1214

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

June 6, 1913.

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COLLIERY
MANAGERS.

At the annual meeting of the above association, held at
the Waldorf Hotel, London, on Thursday, May 29, Mr.
Frank Brain, the newly-elected president, delivered his
inaugural address. At the outset he thanked the members
for placing him in the presidential chair for a second time
after the lapse of some 20 years. He next recalled the
early beginnings of the association, and mentioned that
to-day they had a membership of 1,319 and a balance of
<£1,752 to their credit. The Colliery Managers’ Association
was now a chartered body, and represented acting managers
in every mining district of England, Scotland and Wales.
They had just received a petition from the managers of
Kent-—the only colliery district without a branch—asking
that one might be established there. It was favourably
recognised and appreciated by the Home Office, the mining
inspectorate and the colliery owners, and its future was
assured beyond doubt.

Continuing, Mr. Frank Brain said the past 25 years had
seen a great advance in mechanical appliances in collieries,
more particularly in the adaptation of electricity. In 1888,
in a paper he read before the British Association at Bath,
he was only able to name three installations at work at mines
in this country, and those comparatively small ones—
namely, one at collieries at which he was associated
(Trafalgar), one at St. John’s Colliery, Normanton, and one
at Allerton Main Colliery. He concluded that paper with
these words: “ Electricity has passed beyond the range of
theory and experiment. It is now a power in the world, and
that power will increase mightily. I am satisfied that under
many conditions common in mine working electricity can
and will be applied successfully and economically.” Since
that time its progress had been phenomenal. The up-to-
date colliery manager would need to study it in all its
phases and be prepared to make use of the great advan-
tages it afforded, not forgetting, however, that it had its
limitations and dangers.

Although the duties and responsibilities of the colliery
manager would be much increased under the new Mines
Act, he was inclined to think it was an Act which would
prove in some respects beneficial to him. The definition of
“one mine one manager” was a decided advance. The
introduction of certificates for firemen, examiners and
deputies, should give him a better class of official. The
more stringent rules with regard to colliery plans should be
helpful, as was the raising of the standard of examination
which might be expected to follow upon the establishment
of a Central Mining Examination Board. The rules
attendant upon the use of electricity and the numerous
obligations which would be introduced through the new
regulations, while putting upon the manager increased
responsibility, must necessarily call for men of higher
training and ability. The successful manager of the
up-to-date colliery of the future would require to be a man
of many parts, his knowledge must cover a wide range,
such as geology, chemistry, electricity, explosives,
mechanics, practical mining, and the application of the
numerous labour-saving appliances. He must have a
deep insight into human nature, be a man of firm
discipline coupled with infinite tact, capable of clear and
accurate reasoning, a man of coolness, courage and resource,
who would act with promptitude and discretion in cases of
sudden and serious emergency when human life might be
at stake. The feeling was general that with the law-
pervading atmosphere that now dominates our industrial
and social life, the individualism of our nationality, that
spirit of * self-reliance and self-restraint which had had so
much to do with the industrial and national development
of our country, was more or less destroyed. It was no doubt
necessary tnat legislation should provide rules and that
penalties should be exacted for the better preservation of
the lives of the workpeople; but was there not a danger that
the multiplication—the great multiplication—of such rules
might result in a decrease of that feeling of personal
responsibility, and personal interest on the part of the
workers, which was of the greatest importance in the preven-
tion of wrongdoing and of accident ? This was evidently
being realised, and some endeavour was being made by
voluntary help and co-operation to keep alive such a very
desirable spirit. He was much interested in such a move-
ment in the United States, some particulars of which were
lately given in The Times. The principle had been recog-
nised that accidents to workpeople were to be prevented,
not so much by mere legislation as by voluntary effort,
through the co-operation of employers and employed in the
interests of safety, and that the safety movement had
already brought about important results. Was something
on these lines capable of adaptation in connection with our
mines ? In the constant varying conditions incidental to
underground working the great desirability of personal
interest and observation intelligently applied was unques-
tionable. Such a scheme was desirable if taken up in the
true spirit of co-operation.

Dover Corporation have decided to oppose the Dover
Harbour Board Bill, which provides, amongst other things,
for the construction of a dock on the sea front.

THE REOPENING OF NORTON COLLIERY WITH
SELF-CONTAINED BREATHING APPARATUS
AFTER AN EXPLOSION *

By J. R. L. Allott.

As the reopening of this colliery after the recent
explosion presented problems of an unusual character
and difficulties not frequently met with after an
occurrence of this nature, and as the whole of the work
was effected by the use of mine rescue apparatus, the
writer has been asked to place the facts on record, in
the hope that they may be of interest to the members
of the institution.

