[i] NORTH OF ENGLAND INSTITUTE OF MINING AND MECHANICAL ENGINEERS. TRANSACTIONS. VOL. XIX. 1869 -70. Newcastle - upon- Tyne: Andrew Reid, Printing Court buildings, Akenside Hill 1870 (ii) Newcastle - upon- Tyne: Andrew Reid, Printing Court buildings, Akenside Hill [iii] CONTENTS OF VOL. XIX. --------------- Page Page Report of Council v Officers, 1870-71 xix Finance Report vii Members xx Technical Education Report ix Students xxxvii Balance Sheet xiv Subscribing Collieries xxxix General Account xvi Rules xl Patrons xvii Catalogue of Library End of Vol. Honorary and Life Members xviii ------------------ GENERAL MEETINGS. 1869. Page Sept. 4.—Committee Appointed to Revise the Rules 1 Mr. Steavenson's Paper "On the Lemielle Ventilator" discussed 2 Lloyd's Ventilating Fan explained 5 Mr. Waller's Paper "On Steam Boilers " discussed 9 Oct. 2.—Jones and Bidder's Machine for Breaking Down Coal explained 11 Craig and Bidder's Electro-Magnetic Lock for Safety-lamps explained 15 Cooke's Ventilating Apparatus explained 17 Ramsey and Cooke's Signal Indicator explained 21 Mr. George Fowler's Paper "On the Method of Working Coal by Long-wall" read 27 and discussed Nov. 6.—Committee appointed to confer with the Principals of the University of 40 Durham on the Subject of Scientific Education Specimens of East Indian Coal and an Indian Pick presented by Mr. Grant 40 President's Inaugural Address 41 Dec. 4.—Committee appointed to consider the advisability of making a 58 communication between the Wood Memorial Hall and the Literary and Philosophical Society Paper by Mr. A. L. Steavenson "On Coal Cutting and Breaking-down Apparatus" 59 Paper by Mr. J. A. Ramsay—"The Firing of Steam Boilers economically 63 considered" 1870. Feb. 5.—Report of Committee on proposed junction of the Wood Memorial Hall 72 and Literary and Philosophical Society Paper by Mr. N. R. Griffith "On the Flintshire Cannel Seam" 75 Mr. Fowler's Paper "On a Method of Abstracting Explosive Gas from Coal 84 Mines, &c." discussed Mr. Fowler's Paper "On the Method of Working Coal by Long-wall" 86 [iv] Page Mar. 5.—Resolutions respecting proposed Meeting at Glasgow 89 Books presented by Mr. Hartley 91 Mr. T. J. Bewick's Paper "On the Mountain or Carboniferous Limestone District 92 of the North of England" discussed Mr. Bidder's Coal Breaking Machine discussed 96 Ramsey and Cooke's Signal Indicator discussed 98 April 2.—Report of the Rules Committee 99 Further discussion on Mr. T. J. Bewick's paper "On the Mountain or 102 Carboniferous Limestone District of the North of England" May 7.—Paper " On the Coal-Fields of Nova Scotia," by Mr. John Rutherford 113 June 4.—Paper "On Boring against Water in Coal-Mines," by Mr. Alex. Ross 171 Paper "On the various Weights and Measures in use in the Northern Coal 177 Trade," by Mr. W. Green, jun. Aug. 6.—Council, Finance, Technical Education, and Safety-Cage Committees’ 187 Reports read, and Election of Officers Aug. 9, 10, 11, and 12.—Meeting at Glasgow 190 ---------------- APPENDICES. Safety-Cage Report. Barometer readings—1868, 1869. Patents connected with Mining. ---------------- INDEX AT END OF VOLUME. [v] REPORT. ---------------- The Council have much satisfaction in having to report on the continued prosperity of the Institute. They advert with pleasure to the work done by Committees during the year. A very valuable Report on Safety Cages has been published, in which this difficult subject has been handled with much discrimination, and a large mass of valuable information rendered available to those interested in the subject. The Index Committee have also terminated their labours, and the members have now a valuable record of the Papers and Transactions of the Institute from its commencement to August, 1868. At the commencement of the year it was felt that some alteration in the Rules of the Institute was needed, and a Committee was appointed to consider the subject. Their report is already in your hands, and requires no further comment. The Council regret to find that the Report of the Technical Education Committee has not been so favourable as they had a right to expect from last year's statement. This is chiefly caused by the action of the Government, as explained in that Report. The Committee have been unremitting in their attention to the subject for the last two years, and each individual member has devoted much of his time to endeavour to secure success, and it will be much to be regretted if their exertions should prove fruitless. The Council think that the members of these committees, all of whom have given a large amount of personal attention to the various matters entrusted to them, are entitled to the warmest thanks of the members of the Institute. The arrangements that are