View allAll Photos Tagged bituminous
The Meigs Creek Coal (a.k.a. Sewickley Coal) is a bituminous coal horizon in the Upper Pennsylvanian Monongahela Group of eastern Ohio, USA.
Hints of bluish iridescence are due to the presence of thin films of turgite (2Fe2O3·H2O, hydrous iron oxide), formed by the oxidation of disseminated pyrite in the coal, in the presence of water.
Locality: Narrows Run North outcrop - roadcut on the western side of Rt. 7, just north of Narrows Run (an east-flowing tributary of the Ohio River), northeastern York Township, southeastern Belmont County, Ohio, USA
Woodlawn Cemetery Company 335 Maple Ave Fairmont, WV 26554
Woodlawn Cemetery, located in Fairmont, West Virginia is an example of the rural cemetery. It was laid out by Tell W. Nicolet of the firm of Morris and Knowles of Pittsburgh, PA. It is a National Historic District. Today, the cemetery covers 42 acres (170,000 m2) and has over 15,000 burials.
The cemetery was established in the early Spring of 1875. Joseph R. Hamilton was climbing the fence between his father's farm and that of Norval Barns. The loaded rifle he was carrying accidentally discharged, killing him. His father's decision to "bury him where he lay" led to the families establishing a small burying ground. They opened the fence line between their properties and enclosed about a quarter of an acre to use for family burials.
Ten years later, in December 1885, the Woodlawn Cemetery Company was incorporated and plots were offered for sale to the larger community. 5 acres (20,000 m2) were purchased from each of the land owners, Elmus Hamilton and Norval Barns. Many of the early leaders of the Fairmont community were laid to rest here. Among them is Francis Harrison Pierpont, the Governor of the Restored State of Virginia from 1861-1868, his wife Julia and three of their four children.
Boaz Fleming, the founder of Fairmont, is here with his wife, Elizabeth. Other members of his family are here as well, including Clarissa Fleming Hamilton, his grandson Elmus Hamilton,owner of the Hamilton farm, and great-grandson, Joseph R. Hamilton. Another descendant is Aretas B. Fleming, eighth governor of West Virginia. A lawyer, Mr. Fleming was among the men who created the Fairmont Development Company and worked to develop Fairmont, West Virginia.
James Otis Watson is considered the father of the bituminous coal industry in north central West Virginia. He and Pierpont owned the first coal mine to be commercially viable following the completion of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad linking Fairmont with the eastern seaboard markets. One of his daughters married Aretas B. Fleming. His sons, James Edwin Watson, Sylvanus Lamb Watson and Clarence Wayland Watson are also buried here.
Historical figures buried at Woodlawn
Times West Virginian
The following is a list of the historical figures buried at Woodlawn Cemetery and their contribution to the history of Fairmont, Marion County and West Virginia.
This list was compiled from the application made to the U.S. Department of the Interior in order for the cemetery to be considered for the National Register of Historic Places and does not reflect a complete list of all persons of note buried at the cemetery.
Francis H. Pierpont (1814-1899) — The “Father of West Virginia.” Pierpont was chosen as Provisional Governor of Restored Virginia in 1861 during a Union convention. He was later elected to that position from 1863-68 and was instrumental in the creation of the state of West Virginia in 1863.
Julia Augusta Robertson Pierpont (1828-1886) — The wife of Gov. Pierpont. She is credited by many historians as the founder of Decoration Day (Memorial Day) in 1866.
Boaz Fleming (1758-1830) — The founding father of Fairmont. He cleared a section of land he own and sold individual lots to create Fairmont, the county seat of Marion, which was created from pieces of Monongalia and Harrison counties.
James Otis Watson (1815-1902) — Father of the Coal Industry West of the Alleghenies. He opened his first mine in 1852 with his friend, Francis Pierpont. Later the Watson Coal Co. and Hutchinson Coal Co. combined to form the Consolidated Coal Co.
Clyde E. Hutchinson (1861-1926) — Founder of Hutchinson Coal Co., one of the predecessors of Consolidated Coal Co.
A. Brooks Fleming (1839-1923) — Governor of West Virginia from 1890-1893. He also served as county prosecuting attorney, the West Virginia House of Delegates and judge of the 2nd District Judicial Circuit.
Matthew Mansfield Neely (1874-1958) — Governor of West Virginia from 1940-44. Also served as mayor of Fairmont, delegate, congressman and U.S. senator.
The Rev. William Ryland White (1820-93) — The first state superintendent of West Virginia public schools from 1863-69, resigning to become president of the new Fairmont State Normal School (Fairmont State University).
Bernard Butcher (1853-1918) — Elected as state superintendent of schools in 1880 and was instrumental in legislation for the education of black teachers and the creation of Arbor Day. He also organized the Marion County Historical Society in 1908.
Thomas C. Miller (1844-1926) — Educator who also served as state superintendent of schools (1900-09), principal of West Virginia University (1893) and Shepherd Normal School.
Victims of Newburg Mine explosion — While they are not marked individually, six victims of the 1886 Preston County explosion are buried there under a single monument, including a father, son, three stepsons and another relative.
George Albert Dunnington (1858-1928) — Editor of the Fairmont Index.
Judge Harry Evans Watkins (1898-1963) — U.S. Federal District Judge Frank C. Haymond (1887-1972) — Longtime justice of the Supreme Court of West Virginia.
Cannel City-Amburgy Coal Zone in the Pennsylvanian of Kentucky, USA.
This exposure is part of a relatively new roadcut along new Route 15, north of the town of Jackson, Kentucky, USA. The exposure has Pennsylvanian-aged cyclothemic sedimentary rocks of the Breathitt Group (formerly the Breathitt Formation). Shown above is the lower part of the Cannel City-Amburgy Coal Zone. The black-colored horizon is bituminous coal, which is a common variety of coal. It is relatively soft, sooty, has blocky-weathering, is well stratified and laminated, and has patches of glassy-lustered material (vitrain) in and among dull-lustered material. According to published information about this locality (see Greb & Eble, 2014), this bituminous coal has 11% ash and 1.9% sulfur. Its maceral content is dominated by vitrinite (~75%) and its plant microfossil content is dominated by lycopsid tree spores (~78%).
The gray to brown unit at the top is a shale interval. The gray unit below the coal is also shale. The unit at the bottom of the photo is a channel sandstone.
Stratigraphy: lower Cannel City-Amburgy Coal Zone, upper Pikeville Formation, Breathitt Group, lower Atokan Series (Duckmantian), lower Middle Pennsylvanian
Location: Jackson North outcrop - large roadcut on the eastern side of new Rt. 15, just south of southbound old Rt. 15-new Rt. 15 split, north of Jackson, north-central Breathitt County, eastern Kentucky, USA (37° 34’ 53.95” North, 83° 23’ 07.99” West)
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Reference cited:
Greb & Eble (2014) - Cannel coals of the Cannel City-Amburgy Coal Bed (Pikeville Formation, Middle Pennsylvanian); evidence for possible fault-generated lakes. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs 46(6): 604.
Miris Canada Hill is an exhumed oil field, and 19 deg Api oil is found 90 feet below ground level. Oil field characteristics spell the presence of good reesrvoir sands, which are individually sealed by uncanny continuous and often bituminous clays.
Crews worked on SR 9 for three days from July 23 through July 25, 2018 applying a oil and gravel surface - bituminous surface treatment - to a 10 mile stretch between the south end of Big Lake and Sedro-Woolley. Following application of the gravel, equipment rolled the area with large rubber tires and sweeping happened overnight to pick up loose material.
HNA Hardscape Project Award Winner
Concrete Paver - Commercial - Less than 15,000 sf
Nemours Auto Court
Wilmington, Delaware
Pickering Valley Landscape, Inc.
The Historic Nemours Building sits in the heart of Wilmington Delaware's corporate business district. The mixed use building with retail and office space includes furnished apartments for weekly business travelers. For the past decade the building's main entrance was off the Tatnall Street plaza and overlooked due to a paved drop off and pick up circle on the 10th street side. With a commitment from Starbucks to sign a lease but contingent upon having off street parking, an opportunity arose for the building owner, The Buccini/Pollin Group, to redesign this small outdoor space. Approximately 985 tons of concrete, asphalt, and site soil were removed to a competent subgrade. Storm drains were removed and replaced with a new 40 x 6 x 3 foot deep rain garden structure. One of the rain garden's side walls was extended up to double as a feature wall cladded with 2 inch thick granite panels. An elaborate system of nyloplast risers and fittings were installed for storm overflow along with a Neenah Foundry powder coated trench drain. 800 lineal feet of new Scofield French gray colored curbing was installed with several flush curbs to transition from a concrete paver parking area to asphalt drives to clay paver aprons to the roadway. A bituminous set paver cross section was chosen for the parking area with a reinforced concrete base. The parking spots are placed in 45 degree herringbone in the limestone gray with the super black used to line the spots. The two distinctly different paver fields are separated by 20 inch wide soldier-sailor-soldier bands with the black and matrix colors. A single basalt black granite paver band extends from the building to the rain garden and wall feature with a concrete trough into the landscape filled with black Mexican beach cobble.
nrhp # 66000666- The East Broad Top Railroad and Coal Company was chartered in 1856. Due to financial constraints and the American Civil War, the railroad was not built by its original charterers, but a new group of investors began to acquire right-of-way in 1867 and was able to construct the railroad as a 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge line in 1872–1874. Service began from Mount Union, Pennsylvania to Orbisonia, Pennsylvania in August, 1873, and to Robertsdale in November, 1874. The line later was extended to Woodvale and Alvan, with several short branches. At its height, it had over 60 miles of track and approximately 33 miles of main line.
The primary purpose of the railroad was to haul semi-bituminous coal from the mines on the east side of the remote Broad Top Mountain plateau to the Pennsylvania Railroad in Mount Union. The railroad also carried substantial amounts of ganister rock, lumber and passengers with some agricultural goods, concrete, road tar and general freight. In its first three decades the railroad supplied much of its coal to the Rockhill Iron Furnace, operated by the railroad's sister company, the Rockhill Iron and Coal Company, and in turn hauled the pig iron from the furnace.
As the iron industry in the region faded in the early 1900s, the railroad came to subsist on coal traffic for about 90% of its revenue. Large plants for the manufacture of silica brick were developed at Mount Union around the turn of the 20th century, and these became major customers for coal and also for ganister rock, which was quarried at multiple points along the railroad.
The EBT was generally profitable from the 1880s through the 1940s and was able to modernize its infrastructure far more than other narrow gauge railroads. A coal cleaning plant and a full maintenance shops complex were built, bridges were upgraded from iron and wood to steel and concrete, wood rolling stock was replaced by steel, and modern high-powered steam locomotives were bought from the Baldwin Locomotive Works of Philadelphia.
In the 1950s, coal demand plummeted as homes and industries switched to cheap oil and gas. The last nail in the coffin came when the silica brick plants in Mount Union converted to oil and gas and not enough coal could be sold to support the mines and the railroad. The railroad closed as a coal hauler April 14, 1956, and along with the coal-mining company was sold for scrap to the Kovalchick Salvage Corporation.
from Wikipedia
Tarco Formulates a New Self-adhering Underlayment for Metal and Tile Roofing: PS200MU
PS200MU is a premium, high temperature, self-adhering, modified bituminous underlayment with non-abrasive polyolefinic upper surface with good walkability
LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS – Tarco today announced LeakBarrier PS200MU Ice and Water Armor, a self-adhesive, glass fiber reinforced, modified bituminous underlayment especially for metal roofing. It helps protect a building’s deck or internal structure against leaks caused by ice and water damming and wind-driven rain.
PS200MU is specially formulated for use in high temperature environments. The upper side is made of a nonabrasive polyolefinic film that has anti-skid properties for good walkability. Two key attributes of a metal roofing underlayment are that it slides under the metal roof without scratching it; and that it is tolerant of high temperatures often reached beneath a metal roof. PS200MU offers both of these features.
PS200MU is highly effective in critical roofing areas such as valleys, ridges, coping joints, chimneys, vents, dormers, skylights, and low-slope sections. While ideally suited for use under metal roofing, it is also an excellent choice as an underlayment for shingles, slate, and mechanically attached tiles.
The polymer-modified asphalt gives excellent pliability and the film surface is UV resistant. An anti-skid treatment allows for good walkability. This underlayment is exceptionally durable with high tensile and tear strengths. Glass fiber reinforcement imparts high dimensional stability.
It is a cost-effective sheet for clean, easy-to-handle, self-adhering applications. The split-back release film peels off for easy installation and handling and PS200MU adheres to a variety of substrates. The membrane lays flat and resists wrinkling for ease of application and a 60-day exposure allows for long term dry in. It provides instant watertight laps and self-seals around nails.
The SBS-based membrane is specially formulated to provide high-temperature stability to 250 degrees Fahrenheit, making it ideal for use as an underlayment in metal roofing applications. The high temperature stability of the PS200MU membrane makes it especially attractive for residential and commercial metal roofing applications, although it is also suitable for shingle, slate and tile.
