dip of each and every seam or bed. Thus as soon as the tract or section of the mine intended to be so worked has been suitably laid out with slopes, air-ways, etc., coal-getting commences all along the line, and on the level course at the deepest or furthest point inside, and in as many seams or splits of the seam as thought desirable. Mining is regularly, quickly, and vigorously carried on, keeping the faces or walls nearly parallel to one another, and of course ascending just as fast as the coal is mined out and removed and the refuse thrown behind. All coal is mined at one operation, each bed or seam being worked a short distance in advance of the upper ones, and no pillars are required to be left. Communications are made between the various seams by cutting away the dividing slates, etc., at the foot of the slope, as well as at the other suitable points inside on either hand. Through these short tunnels or flats, the coal from the back or higher seams is brought out and hoisted along with that cut in the front or lower seam or seams, if several are worked in advance of the flat. M. W. B. COAL-MEASURES IN THE ARGENTINE REPUBLIC. La formacion carbonifera de la Republica Argentina. By DR. C. BERG. Anales de la Sociedad Contifica Argentina, 1891, Vol. xxxi., pp. 209-212, and Vol. xxxii., pp. 68-71. Plant remains were discovered in the coal-mines near Retamito, in the province of San Juan, by Padre Ferd. Meister, and sent by him for determination to Dr. Szajnocha of Cracow. The last-named savant referred them to several species of Lepidodendron, Calamites, Cordaites, and Rhaeopteris (Lower Kulm), but he remarked that the specimens were in bad preservation. The second paper on this subject is chiefly taken up with a discussion of the various claims to priority of the discovery of true Coal-measures in the Argentine Republic. O. S. E. A GOLD-FIELD IN THE SOUTHERN URALS. Ein interessantes Goldvorkommen im Südlichen Ural. By R. HELMHACKER. Bergund Huettenmannische Zeitung, 1892, Vol. li., pp. 95 and 96. The country between the central Ural range and the river of the same name in the Verchnéuralsk and Orsk districts contains, amongst other geological rarities, some curious veins containing gold. Running in the direction of the mountain range are clefts containing finegrained diorite, which in their turn are traversed by thin veins of quartz thinly impregnated with gold. The quartz veins are each separated from the diorite by a layer of sandy slate, of about the thickness of stout drawing paper, which appears to be the true home of the gold, and the depth of the gold-bearing stratum is co-extensive with this vein formation. As in other districts, the occurrence of gold is very irregular, but in places the yield is as much as from to 1 per cent. In exceptional cases the yield reaches 10 per cent., or even more. Under a blow from a heavy hammer the diorite at the outcrop will split into thin layers at right angles to the direction of the quartz veins. The diorite blocks thus separated are lifted out, and the parts of them adjacent to the gold-bearing slaty layer are worked in the trough. A similar stratification was to be seen in the Jilové Mine, on the Sázava, in Bohemia, but the workings are now abandoned, and their yield of gold cannot be ascertained. A. R. L. BRINE AND NATURAL GAS IN SZE-CHUAN. Les salines et les puits de feu de la Province du Se-Tchoan. By FATHER LOUIS COLDRE. Annales des Mines, 1891, Series 8, Vol. xix., pp. 441-528, and Plates xiii-xv. At the outset of this paper a résumé is given of the Chinese weights, measures, and coinage, with the calculated equivalents of the two former in the metric system. The utility of the résumé is apparent when one notes how the units of measurement vary from one province of the Celestial empire to the other. After a brief mention of the official Great Book, or Yen-fa-che, of the Sze-Chuan salt works, a laborious compilation filling twenty huge tomes, the author sketches the physiography of the region. Sze-Chuan is one of the largest and most mountainous provinces in the Chinese empire. It forms the drainage-area of the upper portion of the Blue River, which flows from west to cast through the province. Westward it is shut off from the Thibetan table-land by a range of high peaks covered with eternal snows; northward and eastward it is also barred by great mountain ranges, which are made up of granite, Palæozoic limestone, millstone grit, and Carboniferous and Liassic sandstones. The centre of the province, the least mountainous portion, is made up of Tertiary freshwater sandstones, some of which are hard enough to make good grindstones and paving-stones. Borings have disclosed the presence, immediately beneath the Tertiaries, of Bunter sandstones and marls, and in juxtaposition with this may be placed the