerals in the Dakota sandstone ot the Cretaceous at the rapids above the Indian Reserve, above the confluence of Carrot The minerals found in the area are: Iron, in the form River and Sipanok Channel. Shales of the Niobrara series of a band of clay ironstone 15 ft thick, and carrying "of the Cretaceous are well exposed 40 miles above the 29.10%. iron; salt springs, petroleum, natural gas, bitumin- Red-earth Indian Reserve, cliffs of bituminous shale rising ous shales and lignite. to a height of 1 5 ft, and dipping southwest at a low angle. PETROLEUM CONTENT OF PASQUIA SHALES These shales carry fossils of fish and other marine life. From analysis furnished by the Canada Geological They are soft and fissile, of grey color, belonging to the Survey, the petroleum content of the Pasquia Hills shales Niobrara series, and carry so much petroleum that they is variable, samples taken by Mclnnes yielding from 7 gal. burn with a strong odor. Gas mounds and oil seepages are to 40.50 imp. gal. crude oil, and 33.5 lbs. sulphate of also reported. The best exposures are on Nabi River, ammonia per ton. The latter compares favorably with w 150 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD the rich oil shales of New Brunswick. Dr. R. C. Wallace Pas. He had samples of the shales tested at a special shale says of this annalysis: "The yield would be greater from oil laboratory and got a return of 86 gal. per ton, proving material less subject to surface alterations. The time is the shale to be amongst the richest known oil-bearing shales, coming when the world's known oil reservoirs will be ex- H. A. McLeod, of The Pas, has located claims in the. hausted, and the future supply will be dependent on dis- Opasquia Forest Reserve, 55 miles southwest of The Pas, dilation from petroliferous shales." and within 22 miles of the Railway. DEVELOPMENT OF THE FIELD The Pas Oil Development and Exploration Co. has -ru f ui t vL c u j ^ been organized at The Pas to drill at Turnbury, on the the favorable opinion ot the held entertained by ex- ° . . -0 nnn . i . l t -ii . v j l a, .- r .i Hudson Bay Railway, where the company holds 3Z.UUU pert oil operators is best illustrated by the action ot the ■" m t-> • i r -ri r> d j t • i /-vi n i ij u ^l acres. Dr. P. G. Robertson, President of ihe Pas Board imperial Uil L-o., Ltd., who, as soon as the reserve was . . . lifted on December 6th, took action, and located 30,000 of Trade' is President of thls comPany- and | §£M"™' acres of the Pasquia Hills area during the past winter. an experienced oil operator, is managing director. Dr. Rob- tl -d Ci • c \/ i i j inr\r\ ertson personally collected samples of oil from the surface Ihos. r>. btram, ot Vancouver, located ZUUO acres cover- F ■" . . ^ . . .i .• i- . .i • j r i . r .i T j- of the river into which it seeped from the adjoining hills, ing the anticline at the rapids tour miles west ot the Indian as D l • u- i ,.• i n -»u Mr. Strain put down a shaft 122 feet, the strata en- Keserve, making his location in parcels alternating with r the holdings of the Imperial Oil Co., and including a countered being: seepage area on Carrot River. Mr. Strain went in by ' dog team to make his locations. The Dakota sandstone, " * which is believed to be the source of the oil indications, an on can be tested at this point by drilling to a depth of about Yellow ochre - anr\ r,. ti c i i l n » • Grey boulder clay with pieces of bitumen oUU ft. 1 he Saskatchewan Liovernment is co-operating . . with a Regina syndicate on a 50-50 basis in drilling a test ^2 in* to 2 in" long " A/z well, and Dr. Wallace, Commissioner for Northern Mani- Shale t0 bottom of shaft toba, is stated to have arranged to spend a good part of This shaft is in a folded area, with a limb of the the season in the field under a co-operative arrangement anticline dipping northwest at a low angle. The structure between the governments of Manitoba and Saskatchewan. is here exposed for a width of 8 to 11 miles and abounds Seven or eight drilling plants will probably be put to work ln fossils. this summer. Pasquia Oil Co., Ltd. Geo. McMillan, formerly on the staff of the Canada W. H, Nanson & Co., brokers, with offices in the Copper Corporation, Ltd., has organized a company in Rogers Building, Vancouver, have organized the Pasquia the United States to drill for oil on the Nabi River, and Hills Oil Co., Ltd., to take over and develop the locations has taken in a $75,000 drilling equipment by way of The made by Mr. Strain. Mining Revival at Rock Creek, B. C. The Rock Creek Mining Syndicate has been organized in Vancouver by Martin J. Ravey to develop placer ground at the mouth of Rock Creek, Osoyoos Mining Division. This syndicate has taken up ground which includes a length of 900 ft. along the course of the creek that Col. Robt. Stevenson, one of the pioneers on the creek in the rush of 1860, asserts has never been worked for gold. Associated with Mr. Ravey in the syndicate are H. P. Harper, recently manager of the Bank of Hamilton, Vancouver, Col. Robt. Stevenson, Percy Mallett, H. B. Fostei, and Leon Kee, son of the late Sam Kee. The syndicate's location is where the Kettle. Valley Railway crosses Rock Creek. Development is in charge of T. Kirkpatrick, of Princeton, and a prospecting shaft is being sunk to bedrock. It is down over 25 ft. and the gravel is found to contain coarse gold. A line of sluice-boxes is being constructed. While there are no official records of the production of Rock Creek, it is stated that in the sixties the output of gold was valued at $2,000,000; and that later on it was worked by Chinese who took out $350,000. The last clean-up is stated to have been $16,000 from a shaft 50 ft. deep. LOCALITY MAP OF ROCK CREEK F. Keffer, formerly manager of the B. C. Copper Co., had plans for working the upper part of the creek by means of booming dams. Rock Creek is "a tributary of the main Kettle River, flowing in a north-south course to the railway, then striking east to its confluence with the Ketde River, a short distance north of the international boundary. The late Dr. Dawson, in his work on the "Mineral Wealth of British Columbia," published in 1888, thus refers to it: MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 151 "Rock Creek—East of Osoyoos Lake; a tributary of Ketde River. Gold discovered in 1859 or I860. The narrow valley of the creek paid well for about a mile upi yielding generally one to two ozs. a day to the man. Some of the benches also paid, in one case yielding half an ounce a day to the hand for the season's work. In 1861, 300 miners were at work here, but it was nearly abandoned in the following year (Col. Stevenson says this was due to the Cariboo rush for which the miners headed). Work-' ing was renewed to a considerable extent in 18$6. In 1886, $8 to $10 a day to the- hand was obtained by ground sluicing, and a bedrock flume was constructed. In 1870 the Flume Company took out $6,000 at their first cleanup. At the mouth of the creek a large quantity of gravel had been deposited where the valley widened and this was all thoroughly worked over, chiefly by Chinese, who have never quite abandoned these diggings. Desultory work among large boulders, which obstruct the channel, was carried on for many miles up the creek in early years, and lately a good deal of successful placer work has been done about ten miles up the creek. It is near the last-mentioned place that the 'quartz' discoveries elsewhere mentioned (p 68R) have taken place." The following is the reference to the quartz discoveries: "The general character of Rock Creek, situated a short distance north of the international boundary, and east of Osyoos Lake, is elsewhere noted in connection with its placer gold deposits. This locality has been visited by Mr. Bowman, of the Geological Survey, but at the time little had been done in the matter of quartz discovery. During the past two years, however, general attention has been turned in this direction, and very promising discoveries are reported, including both free-milling gold ores (yielding some very rich specimens) and argentiferous galena ores. On a claim known as the "Cariboo," a tunnel 200 ft. in length is reported to have been driven, as well as a couple of shafts 50 ft. in depth. On the "Argen" claim a prospecting shaft 42 ft. deep has been sunk and the ' Vancouver" has opened to a depth of 15 ft. On the Eureka is a shaft of about one hundred ft. A little mining town has already sprung up here." In 1890, W. Dewdney, Gold Commissioner for Yale, reported: "The placer mines at the mouth of Rock Creek have done better this last season than for some years previ- ft ous. In 1895 C. A. R. Lambly, Gold Commissioner, reported on the placer mining operations: "On Rock Creek a number of companies have been engaged during the past summer endeavoring to bottom the creek, but so far without success, the water proving more than could be managed with wooden pumps. The First Chance Placer Mining Co., have expended in money and labor during the season about $3,700, sinking a shaft 34 ft, erecting 1,100 ft. of flume, and putting in a water wheel with sufficient power to work the 8-in. pumps and do the hoisting. The Old Laura Hydraulic Mining Company's property, at the mouth of the creek, has been worked by a few Chinamen, who realized about $700. A few men have been working further up the creek and made good wages. Altogether about $8,500 has been taken out of the creek during the year." A Pioneer Lode Gold Camp Rock Creek was the scene of the first milling, lode- gold production, and dividends from gold mining in the Province. At the head of the creek is the Cariboo-McKin- ney Mine, once a famous producer of gold bricks with its associated romance of robbery and murder. ROCK CREEK B. C. The following notes on Camp McKinney, by S." S. Fowler, M.E., appear in the report of the Minister of Mines for 1896: "The camp is situated about 56 miles from Penticton, at the south end of Okanagan Lake. It is eight miles north of the international boundary line, and 32 miles west of Midway, at mouth of Boundary Creek, on Kettle River.. Altitude, 4,600 ft. The camp lies on a rolling plateau spur of a rounded mass, of which Bald Mountain is the centre. This peak, 4 or 5 miles northwest of the camp, is a dome of granite (so I am told) which has been pushed up under the gneisses which lie west of it nearly to the Okanagan and the Cambrian(?) schists and quartzites, which extend east of it for a long distance. Bald Mountain is about 7000 ft. alt. These quartzites, etc., are highly tilted, and at Camp McKinney strike about north and south. Cutting these at right angles is a fissure vein (strike east and west, dip vertical) of quartz, on which are located the 'Okanagan,, 'Amelia,' 'Cariboo,' 'Alice,' 'Emma,' 'Maple Leaf and 'Eureka' claims. Through all of them the vein is traced and more or less proved. "Most of the work, and in fact the only work which amounts to much, is on the Cariboo and Amelia, the property of the Cariboo M. M. & S. Co., of Spokane. This company erected a ten (850) stamp mill in the spring of 1894, which has been in operation with success ever since. The ore carries about 3% of concentrates that are shipped to the Coast smelters via Penticton and C. P. R. The mine is worked now through a shaft 1 70 ft. deep, from which drifts run east and west. The several shafts and winzes foot » ill' 11 152 up about 250 ft., and total drifts and crosscuts, etc., about 2000 ft. The published reports of the Company show that about $250,000 in gold have been produced, out of which about $125,000 have been paid in dividends, and about 18,000 tons of ore have been milled. The only other location or holdings of rock creek mining SYNDICATE -s^js* ^^,^sm^^^gms»^ MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD was president. This company was capitalized at $1,250,- 000. The mill was increased to 20 stamps. The year's production was $152,800 from 7,530 tons of ore, an average value of $12. In 1899 Cariboo production was 12,670 tons, yielding $146,410. The company was reorganized as the Cariboo-McKin- ney Mining and Milling Co., Ltd., with Lt.-Col. H. M. Pellatt as president. The average output for the two years, 1900-01, was $150,000, the ore averaging between $9 and $10 per ton, with tailing loss averaging $3.00 per ton. The tailings were stored for future treatment by cyaniding. In I 903 the ore shoots became exhausted, and diamond drilling failing to disclose new ore-bodies, the mine was shut down. Mr. McAulay contributed $30,000 as a donation to the company towards carrying on this unsuccessful development. FALLS ON ROCK CREEK FROM WHICH WATER SUPPLY FOR MINING IS DRAWN property which is being worked is the Victoria and Old England claims, about three miles east of Camp McKinney, but no details are available as to the work being carried on." In the report of the Minister of Mines for 1897 appears a full description of the camp, presumably by W. A. Carlyle, Provincial Mineralogist, in which the writer says: "Camp McKinney has been founded and brought into prominence by the continued success of the Cariboo-Amelia Mine, which, since the erection of its stamp mill in 1 894, has been worked continuously, paying dividends to date of $188,965, with the promise of much more while the stamps keep up their unceasing rumble . . .■&$ . The history of the camp begins in 1884, when the Victoria vein on Rock Creek was discovered a short distance above the placer diggings of early days, but little was -done until 1887, when the Cariboo vein was found standing' holdly out of the ground with free gold showing, but even then progress languished until the present company began work in earnest." The vein system consists of cross-courses, with the Cariboo vein running east and west It varies from 1 to 10 ft, averaging about 4 ft The ore improved with depth, the sulphides increasing, with values of $1 1 in the upper level to $ 1 7 to $ 18 from the lower levels. The vein is faulted. Up to June, 1897, 21,000 tons of ore had been milled, the amount treated being 500 to 550 tons a month, and dividends to $188,965 paid, of which $32,000 was paid in 1897. Cost of mining was $4.00 and milling $2.00 per ton. The company was capitalized at $800,000, and the officers were: James Monoghan, president; G. B. McAulay, secretary, and J. P. Keane, superintendent. The head office was at Spokane." In 1896 the Cariboo-Amelia and adjoining claims were purchased by the Cariboo Consolidated Gold Mining and Milling Co., of Toronto, of which the late Robt J affray The following figures show the tonnage, value and dividends during the nine years the mine operated: Year 1894 Tonnage Value of Bull. Dividends 1896 18,000 $ 250,000.00 $156,965.00 1897 6,300 83,509.28 52,372.52 1898 7,530 152,800.00 50,000.00 1899 ! 14,792 146,410.00 50,000.00 1900 15,238 160,831.85 50,000.00 1901 16,862 137,024.79 50,000.00 1902 15,614 131,324.58 50,000.00 1903 6,558 107,711.57 50,000.00 Total 110,894 -$1,169,612.07 $509,337.52 * * * Other Properties One of the first quartz mines staked in the province was the Victoria, owned by the Rock Creek Gold Mines Co. of Victoria, on the north fork, three miles east of Camp McKinney. Considerable development was done on it up to 1879, and it was reported-as most promising. In 1899 rich gold-quartz was struck between the forks of Rock Creek and was considered to be the discovery MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 153 of the mother lode from which the Rock Creek placer gold had been derived. Assays gave values of $80 a ton. A mill was installed on the Waterloo, but only ran a month. This property is stated by W. Fleet Robertson, Provincial Mineralogist, who examined it in 1901, to have merit, and the reason for closing it down is a mystery. The writer is informed that miners who worked there did an immense amount of high-grading. A mill was also installed on the Minniehaha, but ran only three months when it was closed down. DRUM LUMMON MINES, LTD. Drum Lummon Mine has been re-organized by Glen- ville A. Collins, M.E., who has taken over control. The title of the company formely operating the mine has been changed to Douglas Channel Mines, Ltd., and a new company has been registered as Drum Lummon Mines, Ltd., with a capitalization of $3,000,000 in $1 shares, non- personal liability, to operate the mine. The following are the directors of the new company: Glenville A. Collins, president; John Broatch, vice-president; Robt. Coltrrian, secretary-treasurer; J. F. Menzies and Dr. T. B. Turner, Other locations in the camp were: Alice and Emma, of Penticton. F. G. Jarrett, of North Vancouver, has Maple Leaf, Eureka, Dolphin, Minniehaha, Kamloops, Sailor, Big Bug, Sawtooth, Okanagan, Wiarton, Waterloo, Fontenoy, Vernon, Old England, Homestake, Le Roi, War Eagle and'Anarchist. A revival of gold mining in this camp may be expected. The district has the best of railway transportation. Power is conveniently available from the transmission lines of the West Kootenay Power and Light Company connecting with Princeton. Two years ago the Consolidated Mining & Smelting Co., Ltd., made a number of locations here and at Camp Fairview, which was also the scene of a gold- mining boom 20 years ago. There are certainly ore-bodies of considerable size carrying payable values in these samps and the Consolidated will find a way of working some of them profitably. been appointed superintendent, and a force of ten men has been put on development work. The old company had liabilities aggregating $27,000, which Mr. Collins has reduced to $15,000. The property will be operated by the Glenville A. Collins Engineering Co., Ltd., Mr. Collins having succeeded in interesting New York capital in the further development and equipment of the property. The company's holdings now aggregate 13 Crown granted claims. A hundred-foot winze was put in hand and arrangements made to rebuild the wharf, camp, and tunnel entrance buildings. The Glenville A. Collins Engineering Company, Ltd., receives 600,000 shares in the new company in consideration of financing and carrying out the re-organization and preliminary work. The Douglas Channel Mines, Ltd., as representing the old company, receives share for share for the holdings of its shareholders; but the stock is pooled for two years to enable the new company to carry out its financing and development. The stock in the new Drum Lummon Mines, Ltd., will be listed on the New York Curb by Messrs. Stewart and Co. A boat has been purchased and fitted up to provide regular transportation between Hartley Bay, the Union Steamship Co.'s port of call, and the mine, which is about 20 miles further up Douglas Channel. The mine was recently examined by a New York engineer on behalf of Messrs. Stewart, and he confirmed Mr. Collins' report south of Quesnel Forks, and half a mile from the south an(j representations as to the value of the property as a fork of Quesnel River, across from the Bullion Mine, promising prospect. ROSES GULCH PLACER GOLD, LTD. Roses Gulch Placer Gold, Ltd., has been organized in Vancouver with a capital of $100,000 in $10,00 shares to operate a placer property at Quesnel. The Board of of Directors consists of: J. Broatch, John Thorn, £>. Loane, J. F. Mends and Dr. Agnew, of Vancouver; also Dr. Turner, of Penticton. Mr. Mends is secretary-treasurei. The company holds four claims: Daisy No. I, Daisy No. 2, Violet No. 1, Violet No. 2, located 2]/2 miles On the ground is a bank auriferous 100 ft. in height. A sample of black sand from it gives a value of $2.00 per cu. yd. in gold. Prospecting of the bench showed colors all through, the gold being coarse and having platinum associated with it. The ground is new, al- Mr. Collins recently brought down some remarkable nuggets of gold which he found in the mill; and he has also discovered platinum there. As the mineralization of Drum Lummon is associated with a pegmatite dyke, it is though part of its was formerly worked by the Victoria possible to find anything there in addition to the rich shoots Consolidated, whose title had lapsed, and it was re-located this spring for the Roses Gulch Placer Gold, Ltd. Roses Gulch is believed to be on the line of the old channel between Keithley Creek and Bullion, and a large amount of gold has been won from it in the past. The ground will be worked by hydraulicing, a water system and pipe lines being put in to equip the property for this method of mining. of copper-gold ore hitherto struck, The gangue carries 10% potash and this may yet form the basis of a valuable chemical and fertilizer industry in addition to the mining of metals. The covellite in the mine furnished the finest specimens of copper ore found in the province, and these have been in large demand by eastern universities and collectors of minerals. The head office of the company is at 410 Credit Foncier Bldg., Vancouver. s?h MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD justify investment by operating companies. Lemon Creek is well known as a promising gold camp. The company is now pursuing active development of its properties. A sample of 60 lb. from Lemon Creek put through the Ross mill at the laboratory of J. D. Ross, 291 Dufferm St., Vancouver, gave a return of $4.75 in gold, while an assay of the heads gave a return of $1 10.40 per ton. On the V. & M. Group the mine foreman reports having broken into 18 in. of dry ore, from which the following assays were obtained:— Gold, 0.72 oz.; silver, 80.3 oz. Gold, 0.34 oz.; silver, 44.8 oz. Gold, 0.42 oz.; silver, 98.6 oz. Gold, 1.87 oz.; silver, 318.2 oz. German Group. The German Group, on Lemon Creek, was located and under development for a number of years by a German, who left the country during the war, and the claims being open were re-staked by Mr. McLeod, who expects to develop an important mine here. The property is located at the head of Lemon Creek. The vein is from 2 ft. to 15 ft. wide, and carries a paystreak averaging 2 Yl ft. in width. The following assays show the value of the ore:— No. 1 Gold, 2.12 oz.; silver, 28.5 oz. No. 2 Gold, 1.08 oz. • silver, 47.4 oz. No. 3 Gold, 1.38 oz.; silver, 18.9 oz. No. 4 Gold, 3.48 oz.; silver, 37.0 oz. No. 5 Gold, 0.72 oz.; silver, 14.40 oz. A shoot of steel galena has also been developed, the extent of which has not been proved up as yet; but it ooks promising. Lewis, of New Westminster, has joined the MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING 155 FREW BROS'. WIRE ROPES. The firm of Frew Bros. & Co., 88-90 Dobbies Loan, Glasgow, Scodand, was established in the year 1903. The two partners, Alex. Frew, the founder of the firm, and Jas. Kennedy, have had over 20 years' practical experience in the manufacture of wire ropes. Their products are well known and highly thought of in the mining districts of the British Isles, South Africa and New Zealand, where they have been on the market for some years. The firm only employ the very highest grade of wire in the manufacture of their ropes (obtaining their supplies from the most eminent wiredrawers in England) of suitable temper and ductility to withstand the onerous conditions met with in mining. The steadily increasing demand for their products necessitated the complete re-modelling of their factory, which was carried out during 1920, and new plant of the latest design installed, with the result that it is now one of the most up-to-date wire rope factories in Great Britain. One of the features of their Lang's Lay Wire Ropes is that they are non-kinkable, which every one interested in the handling of Lang's Lay Wire Ropes will agree is a very valuable asset indeed. Messrs. Frew Bros., in addition to turning out large quantities of Mining Wire Ropes, manufacture wire ropes for Logging, Engineering, Elevators, Gold Dredging, Trawling, Shipping, and in fact for all purposes. Frew Bros, and Co. have arranged to place their wire rope products on the Canadian market. Their local agent is James F. Lamont, 615 Pender St., Vancouver, who is in a position to quote prices and fill orders for all requirements on short notice. Mr. Lamont is one of the most reliable business men in Vancouver, and users of wire rope can depend on getting the best of service from him. * # * MILL FOR PROSPECTORS J. D. Ross, of Vancouver, has invented a mill for the use of prospectors, and which he is now putting on the market. One of these mills has been installed at the Emancipation mine at Hope. The mill consists of a jaw crusher, rolls, amalgamator and flotation cell. The weak part of the mill is its crushing equipment, in which greater strength is required for hard rocks. The amalgamator is giving splendid results and is said by those who have tested it to be one of the best devised. Mr. Ross has closed a deal whereby he has sold the patent rights for his mill for the States of Oregon and Washington for $10,000 and a royalty. STONEITE LTD. Stoneite Ltd. is a new company organized in Vancouver to take over the patent rights for the manufacture of products involving a new discovery in cement, which it is claimed is the recovery of a lost art. The company has a demonstrating room on Hastings St., Vancouver, where artificial stone is produced from all kinds of materials. Sawdust, smelter slag, ores, etc., are treated with the cement and become artificial marbles, brick, and all kinds of forms designed by the inventor, who also produces shingle stains, tinted tiles, ornamental ware of enormous strength to the astonishment of his visitors. The stock is being handled by J. T. McGregor and Co., brokers, Pender St. W., Vancouver. * * * NEW TYPE OF WATER TUBE BOILER. The Wallace Foundry Company, Ltd., are building a I their works at Industrial Island a boiler of. the Sherry water tube type, for which W. Howie, of the Credit Foncier Building, is agent. It is claimed for this type of boiler that it gives exceptionally high steaming capacity and effective circulation. The University of Washington made a test and obtained from it the highest efficiency of any boiler they had yet tested. * * * PAINTS AND DYES FROM GALENA ORE. The Pacific Coast Color Manufacturing Co., Ltd., is being organized in Vancouver to manufacture paints, colors and dyes from lead and other minerals. Daniel Thumlert is president and H. Swartout vice-president. The company's \ offices are at 51-52 Cahada Life Building, Vancouver. The company's chemists have worked out about 1 00 colors for paints, print dyes «.nd writing fluids, manufactured by a German process which is new to Canada, though it has been in operation in the United States. The company claims for its dyes absolute permanency, and that simplicity, speed of production and low cost will enable it to place on the market products which can compete with those produced by. any other processes. Lead is the base of most of the colors, and it is proposed to supply this lead by the purchase direct from the miner of galena ores, from which the silver, zinc and other metals are separated. The company will mix and supply oil paints ready for the market. The machinery for the plant has been shipped and the company expects to get its buildings at Industrial Island completed, machinery installed, and its products placed on the market inside of three months. 1 1 156 If $>lii || :| I. J I ■ 11' MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD THE MINING NEWS lift - I <tfi ALASKA. The Fish Creek Mining Company, which has had a property at Fish Creek, Salmon River, under development for ten years, has its first shipment of 20 tons ready to send out, and claims values run from $500 to $600 a ton in gold, silver, copper and lead. Ore has been proven on the surface for about 600 ft. A tunnel is being driven 70 ft. to cut the upper showing at a depth of 50 ft. The Alaska Road Commission is building a road up Fish Creek. The company intends installing a compressor. W. R. Tonkin is president, and H. Tanner, superintendent. The mining industry in Alaska dates to 1880, at Juneau. Since then the Territory has produced minerals to.the value of $461,474,789, consisting of gold, silver, tin, copper, tungsten, antimony, coal, petroleum, marble, gypsum, platinum and palladium. The production in 1920 was $23,307,757 as against $19,620,913 in 1919, the increase being entirely in copper, of which 70,435,363 lb. was shipped in 1920 as against 47,222,771 lb. in 1919. The United States Government will spend $7,500,000 in opening up Alaska by good roads and trails. BRITISH COLUMBIA. AINSWORTH MINING DIVISION—C. Roger and Grant Bros, have made a strike of high grade ore on the surface between the old workings on the Silver Hoard, on which they have a lease from W. S. Hawley and Co. of Spokane. The ore assays 250 oz. silver per ton and a shipment will be made to Trail smelter. J. Dawson and Alex. Munro are working the Gold Cure under lease. Thompson and McKinney, who have been successfully operating the North Star Mine at Kimberley under lease, have arranged to take a lease on the Utica for five years and extend the long or No. 7 tunnel a further distance of 1,200 ft. to crosscut the two veins at depth. They put up a bond of $5000, undertake to spend $3000 a year on development and pay 15^° royalty on ore shipped. No. 7 tunnel has been driven 2000 ft. C. Thompson will be superintendent. The annual meeting of the Utica Mines Ltd. was held at Kaslo on July 20, and former directors re-elected. ASHCROFT MINING DIVISION—The Mines Department has expended $45,379 in diamond drilling and- other development on the Snowstorm Group in Highland Valley, controlled by Stuart Henderson, of Victoria. The result has been to indicate an extensive area of mineralization of too low grade to be of commercial value, the copper content averaging about 0.5%. M. J. Cameron, of Vancouver, is developing the Kathleen, in Highland Valley, J. N. J. Brown being in charge of the work. The property is one of great promise. A landslide half a mile wide came down at Basque and blocked the Thompson River to a depth of 12 ft. but no damage was done. ATLIN MINING DIVISION—The camp is more active than for some years. There was a rush to a reported new gold discovery at Little Atlin Lake, miners coming from Atlin, Carcross and Whitehorse, but it proved disappointing. Placer mining is active and some good cleanups have already been made. Prospecting has been stimulated by the discoveries of silver-lead ore on Fourth of July Creek by J. M. Ruffner last summer, as the result of which he has made an important deal with a strong company for development. It is believed the result will be to prove the southeasterly extension of the Mayo silver-lead belt of the Yukon. Much interest is being taken in the hearing of the suit regarding the Engineer Mine at Vancouver in September, when it is hoped the litigation concerning this promising property will be settled for good and the mine operated. R. W. Wiley, of Portland, Ore., is actively developing the Maid-of-Erin, at Rainy Hollow, 55 miles from Haines, where there is high-grade copper ore. He has taken in a number of tractors and is arranging to ship 500 tons. The Alaska Road Commission has built a good road from Haines to the International Boundary. BOUNDARY—A. N. Hobb and A. J. Sandquist, of Vancouver, are developing claims on Boundary Creek. The Kokomo Mine at Beaverdell, Greenwood Mining Division, is being worked and has made a shipment of 8 tons to Trail smelter. CARIBOO—Harper's Camp has had its name changed to Horsefly. There has been a shortage of water for hydraulicing owing to the dry weather. The Standard Mining Company, for which Charles McDonald, of Williams Lake, is agent, has applied for 8 second feet of water from Spanish Lake. EAST KOOTENAY—The East Kootenay Prospectors' Association is endeavoring to enlist capital in the development of copper properties in the St Mary's District. The following are the principal locations: Luke Creek Group, including Green Dragon, Black Hills, Wasp Fraction, Yankee Girl, B. C, Tarrant, and Silver Bell claims, on which considerable development has been done. Gold, silver, lead and zinc also occur. St. Mary's Lake Group includes Columbia, Hidden Treasure, Minnehaha, Matter- horn claims carrying large veins mineralized with copper but badly leached on the surface and requiring deep development to prove average values. Mascot Group, on south branch of Hell Roaring Creek, includes Mascot, Mascot No. 2, Eclipse, Eclipse No. 2. It is owned by Jas. Angus and Wm. Tarrant, of Marysville. A vein MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 157 running up to 2 ft. in width is exposed for 2000 ft, and W. B. Pool, manager for the Reno Gold Mines Ltd., while there is some copper the ygjpes are mainly in galena § making a success of the development of the Reno, for- and zinc. The camp has good access by wagon road and merly the Eureka. The property consists of the Eureka, Enterprise and Mayflower, and is located on Dominion The hematite iron deposits at Sand Creek and Bull Mountain, on the south side of Sheep Creek, across from River are attracting attention. Considerable development tne Motherlode. There are seven auriferous veins on the property. Four feet of high-grade milling ore has been proved in a vein exposed at the bottom and top of the hill at points 1200 ft. apart vertically. No. 1 vein is being developed by two tunnels. Ore can be conveniently transported to the Motherlode mill. was done some years ago by the C. P. .R., which stil holds a group of claims acquired from C. P. Hill. Dr. Ings, of Calgary, did some diamond drilling at Sand Creek. Kamloops properties have been under examination by English and American engineers. LIARD MINING DIVISION—A. St. G. Brindle, M.E., of Victoria, reports discoveries in this division of high-grade nickel arsenide and cobalt; two deposits of pyrrhotite expected to carry nickel; a deposit of manganese, and two deposits of lead-zinc ores. LILLOOET—A Vancouver syndicate, in which O. B. Smith, M.E., C. M. Rolston, A. D. Creer, Jas. Stables, and A. J. Taylor, of Vancouver, are interested, is investigating the prospects of Bridge River for hydraulic mining. Good prospects of placer gold have been found for a depth of as much as 400 ft. on the banks of the river. The prospecting is in charge of O. B. Smith, who has constructed a flume on the north fork. O. B. Smith has also been making a thorough exploration of the Bridge River country with a view to ascertaining its possibilities for lode mining, especially gold. NAAS MINING DIVISION—Granby folks are proud of the work of the Anyox, the former ore ship ope- Much damage has been done by forest fires started after a shower of meteors one of which is stated to have been seen to fall on Boulder Creek and start a fire. The Trajl Mining Company is developing a silver-lead property at Salmo, the work being in charge of Joseph Rozeek. A tunnel has been run 600 ft, giving a depth of 380 ft. on the vein, on which a drift has been run 250 ft. This vein is 16 ft. wide, and has a dip of 76 deg. The ore is a carbonate of lead carrying good silver values. The Mountain Chief Mine at Renata, having reverted to the owners, and the bond for $125,000 having fallen through, J. McDaniels, of Robson, proposes re-opening it. OMINECA MINING DIVISION —The Delta Group, owned by Edmonton interests, is being developed by diamond drilling. The Granby Consolidated Mining, Smelting and Refining Company finds it has to revert to the policy of the rating in connection with the smelter at Anyox, in her former management in looking out for new mines to supply magnificent work of rescue of the survivors of the ill-fated ore adapted to fluxing the Hidden Creek ores for smelting, steamship Alaska, which was wrecked on Blunt's reef, off The Company has engineers in the field looking for copper the coast of California. i C. B. North, superintendent of the Dolly Varden, is doing excellent work. He made a new strike of high grade ore and development is being done to ascertain its extent. The ore averages 58 oz. silver. Mineralization is in the form of ruby silver, argentite and galena. The Taylor Mining Co. Ltd. will ship 1 500 tons of high-grade silver ore from the Dolly Varden, and C. B. North, the company's superintendent, will make a thorough sampling of the lower grade ore to ascertain its probable average value and metallurgical treatment with a view to shaping the future policy of the company. George Wingfield, who held the original mortgage from the Dolly Varden Mines Ltd., has instituted a friendly action to foreclose his mortgage. properties and a large quartz deposit carrying payable values in gold, silver or copper to avoid using barren silica flux. Among other properties examined are those of E. Carmichael on Copper River; the Silver Standard at Hazelton; the properties of the Kleanza Company at Usk; and ton; the properties of the Kleanza Company at Usk; Goat Creek properties on Babine Mountain, and properties at Terrace and Smithers. Telkwa will celebrate Labor Day by a barbecue. D. A. Buchanan, of Spokane, has bonded John Gabriel's property on Copper River. The ore is grey copper and native silver in a vein 4 ft. wide. L. W. Patmore, of Prince Rupert, has opened up some fine ore on the I. X. L. and Emma, Bomite Mountain, Usk. The ore is bornite. Development is in charge of NELSON MINING DIVISION—Spokane interests H Scujiy. have taken an option on the Bayonne Mine, owned by the Bayonne Mines Ltd., in which Hon. J. W. Gerrard, of New York City, owns the controlling interest. The option covers 10 claims of the group and four adjacent claims. Development aggregates 2000 ft. If the option is taken up it is proposed to erect a mill. A. Pete has opened up a shoot of high-grade silver ore from one to three ft. wide on Bornite Mountain. A trail is under construction up Gold Creek. The townsite at Usk is being surveyed by J. A, Rutherford. 1M? 158 » ;: 1 The K. Mining Partnership, of Vancouver, of which H. H. Gilson is manager, has leased from the Kleanza Company the Golden Crown Group, a free-gold property, and is installing a Ross mill. J. Darby is prospecting at Kitsumgallum. A vein on the Valhalla has been traced nearly a mile and is reported to carry good gold values. O. T. Lindland, who is developing the Peerless, has opened up a new vein showing covellite and chaleocite over a width of about 4 in. F. Forrest has uncovered at 12-mile an ore-body carrying 4 to 9% copper with good silver values. Kitselas Mountain Copper Co. is driving a new low- level tunnel from a point 120 ft below the mill to tap the blind veins in the main tunnel in an estimated distance of 400 ft. Sinking on Blind Vein No. 2 has been attended with encouraging results. MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD C. A. McKenzie struck copper glance carrying gold values on the M. C. Group, on Bear River. R. Priest and J. Young are developing the New York Group, on Fish Creek, for P. Benson. P. O'Rourke is developing claims at Eleven Mile, Salmon River. Capt. John Irving, of Victoria, has been examining the Lake View on Glacier Creek. W. Noble, a pioneer mining man of the camp, has been appointed to take charge of the Government Liquor Store. The B. C. Silver Corporation Ltd. is not likely to do any development outside diamond drilling on its properties at Pordand Canal this summer. SKEENA MINING DIVISION —The Pacific Mills Ltd. are adding a ritary koln to their plant to pre- The shareholders of the Kleanza Co. Ltd. met at Usk pare jjgj Hmestone used in their pulp plant, on July 20 and elected the following board of directors: John Willman, John Reid, Einer Berge, A. H. Allen, SLOCAN MINING DIVISION — Senator Mc- J. Hellfach, Chris. Bjornsted, P. Dablen, A. McDonald. Means, of Winnipeg, Man., mortgagee of the Lucky Jim The meeting endorsed the management of the company for zinc mine, is arranging to reorganize the company. It is the past year and the development of their mineral proper- proposed to extend the 400 level into new ground and raise ties on Kleanza Mountain. to the surface 1000 ft. to develop at depth ore-bodies outcropping on the surface. When A. G. Larson was PEACE RIVER MINING DIVISION - Lynch |||| for the old company he earned a profit of $25o,. Bros, are engaged on their diamond drilling contract at 000 from the mine WhUe most of ^ ore is of mining Hudson's Hope to test the area for oil on behalf of the Provincial Government. A gold discovery was reported on Cadotte River by Charles Stout, but turned out a "frost." PORTLAND CANAL MINING DIVISION — The Premier cyanide plant is now in operation. A drift is grade the old workings carried about 30% shipping ore running from 40 to 60% zinc. Last fall C. E. Cartwright, J. F. Helliwell, and Blake Wilson reopened the Two Friends Mine in the Slocan and developed a fine body of ore when the slump in the prices of lead and silver made it impossible to ship, and the mine being run below No. 4 to develop a shoot of high grade had to be again closed down. The ore averages about ore indicated by the diamond drill. Dr. R. E. McKechnie, who is interested in the Patricia Group, on Marmot River, has arranged to extend the tunnel, which is in good ore. The work will be under supervision of H. C. Magee, the original locator of the property. The tunnel will develop the downward extension of a large vein outcropping on the surface. A new vein has been discovered of a width of 6 ft, from which surface ore assayed $133 a ton. At a meeting of the Pioneers of Alaska, held at Stewart, J. T. Reid presided and B. M. Stone acted as secretary. It was decided to make a collection of ore samples for the Mining Congress meeting in Chicago, in October, the following being appointed the committee to collect the exhibit: D. Lindeborg, J. Hoveland, S. P. Fitzgerald, Wm. Bunting, J. A. Hall. The exhibit will be in charge of Ben O. Erickson, who has secured space for the display. M. Allison and C. Johnson have struck nice ore on Bear Creek. The Silverado has a shipment of high grade ore ready to send out as soon as a trail is provided. 100 oz. per ton in silver. TRAIL CREEK MINING DIVISION—The new mill for Le Roi No. 2 Ltd. has been completed and opened by Douglas Lay, the new manager, who is arranging to work up the dumps preparatory to resuming active mining and milling at the Josie Mine at Rossland. The Workmen's Co-operative Committee of Trail Smelter have organized a sick insurance scheme in which half the employees have enrolled. The object is to provide for the family in case of sickness. The officers are:' Hugh Bell, president; Alex Kerr, vice-president; H. W. Hankin, sec-treas.; W. Douglas, H. Jackson, R. Marcoli and H. Parsons, directors. TROUT LAKE MINING DIVISION—The Silver Cup Mine is being worked under lease by S. Gabna, who has made shipments to Trail Smelter. He has developed an ore-shoot carrying values of $150 a ton, which was about the average of the former shipments made by the Home-Payne interests, who worked this property for 20 years and mined and shipped ore to the value of over $1,000,000. MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD M. R. Leahy is arranging to make a collection of ores The silver mines have representative of the district for the mineral display to be exhibited at the International Mining Convention at Nelson next year. Dan Savoy is placer-mining on the Lardeau River, and claims to have had returns of $5 a yard. If the values average around a dollar a yard he proposes to install a dredge 159 e silver mines have reduced costs, and with the strengthening of the metal and New York exchange giving a return of about 70c an oz. conditions in the silver camps are becoming more prosperous. McKinley-Darragh Temis- kaming, and Beaver Consolidated, which have been shut down, will probably re-open. West Dome Consolidated and Dome Lake Mining and Milling Co. may merge. Each has a capital of M. R. Leahy, owner of the Horn Lead Group, and $3,000,000 in $1 shares, manager for the Mansfield Mining Co., of Spokane, reports the development of two veins on the property which is located on the north fork of Lardeau River, above Ferguson. The larger vein is 4 ft. wide and carries silver- lead ore averaging $80 a ton. The smaller vein is 2J/2 ft. On the Mansfield, on Silver Cup Mountain, a crosscut is being driven to develop the ore-body at depth. Surface assays gave values of 23.82 oz. gold and 61 oz. silver. Hollinger Gold Mines has an earning power of $10,- 000,000 a year. The Massey-Harris plant has closed down owing to depression in the agricultural industry and 4000 people have been thrown out of work. A new gold discovery is reported from Goudreau, three miles west of the Murphy Mine. The discoverer is Charles The Noble Five is looking well under development by Keely, discoverer of the Keeley Mine at Cobalt. A. Craig and A. McLean, a large body of ore carrying values in gold, silver, lead and copper having been developed. The Noble Five has for many years been regarded as one of the best prospects in the Trout Lake Mining Division. VANCOUVER—C. E. Cartwright has organized the Lillooet Soda Co. Ltd. to work the soda deposits on his holdings at Clinton. Soda ash and other products in industrial demand will be placed on the market by the company, which has already large customers in the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Co. Ltd. and the Lever Soap Manufacturing Co. VANCOUVER ISLAND—Yarrows Ltd. intend to compete for American contracts for ship repair for their docks at Esquimalt. The British company is closing its Scotstoun plant at Glasgow, as there is little ship-building in prospect, the excess tonnage being 9,000,000 tons. Major D. B. Martyn, of the Industrial Council, says a glass-making industry is proposed. MANITOBA The Palatine Mining and Development Co., of Chicago, has purchased the Atikokan blast furnace at Port Arthur and will connect it by rail with the company's iron ore lands in Cook Co., Minn., through the Port Arthur, Duluth and Western Railway. A Canadian subsidiary will be organized to operate the Port Arthur plant, where a new furnace will be built to produce 225 tons of pig iron per day. The coking ovens will be rebuilt, and it is expected to have the plant in operation this fall. Robt E. Hogan is in charge of the company's operations at Port Arthur. A strike of gold, silver and platinum is reported north of Kenora. The Department of Mines has been successfully conducting classes for prospectors in the various mining camps in charge of Dr. W. L. Goodwin, of the Department. A lead deposit is reported on the Gold Nugget ground near Crerar, Sudbury. A vein of 8 in. has been proved for 1 24 ft. Assays show values of $8 in gold, 20.5 oz. silver, and 78.40% lead. British capital proposes- to build a system of light rail- The gold strike on Elbow Lake developed some rich ways connecting the northern mining camps. specimen ore, a picked sample carrying 1000 oz. gold per ton. About a ton of the ore is being sent to Trail Smelter. W. Baker and E. Patton have discovered a body of chalcopyrite exposed for a height of 80 ft and length of 200 ft. on Lake Athapapuskow. ONTARIO Mclntyre Porcupine Mines is doubling its plant to handle another 500 tons a day, making the annual production $3,000,000. A body of high grade milling ore has been struck south of No. 7 and is being developed on the 1265 and 1500 ft. level. The ore occurs in the contact between quartz-porphyry • and basalt. American exchange adds $195,000 monthly to the earnings of Ontario gold mines, the gold being paid for on the New York basis. $1,000,000 of British capital has been provided for development of the Davidson and construction of a 500- ton mill. The deal was arranged by Hugh Sutherland, the president of the company. Lightning River Gold Mines has struck spectacular gold ore on its Meridian Line claims in the Lightning District, the gangue being a highly silicified basalt. Surface work has proved ore for a width of 5 ft. and length of 300 ft. The district is reached from La Reine Station on the C. N. R., and crossing Lake Abitibi. Keora Porcupine Mines Ltd. reports ore-body 35 ft. wide, with free gold showing in the face of the drift. Union Mining Corporation has cut a vein 8 ft. wide showing good gold values at the 150 level in the shaft at Whitesides, 25 miles east of Timmins. 1 1 p tP 160 Oxford-Cobalt has increased its holdings by taking in the Waldman and two adjoining claims. In the shaft several shoots of cobalt with fair silver values were cut. A deal is on for the purchase of the oroperty of the Hattie Gold Mines by American capitalists. "he ore shows visible gold. Label Lode Ltd. is surface trenc*hing its property at Kirkland Lake. The Gold Island Company is diamond drilling its property. A new explosive, known as Thompsonite, is being put on the market by the Thompson Powder Co. who made MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD nicke, the geologist representing the companies. F. W. Bradley, the president, is expected from San Francisco to inspect the properties, on which it is proposed to carry on active development. The Yukon Gold Co., which has 40 claims at Keno Hill, is pushing development. Prospectors have located over 2000 claims at Keno Hill and vicinity. E. K. James has discovered a vein 20 ft. wide carrying silver-lead ore at Galena Hill and made locations. The Klondyke Valley has been swept by forest fires, destroying the pole line conveying electric power to the Th e company s successful demonstrations at Desoronto. office is at 167 Yonge St., Toronto. It is proposed to supply power to Porcupine Mines from the Mattagmi Co.'s power plant. Matatchewan Gold Mines Ltd. has bought the Cle- mens-Robb group adjoining its property on which development consists of 80 diamond drill holes, a shaft, and 1000 ft. of lateral work on the 250 level. The mine is shut down. Big Dyke Mines Ltd., Porcupine, reports good gold values in the shaft. Triplex Mines Ltd., operating the Tommy Burns property in Shaw Township, has sent a trial shipment of 5 tons ore to the Mines Dept. of Queen's University for test.— Northern Miner. QUEBEC The Canadian Johns-Manville Co. Ltd. is erecting a large asbestos manufacturing plant at Asbestos, Que., the products including asbestos textiles, brake lining, shingles, paper, roofing, pipe covering, and the many lines of asbestos specialties the company has so successfully developed. SASKATCHEWAN A deposit of Kieselguhr, or diatomaceous earth, has been found on the farm of H. McKeller, Waldeck, Sask., and an industry has been organized at Medicine Hat, Alta., iv. the manufacture of fire lighters from the material, which is made into small bricks and saturated with kerosene. A company is being organized with a capital of $250,- 000 to manufacture pressed brick and hollow tile at Lums- den, where there is a deposit of clay shale which it is claimed is suitable for that purpose. YUKON The Bunker Hill and Sullivan Mining Co. and Alaska T readwell interests, which are reported to be associated with the Rothschilds, of London, Eng., have entered the Mayo silver-lead camp, securing about 50 claims at Keno Hill, owned by D. Cunningham, R. Fisher, J. Sutherland and T. McNeill. On the Cunningham property a vein shows 3 ft. of solid ore. The mineralization is mainly galena and tetrahedrite. The deal was made by L. Wer- dredges, which have been forced to shut down in consequence. The Alaska and Yukon road system will probably be connected up via Forty Mile, where the Glacier Road from Yukon meets the Walker Fort Road of Alaska. A conference was recently held between Col. Steese, of the Alaska Road Commission, and Geo. P. McKenzie, Chief Executive of the Yukon Territory. The Dominion Government may build a road up Stewart River from Mayo to the divide, and thence down Gravel River to the Yukon, so as to give direct communication between Yukon Territory and the oilfields of the Mackenzie District. The people of Mayo are locating a road between Mayo and Pelly at their own expense. Great preparations were made to celebrate Discovery Day on Aug. 1 7, the 25th anniversary of the Klondike gold discoveries. The Nasutlin Gold Mining Co. is developing a property on Iron Creek, Teslin Lake, A. C. Bonebrake, president, being in charge of the work. W. C. Sime, of the Government Assay Office at Whitehorse, is operating an assay plant at Mayo this summer. Mayo has a telephone service operated by the Mayo Telephone.Co., with D. Mathieson as manager. Keno Hill Co. Ltd. has erected a fine warehouse on Front St., Mayo, and Taylor, Drury, Pedlar Co., of Whitehorse, are arranging to build a store, warehouse and wharf. Since the opening of navigation 300 claims have been recorded from the Mayo silver-lead camp. The North West Corporation has added to its fleet dredge North West No. 2, operating at Granville, on Dominion Creek, with capacity of 3500 yds. per 24-hour day. It was formerly the property of the Yukon Gold Co., and operated on Hunker Creek, but was taken down last winter and transported over the snow to Granville. North West No. 1 Dredge, which was assembled and started operations last year, is working on Claim 1 7, Upper Dominion. The North West Corporation has 20 miles of dredging ground with an estimated life of 20 years. MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD On the flats of the Klondike River the largest gold dredges in the world are operating. The Canadian Klondike Co. is operating two dredges with a capacity of 14,- 000 cu. yds. each. 161 L. H. Titus is dredging on Highest Creek. The gold output for this year is estimated at $2,000,- 000. The Yukon Gold Co. is operating its 70-mile hydraulic ditch, which, by a system of syphons, brings a river of water over hill and dale to Gold Hill, above Grand Forks for hydraulicing Bonanza and other creeks. The company is also operating a dredge on Gold Run. The opening of the Yukon River this year is the earliest on record. WASHINGTON Capt M. Hartman is working the United Treasure, immediately south of the boundary. A shipment of 67 tons of sorted ore netted $2,900. About 200 tons of lower grade ore are on the dump for future treatment. The Frisco Standard, two miles below Waneta, has shipped 700 tons of ore carrying 50 oz. silver, 10% lead, and 5% to 6% copper. There is a large tonnage of low grade ore on the dump. The Gust Maki Mine on Sheep Creek, south of North- port, has been shipping ore, but has been temporarily closed down. GENERAL NEWS. A prehistoric stone axe factory has been found in Wales covering hundreds of acres. It is believed to be 5000 years old. PERSONAL Dean R. W. Brock has .taken advantage of the summer vacation to visit Great Britain with his family. During his visit he will attend the International Geological Congress which is holding its first gathering since the war. C. M. Campbell, formerly superintendent of the Granby Company's Phoenix Mines, has been appointed to succeed R. R. Wilson as superintendent of the company's coal mine at Cassidy and has removed his home from Phoenix to Cassidy. Major Angus W. Davis has been on a visit to the Coast. He has temporarily forsaken mining to carry out his contract for construction of part of the Provincial Highway east of Rossland. T. W. Bingay, comptroller of the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company Ltd., with headquarters at Trail, has been on a vjsit to the Coast cities. M. M. O'Brien, superintendent of the Rock Candy Mine, of the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Co., has been visiting neighboring points of interest. The visit of Madame Curie, the joint discoverer with her husband in 1 898 of radium, to the United States was the occasion of the presentation of radium valued at $ 1 00,- 000. A. J. Taylor, president and manager of the Taylor Mining Co. Ltd., operating the Dolly Varden Mine, re- centiy^returned from a visit to Great Britain, where he went to raise capital for the installation of a mill and the further development of the Dolly Varden and Wolf mines. W. L. Smith, superintendent of the Toby Creek Mining Co., operating the Bunyan and Trojan properties at Windermere, has returned to East Kootenay for the season's mining operations. R. F. Wensley, of East Pittsburgh, read a paper before the Vancouver section of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers on "Automatic Sub-stations." R. H. Stewart, M.E., of Vancouver, is spending most of his time at present in Texas where he is in charge of the sulphur properties operated by W. H. Aldridge, formerly general manager of Trail Smelter. Owing to a substance of the land area near where the operations are carried on a lawsuit has been entered against Mr. Aldridge for damages and Mr. Stewart is busily engaged assembling the facts for presentation to the court on behalf of his principal. Dale L. Pitt, superintendent of the Premier Mine-, at Stewart, has been on a visit to the coast cities. Major Goldmann, who has acquired the townsite of Nicola, together with a large area of agricultural land, the Hotel Adelphi at Merritt, and other interests, has returned from Great Britain and will devote his time to his extensive project which will be of great importance in development of Merritt as a coal mining centre. Major Goldmann has been actively connected with mining interests in South Africa, and it is pretty certain he will take a hand in the mining development of the section of British Columbia which he has selected as his new home. M. C. Monaghan, of Spokane, intends putting in the summer prospecting the Lillooet District. E. Williams, an English mining engineer, has been examining properties in the Kamloops district on behalf of British capital. D. Lindeborg, who is one. of the pioneers of the Salmon River mining camp, has returned north after spending the winter in the cities. J. A. Fraser, Gold Commissioner for the Atlin District, has returned to his post in the north after spending a few weeks with his family at Vancouver. Mr. Fraser is M 162 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD one of the pioneer officials of the Mines Department of CANADIAN INSTITUTE OF MINING AND w l\ ,f? METALLURGY The executive of the British Columbia Division of the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy has decided on an important departure in its arrangements for future meetings. It will ask contributors of papers to send them in some time in advance of meetings so that summaries of them may be published in the Institute Bulletin, and members will thus know what subjects are coming up and be prepared to discuss them. It is believed this policy will make for increased interest in the membership, and result in discussions of a character most beneficial to the work of the Institute and its membership. It is also proposed to confine the papers to matters of a technical nature affecting the mining industry, rather than branching out on general subjects, which has been a weak feature of past meetings. * * * dent of the Molly Gibson Mine, has moved his office from CONSOLIDATED HOMESTAKE MINING AND the Crown Building to 614 Pender St. W., Vancouver, DEVELOPMENT CO LTD where he is practising as consulting engineer. ...,..„ , ■•liT-.i i,-. * The Consolidated Homestake Mining and Development Leslie H. Allen has joined the Jrortland Cement Asso- .