In order to determine upon the quality of paper, proper scale and degree of accuracy, upon which to construct a map, it is necessary to know its object or purpose. This, of a mine map, is understood to be, to enable the operator to decide upon the most advantageous and economical manner of opening and operating the mine, to illustrate its workings as they progress, and to preserve a record of the mine operations

Weitzell, R. S.

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 The Knowledge Bank at The Ohio State University Ohio Mining Journal   Title:  Map Construction Creators:  Weitzell, R. S. Issue Date:  1-Mar-1885  Citation:  Ohio Mining Journal, vol. 3, no. 2 (March 1, 1885), 14-20. Abstract:  In order to determine upon the quality of paper, proper scale and degree of accuracy, upon which to construct a map, it is necessary to know its object or purpose. This, of a mine map, is understood to be, to enable the operator to decide upon the most advantageous and economical manner of opening and operating the mine, to illustrate its workings as they progress, and to preserve a record of the mine operations. URI:  http://hdl.handle.net/1811/32457  Appears in Collections: Ohio Mining Journal: Volume 3, no. 2 (March 1, 1885)           14 THE OHIO MINING JOUENAL.MAP CONSTRUCTION.—R. S. WEITZELL, LOGAN, 0.In order to determine upon the quality of paper, proper scaleand degree of accuracy, upon which to construct a map, it is neces-sary to know its object or purpose. This, of a mine map, is under-stood to be, to enable the operator to decide upon the most advan-tageous and economical manner of opening and operating the mine,to illustrate iis workings as they progress, and to preserve a recordof the mine operations.To exhaust a coal property of any considerable size, requires aperiod of several years, during which time, the map will be muchworn from handling, from putting on additional notes, and by itsfrequent use for reference. The paper, then, should be of the verybest quality; one with heavy body that will stand considerableerasing and cleaning with knife and rubber • and having a goodsurface <md muslin back.Keuffel & Esser, in their "Paragon" brand, furnish a paper ful-filling these requirements splendidly ; a paper that, perhaps, has nosuperior for mine maps.A good water-proof India ink is desirable, and is pretty wellprovided io the "Water-proof" brand of Higgins' American Draw-ing Ink. I t is jet black, liquid (put Jup in small bottles) and al-ways ready for use. Perhaps not quite as fine lines can be drawnwith it, with either drawing or steel pen, as with good stick inkTHE OHIO MINING JOURNAL. 15•ground, and it will in the course of time, get too thick from evap-oration, and accumulation of dust; but these objections are ratheroutweighed by the advantages cited above; i. e., its color and read-iness for use. Red and blue drawing inks that will stand washingare also a desideratum, and are pretty well supplied in Keuffel &Esser's Indelible Blue and Carmine Drawing Inks; the blue is allthat could be desired, the carmine does not work quite so well, butis pretty fair.In the]number and kind of drawing instruments needed, draughts-men will differ widely; some draughtsmen, possessing the happyfaculty of making an instrument perform many offices, will needbut few instruments; while others will require a separate instru-ment for each particular operation. As in the field, so it is in theoffice, better work can be done with first-class instruments, thanwith poor one, and therefore they are preferred.The following outfit is, perhaps, the minimum that could well begot along with; this can be elaborated upon as much as taste, re-quirements and salary will permit;A nickel-plated steel straight-edge, 36 to 48 inches long, withone edge beveled ; one edge of this length answers pretty well, buttwo, one of 30 and one of 72 inches length, are better; two metaltriangles, either German silver or steel nickel-plated; one with30, 60 and 90 degrees, and the other of 45, 45 and 90 degrees ; theformer, with one side adjacent to the right angle, 12 to 15 incheslong, will be found quite desirable, and both should have their 90degree angles as nearly exact as they can be made; a 12-ineh tri-angular scale, graduated 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 divisions to theinch ; metal ones are best, as their graduations are more regular; aGerman silver semi-circular protector, with arm, and vernier read-ing to single minutes ; a needle point (i. e., a common sewing needleget into a wood handle) for pricking off distances ; one or two goodruling pens, and a small bow pen : a pair of six-inch dividers, withpen, pencil and needle point : beam compass for any circles of largeradii : some fine-pointed steel pens; Gillott's No. 170 and Gillott'smapping pens are both good : a stick of India ink, a few good wa-ter colors, color cups and camel-hair brushes ; a dozen thumb tacks,or what is better, a dozen good paper weights, for holding thepaper flat.16 THE OHIO MINING JOURNAL.The scale must be decided upon, before anything can be done to-ward constructing the map ;*and upon this question, there wouldprobably be a diversity of