Tarco’s family of LeakBarrier Ice and Water Armor membranes now includes three metal roofing underlayment products, including PS200MU, PS200HT and NR500HT.
All three products withstand high temperatures and they are nonabrasive and provide good walkability. The main difference is upper surface: PS200MU uses polyolefin and PS200HT uses polyester, while NR500HT is a premium 40 mil (1 mm) thick, non-reinforced roofing underlayment with an upper surface of cross-laminated polyethylene-based Valeron film.
PS200MU Meets ASTM D1970. It has Miami-Dade County Approval NOA No. 08-0804.10 and meets ICC-ES ESR-2116 as well as Florida Building Code FL 10450-R1.
It is listed under the UL Prepared Roofing File No. 16744. It is not for use in adhesive (foam) set tile applications and it is not recommended for extreme high temperature environments such as under copper or zinc metal roofing.
Each of the metal underlayment products is covered by a “Thirty Year Self Adhesive Metal and Tile Underlayment Material Warranty.” Coverage and conditions pertaining to coverage are detailed in the warranty, which is available on the Tarco Website.
“Tarco now manufactures three distinct underlayment products suitable for metal roofing and other high temperature environments,” says Steve Ratcliff, President of Tarco. “That means more choices for roofing contractors. Metal roofing projects are not all the same and contractors have different preferences. Between PS200MU and PS200HT and NR500HT roofing contractors can find exactly the right features in a peel-and-stick underlayment for metal roofing applications. Tarco is pleased to be in a position to provide these premium SBS-based underlayments to this fast-growing segment of the roofing industry.”
For more details, contact Tarco, One Information Way, Suite 225, Little Rock, AR 72202. Phone 501-945-4506, Toll Free 800-365-4506, Fax 501-945-7718. Visit Tarco on the Internet at www.tarcoroofing.com.
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NON-NUCLEAR COMPONENT STORES BUILDING 60 –
The function of the non-nuclear component stores was to hold the high explosive part of the bomb and its outer casing. The casing could probably be split into two units, the tail and forward part containing the high explosive and electronics. The bombs, minus their fissile components, were housed in three almost identical stores buildings 59-61, known as Storage Building Type 'D-D'. These are arranged in an arrowhead pattern, and are accessed from the internal loop road, and are all surrounded by 14ft 6in high earth traverses, revetted by a reinforced concrete retaining wall against the roadway.
The western store, building 59 was gutted by a fire during the 1980's and has subsequently been demolished. Its floor plan remains visible on the remaining concrete floor slab. The two remaining stores, buildings 60 and 61 are rectangular in plan, and are constructed from reinforced concrete columns and beams. Internally there are two rows of columns, 13in², which support the roof beams, 2ft by 9in, which carry the 9in thick reinforced concrete roof slab which is covered with bituminous felt. The rainwater gutters and down pipes are cast asbestos.
The wall sections are filled with 18in by 9in by 9in precast concrete blocks, internally the main storage area measures 190ft 2½in by 60ft. It is divided longitudinally into eleven 17ft by 3ft bays and cross ways into three bays the outer bays measure 17ft 6in and the central bay is 25ft wide. The maximum clear internal height was 12ft from the floor to the underside of the roof beams. The floor is surfaced with a hard gritless asphalt with the patent name 'Ironite'. The walls are painted pale green colour and the ceiling cream. in store building 61 the bay letters 0, N, M, and L are visible on the rear columns on the eastern side, suggesting the store was divided into 22 bays along the outer walls.
Abutting on to the front of the stores, and flanking the entrances, are plant and switch rooms, which originally contained heating and air conditioning plant to maintain a stable environment within the stores. A raised air extract duct is placed asymmetrically on the roofs of the stores. Entry into the stores is through a 10ft wide door opening with 12ft high doors. In the rear wall of the stores is a single door width, outward opening emergency exit. The first nuclear weapon the store was designed to hold was relatively large, a ''Blue Danube'' bomb measured 24ft in length and weighed 10,000lbs.
The problems of handling such large objects are reflected in the provision of substantial lifting gantries at the entrance to each store. Two variants are found, the simplest, exemplified by the middle store building 60 comprises a straight gantry. Over the roadway the gantry is supported by four 24in by 18in reinforced concrete columns, which support two 51in by 24in reinforced concrete beams. The upper beams of the gantry taper towards the entrance to the store where they are suppurted by two reinforced concrete columns. On the underside of the gantry is attached a 20in by 6½in rolled steel joist runway beam which runs to the entrance to the building. This was originally fitted with a 10 ton hoist. The gantry is covered by asbestos sheeting to provide a dry working area.
On the eastern and western stores the gantries were set at 30° to the front of the stores. In this variant an extra set of columns was placed at the 30° dogleg. Internally there is no evidence for a runway beam, so it presumed the bombs were lifted off a road transporter and loaded onto a bomb trolley for storage. It is not known how many bombs were kept in each store, or if the tail units were separated from the front part of the bomb for storage. Subsequent to the site being relinquished by the RAF a central corridor has been created in the stores by the insertion of breeze block walls. Doors in these walls give access to workshops along either side of the buildings. External windows have also been inserted in some of the bays.
Information sourced from English Heritage.
Crews worked on SR 9 for three days from July 23 through July 25, 2018 applying a oil and gravel surface - bituminous surface treatment - to a 10 mile stretch between the south end of Big Lake and Sedro-Woolley. Following application of the gravel, equipment rolled the area with large rubber tires and sweeping happened overnight to pick up loose material.
Balmedie Quarry opened in 1919 just outside the village of Belhelvie in Aberdeenshire which is 7 miles to the North of the city of Aberdeen. Covering an area of betweenn 6.41-6.58 hectares it produces a large volume and range of Bituminous mixtures characterised as Asphalt concrete and Hot rolled asphalts. Some of which were used in the road between Ellon and the Bridge of Don.
Aberdeenshire Council have owned this since 1932.
An undismayed John L. Lewis (center, turned toward camera) arrives at the courthouse in Washington, D.C. to answer for a contempt citation in front of Judge Alan Goldsbrough November 25, 1946.
On April 1, 1946, Lewis called 400,000 bituminous coal miners out on strike for improved wages, health benefits, and safety regulations. By mid-May, the strike was crippling industrial production and threatened to end the economy's postwar recovery.
When Lewis rejected Harry S. Truman's efforts to find a compromise, the president seized the mines and ordered the strikers back to work. When the companies refused a settlement negotiated between the workers and government, Lewis took his men out of the pits on November 21st.
Upon refusing an injunction to resume work, a US judge found Lewis in contempt of court and fined the United Mine Workers (UMW) $3,500,000 – later reduced to $700,000 – before Lewis ended the strike on December 7th. The government acceded to most UMW demands while operating the mines, and the coal companies agreed to the bulk of Lewis's terms in 1947 to regain their property.
The strike wave of 1945-46 was the largest in U.S. history and involved more than five million workers in several dozen industries. It was followed by the 1947 Taft-Hartley Act that sharply curtailed the rights of organized labor and began union’s long, slow decline in the U.S.
For more information and related images, see flic.kr/s/aHskuybJr3
The photographer is unknown. The image is an auction find.
Fforio/Explore : Cwm Coke Works
Cwm Coke Works
1958 - 2002
"In the 1970s, the cokeworks employed 1,500 men and produced some 515,000 tonnes of coke each year. It continued to do so until 1986, when coal was privatised."
llantwitfardrecommunitycouncil.org
"Coke is a fuel with few impurities and a high carbon content, usually made from coal. It is the solid carbonaceous material derived from destructive distillation of low-ash, low-sulfur bituminous coal. Coke made from coal are grey, hard, and porous. While coke can be formed naturally, the commonly used form is man-made. The form known as petroleum coke, or pet coke, is derived from oil refinery coker units or other cracking processes."
Wiki
Original Caption: "Eli Sanders, Tipple Worker, Loads Coal on Car Which Has Fallen Off Cars Enroute to Tipple. He Is Pastor of Holiness (Pentecostal Church of God) Church. P V & K Coal Company, Clover Gap Mine, Lejunior, Harlan County, Kentucky.: 09/15/1946"
U.S. National Archives’ Local Identifier: NWDNS-245-MS-2728L
From: Series: Photographs of the Medical Survey of the Bituminous Coal Industry, (Record Group 245)
Created by: Department of the Interior. Solid Fuels Administration For War, (04/19/1943 - 06/30/1947 )
Production Date: 9/15/1946
Photographer: Lee, Russell, 1903-1986
Subjects:
Coal mines and mining
Mines and mineral resources
Persistent URL: catalog.archives.gov/id/541357
Repository: Still Picture Records Section, Special Media Archives Services Division (NWCS-S), National Archives at College Park, 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD, 20740-6001.
For information about ordering reproductions of photographs held by the Still Picture Unit, visit: www.archives.gov/research/order/still-pictures.html
Reproductions may be ordered via an independent vendor. NARA maintains a list of vendors at www.archives.gov/research/order/vendors-photos-maps-dc.html
Access Restrictions: Unrestricted
Use Restrictions: Unrestricted
Anthracite coal - large block on display at Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine in the Pennsylvanian of Pennsylvania, USA.
Pioneer Tunnel in Ashland, Pennsylvania is a tourist site that allows examination of an old anthracite strip mine and underground anthracite coal workings in Mahanoy Mountain. The surface strip mine and the underground mine exploited anthracite coal beds in the Llewellyn Formation (middle Desmoinesian Series, upper Middle Pennsylvanian), as did numerous mines in eastern Pennsylvania's coal fields.
Shown above is anthracite coal, the highest-rank coal. It forms by very low-grade metamorphism (anchimetamorphism) of bituminous coal. Anthracite is always black-colored, with a glassy texture, and is harder & heavier than the other coals (although it is still relatively soft & lightweight). Unlike lignite and bituminous coal, anthracite is not sooty to the touch. Anthracite burns hotter than other coal types, due to its high carbon content (~90% C). It also is the cleanest-burning of all the coals.
Anthracite is a scarce variety of coal. The highest concentration of anthracite on Earth is in the Pennsylvanian-aged coal fields of eastern Pennsylvania, USA. There is still some uncertainty in the details about the origin of Pennsylvania anthracite coal. In Colorado, an anthracite coal deposit occurs next to an igneous intrusion - the anthracite formed by heating from contact or hydrothermal metamorphism. It's been suggested that Pennsylvania anthracite was hydrothermally metamorphosed. The anthracite in Pennsylvania was originally deposited in coal swamps that were relatively high on ancient alluvial plains - those environments are usually not preserved in mountain belts (they get uplifted and eroded). In Pennsylvania, the high alluvial plain facies were downdropped and got preserved, resulting in anthracites representing different facies from those seen in bituminous coal fields.
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Info. on Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine & its geology:
Ermert, E.R. 1994. The Story of Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine & Steam Train. 14 pp.
Edmunds, W.E., V.W. Skema & N.K. Flint. 1999. Stratigraphy and sedimentary tectonics, Pennsylvanian. in The geology of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania Geological Survey Special Publication 1: 148-169.
Cannel City-Amburgy Coal Zone in the Pennsylvanian of Kentucky, USA. (geology hammer for scale)
This exposure is part of a relatively new roadcut along new Route 15, north of the town of Jackson, Kentucky, USA. The exposure has Pennsylvanian-aged cyclothemic sedimentary rocks of the Breathitt Group (formerly the Breathitt Formation). Shown above is the lower part of the Cannel City-Amburgy Coal Zone. The black-colored horizon is bituminous coal, which is a common variety of coal. It is relatively soft, sooty, has blocky-weathering, is well stratified and laminated, and has patches of glassy-lustered material (vitrain) in and among dull-lustered material. According to published information about this locality (see Greb & Eble, 2014), this bituminous coal has 11% ash and 1.9% sulfur. Its maceral content is dominated by vitrinite (~75%) and its plant microfossil content is dominated by lycopsid tree spores (~78%).
The gray-brown unit at the top is a shale interval. The gray unit below the coal is also shale.
Stratigraphy: lower Cannel City-Amburgy Coal Zone, upper Pikeville Formation, Breathitt Group, lower Atokan Series (Duckmantian), lower Middle Pennsylvanian
Location: Jackson North outcrop - large roadcut on the eastern side of new Rt. 15, just south of southbound old Rt. 15-new Rt. 15 split, north of Jackson, north-central Breathitt County, eastern Kentucky, USA (37° 34’ 53.95” North, 83° 23’ 07.99” West)
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Reference cited:
Greb & Eble (2014) - Cannel coals of the Cannel City-Amburgy Coal Bed (Pikeville Formation, Middle Pennsylvanian); evidence for possible fault-generated lakes. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs 46(6): 604.
Original Caption: "Kitchen in Home of Charles B. Lewis, Miner, Who Lives in Company Housing Project. Union Pacific Coal Company, Winton Mine, Winton, Sweetwater County, Wyoming."
