( I ) NORTH OF ENGLAND INSTITUTE OF MINING ENGINEERS. TRANSACTIONS. VOL. XVIII. 1868-9. NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE. A REID. PRINTING COURT BUILDINGS AKENSIDE HILL 1869. ( II ) [blank page ] ( III ) CONTENTS OF VOL. XVIII. page. page Report of Council ....................... v Officers 1869/70 ............... xvii Finance Report .................. ........vii Members .......................... xviii Technical Education Report ......ix Graduates.................... xxxviii Treasurer's Account............ .......xii Subscribing Collieries......... xli General Account ....................... xiv Rules ( as altered to Patrons................................. .......xv August 7, 1869 ).....xliii Honorary and Life Members .....xvi Catalogue of Library. End of Vol. GENERAL MEETINGS. 1868. page Sept. 5. — Model of a new Safety-Cage exhibited by Mr. James Barkus; Mr. J. A. R. Morison's Invention for preventing Tampering with Safety-Lamps explained 2 Oct. 3. — Technical Education Committee's Report read ......... 7 "Remarks on Rivetting," by Mr. W. Boyd............ 9 Discussed........... ............... 4 Hann's Safety-Lamp exhibited and explained .... ... 5 Nov. 7. — Mr. George Elliot's Inaugural Address ...... 19 Report of the Smoke Committee ............... 37 Dec. 5. — Books Presented to Mr. E. Bainbridge ............ 41 Paper "On the Mechanical Stoking of Steam Boilers," by Mr. James Nelson........................ 51 Discussed ....................... 1 41 1869. Feb. 6. — Tail-Rope Committee's Report discussed ............ 61 Paper by Mr. A. L. Steavenson " On some Experiments with the Lemielle Ventilator at Page Bank Colliery " ......... 63 Discussed................ 57 Mar. 6. — Further Discussion on Tail-Rope Committee's Report ...... 71 Mr. Boyd's Paper “On Mechanical Rivetting " discussed...... 82 April 10.— Mr. I. L. Bell elected a Vice-President in place of Mr. J. F. Spencer (resigned) ... ....... 85 Further discussion on Mr. Nelson's Paper "On the Mechanical Firing of Steam Boilers 86 Further discussion on Mr. Steavenson's Paper "On Fan Ventilation" ........................... 99 Experiments on board the "Weardale" ......... 105 May 8. — Notice of Proposed Alteration of Rules by Mr. Marley ...... 107 Paper by Mr. W. Waller "On Steam Boilers" ......... 121 Mr. Nelson's Paper "On Mechanical Stoking" discussed...... 107 ( IV ) page June 5. — Mr. Marley's Proposed Alteration of Rules .... ... 127 Mr. A. L. Steavenson's Paper on the Lemielle Ventilator discussed. 130 Supplementary Papers on the subject by Mr. Steavenson and Mr. Cochrane ........133, 139 Aug. 7 — Council, Finance, and Technical Education Committees' Reports read; Paper by Mr. T. J. Bewick "On the Mountain or Carboniferous Limestone District of the North of England; " Paper by Mr. George Fowler " On a Method of Abstracting Explosive Gas from the Goaves of Coal Mines" ; Discussion on Mr. A. L. Steavenson's Paper adjourned; Mr. E. F. Boyd elected President 149 Index at end of volume. ( V ) Report The Council have much satisfaction in having so favourable a Report to present to the Members of the Institute. The continued increase in the number of members has been most gratifying, and the deduction to be made for death and other causes is unusually small. The increase of members during the last three years has been nearly 40 per cent. Adverting to the Transactions and Papers, the Council think them well calculated to sustain the prestige of the published proceedings. The address of our late President gives a most interesting summary of the work done by the Institute, and a valuable exposition of the labour of the Mining Engineer, and several theoretical and practical questions connected with ventilation have been placed before the Institute in such a way as to invite much valuable discussion. The contributions on mechanical subjects are also full of interest. The all-important question of Mechanical Stoking and the Consumption of Smoke has been most ably treated, and your Council consider that the Institute may justly take some credit to itself for having induced the Government to permit the use of Hartley Coal on board Her Majesty's ships. The paper on Rivetting is a valuable and comprehensive treatise on a subject that has not before received much close attention. The work done by the Committees has been very important, more especially that effected by the one on Technical Education, whose report the Council refer to with satisfaction; and this opportunity is taken of thanking the Coal Trade Association for the most valuable assistance they have rendered to the undertaking, by supplying the necessary funds for starting the movement. The Council hope another year will render pecuniary support unnecessary, and the undertaking, under the joint direction of the Institute and Coal Trade, from its own resources will prove a most valuable boon to the district. The Committee on the Prevention of Smoke have given a Report, which very properly, as far as regards hand-firing, considers the question ( vi ) to have been exhausted, and recommends future enquiry to be confined exclusively to mechanically fired furnaces. A