opinion as to what is proper. The min-ing law is not far wrong when it makes the minimum scale per-missible, 200 feet per inch, as anything less than this would be too-small to work to, with the desired accuracy, and would not showthe work as satisfactorily. For maps of a less territory than a milesquare, 100 feet per inch answers very well, but for larger areas itmakes the maps too large and unwieldy.The next thing claiming attention, is the position of the mapupon the paper; in this, the general rale of making the top of amap north, is adhered to, unless this is impossible, or there areother good reasons for deviating from it.With the field notes, which should be, and we assume are, cop-ies, and accurately taken, we are now ready to construct the map^But before proceeding to do this, let us* ascertain what the map-should sontain. fehould a solution of this question be sought fromthe mine owners or operators, there would probably be as manydifierent answers as persons answering, and differing all the wayfrom no map at all to one of the most minute detail. We submitthe following answer, believing it to cover the whole ground andnothing more—"All the information obtainable by survey that willbe needed or desired in opening or operating the mine or thatshould be preserved when the mine is exhausted and abandoned."This is a very general and unsatisfactory answer,Let us itemize, and at the same time discuss briefly the bestmethod of recording, at least some of the data to go upon the map.One of the prime objects of a mine map is to show the boundaryline of the premises and the position and direction of the lines sub-dividing the adjoining property, between the different owners. Amine map would certainly be very incomplete without these, evenif they were not required by the mining law.Small circles of the water proof black ink, put on with the bow-pen, mark the corners very neatly, and straight lines of the sameink, connecting adjacent corners, completes the boundary line.Subdivisions of the adjoining land are marked by short lines of thesame ink, thrown off in the proper direction from the corners ofsuch subdivisions. The boundary, and all subdividing lines of ad-THE OHIO MINING JOURNAL. 17joining property, are rendered conspicuous by shading with watercolor, generally using carmine for the property being mapped, andsome different color for all the others.The position and extent of all railroad tracks, and all publicroads, upon the property, is often very desirable, and these two ob-jects are indicated upon the map, the first with carmine ink, by asingle line for center of track, if the scale is 200 feet per inch, andby two parallel lines, indicating the gauge, if the scale is 100 feetper inch ; public roads by parallel lines in black representing theirmargins.The whereabouts of streams, or ravines of any size, and theirelevations, is valuable knowledge to the mining boss, and thereforeshould be represented. The streams and ravines are represented inthe indelible blue ink, and the summits of ridges by a dotted lineof black ink and marking it, "summit of ridge," The stations andelevations are conveniently indicated by writing the former as nu-merators, and the latter as denominators, of a fraction. When thecoal crops out on the premises it is very desirable to know theplace or position of this outcrop, in order to arrange the under-ground workings suitably ; a very appropriate conventional sign forthis outcrop is a rather heavy line, of the stick ink ground, and laidon with a camel's hair brush; make the line very black next to thecoal territory and blend it off next to the barren territory.The position of the hoppers, houses, and all other buildings, arevery often asked for, and are occasionally useful in determining apoint on the surface corresponding to some one underground; there-fore, these are located on the map in their proper position, size andshape.The especial object for which mine maps are constructed, is toillustrate the underground workings, hence all the undergroundexcavations—entries, air-courses, rooms and breakthroughs—areshown in their proper places, sizes and shapes. These various ob-jects are outlined with steel pen and water-proof black ink, and thearea excavated is tinted with water color, leaving the unexcavatedportion white. A different tint is adopted for each year's work,and, where periodical measurements are made, the same can beshown by black lines across the entries, rooms, &c, indicating theextent of workings at the time of measurement; the dates of meas-ments can be placed along these cross lines.18 THE OHIO MINING JOURNAL.As fast as pillars are drawn they, too, are colored up appropri-ately.The'first thing the Mine Inspector turns his attention to is theventilation ; the doors and air-shaft must then be added, that hemay, by aid of these and the breakthrough, trace the air currentthrough all its meanderings. The location of sumps, pumps andboilers, is/requently asked for, and the best way to answer suchinquiries is to show their position upon the map. The rise or dipof the coal is one of the mof.t valuable pieces of information to themine boss ; for this reason the levels throughout