Ma» 8, 1914

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

1025

Notes from the Coalfields.

[Local Correspondence.]

South Wales and Monmouthshire.

Cardiff Chamber of Commerce Action on New Docks
Demand—Seng deny dd	Explosion	Inguest—Partial

Retirement of Mr. D. Hannah, Ferndale—Reported
Retirement of Lord Merthyr.

Cardiff Chamber of Commerce discussed last week the
question of increased dock accommodation, the subject being
introduced by Mr. T. E. Watson, the president, who said
that instructions had been given to obtain counsel’s
opinion on the question of alleged preference in the docks
as to shipment. A letter had been drafted, and sent to
each of the dock authorities, pointing out in detail the pro-
gressive increase in the annual output of coal and coke,
the prospects of the port of Cardiff, and the profitable nature
of the dock undertakings. The committee asked whether
the companies had unexhausted parliamentary powers for
extending the docks, and would at once exercise those
powers; whether they were prepared to promote a Bill for
a new dock; and also what new tips and sidings they
would provide at once in order to reduce delay and deal with
the constantly growing traffic during the time which would
be occupied in building new docks. Coal shipments, said
Mr. Watson, had increased from under 22 millions of tons
in 1901 to 26 millions, and this notwithstanding the diminu-
tion in the weekly hours of work. There having been such
a big increase, no surprise could exist that they had
congestion and delay.—The Chamber decided to leave the
matter in the hands of the committee, and approved of the
action so far taken.

There is evidently full determination to press this matter
forward, a circular having been issued which asks that
“precise and detailed evidence of delays for want of dock
accommodation” should be compiled. Failure to secure tip
or berth, breakdown of tip, lack of hydraulic or other power,
congestion of sidings, and other hindrances are to be placed
upon record, in order to “support the demand of the trade
for an extension of the dock system of the port of Cardiff.”

The “port of Cardiff,” it should be noted, includes
Penarth and Barry; and the circular (which has been issued
by the secretary of the Chamber of Commerce) seeks par-
ticulars as from the beginning of this year, and encloses
forms for regular returns by dock foremen upon each occasion
in future.

Some surprise was occasioned at Caerphilly Court on
Tuesday when the hearing of the summonses in respect of
the Senghenydd explosion was postponed. The sole
announcement was “ Senghenydd summonses adjourned
sine die.'1' There were 21 summonses in all, and they had
been taken out at the instance of Dr. Atkinson, his
Majesty’s inspector. Seventeen were against the manager,
and four against the colliery company. They are all for
breaches of regulations, as, for example, the accused is
charged with, “Neglect to appoint a person to examine
safety lamps on the surface; or a person to unlock safety
lamps at the lamp station; or to appoint an electrician;
reglecting to enter readings of barometers and thermometers ;
failure to clear the dust or to report condition as to coal
dust,” etc. It is understood that the adjournment is upon
application from the Home Office solicitors.

Nearly 400 mining students from the Glamorgan even-
ing classes took part in the 10th annual competitions, on
Saturday. There were three centres—Abercynon, Bryncoch
and Clydach-on-Tawe—the tests being in timbering, walling
and shot-firing. Mr. T. Price, of the Main Colliery, gave a
prize for the best criticism of the work done. The com-
petitors ran very close, the work being of high quality; and
there was general satisfaction expressed at the large number
of entries, and the standard of work which was manifested.

We are officially informed that on May 1, Mr. David
Hannah retired from the position of agent to the Ferndale
Collieries, and the post was filled by the appointment of Mr.
F. Liewellin Jacob, who has acted as sub-agent to those
collieries for the past nine years. Mr. Hannah who is a
director of D. Davis and Sons Limited, will continue to act
as general manager and mining engineer in connection with
all the colliery properties in which that company is interested.

An announcement that Lord Merthyr (who, perhaps, will
be more widely known under his old title of Sir W. T.
Lewis) would retire occasioned much comment on Wednes-
day. It was stated that his lordship, who is the chief
proprietor of the Lewis-Merthyr Collieries, and interested in
other South Wales undertakings, had decided to relinquish
his agency for the great Bute properties in that district,
including the Cardiff Dock and Bailway Company, collieries,
supervision of mineral territory, as well as other great
interests in the city of Cardiff, and a large surrounding
district. It has been stated that Lord Bute owns one third
of the building estate of Cardiff, and the agricultural
possessions are wide and very valuable. The capital of the
dock and railway company is close upon seven millions.
These are only one or two facts which go to show how
large and important, as well as widely varied, are the
responsibilities which hitherto have rested upon Lord
Merthyr, he having had the control of these estates for many
years. His lordship is now close upon 77 years of age, so
that any intention of retirement was no more than might
have been expected. He has served on more than one Boy al
Commission; has been president of the Mining Association
of Great Britain, also of the Institution of Mining Engineers,
of the South Wales Institute of Engineers, was a founder of
the South Wales Miners’ Permanent Fund, and held other
positions such as High Sheriff.

