254 Chronicles of Science. | April, 
from the upper part descends, thereby preventing the formation of 
cavities in the casting. 
Messrs. Waddington and Longbottom, of Barrow-in-Furness, 
have introduced improvements in the moulds for casting Bessemer 
steel, by dividing them into two parts horizontally, so that when 
the lower part becomes worn away by the splashing of the metal, 
it may be replaced by another, the upper part serving for several 
lower ones. The two parts are fastened together by bolts, which 
pass through lugs on the outside of the mould. 
Miniae. 
Technical education is at the present time so much the subject of 
discussion, that it is of interest to receive the Report of the Miners’ 
Association of Cornwall and Devonshire. This Association has for 
nearly ten years carried out, amongst the miners of Western 
England, a system of instruction in such branches of science as 
appear to be directly applicable to Mining and Metallurgy. One 
feature is peculiarly its own: instead of establishing a school in 
some centre to which those who desire instruction may come, 
a system of classes in the very midst of a group of mines has been 
adopted. The teacher visits these classes in regular order, and 
delivers his lectures, gives his demonstrations, and carries out his 
examinations. From the report we learn that many young miners 
who have availed themselves of the instruction given in the classes 
have secured positions of responsibility both at home and abroad, 
which they could not have taken but for their advanced knowledge. 
Out of twenty-nine persons who passed the Government examin- 
ations in 1867 m Mineralogy, as many as twenty received their 
instructions from the lecturer of this Association, and of these four- 
teen have passed sufficiently high to be entitled to a prize. One of 
them, Francis Oats, a working miner in Botallack Mine, succeeded 
in obtaining the Gold Medal in Mineralogy from the Department 
of Science and Art. A plan of employing the more advanced pupils 
to teach the elementary branches in the schools has been carried 
out, with apparent advantage to all concerned, and by this arrange- 
ment the lecturer is enabled to cover more ground. 
In the report before us, the papers read at the annual meeting 
of the Association are printed. They are peculiarly fitted to the 
requirements of the miner. There are eight papers on different 
descriptions of Rock-boring Machines, which are illustrated ; two on 
. Hydraulic Machinery applied to mines, fully illustrated, and several 
other papers of local and general interest on mines and mining. 
Altogether, the experiment which has been carried on, with 
very limited means, by the Miners’ Association of Cornwall and 
Devonshire is most encouraging. ‘The report shows especially that 
