XVI -DEPARTMENT OF METALLURGY AND ECONOMIC GEOLOGY. 



*Bv Frederic P. Dewey, Curator. 



REPORT OF THE CURATOR. 



During the first part of the year the still unorganized material re- 

 ceived from Centennial sources occupied a great deal of attention. Be- 

 sides this, there have been a great many accessions received that are 

 worthy of special mention, and these may be divided into four classes: 

 Those received in the ordinary way ; those received from the Perma- 

 nent Exhibition at Philadelphia ; those received from the Boston Exhi- 

 bition ; and the material collected in connection with the Few Orleans 

 Exposition. The material received in the ordinary way embraces a 

 very fine collection from the w^orks of the Colorado Coal and Iron Com- 

 pany, at South Pueblo, Colo., representing very fully the process of 

 manufacture of steel rails, nails, &c., at these works. This collection 

 was made and presented by C. L. Stonaker, of South Pueblo, Colo. 



A collection of the iron ores of California, and also a very valuable 

 collection of copper and other ores from the Lake Superior region, pre- 

 sented by R. E. C. Stearns, U. S. National Museum. The latter collec- 

 tion is very valuable from a historical standpoint. 



A collection representing the extraction of copper from Canadian 

 pyrite after the sulphur has been utilized for the manufacture of sul- 

 phuric acid. Presented by the Orford Copper and Sulphur Company. 



A small but valuable collection representing the work of the hy- 

 draulic i)rocess for the extraction of gold from gravel deposits from the 

 Brewer mine, South Carolina. Presented by E. Motz. 



A collection of about 600 specimens representing the process of 

 manufacture of bolts, nuts, and washers by machinery, together with 

 the various commercial sizes of these articles; also a very interesting 

 collection representing the manufacture of bnsheled or refined iron from 

 scrap material. Presented by J. H. Sternbergh, Reading. Pa. 



By far the most interesting and valuable single collection received 

 during the year is the extensive collection of iron ores collected by the 

 Tenth Census, under the direction of Prof. R. Pumpelly. This col- 

 lection represents the occurrence of iron ore at every mine of any im- 

 portance that was worked during the census year. Carefully selected 



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