before. The entire chemical force of the division was employed in this work.

Work is in progress on a bulletin on the analytical distillation of petroleum, being prepared by E. W. Dean and H. H. Hill. This bulletin will be in three parts-distillation of ordinary crude oils, distillation of emulsified oils, and distillation of high-boiling oils. A technical paper is being prepared by Mr. Dean, Mr. Hill, and N. A. C. Smith, assistant petroleum chemist, on that part of the work having particular reference to emulsified oils and high-boiling oils requiring vacuum.

In the latter part of July, 1918, a report was received in this country that some gasoline shipped in May, 1918, had given trouble in airplane engines in France, and that the loss of a number of planes had been attributed to its use. Details were arranged at a conference between Col. U. G. Lyons and H. H. Hill in New York, August 26, 1918. C. R. Bopp was assigned to the task and spent practically his entire time from August 25 to December 1, 1918, inspecting shipments of gasoline for service overseas. Mr. Bopp inspected shipments representing 8,000,000 gallons of motor gasoline, 2,600,000 gallons of export aviation gasoline, and 725,000 gallons of fighting gasoline. W. G. Hiatt inspected at Gulf ports 55,000 barrels of motor gasoline for the American Expeditionary Forces.

A technical paper by G. A. Burrell and A. W. Gauger, "Vitiation of Garage Air by Automobile Exhaust Gases," shows the dangers attending the running of automobile engines in garages.

OIL-SHALE TECHNOLOGY.

Oil shale technologic work was under the direction of W. E. Perdew, until his departure for Europe in July, 1918. The work from that time on was carried on by M. J. Gavin, assistant refinery engineer, W. D. Bonner, consulting chemist, E. L. Quinn, and T. B. Brighton, assistant research chemists. Mr. Perdew, while in Great Britain, thoroughly investigated the shale industry in Scotland.

The work during the first half of the year was devoted to a study of the general oil shale situation in the United States and to a compiling of all available data on the subject. The work of the second half of the year consisted mostly in carrying on retorting experiments on a rather large scale with different shales, analyses of different shales, and chemical and physical examination of the oils produced, and advising those contemplating engaging in the industry.

The main object of the work is to furnish as much assistance as possible to the potential industry, but the work has been limited by a shortage of funds.

A mimeographed paper, Notes on the Oil-Shale Industry with Special Reference to the Rocky Mountain District, was prepared

by Mr. Gavin, Mr. Hill, and Mr. Perdew, and an extensive bibliography compiled by Mr. Gavin.

Dr. D. T. Day, consulting chemist, cooperated with the Southern Pacific Co. in the erection of a unit of Scotch-type retorts at Elko, Nev.

WAR MINERALS INVESTIGATIONS.

GENERAL STATEMENT.

The term "war minerals " has been applied to those ores and minerals, largely imported before the war, that were especially needed in the manufacture of military supplies. Among the more important are manganese, essential for making high-grade steel; graphite, for making crucibles; tin for tinplate and bearing metal; mercury, used as fulminate; potash, for making fertilizers and explosives; tungsten and molybdenum, for high-speed tool steel; antimony, for hardening bullet lead; chromite, for tool steel, for tanning leather, and as a refractory lining for furnaces; magnesite, for refractory linings; mica, as insulating material; platinum, for the manufacture of sulphuric acid and for electrical apparatus.

SPECIAL APPROPRIATION.

In the latter part of March, 1918, Congress in the urgent deficiency bill appropriated $150,000, to be expended under the Bureau of Mines, to extend and continue investigations relating to minerals of military importance. The general purpose of this work is indicated by the heading under which the appropriation was made:

War materials investigation. For inquiries and scientific and technologic investigations concerning the mining, preparation, treatment, and utilization of ores and other mineral substances which are particularly needed for carrying on the war, in connection with military and manufacturing purposes, and which have heretofore been largely imported, with a view to developing domestic sources of supply and substitutes for such ores and mineral products as are particularly needed, and conserving resources through the prevention of waste in the mining, quarrying, metallurgical, and other mineral industries.

This appropriation permitted organization and work on a much more extensive scale, although a large amount of war minerals work had already been undertaken by the Bureau of Mines.

The so-called war-minerals bill submitted to Congress in December, 1917, was passed by the House on April 30, and in modified form by the Senate on September 11, 1918. It was approved by the President on October 5, 1918. By Executive order of November 11, 1918, the administration of the act was delegated to the Secretary of the Interior. On that date the armistice ended hostilities. As the act primarily provided for insuring production for war purposes, it was not a reconstruction measure and further legislation was required for that purpose.

COOPERATION WITH MINING EXPERIMENT STATIONS.

The work of the war minerals investigations was closely associated with the work done at the mining experiment stations of the bureau under the direction of the division chiefs of the bureau and the supervisor of experiment stations. The Minneapolis, Minn., station worked entirely on problems related to manganese and its ores; the Columbus, Ohio, station took up special investigations of domestic clays, graphite, and refractories; the Urbana, Ill., station worked at the recovery and use of pyrite from coal mines; the Golden, Colo., station studied the recovery of potash, tungsten, radioactive metals, and other rare metals; the Tucson, Ariz., station made field investigations of manganese ores; the Salt Lake City, Utah, station investigated graphite milling; the Berkeley, Calif., station gave attention to the concentration and recovery of quicksilver and sulphur; the Seattle, Wash., station made concentration tests of chromite and of tin ore.

