David Neufeld
Yukon & Western Arctic Historian
Parks Canada, September, 1994
In the early 1980s, Historical Services, Prairie and Northern
Region (PNRO) began research on the history of corporate placer mining
in the Klondike to support Klondike National Historic Sites. As part of
this work the author prepared this detailed annotated bibliography covering
world placer gold mining during the period 1896-1966. The scope of the
bibliography was broad; in addition to furnishing references on the Yukon
Territory the writer was to provide sufficient references to allow a study
of world placer gold mining. The source for the bibliography was The Engineering
Index, a comprehensive annual review of engineering and technical literature.
This publication provides a machine readable copy of the complete
bibliography, an evaluation of the technological history research value
of The Engineering Index, and summarizes the findings of the bibliography.
History
The Engineering Index originated in the summer of 1883 when J.B.
Johnson was elected Professor of Civil Engineering at Washington University
in St. Louis. Anxious to be proficient in his new position Johnson surveyed
existing engineering literature and began to systematically compile information
on the more important articles in a volume he called an "Index Rerum" (L.
index of things). The original work covered the major American engineering
periodicals: The Engineering News, Van Nostrand's Engineering Magazine,
the Journal of the Franklin Institute, the Transactions of the American
Engineering Societies of Civil, Mechanical and Mining Engineers and the
English journals Engineering, The Engineer and the Proceedings of the Institute
of Civil Engineers.
In the fall of 1883 Johnson attended the Board meeting of the
Association of Engineering Societies and described his indexing work. The
Board was impressed with the work and in January 1884 Johnson began to
produce a monthly index which was published in the Association's journal.
Johnson expanded the scope of his index and by 1891, 100 publications
were reviewed and indexed. Most of these were American magazines but there
was a growing number from Great Britain and its colonies, France, Germany
and Austria. At this time Johnson convinced the editors of the Association
of Engineering Societies Journal that a cumulative index would be a worthwhile
product. He carefully edited the monthly indexes and in 1892 the Association
published the first cumulative volume entitled, "Descriptive Index of Current
Engineering Literature". It contained 11,000 notes and cross-references,
approximately 1375 per year, and Johnson claimed that, "It is thought to
contain, ... nearly all periodical, society and fragmentary matter of permanent
value not only for the period 1884 to 1891 inclusive, but a great deal
which appeared earlier."1
In 1895, Johnson edited the second, and his last volume of the
cumulative index, for the Engineering Magazine of New York which had taken
over the preparation of the index in that year. Covering the years 1892-95,
the second edition had almost the same coverage as the first edition and
contained some 6000 entries, about 1500 per year. The second volume took
the title, The Engineering Index.
The Engineering Magazine hired H.H. Suplee as editor to replace
Johnson and over the next few years the coverage of the index significantly
expanded. Five-year cumulative volumes were published in 1901 and 1906
and both of these reflected the growing scope of the work. Volume three,
covering 1896-1900, contained 40,000 entries, about 8000 per year, gleaned
from more than 200 technical publications. Volume four, the last five-year
cumulative index, covered 1901-1905 and included some 50,000 entries, about
10,000 per year, from 250 periodicals and journals. The preface of volume
four emphasized the value of the work: "The Index is used as a guide to
the vast mass of information otherwise practically buried in the numerous
files of engineering publications in reference libraries in all parts of
the world, and The Engineering Index thus becomes the master-key by which
these storehouses of information may be entered."2
In 1906, The Engineering Index became an annual publication. From this
date until 1918 it provided a compilation of between 200 and 250 of the
world's leading technical and engineering publications. Approximately 10,000
entries each year gave comprehensive coverage of the journals reviewed.
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers purchased the publication
in late 1918 and combined its work with their own more extensive "Selected
Titles of Engineering Articles." The combined 1919 edition retained the
title The Engineering Index and included some 12,000 entries from nearly
700 engineering and allied technical publications subscribed to by the
Engineering Societies Library in New York. According to the 1919 editor,
this library "comprise(s) perhaps the most complete collection of scientific
and engineering publications in the world."3
Subsequent editions grew in size; the 1927 edition had 18,000 entries.
