84 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. January 9, 1914. examined with a 9 ft. stick, from the locking station to Bull’s parting, and there was not a place for which he would require to use a ladder. There was one place on the Lewis Morgan level where he had to use the stick. Witness said he could walk round the district in one hour. The Workmen’s Report. Mr. Nicholas, who represented the Miners’ Federation, referring to the report book, said that the examination had begun before the time allowed, and that this was a breach of the Mines Act. The witness explained the situation of the diluted blowers in his district, some of which had been there a considerable time. He examined these, all of which had been bratticed. He had never seen sparking, chafing, or rubbing of the haulage rope in his district. While he had been fireman in his present district nothing had been done to clear either the roof or sides of dust, but only the floor. Mr. Sankey, K.C., next read extracts from a report made by representatives of the men on August 18 in the Lady- smith district. Mr. Nicholas said Dr. Atkinson’s report was an entirely different one from the report which he (Mr. Nicholas) had in his possession. He asked for the draft report of the workmen from which this was typed in the colliery office before it was sent to Dr. Atkinson. In the draft report there was written “ Ladysmith main wants dusting and watering,” and it was not in the report read by Mr. Sankey. Mr. Edward Shaw, the manager, was recalled, and explained that the workmen’s inspectors wrote their report in the office, and although he was certain that there was a book for it, he could not find it. At that time the men told him that the report was badly written, and they did not think that he would be able to read it. The witness read it over with them, and knowing that Dr. Atkinson would not be able to read the original, he got the boy in the office to type it. With regard to the dusting, the witness said that the workmen’s inspectors did complain of this to the official who went around with them, but they did not put it in the report that went to the office. They also put the report on top of the pit for workmen to see. He saw things in that report that were not in his, and he drew their attention to it, and one of them struck them out. Mr. Sankey and the coroner then read out the report section by section. It was found that they were different materially in phraseology, but were substantially the same, with the exception of the sentence already quoted. Mr. Nicholas announced his satisfaction with Mr. Shaw’s frank statement. Benjamin Thomas, night fireman of the Kimberley district, examined by Mr. Sankey, said he was given ample time to carry out the examination of his district. There were three cavities in his district. He received instructions to report the slightest trace of gas. Edward Harries, an overman of the Kimberley, Botanic, and Mafeking districts, said he had never found any gas in the intakes or returns. The roof and sides were too dangerous to water. William Williams, day overman, stated that there was a cavity in Thornton’s stall in the Mafeking district, and also an escape of gas. There were naked signalling wires there, but he had not heard of sparks caused by the wires coming from the haulage ropes. Signalling with a File. Yesterday evidence was given by watermen and repairers as to the condition of the roads with respect to coal- dust. One of these witnesses, Phillip Skym, a traffic- man, stated that sometimes he signalled by applying a file to the wire. If he had no file he would bring two wires together with his fingers. He had never seen a spark or a flash when using a file. On the other hand, Evan Thomas, afternoon shift repairer at the Mafeking Hard Heading, said that he had signalled in the same manner and had seen sparks given off. They were bigger with the file. Mr. Frank Llewellyn Jacob, of Welsh Navigation Colliery, who had paid many visits to the colliery since the explosion, corroborated Mr. Shaw’s views as to the origin of the explosion. The fact that the two men were at the station suggested that the man had gone there to relight his lamp. The inquest was adjourned until to-day (Friday). The returns published by the Scottish Ironmasters’ Asso- ciation show that the production of Scotch pig iron, including haematite and basic, in 1913, amounted to 1,377,747 tons, an increase of 178,980 tons over the previous year. The consumption in the foundries was 196,401 tons, a decrease of 14,815 tons, and in malleable iron and steel works 842,937 tons, a decrease of 56,850 tons. While the exports — foreign, coastwise, and by rail — to England amounted to 268,084 tons, they show a decrease of 23,016 tons. The total consumption and exports accordingly figure at 1,307,422 tons, a decrease of 94,681 tons. The stock in makers’ yards at December 31 last was 187,956 tons, an increase of 70,305 tons. The number of furnaces in blast at the same date was 67, as against 90 on the corresponding date in 1912. The average number of furnaces in blast for the year was 86,429, as against 70,920 in the previous year, while the average output per furnace per annum was 15,940 tons, and the average per furnace per week 30,654 tons. THE “ DRAEGER ” SELF-RESCUE APPARATUS. At the recent Second International Rescue Congress, at Vienna, the question was mooted of constructing an efficient self-rescue apparatus for enabling imprisoned miners, after an explosion or underground fire, to penetrate noxious atmosphere in order to protect them- selves