MANGANESE.

Early in the fiscal year W. R. Crane completed an investigation of the Georgia deposits in cooperation with the State geological survey; E. R. Eaton studied the improvement of mining and beneficiation methods in the South; C. E. van Barneveld, superintendent of the Tucson station, investigated many of the western deposits; G. D. Louderback began an examination of the California deposits in cooperation with the United States Geological Survey and State organizations; G. H. Clevenger was studying the recovery of manganese from the ores of the Cripple Creek district; and the Minneapolis station was working on new metallurgical processes. After the signing of the armistice the bureau's activities were directed chiefly toward enabling producers to face the sudden lessening of demand. W. C. Phalen was engaged the larger part of the year on manganese investigations and assisted in the conduct of the work. C. M. Weld had general charge of the work on manganese.

The manganese investigations showed that in time of war a large part of the manganese needed in this country could be obtained from domestic ores, reductions in imports being met by the development of new deposits of high-grade ore, by the beneficiation of low-grade ores, and by the use of low-manganese alloys made from these leaner ores. A comprehensive bulletin on manganese, its utilization, treatment of its ores, and mining costs is in press.

CHROMITE AND CHROMIUM.

A thorough investigation of the chromite deposits of California and Oregon made under the direction of Albert Burch with the

assistance of five field engineers, the samples collected being subjected to concentration tests at the Seattle and Berkeley stations. Investigations of substitutes for chrome brick, began at the Columbus station in the previous fiscal year, were continued.

PYRITE.

R. R. Hornor and C. E. Julihn investigated deposits in various States. Work on the possible recovery of sulphur from "coal brasses" was completed. This work was undertaken in cooperation with the State geological surveys of Pennsylvania, Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, and Jowa.

SULPHUR.

Sulphur deposits in the West were studied with regard to their availability as sources of supply, C. O. Lindberg making the field investigations, and J. M. Hyde the concentration tests at the Berkeley station.

SULPHURIC ACID.

A. E. Wells, acting in cooperation with the War Industries Board and continuing work of the previous year, made a thorough study of the production of sulphuric acid and collected a great mass of data regarding materials, methods, and costs. Much of this information will appear in a bulletin now being prepared.

PLATINUM.

Up to the time of the signing of the armistice the Bureau of Mines cooperated with the War Industries Board in measures to reserve a supply of platinum adequate for war needs, the bureau having been given authority by Congress to control the production and sale of platinum during the war.

ARSENIC.

In October, 1918, the War Department put in a heavy requirement for arsenic, and steps were taken immediately to meet the demand. A. E. Wells and H. S. Mudd examined several prospective sources of arsenic in the eastern States, and producers in the West were encouraged to plan increasing their output. However, at the signing of the armistice the War Department's requirements were canceled, and before extra expenditures were incurred, all the new projects for increasing arsenic production were discontinued, except a new plant at Anaconda, Mont., at which the arsenic is merely a by-product.

GRAPHITE.

The graphite investigations, in charge of G. D. Dub, included field examinations and visits to plants using graphite, to ascertain the quality needed for making satisfactory crucibles. On August 10, 1918, the War Industries Board requested that all crucible makers use 20 per cent domestic flake in their crucible mixtures for the balance of 1918 with an increase to 25 per cent in 1919. This action, which was taken on the recommendation of the Bureau of Mines, resulted in the establishment of a market for domestic flake graphite. Tests of samples sent to the Salt Lake City station resulted in the devising of better milling methods. An investigation of the merits of domestic graphite for making crucibles continued at the Columbus station. A comprehensive bulletin on crucible graphite is in press.

POTASH.

A. W. Stockett continued to collect data on sources of potash, its recovery from the dust of cement kilns and blast furnaces, from green sands, from the alunite deposits of Utah, and from the natural brines of Searles Lake, Calif., and the Nebraska lakes. G. H. Clevenger continued cooperative work at Colorado Springs on the recovery of potash and manganese from western ores.

QUICKSILVER.

The Berkeley station studied the metallurgy of the ores of mercury. At the Seattle station concentration tests of low-grade ores were made.

TIN.

The work on tin was confined chiefly to the utilization of Bolivian tin ores. Howland Bancroft and Charles Janin prepared a report on the subject.

TUNGSTEN, MOLYBDENUM, URANIUM.

The work on tungsten and other rare metals under the direction of H. C. Morris consisted chiefly in the collection of data relating to mining and milling methods, companies producing, and prospective sources of supply. R. W. Gannett assisted in this work.

IRON.

In addition to gathering data regarding needs, production, and sources of supply of iron, F. T. Eddingfield examined the magnesite deposits of the Adirondack region, New York, and studied methods