1132

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

May 30, 1913.

MIHIHG AHO OTHER HOTES.

Mr. G. L. Kerr, who has just been elected secretary of
the Mining Institute of Scotland, has changed his address
to “ Lindores," Uplawmoor, by Glasgow, N.B.

The new process of utilising the waste steam at the
Seaton Carew Ironworks for generating electricity for the
use of West Hartlepool, will shortly be an accomplished
fact. The exhaust steam from the blowing engines at the
ironworks, which has for years past gone to waste, will now
be collected by pipes connected with the exhausts, whence
smaller ones will deliver it into one large one, which will
carry it to the Corporation's new power station, where it
will drive two turbines which will operate the electrical
generators.

On the occasion of his leaving Motherwell to take up an
important appointment as manager under Messrs. Balmer,
Lawrie and Co., Calcutta, Mr. Donald M'Bride, manager of
Coursington Colliery, has received several handsome gifts
from the officials of the colliery.

His Honour Judge Benson had before him at the Pontefract
County Court, on the 21st inst., a mining test case. The
plaintiffs were William Thomas Wilson, William James
Dowdham, and Joe Mosby, miners, and they claimed 10s.
each from the New Silkstone and Haigh Moor Coal Com-
pany, Allerton By water, Castleford, for alleged breach of
contract of service. The matter had already been before
the magistrates at Castleford, and a rule nisi for certiorari
had been granted in the High Court challenging the
constitution of the Bench. The facts were practically
admitted. On March 31 last the plaintiffs on going down
to work were ordered to build a pack wall to hold up
the roof. While Wilson was proceeding with this work the
other two filled tubs, but the pony-driver came and said
that these had been sent in error, and they were to have no
more until the wall was finished. They thereupon left the
pit together. The only conflict of evidence was as to
whether more than one man could have worked at the pack
wall at once, and after hearing witnesses his Honour said
that he really could see no justification for the men's
action, and he must give a verdict for the defendants, with
costs.

An appeal on behalf of the recently established Faculty
of Commerce at Armstrong College, Newcastle, for which
.£25,000 is required, has been issued by the Newcastle
Chamber of Commerce. Lord Joicey, president of the
Chamber, heads the subscription list with £5,000, and
Mr. Francis Priestman gives £1,000, and Sir Ralph Forster
and Mr. T. Bell £500 each.

In view of Sir Frank Bee's retirement during the course
of next year from his position as general manager, the
board of the London and North-Western Bail way, having
previously offered the position to Sir Bobert Turnbull,
have entered into an arrangement with Mr. Guy Calthrop,
formerly in their service and at present general manager of
the Buenos Ayres and Pacific Bailway, whereby, through
the courtesy of the chairman and directors of that board,
he will succeed at that time to the vacancy so created. We
understand that the advantages of Sir Frank Bee's great
experience and abilities will not be lost to the company.

Messrs. B. V. Marchant, G. A. Lewis and H. S. Childe,
arbitrators for the South Staffordshire Mines Drainage
Commission, attended at Trindle House, Dudley, on the
23rd inst. for the purpose of making a draft award for a
drainage rate for the Tipton district of 3d. per ton on fire-
clay or limestone and 9d. per ton on ironstone, coal, slack or
other mineral. Mr. E. H. Howl (general manager) stated
that owing to the heavy rainfall the Commissioners'
engineers had an excessive amount of pumping to do, and
the price of slack in the district had gone up. On behalf of
the Tibbington Steel Sheet Company, Mr. C. Lewis said
they were prepared to work the mines of the Leabrook
Colliery if they were allowed the same graduation as those
who last worked them. They proposed to work about
50 acres in the bottom seam. It was decided that arrange-
ments should be made between the company and Mr. Howl,
and that the arbitrators would act upon the latter's recom-
mendation. The same course was adopted in regard to the
Crescent Colliery, Darlaston, at which Mr. J. Powiss stated
no coal was at present being raised. It was proposed to get
the New Mine coal, and he asked that the rate should be
fixed at 4|d. The application of Mr. H. Percy on behalf of
the Pendlebury Colliery Company Limited, that the rate in
respect of the Deepmore Colliery, where it was proposed to
get the bottom seam 100 ft. lower, should remain the same,
was acceded to; and the rate to be paid by the Babblechain
Colliery Company Limited was increased from 4d. to fid.
Several other appeals were refused, and subsequently the
arbitrators signed the draft award.

After having been closed for nearly three years, the
Barron House Colliery, situated between Gilsland and
Greenhead, on the Cumberland and Northumberland border,
has been opened out again. The colliery was closed owing
to the workmen going on strike over a wage dispute. For
a long period the men received strike pay from the North-
umberland Miners' Association, and when this was stopped
a large number obtained work at the Blackett and South
Tyne Collieries, Haltwhistle. Consequently the men had
many miles to travel to work, and the reopening of the
mine is generally welcomed. The new owners of the
colliery are the Thirl wall Coal Company.

Mr. John Waller, engineer to the Woodland Collieries,
has been presented with an illuminated address and a
marble timepiece, together with a silver cake basket for
Mrs. Waller.