-, T i i • i i /- »* 11 i . . , . „ T-i t n ^°-> Ltd., was recently organized by C M. Houghton ciation as manager ot the Cement Jrroducts Bureau. . . . r . „ . _. to acquire under option the Homestake L»roup and 1 lp R. R. Wilson, who resigned as superintendent of the Top claim at Alice Arm, the bond on these properties to Granby Company's coal mine at Cassidy as from June 1 st, the Mineral Claims Development Company having lapsed. has gone to the Premier Mine, at Portland Canal, in which The Homestake Group is owned by A. Davidson, A. his father, W. R. Wilson, manager of the Crows Nest Smith, and G. Pearson, of Alice Arm, and the Tip Top Pass Coal Co., Ltd., is heavily interested. Mr. Wilson [< owned by H. Mann, of Anyox. The Consolidated was appointed superintendent at Cassidy in 1919, com- Homestake Mining and Development Company has been registered with a capitalization of $500,000 in 100,000 shares of $5, and development has been started, the first work being the driving of a crosscut a distance of about 300 ft. to intersect the ore body at the junction of the main veins. This work will give a depth of over 200 ft. British Columbia, having been in charge of the Atlin District for about 20 years. He has rendered loyal service both to the Government and the miners, and is an official who has always commanded the highest confidence of the public by his integrity and whole-souled desire to advance the interests of the districts of which he has so long been in charge. Miss Irene Mounce, of Cumberland, Vancouver Island, has been awarded the Hudson Bay Company Fellowship in Scientific Research by the University of Manitoba. Miss Mounce is a graduate of the University of British Columbia. Geo. Stillwell, formerly superintendent of the Hewitt, at Silverton, has been re-visiting the scenes of former days, and was banquetted by the old-timers. H. L. Batten, M. E., formerly on the staff of the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Co., Ltd., and superinten- pleted construction, and put the mine on a producing basis, bringing the production up to 1,200 tons a day, the largest production of any single pit in British Columbia. He completed plans to bring the output up to 1,500 tons a day. Pat Daly, "the father of Stewart," has been in the limelight in New York City, where he has been on a visit on the ore body. • in connection with his lawsuit against the owners of the Premier Mine, at Portland Canal, in which he claims $ 1 ,- 960,000, or a fifth interest. A. H. Lowe, chief geologist for the Mackenzie River Oil Co., of Toronto, has gone to Fort Norman to locate sites for three drilling rigs. The degree of L.L.D. has been conferred on Dean per, 6%. Brock by his Alma Mater, Queen's University. Hugh Sutherland, of Winnipeg, who is interested in mines in Slocan, has been on a visit to the coast. Major Retallack has been allowed $1,875 by the Provincial Government as compensation for his discharge as Commissioner of Public Utilities. W. Fleet Robertson, Provincial Mineralogist, who The Homestake was examined in 1919 by J. H. Curie, M.E., of London, Eng., and F. R. Weekes, representing the Goldfields Consolidated, who recommended further development before they could interest their principals. Assays of samples of the, ore brought to Vancouver give an average of: Gold, 0.60 oz.; silver, 47 oz.; cop- ¥ * * CERTIFICATES OF COMPETENCY. At the last examination for certificates of competency under the Coal Mines Regulation Act of British Columbia, the following:were awarded certificates:— George Murray, Nanaimo, first-class certificate. Second-class certificates: Thomas W. Scott, Cumber- was confined to his home suffering from a swelling in one of land, and Robert Clark, Lethbridge, Alta. his knees, has resumed his duties. Third-class certificates have been awarded to David The Oregon Historical Society presented H. M. Parks, Coupland and William C. Stone, Merritt; Peter Caldwell, of Portland, with a gavel in token of appreciation of the Coal Creek; Richard Dunningan, Merritt; Clement S. work he did for the International Mining Convention re- Congalton, Sointula; George Davey, Michel; Robert cently held in that city. Alsteaa, Coal Creek. ;>.... ..j MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD in. Mackenzie River Development Corporation Limited (Now being Incorporated under Dominion Statutes) Office: 508-509 BOARD OF TRADE BUILDING VANCOUVER, B. C. A thoroughly sound legitimate business enterprise, formed for the purpose of acquiring by staking and otherwise, natural resources of all kinds, and especially Petroleum, Oil and Natural Gas, and Gold and Precious Metals, Coal and other Minerals. The Company has acquired valuable and tangible assets, consisting of five oil leases at Pine Point in the Great Slave District; also a rich placer gold property and a gold dredging lease in British Columbia, and an extremely rich Platinum property also in British Columbia, and other properties. Fullest possible investigation is invited. An investment in this Corporation should realize big returns. SHARES NOW ON SALE • For full particulars and application forms, apply to Office— 508 BOARD OF TRADE BUILDING Vancouver - B. C. The Best Book for Prospectors Prospector's Field Book and Guide Flexible Binding for carrying in pocket. Published by Henry Carey Baird & Co. Price $3.50 By H. S. Osborn. Revised and Enlarged by M. W. Von Bernewitz. 4% by 7 inches. 425 pages ' 57 illustrations. LIST OF CHAPTER HEADINGS. I.—Introduction II.—Preparatory Tji- struction III.—The Blowpipe TV.—Crystallography V.—Surveying VI.—Analysis of Ores VH.—Copper VIII.—Lead, Zinc and Antimony IX.—Iron X.—Chromium, Manganese, Molybdenum Titanium, Tungsten, Uranium, Vanadium XI.—Tin XII.—Mercury, Bismuth, Nickel, Cobalt, Cadmium XIII.—Aluminum XIV.—Petroleum, Asphalt, Oil Shale, Ozokerite XV.—Various Useful Minerals XVI.—Abrasives, Green stones and Useful Rocks Appendix, Glossary of Terms, Index. Copies supplied on application to: MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD 315 Bank of Scotia Bdg. Vancouver, B. C. You are Looking For Expert Workmanship, j Satisfactory Service, | Reasonable Cost, Trustworthy Treatment, We are ready to answer these requirements at any time. No job too big. No job too little. NORTH SHORE PRESS LTD. 105 ESPLANADE WEST NORTH VANCOUVER Phone N. V. 80 J. R. WILLIAMS Provincial Assayer and Chemist 540 THURLOW ST. VANCOUVER, B. C. Phone Sey. 7105 My Prices are Moderate and Accuracy is Guaranteed. Price List Mailed on Request SILVER-LEAD PROSPECT A silver-lead prospect of great promise. Several wide veins. Particulars supplied on addressing "G," c|o MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD, 315 Bank of Nova Scotia Building, Vancouver COAL MINE LARGE RESERVE OF BITUMINOUS COAL Well located for Vancouver Market. APPLY "J." C|0 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 315 Bank of Nova Scotia Building, Vancouver, B, C. ■OB IV. MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD Hamilton, Building for Bigger Business DOMINION OXYGEN has won such preference everywhere in Canada that the Dominion Oxygen Company Limited is constructing another plant with all possible speed at Montreal. This manufacturing unit will have a producing capacity again as large as that of our plant in Toronto, and will provide facilities for even quicker and better service than heretofore. With twice the output of this uniformly pure oxygen to take care of constantly increasing demands, ample reserves will be maintained at all times at our various distributing stations to insure immediate supply for your needs '— whether you require one cylinder or hundreds. No matter wfyere your location—at nearby industrial centers or miles away on remote and isolated jobs— forward your order to the nearest of our six plants and distributing stations and it will be filled on the day it is received. Dominion Oxygen Co., Limited Hillcrest Park, Toronto Merritton, Montreal, Welland, Windsor. . . •_ :.-,r^-■;•-■ ^t.^.-^^:—^7T^^c:;^'^{7^7=^it'^.,i Established 1895 A. HAGGEN, Editor and Publisher Published Semi-Monthly at 315 Bank of Nova Scotia Bdg. Vancouver, B. C. Telephone:- Seymour 2889 - Subscribers requiring change of address mus*t notify the office of the publisher in writing. 'Subscriptions payable in advance: $3.00 per annum, including postage in Canada, and to Great Britain. To United States and other countries, $3.50 per annum, including postage. Advertising Rate Cards supplied on application to publishers. Mining- and Engineering- Record Copyright Canada Volume XXVI., Nos. 15 & 16 VANCOUVER, B.C., AUGUST, 1921 Single Copies 251 CONTENTS Page EDITORIAL NOTES 163 EDITORIAL ARTICLES— Provincial Taxation and Capital Investment.... 1 64 The Railway Commission 165 Oil Development 163 ANNUAL REPORT OF MINISTER OF MINES FOR BRITISH COLUMBIA 166' OIL DEVELOPMENT IN THE FRASER RIVER VALLEY 170 THE BRICK TRADE 171 OTTAWA BRANCH OF THE ROYAL MINT 171 COAL AND COKE— British Columbia Production 1 72 Coal Reserves of Pacific States 1 74 Pulverized Coal 1 74 News Notes 1 74 OIL AND GAS 175 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING— Invention of Electro-Chemical Cyanide 1 76 News Notes 1 1 77 •MINERAL PRODUCTION— British Columbia 1 7/ Trail Smelter Receipts 177 Coal and Coke 1 78 Ontario Notes 1 78 COMPANY REPORTS— Consolidated Mining and Smelting Co., Ltd 1 78 Granby Consolidated Mining, Smelting, and Power Co., Ltd. | 1 78 COST OF MINING S 179 CORRESPONDENCE AND DISCUSSION.... 180 IRON AND STEEL 180 OBITUARY - 180 THE QUARRY _ 180 NEW COMPANIES 180 POTASH FROM ALSACE 180 RECENT PUBLICATIONS i 180 BUSINESS NOTES - 180 PERSONAL - 181 SUNSHINE OIL CO LTD 183 EDITORIAL With Nelson chosen as the International Mining Convention City for 1922, we suggest that the mining organizations and boards of trade take steps to have their districts well represented by the most capable and best posted men on the mining industry available. If any good is to come of a convention it can only be achieved by sound, level-headed discussion and a thorough knowledge of the subject. The weak point of conventions is the senseless boosting and extravagant representations in which so many who attend them indulge, making them the laughing-stock of those who know better. The object of a convention should be to disseminate information and knowledge as to mineral resources, and their economic development, by men who know what they are talking about. At the Portland International Mining Convention it was decided to ask all other organizations to forego their annual convention and concentrate on the convention next year at Nelson. N. Thompson, of Vancouver, is reported in the press to have said this would be done here, but he has no authority to speak for the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, which should certainly not forego any of its usual meetings. That institution stands in the lead of all mining organizations. Its meetings are well conducted and bring together the best men in the industry. They afford a medium for the exchange of information of a valuable character, and of great benefit to the practical work of mining. Whatever else is allowed to go by the board the Institute should not take second place to anything or anybody. The annual meetings of the British Columbia Division and the Western Branch in Alberta are already scheduled, and it is up to the membership to give these meetings the strongest support in their power. At tne International Mining Convention Hon. W. Sloan took credit for inaugurating a mine safety meeting to arrange^ for the standardization of mine rescue apparatus and training. The standardization of training is all right, but the standardization of apparatus is all wrong. Mine rescue apparatus is in its infancy, and there is yet much to be achieved before it is developed to a standard to meet all requirements under all conditions. It is yet far from that i :m 164 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD stage. Why, then, should an imperfect thing be standard- Great Britain, United States and Scandinavia. British ized and treated as the limit of human endeavor? What ships to the number of 600, of a tonnage of 2,500.000; is wanted is the encouragement of continued improvement of 250 American ships, of a tonnage of 2,000,000, and 428 existing types of apparatus, with government subsidies if Scandinavian ships of 750,000 tons, make up this surplus necessary to aid inventors in attaining the high degree of transportation. successful development which is desired. Robt. Strachan, Inspector of Mines, has been circularizing the Canadian The settlement between the Allies and Germany of the Institute of Mining and Metallurgy in support of standard- reparations matter will do more than anything else that has ization of apparatus, but the unwisdom of the suggestion has recently occurred to restore world industrial conditions and been forcibly pointed out by Thomas Graham, general a demand for the metals. Germany and France were for- superintendent of the Canadian Collieries Ltd. Mr. Graham is the pioneer in mine rescue work in Canada, and one of the highest authorities on the subject. sp tft S$ Under the management of Lorne A. Campbell the merly the world's largest consumers of copper. Permanent peace conditions are necessary to restore the manufacturing industries of these countries. * * * Hon. W. Sloan, Minister of Mines, has issued regula- West Kootenay Power and Light Company has developed tions by which the Government contributes $ 1,000 towards the cost of explosives for use of prospectors in preliminary development of their discoveries, and by which they will be enabled to obtain a government grant to the extent of 25% of their purchase. Grants are limited to 1 0 cases of dynamite a year to each applicant, and application has to be made on special forms supplied by the Department. ¥ * * The Dominion gold reserve has gone down from over $101,970,000 in January to $83,381,038, and the note circulation has been contracted from $326,839,592 to $277,882,884. This is one of the causes of financial stringency in Canada. It is time the Minister of Finance at Ottawa gave some attention to promoting the increase ot gold production in the Dominion. With reference to our article on the proposed iron and steel industry for British Columbia, N. Thompson, manager for Cammel Laird Ltd., informs us it was after he had supplied the Westminster Corporation, who are promoting the industry, with information regarding the iron and coal resources of the province, that they decided to send the late W. D. Rock to investigate. With reference to Mr. Thompson's investigation of the market for pig iron on the Pacific Coast, this work was undertaken under instructions from H. S. Fleming, Chairman of Canadian Collieries, Ltd., and the report has been included in that of the Industrial Bureau by consent of Mr. Fleming. into one of the most important institutions on the continent. The company supplies with power the country from Kootenay Lake to Princeton, a distance of over 200 miles, with radius from the central stations at Bonnington Falls of 184 miles. The company now proposes supplying power and light to the Okanagan Valley. This section of country has been badly handicapped for want of an efficient power service for the cities of Vernon and Kelowna, and smaller centres. The proposed service, if carried out, will greatly extend the development of that section of the Province. For some years the Mackenzie-Mann interests gave promise of developing power at Shuswap Falls, but it is unlikely the Dominion Government will do anything in the matter now that the Canadian Northern Railway system is absorbed in the national railways. J. A. Campbell, M. P. for the Pas, is a sturdy champion of the rights of the prairie provinces to control of their natural resources. These provinces will never develop as they should till such control centres in themselves instead of the red-tape departments at Ottawa. The Provincial Government has removed the reserve against prospecting the iron deposits of Taseko, Chilco, Tsuniah and Choelquot lakes, and Chilco River and Big Creek. This reserve should never have been put on. It was done in the interest of J. H. Hawthornthwaite, M.P.P., and against the public interests. It was commonly believed that Hon.W. Sloan, Minister of Mines, was also personally interested in the area reserved, and this has been a sore point with prospectors. *fr v flr* The Dominion Government has issued an order, on the representation of the Board of Trade of The Pas, that Sec. 73 of the Quartz Mining Regulations be amended to provide that a holder of a mineral claim may obtain an annual lease of the surface rights of his claims at a rental of a dollar an acre per annum. The collapse in shipbuilding is accounted for by the fact that 5^000,000 tons of shipping is idle in the ports of PROVINCIAL TAXATION AND CAPITAL INVESTMENT. The experience of the Trail Smelter is a forcible instance of the effect of the taxation policy of the Provincial Government in killing the great industries of British Columbia and depriving the workers of a means of employment, thus adding to the army of the unemployed for which the Government admits provision must be made during the coming winter. The Consolidated Mining and Smelting Co. Ltd. has not only to pay heavy taxes on its real estate and an income tax of $99,618.56, but it has to pay an extra $21,000 on the capital it employs borrowed outside the Province. '!i^ -iliiiuJ^uli^_JW^^-^^ ■■■i(n> -jfall-k' ' ' MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 165 Hon. John Oliver has published in the press a complaint the tools of unscrupulous charlatans, fake geologists, spirit that capital will not come in and establish industries which wrappers, water witches and other impostors, who ignored will employ the people. The Hon. John Oliver and his the scientific help and guidance of engineers and geologists, government has adopted the very policy which is bound to and adopted methods of such a questionable character as to kill the investment of outside capital in British Columbia by shake public confidence in such development and its pros- a discriminatory system of taxation which penalizes outside pects. Calgary, Edmonton- and Vancouver have been hot- investors, acts as a warning to them to stay away, and is beds of undesirable oil promotions, with the result that those practically an intimation that neither they nor their money are wanted in British Columbia. We have protested against this system of taxation ever since its inauguration, pointing out its mischievous effects, which are now being realized to their full extent. * * * THE RAILWAY COMMISSION. The Railway Commission has committed one of the worst crimes in its history by conceding the request of the B. C. Telephone Company for an increase of rates . The Commission has sealed the absurdity of its own decision by condemning the extravagant salaries paid the directors, and then confirming them in their policy of profiteering on the public to maintain that policy. The Commission made itself a party to the conspiracy between the company and its employees by which the company agreed to divide the increase to stop the employees from entering a protest against the iniquity; and this at a time when the cost of living is coming down and economic conditions demand that wages come down in proportion. By its increase of railway rates at a time when cost of labor and supplies were coming down, and unemployment becoming rampant, the Railway Commission killed the lumber, mining and other industries, and did the country more mischief than the war. A forcible instance of the mischief done the mineral industry is the fact that the increase in freight rates has cost the Trail Smelter $40,000 a month without any means of recouping itself from other sources. This added cost alone makes all the difference between the smelter running at a loss aond earning a reasonable profit on its large in- i vestment. The man mainly responsible for the iniquitous policy of the Railway Commission is F. B. Carvell. His appointment and administration may be a potent factor in the defeat at the coming election of the Dominion Government which appointed him. There was a time when the Railway Commission was one of the respected institutions of Canada and commanded public confidence. With Carvell's appointment that day has passed, and the Railway Commission is now regarded as the willing tool of unscrupulous schemers and an instrument of public extortion. * * * OIL DEVELOPMENT. The more the oil possibilities of Canada are investigated the more evident is it that this is one of the world's leading sources of oil in the future. Unfortunately development of the country for oil has suffered from the fact that much C* the promotion work has been in the hands of men who knew companies which have been carrying on bona fide development have been handicapped in their efforts to raise the necessary capital to thoroughly test out the various fields in which they have been operating. Almost every province and territory of Canada has geological conditions favorable for the development of oil fields. Canada is the mother of the oil industry of North America. Nearly a hundred years ago oil seepages in the swamps of Enniskillen, Ont., were found,- similar to those at Burnaby, near Vancouver; and resulted in oil production two years before the development of the Drake well in Pennsylvania, which is usually credited with being the birthplace of the oil industry. In Nova Scotia and New Brunswick are rich oil shales, and a distillation plant is being arranged for their treatment. ■New Brunswick has been a producer of oil and gas since 1900. Quebec has produced small quantities of oil and gas. Ontario has so far been the largest producer of oil in Canada, and has been an important producer of natural gas. The Devonian, Cretaceous and Tertiary geological systems extend northwesterly through Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Mackenzie and Yukon districts of the Northwest Territories, and as one or other of these systems has been proved an important oil producer in their southern extensions through the United States it is probable they will develop productive territory in these provinces. The Pasquia Hills in Manitoba and Saskatchewan carry rich oil shales which promise important development. In Alberta we have the world's largest natural gas field and a small petroleum production which will undoubtedly increase. That province has, in the Athabaska Tar Sands, the world's largest surface deposit of petroleum. Mackenzie is a proven oil field, and as the Mackenzie formations extend to the Yukon we expect to see discoveries in that field where seepages of oil have long been reported. What of British Columbia? In this province are extensive areas of Cretaceous and Tertiary rocks which are petroliferous elsewhere. The Flathead section of East Kootenay has large surface showings of petroleum. The shales of Cariboo, Nicola and Queen Charlotte Islands are rich in petroleum. There are strong indications of oil and gas in Chilcoten, the Fraser River Delta, and Queen Charlotte Islands, accompanied by favorable stratigraphy and structure. The Cretaceous system of Queen Charlotte Islands is correlated with the petroliferous field of the same age at Controller Bay, Alaska. Development in this province, too, is encouraging. The Columbia and Crows Nest Oil Companies operating in Flat- "¥q nothing of the business they had undertaken; were too often head both report favorable results as far as drilling has gone. JlBinWIiTMIi 166 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD m In the Fraser River Delta are some of the strongest evidences of oil and gas to be found anywhere. It is true that prominent geologists as Tyrrell and Dowling have discouraged work in this field. On the other - hand, E. H. Cunningham Craig, a prominent British petroleum geologist, with extensive and successful experience, Dowling's objection from the structural point of view is answered by Bell's demonstration of an east and west structure on the Chilliwack River, and the easterly trend of the fault blocks in the southern Gulf islands; while Camsell observes: "It is only to be expected that the anticlinal structure which obtains in these beds south of the International reported* favorably on the prospect. Tyrrell attributed the Boundary line will be found in the beds of the Fraser River oil seepages to the distillation of lignite by vulcanism, but district." in the Spartan Oil Company's No. 1 well the only lignite passed through was a seam about a foot thick, and that certainly would not account for such extensive and active seepages. Besides, there is no evidence of vulcanism associated with the area except in the outliers at West Vancouver and Hatzic, 50 miles apart, and only on the northern fringe of the field. • Dowling's objections to the Fraser Delta are that the Eocene is a land deposition not favorable for oil, and that there is no evidence of favorable structure. Both arguments are based on false premises. While the surface exposures contain land fossils, it was pointed out by Dr. G. M. Dawson 45 years ago, in his study of the rocks constituting the geological systems of the Coast, that the Cretaceous included the Dakota, petroliferous east of the Rocky Mountains to the south, and in Queen Charlotte Islands, also correlated with the Chico of California; and that the Tertiary included a marine Miocene which he correlated with the Miocene of California, both important oil producing formations. The discovery of marine shells at a depth of over 2,000 feet in the well being drilled by the Boundary Bay Oil Co. Ltd., at Boundary Bay, supports Dawson; and if further support were needed it may be obtained in the marine Miocene of Vancouver Island Queen Charlotte Islands also give evidence of great promise as an oil field. The B. C. Oil Co.'s well on the west coast of Graham Island gave favorable indications as far as it was drilled. When the work had to be discontinued on the outbreak of the war the gas escaping from the well was lighted and has steadily burned from that day to this—nearly seven years. The tar, ozokerite, petroleum saturation of shales and exudations of natural gas form exceptionally strong evidence of the probability of a productive oil field, which a strongly financed English Company is arranging to thoroughly test. R. T. Ward informs us that when operating in Cariboo he found the shales so strongly impregnated with oil he was able by distilling them to obtain the oil required for lubricating his mining machinery. There is thus a wide field here for oil development of a bona fide character in locations selected by men with a knowledge of the geology of petroleum; and if the work is properly financed and carried out in a business-like way there is every reason to believe successful results will be obtained. As H. T. Burls, the eminent English petroleum engineer, remarked of the Katalla field, given the necessary surface evidence, "the only test is the drill." Annual Report of Minister of Mines for. British Columbia The annual report of the Minister of Mines for British Columbia for 1920, compiled by W. Fleet Robertson, Provincial Mineralogist, consists of 375 pages, and contains more than the usual number of plates and diagrams. The year's production brings the total value from each source to the following figures, up to the end of 1920:— Gold, placer $ 75,944,203 Gold, lode 102,753,823 Silver 53,668,284 Copper 161,513,864 Lead 46,637,221 Zinc 19,896,466 Coal and coke 212,573,492 Building stone, bricks, etc 32,168,217 ' Miscellaneous 1,037,408 Total $706,192,978 Comparative Figures. It comes as an agreeable surprise to find the production for a year that marked the period of recession from war activities and prices the highest in the history of the province, with the exception of the war years 1916, 1917 and 1918, when high metal prices and unlimited markets spurred production to the highest possible point. The following are the figures of production for 1919 and 1920:— 1919 1920 Quantity Value Quantity Value Gold, placer,'oz. 14,325 $ 286,500 11,080 $ 221,600 Gold, lode, oz..... 152,426 3,150,645 120,048 2,481,392 Silver, oz 3,403,119 3,592,673 3,377,849 3,235,980 Copper, lb 42,459,339 7,939,896 44,887,676 7,832,899 Lead, lb 29,475,968 1,526,855 39,331,218 2,816,115 Zinc, lb 56,737,651 3,540,429 47,208,268 3,077,979 Coal, tons 2.267,541 11,337,705 2,595.125 12,975,625 Coke, tons 91,138 637,966 67,792 474,544 Miscellaneous 1,283,644 2,426,950 Total values. $33,296,313 $35,543,084 -~^>. -- ■-■ i i ^-^M^M^X^J^M&m^mi- ' * '^^iffi i hi Mr ki T i rJm I! MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 167 The peak of mineral production was reached in 1916, when the production amounted to $42,290,462. The next highest year was 1918, with a production of $41,782,474, and the third highest year was 1917, with a total of $37,- 010,392, so that the past year ranked fourth highest in the history of mining. Gold. The yield from the placers was the poorest since 1917. Cariboo produced $69,000 and Atlin $138,000. Cariboo was less than previous year by $9,000, and Atlin less by $39,000. The lode gold production was the worst in 22 years, and less than half the output for the years 1908, 1910, 1912, 1913, 1914 and 1915. The causes were the world-wide high costs of labor and supplies, and reduced purchasing power of gold, which made it unprofitable to mine. The production by districts was:— Oz.—1919 Oz.—1920 Cassiar 60,076 54,531 Rossland 50,229 36,425 Boundary-Yale 33,526 20,687 Coast( Southern) .... 5,514 6,031 Lillooet 2,506 120 Nelson _ __ _ 297 1,924 In Cassiar district the Granby Smelter at Anyox increased its production from 4,864 to 9,330 oz.; Golkeish, from 200 oz. to 475 oz.; Patterson Group from 37 to 41 oz.; and Drum Lummon from 10 to 35 oz. Premier production fell from 3,209 oz. to 2,283 oz.; Surf Inlet from 51,684 to 44,05 1 oz.; Ikeda from 51 to 2 7 oz. Shuttle Island, which produced 18 oz. previous year, was not a producer last year. Rossland is making up this year for inactivities of 1920, when its production fell off by about 14,000 oz. The Boundary-Yale situation is accounted for by the closing down last fall of the Nickel Plate Mine, resulting in a reduction from this source of about 5,500 oz. Greenwood Division fell from 8,077 oz. to 1,019 oz. accounted for by the closing down of the Granby mines at Phoenix in June, 1919. Grand Forks Division shows an increase from 575 to 631 oz. The southern Coast increased its production about 500 oz., credited to the Britannia Mine. The falling off in Lillooet production is due to the closing down of the Pioneer Mine, which had not been re-opened since the Mining Corporation of Canada threw up its bond. This mine is now being operated however, by A. H. Wallbridge and associates, of Vancouver, who have added a cyanide plant to the mill and expect to make a good production this year. The increase in the Nelson production came from the Nugget Mine. Silver The silver production was the lowest since 1917.. The following was the production by districts: Oz.—1919 Oz.—1920 Slocan $1,556,714 $ 738,515 Skeena 920,413 Boundary-Yale 231,599 Fort Steele 205,500 Ainsworth 167,453 Coast (Southern) .. 104,806 Omineca 72,573 Windermere - Golden 68,634 Nelson 44,280 ,317,832 390,994 362,143 266,963 93,417 103,020 53,510 7,065 Slocan production was disorganized by O B. U. labor troubles, and was the lowest in 1 1 years. The large increase in Skeena production was due to the Dolly Varden, which jumped from 423,952 oz. to 831,638 oz.; to the increase of Granby Smelter from 348,408 oz. to 439,806 oz.; Drum Lummon, increase from 353 to 928 oz.; Golkeish, increase from 1,231 oz. to 1,960 oz.; and the Esperanza, a new shipper, 3,788 oz. The Premier output fell from 30,319 to 77,180 oz.; Surf Inlet, from 30,319 to 20,104 oz.; Ikeda, from 722 to 305 oz.; Patterson Group, from 18 to 1 7 oz. The Alice Arm Company, which produced 968 oz. in 1919, did not ship; nor did La Rose, which produced 6,157 oz. in 1919. The increase in Boundary-Yale production came as a surprise in view of the closing down of the Phoenix Mines, and is mainly due to the excellent work done at the Providence. The production of the Grand Forks Division increased from 11,241 oz. to 15,837 oz., the principal shippers being the Union and Emma. Greenwood increased from 180,136 oz. to 298,801 oz., the shippers being the Wellington, Rambler, Castor Fraction, Waterloo, Providence, Crescent, Sally, Bell and Last Chance. Osoyoo» production increased from 31,303 to 71,893 oz., for which the Horn Silver Mine deserves credit. Similkameen appeared as a new producer, with 3,326 oz. from the short period of operation of the Canada Copper Corporation's mill at Allenby. The increase in production at Fort Steele is to be credited to the Sullivan Mine, though the North Star and St. Eugene were also small shippers. Ainsworth showed an increase, the Florence and Bluebell being the largest shippers. No. 1, Highland, Spokane- Trinket, Krao, Twin, Tariff, Maestro, Little Phil, United, . Skyline, Retallack, Utica, Silver Bell and Silver Bear were shippers. The production of the Southern Coast is to be credited to Britannia Mine, which closed down in the fall with a smaller production than for previous year. Omineca production was entirely from the Silver Standard Mine at New,HazeIton. In Windermere-Golden district the Paradise, the principal producer, suffered from shortage of labor. The Mon- arch-Couverapee, Isaac and Bunyan were shippers. Nelson production was almost nominal, being the poorest in seven years. Copper Copper maintained its position well, notwithstanding the permanent closing down of the Granby Company's ■ i I I 11 168 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD I m li Smelter at Grand Forks—the largest copper smelter in the In the Golden-Windermere district the reduction of British Empire; also the closing down of the Britannia mill shipments from the Paradise, which produced 91 1,258 lb., in the fall. The following is the production by districts: Lb.—1919 Lb.—1920 Skeena 20,411,421 26,153,406 Coast (Southern) .17,062,100 16,311,962 Boundary-Yale 3,835,516 1,306,515 Rossland 1,112,133 1,113,085 The increase in Skeena District was due to Granby increasing its production from the Hidden Creek Mine from 19,544,588 to 25,404, 950 lb. Surf Inlet production fell from 810,388 to 685,259 lb.; Ikeda, from 38,- ' 990 lb. to 21,088 lb.; while Drum Lummon increased from 17,455 to 42,109 lb. On the southern coast the Britannia was practically the only shipper, though a small production was made from the Tidewater Mine, on Vancouver Island. The falling off was due to the closing of the mill in November owing to the bad state of the copper market. The Marble Bay Mine, on Texada Island, was permanently shut down after being a steady shipper for 22 years. Boundary-Yale production was almost entirely from the Emma Mine, and the falling off due to the permanent closing of the Grand Forks and Greenwood Smelters after operating for about 20 years. Rossland production was confined to the mines of the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Co., Ltd.; the Josie Group and a small tonnage from the Velvet. Rossland ores are now valuable rather for their gold than their copper values, the latter having decreased with depth. Lead Production by districts was: Lb.—1919 Lb.—1920 Fort Steele 10,729,483 26,926,313 Slocan 12,156,845 6,135,581 Ainsworth 4,336,602 4,072,807 If Windermere-Golden 1,659,279 1,095,486 Nelson 292,010 719,219 Omineca 180,455 189,488 The lead production is entirely derived from argentiferous ores, and the conditions affecting the silver production of the Slocan also affected the lead output. The price for the metal was unusually good, averaging 7.95c per lb. The production from Fort Steele was the record output of lead for that district, and was mainly from the Sullivan Mine. The North Star produced 1,330,000 lb., as compared with 1,700,000 lb. for previous year, and the St. Eugene was also a shipper. Slocan production was half of normal, the Silversmith being the largest producer and the Cunningham mines ranking next, with an appreciable production also from the Standard. Ainsworth production was mainly from the Florence, which accounted for 1,500,000 lb. as compared with 2,- 000,000 lb. for previous year, and the Bluebell, which is credited with 1,400,000 lb. as compared with 1,340,000 lb. for 1919, accounted for the falling off. The Monarch-Gouverapee, of Field, was a small shipper. Nelson showed an increase of production due to the output of the Emerald Mines, on Sheep Creek, which made a creditable showing. Zinc Zinc is a war baby and a mighty healthy one at that, due to enterprise and research work of the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company, and the fact that this company has developed in the Sullivan Mine the largest reserve of silver-lead-zinc ores in the world's mines of today. Zinc now represents a third of the total metal production of the Trail Smelter. The progress of the metallurgy of zinc comes home to us the more forcibly when we remember that before the war the question of zinc production was a problem in the experimental stage, and that all zinc ores had to find a market outside the province. The production by districts was: Lb.—1919 Lb.—1920 Fort Steele 46,460,703 42,881,092 Slocan 10,015,624 3,715,471 Omineca 224,539 453,512 Ainsworth I 36,785 158,193 The falling off in the Fort Steele production was due to the extended labor troubles at the Sullivan Mine caused by the O. B. U. In Slocan the production of the Standard, the leading producer, fell from 4,332,000 lb. to 2,000,000 lb., or less than a third of the production from 1918. This mine is now practically exhausted and has been sold by the •Standard Silver-Lead Mining Company which operated it so successfully for the previous ten years. The Cunningham Mines were the next largest producers, followed by the Silversmith. The Omineca production was entirely from the Silver Standard Mine, which is now closed pending more favorable market conditions. Iron The only shipments were 220 tons from the Iron King at Alta Lake to the Vancouver Gas Company's plant at Vancouver, where it is used in de-sulphurizing gas. No' shipments were made from Texada Island, from which about 25 tons were shipped the previous year for testing out the Fleet process at the old power station of the B. C. Electric Railway Co., Ltd., at Burnaby. The Smelters Steel Company of Seattle shipped no ore last year from King Island, where shipments the previous year aggregated 1,200 tons. Platinum The production was about 6 oz. valued at $400, as against 15 oz. valued at $1,500, the previous year. Discoveries of platinum, palladium and iridium have been made at Queen Charlotte Islands, and samples carrying high values have been brought to Vancouver. Another new fc^L^i^ uai£aa i^,aLv[;iVw^.^.JurW)»Raggi ?;■-+:. usi,iifr*,*<*g MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 169 discovery is the occurrence of platinum in the Drum Miscellaneous Products Lummon Mine, on Douglas Channel, so that the prospects Value—1919 Value 1920 are promising for an increased production of metals of the Cement .'..$260,000 $822,484 platinwn group. Limestone ...J 204,538 338,151 CHROMITE Building Stone 15,750 No shipments were made from any deposits, the last Rip-rap 32,240 981 shipments of the mineral having been 800 tons in 1918 Crushed Rock 243,797 267,787 from the Mastodon Mine at Grand Forks. Sand and Gravel.. 67,606 124,787 Manganese Pottery and Clay.. 97,777 247,323 Hill 60 Mine, at Cowichan Lake, shipped 600 tons Firfe* Face and Red of ore running over 50% manganese, and under 20% Brick 226,777 374,947 silica, to Bilrowe Alloys Co., of Tacoma, and a similar Cement amount the previous year. These shipments exhausted the . The large increase in cement Production is partly due available ore, but Geo. Aylard, who has taken over con- t0 its increased use in road and street construction, but the trol of the property, proposes to prospect it for other ore main fact0r was the demand for exPort to JaPan> which shoots. The Curie property at Kaslo, which shipped 100 formed an imPortant market factor in the fal1 months- tons in 1919, was not a producer last year. There is now only one c«nent company operating in British „ Columbia, known as the British Columbia Cement Co., r LUORSPAR iirir i-riw Ti r> l ^ i »«• , , , ^ ,., , Ltd., formed trom an amalgamation or the Vancouver Ihe Kock Candy Mine, owned by the Consolidated D.iir- §<f ■ t-itio »»• • i o i.- o i i ii i r Portland Cement Company, operating on 1 od Inlet, Saan- Minmg and Smelting Co., Ltd., and located on Lynch • L r-> • i \i ti i ii r> •• i r. , r, , T-N. • , . , -, mn r n lcn Peninsula, Vancouver Island, and the British company Creek, Boundary District, shipped 7,500 tons of fluorspar ■• r> i_ • i i p. i • i r r>,™ • «r,. r. -i, operating at Bamberton in the same locality, concentrates as compared with 5UU0 tons in 1919. The T mineral is used in the production of hydro-fluoric acid, -ri i i t i •• i t-> •<• r • .- ,• .... i • i i i r -r- -y *ne largest producer ot lime is the Pacific Lime Co., large quantities being consumed in the lead refinery at 1 rail , {, ,„,,, ,-, -,- e i ti i • • i . Ltd., operating at Blubber Bay, on 1 exada Island. 1 his Smelter. 1 he production, over the company s own require- , ! i %'■, , , , . . . , ii-i i ■ r> i company has developed a large export trade, and its manu- ments, was shipped to metallurgical works in Canada and j- rii.ii-i i ■ r , _ racture or hydrated lune has proved an important factor m the extension of its business. Kilns are also operated by _. . r ion- »*• -r -i 'ne Rosedale Lime Co., Ltd., at Esquimalt and Saanich Shipments from the Sullivan Mine to Trail smelter, o • i \i t i j -tl i .• a j ,,... ,i r rii- remnsula, on Vancouver Island. Ihe production or these where the mineral is used in the manufacture of sulphuric ^ i ii.d-T7^cic-ri/- i/^ i • i L e nnn tnree plants was valued at $Z/4,i)li). Ihe Cranby Con- acid, aggregated 4,300 tons, as compared with about 5,000 i-i . i »«• • ok- s d • r i ..j • j , . solidated Mining, Smelting & rower Co., Ltd., mined ' limestone for use in the Anyox smelter to the value of $48,- EPSOM SALTS ooo; and Trail Smelter quarried lime to a value of $15,636 About 120 tons were shipped from Spotted Lake, at Fife. The Pulp Mills also used a considerable tonnage Osoyoos Mining Division, by the Stewart-Calvert Chemical of "lime. & Co., of Oroville, Wash., this being similar to the previous BUILDING Stone year. 1,100 tons were shipped from Clinton, as against No production is reported for the past year, though 750 tons last year. The Basque deposits produced about there must have been some output from the various quar- 140 tons, as against the same amount for previous years. ries. Increased interest is being taken in the quarrying of MAGNESITE building stone for export, deposits of granite, marble, and Production from deposits at Clinton and Lillooet is ^ndstone occurring at several localities which can compete being arranged for. Wlth the imPorted artlck . Riprap Arsenic ™ , . "*;<ta* , L , , r tat> l l t-h i_- l 1 he production is mostly tor river protection but no Arsenic as a by-product or Nickel Plate ore shipped , r . . . . , , _ „ , . , mi-, t\t\r\ t min work or importance appears to have been carried out dur- to Tacoma Smelter was valued at $LL,\)\j\j ror IVZU as . i i Ail nnn r (BS«& mS tne Y^ar. compared with $21,000 for previous year. Crushed Rock 1 ALC This shows an increase, owing to greater building ac- One hundred tons was shipped from Sooke Lake for tivity'and its use in road and street construction, use in the manufacture of roofing at Victoria. The Lillooet Sand AND GRAVEL deposits, which were former producers, were not worked T^g production of sand and gravel also shows an in- last year. The B. C. Silica and Talc Co., Ltd., of Van- crease from the same causes that affected the production couver, is arranging to produce the mineral from a deposit 0f crushed rock. The Deeks hydraulic plant on Howe in the Fraser Canyon. Sound is one of the most important producers. Silica Pottery and Clay The same company is arranging to ship crushed silica The manufacture of sewerage pipe, drain tile, flower to the iron foundries at Vancouver. pots, etc., is on the increase, and the development of the 70 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD industry is largely due to the enterprise of the Clayburn East Kootenay .... 6,612,954 9,428,989 Company, Ltd., which has deposits of some of the finest Cassiar 6,402,082 7,293,008 pottery clay in Canada. Wgst Kootenay 4,669,090 3,049,731 Fire, Face and Red Brick ... . ,, , ~ co_ C1 . - n,, Qr.~ m m , • „ . , , . ,c Boundary-Yale .. 2,527,514 2,01 1,803 1 he Clayburn Company is the only producer or firebrick, for which the company has had an active demand Cariboo 196,801 222,335 from the smelters and industrial plants using steam power, Lillooet ,... oZ,oo^t \j,yov and pulp mills. The company has also developed an fm- The krge production 0f the Coast District is due to portant export trade. The Canadian Collieries formerly ^ coal Qutput q{ Vancouver Island and the Britannia shipped a considerable amount of fireclay, which occurs ]\/i;np associated with the coal deposits. The Clayburn Company has acquired the Kilgard plant, formerly owned by an The East Kootenay production is mainly from coal English company, and this additional property gives it in- mmes of the Crows Nest Pass and the metals of the Sulh' exhaustible deposits of raw material. The company is the van Mme" Casslar Production comes from the Granby leading manufacturer of face brick, which has been used Company, the Surf Inlet Mine, and the silver of Alice in the construction of some of the finest buildings in the ^rm. coast cities. Red brick and tile are manufactured by the West Kootenay production is 50% less than 1918, Port Haney Company; at plants in the interior and on when it reached $6,113,279. Slocan is the largest pro- Vancouver Island; and at Sidney and Gabriola Islands. ducer from its silver and lead mines, followed by Rossland. The increase in the production of these materials for the _ „ . . i en* i-> ' c l • i ■ i j • Ore Tonnage and Mines past year was about o\)/o. Prices or brick varied during-~ the year from $12 to $17 per thousand. There is plenty The ore tonnage for 1920 was 2,178,187 tons, as of room for the development of the industry, as large compared with 2,211,975 for previous year. Cassiar was quantities of common building brick are imported from Se- largest with 944,208 tons, mainly from the Granby Com- attle, and the home products should be able to meet all pany's Hidden Creek Mine. The Southern Coast was next, local demands. with 704,300 tons. Production by Districts 0ne hundred and twenty-one mines shipped in 1920 The following is the value of mineral production by as agauist 144 jn previous vear. ■ gig 1Q90 ~^ne men ernp1°ved in the shipping metal mines num- c 1 .-> bered 3,351, as compared with 3,778 for previous year. Southern Coast, including Van- Of 251 non-producing mines, 72 were under develop- couver Island ..$12,825,188 $13,521,238 ment, employing 328 men; while 1 79 were idle. Oil Development in the Fraser River Delta By E. A. Haggen* It is often the case that the first attempts at suggested development of possible concealed resources of a new field are started by men who know nothing of the nature of the work they are undertaking, or are victims of irresponsible schemers. Oil development in the Fraser River Delta has been no exception. Twenty years ago indications of natural gas at Steveston attracted the attention of Vancouver men, and they organized the Steveston Natural Gas and Development Co., Ltd. We have no record of the details of their work. A drilling plant was installed and a depth of from 800 to 1000 ft. attained, with favorable indications, when the difficulties then attending the work forced ' its abandonment. Analyses quoted by Sir Boverton Redwood, in his monumental work on "Petroleum" show that the composition of this gas was identical with the natural gas of the Cleveland, Ohio, field. Then came the discovery of oil-saturated sandstone at Clayburn, and a favorable report by petroleum experts of * Editor Mining and Engineering Record San Francisco, with a recommendation that steps should be taken to follow the matter up with a view to discovering the source. J. J. Banfield, C. F. Law, and other citizens of Vancouver, purchased a drilling plant and started exploration work. A fuller investigation by chemists revealed the fact that the combustible material saturating the rock was a vegetable resin derived from the forest growth, and similar in character to the resin constituting the celebrated kauri gum of New Zealand. The writer has, however, seen shale which is undoubtedly petroliferous, and is stated to have come from the same locality as the sandstone referred to. About that time the writer was informed of samples of maltha, or inspissated petroleum, having been found at Burnaby Lake. Drilling for Oil on Vancouver Island The movement which led to the first serious attempt to develop an oilfield on the southern coast of British Columbia dates back to 1910, when a man named Frank came to Victoria from California and claimed to have r-i^jif.'^-.:-.-.,,?",-.*;^ MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 171 developed an oil-finding machine with which he had located to be of economic value. The drilling showed the exist- an oilfield at Muir Creek, west of Sooke, on Vancouver Is- ence of petroliferous shale. At present work is suspended, land. Several Victorians swallowed the story, organized though arrangements are being made to provide funds for renewing drilling operations and testing the area to a depth of 4,000 ft. Athabasca Oils, Ltd. The Athabasca Oils, Ltd., undertook the development at Athabasca Landing, where there is the world's largest surface petroleum deposit in the shape of "Tar Sands." The point to be decided was whether wells here would prove up a productive deposit; but they failed to do so, the drill passing into inspissated petroleum. No means of extracting oil in this form has yet been discovered, though it is believed that where the overburden is not too heavy, these sands can be distilled and important quantities of oil and its byproducts derived therefrom. That is the theory. In practice the problem has not been solved. The Athabasca Oils and Asphalt Co., Ltd., drilled three wells without finding an extractable product. Drilling at Pitt Meadows Pitt Meadows Oil Wells, Ltd., lost the first well which it drilled at the Frank location and with great enterprise started a second well, which it drilled to a depth of nearly 2,000 ft., without result other than small indications of oil and gas. A diamond drill hole was continued for some 800 ft. further by the Diamond Drill Contracting Co., Ltd. The writer examined this well in 1914, and found its location to be in the vicinity of the Coast batholith, offshoots from which seamed sedimentary formations. Under the microscope the material was found to consist of eruptive rock strongly impregnated with chalcopyrite, and suggestive of a copper mine rather than an oil well. He advised the promoters that in his opinion there was no prospect of obtaining an economic oil deposit there. Several years have elapsed since then. No oil showings of consequence have been obtained and are not likely to be. It is, however, proposed to raise further funds to continue the work. E. H. Cunningham Craig and W. R. Jewell, who have since examined the locality, have confirmed this opinion. a company, known as the Western Oil Development Co., Ltd., with ample financial backing, purchased a drilling plant which was put in charge of M. H. Murray, a driller with California experience, and started to test out the field. Two wells were drilled to an approximate depth of 1,344 ft. Both wells were lost by tools dropping into the well and proving irrecoverable. Shortly after the work started the writer visited the scene of operations, examined the stratification, found it seamed by numerous eruptive dykes which would have destroyed any oil that might have existed, and condemned the work. Location by Oil-Finding Machine Frank next appeared in Vancouver with his oil-finding machine, and here he found other believers in his gospel of undreamed-of wealth. As a result the machine was put on the trail of new oilfields and located sites for drilling at Enterprise, in the State of Washington; Pitt Meadows, east of Vancouver, and Athabasca Landing, in Alberta; companies being organized in Vancouver to drill at these places. The Enterprise Well The writer has not seen the site of the Enterprise well, but E. H. Cunningham Craig, one of the world's foremost petroleum engineers, who examined the field in 1914, expressed the opinion that it is located in a syncline. If so under the hydrostatic conditions existing there, it would be impossible for an oil deposit of economic extent to exist. The Canada Oil and Venture Co., Ltd., which took over the well from the original promoters and carried on the development work, has shown great courage and persistence in carrying on this work, the well having been drilled to a depth of over 3,666 ft., the lower portion of the drilling having been done by diamond drill, under contract with the Diamond Drill Contracting Co., of Spokane and Rossland. Two seams of coal, one about 3 ft. thick, and the other 12 ft., were reported. One of the seams was characterized as anthracite; but they lie at too great depth u (To be continued.) THE BRICK TRADE. The brick makers of British Columbia met at Sidney Island on the invitation of J. L. Skene, owner of the Sidney Island Brick and Tile Co., to devise means of stimulating the brick industry and construction work. They visited the Vancouver Island plants. Disorganization in the industry had resulted in contractors being forced to purchase brick from Seattle. The brick plants on Vancouver and adjacent islands are working to capacity. Those in the party were: J. Parfitt, Walter Luney and William A. Luney, of Victoria Brick Co.; James Baker and Stanley Baker, of Baker Brick & Tile Company; D. W. Campbell, of the Gabriola Shale Company; Secretary T. J. Goodlake, Victoria Division of the Canadian Manufacturers' Association; James Pennington, of Champion 6c White, Vancouver; J. D. Orr, of Gilley Bros, New Westminster; George Baynes, of Baynes & Horie, Vancouver; W. Hyslop, of Evans, Coleman & Evans, Victoria. The Victoria Brick Co., Victoria, produces 40,000 bricks a day. The Baker Brick & Tile Co., of Victoria, has a capacity"'of about 40,000 brick a day, besides interlocking tile, for which it has the patent rights, drain pipe and pottery products. v^tiij The Sidney Island Brick & Tile Co., controlled by J: L. Skene, has the largest plant on the Coast islands, capable of turning out 70,000 brick a day. The plant includes 1,200 ft. of track in a single kiln, with 230 cars. The clay is handled by an overhead cable system from pit tc puddling machine and kilns. 72 ilfH mill I lilt it m 1; MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD COAL AND COKE BRITISH COLUMBIA PRODUCTION The coal production of British Columbia for 1920 was the largest since 1912, and, owing to the higher prices, represented the highest value in the history of coal mining in the Province. The following figures from the Annual Report of the Minister of Mines give the production by districts: 1919 1920 Tons Tons Vancouver Island 1,699,348 1,698,254 Nicola and Similkameen 149,042 149,731 Crows Nest Mines.. 558,806 847,389 Omineca-Telkwa 1,752 1,500 Total mined 2,267,541 2,696,774 Less made into coke.... 141,407 101,649 Net quantity 2,267,541 2,595,125 Vancouver Island Mines The production or the various companies operating on Vancouver Island was: Tons Tons 1919 1920 Canadian Collieries (Dunsmuir) Ltd 863,418 742,628, Canadian Western Fuel Co., Ltd ,...'. 638,565 626,633 Granby, Cassidy No.. 1 72,885 201,589 Pacific Coast Coal Mines 65,843 94,904 Nanoose Collieries Co., Ltd. 21,642 32,500 B. C. Coal Mining Co., Ltd 36,995 Total 1,699,348 1,698,254 The production of Vancouver Island mines was 1,094 tons less than previous year. The two leading producers, Canadian Collieries and Canadian Western Fuel, both showed a falling off, while the British Columbia Coal Co., Ltd., ceased production owing to the exhaustion of the Jingle Pot Mine. The increases in Granby, Pacific Coast Coal and Nanoose Collieries practically made good these deficiencies. Canadian Collieries (Dunsmuir), Ltd. J. M. Savage succeeded H. S. Fleming, of New York, as general manager, and mining operations continue under the direction of Thos. Graham as general superintendent. The company operated the Extension and No. 5 South Wellington Mines under the management of T. A. Spruston, with Jas. Strang manager at Extension. The following mines at Comox were operated under the general direction of Chas. Graham, as district .superintendent: No. 4, Wm. Walker, manager; Nos. 5 and 6, J. L. Williams, manager; No. 7, J. G. Quinn, manager. The company employed 2,1 18. men, of whom 1,407 were employed underground, and 71 1 above ground. The Wellington-Extension Colliery is composed of Nos. 1, 2 and 3 mines at Extension, and No. 5 at South Wellington. These mines worked full time during the year. This colliery produced from Nos. 1, 2 and 3 mines 1 96,- 405 tons coal for the year, as compared with 225.714 tons for previous year. No. 5 South Wellington Mine produced 90,309 tons for the year, as compared with 85,508 tons for 1919. The Comox Collieries produced 455,914 tons, as compared with 552,196 tons for previous year. Canadian Western Fuel Company, Ltd. G. W. Bowen is general manager, and John Hunt general superintendent. The company operates the following mines: No. 1, T. R. Jackson, manager; Reserve Mine, Robt. Henderson, manager; Harewood Mine, Arthur. Newbury, manager; Wakesiah Mine, Wm. Moore, manager. The company employed 1,440 hands during the year of whom 908 were underground. The Reserve Mine produced 135,569 tons for the year as compared with 78,951 tons for 1919. The Wakesiah Mine produced 63,343 tons for 1 920, as against 7,420 for previous year. The Harewood Mine shipped 157,281 tons, as compared with 232,993 tons for previous year. No. 1 Mine produced 270,470 tons, as compared with 3.19,201 tons for previous year. This is the oldest operating colliery in British Columbia, having been worked since 1852, a period of 58 years. Granby Company's Cassidy Mine This mine is now under the management of C. M. Campbell, formerly general superintendent of the Granby Company's copper mines at Phoenix. It made rapid strides in production during the year. The bulk of the production is shipped to the company's by-product coking plant at Cassidy to make coke for the smelter, where, with a mixture of 10% coal from the Pocahontas Mine in Alberta, 77,290 tons of coke, 5,986 tons breeze, 737,057 gall, tar, 2,465,955 lb. sulphate, 1,203,954 cu. ft. gas, and 121,- 734 gall, benzol were produced from it. At the close of the year the mine was the largest producer on Vancouver Island, with an output of 1,200 tons a day. Difficulty having been experienced in the preparation of the fine coal the washery was equipped with seven Deister-Overstrom coal-washing tables arid a Dorr thickener 75 ft. diameter, the installation having been attended with excellent results. A new Sirocco fan of 1 50,000 cu. ft. free air per min. was installed. The company employed 300 men, 204 employed under ground. Pacific Coast Coal Mines, Ltd. Geo. Wilkinson having resumed the management, he had increased the production 50% when the mine was «wwnw„ii >■» w.i« i 'awjvXtrt,'* r^MB41*ten*K-+'U**--™-.v^-r...^^MiiWe^^jT-y^y-il-^.... - -^ »<^J:^-V.:- -j._.; . . MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 173 closed down as the result of the litigation in which it has installed at No. 2 Mine, where a seam 6 ft. thick is being all along been involved since being taken over by the new worked. The coal is divided by a foot of rock and bone, organization. 15,000 ft. of new development has been 90% of the output found a market for steaming C. P. R. carried out, and new territory is estimated to be capable and Kettle Valley locomotives. 