A lecture on “Steam Turbines with particular reference to
the Utilisation of Exhaust Steam,” was given on April 30,
before the Students’ Association of the South Wales School
of Mines by Mr. W. Sticht, engineer to the A.E.G. Electric
Company Limited, Cardiff. The behaviour of the steam
in the “Impulse Turbine” was very clearly indicated by a
sectional drawing, into which pressure and velocity curves
were drawn. Of very great interest was the governing
arrangement. The great saving which can be effected by
the installation of low pressure steam turbines, utilising
exhaust steam from reciprocating engines, was shown by a
heat diagram. The lecturer regretted to see so many colliery
owners exhausting thousands of pounds into the air every
year, which could be easily turned to useful work, either for
driving generators, or for driving turbo-compressors or other
rotary machinery. He mentioned that at one colliery a
saving of over £5,000 per annum had been effected by
utilising exhaust steam from two winders. How the saving
is effected was clearly indicated by various entropy charts.

Northumberland and Durham.

Gas Making at Newcastle—Aged Miners and Old Age
Pensions.

A Northern District conference under the auspices of the
British Commercial Gas Association was held at Newcastle
on Friday, under the presidency of Aid. Sir Williani H.
Stephenson, chairman of the Newcastle and Gateshead Gas
Company. The chairman said the Newcastle Company made
last year more than 3,200 million cubic feet of gas, and
they consumed more than 300,000 tons of coal. A specially
prepared cinematograph film illustrating the winning of coal
and the manufacture and use of gas was viewed with much
interest. Prof. Vivian B. Lewes, F.I.C., F.C.S., professor
of chemistry at tne Loyal Naval College, delivered a lecture
on “ The Hygienic Value of Coal Gas as an Illuminant and
a Fuel.”

On Monday, work wTas resumed at Felling Colliery. Since
the flooding of the mine, pumping operations have been
carried on night and day, but, as yet, tne body of the hewer
Tennent has not been recovered. There is still considerable
flooding in the Bensham seam where the inrush occurred,
but the other seams are quite safe.

At the 74th half-yearly meeting of the North of England
Gas Managers’ Association, held at Newcastle on Saturday,
under the presidency of Mr. E. E. Hooper, of Sunderland,
Prof. J. W. Cobb, B.Sc., F.I.C., read a paper on “A
Problem of Modern Gas Practice,” in which he dealt with
the possibilities which lay before gas undertakings in recover-
ing nitrogen from coal as ammonia and the necessary limita-
tions imposed by practical conditions. If, he said, the
nitrogen from a ton of coal could be recovered entirely as
ammonia, in the form of ammonium sulphate, it would be
worth about 14s. The average figure in gas retort and coke
oven practice was about one-fifth of that ideal figure. The
lecturer went on to deal with laboratory work, low-tempera-
ture carbonisation, the question of ammonia yield, and the
effect of gases on ammonia yield, producer plants and
ammonia recovery. Speaking of the use of external pro-
ducers, he said the recovery of ammonia was 60 or 70 per
cent, of the total nitrogen, or 90 to 100 lb. of ammonia
sulphate per ton of coal gasified. The modern tendency in
construction and working of retort settings was towards
maximum fuel economy and the effective application of the
regenerative principle, if the necessity or advisability of
heating with a clean gas became more closely involved with
the question of ammonia production from coal. The president
for the ensuing year will be Mr. T. Waddon, secretary of
the Newcastle and Gateshead Gas Company.

