experiments have been carried out on the Geological Survey premises by Mr. W. Randall under the authority of Messrs. Villiers, Limited. During the year, some 70 samples, from most of the coalfields of India, have been tested in this way. Some of the coals have responded to the treatment and the successful application of the process seems to be a matter of finance. There are large areas of sub-bituminous coals, such as those of the Central Provinces, which appear to be entirely non-coking and which cannot therefore be cleaned to yield coking products. On the other hand, the second-class coals of Jharia and Bokaro have been found amenable to cleaning. Mr. Randall reports that many of those coals. which are of no commercial value as coking coals since they yield weak coke of high ash content, have been treated to yield a clean product which can be made into coke of excellent quality. It now remains to be proved whether the process can be employed remuneratively on a commercial scale. As the reserves of high-grade coal become depleted and prices rise, it seems justifiable to anticipate that the Froth Flotation process will become more and more commercially feasible. Mr. Randall considers that there are Indian coals which could today be profitably cleaned. It is hoped to publish shortly a preliminary report upon the results of these experi ments. Chitral. Copper. A small deposit of azurite (derived from copper pyrite) and galena was observed by Mr. Tipper to occur at the village of Chapari in Chitral. A similar deposit in a very inaccessible place is to be seen about 4 miles up the valley. Incrustations of copper carbonates occur in the basic rocks on the road from the Shah Janali Pass just above the first hamlet in the Upper Turikho Valley. Engineering Questions and Allied Enquiries. To assist in the selection of the most suitable alignment of the proposed connective line between the Katni Railway alignment: and Daltonganj areas in Bihar and Orissa, Mr. A. L. Coulson was deputed to accompany the Railway Survey Party, and has submitted Bihar and Orissa. a detailed report. He was concerned chiefly in examining the coalfields which will be opened up by the construction of either of two alternative railway lines, the northern of which joins Katni (B. N. R., E. I. R., G. I. P. R.) with Hutar which lies to the south of Daltonganj (E. I. R.), whilst the southern line connects Anuppur (B. N. R.—Bilaspur-Katni Branch Line) with Hutar. It is proposed to connect Hutar with Daltonganj on the north by an extension of the existing Daltonganj line, and with Hesla on the east by a line which has already been surveyed by the East Indian Railway. From a mineral standpoint the southern line (Line A) undoubtedly possesses prior claims for construction over the northern line (Line B). Line B merely affects the Singrauli, Tatapani and Hutar coalfields, whereas Line A would open up the eastern part of the Sohagpur and the Jhagrakhand, Sanhat, Kurasia, Jhilmili, Bisrampur and Hutar coalfields. The coals of the Singrauli and Tatapani fields cannot compare in quality with those of the Jhagrakhand and Kurasia areas alone so far as evidence went. Assisting the claims of Line B, we have, it is true, the corundum formation at Pipra in Singrauli, and the iron ores of the same district, but the latter seem rather a doubtful asset; in any case these advantages cannot counteract the overwhelming claims which Line A possesses through its coalfields enumerated above. Dam-site; Manmad, Bombay. Dr. C. S. Fox on his return from deputation with the High Commissioner for India in London was asked to investigate a water-supply dam in the Panjhan River at Manmad on the Great Indian Peninsula Railway, and, on behalf of the Bombay Public Works Department, an irrigation dam near Belgaum. The Manmad scheme was considered faulty from a geological standpoint owing to the presence of a concealed filled-up valley in the line of the projected dam. This would necessitate a very long dam to hold up the water and prevent it from percolating through the porous materials in the old valley. The Belgaum scheme concerned the important question of irrigation in the Deccan and involved three possible dam-sites near Daddi, two of which needed detailed attention. Dr. Fox finally Dam-site; Belgaum, Bombay. advised in favour of the longer dam, its alignment having two recognizable advantages over the other. The strata would dip In upstream at the longer dam where also there is strong rock on to which the spillway could discharge without fear of undermining. both cases a certain amount of leakage was anticipated through the jointed rock of the north bank. This leakage would, however, find its way back into the Ghatprabha river and thus rejoin the regulated flow which was being discharged to meet the canal draw-off from the Gokak reservoir. Dr. Fox was able to point out to the Irrigation Engineer the defects and advantages of the two kinds of rock, basalt and quartzite, which were at his disposal for building the dam. This reservoir will be an important work, as the existing reservoir near Gokak station would not supply water to the new canals which are to be constructed on the dry watershed of the Krishna (Kistna) to the east. Yamethin, Burma. Dr. G. de P. Cotter in January 1923 visited the proposed site of the Nankwe dam in the Yamethin district, Dam-site; Nankwe, (about 12 miles east-north-east of Yamethin). The rocks in which the proposed reservoir and dam would lie are a series of slates, hornstones, mudstones, quartzites and sandstones, evidently referrable to the Chaung Magyi series described by LaTouche. The rocks of the site were deeply weathered, and Dr. Cotter advised that the trial pits along the site should be deepened so as to reach if possible fresh unweathered