U.S. National Archives’ Local Identifier: NWDNS-245-MS-749L
From: Series: Photographs of the Medical Survey of the Bituminous Coal Industry (Record Group 245)
Created by: Department of the Interior. Solid Fuels Administration For War, (04/19/1943 - 06/30/1947)
Production Date: 7/10/1946
Photographer: Lee, Russell, 1903-1986
Subjects:
Coal mines and mining
Mines and mineral resources
Persistent URL: catalog.archives.gov/id/540580
Repository: Still Picture Records Section, Special Media Archives Services Division (NWCS-S), National Archives at College Park, 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD, 20740-6001.
For information about ordering reproductions of photographs held by the Still Picture Unit, visit: www.archives.gov/research/order/still-pictures.html
Reproductions may be ordered via an independent vendor. NARA maintains a list of vendors at www.archives.gov/research/order/vendors-photos-maps-dc.html
Access Restrictions: Unrestricted
Use Restrictions: Unrestricted
Traveling west along Interstate 90 from Wall, South Dakota to Buffalo, Wyoming.
Time stamp 0:31 (= "-2:06") - Rapid City urban area, western South Dakota.
Time stamp 0:31 to 1:04 (= "-2:06" to "-1:33") - Black Hills (a Laramide Orogeny uplift cored by Precambrian crystalline basement rocks with structurally tilted Paleozoic and Mesozoic sedimentary rocks along the flanks).
Time stamp 1:17 to 1:20 (= "-1:20" to "-1:17") - Green Mountain Laccolith & Sundance Laccolith - Eocene intrusions at Sundance, Wyoming (see: www.flickr.com/photos/jsjgeology/20637945123 and www.flickr.com/photos/jsjgeology/21072684929).
Time stamp 1:51 to 1:52 (= "-0:46" to "-0:45") - Wyodak Power Plant in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming, fueled by sub-bituminous coal from the Wyodak Coal, a 70 to 90 feet thick interval in the Fort Union Formation (Upper Paleocene).
Time stamp 2:33 to 2:35 (= "-0:04" to "-0:02") - reddish-brown rocks near hilltops and ridgetops are clinker, a thermal metamorphic rock formed by burning coal beds heating stratigraphically adjacent rocks (see: www.flickr.com/photos/jsjgeology/albums/72157647078229482). This clinker horizon is in the Wasatch Formation (Lower Eocene).
HNA Hardscape Project Award Winner
Concrete Paver - Commercial - Less than 15,000 sf
Nemours Auto Court
Wilmington, Delaware
Pickering Valley Landscape, Inc.
The Historic Nemours Building sits in the heart of Wilmington Delaware's corporate business district. The mixed use building with retail and office space includes furnished apartments for weekly business travelers. For the past decade the building's main entrance was off the Tatnall Street plaza and overlooked due to a paved drop off and pick up circle on the 10th street side. With a commitment from Starbucks to sign a lease but contingent upon having off street parking, an opportunity arose for the building owner, The Buccini/Pollin Group, to redesign this small outdoor space. Approximately 985 tons of concrete, asphalt, and site soil were removed to a competent subgrade. Storm drains were removed and replaced with a new 40 x 6 x 3 foot deep rain garden structure. One of the rain garden's side walls was extended up to double as a feature wall cladded with 2 inch thick granite panels. An elaborate system of nyloplast risers and fittings were installed for storm overflow along with a Neenah Foundry powder coated trench drain. 800 lineal feet of new Scofield French gray colored curbing was installed with several flush curbs to transition from a concrete paver parking area to asphalt drives to clay paver aprons to the roadway. A bituminous set paver cross section was chosen for the parking area with a reinforced concrete base. The parking spots are placed in 45 degree herringbone in the limestone gray with the super black used to line the spots. The two distinctly different paver fields are separated by 20 inch wide soldier-sailor-soldier bands with the black and matrix colors. A single basalt black granite paver band extends from the building to the rain garden and wall feature with a concrete trough into the landscape filled with black Mexican beach cobble.
NON-NUCLEAR COMPONENT STORES BUILDING 60 –
The function of the non-nuclear component stores was to hold the high explosive part of the bomb and its outer casing. The casing could probably be split into two units, the tail and forward part containing the high explosive and electronics. The bombs, minus their fissile components, were housed in three almost identical stores buildings 59-61, known as Storage Building Type 'D-D'. These are arranged in an arrowhead pattern, and are accessed from the internal loop road, and are all surrounded by 14ft 6in high earth traverses, revetted by a reinforced concrete retaining wall against the roadway.
The western store, building 59 was gutted by a fire during the 1980's and has subsequently been demolished. Its floor plan remains visible on the remaining concrete floor slab. The two remaining stores, buildings 60 and 61 are rectangular in plan, and are constructed from reinforced concrete columns and beams. Internally there are two rows of columns, 13in², which support the roof beams, 2ft by 9in, which carry the 9in thick reinforced concrete roof slab which is covered with bituminous felt. The rainwater gutters and down pipes are cast asbestos.
The wall sections are filled with 18in by 9in by 9in precast concrete blocks, internally the main storage area measures 190ft 2½in by 60ft. It is divided longitudinally into eleven 17ft by 3ft bays and cross ways into three bays the outer bays measure 17ft 6in and the central bay is 25ft wide. The maximum clear internal height was 12ft from the floor to the underside of the roof beams. The floor is surfaced with a hard gritless asphalt with the patent name 'Ironite'. The walls are painted pale green colour and the ceiling cream. in store building 61 the bay letters 0, N, M, and L are visible on the rear columns on the eastern side, suggesting the store was divided into 22 bays along the outer walls.
Abutting on to the front of the stores, and flanking the entrances, are plant and switch rooms, which originally contained heating and air conditioning plant to maintain a stable environment within the stores. A raised air extract duct is placed asymmetrically on the roofs of the stores. Entry into the stores is through a 10ft wide door opening with 12ft high doors. In the rear wall of the stores is a single door width, outward opening emergency exit. The first nuclear weapon the store was designed to hold was relatively large, a ''Blue Danube'' bomb measured 24ft in length and weighed 10,000lbs.
The problems of handling such large objects are reflected in the provision of substantial lifting gantries at the entrance to each store. Two variants are found, the simplest, exemplified by the middle store building 60 comprises a straight gantry. Over the roadway the gantry is supported by four 24in by 18in reinforced concrete columns, which support two 51in by 24in reinforced concrete beams. The upper beams of the gantry taper towards the entrance to the store where they are suppurted by two reinforced concrete columns. On the underside of the gantry is attached a 20in by 6½in rolled steel joist runway beam which runs to the entrance to the building. This was originally fitted with a 10 ton hoist. The gantry is covered by asbestos sheeting to provide a dry working area.
On the eastern and western stores the gantries were set at 30° to the front of the stores. In this variant an extra set of columns was placed at the 30° dogleg. Internally there is no evidence for a runway beam, so it presumed the bombs were lifted off a road transporter and loaded onto a bomb trolley for storage. It is not known how many bombs were kept in each store, or if the tail units were separated from the front part of the bomb for storage. Subsequent to the site being relinquished by the RAF a central corridor has been created in the stores by the insertion of breeze block walls. Doors in these walls give access to workshops along either side of the buildings. External windows have also been inserted in some of the bays.
Information sourced from English Heritage.
New in 1931 as flat bed lorry for Cement Marketing Board it continued in service until 1948 when it was fitted with a tank for use by Bituminous Road Products for tar spraying until 1960 when it was sold for scrap. It was recovered from the scrap yard in 1962 and was in preservation as a flat bed lorry until 2005 when it was fitted with a replica bus body and used for sightseeing tours around Whitby.
On Tuesday, July 31 and Wednesday, Aug. 1 WSDOT Contractor crews from Granite Construction applied a bituminous surface treatment (hot oil and gravel) to the surface of SR 531 from milepost 0 near Lake Goodwin to milepost 5 near Lakewood High School. This preservation work is used to help preserve highways between funded paving projects. The daytime work and long moving work zone creates long delays. Travelers are encouraged to avoid nonessential trips during this work.
In the city's River North neighborhood, at the intersection of N. Wabash Avenue and E. Huron Street. Facing southeastward.
This portion of the Windy City boasts an impressive collection of Gothic Revival churches whose main exterior building material is rock-faced ashlar of the Silurian-period Lemont-Joliet Dolostone (LJD). It was quarried in the Lower Des Plaines River Valley southwest of the metropolis.
St. James is one of my favorites of these houses of worship, because it shows off this rock type's tendency to weather to ocher and buttery tones. This lovely patina develops as the stone's iron impurities change with exposure to the atmosphere from the ferrous to the ferric state.
As its original completion year indicates, the cathedral had been standing for almost a decade and a half by the time the Great Fire of 1871 swept through many of the city's existing neighborhoods, including River North. And it suffered grievously from the conflagration. Only its belltower and a portion of its nave walls were left standing afterward. But, as part of the great flurry of civic reconstruction that followed, new LJD was added to complete the church's reconstruction.
It's tempting to think that the heavy coating of soot visible today on the tower's railing and finials bears witness to the disaster. But, as I explain in Chicago in Stone and Clay, I've come across a stereograph photo pair that shows the church soon after the fire. On it, the tower top is clearly as pale-toned as the ashlar below it, and utterly grime-free. So the blackness seen today must have accumulated in the years of rampant bituminous-coal burning that followed. This makes sense when one also notes that the building's central chimney, which had to be rebuilt after the blaze, is now similarly sooty.
The LJD here was deposited about 425 Ma ago, in a shallow saltwater sea that covered the Kankakee Arch. That narrow crustal upwarp separated the deeper waters of the developing Michigan and Illinois Basins. At this point in the Paleozoic era, the American Midwest was situated in the subtropics south of the equator.
The other photos and descriptions in this series can be found at Glory of Silurian Dolostone album.
And for even more on this architectural and geologically impressive building, immediately and unhesitatingly get a copy (or two or three) of my book, Chicago in Stone and Clay. Here's the publisher's description: www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501765063/chicago-i...
MAINTENANCE BUILDING 58 –
To the rear of building 62, and separated from it by an earthwork traverse, is building 58 (Drg No. 1244/53) it is designated Storage Building 'C-D'. It is approached along paths which lead back towards the bomb stores and the main gate, the entrances to the store are shielded by freestanding breeze block walls. The construction of the building is similar to the non-nuclear component stores, buildings 59-61, being formed from reinforced concrete columns and beams infilled with block work. It is, however, taller than the stores, buildings 59-61 and stands 23ft 11i from floor to ceiling. The main central section measures 70ft by 30ft, at each end of which are air lock porches 20ft by 15ft, while to the rear is plant and dark room 34ft 5in by 20ft. The root is a 5½in thick reinforced concrete slab, with a coating of bituminous felt. The building is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
▪︎RARITY – It is a rare building in a national and international context. Designed in the 1950's for storing innovative nuclear technology, RAF Barnham is the only such surviving facility in England.
▪︎HISTORIC INTEREST – A unique building surviving from the Cold War, designed to accommodate Britain's first nuclear weapon, the ''Blue Danube''.
▪︎GROUP VALUE – Building 58 has strong group value with the other buildings at RAF Barnham, both in terms of their function and historic significance.
▪︎INTACTNESS – Building 58 is a largely intact, bespoke structure.
Maintenance Building 58 was probably one of two buildings on the site (the other being the much altered Building 62) used for the inspection of the bombs brought from the airfields. Documents record some movement of bombs between the site and airfields and indeed pantechnicons designed to carry a complete weapon were known to have visited the site. It is now used for light engineering.
▪︎MATERIALS – Building 58 has a reinforced concrete frame and blockwork walls, over-painted at the east end, and is shielded by freestanding blast walls.
▪︎PLAN – The building has a rectangular plan, aligned approximately east-west.
▪︎EXTERIOR – The building has projecting entrance bays to the east and west, which contained airlocks internally, both of which have double height steel doors through which the bombs would travel. To the north are attached single storey toilet blocks and a store room with replaced fenestration.
▪︎INTERIOR – The central section of the building is largely featureless except for a runway beam which originally supported four hoists. The airlocks in the porches have been removed.
Although the site was used for storage of Mustard Gas and explosives during World War II, it was not until after the end of hostilities that the depot was constructed in its current form. In the early 1950's, the Air Ministry had a continuing need for high explosive bombs and storage facilities for them in anticipation of a future war in which atomic and thermo-nuclear weapons would be used by both sides.
It is within this historic context that the Special Storage Unit at RAF Barnham was constructed following the issuing of ''Blue Danube'', Britain's first nuclear bomb, to the RAF in November 1953. The bombs were held in clutches in V-bomber airfields such as RAF Scampton and RAF Wittering and the purpose of the store at RAF Barnham, and the almost identical site at RAF Faldingwoth in Lincolnshire, was to provide maintenance and refurbishment to support the airfields and hold spare warheads.
