The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-11-21
Furnaces Glow and Grinding
Mills Rumble in Massachu-
sets City to Train Men
for Work in Rocky
Observation-Disclosures
graduates Obtain
Practical Know l
ledge Mining
Processes.
PROCESSES.


its hidden stores of metals and miner
ais, was not in any way laid out for the
SPECIAL accommodation Of such young
men as wish to study the theory and
science of mining engineering. The val
liable elements to be mined are scatter
ed haphazard over wide, desolate regions.
while the centcrs Of population ana, cor
'respond.ngly, the centers of education,
cluster together without reference to the
structure OF the earth under them. I'D
other words. the young ana aspirl!
m ming erg ncer who wants To place nm
self III actual contact with real mines
finds himself often at distance from
his theory and science-and vice versa.
The modern department Of mining en-
gineering at a bis up-todate technical
school In the East-where we have
mining scinece. but practically no mining.
worth talking abUut--presents. therefore,
some queer incongruities. Hero. IN Bos.
ton, at the Massachusetts Institute OF
Technology, as the Instructor who mas
charge the mining engineering courses
approaches you, your preconceived idea
OF what professors Of science should look
Ike retreats In disorder. He has the pre-
scrlbed white hair. the indispensable ex.
preston OF thought. the even, methodlcal
voice; but his hands indicate the cen.
tinual handling of heavy tools and grlmy
things generally: and. though he taxes
his seat In patent revolving office chair.
before a very bus!ness.like desk. he stu
retains his complete un form Of practical
but unacadcmic blue overal,s.
The three IRIS" OF every kind OF en-
cheering whatever-in other words. the
preliminary base from which to study
it-mu:t comprise chemistry. physics ana
mathematics AS the professor In the un-
professional blue overal!s would tell you,
Everything in engineering. from crow
bar up. begins with and ends. and
manipulated In these three things The
young man. therefore. who would learn
how to extract, treasures Of the earth be-
gins in the compa rative!y dry ntmos-
phere OF these exact and eSactl's
sciences; but at the same tine he appears
internationally with his nose not Tar from
a drawing board strewn with compaeses
and ruling pens. for mining engineer
must also be fair draughssman. Aftrr
A little we meet him all over Boston and
far out into the country with his myste'
rious three-ieg ged- instruments. kindly re-
uuest,ng us, as I'VE sit In the parks, to
take some other bench so that he can see
his companion with the striped pole on
the other side of the pond. surveying -
q very important part of mirer,s ac-
complishmens, for he must always be de.
pended on 10 find his way mile ara
more under ground in any direction 10
run tunnels, and labyrinths skewed al
All sorts Of complicated ang.es. and, With
nothing IN Sight ahead Of him, but a
fine steel wire. with a light behind II
and a plump-bob on the end. held vertl-
cally over tiny mark on the floor "a
come out even In the end OF the tenth
part Of an inch.
Al the same time that these various
studies are In process, the future mn
ing engineer also becomes acquainted
with minerals in his laboratories ara
with geology out OF books and IN the
lecture rooms, with an occasional trip
outdoors to view the methods OF nature
IN our glacial New England Landscape.
So far It is plain sailing: but now
comes the problem Of getting into actual
contact with the metallurgical work or
a mine, and with the structure Of the
earth in which mines are worked proflta'
bly. Generally speaking there are 70
mines II, eastern Massachusetts,: but Tor
the benefit Of this future mining engineer
there is plenty OF mining machinery ous''
ly at work, even within stones 'hroW
OF Trinity Church, and hardly ploe2
away from the public library Ee ras
only to pass from one room INTO ano.nel
and there, unde, the very halls where
lectur!ng and book learning flourish "
a glowing OF furnaces. rumble Of gr'no.
Ing mills, and a Jar OF falling stamps. all
goirg on IN n half concealing atmosphere
OF dust from the rock crushers.
In this big room there are many young
men In scorched shirts. with their sleeves
rolled up. and with very dirty hanas ana
faces. BY the expression on their couh'
tenances as they peor, into the gsow!E
furances. watching the evolutlons OF uhy
rits of the earths crust under high tenn
peratures. you may guess that whatever
they are doing Is at least interesting,
There are, In fact. more macnlHes az
work and more things going on IN th's
room than al many real mine IN one
place ores rich In Mexican silver are pc
ins ground up In miniature ma!gamaths
lans. In which quicksilver captures ana
holds the precious metal after the mere
earth ard dross have been ground ana
s,fted away. Ii; another machine.-tech-
n.cally spoken OF as "jis'-small cop
rer-bearing pebbles are being separated
from other pebbles bearing nothing IN
particular by a curious "jlsgns' UP an ,,
&c wn in small tanks of water. IN sun
another Place gold quartz Is oe|ns
crushed 10 hne powder under heavy
Stamps. and the tine gold gathered on
q ouicksive,ed plate, or. II II fa!ls "a
deposit there, finally caught on pro "a
rubber belt, over which streams OF wa'er
play constantly to wash away the ae,
,ompanying mud and leave the clean ana
, Lright metal. a.,,s. 5a a.,
II your visit happens 70 occur at the y,
, right time, you may be FORTUNATE enough
To see the refining processes carried ou'
TO the end There will be reverber'
at,ng furnace going full TIT. roasuna
metals at u frghtful temperature to burr
away their impurities, You VIII see cop
pc, melted and remelted until y - ~
most pure. and then cast into thin plates
| for Tho, final process of electric refinement
The plates Of impure copper are placer
side BY side with thinner ones or pure
metal in tank of chemicals IN solution
Ar electric current is then MADE 10 :.
down through the impure plates thfousi
the liquid In the tank and out AGAIN y!
| way OF the thinner sheets. The result MAJ
never TO this day. been entirely explained
but, however IT may he brought about, I'M
electric current transforms the copper
atom by atom, from the Impure plate.
TO the thin sheets. making them grow
| mystsr lousy thicker and thicker. ans
J leaving behind but skeleton OF o'acl
impurities, which are themselves. how