TITANIUM.

By FRANK L. HESS.

Virginia produced all the American output of rutile in 1913, the American Rutile Co. being the only producer in the United States. This company controls and works the well-known deposits at Roseland, Nelson County, Va. During the year the company produced 305 tons of rutile, carrying 94 to 96 per cent of titanium dioxide (TiO2), and valued at about $49,000. The portion of the deposits worked contains considerable ilmenite and this is removed from the concentrates by a Wetherell magnetic separator, about 250 tons of ilmenite being thus produced during the year. The 10-stamp mill was operated continuously from March to the end of the year.

Not all the rutile concentrate was sold, but it is said the demand promises to be better than heretofore, and foreign firms are showing much interest. Prices ranged from $160 to $200 a ton, according to quantity and purity. The highest price is paid for pulverized material for the ceramic trade. A large part of the rutile produced in 1913 was used in the manufacture of titanium-carbide electrodes for arc lamps. There has not been so large a demand as formerly for rutile to be used in the manufacture of ferrotitanium.

A part of the separated ilmenite has been sold for use in making electrodes for electric lights, and experiments with the electric furnace point to the possible use of ilmenite in the direct production of tool steel..

351

TUNGSTEN.

By FRANK L. HESS.

GENERAL CONDITIONS.

1

The production of tungsten ore in the United States during 1913, as estimated from returns made to the United States Geological Survey, was equivalent to 1,537 short tons of ore carrying 60 per cent of tungsten trioxide (WO), with a value of $672,118. The output for the three preceding years was: In 1912, 1,330 tons, valued at $502,158; in 1911, 1,139 tons, valued at $407,985; and in 1910, 1,821 tons, valued at $832,992.

Tungsten ores were shipped from Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Washington. As heretofore, Colorado made the largest production, and its entire output of 953 tons, valued at $428,760, came from the Boulder tungsten field. California made the second largest output, mostly from Atolia, San Bernardino County.

Ferberite, wolframite, hübnerite, and scheelite were mined. The Boulder tungsten field production is ferberite, and as before stated in these reports, the district is unique in that it is the only large ferberite-producing district in the world. A small quantity of a wolframite, which is probably ferberite, was mined near Hill City, S. Dak.

Wolframite was shipped from Arivaca, Ariz., and from the Clark Mountain district of California.

Hübnerite was shipped from the Blue Wing district, Patterson Creek, Idaho; the dry placers near Dragoon, Ariz.; Nogales, Ariz.; White Oaks, N. Mex.; and a little from Jawbone Canyon, Kern County, Cal.

Scheelite was shipped from Oracle, Ariz.; Atolia and Randsburg, Cal.; and from the Snake Range, Nevada. The Atolia district makes a larger production of scheelite than any other district in the world. Much the larger part of the production of the district is that made by the Atolia Mining Co., and, as in 1912, this company was the largest individual producer in the United States.

Alaska.-No production of tungsten ores was made, but tin ore (2.5 tons) produced by the Jamme Syndicate on Lost River carried 11.08 per cent tungsten (13.98 WO).

Arizona.-The Cody-Dyer Mining & Milling Co. produced some scheelite in the Old Hat district in the Oracle Mountains, 40 miles northeast of Tucson. From the dry placers 4 miles north of Dragoon, as in former years, a few thousand pounds of hübnerite were produced.

63057°

'The short ton of 2,000 pounds is used throughout this article. -M B 1913-VOL 1- -23

353

A small lot of hübnerite was shipped from Nogales by F. J. Hobson, and A. L. Pelligrin shipped a quantity of wolframite from Las Guigas Mountains near Arivaca to Denver for concentration. On account of its light color, this mineral has generally been called hübnerite, Mr. Pellegrin has written that the iron content equals that of manganese, so that the mineral is really wolframite.

Exploitation of ferberite deposits at Cavecreek, 30 miles north of Tucson, was begun by the Pittsburgh Tungsten Mines Co., but no production was made. The ferberite was analyzed by Dr. Edgar T. Wherry, who obtained the following result:

The ferberite is accompanied by a hydrous copper tungstate which is now under investigation in the Geological Survey.