The coverage of the Index also became more comprehensive. In 1922 the publishers
stated that 25 per cent of the periodicals indexed were from Great Britain
and colonies and 30 per cent from other foreign countries. By 1928 the
Index reviewed about 1200 journals and 500 irregular bulletins. This number
remained fairly constant through the rest of the period under study.
Coverage of Canadian Engineering
While no Canadian journals were included in Johnson's original
monthly indexing in 1884, several were indexed by the time the third cumulative
volume was published in 1901, the similarity between American and Canadian
engineering work and the geographic proximity of the two countries ensured
that Canadian engineering would be fully covered by The Engineering Index.
The Canadian publications included in the 1896-1900 edition of
the index were:
1. British Columbia Mining Record - Victoria (monthly)
2. Canadian Architect - Toronto (monthly)
3. Canadian Electrical News - Toronto (monthly)
4. Canadian Engineer - Montréal (monthly)
5. Canadian Mining Review - Ottawa (monthly)
6. Engineering Society of the School of Practical Science -
Toronto
Comparison of this list of Canadian journals with the Canadian
mining journals noted by H.C. Bolton in his comprehensive A Catalogue of
Scientific and Technical Periodicals 1665-18954 reveals only two missing.
These were The Canadian Mining Manual, an annual prepared in Ottawa by
the editor of the Canadian Mining Review, and the Canadian Colliery Guardian
and Critic published in Halifax.
By 1909, The Engineering Index referenced eight Canadian publications.
1. Applied Science - Toronto (monthly)
2. British Columbia Mining Record - Victoria (monthly)
3. Bulletin of the Canadian Mining Institute - Montréal
(quarterly)
4. Canadian Architect - Toronto (monthly)
5. Canadian Electrical News - Toronto (monthly)
6. Industrial Advocate - Halifax (monthly)
7. Journal of the Canadian Mining Institute - Montréal
(annual)
8. Proceedings of the Canadian Society of Civil Engineers -
Montréal (monthly)
These represented over three per cent of the total number of journals
and other published materials covered by the index.
In 1919, after the expansion of the index by the American Society
of Mechanical Engineers, 23 Canadian publications were included.
1. Association of Dominion Land Surveyors Annual Report - Ottawa
(annual)
2. Canadian Chemical Journal - Toronto (monthly)
3. Canadian Department of Mines, Mines Branch Bulletin -Ottawa
(irregular)
4. Canadian Engineer - Toronto (weekly)
5. Canadian Foundryman and Metal Industry News - Toronto (monthly)
6. Canadian Machinery and Manufacturing News - Toronto (weekly)
7. Canadian Manufacturer - Toronto (monthly)
8. Canadian Mining Institute Bulletin - Montréal (monthly)
9. Canadian Mining Journal - Quebec City (weekly)
10. Canadian Railway Club Proceedings - Montréal (9/yr)
11. Canadian Railway and Marine World - Toronto (monthly)
12. Contract Record and Engineering Review - Toronto (weekly)
13. Electrical News - Toronto (semi-monthly)
14. Engineering Institute of Canada Journal - Toronto (monthly)
15. Geological Survey of Canada Reports - Ottawa (irregular)
16. Iron and Steel of Canada - Toronto (monthly)
17. Marine Engineering and Canadian Merchant Service Guild Review
- Toronto
(monthly)
18. Marine Engineering of Canada - Toronto (monthly)
19. Mining and Engineering Record - Vancouver (monthly)
20. Ontario Bureau of Mines Bulletin - Toronto (irregular)
21. Power House - Toronto (semi-monthly)
22. Queen's University Quarterly - Kingston (quarterly)
23. Revue Trimestrielle Canadienne - Montréal (monthly)
By 1928, when The Engineering Index undertook a more thorough
review of engineering literature, the following Canadian publications were
indexed:
1. Bus and Truck Transport - Toronto (monthly)
2. Canada. Department of the Interior (Water Resources Papers)
- Ottawa
(irregular)
3. Canada. Department of Mines (Geological Survey) - Ottawa
(irregular)
4. Canadian Automotive Trade - New York (monthly)
5. Canadian Aviation - Toronto (monthly)
6. Canadian Chemistry and Metallurgy (Canadian Institute of
Chemistry) - Toronto
(monthly)
7. Canadian Dominion Bureau of Statistics - Toronto (monthly)
8. Canadian Engineer - Toronto (monthly)
9. Canadian Foundryman and Electroplater - Toronto (weekly)
10. Canadian Machinery and Manufacturing News - Toronto (semi-monthly)
11. Canadian Mining and Metallurgical Bulletin - Montréal