the mine are putupon the map in the same manner as the levels along the ravinesand ridges. Faults of the mine, such as "clay veins," "horse-backs,"etc., are matters of much interest, and considerable importance tothe operator, at least one would be led so to believe, from the fre-quent inquiry, predictions and grave apprehensions about them.It would be an unpardonable oversight < to omit such importantmatter from the reccrd ; hence we devise some conventional sign toindicate these characteristics. The draughtsman can not make re-liable future additions of the underground workings, to the mapwithoat having indicated on the map the base lines and stations ofthe survey, throughout the mine. So it becomes necessary to putthese on ; and to insure this permanency and visibility they areneatly ruled on in indelible carmine ink, and the survey stationsare indicated by small circles of same ink. As fast as permanentfalls of the roof occur, they should be properly noted upon the mapin some conventional manner. As a matter of course, the mine own-er wants to know who his neighbors are (who don't?), and very nat-urally turns to his map to see, and if the map is thorough and com-plete and the mining law complied with, he will find their namesneatly lettered on the various tracts of land adjoining him. Thelengths of the boundary lines should be placed along them, to an-swer any questions as to the dimensions of the property. 80 far asa representation of the property on p\per is concerned, the map isnow complete. But when we go to use it we soon learn that it isstill deficient in two or three particulars.The first thing wanted to be known is the points of the compass*For the benefit of those who want these points exact, a meridian isput on at some convenient place, and for the benefit of those whoonly want the general direction of the points of the compass, theTHE OHIO MINING JOURNAL. 19word NORTH is conspicuously placed at the top, where it can scarce-ly escape the eye of all observers. The next thing wanted and notfound is the scale,—that very essential appurtenance to all maps,and without which the uninitiated might be led astray in trying toascertain some needed but unknown distance. Some prefer havingthe scale laid down on the map, others prefer just having the scalestipulated ; as, so many feet per inch. We are inclined toward thelatter method, and it should be placed upon the map where it canbe easily found ; following the title ie a very appropriate one. Someexplanation of the meaning of the various lines, tints, marks, figures,etc, is necessary for the understanding of those wlio are not sofamiliar with them as the draughtsmen, and this necessitates a copi-ous list of notes and explanations, an appropriate place for whichcan always be found on some unoccupied spot of the paper.The map is now complete, save a name, a title, and this title isquite indispensable to any map, and in mining maps contains a con-siderable amount of information very necessary or desirable to beknown. The title, when properly constructed, tells that the draw-ing is a map, and of what; gives the section, township, county andState wherein the property is located, and when and by whom sur-veyed. There is no other part of a map that will add somuch to its general appearance as a well proportioned and neatlyconstructed title, and on the other hand an ill proportional clumsy,slovenly title will detract materially from the appearance of a map,be it (the map) ever so artistically executed. For these reasons weare in favor of neat and appropriate titles.The name of the delineator and date of execution (of the map,not the delineator) are very proper matters to be recorded on the-map, that we may know whom to praise, if it is well done, andwhom to censure and charge with mistakes, if the work is poorlydone or mistakes made. If, in the author's opinion, it is a worthypiece of work, his name can probably be found in some corner orobscure part of the map, but if he does not deem it worthily execut-ed you will look in vain for his card.We have not mentioned the border, because it is not a necessarypart of the map, but a neat border adds very materially to the ap-pearance of a map, and we have no objection to urge against it.Throughout the preparation of this article, we had in our mind's20 THE OHIO MINING JOUENAL.eye the needs and requirements of the Hocking Valley and similarcoal fields; we are aware that such a map may not be applicable toall mining regions, or rather that some mining regions are of suchcharacter that all the data mentioned cannot be gotten, but we be-lieve that in the more important data it can be followed very close-ly. Now, while there might be some additional notes that could beadded to the map that would enhance its value a little, nothing wehave provided for can be left oft' without somewhat impairing itsusefulness. The original map should be kept at the Engineer's-office, where proper care will be taken of it, aud duplicates takenoff on tracing cloth for the owner or operator and mine boss.

Map Construction

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Map Construction

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