The Air Ministry plan for the Store is dated May 1953, although planning for the facility almost certainly had started before this, and it was fully operational by July 1954. In the first phase of works, the fences, earthworks, fissile core storage hutches, inspection buildings and gantries were built by August 1955. The small arms and pyrotechnics store, barrack accommodation, gymnasium, telephone exchange, meat preparation store and dog compound were erected shortly after to strengthen security. By mid 1955 the double fence was in place, later augmented by the current observation towers erected in early 1959 replacing smaller structures.
The Special Storage Unit remained the main holding place for the Mk. I atomic bomb, under control of Bomber Command until November 1956 when an independent Unit (95 Commanding Maintenance Unit) was formed. During the operational life of the site, second and third generation British nuclear weapons such as ''Red Beard'' and ''Yellow Sun'' were introduced and stored there. By 1962, the site was in decline and the Maintenance Unit ceased to exist on 31st July 1963. The closure of the station is probably linked to the operational deployment of ''Blue Steel'' from late 1962.
The site was sold to the current owners in 1966 and later let out for light industrial use. Some of the buildings have been altered and significantly, one of the Non-nuclear stores burnt down in the 1980’s, but there has been an on-going maintenance and repair programme agreed with English Heritage resulting in the preservation of the site.
Information sourced from – historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1402411
English Heritage.
Schweiz / Tessin - Monte San Giorgio
Monte San Giorgio is a Swiss mountain and UNESCO World Heritage Site near the border between Switzerland and Italy. It is part of the Lugano Prealps, overlooking Lake Lugano in the Swiss Canton of Ticino.
Monte San Giorgio is a wooded mountain, rising to 1,097 m (3,600 feet) above sea level. It has a roughly pyramidal shape, with a steep north edge sloping towards Lake Lugano and a more shallow South Slope extending towards the Po Plain. The eastern (Swiss) side of the mountain, between the municipalities of Brusino Arsizio, Riva San Vitale, and Meride, was listed as a World Heritage Site in 2003. This was in recognition of its cultural, biological, and especially paleontological significance. The site is renowned for its fossil content, one of the best known records of marine life in the Middle Triassic period. The Italian region west of Poncione d'Arzo (Porto Ceresio) was added as an extension to the World Heritage Site in 2010.
History and cultural heritage
Humans have inhabited Monte San Giorgio at least since the area's equivalent of the Neolithic Period, around 6,000 years ago. The south side of the mountain is home to Tremona-Castello Archaeological Park, a fortress and settlement which was continuously inhabited by artisans from the Neolithic up until the 14th century. Artifacts, architecture, and other evidence of Roman and medieval activity are abundant on and around the mountain. Productive limestone quarries were active during this period and beyond in Italy (Viggiù and Saltrio) and Switzerland (Arzo).
Fossil and oil exploitation
The mountain's fossil fuel deposits were exploited more recently. Motivated by a search for furnace and lamp oil for Milan, mining projects attempted to establish themselves in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, focusing on the bituminous shale of the Grenzbitumenzone (Besano Formation). Though these early efforts did not last very long, exploitation of the Grenzbitumenzone ramped up in the early 20th century once its pharmaceutical properties were discovered. In 1908, the Spinirolo plant was built for the purpose of processing the shale into saurol, an ichthyol-like skin ointment. Saurol production and mining continued until the 1950s, and operations went bankrupt in 1960. Minerals such as barite, fluorite, and galena were also prospected on the mountain during the 20th century.
Italian paleontologist Giulio Curioni first mentioned that fossils were present on the mountain in 1847. The first paper focusing on Monte San Giorgio fossils in particular was published by Emilio Cornalia in 1854. Small excavations by Milanese paleontological societies in 1863 and 1878 provided more specific context on the paleontology of Monte San Giorgio. Shale extraction brought the fossil deposits to the attention of University of Zurich paleontologist Bernhard Peyer in 1919. Peyer and his associates began a series of large and systematic excavations in 1924, greatly expanding both the number of known fossil sites and the number of geological layers known to preserve fossils. Peyer's excavations continued until 1938, discovering many new species of fossil animals in the process. World War II paused both Saurol production and fossil collection. The Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano (Milan Civic Museum of Natural History, MSNM) was bombed in 1943, destroying its collection of Monte San Giorgio specimens. Fossil excavations resumed in 1950 under the helm of Emil Kuhn-Schnyder, Peyer's successor and former student. Kuhn-Schnyder established the Palaeontological Institute and Museum of the University of Zurich (PIMUZ) in 1956, which now hosts over 15,000 specimens of Monte San Giorgio fossils. Collection campaigns have continued intermittently up until the present day, managed by the MSNM, University of Milan (UNIMI), and the Museo Cantonale di Storia Naturale di Lugano (Cantonal Museum of Natural History, MCSN). Over 21,000 fossil specimens have been collected in total by 2010.
UNESCO listing
In 2003, the Monte San Giorgio was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with 849 ha (hectares) of protected land from the Swiss communes of Meride, Brusino Arsizio, and Riva San Vitale. This protected area was surrounded by a 1389 ha buffer zone overlapping six additional communes. The nomination of Monte San Giorgio was inspired by its exceptional paleontological value, with multiple fossiliferous levels preserving among the best records of Middle Triassic life in the world. Monte San Giorgio also presents a link between local geology and culture, as well as unique ecological heritage relative to the rest of Switzerland.
In 2010, the World Heritage Site was expanded further, adding 240.34 ha of land from the Italian communes of Besano, Porto Ceresio, and Viggiù. These communes, alongside Clivio and Saltrio, were also included within an 1818.45 ha Italian buffer zone. This additional land brings the total area of UNESCO protected property to 1089.34 ha and the total buffer zone area to 3207.45 ha. Inclusion of the Italian territory was motivated for its paleontological heritage.
Each side of the site is managed by separate Swiss and Italian organizations, as well as a transnational board which moderates between the management organizations. The site is not in any particular danger from overutilization or degradation, so management is mainly related to closely-regulated fossil excavations, promotion, and maintenance of low-impact tourism facilities. Monte San Giorgio fossils are collected, curated, and displayed by a small number of museums, primarily the PIMUZ, MSNM, and MCSN. Local museums in Besano, Meride, and Induno Olona also play a role in promotion of the site and its fossils. The Museo dei fossili del Monte San Giorgio (Museum of fossils from Monte San Giorgio) in Meride was first opened 1973, receiving a 2012 redesign and expansion courtesy of Ticinese architect Mario Botta.
Geology
The geological layers of Monte San Giorgio span more than 100 million years, from the Permian to Jurassic periods. The rocks forming the mountain dip southwards, with older rocks exposed as one travels north and younger rocks exposed as one travels south. The oldest rocks are Permian volcanic basement material on the mountain's steep north slope. These are followed by Triassic sediments and carbonates at higher elevations on the mountain. Middle Triassic layers are the most fossiliferous and extraordinary from a global perspective, and are encompassed by the protected area north of Meride. South of Meride, they are replaced by Late Triassic coastal sediments which give way to Early Jurassic limestone overlooking the Po Plain.
Permian volcanics and Triassic transgression
The stratigraphically lowest rocks exposed on Monte San Giorgio are Lower Permian in age, around 290-280 Ma (million years old). They are remnants of early rifting and volcanic activity in the aftermath of the Variscan orogeny. These volcanic rocks are mainly reddish rhyolite and andesite with a porphyritic texture, produce large crystals of quartz, barite, and fluorite. The Permian basement rocks are terminated by an unconformity, an erosional surface succeeded by Triassic sediments.
These following Triassic sediments are siliciclastic and terrestrial in origin, mainly sandstone and conglomerate eroded from the underlying volcanic material. "Servino" is the name given to older sediments from the Early Triassic (about 252-247 Ma). Slightly younger sediments from the late Anisian (the first stage of the Middle Triassic, 247-242 Ma) are called the Bellano Formation. The Servino and Bellano Formation can be difficult to differentiate, but together they reconstruct a period of transgression (rising sea levels) encroaching onto a sandy coastline dotted with deltas and floodplains.
As the Anisian stage continued, the coastal sandstone of the Bellano Formation was replaced with calcareous marine deposits. These were the first of many massive carbonate platforms building up on a branch of the Tethys Sea which was expanding westwards. The shallow carbonate platform of Monte San Giorgio and surrounding areas is known as the Salvatore platform, which is now preserved as the San Salvatore Dolomite. It reconstructs a warm, tropical environment, with the most common fossils belonging to algae and shelled invertebrates. Only the lower portion of the San Salvatore Dolomite is preserved on Monte San Giorgio, corresponding to a particularly shallow and saline period in the history of the platform. Stromatolites and other algal laminations are generally the only fossils found in the Lower Salvatore Dolomite.
Grenzbitumenzone / Besano Formation
Near the end of the Anisian, the southern edge of the Salvatore platform deepens abruptly, giving way to a more sterile basin developed between carbonate platforms. The basin is now preserved as a relatively narrow band of dark dolomite and shale, running east to west along the edge of Monte San Giorgio. This formation has been called the Besano Formation (in Italy) or the Grenzbitumenzone (in Switzerland). It represents the first of several sections on the mountain enriched with well-preserved fossils. The Grenzbitumenzone, especially its shale layers, is enriched with organic material derived from cyanobacteria. This accumulation of organic material presumably made the bottom of the basin anoxic or dysoxic, with low oxygen levels in the seawater. The only fossils of seabed-living organisms belong to Daonella, a thin-shelled bivalve adapted to low oxygen. Fossils of free-swimming animals are more diverse, with marine reptiles, fish, and shelled cephalopods being the most prominent. Terrestrial and shallow-water organisms such as shrimps, conifer branches (Voltzia), and land reptiles (Ticinosuchus) were occasionally washed into the basin as well.
Meride Limestone
The basin responsible for the Grenzbitumenzone continued to persist through the Ladinian, though the Grenzbitumenzone itself transitioned into a less fossiliferous formation known as the San Giorgio Dolomite. This formation has lower organic content, no shale, and only a few fragmentary fossils. Higher organic content and finer laminations return a short while later, forming the lower part of the fossil-rich Meride Limestone. The Meride Limestone probably represents a period of increased instability on the growing carbonate platforms, sending surges of carbonate grains into the basin. Skeletons tend to be even better preserved than in the Grenzbitumenzone, suggesting that the basin deepened further or acquired extensive microbial mats. A section of dolomite, the "Dolomitband", forms the top of the Lower Meride Limestone. It also marks the start of the Upper Meride Limestone, which is similar to the lower part of the formation but has only a few fossiliferous sections. The Upper Meride Limestone eventually becomes dominated by very finely-laminated marls and shales with increased clay content. This clay-rich interval, indicative of increased terrestrial runoff within the shrinking basin, is known as the "Kalkschieferzone".
Late Triassic
By the beginning of the Late Triassic, a major marine regression (sea level fall) threatened the fossil-rich basin and carbonate system of the Middle Triassic. During the Carnian (around 237 to 227 Ma), the first stage of the Late Triassic, carbonate platforms were replaced by shallow-water and coastal sediments. This formation, the Pizzella Marls, is diagnosed by a higher amount of siliciclastics (sediments eroded down from terrestrial rocks) and evaporites (mineral deposits from dried water), such as gypsum. In the succeeding Norian stage (around 227 to ~208 Ma), carbonate platforms and rising sea levels were renewed with vigor, depositing a massive expanse of carbonate known as the Dolomia Principale or Hauptdolomit. The Dolomia Principale is a brittle, crystalline rock mass which was fractured by normal faults not long after it was first formed. This is an early pulse of an overall extensional tectonic regime, a period of rifting which would eventually break up Pangea. By the time of the Rhaetian stage (~208 to 201 Ma), the Dolomia Principale was buried by a shorter but more stable sequence of shallow-water marl and carbonate, the Tremona Series.
Early Jurassic
Rifting continued into the Early Jurassic, alongside marine sedimentation. From the Hettangian to Pliensbachian stages (201 to 183 Ma), the area reacquired a deeper basinal environment. These basin sediments are preserved as the Moltrasio Limestone, a thick sheet of micrite (fine-grained limestone) with abundant cherty and marly beds created by turbidites (mudslides). Jurassic sediments are preserved to the east, south, and west of Monte San Giorgio; the position of the modern mountain would have been an island or shallow environment during the Jurassic. Its Jurassic sediments are now eroded away to reveal older Triassic and Permian rocks. Conversely, Monte Generoso, immediately to the east of Monte San Giorgio, is composed mostly of Jurassic basinal sediments. Outcrops of Jurassic sediments are also seen close to the Po Plain, at the south edge of Monte San Giorgio (in a broad sense). The productive "marble" quarries found south of Monte San Giorgio actually mined non-metamorphosed limestone, rather than true marble. These limestone units were formed at the same general time as the Moltrasio Limestone.
