474 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. February 27, 1911 pit, and 150 at Renishaw Station pit. The water came in. gradually, so that there was no accident such as might have occurred in the event of a sudden inrush of water. Notts and Derbyshire. Mr. Herbert Perkin, M.I.M.E., assistant engineer (mining) of the Great Central Railway Company, on Monday, delivered an illustrated lecture on “ Coal- mining,” before the members of the Midland Railway (Derby) Literary and Debating Society. The lecturer said that considerable interest had been aroused recently by the rapid extension of the Midland coalfield to the east of Doncaster, but signs are not wanting that developments in this direction would receive a temporary check. The most easterly sinking in progress was at Thorne, where Messrs. Pease and Partners were sinking to the Barnsley bed coal which had been proved by boring to exist at a depth of 916 yards. Owing to the tremendous quantities of water in the overlying sandstones and limestones, recourse had been made to the freezing system, a zone of ground round the shafts being first frozen to hold the water back in the strata. The method of sinking was expensive, and although there was no doubt success would ultimately be attained, it would probably be 10 years from the commencement of operations before coal was won. At the Hatfield Main Colliery, a few miles west of Thorne, a method of sinking known as the “ cementation ” process was being adopted, cement being injected into the strata before sinking the shafts. The working of these deep collieries would be a matter requiring the highest degree of technical skill. The expansion of the southern part of the Midland coalfield had, to some extent, been retarded by the Dukeries estates; but there was considerable activity at the present time, and, bearing in mind that a valuable seam of coal had recently been proved by boring as far east as Newark, there was no doubt that continued expansion would take place to the east of Worksop, Warsop and Mansfield. In a short reference to the discovery of coal in Kent, Mr. Perkin said he believed the area of about 100 square miles which had been discovered up to the present was a national asset, but he had no fear of the competition of those collieries affecting the Midland coalfield. The Midlands. Serious Subsidence at Cradley Heath. A serious subsidence occurred on Thursday of last week at Cradley Heath, the main thoroughfare, High- street, having suffered extensively, sinking in places from 3 to 4 feet. Plate-glass windows have collapsed and doors become immovable. Gas leakage has taken place and the trams were stopped. The workings of a colliery reached High-street some time ago, and. the owners agreed to permit a representative of the property owners to make inspections of the workings, a course which has been follo'wed. Messrs. David Parsons and Sons Limited have issued an official statement to the effect that the mines have been worked on the most modern and approved system, in order to afford all reasonable support to the surface, and strong ribs of coal have been left over the whole area, amply sufficient, under all circumstances which could have been foreseen, for the security of the surface. They say the present subsidence is due to circumstances which could not have been foreseen, and over which the company have no control. The company have entirely closed work under the affected area, and when, in the course of a short time, a settlement of the surface has taken place, no further damage is to be anticipated, and the buildings can be quite safely repaired. No indications whatever showed themselves in the mine until the last few days. The local Property Owners’ Association held a meeting on Friday, at which the solicitor to Messrs. D. Parsons and Sons Limited attended. The proceedings were private, but it is understood that the company offered, without prejudice, to repair and rebuild the damaged property where necessary. The following resolution was passed:— “ Whereas damage to the amount of £20,000 has been done to property in High-street, Cradley Heath, by mining operations, within an area of 200 yards, we, the property owners and ratepayers, think it is time that legislation should be introduced to prevent such affairs occurring again. We, therefore, request Sir,Arthur Boscawen, our present representative in the House of Commons, and others to introduce such a measure as shall in future prevent any mining operations being carried on under any land where property upon the surface is of greater value than the minerals beneath.” On Saturday, Messrs. Parsons’ solicitor issued a further statement to the effect that the company, without prejudice to their legal position, are prepared to do what they can to meet all property owners so far as to make at once some temporary provision, and, as soon as the properties settle down, then to take steps to have them put into tenantable repair. This is subject to all property owners affected agreeing; and, further, that the company are not put to the expense of defending law suits or other expenses. Many of the property owners have already shown a reasonable disposition towards the owners. Kent. Stonehall Colliery Sold to a French Group. There is an excellent demand for coal in the district, and the output for Tilmanstone Colliery for last week was 2,599 tons, while Snowdown brought up about 700 tons. At the monthly meeting