Mining methods have developed in the course of centuries from the breaking of ore by hand from small but rich deposits to modern techniques by which 20, 000 to 50, 000 tons of low-grade ore can be removed each day from deposits hundreds of feet underground. A further advance in technique is proposed and discussed, namely, the use of nuclear explosives in underground mining. Such a method would add to our national resources by making it possible to mine deposits which cannot now be economically exploited. Proposed nuclear modifications are presented, together with the potentialities and limitations of the proposed technique.
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