Mar., 1 9 1 3
T H E JOURNAL OF 11VD U S T R I A L .4XD E N G I N E E R I N G CHE,?IISTRY
The Director of the United States Bureau of Mines therefore called in Pittsburgh, Septembcr, 23, 1 9 1 2 ,a National Mine Rescue and First Aid Confcrcnce. About half a hundred men concerned in safety in mines attended. There were nearly a n equal number of mine operators, mine surgeons and mine safety inspectors and rescue men; they represented geographically all of the principal mining regions from Pennsylvania.to Colorado, and from Alabama to Michigan. They voted to form a permanent organization and to hold the first annual meeting in the fall of 1913.
T H E ANALYSIS OF ORGANIC DYESTUFFS Editor of the Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry: Sub-Commission XI of the International Commission of Analyses, appointed t o study the question of the analysis of Organic Coloring Matters, has examined the possibility of unifying the analytical methods at present employed, and whether such unification would be of practical use. Reports have been received from various countries, and the Committee reporter has arrived a t the conclusion t h a t the unification of the methods employed in the analysis of organic coloring matters is not possible a t the present state of the industry, and would not be of any practical use. However, a n international agreement might be advantageous in certain cases, such as that of those organic dyestuffs which are taken as standard in the levying of custom duties. Such a n agreement would Protect both exporter and importer and prevent disputes. I t might also be of use in the dye industry in the case of certain dyestuffs. s o t h a t if the unification of the methods of analysis of all organic dyestuffs is not feasible, a t least useful work might be done as regards certain special cases. The International Commission of Analyses, presided over by Professor Lindet, after taking cognizance of the reports on this subject presented a t the Eighth International Congress of Applied Chemistry held a t New York in September, 1 9 1 2 , adopted the following resolution: “ T h a t Sub-Commission No. X I , in pursuance of its work, shall investigate special cases, in which the unification of the methods of analysis of organic dyestuffs offers some interest from the international standpoint. ” I therefore beg you, Mr. Editor, to request, through the medium of your esteemed paper, all the heads of official analytical laboratories, and factory laboratories, as well as all those who are interested in this branch of chemistry, t o have the kindness t o direct the attention of our Sub-Commission (or the President or one of the members) to any case in which they consider t h a t a n international agreement would be desirable in the direction t h a t we have indicatcd above. The members of the Sub-Commission for the United States are: Dr. B. Hesse, New York; Prof. Dr. S. P. Mulliken, Boston; and L. rl. Olney, Lowell, Mass. FR~DBRIC R~VERDIN President , GENEVA,SWITZERLAND
PLATINUM THIEF Fellow Chemists: I n THIS J O U R N A L , 5 , 8 2 , I published a brief account of the recent theft of platinum from the laboratory of this Company and others, the capture of the man believed to be the thief, and the status of the prosecution. I n the recent county court session a t Easton, Pa., Leon Cohn, defendant, was found guilty of stealing platinum from this Company. He received a sentence ol two years imprisonment and a fine. The evidence admitted in the trial was restricted to that attaching directly to the circumstances attending his visits to this laboratory, and his arrest a t S p a r r o w Point, Md. After the jury’s verdict, Cohn admitted to the court that he had stolen platinum, and declared that he would steal it again if he had the opportunity. I make this statement as a warning, and suggest, with emphasis, that those who have similar cases
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against him should not forget to start their prosccutions in proper timc. Now that one conviction has bccn secured, subsequent cases should be relatively easy. Before this case came to trial, one dealer in New York City was found who had bought part bf Cohn’s stolen platinum, and another who had, a t least, sent him money. Neither of these parties would appear as a witness a t the trial. Incidentally it may be remarked that there is little hope of any platinum stolen by Cohn ever being recovered. Most of us, doubtless, have entertained a false sense of security in the possession of platinum entrusted to our care, in the belief that it would be exceedingly difficult for a thief to dispose of it. Years ago there probably was more reason for this belief. Being in possession of the cvidence secured in the course of this investigation, I am convinced that the disposal of platinum a t the present time is a comparatively easy matter. The wide-spread and increased use of platinum in the dental and jewelry trades is substance for reflection in this regard. I t would seem unnecessary to remark that in the future there should be no recurrence of such a long series of platinum thefts by a single man, as have been perpetrated by Leon Cohn. A quiet warning, which was so effectively issued in the present case through the Secretary’s office of the American Chemical Society, should result unfailingly in the apprehension of the criminal, or cause a cessation of his activities. In conclusion, I wish to thank the many chemists who have endeavored to cooperate in the prosecution of the case just completed. I have a considerable mass of correspondence relating to the matter, and any part of it will gladly loaned if it may prove of value in the future. Members of the State constabulary, who assisted in our case, will be glad to cooperate with officers a t other points where it is desired to institute prosecutions. Any communications, which may properly be referred to them, will be forwarded as received. R. J. WYSOR,Chief Chemist BETHLEHEM STEELCOMPANY SOUTH B E T H L E H E M , P A .
MAGNESITE IN LOWER CALIFORNIA Consul Lucien N. Sullivan, La Paz, Mexico, reports the presence of beds of high-grade magnesite in the region’of Magdalena Bay. Analysis shows this product to contain gz per cent. pure magnesium carbonate. The largest bed has an area of some 30 acres and is located on Margarita Island. Denouncements have been made on 13 deposits, covering a total area of 2 j o acres. There are 50 acres on Cedros Island. Compafiia de Desarrollo y Explotacion de la Baja California, with main offices a t San Diego, Cal., will install one calcining plant on Cedros Island and another on Margarita Island, each to have a capacity of zoo tons per day. Experts who have examined the properties, taken measurements by sinking numerous test holes, and estimated the contents of the beds, report that there are more than a million tons in sight. The material is so hard that it must be blasted before it can be remo ved . The U. S. Geological Survey states that the only deposits of magnesite in the United States which have been commercially utilized are those situated in the valley and coast counties of California. The total production reported in 1911 was 9,375 tons of crude magnesite, valued a t $75,000, estimating the average value of the ore a t $8 a ton. This is somewhat higher than the price fixed for the crude ore in 1910 (when the 12,443 short tons of crude magnesite produced were valued a t $74,658), but is thought to be the present value of this product as mined and laid down a t the point of shipment. Most of the magnesite produced in California is calcined a t the mine, thereby reducing
