82 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. January 9, 1911. 1911. 1912. Railways, England and Wales:— North Staffordshire Railway Tons. Tons. (coal and coke) Taff Vale Railway (coal and 3,513,763 ... 3,410,121 coke) Railways, Scotland :— Caledonian Railway (coal and 14 212,840 ... 14,475,068 coke) Glasgow and South-Western 13,159,398 ... 12,387,124 Railway (coal only) North British Railway (coal 3,325,267 ... 3,282,567 and coke) Railways, Ireland :— Cavan and Leitrim Railway 20,863,068*... , 20,102,116f (coal) Great Southern and Western 9,163 ... 9,538 Railway (coal) Canals, England:—■ Aire and Calder Navigation 1,589 .. 1,390 (coal and coke) Birmingham Canal Navigations 2,312,230 .. . 2,197,344 (coal and coke) Bridge water Canals, the Man- chester Ship Canal Company (coal, including a small 3,591,821 .. . 3,618,735 quantity of coke) Leeds and Liverpool Canal Company (coal, including a 374,556 .. 369,432 small quantity of coke) Shropshire Union Canal (coal 758,234 .. 786,175 and coke) Staffordshire and Worcester- 17,515 .. 15,438 shire Canal (coal and coke) Trent and Mersey Navigation 204,985 .. 195,249 (coal and coke) Canals, Scotland:— Forth and Clyde Canal (coal 205,646 .. 181,918 and coke) 91,466 .. 100,201 Monkland Canal (coal and coke) 52,860 .. 55,168 Union Canal (coal and coke) ... Canals, Ireland:— 18,485 .. 15,230 Grand Canal (coal) 32 .. 40 * 2,4)72,951 tons of this quantity were conveyed to Burnt- island Dock and 2,970,176 tons to Methil Docks for shipment. t 2,317,669 tons of this quantity were conveyed to Burnt- island Dock and 2,563,833 tons to Methil Docks for shipment. The following table gives a summary of the quantities of coal, coke and manufactured fuel shipped coastwise and exported in 1912 and 1911:— Shipments. 1911. 1912. Quantities. Value. Quantities. Value. Coastwise:— Tons. Tons. £ Coal 22,005,021 — 20,219,640 — Coke 63,528 — 63,858 — Manufactured fuel 7,606 — 10,303 — Total 20,076,155 — 20,293,801 — To British possessions and foreign countries :— Coal 64,599 266 36,521,068 64,444,395 40,494,274 Coke 1,059,876 792,076 1,010,650 846,520 Manufactured fuel 1,612,741 1,134,210 1,580,803 1,243,660 Total 67,271.883 38,447.354 67,035,848 42,584,454 For use of steamers engaged in the foreign trade 19,264,189 — 18,291,370 — In 1912, 191,768 tons of coal, coke and manufactured fuel were imported into the United Kingdom, the value being £276,516. In 1911, 30,187 tons, valued at £29,779, were imported. Mr. D. A. Thomas and New River Coal.—We take the following from the Black Diamond, of Chicago :—The large New River Company interests, holding more than 60 per cent, of the bonds and shares of that company, have signed an agreement with and given an option to the English syndicate now trying to buy New River coal property. This calls for payment to the New River Company of 600,000 dots* on February 16, and for the purchase, by the English syndi- cate, to be completed' by payment of the balance on or before June 30. Otherwise, the option terminates and the 600,000 dole, belongs to New River Company. . . . Geo- D. Penniman, of Baltimore, represents the English syndicate here. Sir Frank Crisp, of London, represents the syndicate there. The syndicate has secured 65,000,000 dols. of under- writing. It plans to expend 40,000,000 dols. in the purchase of West Virginia properties, and to have 25,000,000 dols. for working capital and for acquisition of other undeveloped coal lands. Latest advices regarding the Davis-Malloy merger of New River coal properties, are to the effect that the pro- moters are still very active in trying to get the operators whose properties they have had under option, to extend these options for another six months. It is learned that the operators are willing, in most instances, to do this, provided that 5 per cent, of the purchase price is paid by February 15, the remainder to be paid June 30; if the properties are accepted. It is stated that the contract as previously entered into between the promoters and the operators, has been radically revised. It is not stated whether operators have revised their prices. From several sources comes the information that D. A. Thomas, the Welsh operator, who was over in the summer and who took options on several West Virginia properties, is prepared to exercise his options, which expire on December 31. An engineer employed by Mr. Thomas, who went abroad more than a month ago to consult with him, is said to be returning to the United States this week, authorised to close imme- diately for the properties under negotiation. THE SEKGHEHYDD DISASTER. Enquiries Opened. The Home Office enquiry into the