A text-book of ore and stone mining

Front matter

BOUGHT WITH THE I^fCOMBi FROM THE

SAGE ENDOWMENT E^^^

THE GIFT OF

Preface

The object of my text-book is to assist students in acquiring a knowledge of the art of mining. Books and lectures are not intended to take the place of practical teaching at mines ; but they render the training more thorough and complete in many ways : they serve to explain the principles of the art, to solve difficulties which perplex the beginner, to suggest matters which he should observe, to tell him of things beyond his ken, and to supply him with a system for arranging his ideas methodically.

It will be seen by my numerous references that I have not hesitated to avail myself of very varied sources of information, and that I have taken care to avoid dwelling too much upon English examples.

As far as possible I have set my face against the indiscriminate use of the local slang of any particular district. Mining is quite difficult enough without introducing unnecessary technical terms, and if words which are generally understood by English-speaking nations will express our ideas clearly, it is far better to employ them than to fall back upon provincialisms which vary from one district to another ; on the other hand, certain expressions may sometimes recommend themselves by reason of their pithiness, for adoption into our tongue.

Within the limits of this preface it is impossible to name

Ti PREFACE.

all the persons to whom I am indebted for matter contained in this volume. Many useful facts have been picked up while visiting mines at home and abroad, and in the course of conversation with my colleagues. I therefore gladly record my obligations to mining men generally, whom I have invariably found ready to give me the benefit of their experience.

I have to thank the Council of the Institution of Civil Engineers, the Council of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, the Editors of Ungineering and of the Engineering and Mining Journal, M. Paulin Arrault, Mr. Augustus Bowie, Mr. William Galloway, Messrs. Letcher and Michell, and others, for permission to reproduce some of their figures. A few of the blocks have been borrowed from Mr. Hughes' "Text-book of Coal Mining."

Mr. J. G. Lawn and Mr. L. H. Cooke have given me valuable assistance in correcting proofs, and the former especially has saved me from some of the pitfalls which beset the path of an author who is passing a book through the press. The very full index prepared for me by Mr. S. W. Price will facilitate reference to my pages.

Llandudno, North Walks, Jlaij, 1894.

GENERAL CONTENTS.

Chapter I. — Mode of Occurrence of Minerals. Classification

PAGE

Gold ore .

PACE 41

Tabular Deposits .

• 5

Graphite .

■ 50

I. Beds

• 5

Gypsum

• 5°

2. Veins or Lodes

• 5

SI

Masses .

Iron ore .

SI

Examples

Lead ore .

■ ss

Alnm".

. 20

Manganese ore .

S7

Amber

. 21

Mica ....

ss

Antimony .

. 21

Natural Gas

Arsenic

. 21

Nitrate of Soda .

Asbestos .

. 21

Ozokerite .

Asphalt .

. 22

Petroleum .

Barytes

■ 23

Phosphate of Lime .

Borax

• 23

Potassium Salts

Boric Acid

• 25

Quicksilver ore .

Carbonic Acid .

• 25

Salt ....

Clay .

. 26

Silver ore .

Cobalt ore .

■ 27

Slate ....

Copper ore

. 28

Sulphur .

Diamonds .

• 37

Tin ore .

Flint .

• 39

Zinc ore .

Freestone .

■ 41

Faults ....

Chj

LPTEE II.-

-Prospecting.

Chance Discoveries .

■ 93

Sheading

Adventitious Finds .

• 95

Hushing

Geology as a Guide to Mi

aerals 97

Piercing

io5

Associated Minerals .

• 97

Lode Lights .

Surface Indications .

■ 97

Altered Vegetation

Form of the ground

. 98

Old Workings

Colour .

■ 99

Names of Places .

no

Gozzan .

• 99

Divining Kod

III Indicative Plants

. 103

Dipping Needle .

III

Animals as Indicators .

. 105

viii

Chapter III. — Boeing. PAGE

Uses of Bore-holes . . .113 Methods of Boring Holes . . 113

I. Boring by Eotation . • "3

Anger . . . .113 Diamond Drills . .118

II. Boring by Percussion

with Rods . . .124

PAGE

Iron Bods . . .124 Wooden Eods . .134 III. Boring by Percussion

with Rope . . 137 American System . 137 Mather and Piatt's

System . . .142

Chapter IV. — Breaking Ground. Hand tools

■A. Percus.sive Drills . 180

Shovel ....

IS"

IV. Machines for Catting

Crowbar

Grooves . . -199

Pick .

1. Mechanical Picks . 199

Wedge ....

^. Travelling Rock

Saws ....

1 54

Drills . . . 201

Tools for Boring and Blast

3. Circular Saws . 202

ing .

4. Endless Chains

Machinery for Breaking Gronnc with Cutters . 204

Transmission of Power

5. Wire Saw . . 204

By Air .

6. Revolving Bar with

Water .

Cutters . . 206

Electricity

V. Machines for tunnelling 206

Excavating Machinery

Modes

of using Holes for

I. Steam Diggers

II. Dredges

Driving and Sinking . .221

III. EockDriUs .

Fire-setting .... 225

I. Eotary Drills

Excavating by Water . . 226

Chapter V. — Supporting Excavations. Timbering

. 227

Metallic Supports . . . 255

Kinds of Timber used

. 227

Levels 255

Preservation of Timber

. 229

Levels .