(monthly)
12. Canadian Mining Journal - Gardenvale, P.Q. (weekly)
13. Canadian Mining World - Toronto (irregular)
14. Canadian Patent Office Record - Ottawa (weekly)
15. Canadian Railway and Marine World - Toronto (monthly)
16. Canadian Railway Club, Proceedings - Montréal (9/yr)
17. Contract Record and Engineering Review - Toronto (weekly)
18. Electrical News - Toronto (semi-monthly)
19. Engineering Journal (Engineering Institute of Canada) -
Montréal (monthly)
20. Engineering Times - Toronto (monthly)
21. Iron and Steel of Canada - Gardenvale, P.Q. (monthly)
22. Ontario Hydro-electric Power Commission Bulletin - Toronto
(monthly)
23. Power House - Toronto (semi-monthly)
24. Revue Trimestrielle Canadienne - Montréal (quarterly)
25. Royal Society of Canada Transactions - Ottawa (irregular)
26. Seismological Society of America Bibliographical Bulletin
- Ottawa
(quarterly)
27. Town Planning - Ottawa (bi-monthly)
28. University of Alberta. Science and Industrial Research Council
report -
Edmonton (irregular)
29. University of Toronto. School of Engineering Research Bulletin
- Toronto
(irregular)
It appears that every major Canadian technical publication was
included by this time. In 1951 the number of Canadian journals in the index
was expanded to include:
1. British Columbia. Department of Mines Bulletin - Victoria
(irregular)
2. Canada. Bureau of Mines Memorandum Series - Ottawa (irregular)
3. Canada. Bureau of Statistics - Mining, Metallurgical and
Chemical Branch
Annual Report - Ottawa (annual)
4. Canada. Department of Mines and Resources Reports and Publications
-
Ottawa (irregular)
5. Canada. Dominion Water and Power Bureau - Water Resources
Papers -
Ottawa (irregular)
6. Canada. Forest Service Bulletin - Ottawa (irregular)
7. Canada. Geological Survey Papers - Ottawa (irregular)
8. Canadian Chemical Processing - Toronto (monthly)
9. Canadian Journal of Research - Ottawa (semi-monthly)
10. Canadian Machinery and Manufacturing News - Toronto (monthly)
11. Canadian Metals - Toronto (monthly)
12. Canadian Mining and Metallurgical Bulletin - Montréal
(monthly)
13. Canadian Mining and Metallurgical Transactions - Montréal
(monthly)
14. Canadian Mining Journal - Toronto (monthly)
15. Canadian Patent Office Record - Ottawa (weekly)
16. Canadian Railway Club Proceedings - Montréal (9/yr)
17. Canadian Standards Association Standard Specifications -
Ottawa (irregular)
18. Canadian Transportation - Toronto (monthly)
19. Electrical News and Engineering - Toronto (semi-monthly)
20. Engineering and Contract Record - Toronto (monthly)
21. Engineering Journal of the Engineering Institute of Canada
- Montréal
(monthly)
22. Hydro News - Toronto (monthly)
23. Modern Power and Engineering - Toronto (monthly)
24. Municipal Utilities - Toronto (monthly)
25. Newfoundland Geological Survey Bulletin - St. John's (irregular)
26. Nova Scotian Institute of Science Proceedings - Halifax
(irregular)
27. Ontario Department of Mines Annual Report and Bulletins
- Toronto
(irregular)
28. Quebec Bureau of Mines Annual Report - Quebec City (annual)
29. Revue Trimestrielle Canadienne - Montréal (quarterly)
30. Roads and Engineering Construction - Toronto (monthly)
31. Royal Society of Canada Proceedings and Transactions - Ottawa
(annual)
32. Shipping Register and Shipbuilder - Montréal (monthly)
33. Technique - Montréal (10/yr)
34. Toronto University. Engineering Society Transactions and
Yearbook -
Toronto (irregular)
35. Western Miner - Vancouver (monthly)
Organization
The organization of the index underwent several changes during
the study period. Johnson arranged the first editions of the index alphabetically:
"it is arranged according to the initial letters of certain 'catch-words'
which have been selected as indicating most nearly the true subjects of
the articles indexed." Each 'catch-word' was sub-divided with other headings
more specifically describing the nature of the articles they headed.5
The format of The Engineering Index was established by J.B. Johnson
at the time of his first cumulative volume.6 The basic tenets of the indexing
format were as follows:
1. Only those articles of permanent value were to be included. As Johnson stated in the first volume; "Articles of a casual or passing interest have not often been indexed, and such matters as were thought to lead to erroneous conclusions or as were based on false assumptions or theories, have always been excluded."