The annual meeting of the Northumberland Aged Mine-
workers’ Homes Association was held at the Burt Hall,
Newcastle, on Saturday, under the presidency of Mr. John
Cairns. The report stated that from the miners, mechanics
and deputies £1,799 had been received, as compared with
£1,546 last year; £66 had been received from the co-opera-
tive societies, excluding the Cramlington Co-operative
Society’s gift of £150, which was earmarked for building
two more cottages at Dinnington Colliery. Beferring to the
report, Mr. Cairns said that, despite the unprecedented
success and prosperity of the coal trade, private donations
had fallen off, and he thought the “big capitalists” had not
supported the movement as they should have done. He
went on to express disappointment with the reply received
from the Chancellor of the Exchequer regarding the fact
that the cottages and coals were taken into consideration
when assessing the incomes of the old people in the homes
when they applied for their old age pensions. The old age
pension sliding scale hit the old men very hard, some
having only Is. to draw, and it was no use building
cottages out of the sympathy and generosity of the workmen
and others when the Government were keeping the pension
from the old people. North Seaton recommended that
the committee should consider the advisability of providing
hostels if they could be built more cheaply than homes, and
also that the levies should be increased to four sixpenny
levies a year instead of two. The latter suggestion was
rejected in favour of the committee’s suggestion of three
levies. It was decided to take steps for a deputation from
Northumberland and Durham to approach Mr. Lloyd George
direct on the question of assessing the old people’s incomes.

The annual meeting of the members of the Association
of Colliery Managers will be held in the County Hotel,
Newcastle, on May 14, 15 and 16. In addition to business
gatherings, there will be excursions to Elswick Works, the
new Admiralty shipyard at Hebburn, and the Durham and
Northumberland Collieries Bescue Station at Elswick. The
annual report states that there has been an improvement
in the membership and financial position of the association.
There are now twelve branches with a membership of 1,413,
and a bank balance of £1,917 Ils. 9d. The increased
expenditure last year was largely due-to expenses connected
with arbitration proceedings on general regulations.

The members of the Dawdon Colliery ambulance team
failed to win the Dewar Shield at London, but they did
exceedingly well in running third. They had, at least,
the satisfaction of knowing that they had got into the
final two years in succession, and had improved on last
year’s performance. The Dawdon team is the champion
team of Durham and. the North of England. The team
which visited London was composed of the following mem-
bers : W. C. Pigg (capt.), J. Bobinson, J; Turnbull, G
H. Doxford and W. Barry.

Mr. J. H. Grieves, manager of the New Shildon Colliery
has been appointed chairman of the Shildon Urban' District
Council.

The officials and workmen of Messrs. Straker and Love’s
Brancepeth and Okenshaw Collieries presented Mr. George
Nelson with a roll top desk and a gold watch on the
occasion of him leaving to take up the position of manager
under the same firm at Brandon Collieries. Mrs. Nelson
received a case of cutlery.

Mr. Christian Neuper has just completed the clay model
of a bust of the Bt. Hon. Thomas Burt, P.C., D.C.L., M.P.
The bust is being carved to the order of a committee, which
suggests that Newcastle should have some permanent record
of the high esteem in which Mr. Burt is held. The sub-
scription list will very shortly close, and the committee make
a further appeal for subscriptions.

Last Saturday evening at Bedlington, when Mr. Patrick
Gallagher, late undermanager at Netherton Colliery, was
presented with a purse of gold and a gold fountain pen.
Mrs. Gallagher received a gold bangle. Mr. Gallagher was
very popular at Netherton, where he has been for over
eight years. He is taking up a similar appointment at
Horden.

Mr. William Hall, late engineer at Kibblesworth Colliery,
had been employed by the company for 50 years in several
positions. He has now retired, and, to mark the esteem
in which he is held by the officials and workmen, a
presentation was made to him last Saturday night of a
Chesterfield couch, two easy chairs and a gold mounted pipe.
Mrs. Hall also received a presentation, receiving a gold
brooch, locket and chain.

Mr. E. Wharrier, who has for the past 18 years been
traffic manager for the Sherburn and Littletown Collieries, is
about to take up a similar position at the Lambton and
Hetton Collieries.

A branch of the Northern Colliery Officials’ Association
has been formed at Grange Villa. During the inaugural
meeting, Mr. G. Brignail, Alma Colliery, read a paper on
“ Gas and the Introduction of the Safety Lamp.” The
officers of the new branch are as follows :—President, Mr.
John Lee, Handon Hold; vice-president, Mr. Chris. Wilson,
Twizell; secretary, Mr. B. Lawson, Handon Hold ;
treasurer, Mr. G. Brignail, Handon Hold; and delegate,
Mr. J. Lee.

Mr. Bobert Parkin, late undermanager of Cornsay Colliery,
has been presented with a handsome marble timepiece from
the officials and friends at Cornsay Colliery. Mr. Parkin
is leaving Cornsay to take up the duties of manager at
Hartford Colliery, under the Cramlington Coal Co., Ltd.

Mr. John Abbott, engineer at Messrs. H. Stobart and Co.’s
Newton Cap Colliery, Bishop Auckland, is to take up a
similar position at Chilton Colliery. The officials and
workmen of the Newton Cap Colliery have presented Mr.
Abbott with a purse of gold, a silver teapot and a set of
carvers as a mark of their esteem.

