/SS TRANSACTIONS OF SOCIETIES. 



struction, commenced in 1913, of a lishery harbour at Kalk Bay, five miles 

 north of the naval base for the Cape of Good Hope Squadron at Simon's 

 Bay. The scheme carried out, at a cost originally estimated at £55,766, 

 comprised a breakwater, 783 feet long, a fish-landing quay, 260 feet long, 

 reclaiming an area of three-fourths of an acre, and a slipway for small 

 craft. The harbour works, bej'ond their original object, may serve (i) 

 as a base for trawlers, which would thus save 50 miles of steaming per 

 trip ; (2) as a means of loading coal for the squadron and naval dock- 

 yard in Simon's Bay; (3) as a base for pleasure steamers of moderate 

 size. 



Wednesday, nth June: W. Craig, M.I.C.E., President, in the chair. — 

 "Railway location": G. Whitehouse. A descriptive account of recon- 

 naissances, inspection, survey, and location of proposed new lines of rail- 

 way in tne 1 ransvaai and Orange Free State. — "Earthworks on Pricska- 

 Kalkfontein railway construction " : H. J. Walker A description of 

 the works and of the construction difficulties met with. 



South African Institution of Engineeirs. — Wednesday, December 

 i8th : C. D. Leslie, President, in the chair. — *" Hammer drills : their 

 history, design, and operation. Fart II " : H. S. Potter A fully detailed 

 description of the materials, construction, and special features of hammer 

 drills. — "Economies in mining engineering supplies": W. Elsdon-Dew. 

 A summary of 48 heads of economies effected in mining engineering prac- 

 tice, by reason of the war, in regard to local manufacture of mining 

 supplies, quality of material required for manufactured articles, and 

 supplies to be imported. 



Wednesday, January 15th; W. Elsdon-Dew, M.I.E.E., Vice-President, 

 in the chair. — ''Seven-compartment rectangular shafts'' : A discussion of 

 the merits of the seven-compartment rectangular type of shaft, as applied 

 to the conditions prevalent in the Far-East Rand, especially east of the 

 Brakpan-Government Areas section. — " Circular shafts" : H. S. Martin 

 A similar discussion of the advantages of circular shafts as compared with 

 other types. — "Notes on rectangular shafts at Randfontein Central Gold 

 Mining Co.. Ltd., and New State Areas. Ltd.": W. L. White. A 

 description of two vertical shafts recently started which are of a shape 

 that is entirely new in South African mining operations. 



Wednesday, March 12th: J. W. Kirkland, M.Am.I.E.E,, Vice-Presi- 

 dent, in the chair. — ''A form of Mollicr steam diagram" : G. M. Clark. 

 Description of a steam-slide rule for calculating the mechanical work 

 that can be obtained from the steam, assuming an engine of 100 per cent, 

 efficiency, and the minimum energy required to be supplied by the coal, 

 assuming a boiler of 100 per cent, efficiency. 



'Wednesday, April i6th : C. D. Leslie, President, in the chair. — " The 

 increase in the average length of a round in modern developnicnt " : J. P. 

 Bilbrough. High working costs, and consequent raising of the pay 

 limit of ore resources, together with blasting regulations limiting the 

 number of rounds obtainable, render efficient development a matter of 

 urgency in many mines. The author, tlierefore, described the modified 

 practice in the Village Deep Mine, whereby the average length of round 

 broken in blastin'-> has been increased from 3 feet 6 inches to over 6 ieet 



Wednesday, May 14th ; C. D. Leslie, President, in the chair. — " Azotes 

 on the preparation of irrigation projects, with special reference to the run- 

 off from semi-arid catchment.\- " : V. E. Kanthack. Irrigation develop- 

 ment is essential for South Africa if the country is to make any progress, 

 but any irripat-'on orojVct must be bnsed on sound engineering, sound 

 agriculture, and sound finance. Available watei supply being, as regards 

 total volume and distribution, both regional c.nd seasonal, wholly insuffi- 

 cient, conservation is essential, and must De practised to the fullest 

 extent possible. The most important problem which engineers have had 

 to decide, when formulating and designing a work, is a correct estimation 

 of the '■ run-off." The author oroceeded to point out how engineers may 

 be misled by studying the rainfall of a catchment, and how essential it is 

 that the mode of erratic precipitation should be taken into account. 

 Attention to the record of individual rainfalls is, moreover, essential, and 

 one must avoid generalising from animal averages. — " Tlic chemical treat- 