Senghenydd Colliery disaster, by which 439 men lost their lives on October 14 last, was opened at the Law Courts, Cardiff, on the 2nd inst. The enquiry was conducted by Mr. R. A. S. Redmayne, H.M. Chief Inspector of Mines, who was accompanied by Mr. H. J. Beale, the Home Office solicitor and adviser, Mr. Evan Williams (chairman of the South Wales and Monmouthshire Coalowners’ Association), and Mr. Robert Smillie (president of the Miners* Federation of Great Britain). The Commissioner having outlined the procedure, Mr. Brace pointed out that it had been reported that the coroner’s enquiry would be opened on Monday, and he asked whether it was the chairman’s intention to adjourn on Saturday until after the inquest. The Commissioner said Mr. Brace had raised an important question. They should hold this enquiry at the earliest possible moment, and he had hoped the coroner would see fit to adjourn his inquest. He said he would give his decision later. The Manager’s Evidence. The first witness examined was Mr. Edward Shaw, manager and agent of the colliery. He described the Universal as a “ gassy” mine, the proportion of methane to the volume of circulated air being on the east side 14, and on the west side about 1'0 per cent. They had had some blowers, but the pit was not subject to blowers. About four years ago they had the last blower of gas in any considerable quantity. This was on the Mafeking level. It came away with a fall, and continued giving off gas for a few days. There was a considerable amount of dust. The roads were fairly damp after the explosion. The mine was lighted by approved safety lamps—the Cambrian lamp. Lamps issued on the surface to the men were locked, and were re-examined at the underground lamp station by the fireman. It was not necessary for the purpose of examina- tion to open them. After the explosion two were found open. The presumption was that they had been opened by the lampmen for relighting. The Signallingllnstallation. Witness went on to explain that the system of electrical signalling was by bare wires up to the parting. He had never seen the wires give off sparks. The bell was enclosed, but was not gastight. He admitted that whenever contact was made, a spark was of necessity made. The Commissioner put it to the witness that this was a place likely to contain gas, and this was an apparatus which did produce sparks. Therefore there had been a breach of Regulation No. 132. Replying to questions by the Commissioner, witness said that previous to the explosion, about 100 yards of arching had been accomplished on the main level on the east side. He was surprised to learn that the dust at the sides was stonedust, This road, he added, would be damp, as it was soused with water nightly. There was some coaldust there, but this was also damp. He did not think it would be possible to draw out more timber in the longwall system. As it was, they left practically all the timber in. The Rescue Operations. Witness next detailed the steps taken to deal with the fire in the east crosscut. Witness explained that when he got below he found that the pipes conveying the water from the surface in the downcast shaft were so badly broken that they could not be immediately repaired, whilst those in the shaft could not be dealt with, as the pit was being worked in bringing the men out and sending materials down. The water used to cope with the fire was obtained from the pipe in the upcast, and the nearest point at which they could get water was therefore at the bottom of the York pit. Looking back on what happened, he agreed it was advisable to increase the water supply. The Commissioner said it was shown that the rescue apparatus was useful in fixing the water pipes in the York pit, where men were working in the fumes. Was any attempt made, he asked, to get in by the return and explore the roads?—Witness: No. The distance from that point to where the men were working was too far for men in rescue apparatus to meet them. The men from the Pretoria district came out in their effort to escape, but the furthest men did not travel more than 100 yards from the working place. They travelled by the intake out, and were 24 in number, and the one who travelled furthest did not get further than 100 yards. So far as he knew, nobody travelled by the return. In his opinion, all the 20 men referred to came from the York West, and were working in the return air side. One of them came within 20 yards of the West crosscut, and the others were found a long way further in. Rescue brigade men could have gone in sooner, but they practically knew that no one was alive. He was certain no one was alive