The colliery is situated on the eastern side of the
North Staffordshire coalfield and has been working
since 1863. The present winding shaft is 386 yards
deep and 14 ft. in diameter and was sunk in the year
1889. Four seams of coal have been worked from this
shaft—namely, the Cockshead (or Eight-feet Banbury),
7 J ft. thick; the Froggery (or Seven-feet Banbury), 3J
to 4 feet thick; the Hardmine, 4J ft. thick; and the
Holly Lane seam, 3J ft. thick. The dip of the seams is
13degs. At the time of the explosion the Froggery
seam was not being worked. The Cockshead and Hard-
mine workings were to the deep of the shafts, and the
Holly Lane workings on the rise side of the shafts. The
method of working was principally longwall, advancing
to the rise, although there was some pillar work in the
Cockshead seam. The workings in the Cockshead seam
were more extensive than in the other seams; these
workings were very dry and dusty.

The explosion occurred at 3.30 p.m. on Saturday,
February 24, 1912. A telephone message was sent to
the rescue station at Stoke-on-Trent, and six sets of
apparatus of the Proto type reached the colliery at
4.20 p.m. A number of local men who had been trained
in the use of the apparatus had by this time arrived at
the colliery. Six of them put on the apparatus, and after
it had been ascertained that safety lamps were not extin-
guished and a canary was unaffected by the atmosphere
of the mine, they descended the deepside upcast shaft
at 5.55 p.m. and returned at 6.20 p.m. At 6.55 p.m. the
second team descended the deepside upcast shaft. They
ascended the shaft at 7'55 p.m., having been under-
ground for exactly an hour.

After hearing the reports of these two brigades, it
was decided to stop the fan and seal all the pits and fan
evasee, as another explosion was feared. The sealing of
the shafts at the surface was effected by means of
timber, brattice and heaped sand, and completed at
midnight.

The paper records a number of analyses of the mine
air subsequently taken at various points.

In order to decide upon the safest plan of reopening
the mine, much consideration was given to the possible
causes of the explosion, the following being very
carefully discussed:—(1) The possibility of an old
gob-fire having revived; (2) the heating of a jig-wheel
or haulage-pulley; (3) shotfiring; (4) a box of matches
hidden or otherwise left in the pit; (5) a fire caused by
the steam pipes in the vicinity of the pit bottom ; (6) a
spark from the signalling apparatus in the Cockshead
back dip; (7) a light in the upcast shaft; and (8)
electricity.

On Friday, March 1, 1912, a conference was held at
the colliery to consider the question of reopening the
pit, and a programme was drawn up for Saturday,
March 2.

At 11 22 a.m. the first party, wearing rescue appa-
ratus, descended slowly with mice, a canary, and safety
and electric lamps. Without leaving the cage, they
returned to the surface again at 11.52. At 12.17 the
party descended again, and, after stopping and restarting
the cage several times, in order to make quite sure
about the signals, they reached the bottom at 12.31. At
1.30 p.m. the inspecting party returned to the cage, and
all were drawn to the surface. The investigation so far
seemed to point to the origin of the explosion having
been somewhere in the deep Cockshead workings, and
the gob fire as the most probable cause. It was there-
fore decided to place brattice stoppings in each of the
Cockshead dips and Hardmine cruts, in order to prevent
the circulation of the air in these districts and to keep
the other pits sealed. At 2.20 p.m. a second party
descended to select positions for the brattice stoppings,
and props, brattice cloth and strips of wood, with a
copper hammer and nails, were sent down. These
temporary stoppings were then erected.

The work of putting in permanent stoppings was next
proceeded with in the two dips, but the brattice stop-
pings were considered to be sufficient in the Hardmine
cruts. A brick stopping was completed in the Cockshead
back dip at 8,15 a.m. on Monday, March 4. The roadway
at the top of the Cockshead main dip being very large,
it was decided to build this stopping with wooden blocks
measuring 2 ft. 3 in. in length by 9 in. in cross-section,
and the work wa's commenced at 1.45 p.m. A 9 in.
cast iron pipe was laid through the bottom for carrying
away the water which was overflowing from the pit
bottom, and a 2 in. pipe with a valve was placed
through both stoppings, so that samples of air could
be taken for analysis. During Wednesday morning,
March 6, the work of clearing away the debris
from the top of the Cockshead dip and along the
Cockshead level between the main and back dips was
proceeded with, so as to facilitate the handling of
material for building additional stoppings to form
air-locks. These were also constructed of wooden
blocks. All the stoppings were fitted with small strong
doors. 2J ft. square, built in the middle of them. The
additional stoppings at the two dips were completed at
3 a.m. on Saturday morning, March 9, and the pressure
of the pent-up accumulated gas was so great that strong
sprags had to be set against the stoppings, particularly

* From a paper read before the Institution of Mining
Engineers.

the large one in the main dip. The 3 in. pipe through
the main dip stopping was extended into the return
airway near the upcast pit, in order to relieve; the
pressure.