2. Each entry was to provide a concise description of the contents of the article. Again, Johnson outlined his aim; "The object constantly kept in mind in the preparation of these index notes was to put, in as small a space as possible, such short descriptions of the scope and general character of the current engineering literature ...as would enable one in search of valuable information on a particular subject to decide whether or not it would be worth his while to obtain or consult the original ... paper. No abstract, or result, or summaries have been made and no conclusions given. In other words, these notes only serve to indicate where valuable data can be obtained."7
Later editors of the index retained Johnson's guidelines to make The
Engineering Index a consistent and useful research tool for the study of
the history of technology.
Each index reference is a comprehensive summary of relevant information.
The exact title of the article, the authors name, the title of the periodical
with volume, number and date of publication, inclusive page numbers and
notes on the number of figures and illustrations provide the bibliographic
data. A short description of the article is also included.
Dredges
See also Excavating Machinery; Motorships; Gold Dredges; Ships; Tin
Dredges. Well-Designed Dredge placed in Service by Indiana Gravel Producer.
Pit and Quarry, vol. 22, no 5, June 3 1931, pp. 57-58 and 60, 6 figs. Dredge
of Connersville Gravel Co., Connersville, Ind.; hull is 24 ft. wide,48
ft. long and 4 ft. deep; built as three sections of steel pontoons, and
housed with corrugated-iron sheeting.
The Engineering Index entries cover a broad range of topics. While
the first volume suffered somewhat from the limited manpower available
for its compilation (Johnson noted that chemical and metallurgical subjects
in mining engineering were left out), subsequent editions have striven
to provide information on all the technical and scientific fields required
by engineers.
In the 1906 edition, the first annual volume, the editors changed
the overall organization of the index. Abandoning the alphabetic 'catch-words'
of its predecessors, the 1906 editors divided up all the entries into the
"great divisions of engineering practice."
i Civil Engineering
ii Electrical Engineering
iii Industrial Management
iv Marine and Naval Engineering
v Mechanical Engineering
vi Mining and Metallurgy
vii Railway Engineering
viii Street and Electric Railways
This practice, the editors claimed, simplified the search for
specific articles and allowed the user to peruse all the relevant contemporary
literature as though he were browsing through a well-organized library.
While the system did have these advantages, it suffered a degree
of inflexibility. As the field of engineering broadened and began to specialize,
it became increasingly difficult to arbitrarily assign some references
to any particular division of engineering practice. Therefore, when the
American Society of Mechanical Engineers purchased the Index in 1918 they
reviewed different methods of indexing and decided to revert to the original
alphabetic, or dictionary method, of indexing. This arrangement was selected
"because it is considered to be the simplest way to classify such a mass
of information upon so many diversified and complexly overlapping subjects
as are discussed in present-day engineering literature."8 Extensive use
of cross-references ensured that no related references would be missed.
Further alterations were made to the indexing method during the study period.
Using The Engineering Index
The Engineering Index is not a difficult source to use if the
researcher is well organized and informed. The vast size of the index requires
the researcher to define his/her topic clearly. It is also useful to have
a basic familiarity with the topic under study and to be aware of the changes
and modifications that the technique underwent.
The two different index formats used by The Engineering Index
- alphabetic, or dictionary style, from 1884 to 1905 and again from 1919
to 1966, and subject classification, from 1906 to 1918 - require slightly
different research techniques.
The alphabetic method is especially helpful to the user who is
searching for a particular reference or information on a very specific
topic. By using the appropriate key word the reference can be found quickly.
