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By W. T. Ferguson

Mr. Chairman, Members of the Rocky Mountain Coal Mining Institute: It seems particularly appropriate that we come at this time to make a report on a phase of mechanical, mining of coal which had its birth in this region and was cradled and nurtured here until it assumed a lusty manhood that has made its presence felt in every coal field in this country and in foreign fields as well. More than twenty years ago shaker conveyors were introduced into the states covered by your Institute, and immediately, forward looking men saw that here were possibilities for the operator's dream of a continuous flow of coal from face to tipple, if this latest device could be made self-loading. The skill and ingenuity of men in the Rock Springs district quickly brought this about and in but a few short years .more coal was being loaded by Duckbills in this field than by any other means. Not content with this outstanding success, still other men dreamed of having this same Duckbill moved across the face under its own power, and so this same district produced the first power swing Duckbill.

Jan 1, 1947

Jan 1, 1976

Jan 1, 1967

CHAIRMAN ALLEN: Gentlemen, I have been asked to call this meeting to order by Mr. Marchant, and am acting here temporarily in the absence of Mr. Nyman, who is unable to be with us. Mr. Nyman sends the following telegram: "Will not be able to be present at the Institute meeting. Serious illness of my father has made it necessary for me to remain in Salt Lake Please arrange substitute. Very sorry." In addition to having to pinch-hit for Mr. Marchant and President Nyman, I am here representing the Governor of the State of Colorado also who is unable to be here. The Governor of Colorado is a very busy man. His appointments are made months ahead. We only got word of the possibility of his addressing this meeting yesterday morning, and I went over to the Governor's office this morning to see if there was any possibility of getting him here, but he had been booked up for two months ahead of this time to appear at the convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Trinidad, Colorado, where he is today, and which makes it impossible for him to attend this meeting. I know that he would have liked to have been here with you, as there is not any doubt but what the Governor of Colorado has the interests of the mining industry at heart. This was manifested last week when he called a meeting of representative men of the different lines of industry so that we could arrive at some results and some arrangements to see if it was possible to get at the bottom of the condition causing our bad times, and the appointment of commit- tee groups to find out what these problems were and to see if they could get any possible solution to them. The meeting was adjourned with the suggestion that those who were present would among themselves select such committees to investigate the conditions of the coal mining industry, and offer suggestions for betterment.

Jan 1, 1938

Jan 1, 1973

PRESIDENT MOSES: Mr. Hall, can you tell us something that will help our cause? R. DAWSON HALL: I did not want to tell anything; I wanted rather to say something, if. I said anything at all, about my impressions regarding the safety of the mines in the West. We heard yesterday how terribly dangerous they were, and I think that is due to the natural conditions. It is interesting to note that many of the developments of safety, which you will find all through the country, had their origin here in the Rocky Mountain States. It has not been because the Rocky Mountain States have been negligent - though, of course, they could have been more active - but it is becaues the conditions have been such as to make accidents more numerous. Rock dusting by mechanical means was used here before any other country adopted it, let alone the United States. It is true that rock dusting was started in England; but it was by hand, as it remained with the Victor -American Fuel Company to be the first to distribute rock dust by machines, and that is to the credit of Mr. Murray, who was the man that did the original dusting in those mines. It was at Delagua, they put up shelving and put dust on it; they used the adobe, and Mr. Pryde, at Reliance, very early in the game, put dust in the Reliance Mines, and some of the dust, I believe, is there yet but they can hardly find it for the new dust. That is not all. I believe it was first in the Utah Fuel Company's mine that incombustible clay was used for stemming, and in the East, where we were in the habit of using slack entirely, that was a big advantage. Another thing that the West has originated has been the wetting of the chain in cutting. The people in Alabama took a great deal of credit for having used that very early, but not as early as Mr. Brennan did at the Hanna Mine, he having used water on the cutter bits in 1913. Another development was that the Phelps Dodge Corporation were the first people to use, I believe in the United States, storage battery locomotives for main haulage, and while they didn't go ahead with that, so far as putting in power trucks and mining machines, until just recently-I think the Consolidation Coal Company in the East managed to get ahead of them in that development,-notwith-standing, they were the earliest to use it for main haulage. When I came through this section of the country, in 1912, I think it was, I went through the mines of the Union Pacific Coal Company. I was surprised to see the extent to which fire-proofing had been carried out in that mine, with regard to non-combustible brattices and overcasts, which were of concrete; even the boxes were covered with sheet metal. They were very far ahad of us in that respect; far, far ahead of us in the East, because the East has its favorable conditions in the fact that most of the lump in the mines is more or less wet all the time. Another safety provision which has been taken by the Utah Fuel Company, was shooting from the surface. That has not spread very much in the, East, but it has been used in Oklahoma and the middle West. I think there is plenty of evidence that the Western people have been thinking for themselves, in going ahead and' establishing new standards in Safety. One of the most unusual things is this Safety Committee, permanent Safety Committee of the Rocky Mountain Coal Mining Institute, which has been endeavoring here to find out the conditions under which safety cant best be practiced. I think it is those who venture to. criticize the West that) have to show that in the East there is not the spirit which has led the Rocky Mountain region to endeavor to reduce its very terrible death rate that really exists. It has to be faced and it furnishes a cause, an incentive; for further work toward safety; but none can deny that the desire of the western mining man has been to find

