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June, 1929

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On the 14th of last month H.R.H. the Prince of Wales formally opened the new Mining Department of Armstrong College, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Whilst we listened to the inaugural speeches we could not help reflecting upon a remark made by Prof. Henry Louis, on the occasion of his retirement. After having occupied the Chair of Mining for 28 years, he stated in effect that, if anything had contributed to the success of the faculty during his term of office it was certainly not the excellence of the equipment. That a splendid measure of success was achieved in spite of this deficiency is exemplified by the fact that many of the foremost men in the mining industry to-day received their technical education there, their names including such well-known miners as Sir Richard Redmayne, Sir John Cadman, Major Hudspeth, F. H. Wynne, P. E. Smallwood, and George Raw.

The fine traditions of this branch of Durham University are now being upheld under the able direction of Professor Granville Poole (who succeeded Emeritus Professor Louis in 1923) to whom we extend our congratulations in having such admirable facilities at his command, for the old deficiencies have now been removed by an expenditure of some £50,000 and the new laboratories and their equipment are surely the best in the country. This is perhaps only appropriate as the School of Mining in the University of Durham was the first of its kind to be established, a course of mining and civil engineering having been instituted as early as 1837. This beginning developed into the College of Physical Science at Newcastle-upon-Tyne with the cooperation of the North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers and eventually, in 1887, became known as Armstrong College.

Within recent years the need for extended facilities for the education of mining students has become more and more pressing. The adoption of new methods of sinking, the winning and working of thinner seams, the greater application of machinery at the collieries both below and above ground; the more complicated ventilation problems ; the more scientific preparation of coal for the market the development in the scientific utilisation of coal for industrial and domestic purposes ; the extended use of pulverised fuel, all point to the necessity for increased efficiency in technical management, and demands highly trained men for the laying out and general supervision of collieries and auxiliary works.

More than ever it is realised that intensive prosecution of research is necessary to solve the various problems as they arise and that the future welfare of the industry depends largely upon the application of the discoveries of scientific investigation which will inevitably lead to our coal industry establishing itself upon a sound economic basis.

Obviously in order to become a successful mining engineer the student must be imbued with concrete practical ideas, and since he cannot alter geological conditions, must necessarily apply skill, ingenuity and various devices in conjunction with natural forces in order to win his raw material from the earth.

Thus, in addition to a sound knowledge of the fundamental sciences he must acquire a thorough training in mining and surveying and the applied sciences such as mechanical, electrical, and to a less degree, civil engineering, as well as geology, fuel technology, and metallurgy. Tact, endurance, humanity, patience and strength of character are all important essentials which combine to make ideal leaders of men and play no small part in the life of the mining engineer today.

Sir John Cadman, Chairman of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company, speaking at the Armstrong College Mining Society Dinner, in 1927, said, "The great industries of the North would flourish again, the mining industry particularly . . . if the scientifically trained man were encouraged. What the industry lacks is a flood of such men and when there are more graduates associated with the mines, coal will be produced more cheaply and this country will recover its proud position of other days."

The demand that Armstrong College should undertake research in the interests of the Northern Coalfield has become urgent and specific. Quite recently, for instance, the Coal Owners of Durham and Cumberland, the Federation of Iron and Steel Manufacturers, the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, and the Coke and Gas Industries have co-operated with the College in order to investigate and, if possible, solve various fuel problems encountered in the manufacture of iron. This work is now well in hand, and already valuable reports have been issued. Again, the Fuel Research Board are cooperating with the College in a physical and chemical survey of the coal seams in the North Country Coalfield, the chief object being to obtain an exact knowledge of the properties of the coal seams. This work is also in progress in temporary buildings and will be continued on the top floor of the new building.

The necessary financial assistance for the development of the department has been obtained from the Central Committee of the Miners' Welfare Fund who made a generous grant of £20,000, and by the Northumberland District Committee who liberally granted £10,000. To this sum nearly £5,000 has been added by anonymous donors, and a further sum of £15,000 is required for completion.

The architect was Mr. A. Dunbar Smith, F.R.I.BA., of London, whose work has done much to enhance the appearance of the College premises. Facing Queen Victoria Road and the Royal Infirmary, the Department will, on the completion of the main College development scheme, occupy the central position, and will necessarily influence any later buildings in regard to the style of architecture.

A view of the building which is four stories high is reproduced in the title piece. Provided with light oak fittings and doors and generous window spacings the whole interior gives a pleasing impression of bright spaciousness and efficiency. An electric lift operates from the basement to the top floor, and ventilation is effected by a 3-ft. diameter exhausting Sirocco fan situated in a small compartment in the attic floor (Fig. 10). The fan is connected by ducts, situated between the roof and floor of the super-imposed corridors, to all the rooms. Driven by a 5¼-H.P. motor having a variable speed from 200 to 320 r.p.m., the fan and main duct to the roof (Fig. 9) are arranged so that they can be used for ventilation tests. The general laboratory is ventilated separately by two small propeller fans fixed in the top part of the windows. Heating is effected from the main boiler house, which is connected to the department by a subway.

