Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1910 [PAGE 154]

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116

UNIVERSITY OF I L L I N O I S .

[March 9

To the trustees, the president and the officers of the "University, to my colleagues, associates and students, I wish to express my sincere gratitude for their past confidence, helpfulness and loyal support, and I bespeak their sympathy and interest in my new field of labor. Respectfully,

L. P. BRECKKNRIDGE.

Voted on motion of Mrs. Busey that.said resignation be accepted, and that the president of the board appoint a committee to draft resolutions expressing the appreciation of the board for the long and valuable service which Professor L. P . Breckenridge has rendered the University.

MINING RESCUE STATION.

7. Letter from W. F. M. Goss, Qean of the College of Engineering, concerning cooperative work between the University, the State Geological Survey, and the United States Geological Survey in the establishment of a government station for mine rescue and mine accident investigations.

UEBANA, Iii., Feb. 22, 1909.

President Edmund J. James, University of Illinois: DEAR SIR—I beg to report that acting with your verbal approval, the College of Engineering, in conjunction with the State Geological Survey, has perfected a plan of cooperation with the United States Geological Survey, whereby a Government station for mine rescue and mine accident investigations has been established at the University. The conditions under which the establishment has been secured, and upon /which the work of the station is to proceed, are as follows: (1) In the establishment of the station the United States Geological Survey cooperates jointly with the State Geological Survey and the College of Engineering of the University of Illinois. The College of Engineering is to supply space in the Mechanical Engineering Laboratory for the necessary equipment, and is to furnish, without charge to the Federal government, this space, including heat, light, etc. The College of Engineering is to supply also a gas-tight room, fitted up to* resemble a mine, into which poisonous gases may be introduced. (2) The United States Geological Survey will supply oxygen, helmets, electric safety lamps, stretchers, dummies, mine-props, oxygen resuscitation cases, and a general line of equipment for use in mine explosion experiments,, and in resuscitation work. The United States Geological Survey will also maintain a mining engineer in charge of the facilities thus brought together, with such assistants as may later be deemed necessary. This mining engineer will have charge of rescue work for the present in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, West Kentucky, Iowa and Missouri, and he or his assistant is to be on-duty at the station practically all of the time. Responding to these general conditions, the College of Engineering in conjunction with the Engineering Experiment Station, has caused to be erected in the Mechanical Engineering Laboratory, a gas-tight room, 15x25 feet, in which the experiments of the rescue station are to be conducted. This gastight room is regarded as a piece of laboratory apparatus, and the expense of its construction has been borne by the College of Engineering. It has cost to date $199.40, to which cost it may be necessary, within the next few weeks, to make some slight additions. I estimate that the total expenditure will be $225.00. This is the extent of the investment that the College of Engineering will make in the working out of the plan of cooperation which has already been made effective. Mr. R. Y. Williams, Mining Engineer of the United States Geological Survey, has established his headquarters in the office of Dr. Bain, and is in charge of the work of the station.