being made for a permanent connection between the Wood Memorial Hall and the Library of the Literary and Philosophical Society, it is hoped, will prove satisfactory. The want of a library of books, embracing the most modern treatises, together with the latest editions of standard works on applied mechanics has been long felt, and it is hoped that the present arrangement will in a few years place the members of this Institute in possession of a valuable collection of scientific works. [vi] Adverting to the Transactions and Papers there is every reason for congratulation. The Address of your President will be read with interest by all. It contains a masterly summary of the many varied attainments necessary to ensure excellence in the profession of a mining engineer. There is also a valuable paper by Mr. John Rutherford on the Coal-fields of Nova Scotia, which is important, not only from the matter it contains, but also as an indication of the interest taken in the Institute by members residing at a distance. For the last two years there has been an appendix following each volume, containing an abstract of the patents connected with mining operations. This will be continued in the present volume to 1869. The Secretary proposes to add at the end of this volume diagrams showing the barometrical readings for 1868-69, with reference to the fatal accidents in coal- pits. It is to be regretted that the Wood Memorial Hall and Institute Chambers are not in a more forward state; the delay has been caused by the substitution of an entirely stone building for one of brick and stone. It is with deep concern that the Council have to record the death of many valuable members during the last year. Mr. John Hedley, who held the responsible office of Inspector of Mines in the Midland Districts from the year 1855 to 1864, was a member of this Institute from 1853 till his death, and contributed much to its success during the earlier years of its formation: he also added a valuable paper on Coal Mining in North Staffordshire to the Transactions. Mr. T. Y. Hall was also one of the earliest members of and most valued contributors to the Institute: eminently practical in his ideas, the coal trade is indebted to him for the introduction of cages and tubs, and for many valuable improvements in the mode of extracting minerals. His bequest of £500 for the foundation of a scholarship connected with mining science shows how earnest was his desire to assist in the spread of scientific knowledge. The sudden demise of Mr. J. J. Atkinson, Government Inspector of Mines for Durham, has caused a vacancy in the ranks of the mining engineering profession, which it will be difficult to fill. This gentleman was elected in 1853, and contributed very many valuable papers to the Institute. One on the Theory of Ventilation is especially worth alluding to as being a standard of reference upon this subject. The Council conclude by congratulating the Institute on the continued increase in the number of members, which is equal to that of any preceding year. The total number of new members is 69, which, however, has to be reduced by 9 for resignations and deaths. [vii] FINANCE REPORT Your Committee have much pleasure in stating that the income of the Institute for the past year has exceeded its expenditure by nearly £200; and the Capital Fund, which last year had been reduced from £3,174 18s. 11d. to £2,366 12s. 10d. owing to the purchase of the site for the Wood Memorial Hall, again shows an increase and stands at £2,558 12s. 7d. The receipts from Members amount to £90 6s. more than last year, but the sales of Transactions have slightly decreased and stand at £103 13s. instead of £124 14s. The total income from all sources is £69 13s. 1d. more than last year. It is anticipated that the new Rules respecting the Finance will materially add to the prosperity of the Institute. The publishing account is slightly in excess of last year, which has been caused partly by the issue of the General Index and partly by the increased number of Members to be supplied with copies of Proceedings. [viii] ADVERTISEMENT. The Institution is not as a body responsible for the facts and opinions advanced in the papers read, and in Abstracts of the Conversations which occurred at the meeting during the session. [ix] Report of the Technical Education Committee. Your Committee have much pleasure in being able to report, on the whole, satisfactory results as regards the establishment of the classes for Technical Education. The following is a tabular statement, showing the number of schools established, the number and average attendance of pupils at each class, and the amount received from the Science and Art Department on the result of the examinations.