636 MINING ENGINEERING 



tions; to effect this, the crude stamp for crushing, and the sweeping 

 huddle for concentrating ores were developed. 



As to the periods when the mineralogist, the geologist, and the 

 chemist became separate professions, investigating everything in their 

 lines and contributing from their stores of knowledge, to the benefit 

 of the miner, I will not discuss. But the time has never yet been 

 reached when the miner could afford not to have a good working 

 knowledge of those subjects. 



The next great step was the use of drill and blasting powder 

 (A. D. 1620). The slow, tedious chipping was replaced by the more 

 rapid boring and blasting out of rock masses, and the speed of mining 

 increased immensely. 



A. D. 1776, the steam engine came to the help of the miner. The 

 pumping engine came first, for removing water, and then the hoisting 

 engine. 



About A. D. 1840 the locomotive was invented and used for hauling 

 coal and ore. 



We sometimes think of all engineering depending on or pertaining 

 to the steam engine, whereas the true engineer is a man who must 

 adapt means to ends, whatever they may be and whether he ever did 

 or did not know of them before. He can use precedent as far as it will 

 go, and must fill in the rest from his brain. He may have to harness 

 up a waterfall on the side of a mountain, bring down the water in a 

 great pipe, and level gravel hills with a water jet more powerful than 

 those used by our city fire departments. Or he may have to use the 

 water to compress air and convey it in pipes to his mine and use it 

 there to drive his powerful hoisting and pumping machinery and his 

 power drills for drilling the rock. 



In 1860 nitro-glycerine was introduced as a powerful blasting 

 material, adding to the speed and economy of the work of excavation. 



The miner, by his needs of prime movers, transmitting machinery, 

 transporting machinery, and use of water, has contributed much to 

 the development of the mechanical engineer and to a less degree to the 

 railroad and hydraulic engineer. 



The miner and the agriculturist really take shares in this develop- 

 ment. They are both fundamental callings, taking the good things 

 from the ground. The farmer has probably helped more in the devel- 

 opment of the railroad, while the miner's field has given him a greater 

 hand in developing power machinery and hydraulics. 



Later these all became independent professions, and having made 

 great advances in their studies they now in their turn contribute 

 advanced ideas to the benefit of the miner. 



But here again no mining engineer can afford to be without a good 

 working knowledge of mechanical engineering, constructive engineer- 

 ing, hydraulic engineering, or railroad engineering. 



