Triumphs and wonders of the 19th century, the true mirror of a phenomenal era, a volume of original, entertaining and instructive historic and descriptive writings, showing the many and marvellous achievements which distinguish an hundred years of material, intellectual, social and moral progress .. . uld bedifficult to see much of the pump of 1801 in this magnificent machine. Witha ten-foot stroke it conveys the power to the pumps through a walking beamweighing a hundred tons. In an hour it will raise nearly 200,000 gallons ofwater from a depth of a quarter of a mile. Imagine the miner of 180
Triumphs and wonders of the 19th century, the true mirror of a phenomenal era, a volume of original, entertaining and instructive historic and descriptive writings, showing the many and marvellous achievements which distinguish an hundred years of material, intellectual, social and moral progress .. . uld bedifficult to see much of the pump of 1801 in this magnificent machine. Witha ten-foot stroke it conveys the power to the pumps through a walking beamweighing a hundred tons. In an hour it will raise nearly 200,000 gallons ofwater from a depth of a quarter of a mile. Imagine the miner of 1800 ; softening by fire sufficient ore to supply amodern hoist. For the mines which now turn out 2000 tons a day can by nomeans be counted on ones fingers, and 2000 tons means more than a footdeep over a whole city block. Before the middle of the century the use ofpowder and drill had largely increased, and in 1845 an attempt was madeto aid the man behind the drill with a machine which swung a hammer bysteam power. In 1865 a machine was invented using compressed air in acylinder, and this was gradually improved until it became a success in 1861,in the Mont Cenis tunnel. As finally employed, the power drill is practicallya small engine, the drill being attached to the piston rod and moved rapidly. INGERSOLL-SERGEANT STRAIGHT LINE AIR COMPRESSOR. back and forth by compressed air or steam. The machine has three func-tions : to strike the blow, turn the drill, and advance it, as the hole is drivendeeper and deeper. Soon after the machine drill became a success dynamite was invented, andthese two have been the greatest factors in bringing about that rapid develop-ment and production which is the most pronounced attribute of modern min-ing. Dynamite alone has doubled the amount of ore which can be extractedfrom a face in a given time. Le Neve Foster, in his work on mining, givesthe rate of advance in driving a tunnel by fire setting at two fathoms permonth. Compare with this the Niagar
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, bookidtri, booksubjectinventions