there when the rescue brigade came. He did not know men came from the York West until long after the explosion, but even if he had been aware of the fact then, he did not think he would have made an effort to go in. The types of breathing apparatus used were the Meco and the Draeger. To the Commissioner, witness said he did not advance, as a reason for not using the breathing apparatus, the tempera- ture of the return. The Commissioner said he sent a man in on the evening of the explosion with breathing apparatus and a thermo- meter, and the temperature was 75 degs. The Origin of the Explosion. Witness, in reply to further questions, said he had arrived at a conclusion as to the point of origin and cause of the explosion. He thought that an outburst of gas occurred about 20 or 30 yards on the in-bye side of the entrance to No. 1 North. That might have brought big falls with it and blocked the road. That fall might have given off a spark that ignited the explosive mixture formed at that point. On the other hand, the explosive mixture might have gone on and become ignited at an open lamp in the lamp station, or it might have gone still further on and ignited at a damaged lamp that was found at the entrance to the storage parting. The fall occurred at least 30 yards from the station. He believed himself, through the evi- dence of force, that it was an open lamp at the lamp station that caused the explosion. There was no considerable force at the lamp cabin. Three doors were blown out, and there were signs of discoloration. Continuing, Mr. Shaw said he had seen no gas in the main road, and there had been no gas in the main road since the explosion. Witness later qualified his answer by stating that he was thinking of the Ladysmith, Mafeking, and Pretoria districts. Within the last fortnight he had seen gas on the main road close to the pit bottom and a little distance up the main north road. Duplicate Fans. Witness said they stopped the ventilation at week-ends. They only had one fan, and he was not aware that the Act required that the colliery should be constantly ventilated. The Watering System. After Mr. Clem. Edwards, M.P., had unsuccessfully objected, on the ground that, as that enquiry was in the nature of a court of summary jurisdiction, the Bar had priority in the examination of witnesses, Mr. Wm. Brace, M.P., cross-examined the witness, who admitted that the mine was a dry and dusty one, and that in the explosion in May 1901 only one man survived. He had endeavoured to carry out the recommendations of the jury with regard to watering the mine after that explosion. It was true that they still used casks, but he understood the recommendation of the jury to mean that the watering of main roads by casks was insufficient, and, so far as the main roads were concerned, the system has been done away with. Witness said he did not understand the jury’s recommendation to extend to the inside road. There might have been a few breaches of the Act, he added, but he did not think that a breach accounted for the explosion. He had not measured a certain ventilation district according to section 77 of the General Regulations. He interpreted the Act of Parliament as a maximum of obligation. He could not then, though he might later, be able to point to things which he had done which were not obligatory under the Act. He had, however, tried to carry out the Act fairly and faithfully. Replying to further questions, witness said there were 13 haulage engines in the pit, five being in the return. Those in the return airway might be dangerous, assuming two things—a charged current and a spark. With regard to the dust on the timbers, he had tried brushing and blowing with compressed air. This, however, had not proved satis- factory, as it only removed the dust from one place to another. He knew of nothing which could deal properly with coaldust. He regarded stone-dusting as being in an experimental stage. Under cross-examination by Mr. W. P. Nicholas, witness agreed there was a large number of cavities in the colliery after the first explosion, and it would be the duty of the fireman to examine these for gas. He employed no means to see that the firemen carried out their duties. He admitted there was a quantity of gas in the mine a week before the accident. A place called William Jones’s heading had not been worked for about two months before the explosion, but that stoppage was not due to gas. In “William Williams’s road”, he admitted there was a quantity of gas on the morning of the explosion. There was a strong feeling in the district, said Mr. Nicholas, that the explosion had originated at this place.