Ecological heritage
The fauna and flora of Monte San Giorgio are diverse, with some species found nowhere else in Switzerland. The prevailing ecosystems are mixed broadleaf forests and meadows influenced by the mountain's sub-Mediterranean climate. Monte San Giorgio is one of the southernmost areas of Switzerland, with mild winters, high humidity, and many hours of sunshine. Due to the variation in underlying geology, both acidic and alkaline soils are developed, supporting different vegetation communities. The rhyolite-based northern slope is mostly covered by Castanea sativa (sweet chestnut), Quercus petraea (sessile oak), and Fraxinus excelsior (European ash). The dolomite-based southern slope is more diverse in its plant life and soil quality, with common plants including Carpinus betulus (common hornbeam), Ostrya carpinifolia (European hop-hornbeam), Tilia (linden), Asperula taurina, Quercus pubescens (pubescent oak), and Fraxinus ornus (manna ash).
The driest and most alkaline soils of Monte San Giorgio are home to the Ticino dry meadows, a unique biome with over 100 plant and species, 38 of which are rare or endangered within Switzerland. Carex humilis (dwarf sedge) and Molinia caerulea arundinacea (tall moor grass) are the most common grasses, while Monte San Giorgio supports the few Swiss populations of wildflowers such as Adenophora liliifolia, Gladiolus imbricatus, Iris graminea, Lotus herbaceus, and Danthonia alpina.
102 species of vertebrates are found on Monte San Giorgio, 37 of which are endangered in Switzerland. The mountain is the only Swiss stronghold for Microtus savii (Savi's pine vole), and hosts breeding sites for amphibians such as Bufo bufo (common toad), Rana temporaria (common frog), Rana dalmatina (agile frog), Hyla intermedia (Italian tree frog), and other species. Invertebrates are even more diverse, including some species which are very rare in Switzerland, such as Pyrgus armoricanus (Oberthur's grizzled skipper), Euchorthippus declivus (Jersey grasshopper), and Pholidoptera littoralis insubrica (littoral dark bush-cricket). The dry meadows are especially diverse, hosting several species of previously undiscovered or undocumented spiders. Isolated populations of crustaceans and millipedes inhabit the deep karst and cave systems found on the mountain. Monte San Giorgio is considered a "mycological wonder", with over 500 species of fungi, several of which are endemic.
(Wikipedia)
Der Monte San Giorgio ist ein Berg im Tessin in der Schweiz. Er ist 1097 m ü. M. hoch und liegt zwischen den beiden südlichen Armen des Luganersees. Der Monte San Giorgio ist eine der weltweit bedeutendsten Fundstellen für marine Fossilien aus der Mitteltrias (245 bis 230 Mio. Jahren). Im Jahr 2003 wurde das Gebiet rund um den Monte San Giorgio von der UNESCO zum Welterbe erklärt. 2010 wurde die Welterbestätte um den südlichen, zu Italien zählenden Teil erweitert.
Der pyramidenförmige Berg ist stark bewaldet. Die Naturlandschaft bietet vielen seltenen Pflanzen eine Heimat. Ausserdem liegen im Berg diverse Höhlen verborgen.
Geologie
Der Berg ruht auf einer Basis kristallinen Grundgebirges aus Gneis. Darauf liegen Schichten aus Andesit (Rhyolith) und Tuff. Es folgen Sedimentschichten aus der Trias, darunter wiederholt Dolomit und Kalk sowie Schichten mit bitumenhaltigem Ölschiefer. Die Schichten fallen nach Süden ab, so dass das älteste Gestein im Norden am Seeufer zutage tritt.
Eine Besonderheit ist die enorme Menge von gut konservierten Fossilien, die insbesondere in der 16 Meter dicken Grenzbitumenschicht gefunden wurden. Vor 200 Millionen Jahren bildeten die Gesteine des Monte San Giorgio ein rund 100 Meter tiefes Meeresbecken in einer subtropischen Region. Das Wasser muss am Boden sehr sauerstoffarm gewesen sein, so dass viele Wirbeltier-Leichen darin weder von Aasfressern noch von Strömungen zerstört wurden.[3] Die Fossilien, die am Monte San Giorgio gefunden wurden, sind deshalb oft vollständig erhaltene Skelette, die für die Forschung durch ihre weltweite Einzigartigkeit und Qualität von grosser Bedeutung sind.
So können heute auf dem Berg Versteinerungen von Fischen, Reptilien und wirbellosen Tieren wie Insekten – darunter einige mit einer Länge von bis zu sechs Metern und mehrere hundert Exemplare des Ichthyosauriers Mixosaurus – gefunden werden. Der Berg, der über weltweit einmalige fünf Fundschichten verfügt, zählt zu den wichtigsten Fundorten für die mittlere Trias.
Geschichte
Im 12. Jahrhundert lebte der Einsiedler Manfred von Riva auf dem Monte San Giorgio.
In der ersten Hälfte des 20. Jahrhunderts wurden die Bitumenschichten (Ölschiefer) industriell abgebaut und zu Öl oder Salbe („Saurolo“), mit pharmazeutischer Anwendung, verarbeitet. Marmor war ein weiterer bedeutender Rohstoff, welcher abgebaut wurde. Der letzte Marmorsteinbruch in der Gemeinde Arzo stellte 2011 seinen Betrieb ein.
Ab 1924 führte die Universität Zürich unter der Leitung des Paläontologen Bernhard Peyer und ab 1956 durch Emil Kuhn-Schnyder eine Reihe von wissenschaftlichen Ausgrabungen durch. Diese förderten über 10'000 Funde zutage, und viele neue Gattungen wurden entdeckt. Einige davon tragen Namen mit lokalem Bezug; wie zum Beispiel Helveticosaurus (benannt nach Helvetier), Ticinosuchus (benannt nach dem Kanton Tessin) oder Ceresiosaurus (benannt nach dem Ceresio, der italienischen Bezeichnung des Luganersees).
1977 kam der Monte San Giorgio in das Bundesinventar der Landschaften und Naturdenkmäler von nationaler Bedeutung.
Tourismus
Der Monte San Giorgio ist heute ein beliebtes Ausflugsziel für Radfahrer und Wanderer. Ein Naturlehrpfad führt Besucher in die Besonderheiten des Welterbes ein. Der Hauptteil der Funde befindet sich im Paläontologischen Museum in Zürich. Eine Auswahl bedeutender Funde sowie Replikate sind im neuen Fossilienmuseum des Monte San Giorgio in Meride ausgestellt.
Fossilienmuseum des Monte San Giorgio in Meride
Das vom Tessiner Architekten Mario Botta umgebaute und erweiterte Fossilienmuseum des Monte San Giorgio in Meride (Kanton Tessin) wurde am 13. Oktober 2012 eingeweiht. Die Struktur zeigt eine Auswahl von versteinerten Tieren und Pflanzen aus dem weltweit einmaligen UNESCO-Weltnaturerbe des Monte San Giorgio. Eine 2,5 Meter lange Rekonstruktion des Landsauriers Ticinosuchus begrüsst die Besucher im neuen Fossilienmuseum im Dorfzentrum von Meride. Er lebte vor rund 240 Millionen Jahren am Rand eines reich belebten subtropischen Meeres, gleichzeitig mit vielen anderen, ans Wasserleben angepassten Meeressauriern und Fischen. Die ausgezeichnet erhaltenen Skelette aus der Mitteltrias des Monte San Giorgio haben den „Berg der Saurier“ als UNESCO-Weltnaturerbe weltberühmt gemacht. Auf vier Stockwerke verteilt wird die grosse Vielfalt an Lebewesen vorgestellt, die zwischen 245 und 180 Millionen Jahren vor heute das damalige Meer und seine Küste im Südtessin bevölkerten. Illustrationen und Modelle machen dem Publikum diese längst ausgestorbene Welt verständlich, deren Fossilien seit 1850 von schweizerischen und italienischen Fachleuten ausgegraben, präpariert und wissenschaftlich beschrieben wurden.
Erschliessung
Von Süden über Mendrisio kann das Gebiet des Monte San Giorgio auf der Strasse erreicht werden. Eine weitere Strasse führt von Riva San Vitale dem See entlang bis nach Brusino Arsizio und weiter nach Porto Ceresio in Italien. Von Brusino gibt es eine Luftseilbahn zur Aussichtsterrasse von Serpiano (650 m ü. M.), wo auch die Strasse von Mendrisio endet. Von hier aus hat man eine sehr schöne Aussicht über den verzweigten Luganersee.
(Wikipedia)
Crews worked on SR 9 for three days from July 23 through July 25, 2018 applying a oil and gravel surface - bituminous surface treatment - to a 10 mile stretch between the south end of Big Lake and Sedro-Woolley. Following application of the gravel, equipment rolled the area with large rubber tires and sweeping happened overnight to pick up loose material.
Crews worked on SR 9 for three days from July 23 through July 25, 2018 applying a oil and gravel surface - bituminous surface treatment - to a 10 mile stretch between the south end of Big Lake and Sedro-Woolley. Following application of the gravel, equipment rolled the area with large rubber tires and sweeping happened overnight to pick up loose material.
Jellico lies in the heart of Tennessee’s coal mining region. The Jellico Coalfield was famous for its high quality bituminous coal. Mining firms owned eighty percent of the land in Campbell and Claiborne counties, providing most of the jobs in this impoverished area of northern Tennessee between 1880 and 1930.
In 1906, a railroad car packed with dynamite exploded in Jellico, killing eight and destroying part of the town. The town quickly recovered, however, and many of the buildings in the Main Street area dated from this period.
DSCF4692
HNA Hardscape Project Award Winner
Concrete Paver - Commercial - Less than 15,000 sf
Nemours Auto Court
Wilmington, Delaware
Pickering Valley Landscape, Inc.
The Historic Nemours Building sits in the heart of Wilmington Delaware's corporate business district. The mixed use building with retail and office space includes furnished apartments for weekly business travelers. For the past decade the building's main entrance was off the Tatnall Street plaza and overlooked due to a paved drop off and pick up circle on the 10th street side. With a commitment from Starbucks to sign a lease but contingent upon having off street parking, an opportunity arose for the building owner, The Buccini/Pollin Group, to redesign this small outdoor space. Approximately 985 tons of concrete, asphalt, and site soil were removed to a competent subgrade. Storm drains were removed and replaced with a new 40 x 6 x 3 foot deep rain garden structure. One of the rain garden's side walls was extended up to double as a feature wall cladded with 2 inch thick granite panels. An elaborate system of nyloplast risers and fittings were installed for storm overflow along with a Neenah Foundry powder coated trench drain. 800 lineal feet of new Scofield French gray colored curbing was installed with several flush curbs to transition from a concrete paver parking area to asphalt drives to clay paver aprons to the roadway. A bituminous set paver cross section was chosen for the parking area with a reinforced concrete base. The parking spots are placed in 45 degree herringbone in the limestone gray with the super black used to line the spots. The two distinctly different paver fields are separated by 20 inch wide soldier-sailor-soldier bands with the black and matrix colors. A single basalt black granite paver band extends from the building to the rain garden and wall feature with a concrete trough into the landscape filled with black Mexican beach cobble.
Anthracite coal - large block on display at Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine in the Pennsylvanian of Pennsylvania, USA.
Pioneer Tunnel in Ashland, Pennsylvania is a tourist site that allows examination of an old anthracite strip mine and underground anthracite coal workings in Mahanoy Mountain. The surface strip mine and the underground mine exploited anthracite coal beds in the Llewellyn Formation (middle Desmoinesian Series, upper Middle Pennsylvanian), as did numerous mines in eastern Pennsylvania's coal fields.
Shown above is anthracite coal, the highest-rank coal. It forms by very low-grade metamorphism (anchimetamorphism) of bituminous coal. Anthracite is always black-colored, with a glassy texture, and is harder & heavier than the other coals (although it is still relatively soft & lightweight). Unlike lignite and bituminous coal, anthracite is not sooty to the touch. Anthracite burns hotter than other coal types, due to its high carbon content (~90% C). It also is the cleanest-burning of all the coals.
Anthracite is a scarce variety of coal. The highest concentration of anthracite on Earth is in the Pennsylvanian-aged coal fields of eastern Pennsylvania, USA. There is still some uncertainty in the details about the origin of Pennsylvania anthracite coal. In Colorado, an anthracite coal deposit occurs next to an igneous intrusion - the anthracite formed by heating from contact or hydrothermal metamorphism. It's been suggested that Pennsylvania anthracite was hydrothermally metamorphosed. The anthracite in Pennsylvania was originally deposited in coal swamps that were relatively high on ancient alluvial plains - those environments are usually not preserved in mountain belts (they get uplifted and eroded). In Pennsylvania, the high alluvial plain facies were downdropped and got preserved, resulting in anthracites representing different facies from those seen in bituminous coal fields.
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Info. on Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine & its geology:
Ermert, E.R. 1994. The Story of Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine & Steam Train. 14 pp.
Edmunds, W.E., V.W. Skema & N.K. Flint. 1999. Stratigraphy and sedimentary tectonics, Pennsylvanian. in The geology of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania Geological Survey Special Publication 1: 148-169.