The system also has the advantage of providing a flexible indexing structure
which encompasses the entire field of engineering practice. Balanced against
these editorial and professional advantages, however, is the historians
desire for a general survey of a particular technology or process. The
historian must be aware of changes in the technology and conscious of any
alterations or additions to that technology's set of keywords in order
to be sure to find all the relevant references. This problem is especially
true for the indexes of the early 1920s. After the re-institution of the
alphabetic index format in 1919 the editors took some time before they
settled on a standard set of keywords.
The indexes which use subject classification greatly simplify
the research task of the historian. All associated references are located
together in one section of the volume and can be easily found. This, however,
is only true for topics within the eight divisions of engineering practiced
defined the editors. For an interdisciplinary topic, or to find the roots
of a new technology that does not fit any of the major divisions, the task
becomes much more difficult.
Engineering has grown from a handiman's art in the 19th century
to the present highly scientific and technical profession. This change
is reflected in The Engineering Index and requires some consideration by
the researcher. References in the earlier editions can be quite general
and usually provide an excellent summary of the technology in layman's
terms. However, as the complexity of engineering practice rose through
the 20th century the references change significantly. After the Second
World War the references become more numerous and increasingly technical
and more topic specific.
The Engineering Index is a very useful tool for the historian
of technology. The brief notes describing the contents of the referenced
article usually provide the researcher with enough information to decide
if the article is worthy of further study. Thus the index continues to
fulfil its original intent. Many times the index notes alone supply the
researcher with valuable information. Very often the reference notes can
provide a useful survey history of a technology, its use, and particular
problems.
The researcher should be aware that the Index does not claim
to cover every article in the periodicals referenced. The user is often
encouraged to check the detailed indices provided by the editors of the
individual journals.9 Short notes on specific events and material with
only a local interest are not generally included, particularly in the earlier
editions. An especially significant gap exists in the earlier volumes where
articles based upon "false assumptions" on leading to "erroneous conclusions"
have been excluded. Researchers working on the development of technology
or technological research may wish to consider additional research in the
original journals. Later editors, with increased support, have expanded
the number of articles noted.
One of the most important aspects of The Engineering Index and
the Engineering Societies Library in New York, the base collection for
the Index, is the copying service. Even in the earliest editions, the editors
offered to supply subscribers with either copies of the journals or photocopies
of articles requested. In this way, for a modest fee, engineers in even
the most isolated locations had access to the complete collection of the
Engineering Societies Library and all of the material noted in the annual
indexes. This service is currently offered by companies in both the United
States and Great Britain.10
Acknowledgements
In the twelve years of manuscript development this bibliography
was improved by the contributions of several people. Bill Waiser, the original
project manager for Parks Canada, and Susan Buggey, Chief of Historical
Services for the Parks Canada Prairie and Northern Region Office, initiated
the project to support historical research work on Yukon Consolidated Gold
Corporation Dredge #4 in the Klondike goldfields near Dawson City, Yukon.
Edna Wilson, supervisor of the College of Engineering Library at the University
of Saskatchewan, offered institutional support and professional guidance
in the creation of the bibliography. Several typists valiantly interpreted
the notes and transcribed the findings into the present machine readable
form. Brenda Oziewicz and Donna McBee, librarians with the Department of
Indian Affairs and Northern Development in Whitehorse reviewed the final
draft and offered valuable suggestions on format. Without these contributions
this project would have remained an unused box of rumpled index cards.
Any errors or omissions remain my responsibility. I hope this information
will encourage research the history of placer mining and further our understanding
of its role and significance in Canadian history.
Placer Mining Bibliography
The placer mining bibliography was prepared as a general survey
of gold placer mining operations around the world, with a focus on the
Yukon. The bibliography contains over 1800 references relating to gold
placer mining geology, geography and technology.
The bibliography is not, however, a replacement for The Engineering
Index. Any serious research may require further details on specifics of
placer mining. References to gold amalgamation are one example. While a
number of general references are included, it would render the tool clumsy
and difficult to use if the hundreds of related references were included.
The researcher is advised to identify aspects of amalgamation and then
find suitable references in the index.
Entries are organized generally along the same lines as in The
Engineering Index. However, technological and bibliographic changes over
the study period have required some modifications to the original organization.
The basic breakdown is by technology with sub-divisions generally based
on geography. The references in each entry are arranged chronologically.
An index of entries is provided but key word, author, and title searches
are possible with word processing software.