Jan 1, 1926

Jan 1, 1958

Earl W. Baker W. P. Bigler Lyman Fearn Leslie H. Johnson V. O. Murray Max C. Scheble Fred L. Smith who left the world better for their having lived in it . . .

Jan 1, 1986

The Morning Session of the Forty-Eighth Meeting of the Rocky. Mountain Coal Mining Institute convened in the Little Theater of the Broadmoor Hotel, Colorado Springs, Colorado, at 9:30 a.m., June 3, 1952, Howard B. Crandell, President, presiding. PRESIDENT CRANDELL: Gentlemen, the meeting will come to order, and I would like to introduce to you your Chairman of this meeting, Mr. John B. Hughes, General Manager of the Union" Pacific Coal Company, Rock Springs... (Applause) CHAIRMAN HUGHES: From the activities around last night, I supposed there would be quite a few that would be unable to attend this morning. I am sorry there are not more here because I am sure we have some interesting papers. First on the program this morning is, The Effect of Continuous Mining on Today's. Coal Industry by Mr. William Wearly, Vice President of the Joy Manufacturing Company. Mr. Wearly: (Applause)

Jan 1, 1952

Jan 1, 1934

Jan 1, 1977

Jan 1, 1968

By M .. K. Stewart

(Here follows descriptive movie.) CHAIRMAN KNOX: Thank you very much, Mr. Stewart, for this wonderful paper and picture. We are indebted to you. It certainly is the most interesting thing I have ever seen in connection with wire rope, except paying for it. I think there are a lot of questions that could be asked to bring out some points that we are not generally understanding of. Are there any questions at this time? I know Mr. Stewart will be glad to answer them. Come up to the front, Mr. Stewart. MR. STEWART: That's all right, thanks. CHAIRMAN KNOX: If there are any questions, let us have them. (No response.) Well, we will pass on to the next paper. CHAIRMAN KNOX: Our next paper will be "Self-Preservation, with Some Comments on Mechanical Loading," by Benedict Shubart and Charles Schloss.

Jan 1, 1935

Jan 1, 1950

Jan 1, 1942

Chairman: Mr. R. C. Heers, Project Manager, Kaiser Company, Inc. CHAIRMAN HEERS: Fellows, I can't say it gives me a lot of pleasure to call this meeting together because I would rather somebody else had the job. I haven't anything to say this morning and I think the sooner we get started with the fellows that have something to say, the better pleased everybody will be. The first speaker this morning is Mr. John Griffen of the McNally Pittsburgh Company. He has a talk on coal preparation and I am pleased to present Mr. Griffen.

Jan 1, 1947

Jan 1, 1969

Jan 1, 1970

Jan 1, 1970

Jan 1, 1978