rock. Dam-site; Ingon, Kyaukse district, Bur ma. Another dam-site at Ingon village in the Myittha township of the Kyaukse district was examined by Dr. Cotter in January 1923. The formations on which the site is aligned are andesite, limestone, travertine, and river alluvium of the Panlaung River. The presence of pot-holes in the travertine, which may be the openings of subterranean channels caused some alarm, but it was concluded that further investigation was necessary, and that, if they proved to be channel openings, it would be possible to close them to a large extent by cementing the openings with concrete. Dam-site: Kyatkon, Captain F. W. Walker was deputed to examine a dam-site at Kyatkon village in the Myingyan district (lat. 20° 48'; long. 95° 15'). The site lay over Irrawaddy Sandstone, tuff, volcanic conglomerates and alluvium; it was decided that the alluvium is too porous, and the site therefore unsuitable. Myingyan district, Land-slip : Punjab. In June soon after the arrival of the Monsoon Dr. Fox received orders by telegram to proceed to Murree to Murree, examine a land-slip which had just taken place and which was evidently still unstable. After investigating the area it was possible to indicate to the military authorities concerned the limits of the unstable area and to mark those places where movement was likely to be greatest. There appeared to be no cause for alarm, but it seemed likely that certain buildings would suffer by being distorted or fractured by the unequal movement of the sinking ground. Thorough remedial measures were seen to be far too elaborate for immediate adoption, but the plan outlined had in view the gradual pinning of those portions which allowed of human control at a reasonable outlay. The slip area as a whole will jam itself in time and if meanwhile the "active" areas are avoided for building sites there is not likely to be much further damage, once the smaller protective works are fixed. As an alternative to the Sutlej scheme a project for the development of hydro-electric power in the Mandi Uhl River Hydro-elec- State of the Punjab has been considered. At tric scheme: Punjab. the request for geological advice by Colonel Battye, the Engineer in charge, Mr. H. Crookshank was instructed to visit the area and submit a report. The proposal is to take advantage of the fact that the floor of the Uhl valley is at a much higher elevation than the parallel bed of the Rana river to the west, both streams flowing generally S. S. E. into the Beas. In consequence of this, it is possible to obtain a powerful head of water by deflecting the waters of the Uhl into the Rana through a tunnel driven across the intervening watershed. Particular attention has been devoted to a scheme between Ghog in the Uhl valley and Shanan on a tributary of the Rana; additional energy is available by continuing the scheme down to the Nairi nala near Kun. An alternative scheme down the Uhl valley from near Ghagatyan to Urla is also being kept in mind, but the Ghog-Shanan project is receiving more attention. The beds are not far from the vertical, most of them dipping very steeply to the east, and belong to two series, ancient unfossiliferous Krol slates and quartzites forming the main mass of the watershed and the valley of the Uhl river, and partially consolidated beds of soft marl, sandstone and conglomerate of Tertiary-probably Siwalik-age forming the Rana valley and lower slopes of the divide. The difference in height between the two valleys is due largely to the greater erosion of the softer beds in the Rana valley. as Dr. Fox who reported on the old Sutlej scheme has supervised. Mr. Crookshank's report and is of opinion that the hill-slopes are structurally safe as regards serious landslips owing to the steepness of the inclination of the strata. Water conduits or reservoirs on the younger softer porous rocks would have to be lined or puddled with clay to prevent leakage. The area lies within a seismic region of known instability and the risk of earthquake must be faced, indeed it must in any part of the Punjab; it does not necessarily follow that any engineering structure will be seriously injured by such an earthquake shock. To reduce the risk Dr. Fox advises that all structures should be built of small or moderate-sized blocks of stone or better still of brick, that tunnels should not be driven across well-marked fault planes, that dams and weirs should be founded on unfissured rock, and that power-houses and pipe-lines where possible should be built or secured on solid rocks, alluvial slopes exceeding 15° being avoided. Although the plane between the Krol beds and the Siwaliks has not been definitely proved to be a plane along which movement has recently taken place, it is a plane of weakness to be avoided where possible in tunnel sections. The proposed reservoir on spur "4240" will be liable to small cracks and will have to be watched; it should be of brick. The extension scheme mentioned above involves no great risks from a geological point of view, but the Ghog tunnel whose intake it is proposed to cover with nearly 160 feet of water by means of a dam at Tarwan, should be lined with masonry in order to resist the scour of water under pressure. The alternative scheme mentioned above consists in driving a tunnel from the bend of the Uhl River, W. S. W. of Ghagatyan, through the slates and quartzites, across their strike, to emerge near Rajan south-east of Urla. This tunnel would not cross the junction between the Krol and Siwalik beds; otherwise the geological considerations are very similar to those of the main scheme. Excellent building materials in the form of granite, quartzite. slate, lime-stone, and sand are available on the spot but good brickclays unfortunately do not appear to be so conspicuous. |