FISSILE CORE STORAGE –
The fissile cores were stored in small buildings arranged around the large non-nuclear component stores. In total there are 57 of these buildings, which are divided into 48 Type 'A' and 9 Type 'B' stores. The fissile core stores are organised in four uneven groups around the non-nuclear stores. The two southerly groups of stores are arranged symmetrically to the south of the large non-nuclear stores, each group having sixteen small store buildings. The north-eastern group contains eleven stores and the north-west group fourteen. All but the south-east group contained a mixture of Type 'A' and Type 'B' stores.
The store buildings are linked together by pedestrian width walkways, fenced by tubular steel pipes 37in tall with strands of white between the horizontal members. The area was lit by pre-cast concrete lamp-posts, each of which had a red panic button at chest height. The Type 'A' storage buildings 1-48 are small kiosk-like structures. In plan they measure 8ft 4in by 7ft 10in and stand 9ft above ground level. The foundations of the building are constructed of 3ft thick mass concrete. The walls are of cavity wall construction and are formed of solid concrete blocks, while the roof is a flat over-hanging reinforced concrete slab with a drip mould, and is covered with bituminous felt. The design drawing (Drg. No. 3563B/52) shows a variety of irregular roof plans designed to disguise the structures from the air. These were never built, all the roofs being rectangular in plan.
Fittings on the walls indicate that they were all originally protected by copper earthing straps. On the front of many of the stores a stencilled notice records ''Date of last lightning conductor test April - 63''. Internally the walls are finished in unpainted, smooth gritless plaster. The side and rear walls are ventilated by four small controllable ventilators, two at the base of the wall and two at the top. In the floor of each of the Type 'A' stores is a single keyhole shaped cavity. Each hole is 1ft 5in in diameter and 1ft 9in deep. The shaft of the hole measures 10in wide and is 8in long and is shallower than the main hole at 3½in. A scar around the hole suggests it originally contained a vessel with the asphalt brought up around its lip. This is confirmed by the survival of the surrounding lip in similar stores at RAF Faldingworth, Lincolnshire, and by the rare survival of a number of stainless steel vessels at the bomb store at RAF Gaydon, Warwickshire.
The electrical system of each store was contained within small bore metal pipes; circular junction boxes led to other electrical fittings, which have in most cases been removed. In a number of the stores 'Walsall' Type 1174X flameproof switch boxes remained. On their covers is cast ''5 Amp 250 Volt Flameproof switchbox type Walsall 1174BX Group 2 FLP 302 Group 3 Test P60 Isolate supply elsewhere before removing this cover''. A small formica sign confirmed that ''The electrical installation in this building is standard 'A' in accordance with AP 2608A''. All the stores originally had external fuse boxes to the left of their doors.
The doors are wooden and open outwards, their outer faces being protected by a steel sheet. They are secured by a combination lock and internal vertical locking bar operated by an external handle. A metal fitting in the path allowed the door to be secured half ajar. Above the door, and attached to its frame, is a spring-loaded electrical contact, which probably recorded on the control board in building 63 whether or not the door was open or closed. Externally and internally the doors are painted light blue. On the door of building No. 1 is a 1ft diameter radiation symbol in yellow and out-lined in black, below it is a 11½in yellow square with a black star at its centre.
The Type 'B' store buildings 49-57 are slightly larger than the Type 'A' measuring 9ft 7in by 7ft 10n. Otherwise the details of the stores are identical to the smaller stores. The principle difference between the two types of structures is that the Type 'B ' had two storage holes in their floors. Each of these buildings was also equipped with a small wooden counter adjacent to the doors; the counters measure 2ft 6in by 1ft 6in and standing 4ft tall. They have been removed from stores 53 and 55. At some point during the operational life of the station the holes in the floors of all the Type 'B' stores were filled and covered by gritless asphalt. The asphalt surfaces in the stores are continuous, often with a slight depression marking the position of the holes, which implies that the original floor was lifted and new floors laid. The holes in store 52 have been reopened, as indicated by fragments of the asphalt surface thrown back into the holes. This is in contrast to RAF Faldingworth where the holes have been left open.
In total there were enough holes to store 66 fissile cores. One source states that the single hole stores contained plutonium cores, while the double-hole stores were, used for cobalt cores. Currently available documentation does not reveal if one fissile core may be equated with one bomb, or if a bomb contained more than one fissile core. Recent research has shown that Britain probably produced no more than twenty Blue Danube warheads, with this number on the active stockpile between 1957 and 1961. It is therefore likely that no more than a handful of weapons were stored at RAF Barnham at anyone time.
The significance of the filling of the holes in the Type 'B' stores is also unclear. It may coincide with the withdrawal of the first generation nuclear weapon, ''Blue Danube'', and the deployment second generation atomic bomb, ''Red Beard'' (from 1961), or it may be related to the introduction of first British hydrogen bomb, ''Yellow Sun'' (from 1958). Given the number of available nuclear warheads in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, it is unlikely that the RAF Barnham store was ever full. Part of RAF Barnham's function, along with other bomb stores, was to convince the Soviet Union that Britain had more nuclear weapons at her disposal than was in fact the case.
Information sourced from English Heritage.
Fossil charcoal in bituminous coal from the Pennsylvanian of Kentucky, USA. (bedding plane view; ~12.0 cm across at its widest)
This is a sample of bituminous coal from a large roadcut north of the town of Jackson, Kentucky. The outcrop has Pennsylvanian-aged cyclothemic sedimentary rocks of the Breathitt Group (formerly the Breathitt Formation). The succession is dominated by interbedded sandstones and shales, with some coal horizons. The latter include bituminous coal and cannel coal (see elsewhere in this photo album).
The striated, shiny silvery pieces seen on this coal bedding plane are fossil charcoal (= burned wood fragments). The Pennsylvanian was a time of low carbon dioxide (CO2) and high oxygen (O2) levels in Earth's atmosphere; forest fires were relatively common events. The source of oxygen was abundant photosynthesizing trees in widespread forests. Earth's first global forestation event occurred during the Pennsylvanian. (See: www.jsjgeology.net/Berner-talk.htm). Charcoalized fossil wood can be found in some abundance in Pennsylvanian sedimentary successions. The original wood microstructure is usually well preserved, but the charcoal fragments themselves are quite delicate. A gentle rub with a finger turns these fragments into black powder. At some localities & in some horizons, the fossil charcoal is partially pyritized.
Stratigraphy: float from the Pikeville Formation, Breathitt Group, lower Middle Pennsylvanian
Locality: Jackson North outcrop - loose piece from coal bed exposed in the wall above the 1st bench on the southern side of a large roadcut on the eastern side of new Rt. 15, just south of the southbound old Rt. 15-new Rt. 15 split, north of the town of Jackson, north-central Breathitt County, eastern Kentucky, USA (~37° 34’ 51” North latitude, ~83° 23’ 09” West longitude)
On Thursday, Aug. 2, 2018 WSDOT contractor crews from Granite Construction resurfaced SR 539/Guide Meridian Road north of Lynden and south of the Alderwood Border Crossing. The long moving work zone creates lengthy delays as a pilot vehicle alternates traffic through the busy work zone.
FISSILE CORE STORAGE –
The fissile cores were stored in small buildings arranged around the large non-nuclear component stores. In total there are 57 of these buildings, which are divided into 48 Type 'A' and 9 Type 'B' stores. The fissile core stores are organised in four uneven groups around the non-nuclear stores. The two southerly groups of stores are arranged symmetrically to the south of the large non-nuclear stores, each group having sixteen small store buildings. The north-eastern group contains eleven stores and the north-west group fourteen. All but the south-east group contained a mixture of Type 'A' and Type 'B' stores.
The store buildings are linked together by pedestrian width walkways, fenced by tubular steel pipes 37in tall with strands of white between the horizontal members. The area was lit by pre-cast concrete lamp-posts, each of which had a red panic button at chest height. The Type 'A' storage buildings 1-48 are small kiosk-like structures. In plan they measure 8ft 4in by 7ft 10in and stand 9ft above ground level. The foundations of the building are constructed of 3ft thick mass concrete. The walls are of cavity wall construction and are formed of solid concrete blocks, while the roof is a flat over-hanging reinforced concrete slab with a drip mould, and is covered with bituminous felt. The design drawing (Drg. No. 3563B/52) shows a variety of irregular roof plans designed to disguise the structures from the air. These were never built, all the roofs being rectangular in plan.
Fittings on the walls indicate that they were all originally protected by copper earthing straps. On the front of many of the stores a stencilled notice records ''Date of last lightning conductor test April - 63''. Internally the walls are finished in unpainted, smooth gritless plaster. The side and rear walls are ventilated by four small controllable ventilators, two at the base of the wall and two at the top. In the floor of each of the Type 'A' stores is a single keyhole shaped cavity. Each hole is 1ft 5in in diameter and 1ft 9in deep. The shaft of the hole measures 10in wide and is 8in long and is shallower than the main hole at 3½in. A scar around the hole suggests it originally contained a vessel with the asphalt brought up around its lip. This is confirmed by the survival of the surrounding lip in similar stores at RAF Faldingworth, Lincolnshire, and by the rare survival of a number of stainless steel vessels at the bomb store at RAF Gaydon, Warwickshire.
The electrical system of each store was contained within small bore metal pipes; circular junction boxes led to other electrical fittings, which have in most cases been removed. In a number of the stores 'Walsall' Type 1174X flameproof switch boxes remained. On their covers is cast ''5 Amp 250 Volt Flameproof switchbox type Walsall 1174BX Group 2 FLP 302 Group 3 Test P60 Isolate supply elsewhere before removing this cover''. A small formica sign confirmed that ''The electrical installation in this building is standard 'A' in accordance with AP 2608A''. All the stores originally had external fuse boxes to the left of their doors.
The doors are wooden and open outwards, their outer faces being protected by a steel sheet. They are secured by a combination lock and internal vertical locking bar operated by an external handle. A metal fitting in the path allowed the door to be secured half ajar. Above the door, and attached to its frame, is a spring-loaded electrical contact, which probably recorded on the control board in building 63 whether or not the door was open or closed. Externally and internally the doors are painted light blue. On the door of building No. 1 is a 1ft diameter radiation symbol in yellow and out-lined in black, below it is a 11½in yellow square with a black star at its centre.
The Type 'B' store buildings 49-57 are slightly larger than the Type 'A' measuring 9ft 7in by 7ft 10n. Otherwise the details of the stores are identical to the smaller stores. The principle difference between the two types of structures is that the Type 'B ' had two storage holes in their floors. Each of these buildings was also equipped with a small wooden counter adjacent to the doors; the counters measure 2ft 6in by 1ft 6in and standing 4ft tall. They have been removed from stores 53 and 55. At some point during the operational life of the station the holes in the floors of all the Type 'B' stores were filled and covered by gritless asphalt. The asphalt surfaces in the stores are continuous, often with a slight depression marking the position of the holes, which implies that the original floor was lifted and new floors laid. The holes in store 52 have been reopened, as indicated by fragments of the asphalt surface thrown back into the holes. This is in contrast to RAF Faldingworth where the holes have been left open.
In total there were enough holes to store 66 fissile cores. One source states that the single hole stores contained plutonium cores, while the double-hole stores were, used for cobalt cores. Currently available documentation does not reveal if one fissile core may be equated with one bomb, or if a bomb contained more than one fissile core. Recent research has shown that Britain probably produced no more than twenty Blue Danube warheads, with this number on the active stockpile between 1957 and 1961. It is therefore likely that no more than a handful of weapons were stored at RAF Barnham at anyone time.
The significance of the filling of the holes in the Type 'B' stores is also unclear. It may coincide with the withdrawal of the first generation nuclear weapon, ''Blue Danube'', and the deployment second generation atomic bomb, ''Red Beard'' (from 1961), or it may be related to the introduction of first British hydrogen bomb, ''Yellow Sun'' (from 1958). Given the number of available nuclear warheads in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, it is unlikely that the RAF Barnham store was ever full. Part of RAF Barnham's function, along with other bomb stores, was to convince the Soviet Union that Britain had more nuclear weapons at her disposal than was in fact the case.
Information sourced from English Heritage.
On Tuesday, July 31 and Wednesday, Aug. 1 WSDOT Contractor crews from Granite Construction applied a bituminous surface treatment (hot oil and gravel) to the surface of SR 531 from milepost 0 near Lake Goodwin to milepost 5 near Lakewood High School. This preservation work is used to help preserve highways between funded paving projects. The daytime work and long moving work zone creates long delays. Travelers are encouraged to avoid nonessential trips during this work.
This is a working, coal-burning steam locomotive used to head tourist trains at the Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine in Ashland, Pennsylvania, USA. The engine, nicknamed "Henry Clay", is a narrow-gauge 0-4-0T built by Vulcan Iron Works in 1927. The photo was taken in fall 2006.
Unlike most coal-burning steam locomotives, this engine utilizes anthracite coal as a fuel source. Pioneer Tunnel consists of an old surface mine plus an inactive subsurface mine - both are accessible to tourists. This mining area targeted anthracite coal, a very low grade metamorphic rock that consists of more than 90% carbon. It is black-colored, lightweight, not sooty, and breaks with a conchoidal fracture. Anthracite is harder and heavier than ordinary sedimentary coal (= lignite coal, sub-bituminous coal, and bituminous coal). It is also cleaner-burning and hotter-burning. (see: www.flickr.com/photos/jsjgeology/16319380394 and
www.flickr.com/photos/jsjgeology/16941787095) The Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine principally mined the Mammoth Coal, the thickest anthracite coal bed on Earth.
