The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-03-24

men, is the water rheostat control in the | engine room. This simple, economical and effective device is merely a concrete tank in which the water levels are raised or lowred to obtain d variation in speed, | the differences in the subbergence of the contact plates controlling this change in speed. A small centrifugal pump from the | engine platform controls this device-the | only one of it's kind in use in this dis | trict. Morris Bush is general superin- tendent of the Woodward Iron company. In the ore mining department are the following men: J. F. McDuffie, superinten- dent formerly superintendent of ore mines at Attalla and Gadsden of Alabama Consolidated company; G. G. Hughes of Marion county, Alabama, assistant super intendent and resident engineer, an Au- burn graduate, 1907; Will Whitten, master mechanic, and the mine foremen, William Calhoun, Joe Skews, J. N. Mylan, J. L. Daniel and J. J. Beaver
 The View From the Mine
 On the mountain, from the engine house and the tipple. the view of Jones valley is superb-infnite space of sky and sea like sweep and roll of land. It charges the whole mine with magic.
 Down into the gloom you carry breath of the vast blue world outside. The trips of "empties" is ready at length, the slow drag, and with your canvas cap, your lamp and miners togs, down No. 8 you go.
 The slow trip halts at left entry Il. The long, low tunnel structure of the portal cut, not through the ore vein but sheer through the solid rock, on the main slope, has given place to high roofed corridors upheld by the shadowy trunks of giant pines.
 None of the timber we use," MT Bush says, lis less than 14 inches dn diameter on from II feet in length"
 In the flickering light of the lamps and torches the headings stretch to | gigantic proportions; the timbers seem like huge forest trees striving to hold back an avalanche of rock. There is a | Druid sense about it all, strange shroud- | ed forms appearing and disappearing be- yond the shadowy trees and pitching walls; dim bolders and cairus of stone, and then the wall, the massive seam of
 iron ore-9 to F feet 1t runs just here l into which the arc valve drills grind with horrid sound.
 Those drills are savage things-blood suckers. Steel offspring of arachne they creep like mammoth spiders through the mines. fasten sidewise with rigid tenta- cles and with long attacking proboscis | thrust forward, bore into the breast of the | iron ore. Streams of the red dust fow like devils blood, spray of the red dust fills the gloom.
 All day, all night, you could stand and watch the subterranean battle
 Yes the 1ngersol- Sergeant drill" says Morris Bush, compressed air"
 Its a D-24," says J. F. McDuffie, "and if you notice it's valve isn't flat, but are shaped
 Certainly it deals a heavy blow and has rapid stroke-is what you call a quality machine. It's piston of high carbon steel. its all high carbon steel with the iron parts of double refined and malleable iron. oil toughened and annealed and strong and durable as ordnance forgings
 Yes, you know it, from old times All over the world-all over the world-those wonder drills are sounding. in quarry and tunnel and mine, under rivers and seas and cities in Europe. Asia, Africa and America-all over the world Your thoughts fly in the miners gloom-to wherever the rock drill leads you-and it leads you everywhere.
 But here it is Alabama, and niggsr running the drill. He is careful too, con scientious and expert
 He is Jack McBrde,' says the bank boss, J. N. Mylam, "and smart nigger- one of the church going niggers and as