A erate, not exceeding a pitch of about 14° or 15°, so that the minecars may be taken directly to the face of the breasts or rooms. pitch of 6° or 8° is considered most advantageous, as on such a pitch slopes work well, and the cars are readily taken up to the workingface. When the dip is less than 6° or 8°, the best method of development is by shafts, Hence, in searching for coal in this field, the prospector rapidly passes, as undesirable, all territory in which the rocks show a strong angle of dip, and, upon reaching an area of moderate dip, his search may profitably be confined to the outcrops of the three beds above named. The Boiling Springs prairie, and the same valley farther east, where it is known as the Fourche Melane valley, or valley of the "Big Fourche," is not coal-territory. It is occupied by the shales associated with the limestone of "Limestone Ridge," which are possibly of Subcarboniferous age. SPECIFICATIONS FOR CAST-IRON COATED WATER-PIPE. BY THOMAS W. YARDLEY, CHICAGO, ILL. (Washington Meeting, February, 1890.) In many years' experience as a maker and purchaser of cast-iron coated pipe, I have never met with any standard form of specifications for such. Each water-works company, employing a hydraulic engineer, has, under his direction, prepared complete specifications for the particular conditions required; but I cannot find that any two are alike; and each foundry, in bidding for the supply of such pipe, makes the price to cover the conditions required. I, therefore, have the honor of offering to the Institute a form of specifications for cast-iron coated water-pipe, that may be found useful to water-works companies and others requiring pipe of this kind. The conditions are all reasonable, and can be carried out by makers without additional cost, and with advantage to the purchaser. Section 1 gives the kind of pipe, with its general characteristics. Section 2 specifies that neutral pig-iron shall be used, since such iron possesses the strength required, and is uniform in its shrinkage. Section 5, requiring makers to give the brands of pig-iron used |