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For photos of the Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine, including the geology & anthracite coal samples, see:
Located just minutes from my inheritance, this is a dragline excavator. It's enormous. The perspective is hard to appreciate from the fence.
This is owned by the Drummond Company, a big name in this part of Alabama. As you can see from the side, it was part of the Mill Creek Mine, a previous strip mining operation. My understanding is that it's closed now, and the land has been "reclaimed." Drummond has operations in both Alabama and Colombia, both mining bituminous coal. The open mine in Alabama provides energy for Alabama power.
They have a less than stellar reputation in Colombia, including assassination allegations.
This is a working, coal-burning steam locomotive that was formerly used to head tourist trains at the Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine in Ashland, Pennsylvania, USA. The engine, nicknamed "Henry Clay", is a narrow-gauge 0-4-0T built by Vulcan Iron Works. The photo was taken in fall 2000.
Unlike most coal-burning steam locomotives, this engine utilizes anthracite coal as a fuel source. Pioneer Tunnel consists of an old surface mine plus an inactive subsurface mine - both are accessible to tourists. This mining area targeted anthracite coal, a very low grade metamorphic rock that consists of more than 90% carbon. It is black-colored, lightweight, not sooty, and breaks with a conchoidal fracture. Anthracite is harder and heavier than ordinary sedimentary coal (= lignite coal, sub-bituminous coal, and bituminous coal). It is also cleaner-burning and hotter-burning. (see: www.flickr.com/photos/jsjgeology/16319380394 and
www.flickr.com/photos/jsjgeology/16941787095) The Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine principally mined the Mammoth Coal, the thickest anthracite coal bed on Earth.
--------------------
For photos of the Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine, including the geology & anthracite coal samples, see:
Cannel City-Amburgy Coal Zone in the Pennsylvanian of Kentucky, USA.
This exposure is part of a relatively new roadcut along new Route 15, north of the town of Jackson, Kentucky, USA. The exposure has Pennsylvanian-aged cyclothemic sedimentary rocks of the Breathitt Group (formerly the Breathitt Formation). Shown above is the lower part of the Cannel City-Amburgy Coal Zone. The black-colored horizon is bituminous coal, which is a common variety of coal. It is relatively soft, sooty, has blocky-weathering, is well stratified and laminated, and has patches of glassy-lustered material (vitrain) in and among dull-lustered material. According to published information about this locality (see Greb & Eble, 2014), this bituminous coal has 11% ash and 1.9% sulfur. Its maceral content is dominated by vitrinite (~75%) and its plant microfossil content is dominated by lycopsid tree spores (~78%).
The gray-brown unit at the top is a shale interval. The gray unit below the coal is also shale.
Stratigraphy: lower Cannel City-Amburgy Coal Zone, upper Pikeville Formation, Breathitt Group, lower Atokan Series (Duckmantian), lower Middle Pennsylvanian
Location: Jackson North outcrop - large roadcut on the eastern side of new Rt. 15, just south of southbound old Rt. 15-new Rt. 15 split, north of Jackson, north-central Breathitt County, eastern Kentucky, USA (37° 34’ 53.95” North, 83° 23’ 07.99” West)
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Reference cited:
Greb & Eble (2014) - Cannel coals of the Cannel City-Amburgy Coal Bed (Pikeville Formation, Middle Pennsylvanian); evidence for possible fault-generated lakes. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs 46(6): 604.
This is a Mississippian-Pennsylvanian boundary section in eastern Ohio. At most sites in North America, the boundary is a significant unconformity - it's actually a megasequence boundary (Sloss sequence boundary) between the Absaroka Megasequence (above) and the Kaskaskia Megasequence (below). The boundary is somewhere in the lower half of the photo.
The cliff-forming unit in the middle and upper part of the picture is a quartzose sandstone that represents the basal-preserved Pottsville Group at this locality. Mixed siliciclastics occur above. The sandstone unit is here interpreted to be the Massillon Sandstone, a variably-developed member in the lower to middle Pottsville Group.
Just below the inferred Massillon (= black-colored horizon & in the shadow of the overhanging sandstone) is a relatively thin bituminous coal horizon. The identity of this coal bed is uncertain, but it may be the Quakertown Coal (or Number 2 Coal), or an unnamed coal, or the Wellston Coal (a name from Jackson County, Ohio). If the sandstone unit is misidentified (i.e., it's not the Massillon), it could be the Sharon Sandstone. If so, the underlying coal is the Sharon Coal.
The grayish rocks in the bottom part of the picture are siliciclastics of the Vinton Member, the uppermost of four members of the Logan Formation. The Vinton consists of marine mixed siliciclastics - principally shales, siltstones, and sandstones.
Stratigraphy: inferred Massillon Sandstone (lower Pottsville Group, upper Lower Pennsylvanian) over Vinton Member, (upper Logan Formation, Osagean Series, upper Lower Mississippian)
Locality: Trinway West 6 Outcrop - roadcut on the northwestern side of Rt. 16, 1.0 miles northeast of the Rt. 16-Old Riley Road intersection, northeast of the town of Frazeysburg & west of the town of Trinway, northwestern Muskingum County, Ohio, USA (40° 08' 41.54" North latitude, 82° 05' 06.18" West longitude)
FISSILE CORE STORAGE –
The fissile cores were stored in small buildings arranged around the large non-nuclear component stores. In total there are 57 of these buildings, which are divided into 48 Type 'A' and 9 Type 'B' stores. The fissile core stores are organised in four uneven groups around the non-nuclear stores. The two southerly groups of stores are arranged symmetrically to the south of the large non-nuclear stores, each group having sixteen small store buildings. The north-eastern group contains eleven stores and the north-west group fourteen. All but the south-east group contained a mixture of Type 'A' and Type 'B' stores.
The store buildings are linked together by pedestrian width walkways, fenced by tubular steel pipes 37in tall with strands of white between the horizontal members. The area was lit by pre-cast concrete lamp-posts, each of which had a red panic button at chest height. The Type 'A' storage buildings 1-48 are small kiosk-like structures. In plan they measure 8ft 4in by 7ft 10in and stand 9ft above ground level. The foundations of the building are constructed of 3ft thick mass concrete. The walls are of cavity wall construction and are formed of solid concrete blocks, while the roof is a flat over-hanging reinforced concrete slab with a drip mould, and is covered with bituminous felt. The design drawing (Drg. No. 3563B/52) shows a variety of irregular roof plans designed to disguise the structures from the air. These were never built, all the roofs being rectangular in plan.
Fittings on the walls indicate that they were all originally protected by copper earthing straps. On the front of many of the stores a stencilled notice records ''Date of last lightning conductor test April - 63''. Internally the walls are finished in unpainted, smooth gritless plaster. The side and rear walls are ventilated by four small controllable ventilators, two at the base of the wall and two at the top. In the floor of each of the Type 'A' stores is a single keyhole shaped cavity. Each hole is 1ft 5in in diameter and 1ft 9in deep. The shaft of the hole measures 10in wide and is 8in long and is shallower than the main hole at 3½in. A scar around the hole suggests it originally contained a vessel with the asphalt brought up around its lip. This is confirmed by the survival of the surrounding lip in similar stores at RAF Faldingworth, Lincolnshire, and by the rare survival of a number of stainless steel vessels at the bomb store at RAF Gaydon, Warwickshire.
The electrical system of each store was contained within small bore metal pipes; circular junction boxes led to other electrical fittings, which have in most cases been removed. In a number of the stores 'Walsall' Type 1174X flameproof switch boxes remained. On their covers is cast ''5 Amp 250 Volt Flameproof switchbox type Walsall 1174BX Group 2 FLP 302 Group 3 Test P60 Isolate supply elsewhere before removing this cover''. A small formica sign confirmed that ''The electrical installation in this building is standard 'A' in accordance with AP 2608A''. All the stores originally had external fuse boxes to the left of their doors.
The doors are wooden and open outwards, their outer faces being protected by a steel sheet. They are secured by a combination lock and internal vertical locking bar operated by an external handle. A metal fitting in the path allowed the door to be secured half ajar. Above the door, and attached to its frame, is a spring-loaded electrical contact, which probably recorded on the control board in building 63 whether or not the door was open or closed. Externally and internally the doors are painted light blue. On the door of building No. 1 is a 1ft diameter radiation symbol in yellow and out-lined in black, below it is a 11½in yellow square with a black star at its centre.
The Type 'B' store buildings 49-57 are slightly larger than the Type 'A' measuring 9ft 7in by 7ft 10n. Otherwise the details of the stores are identical to the smaller stores. The principle difference between the two types of structures is that the Type 'B ' had two storage holes in their floors. Each of these buildings was also equipped with a small wooden counter adjacent to the doors; the counters measure 2ft 6in by 1ft 6in and standing 4ft tall. They have been removed from stores 53 and 55. At some point during the operational life of the station the holes in the floors of all the Type 'B' stores were filled and covered by gritless asphalt. The asphalt surfaces in the stores are continuous, often with a slight depression marking the position of the holes, which implies that the original floor was lifted and new floors laid. The holes in store 52 have been reopened, as indicated by fragments of the asphalt surface thrown back into the holes. This is in contrast to RAF Faldingworth where the holes have been left open.
In total there were enough holes to store 66 fissile cores. One source states that the single hole stores contained plutonium cores, while the double-hole stores were, used for cobalt cores. Currently available documentation does not reveal if one fissile core may be equated with one bomb, or if a bomb contained more than one fissile core. Recent research has shown that Britain probably produced no more than twenty Blue Danube warheads, with this number on the active stockpile between 1957 and 1961. It is therefore likely that no more than a handful of weapons were stored at RAF Barnham at anyone time.
The significance of the filling of the holes in the Type 'B' stores is also unclear. It may coincide with the withdrawal of the first generation nuclear weapon, ''Blue Danube'', and the deployment second generation atomic bomb, ''Red Beard'' (from 1961), or it may be related to the introduction of first British hydrogen bomb, ''Yellow Sun'' (from 1958). Given the number of available nuclear warheads in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, it is unlikely that the RAF Barnham store was ever full. Part of RAF Barnham's function, along with other bomb stores, was to convince the Soviet Union that Britain had more nuclear weapons at her disposal than was in fact the case.
Information sourced from English Heritage.
Crews worked on SR 9 for three days from July 23 through July 25, 2018 applying a oil and gravel surface - bituminous surface treatment - to a 10 mile stretch between the south end of Big Lake and Sedro-Woolley. Following application of the gravel, equipment rolled the area with large rubber tires and sweeping happened overnight to pick up loose material.
On Thursday, Aug. 2, 2018 WSDOT contractor crews from Granite Construction resurfaced SR 539/Guide Meridian Road north of Lynden and south of the Alderwood Border Crossing. The long moving work zone creates lengthy delays as a pilot vehicle alternates traffic through the busy work zone.
NON-NUCLEAR COMPONENT STORES BUILDING 60 –
The function of the non-nuclear component stores was to hold the high explosive part of the bomb and its outer casing. The casing could probably be split into two units, the tail and forward part containing the high explosive and electronics. The bombs, minus their fissile components, were housed in three almost identical stores buildings 59-61, known as Storage Building Type 'D-D'. These are arranged in an arrowhead pattern, and are accessed from the internal loop road, and are all surrounded by 14ft 6in high earth traverses, revetted by a reinforced concrete retaining wall against the roadway.
The western store, building 59 was gutted by a fire during the 1980's and has subsequently been demolished. Its floor plan remains visible on the remaining concrete floor slab. The two remaining stores, buildings 60 and 61 are rectangular in plan, and are constructed from reinforced concrete columns and beams. Internally there are two rows of columns, 13in², which support the roof beams, 2ft by 9in, which carry the 9in thick reinforced concrete roof slab which is covered with bituminous felt. The rainwater gutters and down pipes are cast asbestos.
The wall sections are filled with 18in by 9in by 9in precast concrete blocks, internally the main storage area measures 190ft 2½in by 60ft. It is divided longitudinally into eleven 17ft by 3ft bays and cross ways into three bays the outer bays measure 17ft 6in and the central bay is 25ft wide. The maximum clear internal height was 12ft from the floor to the underside of the roof beams. The floor is surfaced with a hard gritless asphalt with the patent name 'Ironite'. The walls are painted pale green colour and the ceiling cream. in store building 61 the bay letters 0, N, M, and L are visible on the rear columns on the eastern side, suggesting the store was divided into 22 bays along the outer walls.