65 men were employed, of producing 1000 tons a day fpr 50 years. The company's 38 being underground. Suquash Mine is being reopened for production and ship- COALMONT COLLIERIES, Ltd. ped 125 tons last year, after being idle since 1914. A year ag0 we published a || description of this iNANOOSE COLLIERIES, LTD. mine. The year's work was mainly confined to develop-1 This company is operating the Nanoose Mine, now ment and equipment, so that production was small. An known as the Lantzville Mine, F. H. Lantz being man- aerial tram, three miles in length, connects the mine with aging director. Coal-cutting machinery has been installed. the tipple at the railway. The old cable, which had been The ground is much faulted and the seam is 3 to 5 ft. in use by the B. C. Copper Co., Ltd., at Greenwood, failed thick in two benches with rock 2ft. to 5 ft. thick between, to give satisfaction, and a new cable has been strung, though the coal is of good quality. The company employed Production is now 300 tons a day, and will be developed 240 men, 163 being employed underground. during this year to between 800 and 1,000 tons. The BRITISH COLUMBIA Coal Mining Co., Ltd. ' coal has found a ready market with the railways. 60 men This company started a new slope 500 yds. west of the were employed, 36 working underground, old mine to develop a new coal area, but suspended work Princeton Coal and Land Co., Ltd. in September. This is an English company, of which Ernest Water- ADIT MINE man is managing director and F. Glover mine manager. A A. G. King, Jr., and E. Foster secured from the 20-ft. seam of coal is worked in sections. Mining has Canadian Collieries (Dunsmuir) Ltd. a lease of 600 acres mainly consisted in drawing pillars. Trouble has been .covering the old Adit mine, one of the first mines operated experienced with mine fires and much expense incurred in by Robt. Dunsmuir. The intention is to recover the pil- fluming sand and water to fight them. The results have lars and mine the outcrop coal. been successful. The surface equipment was destroyed NlCOLA AND SIMILKAMEEN COLLIERIES. by fire in December, but has been replaced. The com- The production for this district was:— pany formerly generated the electric light used in the town Tons of Princeton and its own electric power, but since the West 1919 1920 Kootenay Power and Light Co. has extended its transmis- Middlesboro Collieries, Merritt 77,550 87,602 sion lines to the district the mine is now connected with that Fleming Coal Co., Meirritt 39,110 32,122 system. The mine employed 59 men, 38 working under- Coalmpnt Collieries, Ltd., Coalmont 10,189 8,983 ground. Princeton Coal and Land Co., Chu Chua MlNE. Princeton 22,183 20,717 This property was sold to a Seattle syndicate, who have Chu Chua Mine Synd., Kamloops 307 not fulfilled the conditions of the bond, and it may revert The district is under the inspectorship of J. G. Biggs. to the owners, the Wigan Collieries, Ltd., of Vancouver. There was a good deal of idle time in these mines, due The coal is of high quality, occurring in three seams. De-, to their dependence on the local market. velopment has been confined to the upper seam, 3 ft. thick, MIDDLESBORO COLLIERIES, Ltd. with a parting of 3 in. of bone. 16 men were employed, This company operates four mines: No. 4, No. 7. No. 1 1 working underground. 4 East and No. 4 East Prospect. Robert Fairfoull is NORTHERN DISTRICT, manager. Mining in No. 4 and No. 7 consisted mainly The only mine being worked in the north is that of the in extraction of pillars and proving the coal beyond the Telkwa Collieries Co., Ltd.', of Prince Rupert. The offi- faulted area in No. 4. Trouble has been experienced with cers are: W. A. Woodland, Prince Rupert, president; J. fire in both mines. Work in No. 4 East is exploratory. K. Ashman, Smithers, vice-president; T. McClymont, No. 5 seam is being developed on both sides of Coal Gully. Prince Rupert, secretary. The property is under lease to 173 men were employed, 122 working underground. John Gillespie, of Telkwa. The mine produced 1,400 Fleming Coal Co., Ltd. tons °f coal last vear as against 1,752 for previous year. Joseph Martin, who is president of this company, has Th? mine is under the jurisdiction of Thos. J. Shenton, been endeavoring to develop a market for the output in inspector for that district. Vancouver. Joseph Graham is managing director and CROWS Nest DISTRICT. A. E. Smith mine manager. The company is operating The operating mines are:— Nos. 2 and 3 Mines. Two seams of 12 ft. and 5Yl ft- Tons respectively were being worked in No. 3 by extraction of Crows Nest Pass Coal Co., Ltd.: 1919 1920 pillars, when an old fire broke out again and caused the Coal Creek Mines 306,191 431,783 closing down of the mine. A new Aloes fan of 50,000 Michel Mines 177,868 264,592 ,cu. ft. capacity, operated by a 60-h.p. engine, has been Corbin Coal and Coke Co., Ltd. 79,747 151,014 1 74 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD : w ' ! i-i 111 til Ii « Both companies thus about doubled their production tons as compared with 91,138 tons for previous year; but for the past year, due largely to the work of W. H. Arm- the Granby Company's production at Anyox should be strong as Fuel Controller in adjusting the differences be- included, 90% being from Vancouver Island coal. This tween operators and miners. Robt. Strachan is senior adds 70,000 tons to the figures given by the Provincial inspector for the district, which is sub-divided into East Mineralogist. Kootenay District, in charge of John McDonald, formerly of the Middlesboro Colliery, who succeeded Wm. Lancaster, killed in an auto accident. H. H. Johnstone is inspector for West Kootenay and Boundary District, with headquarters at Nelson. Crows Nest Pass Coal Co., Ltd. Coal and Coke. In our opinion the value of the by-products produced at Anyox from the coal supplied by the Cassidy Mine at South Wellington should also be included in the annual statistics of the province,' as these are certainly products of the mines. The only coking ovens operated during the During the year the head office of the company was year were half the battery at Michel, the coking plant at on the death of the president, Elias Rogers, transferred Fernie having been closed down, from Toronto to Fernie, and W. R. Wilson, general man- * * * ager, appointed president. The company operates seven COAL RESERVES OF PACIFIC STATES, mines at Coal Creek, known respectively as Coal Creek M. R. Campbell, of the U. S. Geological Survey, Colliery, No. I East," No. 1 South, No. 1 North, No. 9, estimates 1 1,000,000,000 tons of bituminous and 52,000,- No. B North, No. 2 and No. 3 Mines. It also operates 000,000 tons of sub-bituminous coal in Washington; and three mines at Michel, known as No. 3, No. 3 East, and m Oregon and California 27,000,000 tons bituminous and No. 8. Bernard Caulfield is manager, and J. Taylor assistant manager at Coal Creek, and T. H. Williams is manager at Michel. All mines were operated during the year full time except for a few days in March and two weeks 1,000,000 tons sub-bituminous coal. At the present rate of consumption of 5,000,000 tons a year, W. Hemphill, of the Pacific Coast Coal Co., Seattle, estimates these reserves will last for 1 2,000 years, but against this the coal in October, when matters between the company and the consumption will increase, and much of the coal will not miners were in dispute. Inspector Strachan reports numer- De mineable. ous samples of mine air being taken and analysed by the Department of Mines, and notes the occurrence of free hydrogen in every sample of mine air from No. 3 East Mine, Michel, a condition suspected by James Ashworth, the former manager, as accountable for the explosibility of the mine air of the Crows Nest Pass collieries. Minor "bumps" occurred in No. 1 East and No. 3 mines, these being attributed by Mr. Strachan to the pressure of the overhead strata. The roadways are sprayed and covered with second-burned ashes to prevent dust explosions. The company employs 849 men at Coal Creek, where the underground force numbered 648. 581 men were employed at Michel, 338 working underground. Corbin Coal and Coke Co., Ltd. PULVERIZED COAL. R. Gault, of Seattle, says it will be but a few years till fuel oil is no longer available, while the cost of hydroelectric installations is enormous and can never replace coal. He considers present methods of using coal extravagant and wasteful, whereas by the use of pulverized coal the B. C. Sugar Refinery has reduced its fuel bill by 50%. Of the coal production of coast mines, he declares, 70% is available for use as pulverized coal. * * * The Blackstone Coal Co., Ltd., operating in Alberta, has made a contract with the Canadian National Railways for supply of coal for railway purposes. The company This is a Spokane company, E. L. Warburton being has also adopted the policy of letting its mining operations manager. There are four mines: No. 3, No. 4, No. 5 and by contract. No. 6. The snowfall interfered with the working of No. In the annual report of the Consolidated Mining and 3 Mine, known as the "Big Showing," during the winter Smelting Co., Ltd., J. J. Warren, president, stated that months. No. 4 worked continuously. Nos. 5 and 6 are fuel costs had increased "owing to the improvident action in the prospecting stage. Electric haulage and an electric of the Director of Coal Operations in approving a wage drill are employed. At the "Big Showing" a steam shovel increase' and corresponding increase in coal and coke is employed to dig and load the coal, the surface overbur- prices in distinct breach of a contract having months to den being removed and the coal then available for mining run." in an open cut. The seam, which is over 100 ft. in width, A. W. Perley, of the Oregon-Washington Railway is mined in benches. and Navigation Co., says no method of storing coal with LABOR. safety from spontaneous combustion has yet been discov- 6,349 hands were employed in the coal mines during ered, and his company has experienced a large amount of the past year. The miners produced 797 tons per man in trouble from this cause. Crows Nest Pass coal for loco- the Crows Nest Pass, and 591 tons per man in the Coast motive use is greatly improved by storage. collieries. Of railway expenditures one dollar out of three goes il-i-V-ii Coke. for fuel and the mines provide 56% of the freight for the The production of coke at the coal mines was 67,792 railways. KWwW ••- *—i* -■:* :-~- <--'i' \JVBtak£Wifi*£i*»?*&'* !*?-• MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD The Tidewater Coal Exchange of New York has reduction of $2 a day in three instalments, adopted the classification of coal for export on sampling are to share in the profits. 175 Th e miners and analysis, this work being done for the Exchange by the U. S. Bureau of Mines, for which work $725,000 has been appropriated. The effect is to standardize coal for export. Prof. L. Killam, of the University of B. C, has been investigating the smoke nuisance on behalf of the Vancouver City Council. Germany has protested against the coal delivered under Bunker trade is slack on both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts. Alberta mines have experienced slackness of demand since January. Nova Scotia exported 1,270,000 tons of coal last year as compared with 995,000 in 1919. British Columbia exports for 1920 were 1,190,000 tons as compared with 1,014,000 tons for previous yeai, the reparations agreement to the Allies being re-sold by tne Crows Nest Pass mines being the principal exporters, them to others. The German Government has doubled the Owing to the continuation of the miners' strike in the price of coal for domestic use to aid in providing the na- State of Washington, that market is expected to make heavy tional war indemnity to • the Allies. Alberta coal companies appealed to the Railway Commission against alleged discrimination by the C. P. R. in favor of Lethbridge and Crows Nest Pass, but the appeal has been dismissed as the Commission considered no unfair discrimination was shown. Coalmont Collieries, Ltd., is making a further issue of $250,000 first mortgage bonds. The company's bond issue will amount to $ 1,000,000. A new coal mine is being developed at Fraser Lake, to supply the Prince Rupert market. Colloidal fuel has come to stay. Pulverized coal, passing 1 00 mesh, derived from culm, screenings, dust and lignite, is held in fuel oil emulsion in such form that it may be stored, piped, atomised and burned like fuel oil. The Government of British Columbia has cancelled the reserve on coal lands except Groundhog field, and on Vancouver Island between Muir Creek on the west coast and Strathcona National Park on the east coast. The British coal strike has been settled on a basis of a demand on the Vancouver Island mines this fall. Canada imported last year 15,902,632 tons bituminous coal and 4,91 3,000 tons anthracite, as compared with 12,010,490 tons bituminous and 4,972,000 tons anthracite in 1919. Ontario took 13,320,000 tons and Quebec 5,048,000 tons. The coal production of Canada for last year was 16,968,000 tons, the highest on record. Alberta was the largest producer, accounting for 41 % of the total. In 1914 coal cost an average of $7.00 per ton retail in Vancouver. The cost to dealers, as shown by the records of Macdonald, Marpole & Co., was: F.O.B. Vancouvei, $4.15 per short ton, including 40c for towage; sacking, 20c; unloading, 15c; "teaming, 50c; sacks, 5c; allowance for shortage, 5c; maintenance, 5c; overhead and office expense, $1.00; a total cost of distribution of $6.15 per ton, leaving a profit of 85c per ton. Practically every coal mine in the State of Washington has been closed since March by strikes. Operators offered arbitration with a wage cut of 20%, but the miners refused to accept. OIL AND GAS Joseph Gibbs, per J. Hall; J. B. McLeod and Lawrence Berry, per J. B. McLeod, have applied for »il leases on Westham Island, Fraser River Delta. •The Shell Transport and Trading Co. show a profit of 8,91 1,264 pounds sterling for the past year, inclusive of 1,242,622 pounds carried forward. Deducting management, preferred dividends of 100,000 pounds sterling, and interim dividends of £1,932,129, there remained a balance of 6,837,912 pounds sterling, from which a dividend of five shillings a share is declared, making the dividend 35% for the year and carrying forward a balance of £2,007,588. Canada Oil and Venture, 421 Pender St. W., Vancouver, has made a new issue of shares, which was oversubscribed. The Anglo-Persian Oil Co. proposes distilling oil from Welsh peat deposits. The Imperial Oil Co.'s drilling plant has been moved from No. 1 well at Fort Norman to the west side of the river, where a second well will be drilled. The Boundary Bay Oil Co., Ltd., which struck a heavy flow of gas at 2,300 ft., has imported from the Union Tool Co., of San Francisco, about 3,000 ft. of 4-in. drill stem to replace the 7-in. drill stem hitherto in use, and give room for the gas and sand between the stem and casing, so as to avoid jamming the tools with possible damage to the casing and loss of the well. An experienced driller as assistant to Supt. C. Milburn has been engaged from California in the person of H, J. Nutt, who will take turns with Mr. Milburn in the supervision of the drilling, so that in the event of oil or gas being struck in quantity under pressure ' the well may be immediately controlled. J. H. Johnston, H. A. George, H. George, Jr., ot Peace River and Edmonton, composed the first prospecting party to reach Fort Norman this summer, travelling 1,700 miles by the Peace-Hay River route, the trip occupying six weeks. They warn others against the route on account of the difficulty of transporting canoes and supplies over Keg River portage from Carcajou Point, 45 miles to the Chinchaga River, a tributary of Hay River. Navigation of the Hay is dangerous, a party of three Bayes Bros. having been drowned by the upsetting of their canoe in the rapids. The party crossed Slave Lake on ice. "M\ 176 mw\ 1ST Ii \i m- m Hit Much blanketing and loose staking is being done in oil claims on Mackenzie River, so that parties acquiring transfers of stakings will have to be careful about their title.- The Imperial Oil Co.'s aeroplane made the trip of 1,400 miles between Peace River and Fort Norman in 1 3 hours 40 minutes, the passengers being T. A. Link, the company's geologist, and W. H. Waddell, surveyor. On landing on the river at Fort Norman the party narrowly escaped drowning through the right pontoon* being sheared off and the plane tipping in the river. A boat reached them in time to rescue the occupants of the plane. The weight 6f the machine with its cargo was over two tons, and a speed of from 80 to 90 miles was made. The Imperial Oil Co. has staked 60 sq. miles at Fort Norman in addition to its former stakings, and purchased other holdings. A refining plant has been delivered at the Fort Norman well, and is being installed by G. P. Wells. Stakings between Fort Norman and the Imperial Oil Co.'s No. 1 well aggregate 700 sq. miles, of which only a third is stated to be properly staked. The Mackenzie River Oil Co., Ltd., of Montreal, has shipped five drilling plants to the Mackenzie Basin, two for Windy Point, two for Pine Point, and one for Fort Norman. The Imperial Oil Company has sent in ten drilling plants to be distributed between Slave Lake and Fort Norman. About 100 square miles of oil locations have been made at Graham Island, of the Queen Charlotte Group, on shales which are claimed to be sufficiently rich in oil to warrant distillation. There has been much staking of oil claims in the Peace River district, principally at Pouce Coupe. Some of the staking consists of blanketing previous claims and promising an unending tangle in clearing titles. 370,000 squard miles of oil leases have been staked, of which the Imperial Oil Co. hold 70,000 square miles. Two important wells at Amatlan, Mexico, were destroyed by fire. The Imperial Oil Co. struck some gas and oil in the well being drilled at Pouce Coupe, near Rolla. Howard Colley, who went into Mackenzie River by dog team via Whitehorse, Y. T., has located oil claims for MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD a Victoria syndicate, and has been entertaining the Victoria press with fairy tales of the territory. The oil business is slackening up from over-production. Mexican exports are down 20% and surplus storage is placed at 100,000,000 bis. A recording office has been opened at Fort Norman. The Fort Norman Oil Co., Ltd., of Toronto, has started drilling a well on the Nicholson holding at Fort Norman, six miles south of the Imperial No. 1 well. The Spartan Oil Company's well at Burnaby is dowri over 2,200 feet in blue shale, with excellent showings of brown oil. The Empire Oil and Natural Gas Company's well at Otter has reached a depth of 2,600 feet, with persistent seepage of oil and gas. The Imperial Oil Company, Ltd., will operate 20 drilling rigs in Alberta this year, and about 30 more in different parts of Canada. The Hill interests have brought in a new well in Montana, and south of Waterton Lake, the drilling being in charge of Jas. Morrison, of Taber, Alta. In the well being drilled at Waterton Lake, Alta., by the Imperial Oil Co., Ltd., a depth of 700 feet has been reached, with the drill in petroliferous strata the entire distance. The company has a heavy flow of wet gas in its No. 2 well at Pincher Creek, which is down 1,600 feet. The Crows Nest Pass Oil Co., of Spokane, which is drilling on the holdings of the Amalgamated Oil Co. at Flathead, has recovered the tools which were lost in the well two years ago. Drilling will now be resumed. The country around Pincher Creek, Alta., has been blanketed by oil locations. Three anticlinal structures in the Flathead and neighbouring country are now being explored for oil. The Crows Nest Oil Co. is developing the holdings of the Amalgamated Oil Co. on one fold; the Columbia Oil Co. is on another, and the Oil City development is on the third. When the Empire Oil and Natural Gas Co.'s well at Otter reached a depth of 2,570 feet, R. Widney, drilling superintendent, removed the whole of the casing and put in a new shoe. Considerable gas pressure was encountered on the removal of the casing. CHEMICAL ENGINEERING INVENTION OF ELECTRO-CHEMICAL CYANIDE. One of the most valuable electro-chemical developments of the war was the production by hydro-electric power at Niagara Falls, Canada, of cyanide manufactured under patents issued to Horace Freeman, of Vancouver, who represents the Research Council of.Canada in British Columbia, and is at present engaged on research work looking to the economic treatment of the complex silver-lead-zinc ores of the Province. The electric furnace devised by Mr. Freeman for the manufacture of cyanide is a large, carbon-lined furnace, of single-phase type, with the bottom of the furnace very much restricted. The materials used in the manufacture of cyanide are fed in from, and the furnace filled completely to the top, the depth being 12 feet inside. This has the effect that no flame or smoke can escape from the furnace in operation. The electric current forms a smothered arc between the bottom end of a dependent electrode and the conical bottom of the furnace. wr<y'-ir»iffrrTT3r'1firi?rrWitfrir MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 77 The molten cyanide is tapped out of the furnace at particular value, giving them a chemical so essential in their intervals, and is quickly replaced by the unfused, overlying metallurgical work in dependable supply at lower cost. raw material, which in turn undergoes fusion. On leaving the furnace the fused material is passed over a special cooling device, special cooling being essential to the success of the operation. ' The cooling device is in the form of a wheel, cooled alternately by water, and produces the cyanide in a flaky form, which is particularly well adapted to market requirements. The furnace temperature and the tapping are regulated by an ammeter, which gives efficient control. The production per furnace is about 1 7 tons of cyanide per day. The patents taken out by Mr. Freeman cover the type of furnace, the method of cooling, the process and the product. Mr. Freeman's invention proved of inestimable value to the Allies during the war, supplying the great demand for cyanide at economic cost; and his invention, of immense value in war, will prove even more valuable in peace, as it has replaced the German product on which the United Mr. Freeman is a British Columbian, and carried on the work leading to the commercial development of his process in the City of Vancouver, with raw materials sent to him from Niagara Falls by the company which has purchased his patent rights. The greater part of the cyanide now used in Canada, the United States and Mexico is supplied from the factory on the Canadian side at Niagara Falls. * * * The Steyning Gas Co., England, is supplying gas from wood instead of coal, producing 6,000 cu. ft. gas from a cord of wood, bought at 22 shillings per cord, as against 10,000 cu. ft. per ton of coal at 100 shillings per ton. Birmingham and Tiverton are investigating wood as a' source of gas. The Dominion Oxygen Co., Ltd., proposes to double its output by the erection of a new plant at Montreal at a cost of $250,000. The plant will be the same size as the company's Toronto plant, 1 00 feet square. The company States and Canada were so largely dependent before the intends erecting five producing plants with an organized war. To the gold and silver miners the invention is of system of distributing stations. MINERAL PRODUCTION BRITISH COLUMBIA. The following is the monthly production of copper in lbs.:— January Granby 2,530,038 Trail Smelter 520,800 Totals 3,050,838 April Granby 2,459,250 Trail Smelter 338,000 February 2,274,530 471,400 March 2,617,702 350,000 2,745,930 May 2,539,000 318,000 2,967,702 June 2,254,639 152,000 2,857,000 2,406,639 t Boundary. Bell \ Providence Sally Sutherland and Thompson, Beaverdell Total .... North Star Paradise East Kootenay. Totals 2,797,250 TRAIL SMELTER RECEIPTS TO JULY 31, 1921 There are ten mines outside those operated by the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Co., Ltd., shipping to Trail Smelter, and others are getting ready to ship. The following are the shipments received for the year to July 31, 1921:— Tons Company Mines 231,613 Ainsworth. Bluebell 1.114. Florence - 195 Highland 38 Krao 9 No. 1 150 Whitewater - 36 Nelson. SlMALKAMEEN. Slocan. Anna •Black Prince .. Gem Last Chance ... *L. T. Mines .. Nip and Tuck Ruth Total .... Millie Mack Arrow Lakes. Trail Creek. Trout Lake. 187 422 75 280 72 ml ■ ■Ii 178 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD m-i ■■ BH ■ - B' \M, Washington. Chaaterboy, Danville Knob Hill |H Surprise Total 50 436 231 717 Comox 37,763 Extension 15,834 South Wellington 6,441 Nanoose 5,174 Granby ..._ 19,532 King and Foster (Old Wellington) Grand-Total 231,153 The average daily metal production of Trail Smelter for the first quarter of the year was as follows, compared with corresponding period of previous year:— Tons 1920 Tons 1921 Lead 27 70 Zinc ff.37 81 Copper 8.5 8.4 Gold receipts at the Dominion Assay Office, Vancouver, for the first seven months of the year were $1,275,000 to July 31, as compared with $1,073,000 for previous year, the increase being mainly due to the increased output of gold from the Rossland mines. The gold output of Nugget Gold Mines, Ltd., is as follows:— June 7 $7,639.96 July 2... 8,197.62 " 23... 9,856.15 Aug. 11 9,085.20 (18 days mill run) Total .141,97 Nicola^Princeton Mines— Middlesboro Collieries —- 9,503 Fleming Coal Co 3,644 Coalmont Collieries 3,712 Princeton Coal & Land Total 16,859 Crows Nest Minjss— Crows Nest Pass Coal Co , Coal Creek 27,983 Michel 23,544 Corbin Coal and Coke 6,055 34,847 40,567 113,177 13,946 17,691 47,471 6,827 8,234 21,502 4.954 4,976 ,15,104 21,681 15,822 57,035 135 199 334 128,511 135,036 405,519 6,728 4,564 20,795 3,239 1,784 8,667 4,420 5,477 13,069 794 794 15,181 - 11,825 43,325 31,119 36,291 95,393 22,824 25,908 72,276 6,510 6,540 19,105 Total I $34,778.93 COAL AND COKE. The following is the production of British Columbia in tons of the coal mines for the first quarter of 1 921 :— Vancouver Island Mines Jan. Feb. Canadian Western Fuel.... 57,228 46,121 Canadian Collieries— Total for Mar. Quarter. 47,547 150,896 Total 57,582 60,453 68,739 186,774 Ontario. The gold production for the year so far is $7,600,000, of which the Porcupine mines have contributed $6,700,000. The gold production of Ontario to date is over $80,000,- 000. O'Brien was the only Cobalt shipper last week with 31.08 tons. Cobalt shipments so far this year are 1,921 tons ore. Silver Queen shipped a car of ore to the Bailey Silver Mines mill for a test run. Coniagas treats an average of 600 tons of ore a day. The gold production of the British Empire for 1920 was 10,091,078 oz., the State of Victoria alone showing an increase amounting to 152,702 oz. COMPANY REPORTS CONSOLIDATED MINING AND SMELTING CO., LTD. The fifteenth annual report of the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Co., Ltd., for year to December, 1920, showed, a profit on the year's operations of $291,349.83, from which bond interest had to be deducted, leaving a net profit of $40,326.46; but against this were taxes amounting to $99,618.56, showing a loss of $59,292.10. The average monthly production was 300 tons copper, 2,000 tons lead, 2,100 tons zinc, 100,000 oz. silver. The year's capital expenditure included: $698,000 to W. K. P. & L. Co. for extension of lines; $260,661.14 on Rossland concentrator used temporarily for treatment of Sullivan ore, treating 900 tons a day; $208,912,09 on enlargement or copper refinery; $127,440.28 on construction of rod mill; $29,229.94 on copper refining furnace; $158,760.65 on three additional Dwight and Lloyd sintering machines; $59,941.63 on housing at Kimberley;" $21,802.46 on additional zinc furnace; $33,651.26 on thaw house; $72,963.27 on Sunloch Mine; $130,704.03 on Old Sport at Quatsino. A large body of high-grade zinc had been proved on 1 1 th Level at Sullivan, also the downward extension of the high-grade lead ore-body at 8,700 ft. from the portal of the lower tunnel. Employees co-operative committees on the lines of the Whitley system have been organized, with successful results. Development Cost of producing zinc was lowered 40%. Underground development in the company's mines aggregates 112.23 miles, of which Rossland-mines account for 60.8 miles and St. Eugene for 20.1 miles. Conditions in Ross- .land mines improved with increased ore shoots on east ground in Centre Star and discovery of a vein in Le Roi 1650 West, corresponding with the Centre Star-Le Roi main vein which had been cut off by a dyke. Production of zinc ore at Sullivan increased by 80,000 tons. The Molly Gibson was closed by destruction of 5000 ft. of aerial tram by forest fires. Improvements were made in treatment of Rock Candy fluorspar, from which shipments were made to the U. S. Steel Co., at Gary, Ind., hj.-?«^ ■wtfcVi.at'W MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD and Algoma Steel Co. at Soo. The Old Sport vein was was less by 12,268 oz. h , cut at 2,155 ft. from the portal of the main crosscut, with 179 ore on the footwall. A crosscut 66 ft. had not reached the hanging wall, but the last 36 ft. did not carry appreciable values. The Idaho vein was faulted but carried commercial ore. The Idaho and Old Sport veins had also been crosscut 1,800 ft. north of the adit. Results on the Sunloch were not altogether definite but fairly satisfactory. The option on the Big Interior was dropped, values being disappointing. The company operates stores, at Kimberley and Trail for the benefit of employees. Production During 1920 the company treated 592,763 tons of ore from which were produced: Gold, 42,636 oz.; silver, 1,097,930 oz.; lead, 26,474,652 lb.; copper, 4,501,- 594 lb.; zinc, 36,995,394 lb. To December 31, 1920, Trail Smelter has treated 6,943,195 tons ore, yielding 1,992,684 oz. gold, 33,076,022 oz. silver, 607,068,416 lb. lead, 105,399,831 lb. copper, and 143,340,244 lb. zinc. The company's metal production to December 31, 1920, is valued at $131,61 7,108. This represents a third of the total metal production of the Province, over half the lead, and about half the total zinc production. Owing to the highly refined condition of the company's metals they command an increasingly favorable market in Canada, Great Britain and Japan. Directors The Directors are: J. J. Warren, President; Geo. Sumner, of Montreal, Vice-president; Sir Edmund B. Osier, H. Osier, W. L. Matthews, of Toronto; J. H. Hodgson, Henry Joseph, C. R. Hosmer and J. K. L. Ross, of Montreal. J. S. Riley, Montreal, is secretary. Dividends The company has paid in dividends $6,836,825 to date, three dividends of $263,342.50, or 2J/2% per quarter, being declared for the March, June and September quarters of 1920, aggregating $790,027.50 for the year. The Company's balance-sheet shows the paid-up capital to be $15,000,000 in 600,000 shares of $25. The bond issue is $3,000,000. Bank loans aggregate $5,378,667.24. * * * GRANBY CONSOLIDATED MINING, SMELTING AND POWER CO., LTD. For some years Granby annual reports have been exceptionally pleasant reading. The.report for 1920 tells a different story in common with the reports of most mining companies, owing to the heavy drop in the prices of metals, high cost of production, and difficulty of finding a market. Production The company's production was 25,744,327 lb. copper, 1,054,806 oz. silver, 9,481 oz. gold, 154,600 tons coal, 75,690 tons coke, 2,466,355 lb. ammonia sulphate, 884,394 gal. tar, 151,862 gal. benzol, 296,125,000 cu. ft. gas. The production of copper was 2,262,702 lb. more than previous year, and silver was 143,686 oz. more. Gold e shortage in gold was due to the closing down of the Phoenix mines and Grand Forks Smelter. The cost of producing copper was 15.94c per lb., an increase of 0.82c over previous year. At the close' of the year the cost had been brought down to 1 4.01 c. Income was $6,684,123.23, inclusive of surplus. Operating costs were $6,323,818.52, showing an operating profit of $360,309.71, against which was charged $1,- 047,321.05 expenses of administration, interest, taxes, etc., leaving a deficit of $687,011.34. The bonded debt in- cieased $2,281,600, and the surplus decreased $687,- 011.34. Ore produced was 807,083 tons. Reserve of high grade ore 10,986,420 tons, a reduction* of 236,282 tons. Concentration experiments were satisfactory. A concentrator will be built and the power plant increased to provide for this and operations in winter when steam power is now used. Percentage of ore handled in furnaces increased from 63% to 75% at close of year, and furnaces were- kept in blast 35.25 days as compared with 23.63 days in 1919. New installations were: Additional crusher station and ore pockets, 1 1 00 h.p. boilers, 100-ton Dwight-Lloyd sintering plant at Anyox, and 7 Deister-Overstrom tables and 75 ft. Dorr thickener at Cassidy. Financial Position The company's assets are placed at $24,906,359.69, a decrease of $175,001.47 from previous year. Bank loans have been reduced from $5,983,900.85 to $4,076,- 019.55, and total current liabilities show a reduction from $7,186,831.72 to $5,417,241.59. The capitalization stands at $15,000,420, and the bonded indebtedness at $3,991,400. The surplus has been reduced from $1,- 184,309.44 to $497,298.10. The auditors note that no provision has been made for exploration of abandoned properties, amounting to $69,- 804.29; for depletion of ore-bodies, depreciation or taxes. The only British Columbia Director now on the Board is R. P. Butchart, of Victoria, a new appointment. The following are the officers and directors: President, Dr. W. H. Nichols; Vice-presidents: Dr. J. T. Crabbs, W. H. Robinson, and Edwin Thorne; General Manager, H. S. Munroe; Treasurer, V. Quinn; Asst. Treasurer, I - R. Thomas; Secretary, E. Everett; Asst. Secretary, H. Harvey; Directors: Henry Bruere, R. P. Butchart, E. P. Earle, Chas. Hayden, J. B. F. Herreshoff, B. Hochschild and W. A. Paine. The company's offices are at 25 Broad St., New York, and Birks Building, Vancouver. 'The company has paid to date in dividends $ 1 0,761 ,- 438, of which $4,949,501 was paid during the war years, 1914-1918. Granby has been reducing the cost of producing copper substantially. In December last the cost was 14.01c per lb. January the cost was 13.72c per lb; in February, 14.6c, and in March, 12.44c. The average cost of production for 1920 was 15.94c per lb. i ; I'll h\i i m iiR;' 180 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD CORRESPONDENCE AND DISCUSSION H. McCullough Riddle, Salmon Arm—The address of J. D. Ross, maker of the Ross Mill, is 291 Dufferin Street East, Vancouver. S. Percival, Port Washington, Pender Island, writes that he is the man who, partly with his own money and the help of a syndicate, drilled two holes for prospecting Pender Island for coal and petroleum. When some parties THE QUARRY Fitzhugh Lime and Stone Co., which operates at Jasper National Park, has increased its capital to $100,- 000. Its plant handles 50 tons of lime a day. The following are the officers: Dr. J. A. Hislop, President; John Hall, Vice-president; G. Conway Brown, Manager; J. D. Hyndman, C. A. Hyndman, L. Scuetz, Directors. S. J. Maresq and E. A. Munn have acquired the just before the outbreak of war endeavored to get sufficient sandstone quarry of the Denman Island Stone Co., Den- man Island. The stone is of excellent color and quality, having been used in the construction of the Times Building capital to drill for oil he assisted in getting the leases and purchased the 100-acre property where the first well was .drilled. The holes drilled by Mr. Percival and associates were drilled in 1911. The first hole was drilled to a depth of 1,236 ft., when the contractors reported it required ream- and Normal School at Victoria, and the Metropolitan, Emigration and Detention Buildings at Vancouver. It would make a nice stone for the University Buildings at ing and casing before they could go deeper. By the advice Point (jrey. of the late W. Blakemore, M.E., the drill was moved 1 E. J. Millins is operating a well-equipped monu- a mile further east along the shore, and another hole drilled mental and cut stone plant at Nanaimo. to the same depth, encountering the same geological conditions. Both holes were in shale all the way. Gas bubbles NEW COMPANIES have been coming up with salt water ever since and are Hillsboro Coal Mines, Ltd., private, $500,000, regis- as strong today as when the holes were drilled. As this tered office, Vancouver, gas is nitrogen, Mr. Percival is anxious to find a means of Peerless Oil Co., Ltd., $500,000, registered office, utilizing it. W. P. Mouland, 90 Engadine St., Wardsworth, London, England—We are pleased to learn that you find the Mining and Engineering Record interesting reading. "Your desire for information on the Yukon will be met by a Special Number which we are compiling, and will give reliable and up-to-date information concerning that country of great mineral resources and opportunities. A. M. Rousseau, the writer of the article you refer to, is unfortunately dead. The mining industry is, as you probably know, suffering from the general depression which is stagnating the world at present. Vancouver. Cal-Roi Mining Co., Ltd., Rossland, $50,000, N. P. L. New Cariboo Goldfields, Ltd., (N. P. L.), private, $150,000, Vancouver. Petrified Products, Ltd., has changed its name to Pacific Brick and Tile Co., Ltd. Placer Mines, Ltd., $25,000, Quesnel and Calgary. r£ Sfr !$, POTASH FROM ALSACE. Under Germany Alsace produced 50,000 tons of potash in 1913. Since France assumed control the production has been developed to 200,000 tons a year, and the policy is to develop a production of 600,000 tons a IRON AND STEEL In a report on the market for iron and steel products year, on the Pacific Coast, prepared by N. Thompson for the Canadian Collieries, Ltd., Mr. Thompson states, "There RECENT PUBLICATIONS is a market on the Pacific Coast for 2,000,000 tons per Summary Report, Mines Branch, Canada Dept. of annum of iron and steel, including tank, ship and boiler Mines, Ottawa. Chas. Camsell, Deputy Minister. 182p. plate, merchant bar, tool and mining steel, structural steel, Natural Resources of Nova Scotia. 71 p., with plates shapes and angles and light rails. There is a local or do- and map. Natural Resources Intelligence Branch, Dept. mestic market on the Coast from British Columbia to Los of Interior, Ottawa. F. C. C. Lynch, superintendent. Angeles for 1000 tons per day of foundry pig-iron alone, Petroleum in Alaska, by G. C. Martin, being Bull, or 2000 tons per day if produced at anywhere near the 719 of U. S. Geological Survey, Washington, D. C. 83p., cost of steel scrap—$27 to $30 per ton. ... At with maps and plates. present Canada exports little or nothing, while the United Monthly Bulletin Canadian Institute of Mining and States in 1918 exported through Pacific ports approximately Metallurgy, for July, 82p. Drummond Building, Mont- $100,000,000 worth of iron and steel products." * * * OBITUARY A. G. Robb, for 20 years Superintendent of the Robb Engineering Co., Amherst, N. S., died at the age of 51. Charles Taylor, of Edmonton, employed by the Imperial Oil Co., Ltd., in its northern oil exploration work, died by his own hand on the Mackenzie River. real. Mineral Production of Alabama, by J. H. Wingard, University, Ala. 1 55p. Geology and Petroleum Resources of Northeastern Kern Co., California, by Walter A. English, being Bull. 721 of U. S. Geological Survey, Washington, D. C. 48p., with maps. Records of Water Levels in Wells in Southern Cali- [K^Su-V-'.^M^-vv-^.'.'. J^'>'-'^7.2 T-.'_.' '-^J-o*iv5_ -->^. i ■• ji. MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 181 fornia, by F. C. Ebert, being Water Supply Paper No. The American Blower Co., Detroit, Mich., manu- oo o i.. ] S. Geological Survey, Washington, D. C. facture Sirocco fans, blowers and heaters for mine, factory 156p., with diagrams and maps. Mineral Deposits between Lillooet and Prince George, British Columbia, being Mem. 1 18 of Canada Geological Survey, by L. Reinecke. Reed-Wekusko Map Area, Northern Manitoba, Mem. 1 19 of Canada Geological Survey, by F. J. Alcock. and office building ventilation. The Taylor Engineering Co., Ltd., of Vancouver, are agents. The Truscon Laboratories, Detroit, Mich., issue booklet on waterproofing concrete. The Weber Chimney Co., McCormick Building, Chicago, have built for the Saganoseka Copper Smelter, Sag- PERSONAL Malagash Salt Deposit, Cumberland Co., Nova Scotia,, anoseki, Japan, the highest chimney in the world. Mem. 121 of Canada Geological Survey, by A. O. The Groch Centrifugal Flotation Co., P. O Box 160, "ayes" Cobalt, Ont, has put on the market a machine originally Sheep River Gas and Oil Field, Alta., Mem. 122 of developed at Cobalt to operate on a most difficult ore in Canada Geological Survey, by S. E. Slipper. which the value is contained in a mixture of arsenides, sul- Sixty Mile and Ladue Rivers Area, Yukon, Mem. phides and metallics. Its success is due to the fact that it 123 Canada Geological Survey, by W. E. Cockfield. agitates, aerates and oils the mineral-bearing pulp simultaneously in apparatus of the simplest and most inexpensive BUSINESS NOTES ; kind. The American Concrete Pipe Association, 210 South ft | A LaSalle St., Chicago, has developed a large business in the manufacture of concrete pipe for sewers. It is generally considered that concrete does not make suitable sewerage pjpe as the lime is liable to disintegrate by the hydrogen sulphide gas emanating from sewers. The Michigan Agricultural College, however, vouches for concrete pipe of 25 years sewerage service; 200 miles of sewerage in Minneapolis is of concrete; the \ University of Minnesota says concrete pipe is more resistant against freezing than clay pipe; 48,250 ft. of concrete pipe provides sewerage at Camp Lewis in Washington; Kansas City has laid 35 miles of concrete pipe sewers. The Portland Cement Association, 1 1 1 West Washington St., Chicago, sends out an illustrated booklet showing design and cost of concrete houses erected by Ingersoll Rand Co., at Phillipsburg, N. J., for housing its employees. The General Scientific Co., 460 E. Ohio St., Chicago, send out well illustrated catalogues of laboratory apparatus and chemical supplies. The Northern Electric Co., Ltd., Montreal, issue* illustrated folder of Thomas Link-Type insulators. The Stephens-Adams Manufacturing Co., Aurora, 111., furnish the most efficient equipment for conveying and transportation in coal, steam, sand, gravel and industrial plants. Their monthly bulletin describes these installations. The Cement Gun Co., Inc., for which the Taylor Engineering Co., Ltd., are agents for Vancouver, has moved its head office to Cornwells, Bucks Co., Pa., and issues a report on tests of Gunite slabs. The Calumet and Hecla Mining Co. use Gunite instead of timber to hojd up loose ground. The Benjamin Electric Mfg. Co. of Canada, Ltd., sends out revised discount sheet of electric fixtures. W. H. Hazlitt & Co., Ltd., are agents for British Columbia for the Canada Wire and Cable Co., Ltd. The American Lava Co., Chattanooga, Tenn., issue illustrated catalogue of gas tips and electrical apparatus manufactured from steatite. Chas. Camsell, Deputy Minister of Mines, proposes to visit British Columbia this fall. His many friends here will be glad to learn that life in the capital city agrees with him, and that his health is much improved by the change. H. B. Walkem, who was assistant district engineer for the C. P. R. at Vancouver, recently retired from the engineering staff. He saw 40 years' service with the great company, whose staff he joined in 1881. Ernest W. Watson, who operated the Ptarmigan Mills on Horsethief Creek under lease, proposes returning to East Kootenay from Alamo, where he has been employed. James McGregor, Chief Inspector of Mines for British Columbia, is the pioneer inspector of the metal mines of the province, having been 22 years inspector for the districts of West Kootenay, Boundary and Yale, covering the period of the greatest mining activities in these districts. From 1898 to 1901 he made his headquarters at Rossland, and subsequently moved to Nelson. His last appointment before becoming chief inspector was in the Nicola District. O. B. Smith, M.E., formerly General Superintendent for the Granby Co., recently compiled for clients the most complete report on the mineral resources of British Columbia that has ever been prepared, and it is pretty certain that good results will follow. M. E. Purcell, for about 20 years associated with mining in the Rossland Camp, has been superannuated by the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Co., Ltd. John Conway is appointed Mining Recorder for Naas Mining Division, with headquarters at Anyox. H. A. B. Motherwell gave an interesting lecture at Trail on the Gold Coast of Africa. F. Glover, Manager of the Princeton Coal and Land Co.'s coal mines at Princeton, recently visited England. Ml i. §m EKEi 182 MINING AND ENG H. McKay, of Kaslo, co-owner with J. W. Power of the Red Elephant Group, has been in the General Hospital at Vancouver undergoing treatment for eye trouble. The Vancouver and District Joint Sewerage Board has cancelled its arrangement with A. D. Creer to act as engineer on a 5% basis and revert to a salary. His drawings under the arrangement since 1918 amounted to $33,- 527. Dr. J. S. Plaskett, of the Dominion Observatory at Victoria, lectured before the Royal Astronomical Society at Montreal on "Modern Ideas of the Universe." Harold Bibby, of Toronto, has gone to the Arctic Ocean for a year's study of atmospheric and magnetic phenomena on behalf of the International Meteorological Congress. Scott Galloway, a former prominent resident of the Boundary, is on a visit to his son, J. D. Galloway, Resident Engineer of the Department of Mines, at Hazelton. Mr. Galloway is a mechanical engineer and gave his services to the British Government in the manufacture of munitions during the war. He makes his home in the south. S. G. Blaylock, General Manager of the Consolidated Mining & Smelting Co., Ltd., has been in the service of the Company for 20 years and has made a magnificent record. It is due to him that the Company owns and has so successfully developed the Sullivan Mine to the position of being the world's largest silver-lead-zinc mine. He came to British Columbia to join the staff of the Hall Mines, Ltd., at Nelson, where he filled the position of superintendent. Major-General R. G. Edwards Leckie has retired from the position of Officer Commanding Military District 1 1 to resume the practice of his profession as mining engineer. He rendered excellent service on the Coal Commission. H. L. Knappenberger, superintendent of the Tod Inlet Cement plant, was presented by the employees with a pair cf military hair brushes, suitably engraved, on his leaving the works consequent on closing down the plant. Scott C. Bone, a former resident of Seatttle, is the new Governor of Alaska. L. Denoel, of Liege, and Van Muylder, of Brussels, who are interested in the reorganization of the Algunican Development Company, with mining properties in Ontario, Quebec, Alaska and British Coluumbia, have been here in connection with the company's affairs. G. C. Mackenzie, secretary of the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, visited the manganese mine at Hill 60, Cowichan Lake, in company with George Aylard, who now controls it. The visible ore has been exhausted, and Mr. Mackenzie has recommended diamond drilling to locate other ore shoots. Hon. Edgar N. Rhodes, former Speaker of the House of Commons of the Dominion, has been appointed president of the British American Nickel Co., Ltd. President Vogt, who represents the Norwegian interests in the companv, returns to Europe to become president and managing direc- INEERING RECORD tor of the European office. The British Government is heavily interested in this company. E. H. Vernon, District Engineer of the Dominion Public Works Dept, has moved his office from Vancouver to New Westminster. Dr. Uglow, of the University of B. C, employed the summer exploring the North Thompson River for the Geological Survey, starting his work on Louis Creek, which was the boundary of the survey made by Dr. G. M. Dawson. R. L. Clothier is conducting an assay office at Stewart, associated with J. Baker. Mr. Clothier formerly conducted an assay office at Stewart till 1913. Vilhjalmur Stefansson will return to the Arctic to undertake commercial exploration for a company organized in Vancouver with a capital of $100,000. Dr. J. T. Crabbs, of New York, vice-president of the Granby Company, recently visited the company's mines and metallurgical works in British Columbia. O. S. Finnie, of the Department of the Interior, has been appointed Governor of the Mackenzie District, with headquarters at Fort Smith, and has visited the Imperial Oil Co.'s No. 1 well at Fort Norman to obtain samples of oil for the Department of Mines at Ottawa. Pat Daly, of Stewart, has been profitably prospecting the curiosity seekers of New York and filling them up with fairy tales of prospecting and mining in northern British Columbia. Alex. Gray, the eastern mining correspondent, has fallen a victim to the wiles of Pat's penny whistle, and has yielded to the temptation of substituting the romance of the novelist for the gospel of fact which Jie has hitherto had the reputation of stating attractively and forcefully. W. B. Hargreaves, M.E., of Juneau, has been examining properties in Atlin and Yukon Territory. R. W. Haggen is making a traverse of the country between Chilco Lake and Bute Inlet, on the Coast, for the Provincial Government. H. A. Bonner, manager of the English Company operating in Cariboo, is back from London. The following are the superintendents of the various mines operated by the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Co. Ltd.:—Rossland, F. S. Peters; Sullivan and St, Eugene, E. G. Montgomery; Rock Candy, M. M. O'Brien; Emma, R. M. Macaulay; Coast Copper, Wm. Clancy; Sunloch, G. H. Kilburn. W. M. Archibald, manager of mines for the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Co. Ltd., in his last report paid a high tribute to the work done by Major A. B. Ritchie, operating assistant, in the better regulation of ore shipments. W. S. Rugh, sales manager at Montreal iqf the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Co. Ltd., says he expects an increasing demand in the Orient for the lead and zinc produced at Trail. S. G. Blaylock, general manager of Tr^iil Smelter, pays a high tribute to E. G. Montgomery aijjj his staff for the manner in which they handled the 0/ B. U. strike and labor agitation at the Sullivan Ming, keeping up the ore production so successfully that it wag never necessary to shut IV' I.Mllf f^„-'**g..?"-~| MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD down the smelter despite all kinds of interference and intimidation. George W. Wooster, for over 22 years treasurer of the Granby Consolidated Mining, Smelting and Power Co., Ltd., and associated companies, has joined the staff of F. B. Pemberton & Co., of which he is treasurer. Dr. Collins, Director of the Geological Survey, visited Dr. Uglow's camp on the North Thompson in company with D. A. Nicols. They examined Chua Chua Coal Mine. Louis Bouvette, who claims to be the discoverer of the Mayo silver lead camp in the Yukon, is on a visit to the coast cities. Geo. A. Clothier, District Engineer for Northwestern British Columbia, has been on a visit to Atlin. H. L. Hallis, M.E., consulting engineer for the Rose- berry-Surprise Mining Co., Slocan, has been making an examination of the company s properties. J. D. Galloway, resident engineer for the Northeastern Mineral Survey District, has been examining properties at Usk. Senator McMeans, of Winnipeg, has been on a visit to Nelson in connection with the re-organization of Lucky Jim Z.inc. N. E. Nelson, M.E., is examining properties along the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway for the Granby Company. T. J. Shenton, Inspector of Mines, has been over the Premier Mine at Portland Canal. Our old friend "Charlie" Caldwell has forsaken the worldly business of mining, and is now "Rev." Charles F.. Caldwell, General Overseer Christian Catholic Apostolic Church, Zion City. No more shall we hear Charlie's fairy tales of Utica and Forty-nine, and his Salmon River Railway has been abandoned for the railway to Zion. B. U. Sharp, M.E., of Spokane, has been examining the Bayonne Mine for Spokane interests. H. K. Dutcher, C.E., now makes his headquarters at Vernon. He attended the Western Civil Engineers' Association meeting at Saskatoon. W. J. Blake Wilson and General Stewart have been on a visit to the Coalmont Mine. E. S. Eslin, formerly Commissioner of Natural Gas, Ontario Bureau of Mines, has arrived in British Columbia, making the trip from Ontario by Ford car. He will take charge of the development work of the Home Oil Co. Ltd. at Abbotsford. Robt. Strachan represents the Provincial Bureau of Mines at the St. Louis meeting of Mine Inspectors. Geo. O'Brien, safety engineer for Canadian Collieries (Dunsmuir), Ltd., leaves British Columbia to accept a ■ position with the Stone-Canno Coal Co. at Monterey, Cal. Ezra E. Erick, M.E., of San Francisco, is examining properties in Northern British Columbia for American capital. m& 183 Prof. J. F. Kelso, of the University of Alberta, Edmonton, is visiting British Columbia on a holiday. E. A. Brydon-Jack, Engineer-in-Chief of Western Canada for the Dominion Public Works Dept, has moved to Victoria, which will be his future headquarters. SUNSHINE OIL COMPANY, LTD. In consequence of the encouraging showings of oil and natural gas in the Boundary Bay Oil Company's well, the Sunshine Oil Co., Ltd., is arranging to push the development by drilling of its holdings on the eastern shore of Boundary Bay, southeast of the Boundary Bay Oil Co.'s well. The company is capitalized at $250,000 in shares' of $1, with the following directorate:—Stuart S. Landis, of Vancouver, president and managing director; Jas. Cowie and L. Manson, both of Nanaimo, 1 st and 2nd vice- presidents respectively; C. H. Stuart Wade, of New Westminster, and J. S. Anderson, of Vancouver. The company's office is at 325 Standard Bank Bdg. The company holds eight leases from the Dominion Government, located in different parts of the Fraser River Delta. The company is a bona fide development organization. Mining Engineer's If Handbook By Robert Peele 2375 Pages Index This excellent handbook contains no discussion of abstract theory. Nothing but facts are found within its covers. This is the most complete treatise yet issued on the subject of mining in all its branches. Price $7.50 Mining and Engineering Record, one year $3.00 Both in Combination $10.00 Address: Book Department Mining and Engineering Record 315 Bank of Nova Scotia Building, Vancouver - B. C. MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD ■ & The Pacific Great Eastern l|§r ' RAILWAY H IS NOW OPEN-FOR FREIGHT AND PASSENGER TRAFFIC TO THE QUESNEL AND CARIBOO DISTRICTS The gold fields of the Carbioo District have produced Sixty-five Million Dollars ($65,000,000.00) of placer gold, from an area thirty miles square. The quartz veins from which the placer deposits have been eroded have not yet been worked. ■■ The advent of the railway into the heart of the district makes it possible to develop the gold quartz vein because of the great reduction in the cost of transportation. The vast possibilities of the Cariboo Gold District as a new gold quartz mining field is now presented to the public. The mining laws of the Province of Birtish Columbia are most liberal, and all mining rights of aliens are fully protected. There is abundant timber and water power for the economical working of quartz claims; the district is recognized as one of the finest fishing and big game hunting fields in Canada. For further information apply to A. B. BUCKWORTH, General Manager, Pacific Great Eastern Railway, Vancouver. BOOKS ON PETROLEUM Petroleum Industry, Bacon, 2 vol $15.00 Field Methods, Cox .'.. 5.00 Geology & Petroleum, Emmons 7.50 Oil Fuel, North 2.00 Mineral Oil Testing, Hicks 1.50 Petroleum Handbook, Andros 2.50 Petroleum Mining & Oil Development, Thompson 5 00 Popular Oil GSology, Ziegler 3.70 Practical Oil Geology, Hagar 4.00 Treatise on Petroleum, Redwood 20.00 PRICES CARRIAGE PAID. Book Department MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 315 Bank of Nova.Scotia Building Vanoouver - B. C. lilt if: Ii SUNSHINE OIL COMPANY LIMITED Capital, $250,000 $1.00 Par ONLY 25,000 SHARES WILL BE SOLD FOR $1 PER SHARE. When Commercal Oil is brought in by any of the wells, Shares will be advanced to $2.00 per share WITHOUT NOTICE. Secure what stock you want immediately at $1.00 per share by paying a small deposit on same, and then you have 15 days after oil is struck in commercial quantities in the Fraser Valley to pay the balance. COME IN TO-DAY, AND ARRANGE FOR WHAT STOCK YOU WANT BEFORE THE PRICE IS ADVANCED. , Write or call for Prospectus and full particulars to the- SUNSHINE OIL COMPANY, LIMITED Fiscal Agents Head Office: 325 STANDARD BANK BLDG. Tel. Sey, 2741 J. S. Anderson & Co. Ltd. Branch Office: 345 Pender St. West Equipment of Mines in British Columbia Big Business By advertising in the Mining and Engineering Record 315 Bank of Nova Scotia Building VANOOUVER FREE TEXAS GEOLOGICAL MAP FREE Showing latest sensational oil field JVI - E -*X -1 - A ■ —Data supplied by TJ. S. Geological Suryey_ and the University of Texas-—Printed in Ave colors —Measures 24x30 inches—Shows and names ali ■ oil formations, proven and prospective oil and ^— gas fields", pipe-lines, refineries, counties, towns, *"H railroads, rivers, mountains, etc., etc. §££ This Mnii—Invaluable to Investors, Oil Operators and Brokers—will be mailed you , ^m ABSOLUTELY FREE upon request. Only a limited number of copies ^* available. Write for your copy now, and afk for ■ any information you desire about any oil company or oil field in which you may be interested. GILBERT JOHNSON & COMPANY Suite 624 For 12 Years Oil Operators and Brokers Waggoner Bldg.^Ft. Worth The Best Book for Prospectors Prospsctor's Field Book and Guide Flexible Binding for carrying in pocket. By H S. Osborn. Revised and Enlarged by M. "W. Von Bernewitz. Published by Henry Carey Baird & Co. 4% by 7 inches. 425 pages Price $3.50 57 illustrations. LIST OF CHAPTER HEADINGS. I.—Introduction II.—Preparatory Instruction in.—The Blowpipe IV.—Crystallography V.—Surveying VI.—Analysis of Ores VH.—Copper VIII.—Lead, Zinc and Antimony IX.—Iron X.—Chromium, Manganese, Molybdenum Titanium, Tungsten, Uranium, Vanadium XL—Tin XII.—Mercury, Bismuth, Nickel, Cobalt, Cadmium XIII.—Aluminum XIV.—Petroleum, Asphalt, Oil Shale, Ozokerite XV.—Various Useful Minerals XVI.