• 232

Working Places . . . 265

Shafts . . . .

• 236

Watertight Linings for Shafts 266

Working-places

Special Processes . . .271

Masonry .

• 249

Boring Method . . .271

Levels .

. 250

Compressed Air Method . 277

Shafts .

. 252

Freezing Method . . . 279

Working Places .

• 254

Haase Process . . . 283

Chapter VI. — Exploitation

Open Works .... 285 Hydraulic Mining. . . 292 Excavation of Minerals under

Water .... 302 Extraction of Minerals by Wells

and Bore-holes . . . 304

Underground Workings Beds.

A. Pillar Workings

B. Longwall Workings Veins

Masses

308 309 309 322

325 340

CONTENTS.

Chapter VII. — Haulage oe Transport. PAGE

Underground .... 348

By Shoots .... 348

Persons .... 349

Sledges .... 350

Vehicles . . . .350

Wheelbarrow . . 350

Carts and Waggons . 350

Bailways . . .351

Power XJsed . .361

Human Labour . 361

Animal Labour . . 361

Gravity . . . 362

PAGE

Machinery. . . 363 a. Locomotives . 363 h. Stationary Engines

. 364

Conveyance

by Boats

. 372

bove Ground

. 373

Shoots .

.

. 373

Pipes .

. 373

Persons .

. 375

Sledges .

. 375

Vehicles

. 375

Boats .

. 380

Aerial Ropeways .

. 380

Chapteh VIII. — Hoisting or Winding.

Motors, Drums and Pulley

Hopes, Chains, and Attachments .... 398

Eeceptacles .... 404 (o) Buckets . . 404

(i) Guided Buckets . . 408 (c) Cage . .417

Other Appliances . .418

Keps

Signals .

Safety Appliances

Overwinding.

Stopping Gear

Safety Catches

Springs .

Testing Ropes Pneumatic Hoisting

• 419 . 420 . 422

■ 424 . 426

• 427 . 427

• 427

Chapter IX. — Drainage. Surface Water .... 429

Dams 430

Drainage Tunnels . . 433

Siphons . . . . 437

Winding Machinery. . . 437

Pumping Engines above ground 441

Motors . . . 442

Accessories . . . 457

Pumping Eogines below ground 466

Worked by Steam . . 466

Water . . 469

Compressed

Electricity . 470

Co-operative Pamping . . 473

Chapter X. — Ventilation. Atmosphere of Mines . . 475 Causes of Pollution of Air in

Natural Ventilation . . . 482

Artificial Ventilation . . 490

I. Furnace Ventilation . 490

II. Mechanical Ventilation . 491

Water Blast . .491

Steam Jet . . . 492

Air Pumps (Fans) . 492

Testing the Quality of Air . 498

Fire Damp .... 498 Carbonic Acid . . . 501 Oxygen . . . .505

Measuring the Quantity and

Pressure of the Air . . 506 Anemometers . . 507

Water Gauge . . 508

Efficiency of Ventilating Appliances 509

Resistance caused by Friction . 510

CONTENTS.

Chaptee XI. — Lighting.

PAGE

Eeflected Daylight . . .513

Wells Light . .

PAGE

5'^

Safety Lamps . '.

Torches 515

Gas

Lamps "515

Electric Light . . . .

Chapter XII. — Descent and Ascent. Steps and Slides . . .526

Buckets and Cages .

S3I

Ladders 527

Man Engine . . . .

Chapter XIII. — Dressing

I. Mechanical Processes . 538

Buddies

Washing . . . 538

Motion in Air

Hand Picking . . 541

Desiccation

Breaking Up . . 542

Liquefaction and Distillation .

Agglomeration or Con-

Magnetic Attraction solidation . . . 565

III. Processes depending upon

Screening . . . 566

Chemical Properties .

II. Processes depending upon

Solution, Evaporation,

Physical Properties 568

and Crystallisation .

Motion in Water . . 568

Atmospheric Weather-

Simple Fall in Water . 570

ing .

Upward Current Sepa-

Calcination or Roasting rators . . . 574

Cementation .

Separation by Water

Amalgamation

Plowing down

Application of Processes .

Planes . . . 579

Loss in Dressing

Plane Tables . 579

Sampling ....

Percussion Tables 584

Hand Sampling

Travelling Belts . 585

Machine Sampling .

Chapter XIV. — Principles OF Employment of Mining

Lab

DUB.

Payment by Time . . . 637 Measure or Weight 638

Payment by Combination of these 641 Value of Product . 641

Chapter XV. — Legislation Affecting Mines and Quarries. Ownership Taxation

Working EegulatioBs

Metalliferous Mines Regulation Acts .

Coal Mines Regulation Act Other Statutes affecting Mines

Alkali Acts .

Boiler Explosions Acts .

Brine Pumping Act

■ 653

Elementary Education Acts .

• 655

Employers' Liability Act

• 655

Explosives Act • .

i-

Factory and Workshop Acts

Quarry B'enciug Act

. 662

Rivers Pollution Prevention

Act

. 665

Stannaries Act

. 666

Truck Acts . . . .

. 666

CONTENTS.

Chapter XVI. — Condition of the Miner. Clothing

Hat

Boots .

Jacket .

Housing .

Barracks

673 ■ 673 , 674

Cottages Education Sickness .

Thrift Recreation

677 682 683 690 696