Abutting on to the front of the stores, and flanking the entrances, are plant and switch rooms, which originally contained heating and air conditioning plant to maintain a stable environment within the stores. A raised air extract duct is placed asymmetrically on the roofs of the stores. Entry into the stores is through a 10ft wide door opening with 12ft high doors. In the rear wall of the stores is a single door width, outward opening emergency exit. The first nuclear weapon the store was designed to hold was relatively large, a ''Blue Danube'' bomb measured 24ft in length and weighed 10,000lbs.
The problems of handling such large objects are reflected in the provision of substantial lifting gantries at the entrance to each store. Two variants are found, the simplest, exemplified by the middle store building 60 comprises a straight gantry. Over the roadway the gantry is supported by four 24in by 18in reinforced concrete columns, which support two 51in by 24in reinforced concrete beams. The upper beams of the gantry taper towards the entrance to the store where they are suppurted by two reinforced concrete columns. On the underside of the gantry is attached a 20in by 6½in rolled steel joist runway beam which runs to the entrance to the building. This was originally fitted with a 10 ton hoist. The gantry is covered by asbestos sheeting to provide a dry working area.
On the eastern and western stores the gantries were set at 30° to the front of the stores. In this variant an extra set of columns was placed at the 30° dogleg. Internally there is no evidence for a runway beam, so it presumed the bombs were lifted off a road transporter and loaded onto a bomb trolley for storage. It is not known how many bombs were kept in each store, or if the tail units were separated from the front part of the bomb for storage. Subsequent to the site being relinquished by the RAF a central corridor has been created in the stores by the insertion of breeze block walls. Doors in these walls give access to workshops along either side of the buildings. External windows have also been inserted in some of the bays.
Information sourced from English Heritage.
MAINTENANCE BUILDING 58 –
To the rear of building 62, and separated from it by an earthwork traverse, is building 58 (Drg No. 1244/53) it is designated Storage Building 'C-D'. It is approached along paths which lead back towards the bomb stores and the main gate, the entrances to the store are shielded by freestanding breeze block walls. The construction of the building is similar to the non-nuclear component stores, buildings 59-61, being formed from reinforced concrete columns and beams infilled with block work. It is, however, taller than the stores, buildings 59-61 and stands 23ft 11i from floor to ceiling. The main central section measures 70ft by 30ft, at each end of which are air lock porches 20ft by 15ft, while to the rear is plant and dark room 34ft 5in by 20ft. The root is a 5½in thick reinforced concrete slab, with a coating of bituminous felt. The building is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
▪︎RARITY – It is a rare building in a national and international context. Designed in the 1950's for storing innovative nuclear technology, RAF Barnham is the only such surviving facility in England.
▪︎HISTORIC INTEREST – A unique building surviving from the Cold War, designed to accommodate Britain's first nuclear weapon, the ''Blue Danube''.
▪︎GROUP VALUE – Building 58 has strong group value with the other buildings at RAF Barnham, both in terms of their function and historic significance.
▪︎INTACTNESS – Building 58 is a largely intact, bespoke structure.
Maintenance Building 58 was probably one of two buildings on the site (the other being the much altered Building 62) used for the inspection of the bombs brought from the airfields. Documents record some movement of bombs between the site and airfields and indeed pantechnicons designed to carry a complete weapon were known to have visited the site. It is now used for light engineering.
▪︎MATERIALS – Building 58 has a reinforced concrete frame and blockwork walls, over-painted at the east end, and is shielded by freestanding blast walls.
▪︎PLAN – The building has a rectangular plan, aligned approximately east-west.
▪︎EXTERIOR – The building has projecting entrance bays to the east and west, which contained airlocks internally, both of which have double height steel doors through which the bombs would travel. To the north are attached single storey toilet blocks and a store room with replaced fenestration.
▪︎INTERIOR – The central section of the building is largely featureless except for a runway beam which originally supported four hoists. The airlocks in the porches have been removed.
Although the site was used for storage of Mustard Gas and explosives during World War II, it was not until after the end of hostilities that the depot was constructed in its current form. In the early 1950's, the Air Ministry had a continuing need for high explosive bombs and storage facilities for them in anticipation of a future war in which atomic and thermo-nuclear weapons would be used by both sides.
It is within this historic context that the Special Storage Unit at RAF Barnham was constructed following the issuing of ''Blue Danube'', Britain's first nuclear bomb, to the RAF in November 1953. The bombs were held in clutches in V-bomber airfields such as RAF Scampton and RAF Wittering and the purpose of the store at RAF Barnham, and the almost identical site at RAF Faldingwoth in Lincolnshire, was to provide maintenance and refurbishment to support the airfields and hold spare warheads.
The Air Ministry plan for the Store is dated May 1953, although planning for the facility almost certainly had started before this, and it was fully operational by July 1954. In the first phase of works, the fences, earthworks, fissile core storage hutches, inspection buildings and gantries were built by August 1955. The small arms and pyrotechnics store, barrack accommodation, gymnasium, telephone exchange, meat preparation store and dog compound were erected shortly after to strengthen security. By mid 1955 the double fence was in place, later augmented by the current observation towers erected in early 1959 replacing smaller structures.
The Special Storage Unit remained the main holding place for the Mk. I atomic bomb, under control of Bomber Command until November 1956 when an independent Unit (95 Commanding Maintenance Unit) was formed. During the operational life of the site, second and third generation British nuclear weapons such as ''Red Beard'' and ''Yellow Sun'' were introduced and stored there. By 1962, the site was in decline and the Maintenance Unit ceased to exist on 31st July 1963. The closure of the station is probably linked to the operational deployment of ''Blue Steel'' from late 1962.
The site was sold to the current owners in 1966 and later let out for light industrial use. Some of the buildings have been altered and significantly, one of the Non-nuclear stores burnt down in the 1980’s, but there has been an on-going maintenance and repair programme agreed with English Heritage resulting in the preservation of the site.
Information sourced from – historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1402411
English Heritage.
Destroyed 2004.
In preparation for the Kiewa Hydro-Electric Scheme of the 1930s, this hut was built for the SEC in the summer of 1932-3 to accommodate the snow research program manager, the resident engineer for the scheme{ Lawrence: 25,32 states 1933-4 and 1932-3 as const. date?}. The cottage was sited next to a hydro-meteorological station, set on stilts above the snow in the same year{ Carlyon}. This was not a refuge hut but a permanent residence for all of the year. The hut was designed by WE Gower (later SEC Chief Architect) and built by Joe Holston and C Jassund{ Carlyon, other sources say builder was Bill Spargo and designer, GT Dyson}. The materials for the hut were carted on a sled or pack horse by High Plains cattleman, Wally Ryder, and his brother-in-law, George Hobbs, along what is now the Alpine Walking Track from Mt Hotham{ ibid.; Holth & Holth: 110; VOM: 25; Carlyon says only Hobbs}. They had successfully tendered for the job in 1932{ VOM}. The frame was of Oregon, the weatherboards stained, the roof clad with bituminous felt layers placed over timber T&G decking, the interior lined with `Caniete' or a similar composite board, and the timber casement windows were double-glazed{ ibid.}. A photograph by Weston taken in December 1932 shows the hut in construction with the stud frame visible, the chimney built and the felt going in over the roof with purlins placed on top appearing ready to receive corrugated iron{ copy held at hut; compare with above roof cladding description}. A large shed with a thatch and canvas roof was built about 20m from the hut, housing wood, stores and an earth-drying stove (reputedly done during the Trimble occupation, c1942-6){ ibid.}. The work was sanctioned in 1932 after pioneering SEC weatherman, Joe Holston, had been operating from Wallace's Hut and later, the Pretty Valley Hut, from c1928{ Napier: 36}. Federal money and Bureau of Meteorology assistance was won and these two early huts were a base for construction of this building. Snow pole lines were established from Pretty Valley to Mt Cope and from Wallace's down Fall's Creek to allow weather station construction. The work carried out there included operation of a meteorological station at the cottage, measuring the snow depth and density along two pole lines, and operating stream gauging stations in the area{ Lawrence: 33}. The engineers included TO Olsen (1933-4), a Swiss engineer Adrian Rufenacht (1934-6), a Norwegian Martin Romuld (1936-42) and Stan Trimble until the program ceased in 1946{ ibid.; Napier: 37}. Olsen was reputedly a `brilliant engineer', the co-builder of this hut and the instigator of the research programme{ see Napier: 37}. He was credited as being the one of the masterminds behind the Snowy Mountains hydro-electricity scheme{ Holth & Holth: 110-}. Romuld, on the other hand, was a champion skier, constructing a ski-jump and a grass tennis court near the hut during his residency{ ibid.; Carlyon states that the court is still apparent by the collapsed wire mesh and posts}. The tennis court was reputedly the venue for a tournament which attracted some 39 entrants, drawn from the SEC camps in the area{ Lawrence: 33}. SEC worker, Warrand Begg, described life at the weather station under Olsen in the 1930s, himself resident at Cope Hut: `A very comfortable, if somewhat compact house has been built in which lived the engineer, Mr Olsen, Mrs Olsen and their son, Lasse{ Napier: 38}…I had to ski to work each morning (1 mile). The scope of the work carried out at the station is very wide; in addition to standard meteorological work… it also covers a detailed study of the behaviour of the water (including snow) both on and in the ground and to take samples of the soil every foot. These samples were taken to the station where the moisture content was determined..'{ ibid.}. Begg would go with Olsen or alone to inspect the weather stations on the pole line, going down to Roper's Hut or Pretty Valley{ ibid.}. The pioneering alpine ecological research done by Maisie Fawcett was undertaken from this (staying with the Trimbles) and the Rover Scout hut in the early 1940s{ Gillbank: 224}. Special radio broadcasts (both in English and coded) from 3UZ to the battery powered wireless at the cottage were a feature of each night 6.45-7.00 pm{ Carlyon}. During Trimble's occupation, in 1946, the hut was covered by a snow drift and the family trapped. Only the chimney tops of the hut were visible but the arrival of Rover Scouts meant the family's rescue although it took some 5 days to dig them out, with cracked rafters and a leaning hut as one result{ Holth, COTHC: 116}. The drift was thought to be caused by the lack of trees on the hill near the hut, allowing drifts to build up{ Carlyon}. The store which had been erected at the Cottage, reputedly during Trimble's time, was to become a storeroom for the Rover Scouts{ ibid.}. Access to stores for the building's occupiers was made a little easier when the Fitzgeralds cut a pack track for the SEC from Shannonvale{ Carlyon}. In the Trimble era, the porch was removed and in its place a bunk room was built, with a long entry passage: this was connected via a covered way to the shed{ Carlyon}. Regarded as luxurious by the local cattlemen, the hut had an attic level and had hot and cold running water{ ibid.}. Nevertheless it was pictured in `The Alps at the Crossroads' as a typical gabled weatherboarded hut form (now clad with metal sheet), albeit with an attic window, and a skillion entry annexe in the place of the typical verandah. The corrugated iron cladding of the skillion vestibule has however remained. Two metal chimneys were visible; the one at the south end since replaced by the kitchen alcove{ Johnson: 118}. The south kitchen window shown has also been replaced. The hut was sold in 1948 to the Victorian Ski Club and renamed Wilkinson Lodge, Wilkinson Robert Wood Wilkinson, best known as 'Wilkie, was indisputably the 'Father figure' of Victorian skiing. He first visited the snow at Mount Buffalo in 1909, at the age of thirty-five years, and was fifty when he joined the Ski Club of Victoria as one of its earliest members, in 1924. He had an immense influence on the Club in its formative years and played a prominent part in some of the earliest trips of exploration "Robert Wood Wilkinson was born at Talbot (Victoria) in 1874, and was at the age of sixteen apprenticed to his father, who was at that time a chemist at Maryborough. Mr Wilkinson led the first party across the Bogong High Plains in the winter of 1926, pioneering Mt Nelse on the same trip. In 1927, with Jack Docherty, he was the first to climb Mt Fainter on ski. Again, in 1929, Mr Wilkinson, with a party from the Club, were the first to climb Mt McKay on ski. As a photographer, he was known far and wide. Cope Hut, on the Bogong High Plains, as well as the lines of snow poles were the outcome of his untiring efforts. As long as people ski in Victoria the name of Robert Wilkinson should be remembered, because of his devotion to the sport, and his untiring efforts to assist the Ski Club of Victoria in its growth and activities." Robert Wood Wilkinson died on May 22, 1939. The hut was resold some 12 years later to the Melbourne Bushwalkers club{ Lawrence: 25 says 1948; Lloyd: 294 says 1949 but shows cheque dated 1948}. Johnson, in `The Alps at the Crossroads' gives the purchase date as 1959, noting that club member Darrel Sullivan (and later Doug Pocock) organised and `..carried out extensive renovations' to the hut{ Johnson: 118}. Sullivan and Art Terry led club work parties who maintained the Long Hill-Crinoline and Gillio's Tracks{ ibid.}. In 1983, the National Parks Service described the building as an old SEC hut which had been purchased and, afterwards, maintained and occupied solely by the Melbourne Bushwalking Club (locked). It was in good condition but offered no public refuge: they recommended that some space in the hut be provided for refuge after negotiations with the club{ NPS (1983): 47}. ....'