—Abrasives, Green stones and Useful Bocks Appendix, Glossary of Terms, Index. Copies supplied on application to: MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD 315 Bank of Scotia Bdg. Vancouver, B. C. SILVER-LEAD PROSPECT A silver-lead prospect of great promise. Several wide veins. Particulars supplied on addressing "G," c;o MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD, 315 Bank of Nova Scotia Building, Vancouver COAL MINE kARGE RESERVE OF BITUMINOUS COAL Well located for Vancouver Market. APPLY "J." C|0 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 315 Bank of Nova Scotia Building, Vancouver, B. C. MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD M'1 mW< if The Main Thing for Maintenance HUNDREDS of repair jobs that formerly kept rolling stock idle for weeks, and even months, are now speedily, economically and permanently effected by the oxy-acetylene process. And Dominion Oxygen, because of undeviating purity and rapid deliveries, is constantly employed in railroad maintenance as well as in all those industries where time is the vital factor and only the proven product can qualify. Shipped in portable, high-capacity cylinders, equipped with the leakless Wedge Valve, Dominion Oxygen is delivered anywhere and in any required quantity. North, East, South or West—your order forwarded to the nearest of our six centrally located plants and distributing stations means that your oxygen travels by the quickest route. And all orders are filled on the day they are received. DOMINION OXYGEN COMPANY, LIMITED Hamilton Hillcrest Park, Toronto Merritton Montreal Welland Windsor D22 Established 1895 E. A. HAGGEN, Editor and Publisher Published Semi-Monthly at 315 Bank of Nova Scotia Bdg. Vancouver, B. C. Telephone: Seymour 2889 Subscribers requiring change of address mus»t notify the office of the publisher in writing. Subscriptions payable in advance: $3.00 per annum, including postage in Canada, arid to Great Britain. To United States and other countries, $3.50 per annum, including postage. Advertising Rate Cards supplied on application to publishers. . Mining and Engineering Record JI Copyright Canada Volume XXVL, Nos. 17 & 18 VANCOUVER, B. C, SEPTEMBER, 1921 Single Copies 25c CONTENTS EDITORIAL i- EDITORIAL NOTES 184 EDITORIAL ARTICLES— Canadian Pacific Railway Publicity 187 Ellen Group Gold Mining Co., Ltd 187 The Trail Smelter —~ 187 The Turn of the Tide . - 188 *PRELIMINARY REPORT ON POUCE COUPE OIL FIELD \ 189 By Dr. John A. Allan, and Prof. A. E. Cameron. OIL DEVELOPMENT IN THE FRASER RIVER DELTA - - 193 By E. A. Haggen. *COAL AND COKE— A Great Coal Deposit in Alberta - *194 *CANADIAN INSTITUTE OF MINING AND METALLURGY — ANNUAL MEETING OF WESTERN DIVISION AT EDMONTON i - 195 METALS AND MARKETS 199 ELLEN GROUP GOLD MINING COMPANY, LTD - ' 200 CARIBOO MINERS' ASSOCIATION 200 OTTAWA BRANCH OF ROYAL MINT.... 201 MINING NEWS - --r 201 *Illustrated S. S. Fowler, manager of the New Canadian Metal Company's operations at Riondel, and one of the pioneers of the mining industry, says Southern British Columbia has produced $300,000,000 of the $700,000,000 produced by the mines of British Columbia, and is responsible for 80% of the total metal production. * * * Hon. T. D. Patullo, Minister of Lands for British Columbia, has been on a joy-ride to Sweden and England, the excuse being an investigation of the hydro-chemical industries of the former place and the outlet for timber in the latter country. We should have thought these matters could be more efficiently investigated by engineers with a special knowledge of the matters involved. A report from Mr. Patullo on technical problems is not worth the paper it is written on; and the joy-ride has cost the Provincial Treasury several thousand dollars which might better have been applied to securing reports from competent engineer* or in productive employment for returned soldiers so much in need, and so deserving of consideration. * * * If British Columbia hopes to secure the establishment of a legitimate iron and steel industry the first thing to be done is to eliminate the high financiers, corrupt politicians, and busy-bodies who do not know what they are talking about. An instance of the unbusinesslike methods of which the industry is the intended victim was the proposal of the Industrial Commission to advance some $200,000 to the Port Moody steel plant which has passed through several hands and failed in each. The same Commission published a report by N. Thompson, one of its members, in which the Pacific Coast market for iron and steel is placed at 2,000,000 tons per annum, inclusive of 1000 tons a day between British Columbia and Los Angeles. Those estimates include all classes of products, many of which are outside the range of a single plant, and they do not allow for competitive supplies from other sources. It is, therefore, misleading to represent the market in that way. Dr. Stansfield's report placed the total iron and steel consumption of Alberta and British Columbia at 48,982 tons per annum, or about I 30 tons a day, which also includes lines i H I Ifk ml Kf I.II !85 outside the range of a single plant, but these figures are much more likely to be a true representation of the available market demand. The American Mining Congress should realize that its demand for a special price for gold used in the in- MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD as Pirsson and Iddings, casts doubt on the wisdom of the committee in recommending the disuse of a term so common in the work of Canadian and American engineers and geologists. v v v The rise in the price of silver to 72 J/2 c per oz. is dustries is no longer necessary. Gold is rapidly coming into already acting as a stimulus to the mining industry. Shares its own as prices recede and there is no excuse for any gold mine with the metal in economic quantities and fair reserves failing to operate. The truth is the United States has reached the limit of its gold production and faces the decadent period of the industry as other countries have had to do when their most accessible and richest gold deposits have reached the climax of their development. Canada is now due to replace the United States as a producer of gold and is on the high road to the fulfillment of its task. * * * New York State has passed a stringent law for the suppression of wash sales, bucket-shop practices and fraudulent promotions. $50,000,000 has been paid by the public for worthless stock on oil fields in Oklahoma and Texas. * ¥ * The Nelson Committee of the International Mining Convention, of which S. S. Fowler is president and F. A. Starkey secretary, is getting busy on the arrangements for the convention to be held in June next. * * * D. H. McCargar, of the Nelson office of the Cana- dian-Allis-Chalmers Company, hits the naid on the head when vhe says: "I believe that no mining company should, construct a mill until it has adequate ore in sight to justify the outlay on concentrating or milling machinery. Neither the industry nor the people of the district suffer anything but loss if mills are erected merely to become 'monuments. I am glad to see that in this district the mining men of today are conducting the industry upon a sound basis, without extravagant or premature expenditure. The industry and the district have everything to gain from a continuance of this policy." s& ^ ¥ An appeal is being made to the business men of Van- in Slocan mines show substantial activity and improved quotations on the stock exchanges. The price is the highest in 18 months. * * * The preliminary report on the geology and oil prospects of the section of the Peace River country tributary to Pouce Coupe, by Dr. J. A. Allan and Prof. A. E. Cameron, of the University of Alberta, is one of the most valuable contributions yet made to the economic geology of that section of British Columbia. The Grande Prairie Board of Trade, at whose initiative and expense the investigations were undertaken and the report prepared, are to be congratulated on their enterprise in retaining Dr. Allan and Prof. Cameron for the work. The development of the agricultural and mineral resources of Pouce Coupe are of great importance to Grande Prairie, which "will benefit immensely should oil be struck in economic quantities in that field. * * * The members of the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy resident in Alberta are to be congratulated on the splendid success they made of the annual meeting of the Institute held at Edmonton. The meeting was fortunate in having the assistance of Drs. M. Y. Williams, Dowling, Wallace, Fearnsides, Bosworth and Messrs. J. McLeish, G. C. MacKenzie, B. F. Haanel, and Thos. W. Gibson, whose contributions to the discussions were highly appreciated by the members in attendance. Mike Merrick, of Hope, is a good and successful prospector, but he has the failing of an evil imagination. He accuses us of comparing the Emancipation Mine, which he discovered and developed, with the ten-year-old fiasco at Steamboat Mountain. We committed no such absurdity, couver to raise $50,000 for the purchase of a supply of What we did condemn, both on the part of Mr. Merrick radium for treatment of cancer cases at Vancouver General and Dr. Hodge, was the representation made as to the'. Hospital. gold values of the property when we knew perfectly well * * * that on development it would prove a mine of average low The report by the joint committee of the Geological grade of ore. That is the business way, and the only hon- Society of London and the Mineralogical Society suggests est way to look at a mine. Mr. Merrick and Dr. Hodge the elimination of many terms used in petrographic nomen- both probably now recognize the truth of our assertion, clature. One of the most surprising eliminations recom- made on the best of information. Mr. Merrick is a prac- mended is the term "diabase." It is true that Iddings heal prospector and should ha^re known better. Dr. Hodge considers the term is covered by altered basalts or andesites, is a scientific geologist, with little or no practical knowledge but it is a useful field term for altered greenish rocks allied of mining, though he poses as a mining engineer; and he to diorite, gabbro, aphanite and dolerite. The frequent probably knew no better at the time. The result is seen use of the term by geologists, as Geikie, Spurr, Kemp, in disappointed shareholders endeavoring to dispose of their Ries, Cox, Hunt, Sorsbee and Cole, and by petrographers holdings. The truth is what counts in mining as in every- MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 186 thing else. The Emancipation is a promising property, and that is a good enough reputation for a prospect without the necessity of grossly exaggerating the average value of the ore. ' Sfi !£ 1$ miles of a railway. The writer wants a mill built right away, but says no mining machinery would be needed for a year or two. 1 he miners are "to live in happiness," and the mine is to be "a magnificent gift from Canadian capitalists to Canadian defenders." The writer evidently does not Mining engineers and geologists too often experience the know that gold ores are erratic; that they decrease in value disagreeable discovery that the newspaper press has published, at the instigation of interested parties, unwarranted and unauthorized statements boosting some particular property they have examined. Dr. W. H. Collins, Director of the Geological Survey, and Dr. W. L. Uglow, who has been working in the field north of Kamloops this sum- with depth; that machinery is necessary to enable mining to be done at economic cost, and that the first essential of a mill is an adequate actual ore reserve, which usually, takes considerable time to develop. * * * The Canada Geological Survey is one of the most mer, had this disagreeable experience recently, when inter- valued and beneficial of our public institutions. Its staff ested parties furnished the Standard-Sentinel with a state- consists for the most part of men of broad vision, high ment regarding coal at Chu-Chua, to the effect that Drs. scientific -training, and integrity of purpose. According to Collins and Uglow "were optimistic as to the prospects of Dr. W. H. Collins, the Director, the Department had 41 this becoming one of the best coal-producing areas of the Province." The coal area is well known to be confined to small limits, though the coal is of promising quality. Only a fool would have given the press such a statement as that published. Dr. Uglow very properly replied promptly to the publication, denouncing it as "replete with errors" and slating that he had not expressed any opinion favorable or otherwise; while his report would be made to the Geological Survey. The Provincial Government and the people of Cariboo are to be congratulated on the completion of the Pacific Great Eastern Railway to Quesnel, the gateway to Cariboo. parties at work this season throughout the Dominion, twelve of these parties being at work in British Columbia. The prospector, the investor, the miner all follow closely the work of the Geological Survey for the disinterested value cf the information as to natural resources which it affords, together with the key to their economic exploitation, * * * Advertising such as that of the Union of Canada Drilling and Royalties Company, Ltd., concerning its Chilli- vack well, being drilled west of Chilliwack, is injurious to bona fide development, and is not likely to bring support to its application to the Chilliwack Board of Trade for a $15,000 grant. We are seriously told that "Chilli- Cariboo is a country of great resources and its placers are wack and Fraser Valley must be in the biggest of oil fields not exhausted, so that we yet expect to see it a large owing to its transportation facilities; free access to the seas; producer of placer gold, while there should be promising free access to any port; free access to any country; short prospects for lode mining in a country that has done so hauls by pipe line to market; short hauls to refineries." well from its placers. The district has hitherto been heavily This is certainly new information. We have always under- handicapped by the heavy cost of transportation over 300 stood that the first requisite is a productive oil field; the miles of wagon road. Now that the railway is completed to next a productive well, and that transportation is an ad- Quesnel, and will shortly be taken over by the Provincial junct, not a precedent to these. The public are then told Railway Department, the reduction in the cost of supplies to "Play the sure end of the oil game. We make profits and mining machinery ought to bring a new period of every foot we drill." The man of average intelligence will hardly swallow this rubbish. The "sure end of the oil game" or the profits to be derived therefrom are not from "every foot we drill" but from every barrel of oil that can be produced. It is time the Minister of Mines took steps to protect the public from this kind of "oil game." * * * The gold reserve of the Banks of Canada amounts to $82,719,862, of which the largest holdings are: Bank of Montreal, $25,448,569; Royal Bank of Canada, $15,- 774,943; The Canadian Bank of Commerce, $12,091,- 971. While the deposits in the Dominion central gold reserve amount to $77,202,533, only $10,502,533 is represented by gold, and the remainder by Dominion notes. The gold reserve should be what its name implies. 3£ S£ Sfi The North Shore Press has the following sensible remarks on oil development on the Fraser Delta: "Those activity and prosperous development to Cariboo. %• v v It is gratifying to see a big mining corporation cognisant of its duty to the State. The Guest, Keen and Nettleford Company, owning the Dowlais Iron Works and mines in Wales, has resumed operation at a heavy financial loss to find employment for those hitherto dependent on the industry at a time when unemployment is a gaunt spectre in British industrials. * * * The amateur miner and his visions of "wealth untold is ever with us. The latest to rush into print is Jos. H. Johnston, who tells the readers of the Province of a discovery of free gold he has made in a vein 8 ft. wide, with an unbroken length of over two miles, and branch veins "promising to develop into the largest gold mine on the continent." Values in the main vein are stated to average $12, and the branch veins up to $1000. It is within three who are carrying on operations in the hope of finding a 187 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD \K-l productive oil well in British Columbia are pioneers, in the real sense of that honored term—and pioneers in a realm that promises tremendous benefits to the Province should their efforts succeed. There is probably no single occurrence that could be named that would mean so much in of South America, where copper could be produced at 9c per lb. We know of investments in copper companies here which have been called off by financiers who have read and believed this rubbish written by O'Farrell. As a matter, of fact, the balance-sheet of Bra den Copper Co., operating the way of general prosperity as would the bringing in of at Teniente, shows cost of copper to be 16.52c per lb.; a producing oil well within reasonable distance of Burrard and Chile Copper, 1 7.88%. Mother Lode Copper, in Inlet." Alaska, produces copper at around 8c per lb. Granby * * * cost is pretty well down to 1 Oc; and Britannia can produce The Union Bank of Canada is to be congratulated copper for around 8c. If the policy of the C. P. R. is to on its enterprise in establishing a branch at Fort Noi.nan kill the copper mining industry of Canada it is going the and Fort Smith, in the Mackenzie District. We have great right way about it in transporting O'Farrell around on a faith in the future oil development of that country. If this faith proves to be justified the Union Bank will earn a rich reward for its enterprise and will deserve it. Nothing in modern civilization has so great an influence as the free circulation and exchange of money; and the change from the days of barter to a cash basis will revolutionize the trading and develcpment of the great Mackenzie Basin. * ¥ * pass to use the newspaper press with which the C. P. R. has influence, to knock a great industry. It is time the management revised this feature of its publicity policy. ¥ ¥ ¥ ELLEN GROUP GOLD MINING CO. Now that there is a tendency to a revival of invest- rr>ent in gold mining development it is a matter of regret that promoters of new companies should find it necessary The officers of the Medicine Hat Agricultural Asso- to resort to publicity of a misleading character. Carey ciation who were responsible for the contract with C. M. Hatfield, to pay him $8000 for four inches of rain, are in the class with the Indian medicine nuen, witchcraft, di- and Roulean, 634-636 Rogers Building, Vancouver, financial agents for the Ellen Group Gold Mining Co., Ltd., advertise that work has been done "necessary to prove positively that the Ellen Group will pay handsome dividends in gold .... If money were to be made from this sale of stock instead of from mined gold this ocm- pany might well be capitalized for half a million dollars." They publish a report by A. W. McVittie. Mr. Mc- Vittie is not a mining engineer; apparently does not realize tne erratic nature of small veins, values and surface enrich- vming, and the bunkum which has characterized the pretensions to the supernatural in the dark ages. Hatfield did not create the four ir.ches of rain that fell, or have anything to do with it, and only an impostor would make such pretence under the circumstances. It is possible that scientihc investigation may reveal a practical method of developing rainfall by electrical or explosive effects, and as a matter of fact rainfall has been proved to be an accompaniment ment limitations; nor the cost and difficulties of mining, of the latter. milling and extraction, especially where there is little water * * * available. Before a reduction plant is installed and divi- The reports of the Resident Engineers in charge of the dends promised this prospect should be further developed. Mineral Survey districts would be enhanced if they all Quartz shipments might be made to the Anyox Smelter, took the reports of George Clothier, Engineer for the North- which is close to the property, and can give a favorable rate western Mineral Survey District No. 1 as a model. It for this silicious auriferous ore. The promoters and share- would be of immense future statistical value if the mineral production for each Mineral Survey District were recounted in detail for the year, and the Minister of Mines would do well to convey this suggestion to the resident engineers. Nothing so forcibly draws attention to the prospective value of a district as a well-compiled table of its past and present production, and the individual mines from which it is derived. CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY PUBLICITY holders are more likely to realize these facts than the dividends promised, inside of six months. * * * THE TRAIL SMELTER Mining Truth, of Spokane, press organ for the Bunker Hill and Sullivan Smelter of Idaho, publishes a snarling, carping criticism of Trail Smelter. We have no brief for the smelter, but we like to see a square deal. Spokane owes its development as a city to the mineral industry of British Columbia; and has long characterized The Canadian Pacific Railway Company would do well British Columbia as a .suburb of its "Inland Empire." to call off its peripatetic publicity blatherskite, P. A. While the people of British Columbia have not taken much O'Farrell, whose press contributions are anything but credit- notice of these insulting references they have nevertheless able to a company so vitally interested in the development felt pretty keenly the hoggish attitude of Spokane, which ■of the mineral resources of this country. Unfortunately O'Farrell's writings have a wide publicity, though they are about as irresponsible as when he was Heinze's press apologist. He recenuy stated the copper industry of the LTnited States and Canada could not compete with that lias not been content with its braggadocio, but has at nearly every mining convention supported discriminatory tariff measures to shut out British Columbia minerals from any benefit of American markets. Now that the Bunker Hill and Sullivan Mining and Smelting Co., and the Ameri- MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD can railways are cutting rates in order to attract ore shipments from Trail to Kellogg, it is time to talk plain English on the matter. The Trail Smelter is not only the most important metallurgical industry in British Columbia, or in Canada, but is the only plant in the world refining five metals by hydroelectric power. No American metallurgical industry approaches it in its magnificent war record, by which it broke 188 be selected for—these insulting references in view of the. fact that the management has succeeded in operating when so many similar plants in the United States have had to shut down, we are at a loss to understand on any other ground than that Sidney Norman, like a few other hyphenated Americans, regards British Columbia as a field to be exploited solely for their benefit and at their whim without the slighfest regard for the rights and interests of the Ca- the monopoly and extortionate price of zinc levied on the nadian Reople. Allies by the German-American zinc ring. The manage- Tne sooner such men realize that Canadians appreciate ment may make mistakes, and its policy may not always the value of the resources of their country and will insist be regarded with favor by shippers of ore; but it | the on tne same square deal from the stranger exploiting these one enterprise that has maintained the mining development resources as from their own fellow-citizens, the more har- of Slocan and East Kootenay. jj It has successfully solved m0nious will be the international relationship. Just as United States citizens support a policy of discrimination against Canadian trade, commerce and industry, so long will Canadians assert their own dignity, national rights and retaliatory measures in defence of their own interests, and properly so. the problems of beneficiating valueless ores .-,nd has added scores of millions of dollars to the value of the mineral wealth of the country. In common with all organizations engaged in mining and smelting. It has, for the past year, been face to face with unprecedented difficulties in the way ot maintaining its huge plant in operation without a market for the bulk of its metal products. Its balance-sheet and suspension of dividends -.showed that it could not continue to purchase ores for cash; and as the mine operator has to pay cash for wages and supplies he cannot carry on unless he can finance his shipments. The banks would not do that in face of the condition of the metal markets, and the operators in British Columbia had to shut down. The THE TURN OF THE TIDE *> ' It gives us pleasure to express confidence that the tide of depression in the mineral industry has turned, and we believe has set in for a period of long and continued prosperity. The metal supplies of the nations are seriously depleted. The coal supply troubles of the war have turned the attention of governments to the development of hydro- smelter was thrown on its own resources and had to depend electric power for railway electrification; to increase of agri- on the mines controlled by the company for the ore supply to keep the plant running, the Rossland and Sullivan mines being the principal producers. From Rossland a steady stream of gold, valued at $1 25,000 to $1 50,000 a month, has flowed into the Dominion Assay Office at Vancouver, and but for that source of income the smelter could not have financed its operations, the continuance of which afforded cultural products by the manufacture of fertilizers based on electric fixation; and to the substitution of electricity for other sources of industrial power. These developments mean an immense market for copper, zinc, iron, steel, and insulating materials, with the employment of a vast skilled labor power in their manufacture. The world's housing supply is far short of require- employment to several hundred men who would otherwise mentSi,and an extensive programme of building and sanita- have been thrown out of work and added to the already || has tQ be provided for- This constitutes a demand for overcrowded ranks of unemployed. , le^d) g which the world's available supplies are short, with In view of these facts it comes with bad taste from the n0 new sources of supply being discovered. The indus- broker-editor of Mining Truth that, because he was very t..jaj activity resulting from these developments is reflected properly excluded from a private meeting at Nelson between jn an increasing demand for silver and an insatiable demand the smelter representatives and the operators, he should for gold) the production of which has reached its limit, misrepresent Trail Smelter as "the only plant in the history and js on tne down grade. -^fllp of the mining industry to refuse consignments of ore,"^treat- The other minerai industries, as brick, cement, building ing "its former customers with callous indifference," that ^^ refratcorieS) fluxes> ailoy metals> tne products of the "Tadanac set out to put the Slocan country on the train quany> the oil and coai fieidSi |j| experience the beneficial of depression usually reserved for the porcine family." As effects | a reviyal of industry. The rec0very may be slow a matter of fact several Spokane operators appreciate the Jj ^ || j |g|j be steadyj and ||| | gj come || treatment accorded them by Trail Smelter and have so proved financial conditions; a return to the dividend-paying expressed themselves. stage; the investment of new capital in extensions of exist- The conditions in the Slocan are no exception to the mg mining and metallurgical industries, and the up-building depression in all mining industries consequent on the after- 0f new enterprises for the development of natural resources math of the war. It was to be expected. In Broken Hill, and employment of the people. The essentials are good Australia, the Government has had to distribute about government, economical public administration, reduced tax- $500,000 in relief. alion; stern suppression of political corruption and graft, In the United States many leading mines and reduction and the relegation to the back-yard, or if necessary the works have had to shut down. Why Trail Smelter should guillotine, of corrupt politicians and their parasites. 189 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD mv Hi Br K m Bfi'.ii&i What are the signs that suggest better times? They are to be found in the reduction of the Bank of England rate in Great Britain and the Federal Reserve Bank of the United States; the increasing investments of British and American capital in mining, metallurgical and industrial enterprises; the increased prices of silver and lead; the improved tone of the copper market; the reduction in the cost ol the necessaries of life, though this reduction has yet a long way to go; the reasonable manner in which labor is meeting the situation in the reduction in wages in proportion to the reduced cost of living; the soundness of the banking situation; a successful harvest on the Prairies; improvement in the iron and steel industries; the planning and financing of new industries; the improvement in the railway situation. Locally the advent of large mining companies, as Alaska-Treadwell, Bunker Hill and Sullivan, Consolidated Goldfields, General Development, Primos Chemical, Federal Mining and Smelting, has done much to give encouragement as to the mining outlook. Three of these large operators have already acquired prospects and are developing them. Metallurgical plants are planned which will be gradually carried out, and which, when completed within the next five to ten years, will provide for the treatment of 45,000 tons of ore a day in addition to the resources of existing mines and metallurgical plants. These plants will cost over $20,000,000. That development means the promotion of British Columbia to the foremost rank in the mining countries of the world. It means the employment of about 40,000 men in the mineral industry, directly supporting a population of 200,000, or 40% of the present entire population of British Columbia. In Manitoba steps are being taken to open the largest copper mine in the British Empire, and the prairie province will soon figure as an important producer of copper, silver and gold as well as of wheat. The Yukon is developing a great silver-lead-zinc mining industry as well as gold; and has a great future before its copper resources. Alberta will take rank as the greatest coal mining province in Canada, and as a centre for a . Canadian pottery industry, as well as an oil and natural gas field. Saskatchewan will develop as an oil field; as a producer of carbonized fuel, and as the seat of a great clay industry. Ontario is now one of the world's most important gold- mining camps. Its silver and nickel-copper resources have~ important developments in store. The nickel resources of Ontario represent 85% of the world's reserves. Quebec has two great mineral industries—asbestos and cement. Of the world's asbestos the British Empire controls 64%, and of this amount Quebec is the leading factor in production. Nova Scotia is the largest producer x>f coal in Canada. With its great iron and steel industries built on the ore supply of Newfoundland this province is the most important factor in the iron and steel industries of Canada. The Mackenzie District of the Northwest Territories may safely be said to be heading for one of the world's largest oil producers. With its vast and varied mineral resources, Canada is destined to take her place among the leading mining and industrial countries of the world; and now that the turn for the better has come the next five to ten years will see unprecedented development throughout the Dominion. Preliminary Report on Pouce Coupe Oil Fields By Dr. John A. Allan and Prof. A. E. Cameron'' As shown in the accompanying map, the Pouce Coupe District is represented by the area lying in townships 75 to 82, ranges 11 to 18, west of the 6th Meridian of the Dominion Land Surveys; and includes the major portion of the drainage basin of the Pouce Coupe River. Topographically the region represents a dissected plateau, rising gradually to the west, with elevations of from 2,500 to 3,000 feet above sea level. To the north of the region, Peace River has cut a deep valley through the plateau, and the drainage is all northward towards Peace River. The plateau-is underlain by saTfdstones and shales of upper Cretaceous age. The highlands are capped by flat-lying sandstones, and these are responsible for the flat-topped character of the hills. The main streams flow for the most part in deep, narrow, V-shaped valleys in broader glaciated valleys cut through the sandstone and underlying shale. One particular geographic feature of the main stream courses stands out prominently on any map of the district. The valleys of Pouce Coupe river in Tp. 77-14 and Kis- katinaw river in Tp. 79-1 8 turn sharply to the right (north- north-east). Similar features show clearly further west on the South Pine river, and even on Peace river. This physiographic feature undoubtedly has been influenced by some particularly major structure in the region, and probably is to be accounted for by a terrace on the western side of the great plain syncline. The presence of this terrace structure is suggested in the change of dip noticeable on a northeast-southwest section through the valleys of Pouce Coupe and Kiskatinaw rivers. The presence of this terrace structure is an important factor in determining the oil possibilities of the district. Stratigraphic Succession. Order in which strata were laid down in this region was worked out by McLearn for the Geological Survey of Canada, 1917. The following table taken from a report by J. S. Stewart in the Summary Report of the Geological Survey of Canada for 1919, is based mainly on McLearn's work. ^Geology and Mining Department, University of Alberta. upper. CR£TJJC£OC/5{ GEOLOG/C/tL /ff/7£> •' POCKF COt/^/X&CZ' /?/' yZ~/<'/?/S77?/CT 3/R/T/S/-/ CO/.(/A7B//7 &J3LBERT/J. 191 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD Character of the Strata Two shale series divided by a sandstone series. Total estimated thickness, 550 feet. Mainly thick-bedded sandstone with lesser amounts of shale and thin sandstone; thickness about 530 feet. Upper member 1,300 feet dark shale; middle member 50 to 80 feet sandstone; lower member 800 feet dark shale. Sandstone, shale and coal, massive sandstone below. Total thickness, 2,000 feet. ii "13 W T) C (0 0. a 5 to -o s cO W CU c O V B z o H < § s o M Smoky River d « 60 CU C 3 I St. John Bullhead Mountain 0. i o K a CO a as C O 1 Colorado g 5 a a, c/> 3 O 0) v. O cu cO DO Lower Cretaceous to cO 3 * to '53 I SITE OF 1MPEKIAL OIL CO.'S WELL, POUCE COUPE Bullhead Mountain This formation, as exposed on Peace river, consists of a thick series of strata of fresh-water origin, lying between Triassic shale below and St. John shale above. This series of rocks may be divided into two members. The upper member consists of sandstones, shales and light coal beds. The lower member is made up of massive cross-bedded sandstones. The Bullhead Mountain formation should be correlated with the Peace River, and probably also the Loon River, formation of the eastern Peace river section, since it occupies the same stratigraphic position. It is, therefore, of lower Cretaceous aire. St. John Formation The St. John formation embraces all the strata lying between Bullhead Mountain formation below and Dunvegan sandstones above. It consists of two thick shale members separated by a thin sandstone member. The lower shale unit consists of 800 feet of dark thin-bedded, slightly arenaceous shale. The middle sandstone consists of massive, cross-bedded sandstones with vertical roouet and prostrate stems, and evidendy represents temporary sub- aerial delta conditions. The lower part of the upper shales shows thin bedded, dark, friable shales with thin- bended concretions of ironstones. Above are black, paper- thin shales, followed by dark, thin-bedded, arenaceous shales with several large sandstone lenses. Towards the top are thin-banded sandstone and shale to the contact with the Dunvegan. In places there is much lateral replacement of sandstone and shale along this contact. The St. John is essentially a marine formation. It is exposed in -all the deeper valleys in the Pouce Coupe district, showing conspicuously in the cut banks along the lower portion of Pouce Coupe and Kiskatinaw rivers and the valley of Peace River. Dunvegan Formation The Dunvegan sandstone as exposed along Peace river is made up of light massive, cross-bedded, soft sandstone with large flat concretions, and weathers into castellated forms. Elsewhere this formation is more argillaceous and locally thick-bedded. A thin lignite seam in the sandstone varies in thickness, but never exceeds six inches. There is also a rather prominent bed of shelly limestone, chiefly of fresh-water shells. The cross-bedded structure, coal-beds, and fresh-water fossils point largely to sub-aerial conditions of deposition, but the presence of certain fossils indicates partial brackish water conditions, and probably the sea was not far away at any time. The Dunvegan shows a gra- dational contact with both the overlying and underlying formations. The Dunvegan sandstones cap the high land and are responsible for the flat character of the plateau in the Pouce Coupe district. Smoky River Formation McLearn divides this formation into three members: a lower shale, a middle sandstone and an upper shale. The lower shale and middle sandstone are referred to the Colorado group and the upper shale to the Montana. The lower shale consists of paper-thin carbonaceous shales with concretions and marine fossils. They grade upward through dark, friable, arenaceous shale and thin-bedded sandstones to the middle sandstone member above. The middle sandstone (Bad Heart Sandstone) consists of coarse sandstone weathering reddish brown. When exposed, it stands out prominently, forming cliffs. From its fossils it is distinctly a marine sandstone. The upper shale member of the formation is made up of dark, friable shale, with thin bands of sandstone near the top. Ironstone concretionary bands are present. It is also of marine origin. MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 192 The Smoky River formation is exposed overlying the all these conditions are fulfilled in the Pouce Coupe district. Dunvegan sandstones south of Peace River near Dunvegan The strata represent alternating marine and fresh wate/ and probably underlies a large portion of the plateau east of forms, indicating a fluctuating shore-line, and they show as interbedded, porous sandstones with compact shales offering good conditions for oil accumulation, provided suitable structure is available. The detailed structure has yet to be "Pouce Coupe river. ■ Structure The major structure is a monocline with an east to north-east dip—-the west side of the Great Plains syncline, whose axisHs well to the east of the Pouce Coupe district. The area lies just east of the main disturbed belt of the Rocky Mountain foothills, and should have super-imposed on it other structures due to the dying out of the earth movements which formed the mountains. A slight change of dip is observable in an east-west direction, and there is i^illl 'ffl - *m ■.- M.^ JNf^H y.filrapr*s&i£ v<W3<aBH^p**] &jf*¥fi iji11 p l^3L"dS3-*3,>?SB 4& ]?.-.: ■ **'-'*j»35ift'3S m&^mp fe '^^fJf^/0yjXlifiH& IN p IB M^"'">^'^nrl'^^^A tifiPPWT^JI ig&M ^fliaiL-lB ^igl^Mk) .fellif PES IMPERIAL OIL CO.'S DERRICK POUCE COUPE evidence of a terrace structure. The high land just east of the Kiskatinaw river shows a very flat table-land capped by the Dunvegan formation, while east of the Pouce Coupe river valley a gentle easterly dip causes the appearance of the Smoky River formation. The dip in the strata is in all cases very gentle, and nowhere has been observed to exceed 25 feet to the mile. Oil Possibilities Petroleum is derived from the bacterial and chemical decomposition of essential organic material, vegetable and mineral. It would originate, therefore, in shallow sea bottom along the border of old land masses where the necessary organic material would be most abundant, and where, due to the decomposition of material derived from the land, the organic material would be rapidly imbedded and covered. After its formation, due to hydrostatic pressure, it migrates ro porous strata and to the higher points in that strata, where it will accumulate under an impervious capping to form an oil pool. The conditions for oil occurrence, therefore, are: near- shoreline conditions for its origin; inter-bedded, porous and impervious beds for its migration; and also structural folds or terraces for its accumulation. From the previous discussion it appears that practically worked out. There is evidence, however, of a flat terrace, and possibilities of other undulating structure superimposed on the major structure of the district. The presence of cil is evident in the oil seepages along Pouce Coupe river and other reported occurrences in the district. Oil Horizons In the main portion of the Pouce Coupe district the uppermost formation is the Dunvegan sandstones, and more or less of this formation must be pierced as a preliminary to • boring operations. The immediately underlying St. John formation, composed essentially of marine shales, with inter-bedded sandstone members, appears as a very suitable oil horizon. Oil seepages on Pouce Coupe river appear to come from sandstone layers in these St. John strata. Below the St. John formation occur the thick series of sandstones with interbedded coal seams and shales of the Bullhead Mountain formation. This formation is the western fresh-water representative of the marine strata exposed on the Peace and Smoky Rivers as the Peace River and OIL SEEPAGE, POUCE COUPE Loon River formations. There is every reason to believe that in the vicinity of Pouce Coupe there will be considerable inter-fingering and lateral transgression of these eastern marine shales and sandstones with the western fresh-water sandstone series. With proper structures such a condition would hold good possibilities for petroleum accumulation. The eastern marine equivalent of the lower portions of the Bullhead Mountain formation, the Loon river shales, appear to carry some oil further east on Peace river. Below the Bullhead Mountain formation occurs an unknown thickness of Triassic marine shales, sandstones and limestones, and in projected boring operations preparations should be made to pierce these strata if the field is to be fairly tested. 193 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD Oil Development in the Fraser River Delta The discovery of an oil seepage in a creek at West Vancouver was reported to the writer in 1913, and was found to be genuine. While the rocks are covered with drift the seepage appeared to occur in a contact between sedimentary and granitic rocks. About that time the late C. S. Meek was impressed with the possibilities of oil in the Fraser Delta, and retained F. G. Berry, M.E., to make a thorough investigation. In his report to Mr. Meek that gentleman said:—"After devoting several months past to the careful consideration of the possibilities of the Fraser Valley for oil, it is my firm conviction that certain portions of it will prove productive fields for the exploitation of petroleum, the quantity and quality of which boring alone can determine." On Mr. Berry's report, Mr. Meek organized the Abbotsford Oil and Gas Co., Ltd., and was getting ready to drill on a site selected by Mr. Berry at Abbotsford in 1914 when war broke out. Mr. Meek decided that while oil development could wait, war work could not. His organization built the first submarines at Vancouver shortly after the outbreak of the war. After the armistice Mr. Meek informed the writer he intended going on with his oil development plans, but these ended with his unfortunate death. Investigation by E. H. Cunningham Craig. Owing to the interest that had been aroused, E. H. Cunningham Craig, who was then investigating the Alberta field, was retained to make an investigation of the Fraser River Delta and advise on the prospects of its exploration for oil. He examined the known seepages and the structural geology as far as evidence could be obtained in British Columbia and the State of Washington. He made a favorable report, in the course of which he remarked:— "That the Tetiary Series is potentially oil-bearing throughout, and actually oil-bearing in places, is proved by a seepage north of the Burrard Inlet, and a few miles west of North Vancouver. The strata is unfortunately not exposed in this locality, but there is a distinct seepage which I am informed is more copious during the summer months. . . . It is possible that the Cretaceous formation may be entered, but there is a distinct possibility of petroleum being discovered in this strata also." Meantime further discoveries of crude petroleum were reported from Hatzic; and farmers in the Fraser River Delta and northern Washington reported having sunk wells in which the water proved to be unusable from oil infiltration, and brackish or salt water, all indications suggestive of the possibility of petroleum deposits. The promoters of the Pitt Meadows development organized the Port Haney Oil Wells, Ltd., and drilled a well to a depth of about 1,200 feet, when a fine showing of gas was struck, burning to a height of 50 feet. The drill was too light to go deeper. By E. A. Haggen* (Continued from last number) Oil seepages were next reported from South Vancouver; a sulphur spring was found at Burnaby; oil and gas seepages were found at the base of Sumas Mountain east of Abbotsford. Discovery of Oil at Burnaby. Oil was discovered at Burnaby in 191 7 by the experience of Thomas Hannah, in crossing the peat bog near where the Great Northern Railway crosses the Sperling Road. He fell through the peat into a hole, and on recovering himself found his clothing saturated with crude oil. A Vancouver newspaper attributed the latter to the wreck of a Great Northern oil burning locomotive and tank, but inquiry from the railway company exploded this story. J. B. Woodworth, who had extensive mining and exploration experience in Ontario and Nova Scotia, was informed of the Burnaby seepages and made an investigation. He collected samples and had them tested by the Mines Department at Ottawa, the A. D. Little Co., Ltd., pf Montreal, and G. S, Eldridge & Co., of Vancouver, who all confirmed the genuineness of the discovery. Mr. Wood- worth also found seepages south of Burnaby Lake, and became so interested that he searched the title of the land, found he was acquainted with the owner of part of the area at Ottawa, and secured exploration rights over a substantial acreage in the vicinity. The writer was retained to make an investigation, but found the country so deeply buried by drift that it was impossible to obtain any information on the ground as to the stratigraphic and structural geology. Exposures on Burrard Inlet, the Gulf Islands, and in the State of Washington indicated the possibility of a favorable structure. A folding of the strata with an easterly and westerly course was an essential of possible oil deposits in that ylocality to account for the surface indications of oil and gas, and some evidence was found of such structures. A test well to a depth of 3,000 feet was recommended. Meantime other seepages of oil and gas were discovered in the vicinity. At times very active ebullitions of gas were observed in Still Creek, at Burnaby, sometimes accompanied by oil; and an oil seepage was discovered near Barnet. J. Cunliffe, M.E., took up some land on the hill overlooking the location of the Burnaby seepages, and started clearing the stumps and building a house. To his surprise, on rain filling with water the holes from which the stumps had been blasted, seepages of oil appeared on the water, and Mrs. Cunliffe complained of coal oil being spilled in the cellar and making a disagreeable odor. Mr. Cunliffe knew of no oil being spilled there, and made an investigation, with the result that he found oil seeping into the cellar. (To be continued) '•' Editor Mining and Engineering Record. MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 194 COAL AND COKE A GREAT COAL DEPOSIT IN ALBERTA John Cunliffe, M.E., recently examined for J. Walter logs a coal property which he holds in Rocky Mountain Park, on the eastern slope of the Opal Range, south of Canmore, in Alberta. The location is Range 8, Tp. 21, west of Fifth Meridian. The area held by Mr. Ings covers 2,560 acres, or four sq. miles, under lease from the Dominion Government. The measures have a strike of 22 deg. west of North, and a dip at angles varying from 38 to 44 degrees. The leases are for 21 years, renewable until the mineable coal is exhausted, and the rental is $1 an acre per annum. The coal seams occur in an area of lower Cretaceous Age, and are well exposed by outcrops traceable over almost the entire length of the area. The formation is remarkably free from faulting or folding. The field is drained by Porcupine Creek, and the area held by Mr. Ings lies on the west of the creek, rising to an elevation above the creek of about 1,400 feet in three LOCALITY MAP—INGS' COAL PROPERTY ridges or spurs of the Opal Range, marked by the outstanding sandstone strata outcropping in sawtooth form, the softer shales and coal having been eroded into depressions which mark the contour. The bed of Porcupine Creek is here at an elevation of from 6,000 to 6,500 feet above sea level, and the summit of the range varies from 7,000 to ■8,000 feet. The Coal Seams. There are 27 seams of coal of an aggregate thickness of about 200 feet. Mr. Cunliffe examined only the seams which were best exposed and accessible for sampling as follows:— No. of Seam. Thickness. Nature of 5 earn. 1. (Tunnel) 2. 3. 18 ft. 7 ft. 8 ft. All clean coal. All clean coal. Slate band 1 ft. at 3 ft. from 4. 5. 9 ft. 8 ft. footwall. All clean coal Slate band 9 in. at 2 ft. from 6. 7. 8. 12 ft. 13 ft. 30 ft. roof. All clean coal. All clean coal. All clean coal. Full thickness 9. 10. 16 ft. 18 ft. not proved. All clean coal. All clean coal. Total 137 ft. 3 in. of clean coal. The absence of slate bands and impurities is notable, only two such occurrences being observed. Development. The coal seams have been developed by nature. A tunnel has been driven on No. 1 or tunnel seam. Several open cuts have been made on the seams which have also been crosscut at several points to show the width of the seams and character of the coal. Mr. Cunliffe estimates the tonnage above the level of Porcupine Creek at 100,- 000,000 tons, of which 65% to 70% is recoverable—or sufficient to provide an output of 3,000 tons a day for a century. There are immense reserves below the level of the creek which have not been taken into account, for many years to come. He suggests opening up the field by a haulage and drainage tunnel having its portal near the base of the middle ridge, at an elevation of from 100 to 200 ft. above the bed of Porcupine Creek, and extending about a mile into the mountain, cross-cutting all seams and affording first-class drainage. The cost of this work is placed at $100,000. Immediate production can be obtained by running a cross-cut tunnel on any one of the seams of coal and then sinking an incline following the dip of the seam. Mr. Cunliffe considers the analyses indicate in some seams a coal analogous to the famous South Wales steam coal, so extensively used by the British navy and mercantile marine; while other seams are anthracitic, and compare favorably with the anthracite of Pennsylvania, so much in demand for domestic heating in the cities of eastern Canada and United States. He adds:—"Compared with the average coals of Canada it is in a class by itself, and must not be confused with the bituminous and sub-bituminous coals of the upper coal measures, of which Alberta has such a plentiful supply." Like the Welsh coal referred tw-, it is practically smokeless. 195 mUl't MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD No. 3 Moisture 2.62 Vol. Comb 11.80 Fixed Carbon .. 81.92 Ash 3.50 Sulphur 0.16 No. 4 No. 5 No. 6 No .8 % % % % 1.95 3.25 1.55 2.12 8.99 12.19 11.20 12.07 83.74 74.69 75.20 76.69 5.10 9.75 11.95 9.00 0.22 0.12 0.10 0.12 4,332 13,082 13,155 13,815- The following are analyses by P. W. Thomas, Assayer, of Vancouver: B. gg U 14,072 14,332 As these samples are from the weathered surface, it may be inferred that the sampling of the coal in place would show even better results. The ash of samples 3 and 4 is light red, indicating some iron, while that of the other samples is light grey, indicating freedom from iron, and in consequence a free-burning, non-clinker coal, well adapted: lo railway and industrial steam boiler furnaces. Mr. Thomas reports:—"From the above it will be noted that samples Nos. 3 and 4 are almost a true anthracite, and Nos. 5, 6 and 8 an anthracite steam coal of excellent quality." Cost of Mining and Transportation. Mr. Cunliffe estimates that this coal can be mined and placed on railway cars at the pit mouth for $1.50 per ton. A spur line from 20 to 22 miles in length will connect the mine with the main line of the C. P. R. The proposed Elk River branch of the C. P. R. system, connecting the Crows Nest Pass and main lines, is located through the Kananaskis valley and would give transportation to the property. The property is a' valuable one, and when developed, equipped and provided with transportation, promises to prove one of the best coal mines in western Canada, with a" market for this high quality of coal extending from the Great Lakes to the Pacific Coast. All the seams occur within a distance of one mile in width, so that the property is exceptionally compact. Its accessibility is an important1 feature in its value, as it can be connected by railway with the C. P. R. system on a grade of a little over 1 %, and little bridging of streams is required. The grade of the short section of line up Porcupine Creek is not more than; 2% to 3%. Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy Annual Meeting of Western Division The Third Annual Meeting of the Western Division opened at Edmonton, Alta., on September 14. The following were in attendance: Aerial, Alta.—J. D. Thomas. Beverly, Alta.—W. E. Jinks, R. Hedges. Blairmore, Alta.—J. Charbonnier, L. P. Robert. Cadomin, Alta.—J. L. Hammond. Calgary, Alta.—F. J. Barker, G. W. Craig, F. E. Emery, W. F. McNeill, D. Shanks, F. E. Staines, L. Stockett, B. Li Thome, C. R. de la Vergne, R. M. Young. Canmore, Alta.—M. B. Morrow. Coleman, Alta.—Geo. Kellock, O. E. S. Whiteside. Creston, B. C.—F. E. Ebbutt. Dinant, Alta.—M. Cranston. Drumheller, Alta.—J. Gouge,, D. A. Macaulay. Edmonton, Alta.—Dr. J. A. Allan, Jas. Bainbridge, J. P. Brown, T. Brown, Prof. A. E. Cameron, K. S. Campbell, J. W. Cashman, J. A. Church, G. Clark, K. S. Clark, Jas. Clyne, W. D. Craig, W. S. Cupples, R. Daziel, F. J. Donkin, C. C. Drummond, W. S. Duggan, D. M. Duggan, A. C. Dunn, N. Edwards, S. Finlay, W. G. Flint, Norman Fraser, H. Greenfield, T, R. Hen- ^"^tacjuasaja MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 196 derson, M. J. Hilton, R. T. Hobbs, S. S. Hogan, H. sider itself in possession of the city, even to the extent of Hunter, D. Jones, G. Jones, J. A. Kelso, R. W. C. Lett, taking over the street car system. The mayor was followed John R. Macdonald, Lt.-Col. G. L. Macdonnell, R. L. by Hon. Mr. Greenfield, Premier of Alberta, who, in Mclntyre, W. A. MacKay, A. P. Methuen, Dudley lamenting the fact that he was a mere farmer, made a Michell, E. G. Miles, W. R. Mount, G. P. Peden, W. characteristic and forceful speech, emphasizing the fact that Pickles, N. C. Pitcher, A. E. Porter, Mayne Reid, Jas. those who followed the industries of farming and mining A. Richards, M. L. Rolfe, T. B. B. Rolfe, R. L. Ruther- were working together for the betterment of the country, ford, Jas. S. Sanderson, W. Shaw, C. G. Sheldon, J. H. and he trusted they would long continue these amicable Smith, E. Stansfield, T. W. Starkey, W. R. Stevenson, relations in the cause of industry. J. T. Stirling, T. Strickland, H. Stutchbury, J. D. Tait, P. S. Warren, Albert Williams, T. B. Williams. Evansburg, Alta.—P. Melling. Lethbridge, Alta.—C. S. Donaldson, R. Hincks, Nat. Howells. London, Eng.—Dr. T. O. Bosworth, T. Rouse. Los Angeles, Cal.—F. A. English. Montreal, Que.—G. C. Mackenzie. Ottawa, Ont.—L. H. Cole, Dr. D. B. Dowling, B. F. Haanel, J. McLeish. Pocahontas, Alta.—John A. Jess. Rosedale, Alta.—W. A. Davidson. Seattle, Wash.—A. J. Menny. Sheffield, Eng.—-Prof. W. G. Fearnsides. Taber, Alta.—E. S. F. Huntrods. Three Hills, Alta.—W. Ellis. Toronto, Ont.—Dr. W. F. Ferrier, Thos. W. Gibson. Vancouver, B. C—Dr. M. Y. Williams. Vernon, B. C.—Chas. Emerson. Victoria, B. C—F. A. Leach, R. R. Wilson. Wayne, Alta.—W. A. Davidson." Winnipeg, Man.