In the Heriot-Watt College, Edinburgh on Saturday, Mr.
W. Walker, H.M. chief inspector of mines for the Scotland
Division, delivered a lecture on “ Baths at the Pit Banks,"
under the auspices of the Federated Mining Students'
Institute of Scotland. Mr. Walker advocated the provision
of baths. In rep]y to questions, Mr. Walker said he favoured
the cubicle system of baths as against a big open bath.
He was sure that if the women took the matter up, and
demanded baths on the plea that their houses would be
easier kept clean, they would soon have baths at all the
collieries.

A syndicate composed of Sir Alfred Gelder, M.P., Prof.
David Bowen, Sir Samuel Fair, and Messrs. J. W. Pollard
and T. J. Good, have bought Wythemoor Colliery, Work-
ington, from the present company. It is their intention to
remodel and modernise the plant so as to double the output,
and to erect by-product coke ovens. It is proposed to
acquire a large area ot adjoining royalty, and to sink a
larger shaft, developments involving an expenditure of
£45,000 being under contemplation. The coal is rich in
volatile matter, and makes blast furnace coke of good
quality.

It has been determined to establish the rescue and aid
station for the Cumberland Collieries at Brigham and
Cockermouth. Most of the collieries are within the 10 mile
radius fixed by law, and it will be necessary to make special
application to have Brayton Domain and Wellington Pit,
Whitehaven, included in the area to be served by the
station. The erection and equipment of the station will
cost several thousand pounds.

The Westleigh Colliery Company are putting down tew
screening plant, and carrying out other surface improve-
ments at their collieries on the fringe of the Abram district,
adjoining the Abram Coal Company's collieries. The Swan
Lane Colliery Company, Hindley, Lancashire, are sinking
deeper with a view to tapping new measures at their Swan
Lane collieries. Improvements on the surface are also to
be effected.

A correspondent learns that the Abram Colliery Company
are about to sink to the Arley measures at their Abram
pits. Additional working places are being opened out and
more men employed in the New Bickershaw Six-feet mine
belonging to the same company, and an increased quantity
of coal of excellent quality is now being raised.

The construction of a new railway between Lord Elles-
mere's Linnyshaw Collieries, Walkden and Clifton, where
new wharves are being established, is now practically com-
pleted. New electrical pumping plant has been installed at
his lordship's Ellesmere Colliery, Walkden. A new iron
and steel headgear is being erected at Ellenbrook (adjoining
the Mosley Common Collieries) where an Arley Mine is to
be sunk. Extensive tunnelling and other improvements are
also being carried out at the Bridgewater Collieries,
Worsley.

Mr. John Coates, manager of St. Helen's Colliery,
Workington, has been presented with a recording barometer
from the officials and workmen of the Ellenboro' Colliery,
near Maryport, where he was formerly manager. The gift
was handed over by Mr. B. McFarlane, under-manager of
the Ellenboro' Colliery, who, in the course of a neat speech,
said Mr. Coates had always endeavoured to do his best for
the workmen. Mr. Coates thanked them heartily for their
kindness in giving him this beautiful present.

The following contracts, amongst others, have recently
been closed by Messrs. Ed. Bennis and Co. Limited, Little
Hulton, Bolton :—The Bed was Navigation Colliery Company
Limited, 10 “ Bennis " stokers and self-cleaning compressed
air furnaces (repeat order); the Carlton Main Colliery
Company Limited, 12 “ Bennis" stokers and self-cleaning
compressed-air furnaces for 9 ft. Lancashire boilers (repeat
order); the Mines de Dourges Company, France, 18
“ Bennis ” high-temperature smokeless and gritless coking
stokers and self-cleaning compressed-air furnaces, each with
25 moving bars (third repeat order).

An interesting paper was recently read before the Junior
Institution of Engineers, by Mr. Archibald Alison, on
“Heat Accumulators and Their Use in Exhaust Steam
Turbine Plants." The author drew attention to the excel-
lent combination obtained by the use of a reciprocating
engine exhausting into a low-pressure turbine. He then
proceeded to describe the difficulties of utilising to the
fullest extent the energy of steam in certain classes of
engines which work intermittently, a colliery winding
engine being selected as a typical example. The problem
of utilising this waste heat was solved in the year 1901 by
Prof. Bateau, of Paris, and at the present time no less than
400,000 b.h.p. is being recovered from exhaust steam. A
description was given of the various forms of heat accumu-
lators employed for this purpose from the early forms to the
most modern Bateau-Morrison type. The paper concluded
with reference to several existing installations.

As the result of a poll of the Dover ratepayers a majority
of 757 has been recorded in opposition to the proposal to
build a dock on the sea-front. The Harbour Board were
going to build the dock in anticipation of the exporting of
Kent coal.

The colliery district of Adwick-le-Street, near Doncaster,
appears to be in an extraordinarily bad way so far as its
water supply and an efficient system of sewerage is con-
cerned. A sub-committee of the sanitary committee of the
Doncaster Bural District Council has visited the district
within the last few days, and made a thorough investigation
of the conditions.

