The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1870-01-01
Written 70
THE MINER.
A Mining Engineer

question, was put 10 the writer some
years ago, by one, who protested to be
a mining engineer, and who held an
important post as such, under a rich
corporation.
The gentleman | allude 70, was one
Of those, who after studying surveying
and draughting, and what books
teaches us of practical mining, ventured
into the coal region, and commenced
practice as mining engineer, q profess
sion, which in my estimation, requires
more skill and experience, in the exc
cution Of its attendant duties, than anyl
other branch Of engineering.
In the north of England young ment
who desire to belong to this branch
Ofengineering-pay premium to someS
established mining engineer, and agrees
to serve a term Of years gratis, in ordert
70 be taught the business in all its i'm,
portant details.
In the first place, it is required that
these engineering pupils, possess a SUI
perior mathematical education. TheY
must possess a knowledge Of chemistry!
Of physics, Of geology, Of mineralogyi
and applied mechanics. In the course
Of their apprenticeship, they pursue !
systematic course of reading, in these
and collateral branches of sciencd
They are encouraged to write papers OF
subjects connected with general eIt-
gineering. They are also obliged to
descend into the mine, and explore THE
workings daily with some Of the Off
GERS, and assistants, connected with
the general management of the collierf,
OF cOllieries, with which the principals
whom they serve have to do. Hete
they receive daily the lessons in actuh
practical mining, which they SO mu{h
need to accomplish them in their pro
tess!oD.
From the breaking of the sodi"
down to the setting out of works huh
dreds of fathOms below, are thete
young men carefully trained in all de-
tails connected with mining, which are
Of such essential value to them in th9ir
after lives.
After the term of years is serve1,
they are then entitled to posts as ass Is
tants, and seldom are they trusted wilh
the entire control Of colliery under
thirty years Of age, being in MANNER
even after this, governed in all cases bf
great difficulty, by their former masteis,
or by others known as consulting
" viewers" The term viewers" 6s
only another name-a local one-foIi a
mining engineer, derived perhaps from
the fact Of their taking views through
their instruments, while in the act iof
surveying and dwelling.
Although the greatest of care is taken
in the surveys and makings of the a5s
of the Newcastle collieries, this braDch
Of their business is by no means Of such
great moment, as the practical working
and ventilating Of the mine
In the working Of the mine beginning
at the sod" or surface. and delv3ng
down to the coal seams, and in the opal
seams till no coal is left to breed Df,
consist the chief difficulties. Treacbte r-
GUS quick sands lurk in the strata, a,nd
rs soon as these are tapped, they bekin
to fill up the shaft that approached
them, and continue to do so, until they
arc NuDCu OuG3 ny lnCbdllCs COHCISJCs
brick or wooden caisons, being 81 Ink
through their beds. Then there hre
large feeders Of water contained in ire
servoi-s formed in some Of the porbus
strata, that throw many hundreds
OF gallons Ofwater per minute into 4ny
excavation that cuts them. Ponderbus
engines are erected to counterfeit ii ase
difficulties; the pumps in some instarl Ices
at the present time, being bored into
the strata in advance Of the bottoni Of
sinking shafts. Where this is the chse,
the sinkers need not work up to their
knees in water, where they cannot see
the rock they are blasting, until they
fish it up to be thrown into the bucket
to be raised to the surface. The DEEPER
they descend, the greater becomes the
difficulties to be encountered. Thesmen
who sink in the shafts bottom, Sand
the whole of the day under the ul{bish
that is beng hoisted, and any fat;il ac-
cident taking place, a coroner andGury
examine into the circumstances jcOn-
nected with it, and the mining engineer
in charge, is liable to punishment, if
any neglect can be traced out, and put
TO his account. This is however, only
as it should be, and this is what we
must have in this country; mems lives
are too precious to be thrown awaf, as
they have been, by the neglect land
ignorance Of some that | know oftand
some of these cases allude to, shall be
exposed at a fitting time. After the
shafts have been sunk, and~the beds of
coal opened, they must be worked out
in such a manner, that the drifts ana air
ways used to ventilate the works,Rwill
stand a century if necessary In. the
whole" workings, the roads ard not
often subject to difficulties; but i'll the
vicinity of the " broken COAL" Move
ment of the strata what is calledi the
creep" comes on, and closes uB the
passages, by a persistent upheava Of
the bottom state. This not only re@ards
the mining operations, but increases the
danger of its liability to close up It's air
passages, and stop the ventilstion.
Sometimes creeps are so active in their
movements, that whole districtsI arc
abandoned TO them for term of wears,
TIL all the excavations have become !
closed up with rock, IN such a mahner,
as 70 act as supports to the roof, AID to |
2 certain extent, allay the activity of
the creep. These masses of rockitbat
have risen upwards and closeA ~
drifts, are termed metal rigs;'i rio
being a contraction Of the word hdoe
and much used in the north of En5la1d
and Scotland, Burns tells of {" cornEics,;
and " barley rigs; these being artificial
ridges, laid out in fields to facilitate
surface drainage. But the metal iligs Of
the coal NINE, alternate themselvei with
the coal pillars, and are necess arily
tunneled through by all drifts which