

PROBLEMS IN TRAINING MINING ENGINEERS 651 



sciences on which the future engineer may safely build, as circum- 

 stances may require? 



The former system is the European practice, such parallel courses 

 as mining engineering (further subdivided into coal- and metal- 

 mining), metallurgical engineering (also subdivided into two 

 branches), mine-surveying, mine-geology, and the like, being com- 

 monly recognized departments within which the student specializes 

 in an undergraduate course. 



In an old community, where the mines are under Government 

 control, and customs have crystallized, such a specialization is wise. 

 Each student can estimate with certainty the need for the specialty 

 he chooses, and be sure of employment in his own line. 



But under American conditions (with a few notable exceptions, 

 where conditions have become relatively stable), it is unsafe to spe- 

 cialize too soon and on too narrow a basis. Here the mere specialist, 

 outside of his specialty, is as helpless as a hermit crab outside of his 

 shell, and unless he possesses the ability to adapt himself speedily 

 to a rapidly changing environment, is sure to go under. The present 

 age in America is one of rapid change in all industrial and engineering 

 methods, such as has never been seen in the world before. Old estab- 

 lished processes are being continually swept aside and replaced by 

 new ones. These changes occur with kaleidoscopic speed and unex- 

 pectedness; and the man who has painfully armed himself with 

 precedent and ancient lore finds himself hopelessly beaten before he 

 can even make a start in the race. The American has always been 

 characterized by his fertility of resource and power of adaptation. 

 This has been his strength; his weakness has been his impatience to 

 plunge into practice without a sufficiently broad and deep scientific 

 training. 



Fundamentals First 



I believe that we can trust to the American instinct of adaptability 

 without much further attention. But that which is most necessary 

 is to insist more and more on a solid foundation of scientific training 

 to begin with. If we can secure for the American mining student a 

 foundation training broad, deep, and thorough in mathematics, 

 physics, and chemistry, he needs little else to make him invincible. 

 The mining engineer must have a broader basal training than either 

 the civil or the mechanical engineer, even though he specialize less. 

 Mathematics, physics, and chemistry are necessary for all engineers; 

 but for the civil engineer mathematics is fundamental, for the mech- 

 anical engineer physics is equally so, while for the mining engineer 

 we must not only add physics, but also chemistry, with her closely 

 related allies, mineralogy and geology. 



The training of the mining engineer cannot be too thorough in all 