Sewerage schemes for Doncaster and district, necessitated
by its remarkable growth, are plentiful. The latest to
apply for money for this purpose is Balby, a populous
suburb of Doncaster.

The closing meeting of the session of the Notts and
Derbyshire branch of the Association of Mining Electrical
Engineers was held at the University College, Nottingham,
on Saturday afternoon, May 24. In the absence of the presi-
dent (Mr. W. Maurice, of Hucknall) the chair was taken by
Mr. E. E. Beadsmoore, of Tibshelf (the vice-president),
members representative of the various collieries in the two
counties being present. The principal item on the agenda
was a discussion on a paper by Mr. J. W. Belsey (a member
of the West Scotland branch of the association) on “ Auto-
matic Voltage Regulation." The members who took a
leading part in the discussion were Mr. E. R. Hudson
(Ilkeston), Mr. J. T. Taylor (Swanwick), Mr. F. Smith
(Pinxton) and the chairman.

The Butterley Company have commenced sinking opera"
tions to the Kilburn seam at their Birchwood Colliery. At
present they are working the Low Main seam, which will be
exhausted in a few years. It is expected that the 300 men
and boys now employed in the latter seam will eventually
be found work in the new seam.

Messrs. Barlow and Chidlaw Limited, engineers, wheel-
cutters, makers of machine-cut gears, of the Pendleton
Gear Works, Manchester, inform us that they have
appointed Mr. T. S. Smith, of 5, Idol-lane, Eastcheap,
London, E.C., their agent for machine-cut gears and
woodruff keys in the metropolitan district.

Through the endeavours of Councillor H. R. Watson, J.P.,
of Loscoe, ex-president of the Midland Branch of the
National Association of Colliery Managers, a new recreation
ground, about two acres in extent, has been generously
handed over to a committee for the use of children in the
village of Loscoe, by the Butterley Company. The company
have also decided to place an adjoining field, about 3| acres,
in the hands of the committee for a public recreation ground
for adults.

Lord Joicey’s Gregynog estate, Montgomeryshire, com-
prising 16,000 acres, and producing about £12,000 a year
net, has been sold privately. The estate will be resold in
small lots.

At the* annual general meeting of the Institution of Civil
Engineers the result of the ballot for the election of officers
was declared as follows:—President, Mr. Anthony George
Lyster, London; vice-presidents, Mr. Benjamin Hall Blyth
(Edinburgh), Mr. John Strain (Glasgow), Mr. George
Robert Jebb (Birmingham), Mr. Alexander Boss (London) ;
other members of council, Mr. John A. F. Aspinall
(Liverpool), Mr. John A Brodie (Liverpool), Mr. William B.
Bryan (London), Col. B. E. B. Crompton (London), Mr.
J. M. Dobson (London), Sir Hay Frederick Donaldson
(London), Mr. E. B. Ellington (London), Mr. W. H.
Ellis (Sheffield), Mr. W. Ferguson (Australia), Sir
Maurice Fitmaurice (London), Sir John Purser Griffith
(Dublin), Mr. C. A. Harrison (Newcastle-on-Tyne), Mr.
Walter Hunter (London), Mr. Harry E. Jones (London),
Sir Thomas Matthews (London), Mr. W. H. Maw (London),
Mr. C. L. Morgan (London), Mr. Basil Mott (London), Mr.
A. M. Tippett (South Africa), Sir Philip Watts (London),
Mr. W. B. Worthington (Derby), Mr. Dugald Clerk
(London), Mr. Bobert S. Highet (India), Mr. Edward
Hopkinson (Manchester), Mr. Frederick Palmer (London),
Mr. H. N. Buttan (Canada). This council will take office
on the first Tuesday in November next.

Amongst the recipients of honorary degrees at the con-
vocation of Durham University, on the 3rd inst., were Lord
Joicey, Lord Bayleigh (D.C.L.), Sir William Crookes, Sir
William Bamsay, Sir Archibald Geikie, and Sir I. J.
Thomson (D.Sc.).

The Bredbury Colliery Company Limited inform us that
they have appointed Mr. Llewelyn E. Williams certificated
manager of the Bredbury collieries. Mr. Williams had
previously held the position of manager at the Nos. 3 and 4
bank pits of the Hulton collieries, near Bolton, and had
spent the whole of his working life with the Hulton Colliery
Company, having by his industry and capabilities raised
himself to the high position he had, being esteemed by both
masters and men. During the dark days of the Pretoria
disaster Mr. Williams had charge of the Trencherbone mine
and bore himself with credit during the rescue operations,
gaining the highest honours for bravery in the mining
world—receiving the King Edward Medal.

In a Congregation at Oxford recently, the preamble of a
statute establishing a diploma suitable for persons intending
to pursue a business career was adopted.

Mr. B. Clarke, son of the late Dr. Clarke, Lidgett Colliery,
Tankersley, has been appointed manager of Thurcroft Main
Colliery, near Botherham, belonging to the Bothervale
Colliery Company Limited. Mr. I. Wroe, colliery deputy
at Wharnoliffe Silkstone Collieries, Tankersley, is leaving
to take up an official position at the same colliery.