—Dr. R. C. Wallace, W. Fairchild, F. W. Holmes, T. J. Maltby. This was the first occasion on which an Annual Western Meeting was held in the city of Edmonton, and let it be recorded that the members of the Rocky Mountain Branch and the Northern Alberta Branch have demon- .strated in no uncertain manner their capacity to staige a typical Annual Meeting in true western style and to carry it through with snap and vigor. The local committees are The presidential address was read by the secretary- treasurer, Mr. G. C. Mackenzie. O. E. S. Whiteside was chairman at the luncheon at the University of Alberta, which was partaken of by about 80 of the members who were addressed by Dr. Tory, President of the University of Alberta. After luncheon the members were escorted by the university staff, viewing the university buildings. Considerable interest was manifested in the work of the mining department, which, under the direction of Prof. N. C. Pitcher, is busily engaged in research problems in connection with the utilization of Alberta lignites. The members were also interested in Prof. Clark's experimental work in connection with road materials, and in his description of the difficulties that had to be surmounted in overcoming the evils of bentonite. At the afternoon session Prof. N. C. Pitcher was chairman. Edgar Stansfield presented a paper entitled: "Standardization of Air Drying of Coals." This paper was followed by some lively discussion in evidence of the fact that the problem was of considerable interest to those in attendance. Dr. K. S. Clark gave a short talk on Road Making Materials in Alberta, illustrating his remarks with mixed samples of clay, and clay and gravel, which had been rendered impervious to moisture through the addition of approximately five per cent tar, which had been extracted from the tar sands of Northern Alberta. The smoking concert at the Macdonald Hotel was to be heartily congratulated upon the well-merited success under the able chairmanship of Dr. J. A. Allan and was which crowned their efforts. All those in attendance will a decided innovation insofar as the experience of the Insti- join with us in extending our appreciation of the instructive tute in entertainments of this kind, as it consisted almost and pleasing program that was presented. To those who entirely Qf music and songs contributed by local members, could not, and even to those who would not attend, we -y\ie quality of this entertainment was such that we fear no commend our brethren of Edmonton, and suggest that if contradiction in stating that the professional artists, who they would "know the west" they would be wise to accept naye been engaged in the past for similar functions, were .all future invitations to the general meetings of the Institute by comparison mere amateurs in vocal effort with the Welsh in Western Canada. and* Scotch members of the Northern Alberta branch. The attendance of members and guests was 125. Suitable refreshments were served about half way O. E. S. Whiteside presided in the absence of the president, through the program. Then followed a five minute talk' C. V. Corless, who was obliged to proceed to England about the last of August. Wednesday, September 14th The sessions were opened by an address of welcome from Mayor Duggan, of the city of Edmonton, who, in ahe course of his remarks, stated the Institute might con- by the secretary-treasurer on the Institute, after which the second half of the musical program was concluded. Thursday, September 15th Chairman, Dr. Dowling. The morning session was taken up by ten minute talks on the Coal Fields of Alberta by the following members: 1 197 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD \ —————___ Lethbridge-Taber District—Moses Johnson. ■ Canmore-Bankhead District^Lewis Stockett. Drumheller District—D. A. MacAulay and Dr. J. A. Allan. Edmonton-Clover Bar District—A. C. Dunn. There was considerable interest taken in the coal mining districts under discussion, particularly that of Drumheller. It was pointed out by D. A. McAulay that there was a large amount of slack coal being wasted at the present time^ because of the lack of market, and that while the Drumheller operators had made application to the Lignite Bri- quetting Plant at Beinfait for a test run on Drumheller slack, they were disappointed to learn that a Federal Order- in-Council prevented, for the time being at least, granting of their request. Some interesting discussion took place on the possibility of ruining the upper coal seam through mining, of the lower seam first. Dr. Allan expressefl the opinion that there was very little danger of losing any large amount of coal because of mining methods already adopted, although his point of view was not altogether satisfactory to W. Shaw. At 12:30 p.m. the members of the Institute were entertained, at the Macdonald Hotel, at luncheon by the Rotary Club of Edmonton, and after the inner man had been provided for, the Institute members were introduced by the vice-president of the Rotary Club, Colonel Primrose. Then followed a community chorus in which both hosts and guests joined most heartily. The chairman then introduced Hon. Mr. Greenfield, Premier of Alberta, who held the attention of all for ten minutes with an interesting and informative speech regarding the aims and activities of the United Farmers of Alberta. The Premier was followed by Dr. R. C. Wallace of the University of Manitoba, who proceeded to enlighten the Rotarians, the Premier—and it may as well be admitted, some of our own members—as to what the Institute represented, and what it was trying to accomplish for the betterment of the country and the industry of mining. Dr. Wallace emphasized the point that in this National Institute of Mining no section or class of the community was represented in preferment over that of any other class, but that the Institute constituted an organization in which the prospector, the miner, the engineer, the scientist, the business, man and the capitalist could rub shoulders and work together for the betterment of all economic conditions affecting the mineral industry in Canada. At the afternoon session John R. MacDonald acted as chairman. John McLeish of the Mines Branch, Ottawa, presented a semi-annual statement of mineral statistics compiled by the Federal Bureau of Statistics, Ottawa. Mr. McLeishV paper was followed by Dr. R. C. Wallace, who presented his paper on the "Control of the Mineral Resources of the Prairie Provinces." This paper proved most interesting to the "members, and was followed by a lengthy discussion in which the .leading part was taken by Thomas W. Gibson, < EH ►H I o EH o P H H < EH W 6 O w EH P EH H EH 02 & M 1 <! HI R o iS M EH W w p w H 02 W P i mm MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 198 Deputy Minister of Mines for Ontario, Dr. J. A. Allan, of the University of Alberta, and several other members. Then followed ten minute talks on Dominion mining legislation contributed by W. Dixon Craig, Prof. N. C. Pitcher and Dr. J. A. Allan. The speakers showed conclusively that existing regulations were poorly framed and required amending in the interests of the mineral industry. Some -of the points raised by Dixon Craig and his colleagues illustrated the absurdities existing in mining regulations, and •caused much laughter. The banquet held in the Macdonald Hotel on the evening of September 15th, was a most enjoyable affair. The chair was occupied by O. E. S. Whiteside, who gave, ■the toast to the King and read a telegram of regret from His Honor the Lieutenant Governor, who was unable to be present. Mr. Whiteside then introduced Hon. George Idoadley, Minister of Agriculture, who represented the government in the unavoidable absence of the Premier. !Mr. Hoadley made the suggestion that members of the government would at all times welcome invitations to attend Institute meetings so that they might secure the helpful advice of mining men in regard to the administration of the mineral resources. Other speakers were Hon. Chas. Stewart, who spoke on "The Undeveloped Resources of Western Canada," and promised his support in furthering the mining industry of Alberta; the Mayor of Edmonton, Mr. Duggan, and A. U. G. Bury, who lamented the fact that so wide a gulf separated art from mining. Under the direction of Howard Stutchbury, a number ■of community choruses were rendered, including the batde liymn of the Institute: "Drill, Ye Tarriers, Drill," and that soul stirring lament "Gone are the days when we had ■our rock and rye. Several solos and duets were sung by Edmontonians. Friday, September 16th Chairman, Thos. W. Gibson. The morning session was opened with the reading and •discussion of George Sheppard's paper on "Recent Development Work Relating to Petroleum in Western Canada." This was followed by short talks on the "Geological Structure in Fort Norman District" by Dr. Dowling and Dr. "Williams. The geologists present gave a touch of spice to the proceedings by indulging in a little warm debate concerning the work of the Canadian Geological Survey. At 12:00 noon, the members assembled at the front of the Macdonald Hotel for the purpose of having their photo taken, and were delighted to find that Hon. Mr. Greenfield, Premier of Alberta, was anxious to identify himself with the mining fraternity by joining the group. The members were entertained at luncheon by Edmonton Board of Trade, at which Mr. S. B. Woods, K.C., president, presided, and introduced as the principal speaker, I Thos. W. Gibson, Deputy Minister of Mines for Ontario. In the course of his remarks Mr. Gibson spoke of the impressions he had received in travelling to Edmonton, and during his stay in that city. He reminded' his audience of the vast coal resources of Alberta, comparing the mining industry of Ontario with that of the former province and concluded by stating that as long as the administration of Canadian public affairs remained in the hands of our best public spirited citizens he felt confident that all would be well with the Dominion. Other speakers included Dean Feamsides, of Sheffield, England, and "Spike" Mackenzie. Prof. Feamsides gave a brief resume of his trip from the time he left the Old Country. He had been greatly impressed throughout the whole of his itinerary, and stated that "The prairies were not as level as a table, as was generally supposed by the citizens of England." "The thing that impressed me most," said Prof. Feamsides, "is the magnitude of your country. We, in England, have a great variety of scenery in small patches, while yours is on a much grander scale. We might be said to deal in retail while you deal in a wholesale way." Mr. Mackenzie was asked for the Nth time to sing the war song of the Institute: "Drill, Ye Tarriers, Drill." In his remarks he stated that he would return to the east to tell some of its wise men that they must stand at attention and be prepared to shake a leg, or they would be outclassed by the members of the west. In quoting A. W. Gray, former editor of the Canadian Mining Journal, at a Canadian Club luncheon in Montreal, he said: "The day will come when there will arise in Alberta a bigger city and a bigger industry than there now exists in Montreal. This will inevitably follow the development of the coal resources in that part of the Dominion." At the afternoon session Thos. W. Gibson was chairman. Resolutions Prof. Wallace, convener of the Resolutions Committee, presented the following three resolutions which were carried : "That the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy in Western Session at Edmonton, express their appreciation to the Federal Minister of Mines and the Minister of Mines for Ontario that representatives from their Departments were present at the Edmonton meeting and made very material contributions to the success of the meeting." "That owing to the great need for an office of the Geological Survey in Edmonton, the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy in session at Edmonton respectfully request the Minister of Mines to take steps to re-open the Edmonton office and place it on a similar footing to the office at Vancouver." "That whereas the well-being of an industry is dependent upon the character of the law applicable thereto, and whereas the law relating to the mining industry in Manitoba, Alberta, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories is unstable, and in need of revision; m I I <W. lh 199 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD "And whereas this Institute did in past years vigorously daily to the officers of the various coal companies who press upon the government the desirability of the enactment received and entertained the visiting members 1 a most of a Dominion Mines Act; warm hearted manner. * * * "The members of the Canadian Institute of Mining and METALS AND MARKETS Metallurgy assembled in the Third Annual Western Meet- London New York ing of the Institute do hereby resolve that the Institute copper> per lb 8%d $ .13 should commence and carry forward such proceedings as . , „ 2'/id 4.70 the Council may deem advisable to effect the enactment of oi n 38'/ld .66% a Dominion Mines Act; Zinc, per lb 2%d 4.70 "And it is further resolved that pending the attainment COPPER—Prices are now firmly established at 1 3c of the above object the Council do appoint a special com- with expectation of further advance. Large manufacturers, mittee to investigate the present mining regulations and fearing a further rise in price, have been placing large bring in a report thereon for the next annual meeting." orders. The export market is good, with Germany the Mr. Emerson and Mr. Robert presented the following heaviest buyer, resolution of condolence to be forwarded to the widow of LEAD—The A. S. & R. quotation is maintained at the late W. P. Williams: $4.70 per lb. with firm market and strong statistical posi- RESOLVED: That in the death of W. P. Williams, tion' so that a rise in price may be exPected- the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy has loft SILVER—Chinese buying sent up the price to 73c, a valuable member whose calling away is a serious loss to the highest price for the year, but it has receded to 66%. the mining industry of Western Canada, and that this meet- The outlook for the metal is considered good. Production ing extend to his widow and family the sincere sympathy 1 low- owin8 to the copper mines being shut down, and of the Institute for them in their great bereavement, and silver is a lar8e by-product of copper smelting. The Pitt- also that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the man Act keePs American silver off the market, widow and family and that same be embodied in the min- ZINC—The demand for zinc has been more active utes of the Western Annual Meeting. than for some time, with an advance in price. Surplus Professor Wallace moved and Dr. Ferrier seconded a vote of thanks and appreciation to the Western members for the success of the entertainment that had been provided. Mr. Whiteside mentioned the fact that it was the members of Edmonton and vicinity, especially, who were responsible for the success of the Convention. Dr. Allan, vice-president of the Northern Alberta branch, replied that a large portion of the success arose from the papers and discussions by outsiders. Mr. Dunn seconded Dr. Allan's remarks, but stated that members present were keenly appreciative of the work accomplished by our Convention Secretary, T. B. Williams, who for the past six weeks had been working sixteen hours a day and had really borne the burden of the Convention, and that a hearty vote of thanks should be accorded to him. Mr. Dunn's motion was seconded by Mr. Gibson, and carried unanimously. On Friday evening, the 1 7th, about 55 members of tht Institute entrained in standard sleepers at Edmonton and . DR. JOHN A. ALLAN, PROFESSOR OF GEOLOGY, were taken via Canadian National Railway to what is UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA EDMONTON locally known as the "Coal Branch" of the C. N. R., just stocks are being reduced, and manufacturers are stocking east of Jasper, where the members were entertained and up in anticiPation of a rise in price. shown various phases of this new coal field by the officers GOLD—London still offers a premium, prices being of the Cadomin Coal Company, the Sterling Coal Com- qU°tcd at * °6 l° * °8/* pany, and the Yellowhead Coal Company. The thanks IRON AND STEEL—The market has improved r ,, ., , , , v . . . , .. j .:. and prices advanced. Quotations are: Black sheets, $3.25; ot all those who took part in this most delightful excurs on uar<! *, M. nUloc *, 7c k - , , . A~ ™ ... . . bars* *LW' Plates, $1.75; bessemer and basic, $20.00; are due to the hdmonton Railway officials and more espe- foundry $21 00 ii MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 200 The Outlook next spring, and if that policy is adopted, demand and sup- Market interest centres mainly on copper, the produc- P^ wil1 be hr™&t in sufficiently close relationship to put IpSC f i • i • >i i , • 0/( -ri , , the copper industry on a good footing for the New Year, tion or which is the lowest in Z4 years, ihe market shows , . . . , ... . by which time financial rehabilitation will have made some an increase of a cent and a half per lb. from recent low j r- j • i jv -n u UU. r progress, and iiuropean industrial conditions will probably quotations, and is in common with a rise in all the metals be on a basis where active imports of metals may be ex- in most active industrial use. It is likely that the large pected by the large industries of Great Britain, France and copper producers will keep their plants closed down till Germany. ELLEN GROUP GOLD MINING CO., LTD. The Ellen Group Gold Mining Co., Ltd., has been organized in Vancouver with a capital of $120,000 in 1 0c shares to develop the Ellen Group on Shuttle Island, en the coast of Moresby Island. The group includes the Ellen, Aeroplane, Georgia Mac and Bald Eagle mineral claims. A report by A. W. McVittie, D.L.S., dealer in railway and contractors' supplies, 1012 Chamberlain St., Victoria, states the development consists of open cuts and a drift 20 ft. on a vein outcropping 50 ft. above tide water, tunnel 65 ft., also a winze sunk 20 ft. The discovery was made in 191 8 by an employee of the Munitions Board logging camp. The main vein is 3 in. to 12 in. wide, occurring in the contact between dark lime shales and igne- xcus rocks. From the point of intersection By the tunnel the vein has been drifted on for 8 ft. northerly and 12 ft. southerly. The main vein is intersected by small veins and stringers, one of which carries high values. On the dump are 60 tons of ore, and Mr. McVittie states there are 1,000 sq. yards of rich gravel on the beach resulting from disintegration of the ore. Assays. Assays by P. W. Thomas give values of $14.40 to $80.40 per ton, with concentrates consisting mainly of black lime, pronounced by him to be very rich in gold. Assays by G. S. Eldridge & Co. show the following gold values:—No. 1, 0.56 oz.; No. 4, trace; No.'5, 0.72 oz.; No. 6, 0.02 oz.; No. 7, 5.64 oz.; No. 8a, 0.08 oz.; No. 8b, trace; No. 9, trace; No. 10, trace; No. 11, 0.36 oz.; No. 14, 4.16 oz.; No. 15, 69.86 oz.; No. 16, 0.38 oz.; sample from 432 lb. quartz, 3.92 oz.; sample from 1 7 lb. showing visible gold, 201.30 oz.; 70 lb. low grade, 0.31 oz. The main vein is traceable for 600 feet. Mr. McVittie estimates 4000 tons in the first 1 35 feet, allowing for a depth of 50 feet, and "probably many thousands of tons undeveloped in the main vein." A sample of 449 lb. ore shipped gave a return of $238 per ton. Mr. McVittie places the average value at $1 00 a ton, which can be mined and treated at a handsome profit. "The very rich zones," he says, "will of course add tremendously to that profit, and I feel quite confident that with a few thousand dollars capital, i.e., $5,000 to $6,000, the property would be a dividend-paying mine with very attractive possibilities." There is very little water in the island. Mr. McVittie places the cost of developing and equipping the mine at $7,350, made up as follows:—Breaker, crusher, tables, retort, $2,500; tools, $3.00; powder and steel, $200; lumber, sash and doors, $300; furnishing cook-house, dining room and bunkhouse, $350; two months' wages and board, $2,700; incidentals, $1,000. He states the rich ore will lun up to thousands of dollars per ton, and that the high values are in the solid, wide portions of the vein. The directors are: Wm. Pepper, president; W. R. Ross, Richardson, Wood, and Boselle of Vancouver. CARIBOO MINERS' ASSOCIATION With the idea of trying to better the mining conditions of the district, the miners of Cariboo have formed an association, with branches in Stanley, Barkerville, Quesnel and Harper's Camp, and a combined membership of over 1 00. A set of resolutions has been drawn up pertaining to the Placer Mines Act. The first resolution calls for the abolishment of the Free Miner's License as a condition of title. It was considered that entirely too much was contingent on this license. As a remedy, the association recommends that a Certificate cf Work be issued by the Gold Commissioner when he has received the rental payment, plus a declaration showing that the requisite assessment work has been done. This Certificate of Work would then be conclusive evidence of the validity of the lease to which it pertains. It is recommended that the rentals for leases shall be made payable on one day, November 30th. Delinquent leases are recommended for tax sale instead of cancellation, giving the owner the right to buy them back up until the date of the sale. This measure would tend to bring more money into the public treasury as well as giving the owner the chance to reclaim if he so desires. As a direct aid to gold mining, it is asked that the present royalty on gold be removed for a period of three years. It is also recommended that all applications for leases shall be published for 30 days in the local paper before being granted. Deeming that the 1920 amendment to the Act, whereby leases are cancelled whose arrears in rental were not consolidated by the first of this year works in favor of the speculator to the detriment of the bona-fide operator, it is asked that a commissioner be appointed to investigate into 201 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD and adjust all unpaid rentals of bona-fide operators and developed placer leases, and that, pending his report, all demands for payment be suspended. So as to more nearly comply with geological conditions, it is recommended that a dredging lease on any river or' creek, navigable or otherwise, should not exceed five miles in length and- to include the river or creek bed and all benches not already leased to the base of the enclosing hills. It is also recommended that the consolidation of dredging leases be not allowed except by order of the Lieutenant- Govemor-in-Council, on petition showing just cause. It is also asked that an investigation be made to provide new laws for dredging areas, not included in the above, and that the views of all interested parties be obtained. OTTAWA BRANCH OF THE ROYAL MINT In a paper on "The Mint and Precious Metals of Canada," read before the Royal Statistical Society, J. Bonar, L.L.D., lately Deputy Master of the Ottawa Mint, said that although the Ottawa Mint was originally expected to do little but turn out small change, it had proved unexpectedly useful during the war. The Bank of England sent South African gold to Ottawa to be turned into fine bars, which were sent to Mr. J. P. Morgan at New York, to pay British debts. Gold from South America and Borneo, worth £72,000,000 at the mint price, was treated in the same way, the dangers of transmission to London being thus avoided. The mint also turned out 1 1,389 dial sights, and 20,- 198 brackets of eye pieces for large guns, and supplied 6,000,000 shilling blanks when the home mint was hard pressed. MINING NEWS ■ A Campbell is stated to be obtaining values of from $1.50 to $4.00 per cu. yd. in ground he is testing at Horsefly. J. Bishopric has discovered a large body of pyrites near Chilliwack. The Clinton Oil Co., Ltd., has let a contract for drilling for oil at Clinton, B. C, where indications of oil are reported in Devonian limestone. The company has also taken up areas at Chilliwack and Liard, in the Mackenzie Basin, with a view to testing them as to the possibilities of oil production. A sample of oil shale from the Liard River has been: tested by the Department of Mines at Ottawa, and reported to contain 3.5 to 4 gall, oil to the--toTf. The Empire Oil and Natural Gas Co., Ltd., of Vancouver, struck oil at a depth of 2,870 ft. in the well it is drilling at Otter, in the Fraser Valley, and was able to obtain good showings of oil for a depth of 60 ft. The Empire and Monarch Oil Companies have amalgamated, with a capitalization of $1,000,000 in $1.00 shares. The Spartan Oil Company has ordered a 6'/2-in. drilling outfit to reduce the size of the bore in the company's well at Burnaby. Oil has been steadily coming into the well and the management belieVes that if the water were shut off the well would make a small production. A remarkable development has taken place in the Coalmont Collieries Co.'s mine at Coalmont, where the coal is found to contain an appreciable amount of amber, estimated at 1%. The amber is of high quality, worth $2.00 per lb. On this estimate it would have a value of $40* per ton. S. E. Oliver, who has done much research work in coal and has a special knowledge- of the amber occurrences with the coal fields of the Baltic, has been retained by the company to do research work with a view to solving:' the problem of saving the amber and at the same time devising a means of placing the coal on the market as a fueL 1 his research work has resulted in valuable oils being obtained and it may be found advisable to establish a byproduct plant for the treatment of coal and extraction of the by-products. The mine is now producing 10,000 tons of coal a month. A seam of gilsonite often associated with southern oil fields, has been found in the well being drilled by the Boundary Bay Oil Co., Ltd., at Boundary Bay. The Kansas City people operating the Bullion Mines at Cariboo have taken steps to raise the necessary capital in Toronto for the operation of the property. The White Lake Collieries Co., Ltd., of Summerland, B. C, has retained Glenville A. Collins, M.E., of Vancouver, to develop the company's coal deposit at White. Lake, Osoyoos. A contract has been let to Boyle Bros., who were drilling at Fairview for the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Co., to put down five, diamond drill holes to a depth to cut all the seams of coal and thoroughly test the measures as to the thickness of the seams. Analyses have been obtained showing this coal to run as high as 78% fixed carbon, so that it appears as if a valuable coalfield may be found to exist here, due to the maturing of the coal by eruptive forces in the vicinity. MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD Wigan Collieries Ltd. (Non-personal Liability) Invites Capital to Develop Its Coal Property The property is situated on the Canadian National Railway, 50 miles north of Kamloops, B. C, in an ideal location for cheap development. Stock at par is paid to the Vendors as purchase price, and the property free from encumbrance beyond small Government charges and office expenses. Three seams are proved on the property, the quality equal to best Vancouver Island coal. Cost of equipment, development and operating, to produce 300 tons of coal per day would not exceed $150,000 and a mine should reach that stage in about one year from commencement of active work. 100,000 shares are now offered for subscription at par ($1.00). Prospectus and full particulars may be obtained at the Company's office, 301, 615 Pender W. Phone Sey. 8691. FRANK R. ADAMS, President JOHN CUNLIFFE, M.E., Sec.-Treas. MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD LIBRARY SERVICE SUPPLIES Copies of Magazine Articles and Reports out of print:— Translations from Foreign Magazines. References to Books and Articles on Particular Subjects. New Articles of Interest to Engineers. RATES: Blueprint Copies of Maps and Plans, $1.00 per sq. ft. Searches and Abstracts $2.50 per hour Translations $5.00 per 100 words Address: 515 BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA BUILDING Vancouver, B. C. MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD BOOK DEPARTMENT Supplies the following books (carriage paid) on MECHANICAL ENGINEERING Machinists' Handbook (Colvin)... $5.00 Applied Mechanics (Jamieson) $1.50 Boiler Construction (Hutton) $5.75 Corrosion and Protection of Metals (Sexton) ....$2.50 Diesel Oil Engine (Wells and Taylor) $3.00 Mechanical Engineer's Handbook $6.00 Mechanical Engineer's Handbook (Marks) ....$8.75 Mechanical Engineer's Pocket Book (Fowler) $1.00 Mechanical Engineer's Pocket Book (Clark) ..$2.00 Gas and Oil Engine Management (Bale) $1.50 Industrial Oil Engineering (Battle) $12.50 Industrial Drawing (Mahan) $4.25 Mechanical Engineer's Pocket Book (Kent) ....$8.75 Mechanical Laboratory Methods (Smallwood) $3.25 Mechanics Applied to Engineering (Goodman) $5.75 Spot and Arc Welding (Horner) $4.00 Steam Engine (Lardner) 75c Address: 315 BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA BUILDING, Vancouver, B. C. Mining Engineer's Handbook By Robert Peele 2375 Pages Index This excellent handbook contains no discussion of abstract theory. Nothing but facts are found within its covers. This is the most complete treatise yet issued on the subject of mining in all its branches. Price $7.50 Mining and Engineering Record, one year $3.00 Both in Combination $10.00 T Address: Book Department Mining and Engineering Record 315 Bank of Nova Scotia Building, Vancouver - B. C. MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD w Wk BOOK DEPARTMENT MIMING AND ENGINEERING RECORD Supplies Books on Assaying, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Coal and Coke, Electrical Engineering, Geology, Iron and Steel, Mechanical Engineering, Metallurgy, Mineralogy, Mining Engineering, Petroleum, Prospecting, Surveying, Technical Writing. Books sent on Approval. Following- is a list of gome of our books at prices carriage paid:— Address: 315 BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA BUILDING, VANCOUVER, B. C. Manual of- Assaying Mitchell's Practical Modern Assaying', Notes on Assayin; Sampling Precious; ASSAYING.. Assayers' Manual, Kerl $ 5.0o Brown 3.75 Assaying- 12.ou Smith 2.00 , JbticKetts 3.2d _. Metals, Smith 7.50 Textbook of Assaying, Beringer 4.00 CHEMISTRY. 'Acetylene, Leeds 3.50 Appnea oouoici chemistry, Bancroft 4.0o Blowpipe in Chemistry, ±i.oss 2V00 Chemisuy, its Masteries, Gibson 2.00 Classen's Analysis by Electrolysis 2.00 Craft's Qualitative Analysis T 2.00 Klementary 'lexiioook Physics, 4 vols 6.00 Elements Chemical Engineering, Grossmann 1.50 Experimental Chemistry, Hansom 1.50 Experimental Organic Chemistry, Norris. 2.00 Presenius, Qualitative Analysis 7.00 Presenius, Quantitative Analysis 7.50 General Chemistry, Cady 4.25 History of Chemistry, Moore 3.25 Inorganic Chemistry, Cady 4.50 Inorganic Chemistry, Oupre 2.00 Inorganic Chemistry, Kolbe 2.00 Elementary Textbook Chemistry, Mixter 2.00 Inorganic Chemistry, Ricketts 1.00 Laboratory Course Electro-Chemistry, Watts 1.7o Laboratory Guide Chemical Analysis, Brine 2.50 Laboratory Outline Chemistry, McCoy 4.50 Notes Electro-Chemistry, Weichmarin 2.50 Organic Chemistry, Norris 3.75 Outline Qualitative Analysis, Miller 2.00 Outline Qualitative Analysis, Sexton 1.5o Outlines Quantitative Analysis'. Sexton 1.25 Pinner's Organic Chemistry ...:..•.-...-. 2.00 Principles Physical Chemistry, Washburn 5.00 Qualitative Analysis, Perkins 1.50 Qualitative Analysis, Scott - 2.7a Qualitative Analysis, Thorpe 2.00 Quantitative Analysis, Foulk 3.00 Quantitative Analysis, Malvin 5.00 Technical Gas and Fuel Analysis, White 4.0o Technical Methods of Analysis, Griffin ....' 7.50 T N. T. and Other Nitro-Toluenes, Smith 2.50 Volumetric Analysis, Schimpf 3.25 CIVIL ENGINEERING. Civil Engineer's Pocket Book, Merriman §.25 Bridges and Viaducts, Campin 1.50 Bridge Construction, Humber, 2 vol | 4J2.T50 Bridge Engineering, Waddell, 2 vol 12.50 Calculus for Engineers, Smith 2.50 Civil Engineering Practice, Taylor 7.50 Concrete Engineer's Handbook, Hoole 7.50 Construction Road?, and Pavements, Agg 5.00 Drawing Instruments, Stephan 1.50 Dredges and Dredging, Prelini 4.00 Dustless Roads, Smith 3.50 Economics of Contracting, Hauer 6.25 Engineering of Today, Corbin. 3.25 Engineer's Field Book, Butts 3.25 Engineer's Field Book, Haskoll : 4.00 Handbook of Cost Data, Gillette 7.50 Hydraulic Power Engineering, Marks —: _ 3.25 Hydraulic Power, Robinson " 8.00 Irrigation, Mawson 3.00 Manual Civil Engineering, Taylor 7.50 Portland Cement, Wesft 4.00 Calculations for Engineers, Larrard 2.00. Engineer's Pocket Book, Hutton 5.50 Railway Engineer's Field Book, Godwin 3.25 Topographical Drawing, Reed , 6.50 Topographical Drawing, Smith i 3.25 Road Making and Maintenance, Aitken ! 6.50 Sewerage Systems, Watson 4.00 Structural Engineer's Handbook. Ketchum 7.50 Engineering Drawing and Design, Wells, 2 vol ...:.. 3.00 Textbook Plain Lettering, Jacoby .: .'...;.;.'. '..'....'...: 4.00 COAL AND COKE. Air Analysis, Cadman 1.75 Air of Mining, Cadman ". 1.75 Calorific Power of Fuels, Poole 4.00 • Coal, Sommermeier '. 3.25' Coal and Coal Mining, Smith 1.25 coal and Coke, Wagner 6.25 Coal and Its Uses, Bone 6.7a Prevention Explosion and Fires, harger 2.5U' Coal Catechism, Nicolls j 2.0U Cpal Gas Residuals, \\ agner 3.25 Coal Mine Surveying, bi.urrick 1.25 Coal Miner's Pocket Book 6.25 Goal Mining, Glover 0.5o Coal Mining, Hughes £5 8.25 Goal Mining, Peel 1-25 Modern Coking Practice, By rom 3.00, Colliery Manager's Handbook, Pamely 8.0ft Colliery Working ana Management, Bulman 6.00 Electrical Practice in Collieries, Burns 2.5U Electricity in Coal Mining, Bnearer 2.0U Elementary Coal Mining, jverr 1.25 Fuel Combustion and Economy, Williams 1.50 Briquetting Coal 13.25 Briquetting- Ores and Metallurgical Products 5.i5 Mine Venjiiaiion, ,Wilson - 1.75 New Ideas in Coal Mining 1.50 Notes lor Mining Students, Merivale 1.50 Practical coal Mining, Cockin 1.50 Romance of Coal. Gibson _ 3.25 'treasures of Coal Tar, Finlay ....". 2.5ft ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING Electrician's Handbook, Croft 5.00. Handbook for Electrical Engineers, Pender 6.25 Dynamo Management, Lummis 4.00 Dynamo, Motor and Switchboard Circuits, Bowker 3.00 Electrical Liction'ary, Sloane 3.0ft Electrical Engineering, Alexander 1.5ft Electrical Engineering, Christie 6.25 Electrical Machinery, Annett 4.00 Electrical 'theory of Universe, Tunzelmann 5.00 Electricity Applied to Mining, Lupton 4.00 Electricity of Today, Gibson „.'.". .' 3.25 Electric Lighting and Heating, Walker .' 3.00 Electric Traction and Transmission, Sheldon 4.08 Hydro-Electric Pov^er, Lydon, 2 vol 4.00 liiagnetism and Electricity, Jamieson 1.50 Elect/rical Rules and Tables, Jamieson 2.75 Testing Dynamos and Motors, Smith 2.00 Electrical Engineering, Gray 5.00 Handbook for Electrical Engineers, Fowle 8.50 Telephones, Radcliffe 1.75 Wireless Telegraphy, Eichorn 2.75 Wireless Telegraphy, Erslcine Murray 4.00 GEOLOGY. Aids in Practical Geology, Cole 3.50 Stone and Clay Products, Ries> 4.00 Determination of Rocks, Jannettaz 2.00 Economic Geology, 'Richardson 3.25 Economic Geology, Ries 5.00 Field Geology, Lahees , 4.50 Geology Applied to Mining, Spurr 2.00 Geology for Engineers, Sorsbie .'. 4.00 Aspects of Economic Geology, Leitih 5.00 Textbook of Geology, Park 5.0ft Geology of Today, Gregory 3.25 Iron Ores, Eckel 5.00 Mineral Deposits, Lindgren 7.50 Handbook of Rocks, Kemp 2.00 Mineral Deposits South America, Miller 6.25 Mineral Wealth and Geology China, Wang 1.50- Mining Geology, Park .....: .' 3.00 Nature of Ore Deposits, Beck .'. 7.50 Open Air Studies in Geology, Cole 1^:.- 3.00 Ore Deposits, Kemp ! 6.25 Ore Deposits, Rickard 1.25 Practical Field Geology, Farrell • 4.00 Economic Geology, Emmons 6.25 Geology Vancouver and Vicinity, Burwash 2.00 Romance of Modern Geology, Grew .;.... 3.25. Rudimentary Geology, Tate 2.00 Stratigraphic Geology and Paleontology, Etheridge 10.75 Ore Deposits for Practical Miner, Wallace 4.50. Textbook of Geology, Pirsson 3.00 IRON AND STEEL. Chemical Analysis of Iron, Blair .......'..i .:..... 6.25 Electric Furnaces for Iron and Steel, Rodenhauser .... 5.00* r Iron Founding, Turner .'. 1.25 ^tamrfacture and Properties of Iron and Steel, Campbell .'. 7.60\ Metallurgy of Iron and Steel, Stoughton 5.00 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD BOOK DEPARTMENT MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD Supplies Books on Assaying, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Coal and Coke, Electrical Engineering, Geology, Iron and ^teel, Mechanical Engineering, Metallurgy, Mineralogy, Mining Engineering, Petroleum, Prospecting, Surveying, Technical Writing, etc. Books sent on approval. Following is list of some of our books, prices carriage paid:— Address: 315 BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA BUILDING, VANCOUVER, B. C. METALLURGY Analysis of Copper, Heath $ 4.00 Analysis Ores and Rare Metals, Poweli 5*" j 6.25 Blast Furnace Calculations, Stevenson 2.00 Blast Furnace Practice, Morgan 75 Chemistry Cyanide Solutions, Clenell 3.25 Metallurgy, Common Metals. Sexton 2.50 copper Refining, Addicks 4.00 Cyanide Handbook, Clenell 7.50 Cyanide Practice, McFarren 4.O0 Cyanide Process, Wilson - 2.00 Cyanide Process, Eissler 2.50 Cyanide Process, Park 4.00 Cyanide Practice, Megraw ; 2.50 Cyaniding, Julian 7.50 Electric Furnace, Stansfield 6.25 Electric Furnaces, Rodenhauser 5.00 Electric Smelting, Borchers 6.50 Electro-magnetic Ore Separation, Gunther 4.00 Electro-Metallurgy, McMillan 4.50 Electro-Metallurgy, Cooper 1 4.50 Electrical Industries, Ashcroft '. 2.50 Flotation Process, Megraw 5.00 Testing for Flotation, Fahrenwald 2.50 General Metallurgy, Hofman 8.75 Hydrometallurgy of Copper, Greenwalt 7.50 Ore Dressing, Allen 4.00 Lead and Copper Smelting, Hixon 4.00 Lead and Zinc in U. S., Ingalls 5.00 Lead Smelting and Refining, Ingalls 4.00 Cyanidation, Hamilton 4.00 Matte Smelting, Lang ...... 2.50 Metallurgical Analysis, McLeod 4.50 Metallurgical Laboratory Notes, Howe 3.25 Metallurgists Handbook, Liddell 6.25 Metallurgy, Lang 4.50 Metallurgy, Roberts-Austin 6.50 Metallurgy of Lead, Eissler 4.50 Metallurgy of Copper, Hofman 7.50 Metallurgy of Gold, Eissler 5.00 "Metallurgy, of Gold, Rose 7.50 - Metallurgy of "Iron, Bauerman 2.00 Metallurgy of Iron, Turner .'. 6.50 Metallurgy ot Lead, Collins 6.50 Metallurgy of Lead, Hofman 8.25 Metallurgy, .Non-Ferrous. Gowland 8.75 Metallurgy of Silver,.Hofman 5.00 Metallurgy of Silver, Collins * 6-50 Metallurgy of Silver, Eissler 4.00 Metallurgy of Steel, Harbord 11-25 Metallurgy of Zinc, Ingalls 8.75 Mill and Cyanide Handbook, Allen 2.50 Modern Copper Smelting, Levy 4.00 Modern Copper Smelting, Peters 6.25 Lead and Copper Smelting, Hixon 4.00 Mill Construction, Ingalls 2.50 Ore Dressing, Richards, 4 vol '»■"" Data for Cyanide, Megraw 2,50 Practical Metallurgy, Turner 100 Cvanide Process, Bosqui &•%> Practice of Copper Smelting, Peters 6-^5 Principles of Copper Smelting, Peters t>.<!5 Pyrite Smelting, Rickard f-fO Metallurgical Analysis, Morgan i-»» Rand Metallurgical Practice i"-<2 Refractories and Furnaces. Havard o-2» Roasting Gold and Silver Ores, Kustel ;- 4.00 Smelter Construction Costs, Jones £-»o Stamp Milling, Del Mar 7X„ Stamp Milling, Cvanidifg. Thomson Jjtw ;Stamp'J Milling, Rickard EJ.BS 3.Z& Text Book of Ore Dressing, Richards _ 650 Ore Dressing. Wiard •»•"« Tube Milling, Del Mar ^ou MINERALOGY. Localities of Minerals, Dana 1.50 Asbestos and Asbestic, Jones »•«» Catalogue of Mliierals, Chester t.'» Crystallography. Walker ...~ f™ Determinative Mineralogy, Brush *•»« Names of Minerals, Chester 3 - *>«" Earthy and Other Minerals, Davies *-»" Elemental Crysfcajl%graphy, Bayley «■£<> 'nPetrologv. Weinschenk *■£" Handbook of Petrology, Foye •'» Handbook of Minerals. Butler - *™ Rock-Forming Minerals, Hussak _ 2.50 Igneous Rocks, Iddings, 2 vol 13.75 Igneous Rocks. Daly ; ......!"""!." 6i25 Igneous Rocks, Finlay [ 3.25 Staidy of Minerals, Rogers 4.50 Lithology, Williams 4,00 Microscopic Determination, Davy 3.25 Petrographic Methods, Johannsen 8^75 Mineralogy, Kraus & Hunt 5.75 Mineralogy and Petrography, Dana 2.50 The Rarer Metals, Wooton 3.75 •Minerals, Dana 2.00 Minerals and Synonyms, Eggleston 3.25 Non-Metalic Minerals, Merrill 4.00 Petrographic Methods, Weinschenk 4.50 Rock Minerals, Iddings 6.25 Rock Minerals, Pirrson 3.00 Microscopical Physiography, Rosenbusch 6.25 System of Mineralogy, Dana _15.75 Determination of Minerals, Krauss 3.25 Determination of Minerals, Fraser 3.25 Textbook of Mineralogy, Dana 4.50 MINING. Accidents in Mines, Sawyer 8.75 Aerial Ropeways, Tayler , : 3.00 Mine Accounting, Charlton 6.25 Use of Explosives, Guttmann 4.50 Business of Mining, Hoskin 1.75 Compressed Air, Simons 2.50 Compressed Air, Penman 2.50 Compressed Air, Richards 2.00 Copper Mines, Lake Superior, Rickard 1.25 Copper Mines of World, Weed 5.00 Cost of Mining, Finlay 7.50 Practical Mining 6.25 Economics of Mining 2.50 Elements of Mining, Young 6.25 Mining and Quarrying, Foster 2.50 Handbook of Mining Details 5.00 Hydr^uljc MiSingi Longridge, 6.50 Hydr'SuHc Miirrng," Van'Wagenen 1.25 Hydraulic Mining, Wilson 4.00 Hydraulic Mining, Bowie 6.25 Lectures on Mining, Callon 37.50 McNeill's Telegraphic Code 16.25 Manual of Mining, Ihlseng 5.00 Mine Accounts and Book-keeping, Lawn 5.50 Mine Book-keeping, McGarrauch 2.50 Mine Drainage. Michell 4.00 Mine Sampling and Valuing, Herzig 2.50 Mineral Surveyor, Lintern .-. i 1.50 Mine Timbering, Saunders 2.50 Miner's Handbook, Milne 3.00 Mine Tracks, McCrytle 2.50 Mining, Lupton - 3.00 Mining and Surveying, Collins 0.75 Mining Telegraph Code, Moreing 6.25 Mining Costs, Skinner & Plate 6.25 Mining Engineer's Handbook, Peele 7.50 Engineer's Report Book, Field 2.00 Mining Law, Alford 2.75 Mining Without Timber, Brinsmade 4.00 Mine Valuation, Burnham '. 4.50 Notes and Formulae, Merrivale 1-25 Ore and Stone Mining, Foster 5.00 Miner's Pocket Book, Powers 3.00 Practical Gold Mining, Lock °-2°, Practical Mining, Murphy 1.50 Shaft Sinking, Donaldson 3.25 Tunneling. Simms ■}■•><> Principles of Mining, Hoover 4.00 Pumping Machinery, Barr /-50 Quartz Operator. Randall ... 2.t>0 Rock Drilling. Dana 5.00 Rock Drills. Weston i 5.00 Romance of Mining, Williams - |jjj> Ore Sampling, Rickard 2:50 Shaft Sinking, Riemer J-j>|{ Mine Accounting, Wallace *-W Standardization of Mining. Mitke j»o Steam Shovel Mining, Marsh 4.&0 Stones for Building, Merrill '- o.ib Stone Quarrying, Greenwell 4-0» Timbering and Mining, Storms 3.5U Tunneling, Dxjfllter a tin Tunneling. Lauchi ?•"" Tunneling, Prelinl 2^" TunneMng, Simms lsuw if MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD The Pacific Great Eastern P: RAILWAY m IS NOW OPEN FOE FREIGHT AND PASSENGER TRAFFIC TO THE QUESNEL AND CARIBOO DISTRICTS The gold fields of the Cariboo District have produced Sixty-five Million Dollars ($65,000,000.00) of placer gold, from an area thirty miles square. The quartz veins from which the placer deposits have been eroded have not yet been worked. The advent of the railway into the heart of the district makes it possible to develop the gold quartz veins because of the great reduction in the cost of transportation. The vast possibilities of the Cariboo Gold District as. a new gold quartz mining field is now presented to the public. The mining laws of the Province of British Columbia are most liberal, and all mining rights of aliens are fully protected. There is abundant timber and water power for the economical working of quartz claims; the district is recognized as one of the finest fishing and big game hunting fields in Canada. For farther information apply to A. B. BUCKWORTH, General Manager, Pacific Gresit Eastern Railway, Vancouver. Books For The Prospector Getting Gold (Johnson) $1.75 Examination of Prospects (Gunther) $3.25 Search for and Determination of Minerals— (McLeod) $2.25 Prospecting for Minerals (Cox) $2.00 Prospector's Field Book and Guide— (Osborn) $2.00 Prospector's Handbook (Anderson) $2.00 Prospecting and Locating Mines (Stretch) $3.25 Prices, Carriage Paid. MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD 315 Bank of Nova Scotia Building, Vancouver, B. C. BOOKS ON PETROLEUM Petroleum Industry, Bacon, 2 vol $15.00 Field Methods, Cox 5.00 Geology & Petroleum, Emmons 7.50 Oil Finding, Cunningham Craig 4.00 Oil Fuel, North 2.00 Mineral Oil Testing, Hicks 1.50 Petroleum Handbook, Andros 2.50 Petroleum Mining & Oil Development, Thompson 5 00 Popular Oil Geology, Ziegler 3.70- Practical Oil Geology, Hagar 4.00 Treatise on Petroleum, Redwood 20.00 PRICES CARRIAGE PAID. Book Department MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 315 Bank of Nova Scotia Building Vancouver - B. C. BOOKS FOiT SURVEYORS Aid to Survey Practice (Jackson) $4.50 Gillespie's Surveying, 2 Vol $5.50 Handbook for Surveyors (Merriman) $2.50 Underground Surveying (Trumbull) $4.00 Mine Surveying (Brough) $2.00 Mine Surveying (Durham) $2.00 Vertical Surveying (Usil) $2.50 ' Surveying (Johnston) $5.25 Surveying (Whitelaw) $4.00 Surveying, Land and Mining (Leston) $2.5fr Surveying Manual (Pence) $3.25 Surveyor's Field Book (Haskoll) $4.00 Surveyor's Guide (Dorr) $2.50 Subterraneous Surveying (Collins) i $1.00 Traverse Tables (Gurden) $6.50 Prices, Carriage Paid* MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD, 315 Bank of Nova Scotia Building, Vancouver, B. C. Equipment of Mines in British Columbia Big Business By advertising in the Mining and Engineering Record 315 Bank of Nova Scotia Building VANCOUVER FREE TEXAS GEOLOGICAL MAP FREE Show in-a-; latest sensational oil field M-K-X-I-A ■ —Data supplied by U. S. Geological Survey and the University of Texas—Printed in five colors —Measures 24x30 inches—Shows and names all ■ oil formations, proven and prospective oil and ^_ gas fields', pipe-lines, refineries, counties, towns, railroads, rivers, mountains, etc.. etc. ■ This Map—Invaluable to Investors, Oil Oper- ■ ators and Brokers—will be mailed you ^_ ABSOLUTELY FREE upon request. Only a limited number of copies """■ available. Write for your copy now, and as-k for ■ any information you desire about any oil company or oil field in which you may be interested. GILBERT JOHNSON & COMPANY For 12 Years Oil Operators and Brokers Suite 624 Waggoner Bldg. Ft. Worth, Tex. The Best Book for Prospectors Prospector's Field Book and Guide Flexible Binding for carrying-in pocket. Published by Henry Carey Baird & Co. Frice " $3.50 By H S. Osborn. Eevised and Enlarged by M. W. Von Bernewitz. i 4% by 7 inches. 425 pages 57 illustrations. LIST OF CHAPTER HEADINGS. I.—Introduction II.—Preparatory Instruction III.—The Blowpipe IV.—Crystallography V.—Surveying VI.—Analysis of Ores VII.—Copper VIII.—Lead, .Zinc and Antimony IX.—Iron X.—Chromium, Manganese, Molybdenum Titanium, Tungsten, Uranium, Vanadium XI.—Tin XII.—Mercury, Bismuth, Nickel, Cobalt, Cadmium XIII.—Aluminum XIV.—Petroleum, Asphalt, Oil Shale, Ozokerite XV.—Various Useful Minerals XVI.—Abrasives, Green stones and Useful Bocks Appendix, Glossary of Terms, Index. Copies supplied on application to: MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD 315 Bank of Scotia Bdg. -Vancouver, B. C. SILVER-LEAD PROSPECT A silver-lead prospect of great promise. Several wide veins. Particulars supplied on addressing "G," c|o MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD, 31 5 Bank of Nova Scotia Building, Vancouver COAL MINE LARGE RESERVE OF BITUMINOUS COAL Well located for Vancouver Market. APPLY "J," C|0 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 315 Bank of Nova Scotia Building, Vancouver, B. C. MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD lu , Hi m •Jsi I'M a The Main Thing for Maintenance HUNDREDS of repair jobs that formerly kept rolling stock idle for weeks, and even months, are now speedily, economically and permanently effected by the oxy-acetylene process. \ And Dominion Oxygen, because of undeviating purity and rapid deliveries, is constantly employed in railroad maintenance as well as in all those industries where time is the vital factor and only the proven product can qualify. Shipped in portable, high-capacity cylinders, equipped with the leakless Wedge Valve, Dominion Oxygen is delivered anywhere and in any required quantity. North, East, South or West—your order forwarded to the nearest of our six centrally located plants and distributing stations means that your oxygen travels by the quickest route. And all orders are filled on the day they are received. DOMINION OXYGEN COMPANY, LIMITED Hamilton Hillcrest Park, Toronto Merritton Montreal Welland Windsor D22 Established 1895 A. HAGGEN, Editor and Publisher Published Semi-Monthly at 315 Bank of Nova Scotia Bdg. Vancouver, B. C. Telephone: Seymour 2889 Subscribers requiring change of address musj notify the office of the publisher in writing. Subscriptions payable in advance: $3.00 per annum, including postage in Canada, and to Great Britain. To United States and other countries, $3.50 per annum, including postage. Advertising Rate Cards supplied on application to publishers. Mining and Engineering Record Copyright Canada Volume XXVI., Nos. 19 & 20 VANCOUVER, B. C, OCTOBER, 1921 Single Copies 25c CONTENTS EDITORIAL Page EDITORIAL NOTES .... 203 EDITORIAL ARTICLES— Storage of Coal 1 206 Necessity for Public Economy and Reduced Taxation 206 DISASTER AT BRITANNIA BEACH 207 *THE DRUM LUMMON MINE ..__ 208 Location of the Mine - 208 Accessibility 208 Area of Property and Title 208 Geology - '210 Mineralisation 212 Non-Metallic Minerals 1 213 Characteristic of Veins 213 Historical 214 Development : 215 Assays 216 Production - 216 Costs ...-. 216 Mining Facilities % ,—-.- 217 *WIGAN COLLIERIES, LTD 218 MINING NOTES 219 ' * Illustrated. A mining engineer, who has been investigating mineral prospects here for outside capital, says:' '' British Columbia presents more opportunities in promising ore resources than can be found elsewhere, for the areas producing silver, lead, copper, and a fair percentage of gold have been ascertained and seem to be illimitable." * * * A correspondent of the Vancouver Daily Province considers the present system of organizing mining and oil companies with a million dollars nominal capitalization in shares selling^ at one to ten. cents accounts for many properties remaining idle after the expenditure of a few thousand dollars. He suggests as a remedy the application of the same principle to such ^companies as to commercial organizations, requiring the capital stock to be paid up in' full to the amount of the nominal share value by calls if necessary, so that companies may be strongly financed to carry out the necessary development and equipment. He says: "Mining must be conducted upon a commercial basis and measured by the standard of plain' business principles." # * * We should like to see the newspaper press realize its responsibility to tell the truth about mining. A Vancouver newspaper recently said: "The Lardeau River is full of gold. . . . Why should private prospectors not get some of this gold?" There is some gold\in the Lardeau River as in many other streams, but mining is difficult on account of high Water in the summer months due to the melting glaciers which feed the river; and the channel is to a large extent filled with huge boulders instead of gold. Some mining has been done by experienced men, and we have seen coarse gold recovered, but not in quantities to get excited about. The man who goes to the Lardeau River expecting to see it "full of gold" will have little faith in what he reads in newspapers. <i 204 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD I » l-fl The United States needs more.citizens like Geo. Ellsperman, U. S. customs officer at Blaine, Wash. He says: "Let everybody work to get rid of this cussed exchange. We who live near the boundary care little for tins adverse exchange against Canada. I have lived on the boundary for the past 28 years and never did believe that the Canadian dollar was not worth 100 cents. There is no reason why Canada,, with all her natural resources, should not have a dollar just as valuable as that of the American coin." He urged Canadians to build their own factories, buy their awn products, and tell the people of the United States they would not trade with them so long as the Canadian dollar is not worth that of American exchange. Now that the litigation over the Engineer Group at Atlin is at an end—at least we hope it is— the development of this, promising prospect may be expected. When the Vanoouver newspapers and some of the Vancouver lawyers talked about the Engineer as "a $3,000,000 mine," they did not know what they were talking about. The Engineer has produced some rich samples of gold, but so have other very.. ordinary mines, and it is in the nature of the mineralization that it should be so. It is a sad commentary on the unscrupulousness of humanity that just as soon as a mining proposition gives some j appearance of value there are people who, without a shadow of reason, will devise ways and means of launching hold-up litigation; and it is not to the credit of the legal profession that it should so often lend itself to the promotion of this kind of thing. * # # P. W. Vickers, head of the British engineering firm whieh bears his name, told the Canadian People some home truths on a recent visit to the Do- in in ion. He said Canada is putting the cart before the horse in endeavoring to build large manufacturing industries instead of developing its agricultural and mineral resources, and is making a great mistake in forcing industries ahead of development of such natural resources. ' President Beatty, of the Canadian Pacific Railway, paid the mining, industry, a great compliment on his recent visit to the province. He said: '' Mining operations in British Columbia are particularly satisfactory considering the condition of the world's metal market. In spite of the low prices, smelting and refining operations are being well maintained at the Trail' Smelter, which is about the only large concern of its kind in the world which has been able to maintain this record." He also referred to the production at Rossland and the Sullivan Mine being trebled by the concentrating plants, the construction of which is proposed at these mines. In R. B. Angus Canada has one of her most valuable citizens. As a director of the Canadian Pacific Railway Mr. Angus is invariably to be found in the annual visit of inspection of the president and directors across the Dominion, in the mining and industrial development of which he takes a keen interest. Age does not impair, nor does time lessen his activities in the great engineering and industrial enterprises with which he has so long been associated. # * # The success with which several new construction projects have recently been financed suggests that the time has now arrived for action on some of the most important of those which have been held up since the war. Public works may now displace charity by affording a field of usefulness for those who are willing to labor. The Hollinger Consolidated Gold Mines, Ltd., of Ontario, is to be congratulated on the manner in which it is developing its big enterprise. With production at 4000 tons a day it is the third largest of the world's gold mines, being only surpassed by the Crown Mines, Ltd., with production of 2,200,000 tons, and the East Rand with a production of 1,560,- 000 tons per annum, both South African companies. The Homestake, of South Dakota, which an American authority classes "as the greatest gold mine in the world," produced 1,192,588 tons for the last year for Avliich statistics are available. * # * The Britannia Mining and Smelting Company, Ltd., has had more than its share of the misfortunes that fall to the lot of the mine operator. With its upper camp and the lives of many of its employees wiped out by an avalanche and rock slide in 1914; its million and a half dollar concentrating mill destroyed by fire in 1920, and its residential section at Britannia Beach wiped out with heavy loss of life this year, the record is certainly one of fatalism. That such a series of disasters should fall to the lot of a company whose management has ever had in view the safety and comfort of its employees is most discouraging, and the management, as well as the relatives of the victims, have the heartfelt sympathy of the public in this. their latest calamity. The one redeeming feature is the wonderful manner in which the whole province of British Columbia 'came to the relief of the victims who survive, some $75,000 being subscribed at the request of the Vancouver Board of Trade towards providing for the sufferers. To the general manager, Mr. E. J. Donohue, and the general superintendent, C. P. Brown- MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD ing, the incident- has been heart-breaking, alleviated only by the spontaneous sympathy shown in every quarter. * # # The closing down of the Cornish tin mines, and the deprivation of 10,000 miners and their families of the means of existence, is one of the tragedies of mining. Cornwall has been the world's greatest mining school. The Phoenicians were the first mining engineers to develop the tin resources of Cornwall and lay the foundations of the world's second greatest industry. The Cornish miner has carried his craft to the ends of the earth to the benefit of humanity and civilization. The Cornish- man has been the corner-stone of every mining camp. Of the finest type of independent manhood, industrious, patient, brave and efficient in his work, as a class the Cornish miner has never had an equal. Even in the adversity which today faces his native place in the southwest corner of England, the Cornish miner returned his payroll to the extent of many thousands of dollars to the operator to furnish the necessary capital in an endeavor to maintain the great industry which has now vanished. No striker for war bonuses; no wage profiteer was he. He only asked to be allowed to follow his hereditary pursuit in the home of the generations of his ancestors and thereby maintain himself and his family. The world's mining camps should be ready and willing to find a place for such men. 205 kets, since the United States has tb.er.eby deprived other nations of their credit basis. American financiers are evidently getting their eyes opened as they now propose to make a gold loan of $500,000,000 to the Bank of England, which is a master authority on international finance, so that institution may use.it to rehabilitate the finances of the manufacturing nations using raw1 materials such as copper. If this scheme matures it will do more than anything else to bring about new activities in the metal manufacturing industries of Europe and create a demand for the metals produced in Canada and the United States. * # # Failing to catch any more suckers on the Mainland, the Vancouver Magnetite Iron and Steel Company has shifted the scene of its activities to Nanaimo, where it seeks the financial support of the municipal authorities. We notice the principal promoter now poses as an authority on iron and steel, but we would suggest that the mayor and aldermen of Nanaimo ascertain the basis for the claim. The information can be obtained from former directors of the Omineca Gold Dredging Company; the Copper Queen Mining Company, the retired directors of the Vancouver Magnetite Company and the late president, Dr. Hall, "of New Westminster. Nanaimo no doubt wants to get in right in any undertaking of this kind. # * * ' The settlement of the international controversy over the use for irrigation and power of the waters of St. Mary and Milk Rivers clears up a controversy of long standing and opens the way for the inauguration of great irrigation engineering projects in Alberta. * * * We have pointed how the gold monopoly of the United States is one of the" main factors in the world depression and inactivity of the metal mar- The Coast Range Steel promotion has ended in a'fizzle, as we stated it would. It now appears that representations made to British financiers as to the financial support and guarantee of bonds by the British Columbia government1 were unwarranted, and some rather indignant correspondence has been received in Vancouver from the intended victims of the misrepresentation. Hon. W. Sloan, Minister of Mines, is largely to blame for the fiasco. When the Coast Range Steel Co., Ltd., failed to pay the fees of the English engineer who came out to investigate the matter, the minister used funds to do so which his department should have expended in assisting prospectors with roads and trails and development of promising prospects. The incident was one of the worst pieces of political graft we have seen, and W. K. Esling, M.P .P. for Rossland, deserved great credit for the part he took in its exposure. British Columbia wants no iron and steel or other industry promoted by men who come to this province as paupers bent on fleecing the provincial treasury or enterprising citizens who wish to help out an industrial promotion which they believe to be for the public benefit. What this country requires in an iron and steel industry is that it should be handled by men who know the business and are prepared to invest their own capital and brains in it. We have had enough of the political grafter and promotion filibusterer. One innings at Victoria should be sufficient. Cyanide manufactured at Niagara Falls is now supplied to the metallurgical plants in British Columbia treating gold and silver ores by cyanide; and the Canadian product has replaced the foreign at the Cobalt plants. An anomaly which the Department of Trade and Commerce should investigate is the charging of British Columbia consumers with American exchange on purchases for a product manufactured in Canada, and carried over Canadian railways. This is about the rankest thing we have seen. American capital is welcome in this ran 206 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD >i Ii ■ ;.!!•!