The covering was removed from the pumping pit at
9.30 a.m., and from the two upcast pits at noon on
Sunday, March 10. Steam was turned on, and the
underground pump set to work to unwater the pit
bottom and prevent further flow down the Cockshead
dip. The water was pumped out during Sunday night,
and on Monday, March 11, 25 dead horses from the
stables in the pit bottom were removed.

The examinations by the rescue parties before the pit
was closed and on the day when it was reopened, all
seemed to point to the explosion having originated in
the Cockshead deep workings, and the old gob fire as
being the most probable cause. It was decided, there-
fore, to leave the Cockshead dips sealed off for a time,
and proceed with the recovery of the Hardmine cruts
and districts beyond. The Cockshead dips consequently
remained sealed off until April 2, 1912, when the work
of recovering them was commenced. The pent-up gases
in the Cockshead dips had gradually decreased in oxygen,
and it was most desirable to reach the gob-fire district
previously referred to and seal this section off in-bye
without admitting fresh air. There were only two ways
of doing this—either by flooding the district or by
working inside the stoppings with self-contained
breathing apparatus. After much discussion, it was
decided that the work could best be carried out by the
rescue brigades. The scheme devised was to recover
the dips in sections, and by working through the air-
locks prevent any circulation of air. The back dip was
chosen as being the most suitable point of entry ; it was
the smaller in sectional area, and less likely to be blocked
by falls. There was a tramway already laid which, in
the ordinary course of working, was used for conveying
the men up and down the dips, and the dip itself was
nearer to the levels communicating with the district
where the gob-fire had occurred. To facilitate the
transport of materials for building the in-bye stoppings,
it was decided to utilise a steam hauling engine which
was fixed at the pit bottom. The rope was therefore
passed through stuffing-boxes in the stoppings to
prevent leakage. The signal wires were carried through
in the same way.

Three rescue-tea ms from Messrs. Robert Heath and
Sons’ Norton, Birchen wood, and Grange collieries
(consisting of five men each) were chosen to carry out
the work, each team to do three hours’ actual work in
the dips in one and a-half-hour turns, and three hours
in attendance outside the stoppings in one and a-half-
hour turns, with their apparatus on, but uncoupled
ready for any emergency. The time-table gave ample
time for the men to change their apparatus and travel
to and from the base of operations within the eight
hours.

The type of rescue apparatus used was the Proto Fleuss-
Davis Davis pattern, made by Messrs. Siebe, Gorman
and Co. Limited. The lamps used were of the Oldham
type. An oxygen trunk was always kept within a few
yards of the point at which the men were working.

The first day (April 1) was spent in fitting a signal
wire through the stoppings, and in fixing a new pulley
and frame inside. On the following day seven riding
trams, which had been taken to pieces to permit of their
being passed through the small doors in the openings,
were rebuilt after being taken inside. The stuffing-boxes
were also properly fitted for the rope to pass through
without leakage. The first length of the dip—a
distance of 172 yards — was found to be in fairly
good condition, small falls only having taken place.
The old gob-fire stopping No. 1 was reached on Friday,
April 12, by the Norton brigade. The Stopping in the
thirling above was still intact, and a hole was made
through it to allow of material being taken through for
the building of stopping No. 7 in the main dip. Ground
was first got out to a depth of 18in., and the sides
dressed back about 2 ft. A layer of cement was next
put in to form a good floor for laying the wooden blocks,
which were 2 ft. 3 in. long by 9 in. square. These were
laid in alternative courses of headers and stretchers,
thus making a solid stopping 2 ft. 3 in. thick, with a
doorway 2J ft. square in the centre.

The main dip stopping, which was 17| ft. long and
9 ft. high, was lathed and plastered on both sides. The
time occupied in conveying the materials from the top
of the dip and building the stopping was 17 working
hours. A similar stopping was then built in the back
dip, which was also lathed and plastered. A pipe 2 in.
in diameter was built in the top for the purpose of
taking samples and water-gauge readings.

The stoppings in the thirlings between the main and
back dips having next been made good, the first length
of the dips was cleared of gas and ventilated. The work
of clearing this length was carried out as follows :—The
Norton brigade was stationed at the outbye side of the
completed stoppings Nos. 7 and 8 to signal to the Grange
brigade, who were outside the stoppings at the top of
the dip. It was arranged that if all was in order the
Norton brigade should signal 6, but if, on the top
stopping doors being opened, stoppings Nos. 7 and 8
were found to be leaking, a signal should be given for
the top stopping doors to be closed again. The water
gauge on the door of stopping No. 8 before opening out
read J in. of positive pressure, and on the doors
being opened it rose to f in. The Norton brigade now
signalled that all was in order, and the top doors were
opened. The dips soon cleared, and a party were then
able to proceed without breathing apparatus down the
dip to the new stoppings. Bricklayers were then set to
work to build another stopping in the back dip so as to
form an air-lock, and the main dip stopping was also
strengthened. The recovery of this first length took
22 working days.

The reopening of the second length of dips was
commenced on May 6. It was arranged to build off the