of the Kent Branch of the National Association of Colliery Managers, held at Dover, a paper on “ Some Notes on Water-gauges in Connection with the Testing of Ventilating Fans ” was read by Mr. A. J. Kennedy, the manager of Stonehall Colliery. In March, the Kent Branch of the National Association of Colliery Managers will hold a joint meeting with the London branch of the Association of Mining Electrical Engineers, when the papers to be discussed wLl include one dealing with the electrical pumping installation at Tilmanstone Colliery, which will be presented by Mr. H. J. Wroe, the manager of Tilmanstone Colliery. Other papers to be considered if time permits will be “ Electrical Safety Lamps,” by Mr. F. J. Turquand, and “ Prime Movers in Power Houses,” by Mr. E. Kilburn Scott. The Kent Coal Concessions Limited have just com- pleted the arrangements for the sale of their Stonehall Colliery—which is situated about four miles from Dover on the main Dover-Canterbury road—to a group of French financiers, whose directors include the Comte de Beauchamp and Mr. Arthur Capel. The pits are being sunk on a freehold estate owned by the Conces- sions Company, which freehold was bought a few years ago for a sum less than £3,000. The freehold is not being disposed of, the minerals only being leased. According to a boring which was put down on the site by a firm of German boring contractors to a depth of 3,500 ft., upwards of 100 ft. of coal have been proved on this Stonehall area. The first seam, 4 ft. 4 in. in thickness, was struck at a depth of 1.500 ft. from the surface. In addition to the royalties, the pur- chase price amounts to about £150,000 in all. The most part of this is payable by instalments, and when the first workable seams are reached in the workings. Already a good start has been made, and work is being pushed on day and night. It is stated that the entire output will be required for shipment to France. The first seam should be reached within 12 or 15 months from the present date. This is one of the four colliery areas already sold or in course of sale to French and Belgian capitalists. The average acreage apportioned to each colliery is 2,000 acres, and the aggregate purchase consideration for the leases of these 8,000 acres amounts to upwards of £500,000 or twice the total capital of the Concessions Company, in addition to dead rents, royalties, &c. An interesting little ceremony took place at Sandwich a few days ago, when the first shipment of Kent coal from that port took place to London. The barge sailed in the presence of the Mayor and Corporation of that ancient Cinque port, in addition to a number of well- known people. Scotland. New Rescue Station at Coatbridge. On Thursday of last week, at Coatbridge Dean of Guild Court, plans were passed for the erection of a miners’ rescue and aid station for the Coatbridge district in connection with the Lanarkshire Coalmasters’ Asso- ciation, at an estimated cost of £4,000. The building will be a two-storey one, with accommodation for a small brigade of trained men, a drill hall, and apparatus rooms for experimental work. This is now the second building of the kind that has been established in Scotland. The winning of coal by the Summerlee and Mossend Iron and Steel Company Limited at their Preston- grange Colliery, near Musselburgh, will be greatly expedited by the opening of a new shaft which is to be sunk to a depth of 140 fathoms nearer Morrison’s Haven Harbour. The new shaft is for passenger and ventilation purposes, leaving the other shafts for coal winding. It will be supplied with electric power. Messrs. Nobel’s explosives factory at Ardeer, in Ayrshire, was on Friday the scene of a terrible explosion which caused the loss of eight lives and the complete obliteration of that part of the factory in which it happened. This is the second disaster which has occurred at the works within a year, for in March 1913 seven lives were lost through an explosion of guncotton. Tar Products.—The market is very quiet, and prices much about the same. Pitch continues to rule easy, and the same applies to naphthas and carbolics. Benzols keep fairly steady, and in satisfactory request. Closing prices are:— Benzols, 90’s ............................... 1/1 to 1/1| Do. 50’s ................................. /ll|tol/ Do. 90’s North........................... /llitol/ Do. 50’s North ....................•....... /10 Toluol ..................................... /10| Carbolic acid, crude (60 per cent.)......... 1/Ojto 1/1 Do. crystals (40 per cent.).................... /3| Solvent naphtha (as in quality and package) ... /9| Crude ditto (in bulk) ..................... /5i Creosote (for ordinary qualities) .......... /3| Pitch (f.o.b. east coast) .................. 38/6 to 39/6 Do. (f.a.s. west coast) .................... 37/6 to 38/6 Do. (f.o.b. gas companies) ................... — Sulphate of Ammonia.—The slight improvement notice- able last week has continued, with the result that prices show a distinct advance. Business has not been very brisk for prompt, but in several sections of the forward market there has been greater activity, and prices have benefited accordingly. Nearest prompt values are :— London (ordinary makes)................... £11/17/6 Beckton (certain terms) .................. £12/12/6 Liverpool ......................... £12/13/9 to ^812/15/0 Hull .................................£12/11/3 to £12/12/6 Middlesbrough ............................ £12/11/3 Scotch ports.............................. £12/15/0 Nitrate of soda (ordinary) per cwt. ... 10/6 raiM AO OTHER TOTES> It is understood that the placing of an order for locomotives by the South Eastern and Chatham Railway Company with a German firm of builders was only decided upon because it was found that English makers were working up to their full capacity, and would have been unable to execute the orders in the time desired. Consequent upon the retirement of the Cambrian traffic manager, Mr. Charles L. Conacher, i he directors have divided the responsibilities of the post, and appointed Mr. W. H. Williams to be superintendent of the line, and Mr. W. H. Gough (rolling stock superintendent) to be goods manager. Sir W. H. Hornby and Mr. Henry Yates Thompson hav resigned their positions as directors of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Company. Mr. Reginald A. Tatton, of Preston, and Sir John O. S. Thursby, of Burnley, will succeed them on the board. At the annual meeting of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Company, Sir George Armytage stated that the cost of locomotive fuel amounted to £432,835 during the year, an increase of about £92,000. We have received a prospectus of a correspondence course in mining electricity, introduced by the [Electro-Technical Bureau, of 312, Deansgate, Manchester. The syllabus is a thoroughly practical one, although containing a good many misprints. Messrs. Yeadon, Son and Co., Leeds, have jusVreceived an important order for one of their complete briquette plants to be erected in Eastern Russia. This is for converting the native coal into briquettes of “ ovoid ” shape, to be used for domestic, manufacturing, and railway consumption. The installation will include coal-drier, boilers, engine, and complete briquette plant. When erected and in full operation these works will be the largest fuel works in Asia. The ultimate output of the plant will be at the rate of 500 tons per day. This order is the direct result of exhaustive experiments carried out by Messrs. Yeadon, Son and Co., with this coal in this country, and has been secured in the face of keen Continental competition. Messrs. Clarke, Chapman and Co. Limited, of the Victoria Works, Gateshead-on-Tyne, advise us that they have recently booked important orders for “ Woodeson ” patent water-tube boilers, amongst them being Messrs, the Coal Distillation Company. The inaugural meeting of the Institution of Petroleum Technologists will be held on Tuesday, March 3, at 8 p.m., at the Royal Society of Arts, John-street, Adelphi. Sir Boverton Redwood, Bart., will preside. After introductory remarks by the president, the following addresses will be given :—“ Geometryuof the Anticline,” by Sir Thomas H. Holland, K.C.I.E., F.R.S.; “The Educational Aims of the Institution of Petroleum Technologists,” by E. H. Cunningham-Craig, B.A., F.G.S.; “ Petroleum Technology as a Profession,” by Prof. Vivian B. Lewes, F.I.C. At the meeting of the South Staffordshire and Warwick- shire Institute of Mining Engineers held at Birmingham last week, ambulance cases to conform with the require- ments of the Coal Mines Act were exhibited by Messrs. Burroughs, Wellcome and Co., Cuxson, Gerrard and Co. Limited, Southall Brothers and Barclay Limited, and Phillip Harris and Co. Limited. An electric mining signal indicator was exhibited by ^Messrs. E. C. Theedam Limited, Dudley. This gives audible and visible signals as required by the Act. They also showed mechanical indicating signal bells, spring and springless, and great interest was taken in their exhibit. The question of insurance is one that every colliery company has to face, and, in addition to the risk under the Workmen’s Compensation Act, it is only an act of ordinary providence to assure against the financial losses due to explosions in the shape of damage to plant and property both below and above ground. Messrs. Henry L. Riseley and Sons, of 33, Corn-street, Bristol, and 4, Duke-street, Cardiff, are issuing an approved policy covering such risks, which we can commend to the consideration of companies owning pits of a fiery nature. Further particulars may be obtained from our advertisement columns. THE Tffl-FLITC TOME Business has been rather slow the last few days. Buyers seem to have filled their actual requirements, and are waiting awhile before committing themselves further. In the meantime works are standing to their quotations, which are given below. On the other hand it should be noted that many of the contracts booked at the commencement of the rise were speculative, and that holders are in a position to undersell the manufacturers. Makers’ current quotations may be called :—Coke tins: IC 14 x 20 (112 sh. 108 1b.), 13s. 6d. per box; I C 28 x 20 (112 sh. 2161b.), 27s. 3d. to 27s. 6d. per box; IC 28 x 20 (56 sh. 1081b.), 14s. to 14s. lid. per box; I C 14 x 18f (124 sh. 1101b.), 13s. 10|d. to 14s. per box; IC 14 x 194 (120 sh. 1101b.), 13s. 10|d. to 14s. per box; I C 20 x 10 (225 sh. 1561b.), 19s. 9d. to 20s. per box; I C squares and odd sizes, 13s. lOhd. to 14s. basis for approved specifications. Charcoal tins are easy at 15s. 6d. per box and upwards according to tinning. Coke wasters are in good demand, and prices are firm as follow:—CW 14 x 20, 12s. 7|d. per box; C W 28 x 20, 25s. 6d. per box; C W 14 x 18|, Ils. 7|d. per box; C W 20 x 10, 15s. 6d. per box—all f.p.b. Wales, less 4 per cent.