It is announced that Mr. T. C. Cook, manager of the
Thistleflatt Colliery, Crook, has been appointed manager of
the Bainton Collieries, near Leamside. During his con-
nection with the Thistleflatt Colliery, which extends a little
over four years, he has had serious difficulties to contend
with owing to water trouble at the mine. Thanks to his
skill and perseverance these difficulties have been sur-
mounted, and the colliery is now running most satisfactorily.
Mr. Cook is a son of Mr. J. W. Cook, of Binchester Hall.

Becently, the officials and workmen of the New Copley
and Langleydale Collieries presented their late manager, Mr.
Charles A. Hood, with a gold watch. Mr. Thomas H.
Williamson presided, and an old member of the official
staff, Mr. J. G. Kirby, made the presentation. Mr. Henry
Dunning presented a gold brooch to Mrs. Hood.

By a proxy vote, Aid. John Errington, of Pelaw, has been
elected to the position of general treasurer of the Northum-
berland and Durham Miners’ Permanent Belief Fund. Aid.
Errington succeeds Mr. George Bobson, who was elected on
the death of Mr. William Barnes. The new treasurer was
elected to the executive committee in 1892, and was
appointed agent in 1904 in the place of the late Mr. William
Barnes. He has also a long service on the executive of
the Durham Miners’ Association, and has been on the
Durham County Council for 22 years. He was made an
Aiderman two years ago.

A tailor and clothier of Spennyrnoor, who appeared in the
Durham Bankruptcy Court, attributed his failure to “ the
miners’ strike and miners’ weekly pays.”

At the Colliery Institute, Victoria Garesfield, recently, a
presentation was made to Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Barker. Mr.
Barker was surveyor at the Victoria Garesfield Colliery for
many years, and he has taken up similar duties at Morpeth
Moore Colliery. The gifts consisted of easy chairs, marble
timepiece and a plated inkstand, subscribed for by the
workmen, officials and friends in the village.

Several changes have been made among the Lambton and
Hetton collieries by the appointment of Mr. Norman Nisbet,
late manager of Hetton Colliery, to the position of agent for
Messrs. Joicey at the Pelton and Tanfield collieries, in
succession to the late Col. John Humble. Mr. J. F. Bell,
who has been manager at the Philadelphia group of collieries
for many years, succeeds Mr. Nisbet. Mr. Stan. Bobinson,
late manager at North Biddick, takes Mr. Bell’s position,
and Mr. B. C. Thomas, who has been serving under Mr.
Bell at Philadelphia for some time, will assume the manage-
ment of the North Biddick Colliery.

Cleveland.

The N.E.R. Bill.

The North-Eastern Bailway Bill last week came before a
Committee of the House of Lords, of wffiich Earl Camper-
down is the chairman. The object of the measure is to
confer additional power upon the North-Eastern Bailway
Company for the construction of new railways and other
works and the acquisition of land, and to authorise the
construction of railways by the South Yorkshire Joint Line
Committee. The Middlesbrough Corporation opposed the
Bill on the ground that the proposed new docks would cause
a migration of population. Mr. Balfour Browne, on behalf
of the petitioners, contended that there was no. provision
which would prevent the company from making different
charges for certain services (such as the use of cranes, the
trimming of coal, etc.) at the port as compared with those of
the town docks. He said it should be made an essential
condition of the new powers that all dues, rates, and charges
should be the same at the new port as at the old docks, and
that provision should be inserted in the Bill to ensure the
fullest facilities and services being afforded and rendered by
the company at Middlesbrough Dock as well as at the new
port. The committee decided not to grant the request of the
petitioners to insert the provision asked by Mr. Balfour
Browne.

Cumberland.

Coal Handling Facilities at Working ton.

On Tuesday afternoon there was a large gathering at the
Lonsdale Dock, Workington, of railway, shipping, and
colliery representatives, to witness the testing of the large
new coal conveyor which has been erected there for the pur-
pose of accelerating the shipment of coal and reducing the
breaking of it to a minimum. The conveyor, which was
built by Messrs. Turnbull and Company, is capable of ship-
ping coal at a minimum rate of 400 tons per hour. The
test was made in the loading of the s.s. “ Balmarino ” with
450 tons of coal and coke, and the smooth operation of the
machinery, etc., of the conveyor proved that the minimum
rate of 400 tons per hour can easily be exceeded. The
formal opening of the conveyor is expected to take place at
an early date, when the ceremony will be performed by
Lady Bandies.