new Committee has been formed, who propose to issue suggestions as to the mode of conducting these experiments, so as to ensure uniformity in the manner of recording them. The Building Committee have also made progress, as the members will have perceived; Neville Hall has been removed, and in a few months the new building will rise in its place, and the members will soon have the satisfaction of meeting in a handsome and appropriate Hall suited to their wants. The Council refer with pleasure to the visit of the Members of the South Staffordshire Mining Institute to this district, in May, and to the more recent meeting of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers in this town, and they suggest to their successors the advisability of holding the next annual meeting of this Institute at some town other than Newcastle. ( vii ) Finance Report Your Committee have much pleasure in reporting that the Finances of the Institute continue in a very satisfactory state. During the past year there have been 65 new members elected, making a total number, after deducting the number whose memberships have ceased, 465 members and 41 graduates. The receipts of the Society are about £100 more than for the year 1868, and amount to £1,278 10s. 4d. The expenditure has also been greater owing to the extra cost of printing the proceedings, which are more voluminous than last year, in consequence of the Report from the Tail-rope Committee. The sales have, however, increased from £65 to £124. The Capital Fund has been reduced from £3,174 18s. 11d. to £2,366 12s. 10d., mainly owing to a payment of £1,056. 5s. being made for the balance of the purchase of the site of the Wood Memorial Hall. (Signed) LINDSAY WOOD. JOHN DAGLISH. ( viii ) ADVERTISEMENT. The Institution is not, as a body, responsible for the facts and opinions advanced in the papers read, and in the Abstracts of the Conversations which occurred at the Meetings during the Session. ( ix ) Technical Education REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE. Since the last annual meeting of this Institute the subject of Technical Education in the coal district of Northumberland and Durham has assumed a more tangible form. In October last this Committee in sending their report to the annual meeting of the Coal Trade Association, recommended the services of Mr. Rowden, who had offered to come north to carry out a scheme of Education in connection with the Government Department of Science and Art. This suggestion was favourably received, and that gentleman at once came into the district. It was first necessary to consider what subjects fostered by the Science Department would be most useful and most likely to succeed. Mathematics in its application to mining and mechanical operations was considered very essential: but here was a difficulty; to work on in pure mathematics till the pupils acquired sufficient knowledge to benefit them practically, would, considering the present state of primary education, undoubtedly have proved a failure. The subject of Practical, Plane, and Solid Geometry was considered the most deserving of attention, as giving that practical knowledge of the application of geometry which could only be obtained by a protracted study of pure mathematics. Next in importance for this neighbourhood were classed Mechanics, Machine Construction and Drawing, Building Construction and Drawing, and Chemistry. The object of this Committee being to disseminate a technical knowledge among working men, it was, of course, necessary to confine the time of instruction to the evenings after the men had finished work. The question next arose, how is the instruction to be given ? Occasional popular lectures were at once considered totally inadequate to impart any sound knowledge, and it was determined that classes at which the pupils could attend at least twice per week was the proper method. But difficulties again presented themselves; the district was large, the session far advanced, and only one master recognised by the department. It was ( x ) therefore determined to start classes one by one in the most central and most accessible districts, extending the number as circumstances permitted. Following out this scheme a public meeting was held at Hetton on Wednesday, 11th November, 1868, at which Mr. Rowden explained the nature and object of the classes about to be formed. The attendance was very good, and so much interest was aroused that a class of about sixty commenced on the following Wednesday. On Friday, the 20th of the same month, a similar meeting was held at Blyth with a like result. Early in the year 1869 meetings were held at Seaton Delaval, Seaham, and Murton, and classes afterwards formed. Other classes had previously been established, without public meetings, at Elswick and Monkwearmouth. With work going on in so many centres it was absolutely necessary that Mr. Rowden should have assistance. By the kindness of Mr. Daglish a young man from London, holding some of the science qualifications to teach, was employed at Earl Vane's works at Seaham, and in addition to his ordinary duties he took charge of the classes at Seaham and Murton.