fact that the only mineral wealth of this central district of the province is its salt. Politically, the province is divided into four governments, north, south, east, and west-Chuan-pe, Chuan-lan, Chuan-tong, and Chuan-si. In the southern, or Chuan-lan, government are the most extensive salt works and the most abundant wells of natural gas (ho-szin fire-wells). Altogether, there are about 10,000 brine springs in Sze-Chuan, with a daily yield ranging from an insignificant amount to a really enormous quantity. The total annual salt production is estimated at 812,000 metric tons, value on the spot £5,600,000. By the time the salt reaches the consumer the price is trebled; this is accounted for in part by the heavy Imperial salt-tax and the difficulties of transport. According to Chinese custom, certain districts have a government monopoly for salt production, but enterprising individuals, who chance to tap brine springs out of the privileged region, sometimes set the monopoly at defiance by wholesale bribery of the government officials. The original possessors of the monopoly have recourse to the same chinking arguments, and the mandarins ultimately decide in favour of the party with the longest purse and the most open hand. Contests of this nature are often carried on between town and town. The author selects for lengthy description the brine springs and evaporating works of the Fu-Shuen district. The borings here are very deep, averaging 2,000 feet, the shallowest being 650 feet, and the deepest, which has proved barren so far, 3,500 feet. The methods of working are very primitive and are characterized by extreme slowness. It is interesting to note that the most productive brine springs are not tapped, as might be supposed, near the top of the Trias, but low down just above the Carboniferous; whilst, on the other hand, wells of natural gas have been struck before meeting with any coal deposits. In Fu-Shuen this natural gas is used as fuel for the salt-pans, but in other districts wood, straw, and, more rarely, coal, are used. The author notes the influence of atmospheric changes on the jets of gas from the shallower wells. If the sky is clear and the weather calm the gas jet appears to become more powerful, whilst in misty or windy weather the jet diminishes, or even sometimes stops altogether for a time. Two of the plates illustrating the paper and representing graphically the various processes of boring, evaporating, etc., were executed by a Chinese draughtsman. O. S. E. REPORT ON THE COAL OUTCROPS IN THE SHARIGH VALLEY, BALUCHISTAN. By W. KING. Records of the Geological Survey of India, 1889, Vol. xxii., pp. 149-153. Outcrops of coal are found at Mudgorge Railway Station, Dirgi Station, Khila Hakim Khan, Khost, Hagi Kats, Khila Ali Khan, Sharigh, one good though thin seam, consisting of two layers of coal, the upper 10 inches thick, with band of shale, 2 to 16 inches, and lower coal 16 inches. M. W. B. THE CHERRA POONJEE COAL-FIELD IN THE KHASIA HILLS (INDIA). By TOM D. LA TOUCHE. Records of the Geological Survey of India, 1889, Vol. xxii., pp. 167-171, and one plan. The coal of Cherra Poonjee occurs near the top of an isolated ridge. A bed of limestone 75 feet thick forms the base of the ridge, and upon it rest several beds of sandstone and shale containing one seam of coal about 10 feet above the limestone. The seam varies from 3 feet to 9 feet, with a total available quantity of 1,184,369 tons of coal. M. W. B. THE LAKADONG COAL-FIELD, JAINTIA HILLS (INDIA). By Toм D. LA TOUCHE. Records of the Geological Survey of India, 1890, Vol. xxiii., pp. 14-17, and two plans. The Lakadong coal-field is situated on the southern edge of Jaintia Hills. Coal is found near the top of several plateaus. The Umlotodo plateau contains a scam of coal ranging from nil up to 10 feet thick; taking the average section at 2 feet the coal available is about 853,000 tons. The Umat plateau seam varies up to 4 feet thick, and may contain 311,000 tons of coal. The coal is very similar to the Cherra. M. W. B. THE COAL-FIELDS OF LAIRUNGAO, MAOSANDRAM, AND MAOBELARKAR, IN THE KHASI HILLS (INDIA). By Toм D. LA TOUCHE. Records of the Geological Survey of India, 1890, Vol. xxiii., pp. 120-124 and three plans. The Lairungao coal-field is situated about 7 miles from Cherra, and the coal is very similar to, but not so good as, that of the Cherra Punji coal-field. the average thickness, there will be about 1,000,000 tons of coal. Taking The Maosandram coal-field occupies the summit of three small hills. There is one seam attaining a maximum thickness of about 7 feet, but taking the mean thickness there are 63,000 tons available. The Maobelarkan coal-field is smaller than the last. The Coal-measures appear to have been deposited in a small bay hollowed out of the older quartzites. One