Two flat roofs are provided which will be utilised for astronomical observations and the testing of surveying instruments, &c., and the lift shaft will be used for correlation survey work.

The main entrance faces North and leads directly into the 54 ft. by 35 ft. exhibition hall (Fig. 3), which contains models, instruments and machinery depicting the history and development of mining engineering. The glass case fittings (Fig. 11) on the south wall are a special feature in this room and house the departmental surveying instruments. The exhibition hall is a distinctive feature of the new building and enables students to be brought into daily contact with important apparatus used in connection with their training.

Two models, one illustrating the freezing system (Mining and Civil Engineering Contractors Ltd., Newcastle) of sinking, and the other the cementation process (Francois), are of exceptional interest. In addition, there are models of a Robey winding engine, and main-and-tail haulage gear, Savery's "fire" engine (1698), a Broom & Wade air compressor, Davey's beam pump, a Marcus screen, a spiral separator (Hugh Wood & Co.), and of Birchenwood Colliery showing the seat of an interesting explosion. Typical examples of full-scale coal cutters, conveyors, underground switches, pneumatic drills and picks, are also on view, practically all British makers being represented. In addition the show cases to be seen in the foreground of Fig. 3 contain relics of mining in bygone days — wood shovels, a sled and picks — low-temperature carbonisation products, analysis charts, coke sections, rock specimens, &c.

The general mining laboratory, Fig. 5, measuring 68 ft. by 64 ft. and situated on the lower ground floor, is designed primarily to teach the students the general principles of coal cleaning and the dressing of minerals. Small-scale apparatus will be used for preliminary tests, and afterwards the material will be treated on the larger scale plant such as is used under actual conditions. The plant is designed so that tests can be made with the greatest facility and as little handling of the coal and ore as possible.

The plant here comprises the following :—

From this laboratory access is gained along a corridor to the assay room, workshop, store rooms, &c. The first floor comprises a 39-ft. by 36-ft. well-lighted and ventilated lecture theatre (Fig. 8) which provides accommodation for 150 persons and has a specially prepared ceiling to improve the acoustic properties. The room is equipped with the latest type of epidiascope, which enables opaque objects to be shown on the lantern screen and is a very useful piece of apparatus for demonstration purposes.

Suitable wood skeleton frames for the hanging of diagrams are situated on either side of the lantern screen, which is immediately above the 4 ft. by 18-ft. blackboard. These frames are so constructed that when not in use they can be rolled up and retained in a compartment which forms part of the cornice.

Other rooms on this floor are those specially fitted for ambulance work and incorporating a departmental library, research rooms, a gas and fuel-analysis room equipped with a Bone & Wheeler, Haldane, Hempel, Bunte & Graham's apparatus, &c., also a Mahler Cook bomb calorimeter for determining the calorific value of fuels.

The chemical laboratory is fitted with combustion furnaces and benches suitable for the analysis of coals both proximate and ultimate.

The dark-room (Fig. 6) is fitted with suitable apparatus necessary for gas testing and safety-lamp testing, photometry, photography, flame and coal-dust experiments on a small scale, &c.

The professor's room, office, printing room and a 71-ft. by 28-ft. drawing office, are on the third floor. In the drawing office, adequate lighting and ventilation are provided and it is eminently suitable for the plotting of mining and other surveys and instruction in mining drawing generally.

In addition to the theoretical work numerous excursions to collieries and works are arranged during the session and a tour of some important coal-field during the summer vacation also a practical course in surveying is conducted annually at a mine.

Situated as it is in the heart of the Northumberland and Durham coal-field, which raises some 1,000,000 tons of coal per week — much of which has splendid coking qualities — and within fairly easy reach of Cleveland ironstone mines and the Weardale & Alston lead and zinc mines, the new department is obviously in an ideal position for a training establishment for both the coal and metal mining industries and to carry out research work in connection with carbonisation. The whole of the activities of the department have for the last six years been under the direction of Professor Granville Poole, who before his present appointment occupied a similar position at Leeds University ; he has also been a senior inspector of mines and secretary to the chief inspector of mines. It is due to his courtesy that we were enabled to inspect the new building and publish this account, and we also have pleasure in acknowledging our indebtedness to Mr. J. T. Whetton, the senior lecturer in mining, for most of the information incorporated in the article.

Drawings and Photographs accompanying the article