( j country and given a square deal, but those interested must remember that they too have a duty to perform in giving the people of Canada, where they are privileged to operate, a square deal. If they will not do this voluntarily then some means must be found of making them do it. # * * Capt. Manion, of Fort William, urges the development of iron and steel industries in Canada. He points out that this country produces only 6 per cent of the iron consumed, and imports 2,000,000 tons a year from the United States and Newfoundland. # # # J. F. Hutchcroft,' secretary of the East Kootenay branch of the Prospectors' Association, finds fault with, us for ignoring the hematite deposits of East Kootenay in discussing the ore available for an iron and steel plant on the coast, and accuses us of ignorance and a host of other offences. We may say we have had knowledge of the East Kootenay hematite deposits for about 25 years, but that does not alter the fact that they are not available for an iron and steel industry on the coast. If Mr. Hutchcroft ships any ore by rail he probably knows what it costs. It would place the cost of East Kootenay ore out of reach, just as the coast market is not available to Crow's Nest Pass coal for the same reason. We have pointed out repeatedly that the future site for treating these ores and the magnetites of Rossland and East Kootenay- separately or conjointly is at Trail or some other point in Kootenay conveniently located to the sources of ore and coke supply. # # # The City of Nelson is to be congratulated on the liquidation of its pioneer bond issue. Among the mining towns of British Columbia Nelson takes a first place for progressiveness and administrative ability of the men who have from time to time been entrusted with its civic affairs. Geo. Clothier, resident engineer for the Northwestern Mineral Survey District No. 1, considers the Kitsumgallum Lake country affords an attractive field for prospectors. He also considers the size and values in the veins on the Kitsault River will make the district a productive one, especially with transportation by the Dolly Varden Railway. # # # The reported discovery of platinum in appreciable quantities in the copper ore of the Swede Group at Moresby Island revives interest in the possibilities of research work on the copper ores of the coast. The employees of the school board of Seattle set a fine example in these readjustment days by voluntarily offering to fall into line with the general reductions in cost of commodities and labor, and offering to accept a ten per cent cut on their salaries. How does this compare with the strike policy of the teachers in the coast cities of British Columbia? ^ # # STORAGE OF COAL When Mr. Pefley, of the Oregon-Washington Railway and Navigation Co., says no method of storing coal- with safety from spontaneous combustion has been discovered, he overlooks the storage systems of the Duquesne Light Company at Pittsburgh, with its underwater storage system of 150,- 000 tons capacity, and of the Standard Oil Co., at Whiting, Ind., with its underwater system of storing 100,000 tons. With the four tracks running through the pit, and those on each side, the latter equipment can load or unload six trains of twenty 50-ton ears, equivalent to 6000 tons, simultaneously, which should be sufficient to. meet the requirements of any railway company. Such provision can be made in a switch-yard without the acquisition of more land or loss of ground space for switching. Underwater storage is a complete safeguard against spontaneous combustion, and with the exception of the first cost of pit construction, the cost of handling coal by underwater storage is not greater than that of surface storage. Storage of coal is an essential feature of fuel supply, as it can take care of the surplus output of summer against the demands of winter, and thus provide an average market all the year round, enabling the mines to operate full time in summer as well as winter. Short time in summer is one of the main causes of dissatisfaction among miners, and the elimination of this difficulty would go far to make for stable labor conditions. * # * NECESSITY FOR PUBLIC ECONOMY AND REDUCED TAXATION General Currie is credited with the statement that in order to bring about a restoration of normal conditions of business and employment there must be effected great economies in public expenditures and reduction of taxation. He is right. Every form of government, Dominion, Provincial and Municipal has today adopted the roll of highwaymen towards the taxpayers, with the result that not only is there hardship and suffering throughout the land, but the savings of the people have disappeared to such an extent that there is no longer the capital available for opening new mines; for starting new industries; the extension of established industries; and the employment of the people. MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD The Dominion Government has levied under the 207 income tax this year $54,528,841, as compared with $7,481,647 for the corresponding period of last year. In British Columbia the Oliver Government has increased the taxation from $6,000,000 to over $15,000,000. The municipalities tell the same story. It is up to the electors to put an end to this nationally suicidal policy, the effects of which have been so disastrous, by refusing a renewal of their votes to the members of governing bodies responsible for the fleecing of the public by unwarranted increases of taxation, the purpose of which is to maintain an army of parasites on the body politic, and an extravagant scale of public administration such as has never been experienced. In Great Britain the government set up a committee of business men under Sir Eric Geddes to devise means of reducing'taxation by £350,000,000 sterling 'a year; and it is time the Dominion, Provincial and Municipal governments of Canada were told by the taxpayers that a similar policy must be adopted in this country. DISASTER AT BRITANNIA BEACH One of the worst disasters in the history of mining in British Columbia occurred at Britannia Beach on the night of October 28, when flood waters of Britannia I Creek overwhelmed the residential district, with the loss of 36 lives. Twenty others were injured. Eleven bodies have not been recovered. The cause of the disaster is unknown, but there appears to have been a log jam in Britannia "Creek and breach in the railway fill across Britannia Creek at the head of the electric railway, during a period, of the heaviest rainfall ever experienced on the coast. Indeed, men employed by the Britannia Mining and Smelting Co., Ltd., in watching the dams at the head of the creek, reported the rain as falling in sheets, characteristic of a cloudburst. The pressure broke the fill and forced out a log jam, which dammed the creek to a depth of 125 ft. The wall of water, timber and debris swept down on Britannia Beach without warning, engulfing the residential section and its occupants. It need hardly be said that all that human hands could do was done to rescue the injured.and those imprisoned in the wrecked houses and debris. The company's store was at the disposal of the survivors to secure what food and clothing they required. E. J. Donohue, general manager, received the rescued in his own home, and both there and at the hotel everything was done for their immediate comfort. The miners from the upper town to the'number of 50 made their way at the risk of their lives to assist their compatriots at the beach. , On- the initiative of the Vancouver Board of Trade a relief fund was opened. The people of British Columbia responded magnificently, $75,000 being subscribed in a short time in aid of the sufferers by the disaster. E. B. Schley, president of the Howe Sound Company of New York, which is the holding company for Britannia Mining and Smelting Co., Ltd., and W. J. Quigly, vice-presi dent of the latter company, hurried to the scene of the disaster to render any assistance in their power. The Inquest An inquest was held, and with various adjournments the sittings extended over a month. The coroner, Dr. Jeffs, and the jury visited the scene of the disaster. G. S. Hanes, M.P .P. for the district, brought the matter up in the legislature, after a personal examination of the locality, and moved that a professional engineer investigate and report as to the nature of the railway fill, and the responsibility of the company's officials. Col. Ross Napier, of the public works department, had been acting for the Provincial Government, but as the result of the motion of Mr. Hanes, D. O. Lewis, C.E., of the Engineering Corporation of Vancouver, was instructed to make a report for the information of the jury and Attorney-General. At the final session of'the inquest, on November 25, Mr. Hanes gave evidence there should have been no embankment there, but a trestle, whereas the fill acted as a dam with an 8-foot culvert to carry off the excess water, for which purpose it was quite insufficient. He contended the fill was constructed contrary to all engineering principles, and formed a dam in which 14,000,000 gallons of water was impounded till the dam gave way. He could not understand why proper precautions were not taken by the company officials. D. O. Lewis agreed with Mr. Hanes as to the cause of the disaster, but said he would not attach blame to the company. The Verdict The following is the verdict of the jury: . "That W. Lonon and others came to their death on October 29, 1921, at Britannia Beach, B. C. The disaster was caused by what is known as a railway fill or dump giving way, and we, the jury, declare that it was criminal neglect on the part of the Britannia Mining and Smelting Company, Ltd., under the general management of E. J. Donohue and C. P. Browning, general superintendent and m m 208 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD mining engineer for the said company, for deliberately allowing the blocking of a natural mountain stream, known as the Britannia Creek, causing a menace to the persons living at Britannia Beach." Verdict Not According to Fact We may point out that the above verdict is not in accordance with fact. The railway fill referred to was constructed by J. W. D. Moodie in 1913. Mr. Moodie is one of the best railway and mining engineers on the continent, having been for some years on the engineering construction staff of the Canadian Pacific Railway, and subsequently in charge of some of the most important mining and railway engineering work in the United States and Mexico. Mr. Hanes misled the jury when he sweep- ingly condemned the work of an engineer of Mr. Moodie's long experience and recognized ability. It is always easy to be wise after the event. The best testimony to the efficiency of Mr. Moodie's work is the fact that the dams at the head of the creek, built under the most adverse engineering conditions, have successfully met every test that has been applied to them. Mr. Donohue had nothing to do with the construction of the fill and cannot possibly be held responsible for it. -We might as well hold Mr. Hanes responsible for the vagaries he complains of on the part of Hon. John Oliver and Hon. J. W. de B. Farris in the legislature. As for Mr. Browning, he was not superintendent of the company at the time, nor for some years after the work was carried out. THE DRUM LUMMON MINE m P By E. A. Haggen* The Drum Lummon Group of Mineral Claims gives promise of developing into one of the most important gold-copper mines of British Columbia. The ore occurrences are unique. There is nothing exactly similar to them in the economic geology of the mineral industry. The geological and mihera- logical conditions are more nearly related to those of Butte, Mont., the world's greatest copper camp, than to any other known mineral deposits, so that the mine has immense possibilities. In some respects the Drum Lummon Mine is practically a duplicate of a portion of the Butte camp. The ore minerals also bear a similarity to those of Marble Bay Mine, on Texada Island, and to the mineralization of the' Kennecott.Mine, in Alaska. The Marble Bay Mine has been a producer of copper-gold ores for 20 years, and ore shoots have extended to a depth of about 1,600 feet. The Kennecott Mine is one of the leading copper mines of the continent of North America. Location of the Mine The Drum Lummon Mine is located on Drum Lummon Bay, on the north shore of Douglas Channel, inside a prominent landmark known as Paisley Point. The location is in the Skeena mining divi-' sion of British Columbia, of which Prince Rupert is the commercial and administrative centre. Drum Lummon Bay is about 25 miles east of Hartley Bay, which is a port of call for steamers handling the traffic on the route of navigation between Prince Rupert, on the north coast, and the ports of Vancouver and Puget Sound to the south. Prince Rupert is the Pacific terminus of the Canadian National Grand Trunk Pacific Railway. Drum *Editor Mining and Engineering Record. Lummon Bay is about 100 miles southeast of Prince Rupert, and about 450 miles northwest from Vancouver, which is the main supply point for the industrial centres and mining camps located along the coast. Accessibility The steamers of the Union Steamship Company make Hartley Bay a regular port of call, and pass Drum Lummon Bay on their run from Hartley Bay to Kitimat at the head of Douglas Channel. The time occupied by the trip between Vancouver and Hartley Bay is usually two days including ports of call en route; and the trip from Hartley Bay to Drum Lummon mine can be made by launch in about five hours. A tidal lagoon on the north side of Drum Lummon bay causes a strong inflow current with the rise of the tide at the east side of the bay between Paisley Point and the entrance to the lagoon; and with the ebb tide there is a strong outflow current striking towards Paisley Point, so that the best stage of water for entering the eastern side of the bay with small- boats is near high and low water respectively. On the west end of the bay there is a well-sheltered site in deep water for boats, launches, or shipping at all stages of the tide. A float is anchored at the east side of the bay for the landing of passengers and freight; but at high tide boats can be taken up the creek to the site of the old camp. The new camp and portal of the working tunnel are within three-quarters of a mile of the landing, with which they are connected by road. The mine tunnel is at an elevation of about 400 feet above sea level, -so that .the average grade between the mine and the boat landing is about 12 per cent.; and the steepest part of the 1 hi"' 110 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD I It! I Ml i Iii grade between the mine portal and the. mouth ,of the canyon of Copper Creek is about 20 per cent., allowing for the most economical means of transporting ore between the mine and the shipping point. Should it be considered that the west side of the bay is the best point for building a dock for the accommodation, of the mine, the road' can be extended to that site by erection of a bridge over the entrance to the tidal lagoon; or future development might lead to the utilization of the lagoon as a source of power for mine purposes, in which case a dam would be built across the channel, and the road carried across the dam. It is stated that a large river has its outlet in this tidal slough, so that it is a possible source of power which may be taken into consideration in the future plans for power development. For present purposes the transportation of ore and mine supplies can be economically provided for by the construction of a self-acting gravity incline tramway between the mine portal and the bed of the creek below the mouth of the canyon; and a tram or roadway of strong planking between the foot of the incline and the boat landing. As the snowfall is heavy in winter any difficulty on this account may be obviated by the roofing iii of the tramways and roadway, and this work can be carried out at exceptionally low cost on account of the large amount of fine timber available on the ground. Area of Property and Title The Drum Lummon Mine property consists of thirteen mineral claims as shown on the accompanying plan. The claims are named as follows: Bunker, Wharf, Grey Copper, Cuprite, Malachite, Index, Moniaive, Dumfries, Big Thing, I. X. L., Caledonia, Mavis, Drum Lummon, covering an area of about 500 acres. These claims have been surveyed and Crown Granted, so that they are held under the best possible title. The mineral claims included in the property extend from the foreshore of Drum Lummon Bay to the summit of Drum Lummon Mountain, and cover about 4000 feet on the strike of the ore-bodies between the point of outcrop in Copper Creek and the boundary of the property. The present workings are on the I. X. L. claim of the Group. Geology The rocks of the Drum Lummon JVline form part of the western border of the Coast Range Batholith, This Batholith extends from the southern boundary bf British Columbia, following the Pacific coastline, in a llorthwest southeast direction, and coniiiiucs northwesterly into the Yukon Territory and Alaska. It is indented by fiords and inlets similar to Douglas Channel, and constitutes a mountain system rising to elevations of about 9000 feet above sea level. This mountain system has been much affected by glacial erosion, which has planed down the mountain slopes to a depth of several thousand feet. The value of the Coast Batholith as a mining field in British Columbia is attested by the fact that, notwithstanding its limited' prospecting and development, the following well-known mines are included in its area: Britannia, on Howe Sound. Marble Bay, on Texada Island. Surf Inlet, on Princess Royal Island. Hidden Creek, on Observatory Inlet. The Britannia and Hidden Creek Mines are the two largest copper mines in the British Empire. The Surf Inlet Mine is one of the leading gold mines of Canada. The Britannia Mine is operated by the Howe Sound Company, of New York; has been .producing .mine • *^£M$Qr£3bH <*ds waa«u Ck %*3 ^ C? :OLUM8lri tf& )«••> \ \) f2? r~/ m \ ^ \ 4L£ iii^ffiirW« "Ja-^t&jvoJ; IftlWWq & E™fiW>«y»t-w,j Record V. X i LOCALITY MAP 5Wowir\a Location oJ-Qyum Lumrnow about 20,000,000 lbs. copper per annum; and has been paying dividends at the rate of 20 per cent, per annum. The Marble Bay Mine haB been operated for about 20 years by the Tacoma Steel Company,' of Tacoma, Wash,, and has produced ore to the value of about $9,000,000. The Hidden Creek Mine is owned by the Granby Consolidated Mining, Smelting and Power Company, Ltd., of New York. It is producing at the rate of about 30,000,000 lbs. copper per annum. Until the depression in the copper market following the war this company had been paying dividends up to 10 per cent, per annum on a capitalization of $15,000,000. MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD The Surf Inlet Mine is operated by the Belmont Surf Inlet Mines, Ltd., a subsidiary of the.Tonopah- Belmont Development Company Inc. of Philadelphia, Pa., and Tonopah, Nev. It has a production at Surf Inlet of about $1,000,000 of gold per annum, and has been paying dividends of 10 per cent, per annum. ^Ip The copper ores of the Britannia, Marble Bay and Hidden Creek mines have carried appreciable values in gold and silver; while the gold ores of the Surf Inlet Mine also carry values in silver and copper. The Geological Survey of Canada had not made an examination of the geology of the Drum Lummon Mine until the summer of this year, when Dr. Dolmage spent four days on the property. His report and maps will not be available to the public for some months. The country rocks at the Drum Lummon Mine are of the Cascade Crystalline Series of Dawson, and are classed as Paleozoic. They consist of gneisses, granites and micaceous schists: They are much disturbed and contorted, and exhibit high angles of dip. These rocks were invaded by the Coast Range Batholith in Jurassie time, and followed by intrusions of basic dykes. At the Drum Lummon Mine there is an extensive development of pegmatite, resulting in crystals of orthoclase several feet in diameter, bordered by mica and quartz of clear, vitreous type. Intrusions of quartz-diorite, and aplite approaching a micro- pegmatite, are present. These represent outliers of the great Coast Range Batholith, and were probably the source of the copper mineralization. They were followed by andesitic intrusions as dykeSj representing the last stages of vulcanism, and these are no doubt responsible for the later gold mineralization. There is a striking similarity between the economic geology of Butte, Mont., and that at the Drum Lummon Mine in British Columbia. At 211 exactly what happens at the Drum Lummon Mine. The mineralization at Butte is deep-seated. So it is at the Drum Lummon Mine, as demonstrated by the development of pegmatite and sericite. Between the ore bodies now exposed in the bed of Copper Creek at the Drum Lummon Mine and the original surface there has been an erosion of the rock mass to a depth of several thousand feet, the original surface no doubt exceeding in elevation the present summit of Drum Lummon Mountain. This erosion has been accomplished largely by glacial action, followed by the action of ice, snow, avalanches and detrital-bearing waters; and it is due to this intensive erosion that these deep-seated ore-bodies are now exposed, so that the quartz veins and silicified zones associated with the mineralization may here be expected to extend to great depth. At Butte the ore-bodies have been proved to a depth of 3,500 feet. From the foreshore the country rises within a mile to an elevation of about 4,500 feet as represented by Drum Lummon Mountain. This mountain DRUM LUMMON MOUNTAIN, 4,500 FT. is drained by Copper Creek and its tributaries. The creek, which'flows in a north-south course to Drum Lummon Bay, occupies a channel evidently carved out, along a fault plane existing prior to, or resulting from, the intrusion of the aplite and andesitic phases associated with the ore-bodies. In Copper Butte quartz monzonite and aplite were the copper Creek this fault has a throw of about eight feet and mineralizers; at the Drum Lummon Mine the dips about 60 deg. W. Another system of faulting jralizers were quartz diorite and aplite, while has a course of about N. 45 deg. W. There are two series of fissuring with a variation of about 40 deg. * To sum up the geological features,- we have here a deeply formed stock or mass of pegmatite laid bare by erosion, and penetrated by dykes, representing a condition in which aplite, pegmatite and quartz may be expected to grade into one another to form veins and mineralized zones. Three periods of mineralization are represented. First, we have the quartz diorites and aplites providing the mineralization with copper. Then the andesitic intrusions introduced the gold and silver. Andesites are among the world's most important associates of gold and silver deposits, and notably so in northern miner the presence of margerite and andesine is also suggestive of monzonite. At both camps there is an extensive development of sericite as a secondary mineral resulting from alteration of the felspar by uprising thermal waters. There is an invariable association of sericite with the copper ores at Butte and with ore deposits elsewhere.! The writer has observed a notable association of sericite with the deposits of bornite at Highland Valley, B. C. At Butte aplite grades into coarse pegmatite, and in the extreme into glassy quartz.l This is t Kirk, Econ. Geol., Vol. VII., p. 55. i Trans. A. I. M. E., Vol. XLVL, p. 336. 212 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 1 i iv' |: 1 rfljj\' ' Km 1 British Columbia. The third development in miner- COPPER—In copper minerals of high grade the alization was the leaching by meteoric waters, to Drum Lummon mine is the show mine of British which the native copper, atacamite and chalcopy- Columbia. Chaleocite is the principal copper min- rite which feature the ore deposits are no doubt due. This leaching of the upper part of the ore. deposits may be expected to have resulted in a secondary enrichment of the lower ore deposits, forming bonanzas between the present working level and sea level—a vertical depth of 400 feet. The economic geology of the Drum Lummon ore deposits is therefore exceptionally favorable for the development of a valuable mine. Mineralization The Drum Lummon Mine has an unusual range of valuable minerals, of economic importance in reducing the cost of smelting the ore on one hand and on the other providing a source of revenue to an appreciable extent from the gangue which is usually valueless waste. The metallic minerals are gold, silver and copper. The non-metals are ortho- clase or potash felspar and quartz. Ore deposits of this type may also develop other valuable minerals than those now recognized or discovered, and they are favorable for the occurrence in them of valuable rare and gem minerals. Other minerals present in small quantities of no economic value are hematite, 'magnetite and erythrite, and its associate chloanthite. GOLD—Gold occurs free in the form of nuggets, crystals, flakes and particles, often forming beautiful encrustations round the copper minerals. It is most intimately associated with the chaleocite. Gold values run from 0.025 oz. to 2.5 oz. per ton. Sulphides of copper, such as those present in the Drum Lummon Mine, act as a precipitant of gold from heated underground waters, and this reaction no doubt accounts for the remarkable occurrences of free gold in some parts of the Drum Lummon Mine. Free gold occurs at Silver Peak, Nev., and in Brazil, in pegmatite under conditions similar to those at the Drum Lummon Mine. Gold to the value of from 0.18 oz. to 1.006 oz. per ton occurred with the bornite at the Marble Bay Mine on Texada Island. SILVER—The silver present in the Drum Lummon ore is probably in the form of sulphide. Covel- lite is a precipitant of silver as a sulphide, and the presence of the two -minerals accounts for the chemical reaction involved. Conditions are also_ favorable for the occurrence of the metal in its native form. Silver was present with bornite at the Marble Bay Mine, in both the sulphide and metallic forms, to the extent of from 1.80 to 5.73 oz. per ton. Values at Drum Lummon range from 1 oz. -to 66 oz. per ton, the latter values having been obtained from clean covellite. eral, occurring both as primary and secondary in veinlets and shoots up to 4 ft. in width of clean ore. It is the principal mineral of the Kennecott Mine in Alaska, where it averages 50% copper; and is also an important source of copper at Anaconda and other copper camps in the United States. Bornite is next in importance to chaleocite as a copper mineral at Drum Lummon. It, too, is primary and secondary, and occurs intertwined with chaleocite and chalcopyrite, or as streaks and shoots of pure mineral. At the Marble Bay Mine bornite occurred as a primary mineral, yielding copper to the amount of 4.66 to 9.35%'. On the 500 ft. level of FALLS ON COPPER CREEK, ABOVE PORTAL OF TUNNEL, DRUM LUMMON MINE that mine a shoot of bornite was struck which extended to a depth of 600 ft. jj was 220 ft. in length, and attained a width of 45 ft. with an average widt^i of 15 ft. Prof. Kemp* states he found large masses of bornite as a primary mineral in a huge pegmatite dyke at Copper Mountain, B. C, where a mine has since been developed to the point where it is the third largest copper mine in the British Empire. The geological conditions at Copper Mountain are thus, in part similar to those obtaining at the Drum Lummon Mine, and afford much encouragement for the prospects of future development of the Drum Lummon. * Bull. Geol. Soc. Am., Vol. X., p. 372. MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 213 Coyellite is a secondary copper mineral, and is found at Drum Lummon associated with other copper minerals or in separate shoots. A shoot of clean covellite was the first ore struck in the drift at a point within ten feet of the intersection with the crosscut tunnel. The shoot was five feet long by a foot wide, but has not been proved on its downward extension. It carried the follow^g values:— Gold, 0.10 oz.; silver, 66 oz. per ton; copper, 65.8%. Chalcopyrite occurs in limited amounts as a secondary mineral, associated with chaleocite and bornite; and is probably due to the leaching effect of meteoric waters. This is the principal copper mineral of the Britannia and Hidden Creek Mines of British Columbia. Sulphides of copper, and the double sulphides with iron, as chaleocite, bornite, chalcopyrite and covellite are the most important ores of copper and produce the bulk of the world's metal. Subsidiary copper minerals in the Drum Lummon Mine include native copper, tetrahedrite, cuprite,' melaconite and atacamite, but these minerals only occur in small quantities. The copper minerals are derived from the quartz-dioirte and aplite. There is frequently in ore deposits of this type an oxidized zone in the upper part of the mineralized area, but it is doubtful whether such ever existed at the Drum Lummon Mine owing to the great thickness of the originally overlying rocks and the deep-seated nature of the deposit. If such has existed it would be removed .by the extensive glacial erosion which took place here, and this applies to many ore deposits in the glaciated mining areas of North America. Reference' has been made to the geologic similarity between the ore deposits at Butte, Mont., and the Drum Lummon Mine. It is interesting to note that the principal copper minerals at Butte are chaleocite, covellite and chalcopyrite. These, with bornite, are also the principal minerals at Drum Lummon. The mineralizing rocks at Butte contain an average of 0.006% copper, and it has been estimated that three to four cubic miles of such rock eon- tain as much copper as has' been mined in that camp notwithstanding its immense production.* Analyses of the mineralizing rocks at Drum Lummon give the following metallic contents of the mineralizing rocks there:—Gold, trace to 0.005 oz.; silver, trace to 0.35 oz. per ton; copper, trace to 0.10%'. The copper mineralization therefore appears to be richer at Drum Lummon so far as the mineralizing rocks are concerned, so that, given anything approaching similarly favorable conditions for ore deposition, Drum Lummon may be expected to develop bonanza ore deposit's of great extent and economic value. * Trans. A. I. M. E., Vol. XLIX, p. 30. The following shows the comparative value of the mineralization of the ore-bodies at Butte and at Drum Lummon:— Gold—Butte, 0.005 oz. per ton. Drum Lummon, 0.025 to 0.40 oz. per ton. Silver—Butte, 1.0 oz. per ton to 17.7 oz. per ton. Drum Lummon, 0.09 to 2.00 oz. per ton. Copper—Butte, 1.5% to 4%. Drum Lummon, 2.0 to 4%. Non-Metallic Minerals The value of the non-metallic minerals at the Drum Lummon Mine is confined to the orthoclase felspar and quartz. The felspar has been analyzed by J. R. Williams, of Vancouver, and found to contain 10.35% potash and 1.62% soda, both minerals occurring as oxides. An offer of $5.00 per ton f.o.b. at mine landing at Drum Lummon Bay has been made by an industrial firm for the orthoclase, which probably constitutes about a third of the gangue. DRUM LUMMON BAY, DOUGLAS CHANNEL, B. C. The quartz is 95% silica, and therefore valuable as a smelter flux, ensuring reduced rates for smelting of mine shipments, as shown by the offer of a smelting rate of $2.50 per ton; and this rate may be improved upon. The zone of mineralization at Drum Lummon is about 500 ft. wide, according, to the outcrops, but recent discoveries of ore on the outcrops may en- large~the width of the zone. Development Work has proved mineralization continuously for a length of about 400 ft. Outcrops show ore for a fur-ther length of 800 ft. Prospectors inform the writer that, they have found mineralization beyond the northern boundaries of the group, so that the mineralized area is evidently very extensive both in length and width. Characteristics of Veins The dykes and their alterations constitute the, veins, the filling of which consists of masses of quartz bordering and interlacing the-pegmatite, passing from one dyke system to another and forming a mineral zone the extent of which is not yet determined, owing to the dense covering" of timber and brush preventing the thorough surface prospecting of the area. Mineralization is intimately associated with the quartz in the veins and avenues connecting them alorfg former joint planes and zones of shearing. 214 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD Four systems of dykes and veins outcrop in the exposed erosion area of Copper Creek, and all show mineralization. No. 1 vein is 2 ft. wide, with a strike of N. 80 E. mag. and dip of 78 deg. to the north. No. 2 vein is about 40 ft. from No. 1, which it parallels in strike and dip, and is connected with No. 1 by cross-courses. It is about 4 ft. wide. No. 3 vein is 60 ft. from No. 2, and has a parallel strike and dip. It is 8 ft. to 15 ft. wide, and on its outcrop is mineralized in places across its entire width. Avenues connect it with No. 3. ..No. 4 vein is about 100 ft. from No. 3, and has a width of 2 ft. to 3 ft., with avenues connecting therewith. Faults cross the vein system at angles of from N. 5 W. mag. to N. 45 W. mag., the faults, fracture fissures and joint planes affording a ready means of circulation of the mineralizing waters. Lenticular bunches of mineralized quartz appear in the borders of the pegmatite 1200 ft. up the creek. The ore is in shoots up to 4 ft. in width, and fills the fissures WATER POWER, 4 MILES WEST OF DRUM LUMMON MINE in bands, stoekworks and horse-tails. In the latter form it can be mined as a second-class ore of a grade which can be profitably shipped to the smelter for the present, but with the larger development of the mine will probably be eventually milled at the mine and the concentrates shipped to the smelter. Ore of this second-class grade will probably carry values , around 0.40 oz. gold and 2.0 oz. silver per ton, with about 4% copper. From the small mill on the ground a concentrate was made of 1.12 oz. gold and 30 oz. silver per ton, with 62.5% copper, and there was considerable loss in the tailings. From the shoots of clean ore shipments can be made direct to the smelter, and in mining a considerable proportion of this first-class ore can -be sorted out,-the grade being around 1.5 oz. gold, 17 oz. silver and 50% copper. The shoot of covellite found in the main drift ten feet from the intersection with the crosscut tunnel was an instance of what may be expected on the property in the way of occasional strikes of high grade ore, the values in this case amounting to 0.10 oz. gold, 66 oz. silver, and 65% copper. Samples of -it were in much demand for addition to the mineral collections *of mining schools, universities and museums. So far as development has gone<the main drift is continuously in ore till it leaves the vein. At the point of departure there is a face of 17 ft. 10 in, of ore. The individual'ore shoots in the veins have a width of from 4 ft, to 10 ft,, averaging about 8 ft., and the vein system carries ore for a width of from 3 ft. to 70 ft. The average values, along the main drift are estimated at 0.20 oz. gold, 3.2 oz. silver per ton, and 5.26% copper. The southwest crosscut opens into about 3% ft. of ore in what is supposed to be No. 1 vein. Historical The Drum Lummon Mine was discovered in 1907 by W. P. Sloan and James McLennan, who found float in Copper Creek. They followed up the clue to the point of discovery of ore in place in the creek, where the crosscut tunnel is located. They staked and recorded the Drum Lummon and I. X. L. mineral claims. Some open cut work Was done on the showings of ore in the bed of the creek and a tunnel run on the east wall of the canyon on a good showing of ore. In 1916 W. P. Sloan organized the Drum Lummon Copper Mines, Ltd., with a registered capital of $100,000 in 25c shares to provide funds for the further development of the property, and to prospect the veins at depth by means of a crosscut tunnel. A small gas engine and compressor were installed, being taken up to the site of the tunnel through heavy timber and the bed of the creek as there was then no road. In 1917, application having been made to the Provincial Government of British Columbia to provide a road to facilitate the development of the property, the Hon. Minister of Mines instructed J. D. Galloway, then Assistant Provincial Mineralogist, to examine the mine and advise as to whether the expenditure was justified. On Mr. Galloway submitting a favorable report the Government granted the sum of $1000 towards the construction of a road suitable for taking in machinery and supplies to the mine and hauling ore out to the float at Drum Lummon Bay for shipment. By that time the crosscut tunnel had been driven 390 feet, cutting the first vein at a point 365 feet from the portal of the tunnel, and passing through a mineralized zone of about 50 feet in width. The capitalization of the company was increased to $500,000; a 6 in. x 6 in. compressor manufac- MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD tured by the Chicago Pneumatic Tool Co. installed, with a Hardsog stoper and 6 h. p. gasoline engine to supply motive power. Other equipment included a Buffalo blower and 8-in. air pipe line to the face of the crosscut tunnel. The crosscut was extended to its present length and drifting begun on. No. 2 vein, the first ore struck being the shoot of covellite already referred to. Geo. Clothier, Resident Engineer for No. 1 Mineral Survey District, examined the property on behalf of the Mines Department in the fall of that year and reported the drift in 106 feet, passing through an ore-body from 1 foot to 15 feet in width, and an average ore width of 4 feet. At the time of his visit the face of the drift showed a width of 10 feet of concentrating ore which Mr. Clothier estimated would concentrate 10 to 1. w&m SPS^nsS #"g^ •x; kV OUTCROP OF NO. 3 VEIN ON COPPER CREEK, DRUM LUMMON MINE In 1918 the main drift was extended 200 feet; 200 tons broken down for milling and the following additions made to the plant: New air compressor 10 x 10 in. with drills of Jack-hammer type; 25 h. p. semi-Deisel engine to drive the mill; two Gibson mills rated at*a capacity of 18 tons each per day; concentrating table; rock breaker with 10 h. p. Witte gas engine. By the end of the year the company had expended $15,852.13 in equipment. 215 In 1919 the main drift was extended 50 feet making a total distance of 400 feet and a crosscut run 25 feet. The table at the mill was replaced by three jigs and a K. and K. flotation unit added. A new camp was constructed near the portal of the working tunnel. 18 tons of ore and concentrates from the Gibson, mill were shipped. The shipment gave a smelter return of 10 oz. gold and 353 oz. silver per ton and 17,455 lb. copper. The management of the property was subsequently taken over by. the Glenville A. Collins Engineers, Ltd., after an exhaustive examination. As the former company was short of .capital and in financial trouble it was decided to reorganize the operating • company. A new company was registered as the Drum Lummon Mines, Ltd., with a nominal capital of $3,000,000 in $1 shares to take over the property, and the following directorate appointed: Glenville A. Collins, M.E., president and general manager; W. M. Silcock, secretary; N. Thompson, John Broatch, J. F. Mends, all of Vancouver, and Dr. T. B. Turner, of Penticton, directors. The old company was reorganized as the Douglas Channel Mines, Ltd., and retains its interest in the property to the extent of the shares' outstanding at the time of the reorganization, and also two mineral claims; but the shares are pooled for a term to allow of the new company getting the finances in proper shape and proceeding with the business-like equipment and development of the mine. Development Since the new company took over the property the tunnel portal has been extended to a point where it will be free from the slides coming down Copper Creek canyon so as to ensure the safety of the workmen and plant. The new tunnel portal is built and roofed as a snowshed. The machinery has been removed from its former location and will be housed in a new building at the tunnel portal. Camp construction has been completed and the mine workings are being cleaned up and put in shape for extension of development, construction of an incline tramway to handle mine supplies and ore between the camp and working tunnel at the mine and the shipping terminal on Drum Lummon Bay, this terminal being connected with the incline tramway by a heavily planked road roofed in so as to keep the road open during the heavy snowfall in the winter months. The underground work consists of the main crosscut, 440 ft. in length; the main west drift, about 400 ft. in length on No. 2 vein; drift of 20'ft. on No. 1 vein west; crosscuts on both sides, of vein from main drift; No. 1 stope, 40 ft. long, 45 ft. wide and 20 ft. high; raise from No. 1 stope, 100 ft. to within 20 ft. of surface; No. 2 stope, 40 ft. long, 15 to 20 ft. wide, and 15 ft. high; winze 80 ft. from h if 216 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 11 breast of drift, sunk 8 ft. in shoot of chaleocite 4 ft. wide assaying 1.75 oz. gold, 60 oz. silver per ton, 68 per cent copper. New development to be put in hand includes the completion of the raise from No. 1 stope to the surface to improve the ventilation; extension of main drift for 100 ft. on vein at point where present drift was run off vein for a distance of 100 ft.; sinking of winze to a depth of 100 ft. at No. 1 stope, and exploration of ore-bodies by counter level from foot of winze. Assays The following are assays showing the value of the different ores, mill feed, &c.: Description Gold Covellite ! 0.10 Chaleocite Chaleocite Chaleocite _ 1.75 (4 ft. shoot in winze) Chaleocite and bornite.. 0.12 Bornite and Schist 0.20 Shipping ore 1.67 (Granby Smelter) Shipping ore 1.67 Concentrates 1.12 Mill Feed 0.01 to 0.16 General samples 2nd class ore 0.3 General samples west stope _ 0.10 General Section on vein | for 300 ft 0.40 Horsetail veins and gangue 0.08 Tailings from mill 0.05 Mill slimes Trace Silver Copper per ton % 66.0 65.8 45.0 68.7 14.0 24.8 60.0 68.0 58.4 67.00 7.0 10.2 17.7 56.64 17.7 50.64 - 30.4 63.51 1.3 to 3.33 to 3.3 16.96 5.2 0.9 2.0 0.81 6.0 0.20 8.5 2.0 4.0 2.79 13.98 2.1 Production The following are the returns of shipments of 'ore and concentrates to Tacoma Smelter: Date 1919 Mar. 8 Oct. 22 24 Nov. 3 1920 Feb. 4 Nov. 24 192 1 Jan.. 10 ft Q Oft iBft O o ° 3 OS 3 % bi> 2,020 1.33 25.51 56.53 25.27 24.51 151.88 $201.66 13,000 0.68 27.66 62.88 12.92 30.75.209.37 $253.04 1,982 0.42 10.78 27.47 7.98 11.98 98.14 $118.10 1,059 0.40 10.46 24.96 -7.60 11.80 88.72 $108.12 11,998 0.74 28.49 59.59 14.06 35.66 185.07 $234.79 3,826 0.41 9.12 22.36 7.79 11.36 66.86 $ 86.01 10,020 0.37 23.13 55.00 16.53 17.69 93.97 $128.19 4,942 0.87 23.13 55.0 16.53 17.69 102.03 $136.25 Costs There are in the mine at present about 5000 tons of second class ore, which it is estimated will average about as follows: Gold, 0.4 oz.; silver, 2 oz. per ton; copper, 4%. As the smelter has given a rate of $2.50 per ton on this ore it is proposed to ship this and the second class ore mined in process of development without milling or sorting to the Granby Company's smelter at Anyox, where the high siliceous content makes it a valuable flux in smelting the ores of the Hidden Creek Mine. The following figures show the estimated costs of mining, transportation and treatment and the value of the ore on present market quotations: Estimated Expenditure Mining and freight f. o. b. scows at Drum Lummon Bay Landing, per ton $ 4.50 Smelting _- 2.50 Freight to Smelter 0.50 Dock charges 0.50 Costs per ton _ 8.00 Net surplus per ton 9.79 $ 17.79 EAST STOPE, 45 FT. WIDE, DRUM LUMMON MINE MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 217 Estimated Revenue are of the best, as all-water transportation is avail- Gold, less 5% $ 7.60 able practically at the mine portal. There is abun- Silver, at 70c per oz., less 5% 1.33 dance of excellent timber for mine and building Copper, at 13c per lb., less 10% and 3c per lb. construction, and it is proposed to install a port- selling and refining charge 7.20 able sawmill to provide the necessary lumber. Orthoclase feldspar, one-third ton to ton of There is ample water power in the vicinity, either ore mined at $5.00 1.66 from the tidal lagoon at the mine which could be made available for power by a dam which would Total gross revenue per ton _ $ 17.79 have "the additional advantageous effect of doing The clean ore will be sorted and shipped as awa^ with the heavy current across the bay between first-class ore.. When development has progressed hi8h and low water5 b^ "falling a power plant on to a point where a large tonnage is available the a stream known as Power Creek> located within two question of installing a suitable milling plant will miles east of the mine> and capable of developing rfS ti>^. M. ,& FACE OF ORE IN EAST STOPE, 45 FT. WIDE, DRUM LUMMON MINE be taken into consideration. Present plans call for a production of 100 tons a day during the course of development, and this production, on the basis of the net return from the second class ore without taking into consideration the shipments of the high- grade-first-class ore, is estimated^ on the basis of 300 working days a year, to realize a net return of $293,700 per annum, with good prospects for the increase of production from time to time as development work progresses. Mining Facilities The Drum Lummon Mine is well located for economical operation. The transportation facilities MAIN DRIFT, DRUM LUMMON MINE, NEAR FACE. WHITE PORTION IS QUARTZ; DARK PORTION, ORTHOCLASE FELDSPAR, HIGH IN POTASH. 500 h. p.; or by harnessing another large stream with high head six miles west of the mine, where all the power can be developed that is ever likely to be ""required at the mine. No trouble with underground water is experienced or likely to be. Great depth is gained on the ore bodies as drifting is extended along the strike of the vein systems, the elevation of Drum Lummon Mountain giving a foot in depth for" every foot of drift extension. The camp accommodation includes bunk-houses, kitchen and dining room, superintendent's office, stable and blacksmith shop. The camp is located within a few yards of the portal of the mine tunnel, JHD! J'I * ' 218 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD i ■J! ii?. 11 1 and is safe from inundation, rock slides or snow- slides. It is always gratifying to see development of a new mine attended with promising results. Here is one in which the prospects are of the best; and where there is every reason for encouragement that the capital expended on it will be well repaid, with promise for the development of a valuable mine which is likely to proVe an important addition to the operating mines and wealth producers of the province. British Columbia has done, and is doing well for the mineral industry. In 25 years of lode mining it has developed the three largest copper mines in the British Empire-; the two largest smelters in the Empire; the only plant in the world refining five metals by hydro-electric power, and the largest silver-lead-zinc mine in the world. Plans how in hand provide for two of the world's largest concentration plants, and for new mills of a total capacity of 40,000 tons a day. Some of these undertakings are< amongst the' greatest in the mineral industry of North America and they mean much in -store for-the future of mining in this young and as yet undeveloped country. Nature has here been generous with her gifts for those who have the courage and enterprise to avail themselves of the opportunities offered. WIGAN COLLIERIES, LIMITED In 1877 Dr. G. M. Dawson reported on the section of British Columbia between Shuswap Lake and Spence's Bridge for the Canada Geological Survey. Among other raeas exxamined was a section on the North Thompson River where coal occurs. No development was done at that time and the only information available was that afforded by the surface outcrops. Dr. Dawson noted the regular, persistent character of the seams of coal and suggested their exploration by drilling. In 1892 a company was organized in Kamloops to develop the deposits, and mined 500 tons, but there were neither good roads, motor trucks, nor water transportation available. As the coal field is 50 to 55 miles north of Kamloops mining could not be carried out on a basis to supply coal in competition with other points, and operations ceased till 1914, when T. G. Holt had an examination and report made by Alex. Sharp, M.E., who recommended taking up the field, as a valuable source of coal supply, especially in view of the fact that the C. N. R. was being built through the property and would provide a market. In 1918 John Cunliffe, M.E., of Vancouver, who had been drilling for coal in another part of the North Thompson Valley in 1912, became- interested in the field and organized a syndicate to do some further exploration work to ascertain the probable economic value of the coalfield. The old workings were reopened and an examination made by Jas. Ashworth, M.E., who reported the upper seam to have a thickness of 3 ft. 9in., of which 3 ft. 2 in. was clean workable coal, and the balance consisted of two bands of nodulous clay. The roof was. found to be of slate and sandstone, and the floor of slate, presenting favorable working conditions. A seam of cannel coal was found 10 ft. below the upper or No. 1 seam, and subsequently two other seams were discovered, one seam being 250 ft. below No. 2,' and the fourth seam 50 ft. below 'the third. The third seam is 6 ft. 2 in. thick, the section being: Coal 2 ft. Slate band 2 ft. Coal 2 ft. in. ■^^au^taaxJ & Ltd. The thickness of the bottom seam is not known, but clean coal is exposed for 3 ft. On development it was found that Nos. 1 and 2 seams, separated by ten feet of strata at the surface, run together at a MINING AND ENG depth of 150 ft. on the dip, and are now worked as one seam nearly 7 ft thick. Geology The coal occurs in a Tertiary synclinal basin, the limits of which are not known. Dawson estimated the length at five miles or less, but the width has not been ascertained. Coal measures outcrop two miles west of the outcrops. Part of the field is overlaid by basaltic rocks as at Coalmont and White Lake, and the vulcanism has had the effect of maturing the coal and converting it into a bituminous coal of good quality, as will be seen from the analysis. Quality A steam test made on 20 tons on a C. P. R. locomotive running out of Kamloops was favorably reported on by the late R. M. Marpole, when superintendent of the Mountain Division. The following are reports of analysis made by P. W. Thomas, assayer, Vancouver: No. 1 Seam No. 2 Seam Moisture 3.00% 3.30% Fixed Carbon 50.75 43.80 Vol. Comb. Matter 39.60 35.30 Ash jj 6.25 0.85 B. T. U 11,985 10,270 Mr. Thomas adds: "No. 1, a bituminous coal of high quality. Coke firm and coherent. Ash, brown in color. "No. 2, a bituminous coal of good quality. Coke, firm and coherent. Ash, pink in color." A shipment of the coal sent to Vancouver, gave excellent satisfaction as a domestic fuel. INEERING RECORD 219 Transportation and Market The mine is in the best possible position for transportation and market. The Canadian National Railway traverses the property J and it is stated this railway alone can use 100,000 tons of coal supplied at this point. Then the city of Kamloops is a large consumer of coal, so that the property is excep-' tionally well located so far as market and transportation are concerned. Wigan Collieries, Ltd. As the result of their development work the Vancouver syndicate organized the Wigan Collieries, Ltd., to take over and furnish the necessary capital for the development of the property; but an attractive offer being made to purchase it under bond by Seattle parties Vhe offer was accepted and a bond entered into. The bondees were not practical coal operators and failing to carry out their- end of the contract, the Wigan Collieries, Ltd., has re-entered into possession and is now organizing its business to undertake the development and operation of the property. The company has a first- class board of directors in the following: Frank R. Adams, Caulfield, B. C; Geo. S. Pet- tapiece, manager for Geo. Cradock & Sons, Ltd.; J. C. Dill, and John Cunliffe, M.E., all of Vancouver. The Wigan Collieries, Ltd., has a registered capital of $300,000 in $1.00 shares. It appears to have an exceptionally favorable opportunity of developing a valuable coal property and one which ought to make good dividends for its shareholders. It is entitled to the fullest confidence and support. MINING NOTES Officials of the Britannia Mining and Smelting Co., Ltd., had an awful time during the closing days of October. On Oct. 20, two miners, F. Patenaude and L. P. Craig, were entombed by a cave below the 2,300 level, and a shaft had to be sunk to effect their rescue. The work occupied seven days, being pushed continuously ahead in short shifts under the direction of C. P. Browning, General Superintendent, who was on the job night and day except for the intervals at which he was obliged to take a short sleep. The men were without food, except for the luncheons they had with them when the cave occurred. Enough water trickled into their rock prison to supply their needs, and they had ample supply of air. On October 27 the rescuers reached the shaft, and J. and T. Curhow, the miners on the shift, entered the shaft, and descending 200 ft. rescued the. imprisoned men, removing them to a temporary first-aid station established at the 3,100 level for their reception. The men were none the worse for their terrible experience save for the exhaustion from hunger. On the following day, Oct. 28, B. Gorman was killed in the/Victoria tunnel by being run over by an ore car, the fatality being due to carelessness on the part of deceased himself. Then that same night the disaster, referred to in another page, followed, with the terrible strain it involved on both the officials and employees of the company. # * # On the-suggestion of a chemist who believes the Coalm»nt coal contains vanadium as well as amber, research work is being done on the ash to ascertain whether this valuable mineral is also present, and if so, whether it is in economic values. Patronite,'the principal source of vanadium, occurs with carbonaceous deposits in Peru, and as the eruptive rocks surrounding the Coalmont coal deposits may be a possible source of vanadium it is considered possible that the carbon of the coal may have acted as a precipitant of the mineral. 220 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD ii,: "4i: MAGAZINE PRICES REDUCED! NOW IS THE TIME TO PLACE YOUR ORDER FOR NEXT YEAR All the best magazines are offered here—all your favorites, the reading you find most worth-while and most enjoyable. In any of these special priced clubs you get more than the equivalent of $100.00 worth of books, equal to over 50 bound volumes. Up-to-the-minute, timely and inviting. You will not be offered these magazines again at the low rates presented here. 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The advent of the railway into the heart of the district maizes it possible to develop the gold quartz veins because .of the great reduction in the cost of transportation. The vast possibilities of the' Cariboo Gold District as a new gold quartz mining field is now presented to the public. The mining laws of the Province of British Columbia are most liberal, and all mining rights of aliens are fully protected. - There s abundant timber and water power for the economical working of quartz claims; the district is recognized as one of the finest fishing and big game hunting fields in Canada. For further information apply to A. B. BTJCKWORTH, General Manager, Pacific Great Eastefn Railway, Vancouver. 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Geological Survey and the University of Texas—Printed in five colors —Measures 24x30 inches—Shows and names all oil formations, proven and prospective oil and gas fields^ pipe-lines, refineries, counties, towns, railroads, rivers, mountains, etc., etc. This Msu>—Invaluable to Investors, Oil Operators and Brokers—will be mailed you ' vggg ABSOLUTELY FRJEE upon request. Only a limited number of copies "■*" available. Write for your copy now, and as;k for any information you desire about any oil company or oil field in which you may be interested. GILBERT JOHNSON & COMPANY P*or 12 Years Oil Operators and Brokers Suite 624 5'oner Bldg. Ft. Worth, Tex. The Best Book for Prospectors Prospector's Field Book and Guide Flexible Binding for carrying in pocket. By H S. Osborn. Revised and Enlarged by M. W. Von Bernewitz. Published by Henry Carey Baird & Co. Price $3.50 4% by 7 inches. 425 pages 57 illustrations. LIST OF CHAPTER HEADINGS. I.—Introduction II.—Preparatory Instruction III.—The Blowpipe IV.—Crystallography V.—Surveying VI.—Analysis of Ores VII.—Copper VIII.—Lead, Zinc and Antimony IX.—Iron X.—Chromium, Manganese, Molybdenum Titanium, Tungsten, Uranium, Vanadium XI.—Tin XII.—Mercury, Bismuth, Nickel, Cobalt, Cadmium XIII.—Aluminum XIV.—Petroleum, Asphalt, Oil Shale,' Ozokerite XV.—Various Useful Minerals XVI.—Abrasives, Green stones and Useful Rocks Appendix, Glossary of Terms, Index. Copies supplied on application to: MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD 315 Bank of Scotia Bdg. Vancouver, B. C. SILV6R-LEAD PROSPECT A silver-lead prospect of great promise. Several wide veins. Particulars supplied on addressing "G," cio MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD, 315 Bank of Nova Scotia Building, Vancouver , COAL MINE LARGE RESERVE OF BITUMINOUS COAL Well located for Vancouver Market. APPLY "J," C|0 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 315 Bank of Nova Scotia Building, Vancouver, B. C. I I It ' I ii l ii !«:. '5 tm H MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD THE CONSOLIDATED MINING AND SMELTING CO. OF CANADA, LIMITED Offices ! SMELTING and REFINING DEPT. TRAIL, BRITISH COLUMBIA Smelters and Refiners PURCHASERS OF GOLD, SILVER, COPPER AND LEAD ORES PRODUCERS OF GOLD, SILVER, COPPER, BLUESTONE, PIG LEAD AND ZINC. "TADANAC" BRAND THE MINING HANDBOOK BRITISH COLUMBIA, 1922 Edited by E. A. HAGGEN, Editor Minin (.XOTH, i Physical Geography. Economic Geology. Historjr of Development. Coal Mines and Resources. Coke—Beehive and Byproduct Plants. Metal Mining and Resources. Industrial Minerals and Resources. Mining Laws. Geological Survey* Mines Department. Provincial Bureau of Mines. Metallurgical Plants, Operating and Projected. Dividends of Mining Companies. Directory of Mining Companies, Operators, Properties, Finances, Directors, Officers, Purchasing Agents. Directory of Known Prospects Worthy of Investigation by Investors, with Names and Addresses of Owners or Representatives, Development, Character of Ore, Mineralization, Values, Title, References to Reports by Engineers, Geological Survey, Provincial Bureau of Mines, Technical Journals. g & Engineering Record. }o.OO Prospectors and Owners of Prospects are invited to send in for inclusion in above Directory particulars not already listed, so that the Directory of Prospects shall be as complete and accurate as possible. ORDER FORM Mining & Engineering .Record, 315 Bankof Nova Seotia Building, Vancouver, B. C You are hereby authorized to enter the following Order for THE MINING HANDBOOK (BRITISH COLUMBIA), 1922, and enclosed find $5.00 in payment of same. Signature Address Established 18 95 A. HAGGEN, Editor and Publisher Publisfied Semi-Monthly at 315 Bank of Nova Scotia Bdg. Vancouver, B. C. Telephone: Seymour 2889 Subscribers requiring change of address mus»t notify the office of the publisher in writing. Subscriptions payable in advance: $3.00 per annum, including postage in Canada, and to Great Britain. To TJnil-ed States and other countries, $3.50 per annum, including postage. Advertising Rate Cards supplied on application to publishers. Mining and Engineering Record Copyright Canada Volume XXVI., Nos. 21 & 22 VANCOUVER, B. C, NOVEMBER, 1921 Single Copies 25 c CONTENTS EDITORIAL Page EDITORIAL NOTES _ 220 EDITORIAL ARTICLE— THE BRITANNIA INVESTIGATION.. 221 BASELESS CHARGES AGAINST OFFICIALS OF THE BRITANNIA MINING & SMELTING CO., LTD. ...- 225 Being a full report of the proceedings in the Magistrate's Court at Vancouver, before H. O. Alexander, Resident Magistrate, ending in dismissal, with the decision of the Court that there was no evidence to sustain charges of criminal negligence. -THE BRITANNIA DISASTER ...... 226 By E. A. Haggen, Editor Mining & Engineering Record. In this article the writer describes.