32 brooks: applied geology 



1765, twenty years before the existence of any other school of 

 engineering, except those devoted to military science. This 

 school was to have a world-wide effect on geology, through the 

 influence of Werner, the first great teacher of the science. The 

 founding of other mining schools followed rapidly, indicating a 

 need throughout continental Europe for trained mining engineers. 

 With the exception of Freiberg none of these schools gave special 

 heed to science, but their establishment was of great importance 

 to applied geology, as it gave definite recognition to the fact that 

 mining was to be directed by engineers and not by artisans. The 

 advent of the trained mining engineer was of first importance, for 

 on him was to fall much of the work of advancing the new science. 



On the continent mining was chiefly carried on by or under the 

 direct supervision of the state, and the need of properly trained 

 engineers was probably the chief reason why technical mining edu- 

 cation began before other branches of engineering. In England, 

 on the other hand, mining was mostly a matter of private enter- 

 prise, and technical education lagged far behind the continent. 

 The men entrusted with the direction of mining affairs seem to 

 have been drawn from the practical school of experience and were 

 known as mineral surveyors. To this class belonged William 

 Smith, the founder of stratigraphic geology. 



Worthy of note also is John Williams, a mineral surveyor, who 

 preceded Smith by one generation. Williams was a Welshman, 

 who was bred as a miner, served as a soldier under the Dutch 

 flag, and held various responsible positions in the coal and lead- 

 mining industries. In 1789 he published a Natural History of the 

 Mineral Kingdom, which is remarkable for expressing some of the 

 modern views on applied geology. It contain a large number of 

 accurate observations, notably on coal and lead deposits. In dis- 

 cussing ore deposits Williams suggests a probable genetic relation 

 between intrusive dikes and mineral veins. Unfoftunately for 

 Williams' standing as a scientist, he considered it necessary to 

 present a theory accounting for all geologic phenomena and to 

 show the errors in Hutton's conclusions, which had then just 

 appeared. 



Inasmuch as Williams treated coal deposits quantitatively he 

 was far ahead of his generation. He pointed out that coal beds 



