A Rudimentary Treatise on Coat and Coal Mining

Abstract

No man did more for the advancement of mining education in this country than the late Sir Warington Smyth. In 1851, when the Royal School of Mines was founded, he was appointed lecturer in mining, and he continued to give his annual course of mining lectures until June 20, 1891, when, sitting with his students' examination papers before him, he passed away—dying, as he had lived, in harness. In 1851 he found the art of mining in the trammels of empiricism; and, thanks to his wide practical experience and his familiarity with continental practice, he was able in his lectures to evolve order out of chaos, and to arrange heterogeneous facts in a comprehensive system. Moreover, his work underground as mineral inspector and adviser to the Crown enabled him. constantly to keep his lectures abreast of the times. Unfortunately, he never prepared them for the press. But, while directing the higher education in mining, he was not forgetful of the needs of the elementary student, and was induced in 1866 to write for Weale's excellent, series of rudimentary treatises a little book on coal and coal mining. This was eminently successful, and sever, large editions were called for. No previous work gave-so popular and yet so full and accurate a view of the subject. Written in a delightful literary style, it bore-internal evidence of not being a mere extract of books, and afforded attractive reading not only for the unpractised, but also for the experienced mining engineer and geologist.

A Rudimentary Treatise on Coat and Coal Mining.

By the late Sir Warington W. Smyth Eighth edition, revised and extended by T. Forster Brown. Pp. vi + 346. (London: Crosby Lockwood and Son, 1900.)