from the effect of afterdamp and smoke when leaving their place of safety, which may be a pocket of fresh air. Mr. Draeger has not lost much time in complying with the demand for a self-rescue apparatus, and has just placed on the market an apparatus which, it is believed, meets all the requirements of the case. The “Draeger” self-rescue apparatus, as shown in fig. 1,2 and 3, is light and compact, which is one of the chief conditions to make an apparatus serviceable. Its weight is only 7 lb., and its size folded up, 11 in. by 7 in. A prime condition to be considered, is that such apparatus should be simple, without complicated parts, and requiring no previous training in order to enable men who have never used such an apparatus before to wear it. Another condition to be fulfilled is that the apparatus supplies the wearer with an adequate supply of breathable air ready for use at a minute’s notice. All these conditions, it is claimed, are fulfilled in the present apparatus, and it differs in so far from other similar appliances in being of the regenerative type. This enables the apparatus to be made so small, light Fig. 1. v5). -io.-ia. Draegeri /j -p Fig. 2. DBA EG EK Fig. 3. S = Oxygen cylinder; U = Closing valve; P = Potash cartridge : A = Breathing bag; L — Breathing tube. and compact. If the exhaled air is not being regenerated, but expelled through a valve into the open, the amount of oxygen required would be so much larger, in consequence of which the apparatus would become heavy and cumbersome. The “ Draeger ” self-rescue apparatus may be stored either underground in safety chambers, or may be taken in by the rescue party after they know that lives are to be saved. In the latter case, it is of special importance that the apparatus should be as light and compact as possible, as already the rescuers have to carry a heavy apparatus on their backs. The appliances in question should also be useful after shotfiring, when only too often men are overcome by the resulting fumes when entering the noxious atmosphere too soon. Hull Coal Export*.— The official return of the exports of ooal from Hull for the week ending Tuesday, December 30, 1913, is as follows :—Alexandria, 8,524 tons ; Antwerp, 605 ; Amsterdam, 1,125 ; Aalesund, 520 ; Buenos Ayres, 4,797; Bilbao, 1,339; Bruges, 698; Bordeaux, 2,866; Bremen, 937 ; Copenhagen, 348 ; Christiania, 2,541 ; Drontheim, 148; Ghent, 298; Genoa, 3,851 ; Gefle, 2,132; Harburg, 2,342; Harlingen, 1,230 ; Hamburg, 5,352 ; Kragero, 617; Leghorn, 302 ; Libau, 403 ; Moss, 613 ; Malmo, 1,836 ; Muhlgraben, 1,642; Naples, 499; Norrkoping. 1,465 ; Rouen, 9,387; Rotterdam, 1,102 ; Riga, 5,510; Reval, 3.255; Stockholm, 409 ; Sebastopol, 6,158; Windau, 3,011; Wellington, 4,958 —total, 80,820 tons. Corresponding period December 1912, total, 95,810 tons. MINING EDUCATION IN 1912-13. The first report of the Board of Mining Examinations is contained in Part II. of the General Report on Mines and Quarries. It covers the examinations held in November 1912 and May 1913. The general results of these examinations were as follow :— Candi- dates. Success- Percentage . ful. of passes. First-class certificates .. 266 ... 65 24’4 Second-class ,, 571 ... 175 .. 30’6 Surveyors’ ,, 149 ... 30 20T The order of merit in point of percentage of passes of the different centres was as follows :— Surveyors. Centre. First class. Second class. Birmingham ... 33'3 ... 34'7 ... 16’7 Newcastle.....' ... 32'5 ... 38'7 ... 16'7 Sheffield ... 30'0 ... 21'0 ... 22’2 Wigan ... 23'9 ... 30'6 ... 21'4 Cardiff ... 23’7 ... 24'7 8'3 Edinburgh .... 11'7 ... 39'8 ... 40'0 In the last year, under the old system, there were 695 candidates for first-class certificates, of whom 263, or 37'8 per cent., passed, and 1,143 candidates for second- class certificates, of whom 547, or 47’9 per cent., passed. A comparison shows that under the new arrangements —(a) there was a large falling-off in the number of persons presenting themselves for examination for first and second class certificates ; (&) the percentage of passes was considerably less. However, it must be borne in mind that the number of candidates who presented themselves for examination during the year 1911 was unusually high (the average for the previous 10 years, inclusive of 1911, being 500 first-class and 700 second class). The fact that the conditions of exami- nation under the newly-established Board would undoubtedly be more severe than those pre-existing its creation undoubtedly influenced a large number of persons to present themselves for examination during the last year of the old regime. It must be remem- bered also that the requirements in respect of practical experience under the new conditions prohibited some persons from presenting themselves for examination who would have been allowed to sit under the condi- tions obtaining formerly in some of the examination centres. The question of reciprocity with the colonies and foreign countries in the matter of granting certificates under section 10 (2) of the Coal Mines Act, 1911, has occupied attention ; but as this necessitates the collection of much evidence respecting the standard adopted by the various countries where certificates are granted, the Board are not yet in a position to pronounce on the matter, which is still under the consideration of a com- mittee of the Board. In conclusion, the Board views with satisfaction the result of its first year’s work, and believes that a higher standard of qualification has been established which must ultimately beneficially affect the coalmining industry of the country.