No production was made from the Williams tungsten claims, formerly the Williams & Pittman property, in the Aquarius Mountains, 12 miles east of Owens, and 3 miles southwest of Kingman, Ariz. The year was spent in the construction of a road and mill. Twenty miles of road were built, and it is stated that an automobile can now run from Kingman directly to the property.

California.-As in former years, the bulk of the production was from the Atolia district and mostly from the mines of the Atolia Mining Co. Its East Union mine is holding out well and is being worked at a depth of more than 600 feet. Some ore has been found in the eastward extension of the Papoose vein, and ore was taken out of several claims.

Some scheelite was also taken from the White Flower claim at Atolia; a little from the Sidney gold mine, 5 miles east, on the west side of the Rand Mountains; and some from the claims of A. M. Powell, across the range from the Sidney group. The last two properties are in the south end of the Stringer district. Nearer Randsburg, but also in the Stringer district, scheelite was mined by Thompson & Skinner on claims adjoining the Baltic. Some high grade scheelite was taken from the Winnie claim, on which gold mining is also prosecuted, and a small production of high grade scheelite was made from a placer on the Baltic claim.

In the Randsburg district the Consolidated Mines Co. produced a small tonnage of scheelite from its gold mine.

About 30 miles west of Randsburg, in Jawbone Canyon, a small production of hübnerite is reported to have been made. A specimen from the claim shows a mixture of scheelite with a darker mineral which is probably hübnerite.

A small quantity of wolframite was mined by the Ri-Cal Tungsten Syndicate, R. M. Whitman, and the United States Tungsten Mining

• As judged from the density of the oxide, approximately 1.50 Ta2O, and 0.69 Cb2O5.

& Products Co. in the Clark Mountains, New York mining district, in the east side of San Bernardino County.

Some development work was done on scheelite claims near Weldon, Kern County, but no shipment was made. The Union Hill Mining Co., at Grass Valley, saved some scheelite during the course of gold mining, but made no shipments.

Colorado. As stated, tungsten mining in Colorado was confined as usual to the Boulder tungsten field, and amounted to an equivalent of 953 tons of ore carrying 60 per cent of tungsten trioxide (WO), valued at $428,726.

As usual, the Primos Mining & Milling Co., and the Wolf Tongue Mining Co. were the largest producers. Both own large tracts of tungsten-bearing land. The Primos Mining & Milling Co. deepened its inclined shaft on the Conger claim during the year. Work on the Lone Tree claim was stopped in the spring, and work was taken up on the Corkscrew claim on the west of the Lone Tree. The "Corkscrew" claim receives its name from the erratic way in which the vein changes its strike and dip. The Quaker City claim was worked until July. The company's mill at Lakewood was run throughout the year. During the first part of the year the company bought some ore, but during the rest of the year the mill was run on the company's

ore.

About 25 men were employed at Sugar Loaf, in which part of the field the principal production was made from the Lord Byron claim. The Wolf Tongue Mining Co. operated its tungsten properties through lessees. In 1912 the company furnished its lessees with electric hoists, free of charge, the lessees having to pay only for the current used. The company also paid a certain rate per foot for sinking and drifting. The tungsten market was not very tempting at the time, but this policy induced a number of men to start work on various parts of the company's lands. In 1913 the company offered further advantages to lessees by putting up a centrally located compressor plant and piping compressed air to the various parts of its properties on which lessees were working or were willing to work. The compressor is electrically driven, and air is furnished lessees at or near cost; they thus may have the advantage of a mechanical hoisting plant and compressed air for drilling without the initial expense of installing a plant.

Remarkably rich ore is reported to have been found in the Cold Spring vein belonging to the Wolf Tongue Mining Co.

Ten sublessees worked upon the Tungsten Mining, Milling & Exploration Co.'s property which was leased in 1912 to the Wolf Tongue Mining Co.

The latter company's mill at Nederland was operated through the year.

The Colorado Tungsten Mining & Milling Co. operated irregularly through the year. Its mill was operated only part of the time.

Two sets of lessees worked on the Barker tract and produced

some ore.

Ardourel & Smith ran their mill all the year on tailings from the Wolf Tongue Mining Co.'s mill. No ore was milled.

On the Rogers tract, controlled by Eugene Stevens, considerable work was done by lessees, and good ore is reported to have been cut