seam of coal is found, ranging up to 9 feet thick, containing about 52,000 tons. M. W. B. COAL IN NEW CALEDONIA. Les Mines de Houille de la Nouvelle-Calédonie. By 1889, Vol. xv., pp. 450, 451. PORTE. Le Génie Civil, The first district is rich in coal, which is found at ten places. Near Mont D'Or, coal is found at N'Dé, and Bully Colliery. Two pits are sunk, and at a depth of 60 feet a seam is found about 20 feet thick. The quality is satisfactory, the seam is very regular, and exists over a large area. An anthracite seam is worked at Treizième Colliery. The Sainte-Cécile Colliery, near Portes-de-Fer, is one of the best in the colony, the seam being about 50 feet deep. A smithy coal is wrought at the Tisonier Colliery. Coal is also worked at Brigitte, Karigou, Collignon, Carignan, and Guerrière collieries, and outcrops are found at Boutan, Katiramona, etc. In the second district coal is less abundant. Rousseau colliery is surrounded with hills containing seams of 3 feet, 2 feet, and 14 feet thick. A seam, in two beds, of 5 feet and 2 feet, is found at Aoua. Two pits are sunk at the Loyalty Colliery. Outcrops are found at Me Amélé, Thia and Focola, Dogny, Moméa, etc. A single outcrop of coal is found at Oua-Té in the third district. Two outcrops are found in the fourth district, at Koniambo, and Voh, where the seam is over 3 feet thick. It is considered that the colony should soon supply 12,000 tons per annum, imported from English colonies, and 22,000 tons per annum for steamers, now bought at Sydney. The mines being near the sea, the coal should not cost more than 12s. 6d. per ton f.o.b., which might be reduced to 10s. per ton. Australian coal is sold for 28s. per ton. THE ANNINA COAL-FIELD IN SOUTHERN HUNGARY. Das Anninaer Liaskohlen Revier im Banate (Süd Ungarn). Gluckauf, 1891,Vol. xxvii., pp. 569-571. This coal-field is situated in the Banate, in the county of Kratscho, south-east of Temesvár. Here, above the red sandstone of the Permian, appear coal-bearing Liassic sandstones, overlain by oil shales and thin bands of ironstone. Twelve coalseams are known, but only four are extensively worked. The main seam varies between 3 and 12 feet in thickness. The beds are tilted at high angles, and there is much faulting, while in many places the coal has been coked by melaphyre intrusions. The Annina gas and coking coals are the best in Hungary; they are of anthracitic character, and weather very slowly indeed. Mean specific gravity is 1-42; percentage of ash is 3·3 to 7·0; and percentage of carbon is 64·1 to 67·4. Seven shafts (quadrangular in section, with wooden tubbing) have been sunk in the district to depths varying between 135 and 230 fathoms. Fire-damp is sometimes found in some of the pits, and therefore safety-lamps (Wolf benzine) are used. When the overmen examine the workings for gas they use the Pieler lamp. Four large pumping stations are constantly at work, and ventilators on the Guibal and Pelzer system are fitted up at the pits. Between 2,600 and 2,800 work-people are employed, working 12-hour shifts above ground and 8-hour shifts below. No lads under 14 years of age are employed. Villages, stores, hospitals, and schools have been built expressly for the miners; moreover, sick and accident funds and old-age pension funds are contributed to alike by the colliery company and the men. The coal-production in 1890 amounted to about 270,000 tens. O. S. E. THE FIRE-DAMP EXPLOSION AT CAMPAGNAC. BERNARD. Note sur le coup de grisou survenu à la mine de Campagnac. By The coal worked there forms one great mass, striking north and south, dipping 22° west, and attaining a thickness stated at 65 feet. It is disturbed by a longitudinal fault, which forms the roof in the higher part of the workings, and is seen to form a wall at the lower levels. 66 Fire-damp is abundant in the pit, but irregular in its mode of occurrence. Damp blowers" are frequent, but "dry blowers" less so. Safety-lamps of the Cosset-Dubrulle type were used throughout the workings, and ventilation was effected by means of a Farcot ventilator, which at about 100 to 110 revolutions forced 800 cubic feet of air through per second. The author gives a detailed account of the salvage operations, which were attended with considerable difficulty. All the bodies were recovered; many were much disfigured and burnt. In discussing the probable cause of the disaster, he points out that blasting with powder was not practised in the lower levels of the mine; further, that the lamps found near the bodies of the victims showed no traces of having been tampered with. But it is then shown that the Cosset-Dubrulle lamp, which has a much shorter and wider chimney than the Mueseler type, is untrustworthy in the case of an explosive wave advancing with a rapidity of about 10 feet per second. This lamp |