Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1912-05-03
STRONG SCHOOL OF MINES
AT THE STATE COLLEGE

The school of mines at the Wash
ington State College is today stronger
than at any time in its past history.
and the courses offered compare fav-
orably with those given at any of thte
mining schols in the west. The pres
ent high standing of the school of
mines is mainly due TO the untiring
efforts of Professor Francis A. Thorn
son, head of the department of min
ing and metallurgy, who has always
inspired the mining students to work
as unit for the good of the depart
ment. Not only in the classroom,
put also on the campus, the miners
show the same spirit of loyalty, as
students, by always taking active
part i'll college affairs; socially, by
uniting to make miners feeds the
most successful held by any depart
ment. With "A strong and efficient
faculty, backed by loyal undergrad
yates, the school of mines cannot
fail to continue its present progress.
One entire building and part of
second are devoted to the work of
the mining department The metal
lurgical laboratory is located at the
foot of the campus, and contains the
ore dressing machinery, blast furn-
ace, air compressor and machine
drills. The machinery is arranged
in accordance with the most modern
practice, the ore being largely han
died by gravity on its way through
the crushing and sampling plants,
and thence to the stamps or concen-
trating machinery. The blast furn-
ace, which is connected by a dust
chamber to the large stack, is arrang-
ed for running smelling tests on mod
crate sized lots of ore. Practical work
in eXcavating and tunneling is to be
had in the adit Just north of the
building, where, besides giving in
struction in the operation of hand
and machine drills, the art of tim
boring is taught The offices. lee
ture rooms, drafting room and fire
and wet assaying laboratories occupy
part of the west end of College hall.
A distinguishing feature of the class
rooms are the pictures of mining
and smelling machinery, which, as
well as being ornamental, are useful
in providing a mining atmosphere.
The we'll lighted drafting room is
equipped with conveniently arrang-
ed tables for the work in mine plant
design, and also contains mining and
metallurgical. m odels, and a display
of blasting equipment and powder.
The assay laboratories contain an
office, crushing, parting, weighing,
and store rooms, in addition to large
furnace room and wet assay room.
The crushing room is provided
with the necessary machinery for the
reduction of ore to two hundred
mesh. In the weighing room are a
number OF balances for weighing
gold and silver, including several
of the most sensitive balances man
ufactured. The furnace room con-
tains six double muffle coal burn
ing furnaces, and three gasoline fur
naces, with the necessary equipm ent
for class of twelve students. In
the wet assaying laboratory the ar
rangement is similar to that found
in any large smelling plant.
One of the pleasing features of the
school of mines and also one of the
most instructive, are the yearly trips
taken by the junior and senior class
es. The itinerary of the trips in
cludes Anaconda, Butte, the Occur
d'Alenes, Great Falls, the Boundary
country, Rossland, Republic, and 9TH
er less widely known mining districts
At these places the students come in
contact with the modern methods of
copper and lead smelling, lead and
copper concentrating, gold and silver
milling, and all the methods of min
ing practiced by the large and high
ly successful companies.
The faculty is composed of Profess
sor Francis A. Thomson, f. NJ, of
Colorado School of Mines. head of
the department; Harry E. Taylor, of
Kentucky State University, instruct
or in coal mining, and Roswell e..
Sampson. of the Massachusetts In
stitute of Technology instructor in
metallurgy.