80 Scientific Intelligence. 



ing of the necessary supplies of certain relatively rare mineral 

 substances, notably manganese, nickel and potash. 



The regular work of the Bureau for 1916 is detailed in this 

 report and shows the large amount being accomplished in 

 increasing the safety of mining, and in educating miners in this 

 direction. This applies not only to the coal mines, but also to 

 metal mines, as for example those at Joplin where pulmonary 

 disease is common. Extensive investigations have been carried 

 on also with reference to the efficiency in the use of fuel, a 

 subject hardly less important in the country today than 'the 

 conservation of food. 



A special chapter is given to petroleum investigations in which 

 the limitations in its supply and hence of gasoline are empha- 

 sized. Efforts are being made to improve the methods of pro- 

 ducing gasoline and at the same time to increase the production 

 of oil. 



The publications of the Bureau, since the beginning, include 

 some 100 bulletins, 150 technical papers and 20 miner's circulars. 

 The titles of bulletins recently received are noted below (see 

 earlier, vol. 43, 86, 1917) : 



No. 120. Extraction -of gasoline from natural gas by absorp- 

 tion methods; by G. A. Burrell, P. M. Biddison, and G. G. 

 Oberfell. Pp. 71 ; 2 pis., 17 figs. 



No. 130. Blast furnace breakouts, explosions, and slips and 

 methods of prevention; by F. H. Willcox. Pp. xii, 280; 2 

 pis., 37 figs. 



No. 131. Approved electric lamps for miners; by H. II. 

 Clark and L. C. Ilsley. Pp. 59 ; 17 pis., 7 figs. 



No. 133. The wet Thiogen process for recovering sulphur 

 from sulphur dioxide in smelter gases; by A. E. Wells. Pp. 

 66 ; 2 pis., 3 figs. 



No. 136. Deterioration in the heating value of coal during 

 storage; by H. C. Porter and P. K. Ovitz. Pp. 38; 7 pis. 



No. 138. Coking of Illinois coals; by F. K. Ovitz. Pp. 71; 

 11 pis., 1 fig. 



No. 141. Yearbook of the Bureau of Mines, 1916, as above. 



No. 142. The mining industry in the Territory of Alaska 

 during the calendar year 1915 ; by S. S. Smith. Pp. 65 ; 1 pi. 



No. 147. Abstracts of current decisions on mines and mining, 

 reported from September to December, 1916 ; by J. W. Thomp- 

 son. Pp. 84. 



No. 152. Abstracts of current decisions on mines and mining, 

 reported from January to April, 1917; by J. W. Thompson. 

 Pp. viii, 77. 



Obituary. 



Professor Edward Hull, late Director of the Geological Sur- 

 vey of Ireland and Professor of Geology in the Boyal College 

 of Science, Dublin, died in London on October 18 at the age of 

 eighty-eight years. He was born in Antrim, in 1829, and of 

 his many contributions, one of the most important was the series 

 of detailed geological maps of Ireland. 