^ the watershed of Britannia Creek; the dams * erected for the development of hydro-electric power for Britannia Mine and mill; the railway fill to which the disaster was attributed by the Coroner's Jury; history of construction; evidence of D. O. Lewis, C.E.; the cause of the disaster; the exceptional climatic conditions prevailing at the time; the damage generally throughout the country; the conclusions derivable therefrom; and a narrative of the previous disasters experienced at Britannia Beach. OIL AND GAS - 23i> METAL MARKETS 235 BRITANNIA RELIEF FUND 235 COAL AND COKE - 236 THE MINING NEWS 236 *Illustrated. A. H. McQueen, vice-president of the Imperial Oil Co., Ltd., is credited with the statement that the results of the company's development in the Mackenzie Basin have been disappointing. If Mr. McQueen made such a statement it is unwarranted. The Imperial Oil Company, Ltd., has only been prospecting there for two seasons and has barely scratched the country. It usually takes some years to develop an oil field, and until sufficient prospecting has been done to enable a reliable opinion to be formed of the pfospects of that great country no oil man or anyone else is justified in condemning it. What we do know is that geological conditions are favorable, and on that basis the development of the country is justified. tf. !fi !f. F. C. Wade, Agent-General of British Columbia, does that Province no good by telling fairy tales about it. When he says we have magnetite deposits equal to the best Swedish, and 3,000,000 tons of hematite, he makes statements which are as yet unwarranted. We may hope to prove up such deposits or better some day, but there are years of hard work ahead in the shape of exploration and development before we can claim to have iron ore deposits of much economic value." * * * The Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy deserves public support in its demand that the portfolio of Mines should be provided for in the new Dominion Cabinet. The portfolio of Mines was originally established on the representation of Hon. Senator Bostock, at the instance of the Institute, the British Columbia members of which took a prominent part in stirring up public opinion on the matter. The result was the appointment of Hon. Wm. Templeman as Minister of Mines, and Dr. R. W. Brock as Deputy Minister. The mineral industry was never better represented in the Government than in those days. When the Borden Government came into power the portfolio of Mines became a football, and a means of flattering and appeasing the politicians of Quebec. Except for the short time it was held by Hon. Martin Burrell its degradation became complete, and the mineral industry suffered. The one-time splendid organization of the Geo- ll 221 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD Ii>nii .<I Survey wos wrecked; &nd howQver good the ad* n m i r.i i.i i ii >n of 11 if Department up i lie future il will take yenri to recover the ground that has been lost. The mineral industry it ihe second largest industry in Canada, exceeded only by agriculture, and should have an equally important place in (lie administration of the Dominion, v * * The United States Government plans a complete survey of iln' coal industry in view of its national importance. It is time Canada also awoke to its importance. As Charles * -i.iii.mi. of the ( .in.uli.in Collieries (Dunsmuir) Ltd., pointed out in addressing the Vancouver Branch of the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, the coai 11>1111■ i■ -. industry in this country is the one industry that is on the down grade and has been in that position since 1910, Coal and iron are the greatest natural resources or u nation- We have the coal. Let us then utilize that great ■''in <■<• or national wealth to the utmost advantage. It is a public scandal that a national railway like the Grand Trunk Pacific, sind a Provincial railway like the P. G< I'.. should be operated on imported fuel when they are within a few miles of important coalfields, vve complain of the icnous national loss through adverse exchange, and throw t\way on it $150,000,000 a year to the national discredit, when, by using home coal instead of imported fuel oil on the railways; and by developing our own agricultural and manufacturing resources that terrible drain on our trade and commerce could be wiped out in short order and the boot placed on the other foot. * * <# Great Britain has shown the way in the enterprise of marketing coal. Although the industry was but recently in the doldrums through the great strike, such is the enterprise and initiative of the British coal miner that he has already taken away from American producers the coal contracts for the W <•••! Indies and is even filling the bunkers of the Pacific Coast. British Columbia and Alberta should be able to command that business, and Alberta should com* mand the fuel supply of interior Canada as far east as Ontario; while the coal mines of Nova Scotia should be able to meet the demand from there to the Atlantic Coast, \\ ii 11 a live Department of Mines at Ottawa: the opening uf the waterways of central Canada from Alberta to Mani* toba; and the establishment of railway rates to encourage the east'West instead of the north*south haul, the coal in* dustry of Canada could be placed in a position second to none of the world s coal fields, * * ■* Hon. Chas. Stewart is the new Minister of Mines at Ottawa, and he knows nothing about the business. He is Minister of the Interior, the duties of which will com* mand all his attention, and the Department of Mines will be side*tracked as of no accouni Mr, Stewart is a cap* able man and will no doubt make a good Minister of the Interior, but he should insist on being relieved of the De* partment of Mines and assist in obtaining foi it the recog* iiition it deserves in a separate portfolio, under a Minister who knows enough about it to ensure a vigorous and bene* ficial administration. The Department ol Mines was years ago separated from the Department of the Interior because the immense business of that Department prohibited any one man doing justice to it in connection with his other duties; and the sooner the portfolio again has separate recognition the better for the, country and the industry. # * * It does not augur well for the new Liberal cabinet at Ottawa that half the members are lawyers. Canada needs more industrial captains, merchants, and financiers in control of her public affairs and fewer political parasites. * *' v THE BRITANNIA INVESTIGATION Nothing in recent years has aroused so much indignation among mining men as the attitude exhibited towards the Britannia Mining and Smelting Co., Ltd., by certain public officials and departments in connection with the recent disaster. Here was a calamity occurring under unprecedented climatic and meteorological conditions which spread devastation over a large area of country, attended with de* struction of railroads, public works, hydro-electric installations as well as loss to many residents of the country personally. So severe were the losses to individuals that an urgent call went forth from the Vancouver Board of Trade for the subscription of a relict fund of $100,000, to which the Government was a large contributor, and to which i ii/.ens responded generously. i et, in face of the far-reaching nature of the destructive floods from which the country generally suffered we find a Coroner and his Jury, and the Attorney-General's Department of the Provincial Government over-reaching themselves in an effort to personally saddle officials of the Britannia Mining and Smelting Company with criminal lesponsibility for the results in the area in which they conduct one of the most* important mining enterprises in Canada. A more cruel and damnable abuse of institutions established for the administration of justice we have never seen. To show the flimsy pretexts on which the charges were based we publish in detail the proceedings of the Magistrate s t urn t at Vancouver at which these charges were heard, and at which the Attorney-General's Department was unable to present any evidence in support thereof. The mining industry is one of the most important sources of national wealth production and employment of" labor in British Columbia, and ii is in the interest of every company, operator and official connected with it that the fullest and most reliable information on the Britannia incident should be on record, that the public institutions referred to may be judged by the facts. We therefore deem it our duty to devote the necessarv space in this number of the Mining and Engineering Record to a demonstration of the manner in which the Coroner's inquest was conducted; placing before our readers the full text of the proceedings at the Magistrate's Court; and a statement of the facts concerning the capable engineering service employed by the Britannia Mining and Smelting Company, Ltd., in the design and construction MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 222 of its railway and hydro-electric works. We do this en- Then A. McNeil, a lawyer, questioned the right ot tirely on our own initiative and personal responsibility, as Mine Foreman McCulla to see to the safety of the fill, we believe in the interest of the mineral industry of this and was very properly answered by that gentleman when country. District Coroner Jeffs is a man of long experience in the duties of his office, and might be expected to know how to conduct it in a fair and equitable manner. Instead of that we find him grasping at every straw that seemed to indicate the possibility of attaching blame to the officials of the company and in this mischievous attitude giving a lead to members of the jury to do likewise. Witnesses who gave false testimony, whether intentionally or in ignorance, as proved by the evidence of other reliable and responsible witnesses, were encouraged, while evidence of the most valuable character bearing on the sad incident was discouraged and even objected to. The coroner did not even take the trouble to visit the scene of the disaster with the jury. he said: 'I am employed by the company, and anything I can do in the company's interest it would be my duty to do or notify somebody else over me." Ernest Lowe, a miner, who was leaving, said General Supt. Browning had warned them not to cross the fill as it was not safe, and then changed his story to the effect that the warning was given to Henry Jones, shift boss, and conveyed by him to the men. Those whose names were given denied the statement. Mr. Jones, the shift-boss, appeared and denied Lowe's statements, very properly remarking that if Lowe really believed there would be a disaster and his family in danger at the Beach, the least he could do was to go to the telephone and inform them; whereupon the Coroner addressed him: "We don't want any speeches from you." Moreover, the inquest had the appearance of being con- That was certainly not the common courtesy the Coroner ducted as a fishing expedition for parasitic lawyers in search might have extended to those who responded to his invita- of victims rather than as a fair and square attempt to get tion to come forward and give any information in their" at the actual facts and the framing of a verdict in accord- power. ance therewith. The jury consisted mainly of automobile When Jas. Craig, one of the miners, appeared to salesmen and a storekeeper absolutely ignorant of the prob- refute Lowe's statement concerning the warning he attribut- lems of mining development in the rugged mountains of ed to Supt. Browning, Lawyer McNeil had the gall, with the country. Probably none of them ever spent five cents the consent of the Coroner, to say: "Who asked you to in the promotion of legitimate wealth production from natur- come down as a witness here?" The man replied, "Mr. al resources and provision of employment of the people in connection therewith. The following incidents of the inquest will serve to illustrate our contentions: C. B. Wilson stated the culvert releasing the water behind the railway fill was jammed by a log which was allowed to remain there, and that he had remarked to others the fill was unsafe. When pressed as to the names of the men whom he stated saw the condition of the culvert as well as he, and to whom he had stated the fill was unsafe, every one of them denied his statements, and there was the evidence of many witnesses to show they either assisted in clearing the culvert or saw that it was clear and kept clear. When further pressed, this main admitted he was not sure of anything and that though his family was at the Beach and would be in danger if the fill gave way he did not even take the trouble to warn them. Yet so much credence was attached to this witness that he was subsequently twice recalled to emphasize his statements though every other witness on the same' points all. My water is similar to Britannia; my powers similar denied the truth of his evidence. to Britannia, but probably not as extensive. The authority of Supt. Peterson, in charge of transport- And again we have an exhibition of legal snobbery, ation, was questioned by a juryman when he stated he in- when Mr. Deeks supplied valuable information as to the spected the fill daily, the juryman remarking that should weather conditions which had an important bearing on the be the work of an engineer. This juryman had not the inquiry— intelligence to understand that Mr. Peterson, as a man Mr. McNeil: They (the Jury) have been there and with many years mining experience, was quite competent seen the whole thing for themselves, to do that, and he gave that juryman the snub he deserved Witness: They might not know that, when he replied: "Anyone on duty looks after the interests Mr. McNeil: Probably they know more about en- of the company and the welfare of the people." gineering than you do? Browning." Surely if a false statement was made concerning Mr. Browning, that gentleman had a perfect right to prove its falsity. Though such evidence might not be very pleasing to Mr. McNeil, it should have been welcomed by the Coroner and Jury if they wanted to live up to their obligation to get at the facts. J. F. Deeks, though not a professional engineer, is one of the most experienced men in western Canada in hydraulic engineering, having operated large hydraulic plants for the past 20 years in the Yukon and on Howe Sound. When he gave evidence as to climatic conditions Lawyer McNeil said: "I object to this evidence. There must be the foundation that this man is an engineer and in a position to give testimony that is of value to us. The Coroner: Are you an engineer? Witness: No. The Coroner: Well you are not giving expert tertl- mony. Witness: I am giving experienced testimony, that is 223 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD Witness: I don't think they know anything more about The Coroner: That is a fair question at this enquiry, the water in that neighborhood than I do. I know they We want to find out more than the Government do don't. ' about it. The Coroner had invited people to come forward and Witness: Well, during the years up to the present give evidence, but instead of protecting them from insult apparently, from what I have been told, they were not we had the following— anxious and the water was taken care of Mr. McNeil: What makes you so anxious to get that Mr. McNeil: In years gone by? information in? Witness: In years gone by it is a very sweeping thing Mr. Deeks: I am not anxious, only I want to see for me to say triey kave not provided for that when I do ' fairplay. I am not interested one way or another. Mr. McNeil: But you volunteered this information. Mr. Deeks: But I want them to know it. I know this might be overlooked when you have evidence on the other side. And again—The Coroner: This man is not an engineer and he is not giving expert testimony. Mr. Deeks: I have more practical knowledge than a good many engineers. The Coroner: If you insist on giving expert testimony we might ask you some questions you cannot answer. We can assure Dr. Jeffs and Mr. McNeil that, clever as they may think themselves, they would have found, had they tested him, that Mr. Deeks knows more about practical hydraulics than they respectively know about medicine or law, and he was quite competent to give the testimony he offered. It was certainly most improper that a witness, responding to the Coroner's invitation to appear, should have been treated in this insulting manner, just because his evidence did not suit them. On the recommendation of the Legislature, at the instance of Mr. Hanes, M.P.P., that an engineer should be employed by the Government to make an investigation and report, D. O. Lewis, C.E., President of the Association of Professional Engineers, was retained to do the work, and spent some days on his investigation. He appeared at the inquest and submitted a lucid statement on the matters affecting the disaster, but when he came to give particulars of the climatic conditions the Coroner stopped him and said: "I don't think there is any doubt not know that. I have not been there and seen the water taken care of. When the water was above the culvert that morning it was momentarily caused by an obstruction. In the light of past events it would indicate danger, but would any of us think it dangerous if we were on the ground? Mr. McNeil: If you were on the engineering staff would you have built that fill that way? Witness: Well I have told you I have built fills Mr. McNeil: I am not asking you that question. I am asking you would you have built that fill that way? Witness: That is an hypothesis. It is impossible to answer the question by guess-work as to what you will do any time. Mr. McNeil: Please be fair with me. Witness: I am. Mr. McNeil: No, you are not. You are hedging. Witness: I am not. Mr. McNeil: Tell me, if engaged by the Britannia Company as engineer up there, and going to build a fill across there, would you have built it in that way? Witness: I don't know I am sure whether I would or not. As I say, I have built them. Now I would not think of such a thing, would not dream of such a thing, but had I been there when that thing was built, without any association of this tragedy or«disaster in my mind, and having done that thing many times before—I have built a fill over a creek carrying water all the year round and liable to„ fill up without putting in a culvert at the bottom. Mr. McNeil: Would you, then, being their engineer, about the rainfall. Everybody knows that. The Jury be in a position to judge whether you should build that knows that part of it. Was this structure here a menace dam 'n die way it was built or not? to the public? That is what we are enquiring into." And, taking his cue from the Coroner, a Juror, parrotlike, chipped in: "That is not what we are interested in at all." Well, all we can say is that if* such was the view, the Coroner and Jury took it was false to their duty and to the oath to which they had subscribed requiring them to take into account all matters in any way bearing on the disaster. Then we had the farce of Lawyer McNeil striving with all his might and main to have the evidence of Mr* Lewis twisted to sinister purposes, as the following will show— Mr. Lewis had stated: "As a railway engineer I have put in dozens of fills in the manner this was constructed." Mr. McNeil: The question is whether they provided a free acecss to Britannia Creek waters or was it obstructed? Witness: I think I would. Mr. McNeil: How would you have built 'it? Witness: If there were no conditions such as we have had—these awful floods Mr. McNeil: Forget about that. Witness: It all depends on that. If there was only a certain amount of water I would not be at all alarmed by what they did. I would probably follow in their footsteps, but if there was any extremely high water such as I have seen and heard of I would not dream of such a thing. Mr. McNeil: You are evading the question again. Witness: I am not. Mr. McNeil: You are. Witness: I am not. I am certainly not going to state- .1 thing I would do ten years ago on some supposition. And again—Mr. McNeil: But are you prepared, as an engineer, to tell us you would have built the fill that way in 1912? MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 224 Witness: No, I am not prepared to say anything of neither creditable to the Coroner, to the lawyer concerned, the kind. I am not prepared to say what I would or nor to the legal profession, of which he is a member. •i -w vi »» These incidents show how unfavorably the conduct of Mr. McNeil: You did say, Mr. Lewis, that vou ,u„ r - t j i \h m -i j vl *l J *-*. u>, fhe Coroner, Jury and Lawyer McNeil compared with the thought it was the right thing to build it that way. courtesy extended to them by the ofHcm of ^ company> Witness: I say it is very probable, with the experience who did all in their power to supply the fullest information, they had, that I, following along the same lines as an even pr0viding maps and plans for their information. The engineer, might do exactly the same as they did. I am Coroner. himself was obliged to pay a handsome tribute not saying I would or would not. to the manner in which this work was done, remarking Mr. McNeil: If 100 other engineers to the contrary t0 Mr. Browning: "We appreciate the nice manner in notwithstanding? Mm you have given testimoney," and again: "I think on Witness: I don't care what any other engineer would behalf of the Jury we can thank the people up here for say. I am just telling you how I feel about it now. I am their courtesy and the help they have given us in the mat- not influenced by any other engineers or extraneous matter. || We appreciate this, especially in regard to Mr. Brown- The reason the culvert was built in the bottom, there is -;ng) who has given his evidence in such a nice way and considerable material to remove to take it down, and unless explained everything he possibly could. The Company I though it was a menace to life or property I would ques- ;md everybody concerned can accept the gratitude of the tion the excavation of the embankment if they had been Coroner, Jury and Stenographer." able to carry through the water to the ditch and then provide a culvert to carry a larger amount of water. Mr. McNeil: The reason you build fills on the railway is because of sof t "bottoms ? Witness: I never said anything of the kind. We put in rock fills very often to carry the water where there is The Jury no doubt largely based its verdict on the evidence of Mr. Hanes. As the representative of the district in the Legislature it was his duty to look after the interests of his constituents, but when he gave expert evidence as an engineer, and said the "fill had no margin of safety or engineering principle to it at all in any way, no stream of any considerable size and where there is no sriape> or form," he made a statement entirely unwarranted, sedimentation to any great extent, and they stand there and which was a serious reflection on his professional and .are still carrying water—I suppose for the last 20 knowledge. He appeared to allow the opportunism of the years there has been water carried through embankments politician to over-ride every other consideration. Mr. Hanes built that way on the railways without any trouble what- nad neVer been there before the disaster, was entirely uneven If the bottom of the stream is filled with one-man acquainted with the conditions; and his evidence and opm- tlone, that will carry an enormous lot of water. ions were utterly at variance with the teachings of the Mr. McNeil: You know streams like that carry a highest authorities on engineering. Railway fills under simi- lot of rubbish and leaves? lar conditions to those at Britannia are common and suc- Witness: It certainly does. cessful features of such construction and this particulai •Mr. McNeil: And would be liable to fill up? work was designed by an engineer of much wider experience Witness: I thought of that when up there—No. For in the prosecution of important railway and mining con- i' considerable distance above the fill it is comparatively struction work than Mr. Hanes. Mr. Moodie, the de- flat. If the water impounded there at all there would not signer, and the engineer responsible for this work, was a !:a much sedimentation near the dam. It would be more man the latchet of whose shoes Mr. Hanes, as an engineei, in the upper reaches. That is any coarse or fine gravel might figuratively be said to be unworthy to unloose; for would be deposited gradually, and not come down the Mr. Hanes' experience has been almost entirely in municipal embankment. But the water was actually running through engineering, an armchair business as compared with the the embankment. It would carry away anything with it. work of engineers who go out into the rugged mountains Above the fill, in 1 80 ft. it only rises 5 ft.; between the of this country to do battle with nature in the construction next two ontour lines, 3 ft. in 1 15 ft.; then begins to get of roads, railways, hydro-electric installations, and the &teeper 5 ft. in 55 ft; 5 ft. in 60 ft., 5 ft. in 20 ft.; development of mines to make available the natural re- as you get further away then faster. Mr. McNeil: So the report you are going to make is a sort of milk and water Witness: I beg your pardon. The Coroner: We have nothing to do with what he is going to report to the Government. Witness: I don't want to implicate, or blame, or falsely accuse anybody. I want to be fair. From the above it will be seen how the privileges of that the collapse of the fill caused the disaster he stated the Coroner's Court were abused and a lawyer permitted something of which he could not possibly have any knowl- to insult and brow-beat competent witnesses when their edge any more than anybody else. After hearing the evi- evidence did not suit him. The incidents recited were dence the Magistrate came to the only conclusion at which sources of the country and afford profitable employment fortthe people. The best test of the value of the evidence of Mr. Hanes was his admission under cross-examination at the Magistrate's Court, that he had made no measurements or calculations on which to base his statements; and when, in reply to the Magistrate, he had to admit that he knew nothing about it. When Mr. Hanes represented to the Jury 225 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD any well-informed and unprejudiced engineer other than here, all we have to say is that it is a perversion of the c. politician must have arrived when he said in giving his principles which should govern such enquiries and that in decision: "As to what caused the embankment to go out the public interest the work should be placed in the hands there was no evidence, and no human being could say." ■ This is a British country, and the true Britisher above all loves to see fairplay and a square deal. That is why the British Courts of Justice have established a record unsurpassed the world over. If the conduct of the Coroner's kg expected there, and proceedings at the Magistrate's Court concerning this unfortunate calamity is a sample of Court, published in full in these pages, is a forcible illustrative manner in which such inquiries are usually conducted tion. of more competent officials. The writer takes the full responsibility of this statement with a personal knowledge and experience of the duties of the office. As to the Courts, fortunately unfettered justice may ill I li Baseless Charges Against Officials of the Britannia Mining and Smelting Company, Limited At Vancouver, before H. O. Alexander, Resident Magistrate, E. J. Donohue, General Manager, and C. P. Browning, General Superintendent, were charged at the instance of the Attorney-General's Department with criminal negligence in connection with the recent disaster. C. W. Craig prosecuted for the Crown and E. P. Davis appeared for the defence. On the charge being read, Mr. Davis asked under what section of the Criminal Code the charge was laid. Mr. Craig replied that it was under several sections, as 247,252,262. Coroner Jeffs gave evidence as to the inquest and verdict of the Jury. Mr. Craig tendered the evidence at the inquest by Messrs. Donohue and Browning. THE EVIDENCE C. P. Nelson, electrician's helper, stated that about 9:30 on the night of the disaster he heard a crash and an enormous body of water came through the town to a depth of 8 ft., washing away houses and killing and wounding a number of people. Had been at Britannia 9 years. Saw water behind the fill at the 2,200 level but no large body. Watchmen were placed at the bridges on the day of the accident. H. Hawkins, blacksmith, said he was in a house about 400 ft. from the creek when a big volume of water and logs came down carrying houses and all for two blocks. A big bunch of logs was around the house and he got out of a window. He heard screams and took out some children. Fifteen to twenty houses were washed away and the rush of water was over in three minutes. Before the culvert was put in at the railway fill he had seen the water to within 3 feet of the top and lots of logs there. That was three years ago. G. S. Hanes said he was a civil and mining engineer. He had worked two seasons at mining engineering and seven years at city egineering. He visited Britannia Beach, saw several houses destroyed and went to the Tunnel Camp, where he saw the railway fill in Britannia Creek. Would say the giving way of the embankment there, letting loose a large body of water, caused certain people to be killed at Britannia Beach. Britannia Creek was an ordinary mountain stream coming from an elevation of 4000 to 5000 ft. above sea level, with fast-flowing current and a drainage area of four to five square miles above the railway fill. He looked at the high water mark and the distance for which the water was held back and would judge it held back about 4,000,000 cu. ft. of water. In making | fill of that kind over a mountain stream an engineer should make ample provision for the free course of the water. Did not see the structure previous to the accident but heard the evidence as to dumping rock there and considered it bad practice with a stream of that size and drainage watershed. There was no evidence of strength in it and the result of the accumulation of water behind it was that it would become saturated and unstable, give way and suddenly release the water behind it, making it a danger to anybody living on the stream. The company had houses built in the path of the stream. On being released, a body of water 25 to 30 ft. deep went down the creek and would do the damage shown by the accident. In a stream like that an engineer would provide a trestle or put a culvert in the bed of the creek and put his cribbing over that. In this case the driving of a tunnel through the fill and putting in cribbing would be difficult work and the accumulation of water behind the fill would have a tendency to weaken it. A culvert should have been put in the bottom of the fill. There was no evidence of strength in MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD the fill and it was negligence to leave it in that way. It Witness: No. was the first time he had seen a fill like that without provision being made for the water. , Cross-examination by Mr. Davis: Was seven years city engineer, three years at Windsor, Ont., and four years at North Vancouver. There were no railway fills in Windsor, but in North Vancouver there were fills on nearly every graded street. He put in fills on small streams at North Vancouver, to 30 ft. in depth. Crossing 3rd and 2nd streets was a 30-ft. ravine. One fill had a base of 100 ft, with width of 80 ft. at top and was 160 ft long. There were 15 to 18 fills with culverts, the largest culvert 226 Magistrate: There might be trouble further down? Witness: Yes. The Magistrate: There would be a high flow below the fill? Witness: Yes. The Magistrate: Would you say that reasonable provision had been made? Witness: I cannot say. Mr. Craig: In the event of the water rising to within three ft of the top of the fill or over the top The Magistrate: That was before the culvert was being 3 ft. x 4 ft. For anything larger bridges were built, put in. Then they took the ditch out and put the culvert Never previously examined scene of the accident. When in. There is no evidence as to the size of the ditch, he saw it he spent about 15 minutes there. He reached Mr. Craig: What do you say as to maintenance of Britannia Beach about 10:30 and left at 3:30 or 4 p.m. that fill? Mr. Davis: I am informed the boat left Britannia Witness: Extremely bad practice, because if the Beach at 2:30 that day. Will you swear you left later Wftter came up to the top and started to flow over the fill than that? the whole thing would go out. Witness: No. The fill is two to three miles from the V* A* Brister' miner' stated he was at the fiU three Beach. I went up on the skip and electric car, and walked across the creek. All my time was taken up in travelling except the time spent in examination of the fill. On the way up I could see from the tramway, evidence of the damage. I went to the tunnel dump and looked at that for about five minutes. Less than half an hour was spent in all there. I made no measurements, went no higher than the fill and did not examine the dams above. Saw the mark at the tunnel dam where the water went over it, to a depth of 8 ft. I made no calculation as to the number of second feet of water released after the fill went out. I estimated that 4,000,000 cu. ft of water was impounded behind the fill but made no other calculation. I made no calculation of the normal flow of water there during the wet days, and can give no evidence as to the maximum flow. That, could be calculated from the area of the watershed. I do not know the area of the water held «back times on the morning of the 22nd and the water was 8 in. ■higher than the top of the culvert, and had a tendency to eddy round o»tside the culvert, some of the muck sliding down by the water cutting under the fill. To Mr. Davis: McCulla, O'Conner, Borden and another man were working there at some logs, and they had the same facility for observing it that he had. Was not c discharged man. Mr. Davis: Were you not discharged by Mr. Donohue for loafing on the job? Witness: I deny that. Mr. Davis: Well we shall call evidence to prove it. Geo. Peterson, Superintendent of Transportation, was asked by Mr. Craig as to the positions held by Mr. Donohue and Mr. Browning, and replied amid roars of laughter: I don't know that Mr. Donohue does anything. I get my instructions from Mr. Browning. Have been with the com- behind the fill. When the fill became saturated it would Pa^ || V^rs. Have seen the fill daily. In flood condi be liable to move suddenly. It stood for seven or eight years because it was strong enough to do so, but the construction of the culvert would weaken it and with the leakage around the culvert the whole thing would be liable to break away within four or five minutes. I cannot definitely say what was the composition of the fill as I did not examine it closely enough. My idea is that any engineer tions I have seen it full of water. Have seen it full a year ago, at least when the ditch was there. That ditch was about 6 ft. x 6 ft. The ditch was 10 ft. below the top of the fill and the water was within 3 ft. of the top. That was the highest I have seen it. On other occasions I have seen it within 5 ft or 6 ft. of the top. The fill washed out to a depth of 30 ft. and 1 00 ft. in width i i i j i-i. i 1:1 tU„, j;j „«* U^^xAr at the top. The flood occurred at 9:40 p.m. Houses were ho would dump rock into a place like that did not Know f o f , , , , • v/i what he was about. There was something wrong with him. I understand that at the bottom there are large, rough rocks. The fill might have been put in to keep rocks and sticks out of the storage pond below—to keep the intake pipe clear. The Magistrate: An engineer would use his best judgment as to what would carry that water away. Was this culvert, 8 ft. x 8 ft, sufficient to carry off the ordinary run of water? The 6 ft x 6 ft. ditch formerly handled the water. Was this 8 ft. x 8 ft culvert that was put in by Mr. Browning, sufficient to carry off the surplus water? You don't know? truck by water about 2 ft. deep and some washed into the Sound. About 15 buildings were carried away and 36 lives lost. When the flood came the creek was very high. The cause is a matter of opinion. The Magistrate: None of the dam went out? The Witness: No. On the day of the accident 1 crossed the fill at 5:30 p.m. The water was then 12 to 15 ft. below the top of the fill but the flume was practically full at the time. The fill was constructed of large logs 100 ft. long, built in the form of a crib 20 ft. high and filled with waste rock from the mine, the cribbing being held together by cross logs 40 ft. long. The fill was 125 fi I'I 227 to 140 ft. wide at the base and about 60.ft. at the top. To Mr. Davis: No earth was put in the fill. It was all logs and rock. The idea was to have the normal How of the stream taken care of through the cribbing and a ditch was put in to take care of any overflow as in high water. The flow through the ditch was cutting into the bank and endangering the railway grade, and a culvert was put in to replace the ditch. The culvert took care of a great deal more water than the ditch. I never doubted for a moment the safety of the fill, and never heard anybody «lse suggest that it was not safe. I noticed nothing wrong with it. We never had such a rainfall as we had that day. I occupied one of the houses at the Beach myself. Thomas McCulla, Mine Foreman, stated: I have been ten years with the Britannia Mining and Smelting Co., Ltd. and have crossed the fill every day during that time. I was there at 10 a.m. and 1 1 a.m. on the day of the accident. When I first went there the culvert was not handling all the water, which was 6 in. over the top. I helped men to clear away timber blocking it, and then it handled the water allright My house is 75 to 100 ft. from the fill. I was asleep when the accident happened and was awakened by knocking at my door, when *f got a message calling for help at the Beach. I got together what men I could, crossed the fill and saw it had gone out. We went to the Beach and found conditions as they were there. The fill was built before my time, 11 or 12 years ago. The culvert seemed to handle the water on all occasions. I have seen it at the top when we had to put sacks filled with rock and sand to hold the water back, and the ditch carried it away. The ditch to take the overflow was about 5 ft. x 6 ft. I have seen high water once to twice a year, but generally it did not rise more than 3 ft. in the culvert. I have not seen it over 3 ft. deep in the culvert before. Considerable water was held there but considerably more— 1 should say twice as much—was held by the tunnel dam. To Mr- Davis: When the water was high before, it was due to the ditch being blocked. When the ditch was cleared it took all the water. All logs were taken out on the day of the accident. When this was done the water receded 1 5 to 18 in. below the top of the culvert. I saw no signs that day of the fill washing away. I never saw so much rain as then. I was there at 3 p.m. and at 8 p.m. before going to bed I went out to see that everything was allright. I have an electric light on my porch overlooking the fill and could see over there. I saw no logs there. To the Magistrate: When I looked out before going to bed everything appeared normal, and that water was 2 ft lower. B. E. King stated he was watching the. railway track and was speaking to Emnott when he heard the noise and said, "There's a flood coming." I ran one way and he ran the other, he getting into the flood and being drowned. T. Nicholson, night watchman, said he knew the railway fill. He crossed it at 7:30 and saw. the culvert taking all the water, which was not then within 2% ft. of the top of the culvert. Went back there at 8:30. He noticed MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD into the culvert. The water was then at the same height as an hour before. The flume was taking all the water. Was half-way to the townsite when the disaster happened, and he heard the noise of rushing water. Daniel O'Connor, blacksmith, stated at 9 a.m. he found a snag with limbs on it stuck in the flume. The water was then 5 in. to 6 in. over top of culvert. He tried to move it with bars, but that failing, he got a cable and moved it with the motor, taking it out on to the bank. They then put in logs connected with timber dogs and fastened with a hemp rope to stop logs from entering the culvert This was about 11 a.m. To Mr. Davis: There was no log left in the culvert. Had there been we would have pulled it out. I was back and forward there all afternoon and there was no washing away of the fill. I was never afraid of the fill but considered it perfectly safe. I had a daughter living at the Beach. After we took out the logs the water went down 14 to 18 in. James J. Moore, Assistant Superintendent, said: Mr. Browning is my superior officer. I know the fill. 1 was there at 9 a.m. on the morning of the accident and again at 3 and 5:30 p.m. In the morning I noticed the water was high—8 or 10 in. above the top of the culvert O'Connor and his assistants were clearing it At 3 p.m. the water was a foot to 1 8 in. below the top of the culvert. At 5:30 p.m. the water was in the same condition and I considered everything safe and in satisfactory condition. If the culvert had been extended to the bottom of the fill I don't think it would have made any difference. Mr. Craig: I ask you whether, if the culvert had been cut through to the bottom of the creek would it have Deen saier.J Witness: It would probably have been safer, but it was not necessary. Mr. Davis: Did you consider there was anything unsafe about the fill? Witness: No. THE LAW AND THE FACT Mr. Davis asked that the charge be dismissed on the ground that any action taken under Sec. 247 must be & gainst the company and not against individual officers; and that as a matter of law the charge could not stand. In any event there was no evidence on which it could be contended there had been any malicious negligence. The charge was that Donohue and Browning killed Emmott by reason of an unlawful act of omission; that they had in their charge, and under their control, and were the persons who maintained these works and that they did not take reasonable precautions. It must be shown that these two parties were in charge and had control of and maintained the embankment. That was not the case at all. In the case of a corporation the only party who can maintain it is the company. Donohue and Browning were only the servants and agents of the company. The company alone had full control over that embankment It would only be carrying the thing further to say that every person who the booms that had been put in to stop logs from getting worked there was responsible. The company being in full MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD control, Donohue and Browning might have been told to do anything, and it would be grossly unfair that they should be held criminally responsible for something over which they had not full control. The owner might not be an engineer, or one who knew anything about engineering, or 228 The Magistrate: We can eliminate 'maintain.' Mr. Craig: If the company did not appoint somebody it would be guilty of negligence; but they did entrust it to some persons and these are the persons charged. The case was this, the defendants were entrusted with the duty of who would know whether the work was done properly or seeing that conditions generally around the mine were such not, but when you get the owner the law says "we will that no danger would arise. These persons were entrusted make the owner absolutely responsible," and he cannot get by the company to see the fill was safe and if this duty rid of that responsibility even by appointing competent were not fulfilled danger was threatened to the lives of engineers to do his work. The engineer is under the con- people, and he submitted that therefore the conditions de- trol of the owner. If an engineer were told to adopt cer- scribed by the section had been established. In this case tain safeguards and did not do it he would be liable. He these persons were criminally responsible if they failed, and quoted the case against the Wellington Colliery Company were guilty of culpable homicide. Sec. 262 expressly where a bridge on Vancouver Island collapsed for want covered this case. If in consequence of the failure of the of being maintained in proper repair and several lives were person in charge to perform his duty somebody loses his lost. The company was held responsible and fined $5000, and the conviction was sustained. He quoted another case in which it was held that the conviction of an individual official of the company was held to be bad, and that the action should have been taken against the company. Then there must be evidence of a nature sufficient to warrant conviction. There was nothing of that sort here. *Here they had an extraordinary condition of affairs—in 18 days they had a heavier rainfall than in any previous month in the history of the company's records. The rainfall was so heavy that the guage supplied by the Government was incapable of recording it. They had the evidence of any number of witnesses to show that every precaution was taken to maintain the fill in a perfectly safe condition. They had the evidence of Engineer Browning and Assistant Engineer Moore that the fill was properly constructed. Tlhey had the fact that it had stood there for seven or eight years without any suspicion of danger. They knew of the serious damage done at such places as Goquitlam by the exceptional weather conditions. Negligence must be proved and the only evidence suggestive of negligence was that of Hanes. That evidence could not be considered of any consequence when he admitted he was there only 15 to 20 minutes. He did not even take steps to ascertain any of the factors bearing on the situation. He did noi know the area of the watershed. He did not know the amount of water held back behind the fill. In fact he did not know anything about it. Against that they had the evidence of engineers that it was a perfectly well constructed fill, and that there had never been any question of its safety, with the exception of that on the part of Hanes, who admitted he knew nothing about the conditions, Mr. Craig contended the Act stipulated a number ol conditions in which there was responsibility as that of the person in charge, the person in control and the person main- life, then that person was guilty of manslaughter. The Magistrate: Not if he exercises reasonable care and precaution. Mr. Craig: These defendants were personally in charge. If I have not made this out then the whole case falls to the ground. If I have established that these persons were in charge then I have made out a case. The Magistrate: It is for you to. show that there has been negligence. You have not submitted any evidence of that. Mr. Craig: If a person is put in charge of something he knows to be unsafe he cannot shelter himself. He has no right to remain in that position without assuming responsibility. When Browning wanted to make a change he did it and that showed he had full authority. The only serious question for Your Worship to consider is whether the evidence makes out a case of neglect of duty. If the weight of the evidence does not show such neglect - The Magistrate: I could weigh the evidence if evidence were given for the defence, but I have had no evidence in support of the prosecution. We had evidence of the engineer to show that an improvement was made in the embankment, but where is the evidence to show that the embankment was unsafe? Mr. Craig: We have evidence to show there was water as high as the top of the fill—within 5 ft. ot the top—backed up by this fill. The outlet was by a ditch 6 ft. x 6 ft. and subsequently a culvert 8 ft. x 8 ft was put in. It is a matter for a jury to say whether sufficient precautions were taken for the safety of the fill. At the time this thing went out the water was at the top of the culvert. They had reason to know the water was likely to get that high. He submitted the evidence of Hanes was well justified, and it was a question for a jury. Mr. Davis: What evidence have you that Donohue and Browning were in charge of the fill? The prosecution taining something concerning which proper care was not must show that Donohue and Browning were put in charge exercised. If any one of these conditions was proved the of it, and there is no evidence before the court to that effect, case would come within the Act. On the evidence he sub mitted the information was properly drawn as it was the duty of the person entrusted with the maintenance of this fill to see that it was in safe condition. If not, he would be guilty of the most wanton negligence. Mr. Craig: The fact that the culvert was put in by Browning shows that he had authority, and that he made the change with the approval of the officials. Mr. Davis: The burden of proof of neglect is on Mr. Craig, and he has proved nothing. They must show that, 229 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD % and they have failed to show any evidence of criminal neglect There is no evidence to show that reasonable care was not taken in connection with this fill. The Magistrate: The whole question is, did they exercise reasonable care or omit to do so? Mr. Davis: There has not been a single statement as to anything they should have done that they did not do— no evidence of neglect, or omission to watch and protect the fill, or in fact anything to send to a jury. DISMISSAL OF CHARGE The Magistrate took two hours to consider the evidence, and on the Court resuming he said Crown counsel agreed with him that they must dismiss the question of maintenance. It was not necessary to go into the question as to whether the embankment was safe or unsafe. The evidence submitted by the Crown failed to show who was in control. Either Donohue or Browning was in control. Both could not be. In going into the question of neglect it resolved itself into whether they took reasonable care and precaution to prevent this disaster, and whether, for want of such, this disaster was caused. There was no suggestion that this embankment was dangerous. Only once did the water come to the top when there was a ditch 6 ft. x 6 It. to carry off the water. Mr. Browning changed the plan and put an 8 ft. x 8 ft. culvert through the embankment, giving more room for the surplus water. There was some criticism by Mr. Hanes as to the manner in which this culvert was put in. That might be an error of judgment. The matter that I think I should confine myself to is whether the two defendants omitted to do something, or to use reasonable care and precaution to ensure safety. I cannot agree with Crown counsel that if Mr. Browning knew it was unsafe and represented that to the company and they refused to take any action he could only save himself from criminal responsibility by resigning. Mr. Craig: He would be himself guilty of negligence. The Magistrate: You said if he stayed on after that he would be criminally liable. Mr. Craig: He says that the work was quite allright The Magistrate: I find watchmen were placed there. As soon as they saw the water rising, they attended to it and took out a log that was blocking the culvert. After they did that the water started to drop. They added a safeguard in the shape of a triangle to prevent anything entering the culvert There is no doubt the culvert was handling the water at that time. Mr. McCulla's evidence was that the. water had dropped and that when he looked out before he went to bed the water was still at the same place. He had no doubt the water from the embankment caused the disaster. As to what caused the embankment to go out there was no evidence, and no human being could say. It would be easy for him to shirk his responsibility by sending the case for trial, but his duty was to find that a prima facie case was made out. He had to satisfy himself that defendants would probably be convicted on the evidence, but no evidence to justify a conviction had been presented and he was bound to dismiss the charge. There was nothing in the evidence to show that any act or omission thereof on the part of defendants caused this disaster. He therefore dismissed the charge. THE BRITANNIA DISASTER By E. A. Having an intimate knowledge of the topography, construction work, and history of the Britannia Mine, I spent two days on the examination of Britannia Creek with a view to ascertaining, if possible, the cause of the recent disaster which was attended with so much loss of life and destruction of property. Britannia Creek is a mountain stream about seven miles in length with a drainage area of 5.2 square miles. It takes its rise in a marshy basin which collects the drainage of mountains of the Coast Range, east of the head of Howe Sound, rising to an altitude of about 7000 ft With its lakes and sloughs this basin forms the headwaters of Indian River, flowing southeasterly to the North Arm of Burrard Inlet; Seymour Creek, from which the city of Vancouver derives part of its water supply, flowing southerly to Burrard Inlet, which it enters at the Second Narrows; Stawamus River, flowing northwesterly to Howe Sound, and Britannia Creek, flowing westerly to Howe Sound. As it approaches the Beach the valley occupied by Britannia Creek takes the form of what was formerly a * Editor mining & Engineering Record. Haggen glaciated hanging valley. The creek enters into a canyon with walls about 70 ft. deep, and drops over steep falls to the Beach. The average grade of the valley is about 700 ft. to the mile, but the steepest grades are at the upper end lower terminals of the creek, the central portion, extending past the tunnel dam and railway fill, having an average water grade. REINFORCED CONCRETE DAMS Britannia Creek has many tributaries, most of which are small rivulets. The mam tributaries are, in their sequence going up the creek:—Mineral Creek and Jane Creek, confluents from the South, and Marmot Creek from the North. With a view to utilizing the waters of Britannia Creek and its tributaries to the utmost as a source of hydro-electric power, seven dams were built at different elevations along its course. These dams are all of reinforced concrete construction, and no expense was spared in designing them to withstand every test to which they might be likely to be subjected. The accompanying diagrams show the positions of these dams, construction of which was begun in 1914, and MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD completed in 1917. Of these dams only two were built for storage purposes, the others being merely diversion dams to turn the waters of the creek into pipelines supplying the electric power for the generators and water for the concentrating mill. The dams in order are according to elevation: 230 with "one-man" stones to 150 lb. in weight; allowing sufficient space for the ordinary flow of the stream to pass between the stones at the bottom of the fill, and at the same time preventing sticks and other rubbish from passing through into the intake diversion dam 500 ft. below, and so maintaining the intake clear of obstruction. The base Britannia Creek: 745 ft, diversion dam, height 30 of the fill is 143 ft. wide, and the top 43 ft. The upper part of the fill consists of "spoil" from the excavation of the main level and raise. The top of the fill is about 55 ft. above the bottom of the creek. ft, cost, $26,278.06. Capacity, 400,000 cu. ft. Britannia Creek: 800 ft, diversion dam, 50 ft. high by 205 ft. long, costing $39,226.51. Capacity, 418,000 cu. ft. Mineral Creek: Diversion dam, 50 ft. high by 85 ft. long. Britannia Creek: 1922 ft, diversion dam, known as Tunnel dam, 30 ft high by 210 ft. long, cost $16,71 7.18. Capacity, 2,000,000 cu. ft. Jane Creek: Diversion dam, elevation 2,970 tt. BRITANNIA BEACH, B. C, SHOWING OUTLET OF BRITANNIA CREEK INTO HOWE SOUND Britannia Creek: 2,922 ft, Park Lane dam, 40 ft. high and 510 ft. long, with a storage capacity of 24,000,- 000 cu. ft The cost was $46,839.29. As a supplementary feeder to the Park Lane reservoir, Mountain "Lake is tapped by a tunnel 770 ft. in length, the dimensions of the tunnel being 4Yl ft- by 5Yl ft- By the construction of substantial concrete dams the level of this lake was raised 25 ft, impounding 23,350,000 cu. ft. of water. The cost of these works was about $32,000. This dam supplies the water for the Tunnel Power House. Marmot Creek: Elevation 2,922 ft. Britannia Creek: Utopia storage dam, elevation 4,130 ft, 40 ft high and 480 ft. long, with wing dam on north side, 340 ft. long and 18 ft. high. Cost,' $71,- 054.71. Capacity, 35,000,000 cu. ft The Utopia dam is 2|/2 miles beyond the Park Lane dam. THE RAILWAY The electric railway connects the 2,200 ft. or main working level with the upper terminal of the aerial tramway, the head of the incline railway, and the top of the ore shoot connecting the 2,700 ft. level with 4,100 ft. On the north bank of the creek a ditch 6 ft. wide, 6 ft. deep and about 100 ft. long was originally put in to take the surplus in times of high water, but the water seldom accumulated sufficiently to pass through the ditch. About a year ago the current from the overflow through this ditch was found to be undermining the railway track on the north side of the creek, and Superintendent Browning substituted a culvert 8 ft. by 8 ft. The bottom of the culvert was 20 ft. below the top of the fill and at an elevation of about 30 ft. above the top of the tunnel dam. The culvert was well and strongly constructed with 2 in. lagging on the outside and a lining of 2 by 12 in., making a smooth surface inside the culvert. The discharge of the former ditch, when running full, was about 720 sec. ft, whereas the discharge of the culvert put in to replace the ditch was about 3,600 sec. ft, or five times greater than that of the former provision for the excess flow. For ten to eleven years the former ditch had made provision for the excess flow in flood time without any suggestion of mishap, and only once in all that time had the flooded condition of the stream raised the water to the top of the fill. On October 28, the date of the disaster, the water had risen to a height of about 6 in. over the top of the culvert owifig to a log floating into the culvert and becoming jammed there. As soon as this was observed workmen were told off to clear the culvert, remove the log to the top of the bank, and they put in a triangular boom of large logs, fastened with timber dogs to prevent any logs or brush entering the culvert. As soon as this was done the water behind the fill dropped to a level of 15 to 18 in. below the top of the culvert, on which watch was kept by mine officials during the day, and at night by the night watchman. The mine foreman, Thos. McCulla, looked over the fill before he went to bed on the night ot the disaster and everything was all right. The night watchman saw it at 8:30 p.m. when the flume was easily taking all theT water, the surface of which was about 2 Yl ft. below the top of the culvert according to his statements. I he fill was continuously under the inspection of General Superintendent Browning, Assistant Superintendent Moore, Superintendent of Transportation Peterson, and Mine Foreman McCulla, all experienced, capable and reliable officials of the company. These men were all satisfied as to its stability and safety. The high water mark shown on the dam was 3 ft. above level. This railway crosses Britannia Creek on the usual type of railway fill. This fill is constructed with substan- the top of the culvert, but whether that was the height tial cribbing to a height of 20 ft, filled in at the bottom reached earlier in the day or that night before the disaster ii m 231 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD is not known. At all events that mark showed that at no copper ores in the Empire. He made the Britannia Mine; time was there a depth of more than 46 ft. of water behind and as if a providence had prepared the task and entrusted the fill, and that would not represent a pressure against him to carry it out, he had it in productive condition just the fill of more than 20 lbs. to the sq. in., so that the when the nation needed it as the war broke out. From static pressure was within ample margin of safety, and less then every pound of copper produced at Britannia was at by between 7 and 8 lbs. than had previously been experi- the disposal of the British. Government for munitions of enced with perfect safety to the fill. war, and Britannia contributed little short of 100,000,001) The amount of water behind the fill at the high water lbs. of copper to that great national service. mark shown was about 3,000,000 cu. ft.; and the storage Xhe writer knew Mr. Moodie well; went over the capacity of the Tunnel dam was about 2,000,000 cu. ft. works with him personally when under construction; saw THE WORK DESIGNED AND CONSTRUCTED BY A GREAT an(J admired the splendid efficiency with which his plans ENGINEER * were conceived and carried out; and noted his heartfelt The design and construction of these works were car- desire to secure the welfare and safety of every employee ried out by J. W. D. Moodie, who had had something 0f the company. Where safety was a consideration, ex- like 40 years of railway and mining engineering experience pense was not spared. in Canada, the United States and Mexico. He was on D q Lew;s> Mm who was retained by the Attorney the engineering staff of the C. P. R. in the location and construction of the system in Ontario. He subsequently General's Department to investigate the recent disaster for the information of the Government, paid Mr. Moodie this tribute in his testimony before the coroner: "Mr. Moodie, the former manager, is an engineer. I am sure, and possibly they were satisfied, they could carry all the water by building an embankment, with a bottom of one man stone just as I have described. It does not seem reasonable that men who were in charge of a mining property like that— and a clever man as I understand Mr. Moodie was, a very clever man—would have taken any chances at all. He must have been convinced, I would think, that he was not taking any chances, because they spent a large amount cf money. The dams they built are beautifully constructed dams, very stable. In fact it shows that the water that has gone over the Tunnel dam, subjected to the stress it was subjected to, it does not show any sign of failure in any thape." All the dams are intact with the exception of the two bottom ones, at the 800 and 700 ft. levels respectively. At the 800 ft. dam there was evidence of immense force, half of the structure being demolished; while at the 700 ft. dam the damage was confined to the tearing out of the structure for 8 ft. on one side. This is where the first real evidence of the force of the accompanying disaster if seen, and it is two miles below the railway fill. D. O. carried out important engineering undertakings in the United Lewis, C.E., thus describes the effect here: "I saw evi- States arid Mexico. These works all proved of such a dence of the irresistible force exerted by the flood, gravel satisfactory, efficient and stable character that he earned and timber being scoured and torn away from the banks the absolute confidence of the late G. B. Schley, of New and even large boulders in the creek bed, some measuring York, in whose service he had spent a number of year*. 