The Washington herald., 1920-02-20
new GEOLOGIST
ALL-ROUND MAN
Functions of Practical En-
gineer and Miner Are
Combined.

The new type of geologist is COM
ing into his own. If the opinion of
DIR. Charles =. Berkey, professor of
geology at Columbia University. is
given weight. This modern geologist
has an instinct for practical prob
lens. is qualified to give prompt.
decisive advice when minutes mean
dollars possibly hundreds of them.
in connection with big exploration
or engineering worls.
In the old days the miner, en-
cineer or explorer was his own
geologist. making his observations
and collecting his own data Later
came the day of the purely scientific
Ceologist. who. according to Prof.
Berkey." failed to make good in
the applied science field" or at least
not to any greater degree than the
practical engineer"
The modern geoloEist. said the
professor recently. has taken. advan-
tage of the very detailed observa-
tions made in underground explora-
tions and developments of all kinds.
checking his original conclusions
and advice by the actual findings
after the work has, been done.
Becomes Applied Science.
Geology has becomes an applied
science to a very considerable ex-
tent" said he. "It is now well un-
deTstood that great numbers of So
called accidents in engineering and
mining work,of calamitous or costly
failures, of excessive. expense and
delay. of inappropriate design and
plan Of operation. and of entirely
mistaken or erroneous conception of
the problem in hand have been due
TO ignorance or neglect of the geo.
logic factors involved quite as often
as to mistakes on the strictly en-
Eineering questions.
"A dam that is built, tunnel that
is constructed, a mine that is devel-
oped- bridge. pier. or other heavy
structure that is exploited without
due regard for all the geological
conditions has not the same certain
~ Of success that attends a proper
consideration of these factors"
This is the field of the new type of
engineering and mining geoIogist.
According to Columbia authori-
tics, a marked and growing demand
- noted for biologists of this type,
having the point of view of the ap-
piled science mantle engineer.
Tho engineer of the future is likely,
u is pointed out. to be more liberal
~ educated than the engineer of
the past. Columbia requires that all
students admitted to her engineer
ing school must have had the equiv
slent, of three years of college work,
with thorough preparation in matn-
cmatics. physics and chemistry.
Foundation for Engineers.
The best foundation training" {"
says Prof. Berkey. for the men
who are to do work in this field
Of engineering and mining geology
is the educational foundation given
TO engineers. and the best addition
al training is connected with the
fundamental engineering subjects
This must be accomplished, he
thinks. by a thorough working
knowledge of geology almost equiv
alent to that given to a Ph.D. can
didate. The practical education
problem at Columbia has been solv-
ed by the adoption of a course in
mining geology in engineering
schools as a definite branch of ap-
piled science training.
This three-year course trains
men for advisory and professional
work." he says, 'in connection with
engineering and other operations.
involving a knowledge of ground
structure and conditions, as we'll as
for special studies of mining pros
poets and mine development or 9TH
er formal geological Investigations.
The course leads to the degree Of
engineer Of mines in geology. Men
preparing for the operating or con-
struction fields.or for the ore-dress-
ing side of mining work take the
regular mining schedule.
The principal members of the