20 cu. yds. being moved downstream; the bed of the creek Mr. Schley was one of the shrewdest investors in mines above the site of No. 8 dam being absolutely filled up and public utilities in the United States and Mexico, and with boulders. The propulsion of these boulders complete- he had become interested in the Britannia Mine, on Howe ly demolished No. 8 dam, the part left being polished Sound. To protect his interest he had to personally under- smooth by the passage of stone. One large boulder resting take the development and equipment of that mine, and on the dam, which was photographed, was of 30 cu. yds. financed the operation through the Howe Sound Company. capacity. The storage basin between No. 8 and No. 7 On entering into this work in British Columbia he placed dam, which had a capacity of 325,000 cu. ft, had been Mr. Moodie in charge of the work, and with such success filled with boulders. A large amount of timber jumped that, in the brief space of three years, he had developed over the basin below No. 7 dam and was carried by the the Britannia to the position of the largest copper mine in impetus of the flood up in the bush for a distance of 1 50 the British Empire; equipped it with electric and incline ft, the water surging over a point in the canyon with a railways, and erected the largest concentrating mill for drop of 120 ft, where the creek bed turned to the right. **"^ Rstf^1 mm pp^ bE"| .-.I^e ?s$lsJE^*m l^i^'s^^s^^M:UJtik ^M^W^I JIP1 mm. mwii& %^mmMf' J^pPiM j3e WmMfz^.&iL N^S^^BSB^db lraP ffyfttijg k&'^iK:;^P -ft "■*"' ^^8p?S^P^^^S?mS ^IPtfS^ pBBli SMKS a-, lis B^St^^P^S^ ***^^.^,r%*^*5"»$ai*Ifr*% M^^^mSSSFv&zW ^"*iT <fZ&K9sr<irZWJr iter 11111 FALLS AND CANYON ON BRITANNIA CREEK AT HOWE SOUND MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 232 "The timber which was no doubt above the crest of the dam (No. 7) had been torn away above the concrete dam and shot over that and jumped about 1 70 ft. over, and then above 150 ft. into the bush—almost inconceivable—and then the water that carried it of course dropped down into the creek bed, 120 ft. in depth. The timber was all shorn, of course, of branches and bark, just like the logs you see on the beach. The power of the water and the movement of these large stones is almost inconceivable." At the point where the railway crossed Britannia Creek, about 500 yds. below the Tunnel Camp, the bridge was carried away, but it was not more than 10 to 15 ft. above the bed of the stream. The Tunnel dam was unimpaired, the only evidence of high water being a little erosion of the bank at either end of the dam, and a light timber walk on top of the dam was carried away. High water mark in the wheel house showed the water had risen to about 3 Yl ft- ove» the crest of the dam. At the railway fill there was a gap of 119 ft. wide at the top and 30 ft. at the bottom, and a small part ot in the mountains can, however, from a study of the factors and conditions prevailing at the time, form a likely theory as to the cause. The collapse of the fill was certainly l ot the cause. It was merely one of other incidents attending the disaster. The engineering and construction work was certainly not defective in any way. . METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS The meteorological conditions were unprecedented in the memory of man. The newspaper headings told the tale. Here are some of them: VICTORIA TIMES: "Worst Coast Flood Recorded"; "Sooke River Bridge Goes Out"; "Serious Damage Reported From All Points"; "Mainland Had Downpour Heaviest In Years, Says Vancouver Engineer." NANAIMO HERALD: "Results of the Heavy Rainfall" ; "Island and Mainland Suffer"; "Railways Blocked For Three Days"; "The Heaviest Rainfall in Twenty Years." The rain guage at Britannia Beach, supplied by the Government, and forming the official record, showed a fall of 18.98 in. rain for October. Of that amount 4.b ^■«*&*T&Sj<iV£),U>,"{""aigf-PsJ1 |f!li|B§ll sr if \c*££«- j/zorv/A'G- DR/lir/A&E flR£/l OF the cribbing had been carried away. Otherwise the fjll and cribbing were intact. The Park Lane dam was intact, but the high water mark showed water had flowed over the top of the dam to a depth of about 1 1 inches, as compared with 3 in. the previous high record, equivalent to an increased flow or 1,500 sec. ft. above the former high water record. CAUSE OF THE DISASTER In his evidence before the coroner's inquest, E. J. Donohue, general manager of the Britannia Mining and Smelting Co., Ltd., when asked his opinion of the cause of the disaster, replied: "It is evident that water was released from the fill, but what caused that to go I could not answer. I don't think a living soul could." In dismissing the charge at his court at Vancouver, ihe resident magistrate, H. O. Alexander, expressed a similar opinion. No one saw anything abnormal prior to the disaster in the volume of water in the creek; the men who last saw the fill said the culvert was taking the water all right. As a bolt from the blue this awful disaster happened, and no one can possibly know for certain why or how? Those of us who have a knowledge of and experience in. was recorded on the day of the disaster, and that was not all, for the guage was overflowing when the record was taken, and although supposed to be sufficient to record any possible rainfall its capacity was exceeded on that occasion. Mill Creek, on the opposite side of Howe Sound, where the Whalen Pulp plant is located, was so high the manager had to shut down the sawmill, acid plant and digesters, an experience previously unknown. The town of Squamish was flooded for the first time since 1908 and the residents had to take to the upper storeys of their homes. i The Mamquam River, which heads northwest of the Britannia watershed, rose 1 8 in. in two hours at Squamish. J. Deeks, operating the hydraulic gravel plant three miles south of Britannia, says: "Canditions on the 28th were beyond anything I have ever seen.' Thos. McCulla, mine foreman, Britannia: "I never saw so much rain as then. The New Westminster water supply was destroyed and the inhabitants of that city have since been suffering from a water famine. The city council has to face an expenditure of $200,000 to repair the damage. 233 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD The water supply of the city of Vancouver was damaged to such an extent that the city engineer has asked for $350,000 to repair the damage. In compiling his report for the Government on the Britannia disaster, D. O. Lewis, C.E., obtained from H. British Columbia. It was described in the press and by several observers as a "cloudburst" What is a cloudburst? An authority on meteorology thus describes it: "A sudden and violent storm of rain. The name probably originated from the idea that the clouds were solid Rindall, divisional engineer for the C. P. R., particulars masses full of water that occasionally burst with disastrous of the damage sustained under the abnormal weather conditions as follows: Nine major washouts, and five miles of track rendered impassible. 1,240 ft. of trestle had to be driven. Guoi Creek, 18 miles east of North Bend—25 ft. masonry culvert, 81 ft. base, 233 ft. long, failed, with washout 195 ft. long and 70 to 80 ft. deep. 1 Yl mile east of North Bend—Double culvert, concrete tunnel, 3 ft. by AYl ft-. '24 ft. long, dump 35 ft. high; dump entirely washed out. Six and a third miles west of North Bend—24 ft. cast iron pipe fully washed out. Washout 44 ft. deep by 165 ft. long. results. A whirlwind passing over the sea sometimes carries the water upwards in a whirling vortex; passing over the land its motion is checked and a deluge of water falls. Occasionally, on high lands far from the sea, violent storms occur, with rain that seems to descend in sheets, sweeping away bridges and culverts and tearing up roads and streets, being due to great and rapid condensation and vortical whirling of the resultant heavy clouds." CONCLUSIONS We had, then, in the first place, abnormal weather conditions as to rainfall. Prior to this heavy rain there had been a fall of snow to a depth of about 2 ft. on the mountains. On the day of the disaster the temperature had Thirteen miles west of North Bend—Concrete culvert rjsen to a p0int where, combined with the heavy rainfall, AYl ft. high by 8 ft. wide, top 8 ft. below rail, length of tne snow had reached saturation point, and was either melt- washout 65 ft. along track. Twenty-two miles west of North Bend—14 ft. masonry and culvert, 40 ft. from rail to invert, length 86 ft. 104 ft. washed out at track level. Twenty-seven miles west of North Bend—Yale Creek, 65 ft. deep, plate girder on masonry abutments; one abutment undercut by scouring. Coquitlam River—Two spans 3-track, 80 ft. girders. Washed out centre pier and west abutment, both concrete. One disappeared entirely, the span hanging at an angle of 45 degrees downstream, and westerly span thrown into bed of river against east bank a short distance below bridge site. West of Coquitlam Station—8 ft. by 6 ft. 7 in. 3-track concrete culvert, 2Yi ft. dump on top, 80 ft. long, washed out each side 100 ft along track. RAINFALL Such was the rainfall that the water in the B. C. Electric Railway Co.'s Coquitlam dam rose from 505 ft. su/'CYib, witti'-atan j to m ar bottom. Erection of Britannia Criet. Con,strvcte3 1'9/f. Sect/on of- f ill sh.ortrn<j gap ftlftttina f-loo3 if Dct.igt/j>i.i. ing rapidly or dropping down the steep mountain sides into the gulches in the form of snowslides and avalanches. As Mr. Lewis described it: "Water was running down every thing like the roof of a house. Below you could see more distinctly than in the bush itself. Walking along the1 railway from the Tunnel Townsite, you could see where the water must have come down that side hill from which trees had been partly cleared, and stumps still there, and around and under the houses, making little water courses,, on October 27 to 51 1.5 ft. by 8:30 p.m. on the evening, and some quite deep, where water had evidently not run of the 28th, the date of the disaster; and to 512.5 ft. by before, at any rate in our lifetime, from the condition of 2:30 p.m. of the following day. The rain guage at Co- the vegetation and material there. There was evidence all quidam Lake registered 7.56 in. of rain on October 27, over the country of terrific rainfall, terrific flood." and 8.1 1 in. of rain on the 28th, the day of the disaster— With such weather conditions it is practically a cei - 15.67 in. in 48 hours. uinty that a snowslide on the main creek or one of its This abnormal rainfall extended over at least 250 tributaries above the Tunnel Camp blocked the creek for miles in width, or half the entire width of the province of a time. The water would accumulate behind the slide, MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 234 and as the snow had reached saturation point, the water would quickly absorb it, and forcing it out, a wall of water would sweep down on the fill with sudden shock such as would cause the breach in it. The time required under the weather conditions then prevailing would be very short. That this was the probable cause is borne out by the testimony of Neil Nicholson, the night watchman in charge of the tunnel camp and fill, when he says that immediately prior to the disaster he heard a noise like a rushing wind, and Messrs. Browning, O'Connor and Lougheed, in giving evidence at the inquest, all expressed the opinion that a rush of water from some source caused the collapse of the fill. If the high water mark shown on the fill indicated the height of the water at the time of the disaster there must have been a sudden rise of water 01 AYl ft. Mr. Browning attributed it to the giving way of a slide or log jam. To those of us acquainted with snowslide conditions in the mountains, Mr. Nicholson's statement concerning the rushing wind experienced is ominously familiar. A snow- UTOPIA DAM, BRITANNIA CREEK, SHOWING SUBSTANTIAL REINFORCED CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION OF BRITANNIA DAMS. slide is always accompanied by a rushing wind, so strong at times that the writer has seen large trees in the course of such phenomenon snapped off like matchwood. The breaking of the fill and the comparatively small amount of water thereby released would certainly not account for the disaster at the Beach. The breach in the fill was evidently not rapid, judging from the manner in which the material composing the fill was swung around to a point not more than 300 ft. below the fill, whereas, had it gone out suddenly, the rock of which it was composed would have been scattered over the bed of the creek and sorted clear of the channel right down to the tunnel dam. The breach made in the fill was 119 ft. in width at the top and 30 ft. at the bottom, about the top of the crib- work. The high water mark shows the water did not reach to within 9 or 10 ft. of the top of the fill. ihe bed of Britannia Creek is 50 to 70 ft deep, and averages a width of about 100 ft, so that it could easily carry the extra flow of water released at the fill, with perhaps a slight overflow in the shallow part of the bed as it enters the Sound at Britannia Beach, and tertainly with little or no damage. Nor could log jams above the fill and tunnel dam have caused it. No logs were allowed to accumulate at these places, for they were cleaned out from time to time. It was stated at the inquest that there were not many logs in the creek below as they were practically all cleaned out. In his evidence at the inquest, D. O. Lewis, C.E., said: '"The contents behind the fill were not sufficient to account for the damage without a considerable influx of water besides." There was some other reason for the disaster. What was it? It must be remembered that there is nearly as great a length of Britannia Creek and its watershed below the fill as above it; and with the enormous downpour of rain at the time water was pouring down the steep mountain sides into the creek and its lower tributaries for the entire distance of three miles below the fill, with compound cumulative effect on the volume of water. Another feature is that, in the snowslide conditions existing in the Britannia watershed at that time, the temperature and saturation which cause one snowslide invariably cause a number of slides simultaneously over a large area, so that the higher and steeper elevations over flie entire length of the Britannia watershed would be similarly affected and would pour into Britannia Creek and its tributaries a mass of saturated snow, creating temporary dams, from which would sweep the entire mass of accumulated water and dissolving snow with tremendous effect on the volume of water continuously added to the main creeK tor at least two miles below the railway fill. The banks of the creek a mile or so below the fill were undermined, and green timber torn out and thrown into the bed of the stream, obstructing it, and probably causing log jams which backed the water to a point wnere, by sheer weight, it drove the log jams ahead. At one point there is evidence of a jam to a depth of 150 ft., and it can be readily understood that when this was forced out a resistless mass of logs and water, probably aggregating a weight of 50,000 to 60,000 tons, was thrown down the steep canyon on the Beach, the crash of the logs carrying out the bridges near the Beach and sweeping e /cry- thing before it. The fact that most of the timber accumulated at Britannia Beach after the disaster consisted of green tree-trunks is strongly suggestive of this condition. One of the witnesses at the inquest, H. Hawkins, was right when he said it was the logs, not the water, which did the damage, and other witnesses agreed that the water which went through the fill could not possibly have done the damage at Britannia Beach. * From the statement of facts it will be evident that the disaster was not in any way due to any negligence on the part of the Britannia Mining and Smelting Co., Ltd.. its engineers or officials, as has been alleged, but to one of those vagaries of nature that occasionally startle us by their sudden and destructive effects, often resulting in heavy loss of life, and remind us of the awful power of the elements when loosed by laws beyond the knowledge or control of humanity. As Shakespeare says: "Diseased Nature oftentimes breaks forth In strange eruptions." 235 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD h! FORMER DISASTROUS OCCURRENCES On March 21, 1915, a snow and landslide occurred at midnight and wiped out the mine camp on Jane Creek, below Mammoth Bluff. Over 50 lives were lost and between 20 and 30 injured. On November 20, 1917, what was at the time de- In November, 1920, the large mill, of a capacity ot 2,400 tons a day, was destroyed by fire, the origin of which was unknown but was supposed to have been caused from the heating of an electric motor. Few companies have had such a record of loss and misfortune from causes beyond human control as the Bri- scribed as a cloudburst, broke over Britannia Mountain tannia Mining and Smelting Company, Ltd.' Yet, in spite and caused the flooding of Mineral Creek, the first main of it all, it carries on its great work of development of the tributary from the south, above the Beach. The flood mineral resources of this country as if it had never been carried away the fills at the tunnels and washed out a the victim of a series of such disasters. It is a great com- section of the incline railway, causing suspension of opera- pany, employing the best talent that mining science affords, tions for about three weeks until the damage could be re- conducting its industry with remarkable enterprise, and it paired. No damage from Britannia Creek was sustained is entitled to the best support and co-operation that this on that occasion, all the works standing the strain in per- community, in which it is such an important industrial fac- fect condition. tor, can give it. OIL AND GAS The directors of the Boundary Bay Oil Co., Ltd., announce, fully realizing the responsibility of their statement: "In our opinion, based on expert advice, we have good commercial oil production at the present time, the quantity of which will be determined as soon as casing can be set, and the necessary preparations to handle production are completed." Preliminary to this announcement they say: "We have been through 162 feet of continuous oil-bearing formation, consisting of three good oil sands and oil-bearing sandy shale. The different strata have been separated by three hard shells, and in addition to the presence of oil all these formations carry gas under very high pressure." When this announcement was made drilling had reached a depth of 3,845 feet and was being continued. The Empire Oil and Natural Gas Company's well at Otter also has undoubtedly a showing of oil. The Pacific Coast Development Company, Ltd., operating the property, states: ."Casing all set and water shut off—now drilling in hard cap rock saturated with oil. Monday afternoon drill came up covered with heavy black oil, also heavy pressure of gas was encountered several times, lifting tooia in the hole about 5 feet We are satisfied Empire has a commercial well as soon as hole is cleaned out. ' The well was then down 3,032 feet. A Texas oil company has acquired holdings in the Athabasca tar sand area. Geo. Hammond, of Vancouver, has taken up an area of tar sands on the Athabasca River and has acquired the rights for Canada of a process developed in California which, it is claimed, can be applied to the economic development of these tar sands. f^.-*, A joint committee of American Association of Petroleum Geologists and U. S. Geological Survey has issued a report estimating the recoverable oil of the American fields at 9,000,000,000 barrels, or only sufficient to meet the requirements of the country for twenty years. Texas wells produce from 2,000,000 to 35,000,000 cubic feet gas per day. Oil wells are drilled to depths of about 5000 feet. METAL MARKETS New York London Copper, per lb 13.50c 7Yl& Lead, per lb 4.70c 2J/2d Silver, per oz. .66'/£c 35%d Zinc, per lb 4.70c 2<4d Copper is expected to improve, but as several large ■producers propose resuming operations, and the consuming market is not yet very active, a reaction is feared. Lead market less active following drop in London. Silver market dull. Zinc is weak. BRITANNIA RELIEF FUND This fund was applied to relief of sufferers by floods at Britannia Beach, Squamish, Coquitlam, Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows and other points on the Fraser River. Relief was given to 139 families. The Britannia Mining and Smelting Co., Ltd., contributed $20,000 for the relief of those who suffered from the disaster there, and of the public subscriptions of $75,272.37, $29,755 was •applied to the same purpose, and $25,630.1 7 set aside for investment for the benefit of the widows and orphans, making about $75,000 provided for relief at Britannia Beach. Other allocations were: Coquitlam, $8,330.25; Pitt Meadows, $5,238; Maple Ridge, $2,256; Squamish, $3,434.50; Lynn Valley, $500. Lt-Col. Ross Napier, who was appointed by the Provincial Government to assist in the distribution of the fund, speaks highly of the assistance rendered by E. J. Donohue, general manager Britannia Mining and Smelting Co., to whose services the Vancouver Board of Trade also paid high tribute; B. A. McKelvie, secretary of the relief committee, and the municipal councils of Coquitlam, Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows; Soldier Settlement Board; W. Moshiter, J.P., president of Squamish Board of Trade. MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 236 COAL AND COKE The Canadian Collieries has been prosecuting an active diamond drilling campaign in the search for new coal deposits in the Cumberland field. Hitherto the work has noi been very successful, but excellent results were recently obtained from boring off the Courtenay-Cumberland and Royston Roads at Cumberland, where the drill disclosed two seams of excellent coal of 6Yl feet and 7 feet respectively. Other holes will be drilled to thoroughly prove up the area before sinking the necessary shafts to open a new mine. The townsite of the Canadian Collieries (Dunsmuir), Ltd., at Extension, has suffered serious losses by fire and it is believed the work is that of a firebug, whose activities the police are investigating. Seven fires occurred within a month, including the destruction of the company's car house, and the residence of R. Spruston, superintendent of the Extension Colliery. Alberta coal operators are anxious to secure the best of bunkering facilities at Vancouver and Prince Rupert. The Coal Commissioner for the Province of Alberta has been in communication with the Vancouver Harbour Commissioners and port authorities at Prince Rupert, with a view to having such facilities arranged for the supply of bunker coal to Pacific Coast shipping. The mines on Vancouver Island and at Merritt have been working short time for want of market for their production. Alberta coal is cutting into the coast markets, agencies of Alberta mines having been established in Vancouver and Prince Rupert. The Harewood Mine of the Western Fuel■ Corporation at Nanaimo was closed down, also one of the mines of the Canadian Collieries, Ltd., at Cumberland. Nova Scotia mines which have been closed down are reopening. The shut down was partly due to labor troubles and partly to absence of market. Drivers in No. 9 Mine of the Dominion Coal Co. were dismissed following St dispute. The British Empire Steel Corporation appealed against an injunction granted at the instance of the miners restraining the reduction of wages pending the action of the conciliation board in the investigation of a dispute between operators and employees. From January 1 wages ot miners will be cut from 25 to 33 per cent. The Vancouver Gas Company, Ltd., has completed an addition to its plant increasing the capacity by 1,000,- 000 cubic feet of gas daily. The cost of the addition wa* about $500,000. The price of gas in Toronto has been reduced to $1 a thousand cubic feet. Serious riots have occurred at New Aberdeen, Glace Bay, N. S., where unemployed miners, being refused credit at the company stores, looted the stores and wrecked the buildings. The police were attacked with stones and ice. * * * THE MINING NEWS The Iron Mask Mine, at Kamloops, and the Tidewater Mine, at Sydney Inlet, Vancouver Island, propose resuming operations about the beginning of February. The former expect to give employment to about 80 men. The Progressive Mining Company is opening up a new gold deposit on Okanagan Lake, near Okanagan Landing, where rich ore has been found in the nature of tellurides, including petzite. About 25 men will be employed. The old Morgan Mine, at the head of Cherry Creek, Okanagan , mining division, is being reopened, and prospectors report encouraging discoveries in the vicinity. The Premier aerial tramway, connecting the mine with tidewater, on Portland Canal, is completed and in operation. This tramway is in three sections, and was built by the Riblet Tramway Company, of Spokane. It has been described as the longest aerial tramway in the world, but that is not so, as there is an aerial tramw,ay in South America nearly twice as long. The ore-body is now proved to a depth of 700 feet, ore having been struck on No. 4 level. The American Smelting and Refining Company holds the controlling interest, and H. A. Guess, the managing director of the mining department, is credited with the opinion that the Premier will make another Corn- stock. At all events a million tons of ore have now been proved up, of an average value of $30 per ton in gold and silver. The values are in the ratio of one of gold to 20 of silver. The mine is equipped with 100-ton pilot mill, in which concentration, cyaniding and flotation are lea- tures. On the results of the information obtained trom this mill it is proposed to construct a large mill at the future low level working tunnel. The mine carries a good deal of high grade ore, of values ranging from $100 to $200 a ton, and this ore will be shipped to Tacoma smelter. The low grade ore will be milled. With the aerial tramway carrying 1 00 tons a day of crude ore and concentrates, and the mill concentrating 100 tons a day, the production should be 200 tons a day at the mine, or at the rate of $4,000,000 to $5,000,000 a year. The Nelson Prospectors' Association has taken up the matter of an ore testing plant for Kootenay and has passed a resolution asking the Dominion Department of Mines to appropriate the $ 1 00,000 voted for such a plant in British Columbia to the location of the plant in Kootenay. The association has also asked the Provincial Government to take over the Granite-Poorman mill, near Nelson, and operate it as a custom mill for the treatment of small shipments of ore by prospectors. The association claims credit for having obtained from the Minister of Mines the privilege of having preliminary reports made by the resident engineers of the Department, with fuller reports later, while the Minister has also agreed to loan prospectors up to $2,500 for the preliminary development of their properties. The association has recommended to the prospector the attachment of indestructible metallic discs to location stakes. Where a partner of a prospector who had gone overseas had neglected conformation with the provisions of the mining law the Government has agreed to vest full title m the returned man. 237 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD m If '1 b i.i ..i H lb w* ift* • W' s . MAGAZINE PRICES REDUCED! NOW IS THE TIME TO PLACE YOUR ORDER FOR NEXT YEAR All the best magazines are offered here—all your favorites, the reading you find most worth-while and most enjoyable. In any of these special priced clubs you get more than the equivalent of $100.0(J wortn oi . books, equal to over 50 bound volumes. Up-to-the-minute, timely and inviting. You will not be oflerea these magazines again at the low rates presented here. Subscriptions may begin with any month desired and renewals of subscriptions now in force will be extended a year from their present expiration dates. Magazines in each club may be sent to different addresses if desired except where otherwise stated. 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Manufacturers of and Agents for COAL & METAL MINING MACHINERY MILLING &* SMELTING EQUIPMENT ASSAY & CHEMICAL SUPPLIES Should use the ADVERTISING PAGES of the MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD The Most Widely Circulated Mining Publication of the West. 315 BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA BUILDING VANCOUVER MATHER & CROWTHER Ltd., New Bridge Street, London, Eng., Agents for Great Britain. MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD LIBRARY SERVICE SUPPLIES * Copies of Magazine Articles and Reports out of print:— Translations from Foreign Magazines. References to Books and Art'cles on Particular Subjects. New Articles of Interest to Engineers. RATES: Blueprint Copies of Maps and Plans, $1.00 per sq,- ft- Searches and Abstracts.. - $2.50 per hour Translations $5-00 per 100 words Address: 315 BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA BUILDING Vancouver, B. C. MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD Ip BOOK DEPARTMENT Supplies the following books (carriage paid) on , MECHANICAL ENGINEERING Machinists' Handbook (Colvin) $5.00 Applied Mechanics (Jamieson) $1.50 Boiler Construction (Hutton) $5.75 Corrosion and Protection of Metals (Sexton)....$2.50 Diesel Oil Engine (Wells and Taylor) $3.00 Mechanical Engineer's Handbook $6.00 Mechanical Engineer's Handbook (Marks) ....$8.75 Mechanical Engineer's Pocket Book (Fowler) $1.00 Mechanical Engineer's Pocket Book (Clark)..$2.00 Gas and Oil Engine Management (Bale) $1.50 Industrial Oil Engineering (Battle) $12.50 Industrial Drawing (Mahan) ....$4.25 Mechanical Engineer's Pocket Book (Kent) ....$8.75 Mechanical Laboratory Methods (Smallwood) $3.25 Mechanics Applied to Engineering (Goodman) :.$5.75 Spot and Arc Welding (Horner) .$4.00 Steam Engine (Lardner) 75c Address: 315 BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA BUILDING, Vancouver, B. C. Mining Engineer's Handbook By Robert Peele . 2375 Pages Index This excellent handbook contains no discussion of abstract theory. Nothing but facts are found within its covers. This is the most complete treatise yet issued on the subject of mining in all its branches. Price ........ $7.50 Mining and Engineering Record, one year $3.00 Both in Combination $10.00 "■ Address: Book Department Mining and Engineering Record 315 Bank of Nova Scotia Building, Vancouver - B. C. v. MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD BOOK DEPARTMENT ■11! | MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD Supplies Books on Assaying, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Coal and Coke, Electrical Engineering, Geology, Iron and Steel, Mechanical Engineering, Metallurgy, Mineralogy, Mining Engineering, Petroleum, Prospecting, Surveying, Technical Writing. Books sent on Approval. Following is a list of some of our books at prices carriage paid:— Address: 315 BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA BUILDING, VANCOUVER, B. C. ASSAYING. Assayers' Manual, Kerl % 5.00 Manual of Assaying, Brown 3.75 Mitchell's Practical Assaying _ 12.50 Modern Assaying, Smith 2.00 Notes on Assaying, Ricketts _ 3.25 Sampling Precious Metals, Smith 7.50 Textbook of Assaying, Beringer 4.0Q CHEMISTRY. Acetylene, Leeds 3.50 Applied Colloid Chemistry, Bancroft 4.00 Blowpipe in Chemistry, Ross 2.00 Chemistry, Its Mysteries, Gibson 2.00 Classen's Analysis by Electrolyses 2.00 Craft's Qualitative Analysis 2.00 Elementary Textbook Physics, 4 vols 6.00 Elements Chemical Engineering, Grossmann 1.50 Experimental Chemistry, Ransom 1.50 Experimental Organic Chemistry, Norris; 2.00 Fresenius, Qualitative Analysis 7.00 Fresenius, Quantitative Analysis 7.50 General Chemistry, Cady 4.25 History of Chemistry, Moore 3.25 Inorganic Chemistry, Cady 4.50 Inorganic Chemistry, Dupre v 2.00 Inorganic Chemistry, Kolbe 2.00 Elementary Textbook Chemistry, Mixter 2.00 Inorganic Chemistry, Ricketts 1.00 Laboratory Course Electro-Chemistry, Watts 1.75 Laboratory Guide Chemical Analysis, Brine 2.50 Laboratory Outline Chemistry, McCoy 4.50 Notes Electro-Chemistry, Weichmarin 2.50 Organic Chemistry, Norris 3.75 Outline Qualitative Analysis, Miller 2.00 Outline Qualitative Analysis, Sexton 1.5u Outlines Quantitative Analysis', Sexton 1.25 Pinner's Organic Chemistry 2.00 Principles Physical Chemistry, "Washburn .-. 5.00 Qualitative Analysis, Perkins 1.50 Qualitative Analysis, Scott 2.7o Qualitative Analysis, Thorpe 2.00 Quantitative Analysis, Foulk , 3.00 Quantitative Analysis, Malvin 5.00 Technical Gas and Fuel Analysis, White 4.00 Technical Methods of Analysis, Griffin 7.50 T N. T. and Other_Nitro-Toluenes, Smith 2.50 Volumetric Analysis, Schimpf 3.25 CIYtt ENGINEERING. Civil Engineer's Pocket Book, Merriman 6 Bridges and Viaducts, Campin 1 Bridge Construction, Humber, 2 vol 42 Bridge Engineering, Waddell, 2 vol 12 Calculus for Engineers, Smith 2 Civil Engineering Practice, Taylor 7 Concrete Engineer's Handbook, Hoole .• 7 Construction Roads; and Pavements, Agg 5 Drawing Instruments, Stephan 1 Dredges and Dredging, Prelini 4 Dustless Roads, Smith 3 Economics of Contracting, Hauer 6 Engineering of Today, Corbin 3 Engineer's Field Book, Butts Engineer's Field Book, Haskoll 25 50 50 50 50 50 50 00 50 00 50 25 25 25 00 Handbook of Cost Data, Gillette 7.50 Hydraulic Power Engineering, Marks 3.25 Hydraulic Power, Robinson 8.00 Irrigation, Mawson 3.00 Manual Civil Engineering, Taylor 7.50 Portland Cement, Wes>ti ._ 4.00 Calculations for Engineers, Larrard 2.00 Engineer's Pocket Book, Hutton • 5.50 Raiiway Engineer's Field Book, Godwin 3.25 Topographical Drawing, Reed 6.50 Topographical Drawing. Smith 3.25 Road Making and Maintenance, Aitken 6.50 Sewerage Svstems, Watson ■. 4.00 Structural Engineer's Handbook. Ketchum 7.50 Engineering: Drawing and Design, Wells, 2 vol 3.00 Textbook Plain Lettering, Jacoby 4.00 COAL AND COKE, Air Analysis, Cadman Air of Mining, Cadman Calorific Power of Fuels, Poole Coal, Sommermeier ~ Coal and Coal Mining. Smith 1.75 1.75 4.00 3.25 1.25 Coal and Coke, Wagner Coal and Its Uses, Bone : Prevention Explosion and Fires-, Harger Coal Catechism, Nicolls Coal Gas Residuals, Wagner Coal Mine Surveying, Sturrick Coal Miner's Pocket Book ~ Coal Mining, Glover Coal Mining, Hughes Coal Mining, Peel Modern Coking Practice. Byrom Colliery Manager's Handbook, Pamely Colliery Working and Management, Bulman Electrical Practice in Collieries, Burns Electricity in Coal Mining, Shearer Elementary Coal Mining, Kerr Fuel Combustion and Economy, Williams Briquetting Coal i 1 Briquetting Ores and Metallurgical Products Mine Ventilation, .Wilson New Ideas in Coal Mining Notes for Mining Students, Merivale Practical Coal Mining, Cockin Romance of Coal, Gibson Treasures of Coal Tar, Finlay ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING Electrician's Handbook, Croft 5.00 Handbook for Electrical Engineers, Pender 6.25 Dynamo Management, Lummis 4.00 Dynamo, Motor and Switchboard Circuits, Bowker ....... 3.00 Electrical Dictionary, Sloane 3.00 Electrical Engineering, Alexander 1.50 Electrical Engineering, Christie 6.25 Electrical Machinery, Annett 4.00 Electrical Theory of Universe, Tunzelmann 5.00 Electricity Applied to Mining, Lupton 4.00 Electricity of Today, Gibson 3.25 Electric Lighting and Heating, Walker 3.00 Electric Traction and Transmission, Sheldon 4.00 Hydro-Electric Power, Lydoh, 2 vol 4.00 Magnetism and Electricity, Jamiesion 1.50 Elect/rical Rules and Tables, Jamieson 2.75 Testing Dynamos and Motors, Smith 2.00 Electrical Engineering, Gray 5.00 Handbook for Electrical Engineers, Fowle 8.50 Telephones, Radcliffe 1.75 Wireless Telegraphy. Eichorn- 2.75 Wireless Telegraphy, Erskine Murray 4.00 6.25 6.7D 2.50 2.00 3.25 1.25 6.25 0.50 8.25 1.25 3.00 8.00 6.00 2.5U 2.00 1.25 1.50 3.25 5.75 1.75 1.50 1.25 1.50 3.25 2.50 GEOLOGY. Aids in Practical Geology, Cole Stone and Clay Products, Ries: Determination of Rocks, Jannettaz Economic Geology, Richardson Economic Geology, Ries ! Field Geology, Lahees ... Geology Applied to Mining, Spurr ; Geology for Engineers, Sorsbie Aspects of Economic Geology, Leith Textbook of Geology, Park Geology of Today, Gregory Iron Ores. Eckel Mineral Deposits, Lindgren Handbook of Rocks, Kemp Mineral Deposits South America, Miller Mineral Wealth and Geology China, Wang Mining Geology, Park Nature of Ore Deposits, Beck _ Open Air Studies in Geology, Cole Ore Deposits, Kemp Ore Deposits, Rickard Practical Field Geology, Farrell Economic Geology, Emmons ... Geology Vancouver and Vicinitv, Burwash Romance of Modern Geology, Grew Rudimentarv Geology, Tate Stratigraphic Geology and Paleontology, Etheridge Ore Deposits for Practical Miner, Wallace Textbook of Geology, Pirsson 3.50 4.00 2.00 3.25 5.00 4.50 2.00 4.00 5.00 5.00 3.25 5.00 7.50 2.00 6.25 1.50 3.00 7.50 3.00 6.25 1.25 4.00 6.25 2.00 3.25 2.00 10.75 4.50 3.00 IRON AND STEEL, Electric Furnaces for Iron and Steel, Rodenhauser .... 5.00 Chemical Analysis of Iron, Blair 6.25 Iron Founding, Turner 1.25 Manufacture and Properties of Iron'and Steel, Campbell 7.50 Metallurgy of Iron and Steel. Stoughton ::.".'.. 5.00 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD VI. BOOK DEPARTMENT MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD Supplies Books on Assaying, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Coal and Coke, Electrical Engineering, Geology, Iron and Steel, Mechanical Engineering, Metallurgy, Mineralogy, Mining Engineering, Petroleum, Prospecting, Surveying, Technical Writing, etc. Books sent on approval. Following is list of some of our books, prices carriage paid:— Address: 315 BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA BUILDING, VANCOUVER, B. C. METALLURGY Analysis of Copper, Heath $ 4.00 Analysis Ores and Rare Metals, Powell 6.25 Blast Furnace Calculations, Stevenson 2.00 Blast Furnace Practice, Morgan 75 Chemistry Cyanide Solutions, Clenell 3.25 Metallurgy, Common Metals, Sexton 2.50 Copper Refining, Addicks 4.00 Cyanide Handbook, Clenell ~ 7.50 Cyanide Practice, McFarren 4.00 Cyanide Process, Wilson 2.00 Cyanide Process, Eissler 2.50 Cyanide Process, Park 4.00 Cyanide Practice, Megraw 2.50 Cyaniding, Julian 7.50 Electric Furnace, Stansfield 6.25 Electric Furnaces, Rodenhauser 5.00 Electric Smelting, Borchers 6.50 Electro-magnetic Ore Separation, Gunther 4.00 Electro-Metallurgy, McMillan 4.50 Electro-Metallurgy, Cooper 4.50 Electrical Industries, Ashcroft 2.50 Flotation Process, Megraw 5.00 Testing for Flotation, Fahrenwald 2.50 General Metallurgy, Hofman 8.75 Hydrometallurgy of Copper, Greenwalt 7.50 Ore Dressing, Allen 4.00 Lead and Copper Smelting, Hixon 4.00 Lead and Zinc in U. S., Ingalls 5.00 Lead Smelting and Refining, Ingalls 4.00 Cyanidation, Hamilton 4.00 Matte Smelting, Lang "SE* 2.50 Metallurgical Analysis, McLeod 4.50 Metallurgical Laboratory Notes, Howe 3.25 Metallurgists Handbook, Liddell 6.25 Metallurgy, Lang ^4.50 Metallurgy, Roberts-Austin 6.50 Metallurgy of Lead, Eissler 4.50 Metallurgy of Copper, Hofman 7.50 Metallurgy of Gold, Eissler 5.00 Metallurgy of Gold, Rose 7.50 Metallurgy of Iron,' Bauerman 2.00 Metallurgy of Iron, Turner 6.50 Metallurgy of Lead, Collins b.50 Metallurgy of Lead, Hofman ■. «•£» Metallurgy, Non-Ferrous, Gowland 8.75 Metallurgy of Silver,. Hofman o-«o Metallurgy of Silver, Collins 6-o« Metallurgy of Silver, Eissler '"iiT'os Metallurgy of Steel, Harbord ! ii-*» Metallurgy of Zinc, Ingalls »-'o Mill and Cyanide Handbook, Allen <j-j>JJ Modern Copper Smelting, Levy 4.U0 Modern Copper Smelting, Peters »■£» Lead and Copper Smelting, Hixon SiHH Mill Construction, Ingalls - £■»" Ore Dressing, Richards, 4 vol , en Data for Cyanide, Megraw *-°v Practical Metallurgy, Turner km Cyanide Process, Bosqui •>•*» Practice of Copper Smelting, Peters »•£;> Principles of Copper Smelting, Peters o.jsa Pyrite Smelting, Rickard *•[>" Metallurgical Analysis, Morgan J--»" Rand Metallurgical Practice *•"• '* Refractories and Furnaces. Havard »•*» Roasting Gold and Silver Ores, Kustel 4.00 Smelter Construction Costs, Jones £_•»« Stamp Milling, Del Mar -• J-°" Stamp Milling, Cyaniding, Thomson 400 Stamp Milling, Rickard „.-..-- <j-£° Text Book of Ore Dressing, Richards *■»« Ore Dressing, Wiard "■£" Tube Milling, Del Mar iJU MINERALOGY. Localities of Minerals, Dana "j-jjj> Asbestos and Asbestic, Jones "•"" Catalogue of Minerals, Chester £•<» Crystallography, Walker --- *-°" Determinative Mineralogy, Brush »■»« Names of Minerals, Chester „ *•»» Earthy and Other Minerals, Davies *•»« Elemental Crystallography, Bayley *-|j> Petrology, Weinschenk °-£2 Handbook of Petrology, Foye -<2 Handbook of Minerals, Butler * *■*» Rock-Forming Minerals, Hussak 2.50 Igneous Rocks, Iddings, 2 vol 13.75 Igneous Rocks, Daly 6.25 Igneous Rocks, Finlay 3.25 Study of Minerals, Rogers 4.50 Lithplogy, Williams 4.00 Microscopic Determination, Davy 3.25 Petrographic Methods, Johannsen 8.75 Mineralogy, Kraus & Hunt 5.75 Mineralogy and Petrography, Dana 2.50 The Rarer Metals, Wooton : 3.75 Minerals, Dana 2.00 Minerals and Synonyms, Eggleston 3.25 Non-Metalic Minerals, Merrill 4.00 Petrographic Methods, Weinschenk 4.50 Rock Minerals, Iddings 6.25 Rock Minerals, Pirrson 3.00 Microscopical Physiography, Rosenbusch 6.25 System of Mineralogy, Dana 15.75 Determination of Minerals, Krauss 3.25 Determination of Minerals. Fraser 3.25 Textbook of Mineralogy, Dana 4.50 MINING. Accidents in Mines, Ashe 2.50 Aerial Ropeways, Tayler 3.00 Mine Accounting, Charlton 6.25 Use of Explosives, Guttmann 4.50 Business of Mining, Hoskin „v:. 1.75 Compressed Air, Simons 2.50 Compressed Air, Penman 2.50 Compressed Air, Richards 2.00 Copper Mines, Lake Superior, Rickard 1.25 Copper Mines of World, Weed 5.00 Cost of Mining, Finlay 7.50 Determinative Mineralogy, Lewis 2.50 Practical Mining 6.25 Economics of Mining 2.50- Elements of Mining, Young 6.25 Mining and Quarrying, Foster 2.50 Handbook of Mining Details 5.00 Hydraulic Mining, Longridge 6.50 Hydraulic Mining, Van Wagenen 1.25 Hydraulic Mining, Wilson 4.00 Hydraulic Mining, Bowie 6.25 Lectures on Mining, Callon 37.50 McNeill's Telegraphic Code 16.25 Manual of Mining, Ihlseng 5.00 Mine Accounts and Book-keeping, Lawn 5.50 Mine Book-keeping, McGarrauch 2.50 Mine Drainage, Michell 4.00 Mine Sampling and Valuing, Herzig 2.50 Mineral Surveyor, Lintern .-. 1.50 Mine Timbering, Saunders 2.50 Miner's Handbook, Milne 3.00 Mine Tracks, McCrytle 2.50 Mining, Lupton 3.00 - Mining and Surveying, Collins 0.75 Mining Telegraph Code, Moreing 6.25 Mining Costs, Skinner & Plate 6.25 Mining Engineer's Handbook, Peele 7.50 Engineer's Report Book, Field 2.00 Mining Law, Alford 2.75 Mining Without Timber, Brinsmade 4.00 Mine Valuation, Burnham 4.50 Ore and Stone Mining. Foster i 5.00 Miner's Pocket Book, Powers 3.00 Practical Gold Mining, Lock 20.00 Practical Mining, Murphy 1.50 Slraft Sinking, Donaldson 3.25 Tunneling. Simms 9.60 Principles of Mining, Hoover 4.00 Pumping Machinery, Barr ..._ 7.50 Quartz Operator. Randall 2.50 Rock Drilling, Dana 5.00 Rock Drills, Weston 5-00 Romance of Mining, Williams 3.25 Ore Sampling, Rickard 2.50 Shaft Sinking, Riemer 4.50 Mine Accounting, Wallace 2.00 Standardization of Mining. Mitke 2.00 Steam Shovel Mining, Marsh 4.50 Stones for Building, Merrill 5.25 Stone Quarrying, Greenwell 4.00 Timbering and Mining, Storms on'nn Tunneling, Drinker ink Tunneling, Lauchi ";•"" Tunneling, Prelini - io'nn Tunneling, Simms 13UU MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD t ! The Pacific Great Eastern RAILWAY I IS NOW OPEN FOR FREIGHT AND PASSENGER TRAFFIC TO THE QTJESNEL AND CARIBOO DISTRICTS The gold fields of the Cariboo .District have produced Sixty-five Million Dollars ($65,000,000.00) of placer gold, from an area thirty miles square. The quartz veins from which the placer deposits have been eroded have not yet been worked. The advent of the railway into the heart of the district makes it possible to develop the gold quartz veins because of the great reduction in the cost of tiansportation. The vast possibilities of the Cariboo Cold District as a new gold quartz mining field is now presented to the public. The mining laws of the Province of British Columbia are most liberal,' and all mining rights of aliens are fully protected. There is abundant timber and water power for the economical working of quartz claims; the district is recognized as one of the finest fishing and big game hunting fields in Canada. For further information apply to • A. B. BUCKWORTH, General Manager, Pacific Great Eastern Railway, Vancouver. Books For The Prospector Getting Gold (Johnson) $1.75 Examination of Prospects (Gunther) $3.25 Search for and Determination of Minerals— (McLeod) _. $2.25 Prospecting for Minerals (Cox) $2.00 Prospector's Field Book and Guide— (Osborn) $2.00 Prospector's Handbook (Anderson) $2.00 Prospecting and Locating Mines (Stretch) $3.25 Prices, Carriage Paid. MINING & ENGINEERING RECORD 31 5 Bank of Nova Scotia Building, Vancouver, B. C. BOOKS ON PETROLEUM Petroleum Industry, Bacon, 2 vol - $15.00 Field Mapping for Oil Geologist, Warner 3.15 Field Methods, Cox 5.00 Geology & Petroleum, Emmons 7.50 Oil Finding, Cunningham Craig 4.00 Oil Fuel, North , 2.00 Manual for Oil & Gas Industry, Arnold 3.15 Mineral Oil Testing, Hicks 1.50 Oil & Gas Production, Johnson 5.65 Petroleum Handbook, Andros — 2.50 Petroleum Mining & Oil Development, Thompson 5 00 Popular Oil G3»logy, Ziegler 3.70 Practical Oil Geology, Hagar 4.00 Prospecting for Oil & Gas, Panyity 4.10 Treatise on Petroleum, Redwood 20.00 PRICES CAB RIAGE PAID. Book Department MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 315 Bank of Nova Scotia Building Vancouver - B. C. BOOKS FOR SURVEYORS Aid to Survey Practice (Jackson) $4.50 Gillespie's Surveying, 2 Vol $5.50 Handbook for Surveyors (Merriman) $2.50 Underground Surveying (Trumbull) $4.00 Mine Surveying (Brough) $2.00 Mine Surveying (Durham) $2.00 Vertical Surveying (Usil) ....$2.50 Surveying (Johnston) $5.25 Surveying (Whitelaw) $4.00 Surveying, Land and Mining (Leston) $2.50 Surveying Manual (Pence) $3.25 Surveyor's Field Book (Haskoll) $4.00 Surveyor's Guide (Dorr) $2.50 Subterraneous Surveying (Collins) $1.00 Traverse Tables (Gurden) $6.50 Prices, Carriage Paid. MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD, 315 Bank of Nova Scotia Building, Vancouver, B. C. MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD 111. LECKIE BOOTS ARE BOOTS OF QUALITY If you are engaged in Mining, Prospecting, Logging, Farming or require Shoes for City Wear, you will find LECKIE BOOTS are unexcelled. Remember 'The Quality goes in before the Name goes on." That's a Leckie. J. LECKIE COMPANY, LTD. 220 Cambie Street Vancouver, B. C. Distributors also of RUBBER FOOTWEAR AND OILED CLOTHING SHAMROCK BRAND I HAM, BACON, LARD, Etc. "The Brand of Quality, always Reliable" pi5iiaiai«iisii5ii«ii«ii5iiHRBiigiwiaigiMiiiiaBiiiiiB GOVERNMENT APPROVED A HOME PRODUCT Canada Pood Board Licence No. 113 P. BURNS & COMPANY, LTD. VANCOUVER CALGARY EDMONTON ii IV. MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD In all kinds of work, good results require good implements kept in good condition. If the right sort of implement is important to an individual workman, efficient tools for industry and commerce are a necessity. Telephone service is one of the tools of industry and commerce in most common use and upon "which much depends. To transmit the vibration of the human voice from any point to any other point demands an expensive mechanism of the highest order of scientific precision and an efficient organization. It is our aim to have the telephone, with the co-operation of the public, the most dependable tool of industry. BRITISH COLUMBIA TELEPHONE COMPANY BOOST B. C. by buying Made in B. C. Goods BRANDRAM'S GENUINE B. B. WHITE LEAD is the basis of ALL B.-H. PAINTS that can be made on a White Base. WE SPECIALIZE IN INDUSTRIAL PAINTS and would be pleased to place our years of experience" at your disposal. RRANSBAM-HENDERSON KH3"** i^MMBBHI lllil II 9HHBHB^Hi^HHB ■ ■ M ill , , , , iga—mi Sa^— LIMITED MONTREAL. HALIFAX ST.OOHN TORONTO WINNIPEG MEDICINE HAT CALGARY EDMONTON VANCOUVER MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD RENWICK m CUNLIFFE LIMITED Wholesale China, Crockery, Glassware and Cutlery DOUBLE THICK WARE FOR CAMP USE A SPECIALTY 365 Water St. Vancouver, B. C. WILKINSON COMPANY LTD. Steel and Wire Galvanized Sheets Corrugated Sheets Steel Plates, Shapes and Bars Wire Rope Wire Rope Tramways and Cable Hoist Conveyors, Etc. 846 Beach Ave. Vancouver B. C. Electric Power in Mining and Smelting If you are planning the development of a mining property near Vancouver, look into your power supply. Perhaps you are near our lines. If so, it will pay you to consult us. We have 100,000 horse power available for the needs of this territory. By connecting to our lines you can have an elastic and reliable supply. We shall be glad to give you our rates and our advice. No obligation. See Our Light and Power Dep't. Vancouver New Westminster Victoria STOCKS and BONDS Buying and Selling Orders on Canadian and U. S. Government Bonds. MINING, OIL AND INDUSTRIAL STOCKS, GRAIN, COTTON, Etc. Promptly Executed Money Loaned on Active Stocks Free Monthly Market Letter Issued Private Wires to All Markets Correspondents: Logan & Bryan - New York and Chicago Greenshields & Co - Montreal C. M. OLIVER & CO. LTD. Members: Vancouver Stock Exchange B. C. Bond Dealers' Association 430-434 Rogers Building Vancouver, B. C. Established 1907 MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD | ENDURINGLY EFFICIENT | ■Jfc TRAYLOR MINING AND SMELTING EQUIPMENT Has for such a long time been so well known to and favorably regarded by the largest operators that it has come to be considered THE STANDARD OF THE WORLD COPPER SMELTING FURNACES — COPPER CONVERTERS — SILVER-LEAD FURNACES — SAMPLERS — CLASSIFIERS — BALL MILLS — TUBE MILLS ' COMBINATION MILLS — THREE COMPARTMENT MILLS — ROD MILLS BULLDOG JAW AND GYRATORY CRUSHERS — CRUSHING ROLLS MINE PUMPS Each the Best of Its Kind I - Use TRAYLOR Machinery in the Interest of EFFICIENCY — ECONOMY — GREATER PROFITS WRITE OUR NEAREST OFFICE TODAY FOR LITERATURE Traylor Engineering & Manufacturing Co. ALLENTOWN, Pa. SPOKANE—616 Mohawk Bldg. LOS ANGELES—Citizens' Nat. Bank Bldg. SALT LAKE CITY—Dooly Bldg. NEW YORK PITTSBURGH CHICAGO BIRMINGHAM NEW ORLEANS EXPORT DEP'T—104 Pearl St., New York City MARSHALL-WELLS B. C. LTD. Successors to WOOD, VALLANCE & LEGGATT WHOLESALE HARDWARE Mining Equipment and Supplies Wright's English Wire Rope for All Mining Purposes Our Long Experience in serving the mining fraternity enables us to offer you at all times intelligent and specialized service in all your requirements. For promptness and despatch—WRITE, PHONE, CALL MARSHAL-WELLS B. C. LTD. SEY. 7200 573 Carrall St. - - VANCOUVER, B. C. MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD The Clarke & Stuart Co., Limited % Commercial and Manufacturing Stationers, Printers, Bookbinders Makers of LOOSE LEAP SYSTEMS AND BLANK BOOKS British Columbia Agents for EDISON MIMEOGRAPH and MONROE CALCULATING MACHINES MINING ENGINEERS and SURVEYORS DRAWING INSTRUMENTS and DRAWING MATERIALS Waterproof Tally Books, Time Books, Field and Level Books, specially adapted for Mining Work MINING PORMS of every description printed and Ruled to order, and supplied in Bound Books or Loose Leaf Form, and if desired for Underground or Outside Work can be furnished in WATERPROOF form. Enquiries and Mail Orders receive careful attention. 550 Seymour Street VANCOUVER B. C. Leek & Company Limited ENGINEERS AND CONTRACTORS POWER, HEATING AND VENTILATING PLANTS DESIGNED AND INSTALLED ENGINE AND BOILER CONNECTIONS, PIPE BENDING, Etc. Office and Works: 1090 Homer St., Vancouver, B. C. 8% GOLD DEBENTURES of Del Ecuador Mines Company Limited Liability Capitali_ation $500,000 - Debenture Issue $200,000 Incorporated 1897 The Del Ecuador Mines Company Limited Liability has holdings on Cedar Creek, and intends installing an up-to-date Gold Dredge on its property. The property has been proven by tests as being very rieh in gold. A few Debentures remain unsold; there is no eommon stock for sale. DEBENTURES participate in earnings to the same extent as eommon stock. ISSUED IN DENOMINATIONS OF $25.00 EACH Eor further information apply:— Del Ecuador Mines Company Limited Liability 409-410 Dominion Building VANCOUVER - B. C. Telephone Seymour 8715 GOLD AND SILVER Now is the time for investment in B. C. mines which are producing the precious metals. | Come and ask us about Surf Inlet, Nugget, Silversmith, Douglas Channel. These stocks are now 'selling at rock-bottom prices. BURDICK BROTHERS, LIMITED STOCK, BOND AND INSURANCE BROKERS Member Vancouver Stock Exchange Direct Wires to Montreal, Toronto, New York, Etc. Hotel Vancouver Building Phone Sey. 7483 VANCOUVER, B. C. Pemberton Bldg. - Victoria, B. C. ROBERT 1 STEWART Mining and Metallurgical Engineer t^*^^€" 736 Vancouver Block Vancouver, B. C. I !'f* i "I i vm. MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD The Pleasure of Travel is fully realized in travelling on the CANADIAN Pacific Railway. By its lines can be reached all Canadian points, and its arrangements with American railroads enable its agents to issue tickets to all points in the United States. It operates its own Sleeping and Dining Cars, and has its own Hotels and Steamships. Its magnificent scenery, and the excellence of its service have made it the favorite route across the Continent. Illustrated publications as to its route, Banff, Yoho Valley, Glacier, etc., sent on application to any C. P. R. agent, or GENERAL PASSENGER DEPARTMENT, VANCOUVER, B. C. CRUSHER JAWS Genuine "Manganese" Steel "You can get them right here at home." We have patterns for the following sizes "Hadfield" Crusher Jaws— 9Yl in. x 1 6 in., 20 in. x 1 0 in., 24 in. x 13 in. We can make you a pattern for any other size or make. Manufactured by Washington Iron Works, Seattle, Wash. Agents for B. C— Vancouver Machinery Depot Limited 1155 SIXTH AVENUE WEST Vancouver - B. C. Also Agents for "Crawford's" Aerial Tramway. Vancouver Engineering Works, Ltd. Vancouver - B. C. ENGINEERS, BOILERMAKERS, STEEL, IRON & BRASS FOUNDERS, BOLT & RIVET MANUFACTURERS Our White Iron Balls and Liners for Ball Mills are giving excellent service. u se "VEW" Steel Castings and avoid costly breakdowns. Office and Works: 519 SIXTH AVENUE WEST Phone: Fairmont 240 USB CLAYBURN FIREBRICK AND CLAYBURN FIRECLAY IF YOU WANT CLAYBURN QUALITY THROUGHOUT YOUE WORK CLAYBURN COMPANY, LIMITED Clayburn, B. C. Technical Writing For English & Engineering, Aydelotte Composition of Technical Papers, Watt Either Book -with Year's Subscription and Engineering Becord Engineers $2.50 $2.50 to Mining $5.00 Address: BOOK DEPARTMENT MINING AND ENGINEERING 727 Birks Building Vancouver, B. 0. RECORD MINING AND ENGINEERING RECORD rs. $20,000,000 to be expended in Equipment of Mines in British Columbia Get Your Share of this Big Business By advertising in the Mining and Engineering Record 727 Birks Building VANCOUVER free TEXAS GEOLOGICAL MAP FREE Showing' latest sensational oil field ■ M-E-X-I-A- " —Data supplied by TJ. S. Geological Survey and the University of Texas—Printed in five colors —Measures 24x30 inches—Shows and names all ■ oil formations, proven and prospective oil and ^^ "gas fields', pipe-lines, refineries, counties, towns, railroads, rivers, mountains, etc., etc. This Map—-Invaluable to investors, Oil Oper- ■ ators and Brokers—will be mailed you mj ABSOLUTELY FREE upon request. Only a limited number of copies ""
Recent Advances in Plant Furnace Practice,
Geological Summary of the Known Mineral Bearing Districts of British Columbia,
Provincial Government Legislation Regarding Taxation and Assistance to Mine Owners and Prospectors,
@en, "Other Copies: http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/49484617"@en ; edm:hasType "Periodicals"@en ; dcterms:identifier "TN1 .M55 "@en, "I-1164-V26"@en ; edm:isShownAt "10.14288/1.0224043"@en ; dcterms:language "English"@en ; edm:provider "Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library"@en ; dcterms:publisher "Vancouver : Technical Press, Ltd."@en, "Vancouver : Homer Publishing Co., Ltd."@en, "Vancouver : E. A. Haggen"@en ; dcterms:rights "Images provided for research and reference use only. For permission to publish, copy, or otherwise distribute these images please contact digital.initiatives@ubc.ca."@en ; dcterms:source "Original Format: University of British Columbia. Library. Rare Books and Special Collections. TN1 .M55"@en ; dcterms:subject "Mines and mineral resources--British Columbia--Periodicals"@en, "Mineral industries--British Columbia--Periodicals"@en ; dcterms:title "Mining and engineering record. [1921]"@en ; dcterms:type "Text"@en .