June 12, 1914.

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

1317

Farm to discuss the desirability of arranging the boundaries
of further town planning areas. The sub-committee had
decided that one area should be proceeded with to include
the whole of the parish of Wickersley, a portion of Bramley,
and other parishes. The sub-committee had also considered
the advisability of forming another adjoining area of the
town planning scheme, but this was allowed to stand in
abeyance. Another area, embracing the' easterly portion
of Maltby parish and Laughton, was discussed, but nothing
was decided except that information should be sought
respecting the proposed new pit intended to be sunk near
Firbeck. The council, after considering the sub-committee’s
report, decided that the Kiveton Park Council be asked to
co-operate so far as their district was concerned.

Mr. A. F. Pease, presiding at the annual meeting of
Messrs. Pease and Partners Limited, at Darlington, on
Wednesday,ref erred to the company’s undertaking at Thorne,
and said there was no reason to vary the dates he had fore-
casted at the previous meeting. They had a contract for
freezing two shafts of 525 yds. each, but the total depth
was 927 yds., and the work had now been transferred to a
firm who had 21 similar contracts in hand, in one case
sinking shafts to a depth of 600 metres. There was no
variation in the price to be paid. This company reported
having made two-thirds of the bore holes for freezing, and
they hoped to have all the tubes in by next year. The
Thorne undertaking had been disappointing, both as regarded
the cost and the time taken in developing it, but those most
closely connected with the management were holding to the
view that they would have a valuable colliery. Owing to
the freezing plant being put down at Thorne they did not
require their electric plant, and had entered into a contract
with the Yorkshire Power Company to supply them. Turning to
the time that would be taken to complete the work, dating
from two years ago, the chairman said it would be 37 months
for freezing and boring, 18 months for the shaft, six months
thawing, and 18 months to reach the coal measures. The
reserve fund now amounted to £155,000, compared with
£130,000. Their assets included £84,381 paid for mineral
leases, and £380,000 for new business plant. Of the former
figure half was in respect of Thorne Colliery, and the balance
on small items. Decent legislation had rendered unwork-
able some of their coal seams, which were profitable a few
years ago. They now had to drive three roads in a pit
whereas it was possible to do two at one time, and with the
seam 2 ft. thick he was afraid the older seams would be hard
hit in the county, and would have to be closed. They had
drawn 2,173,000 tons of coal, a decrease of 36,000 tons;
iron ore, 1,181,000 tons, an increase of 28,000 tons; and
limestone 451,000 tons, a decrease of 8,000; a total of
3,806,000 tons, a decrease of 15,000 tons. The men had not
worked so well, or the output would have been larger. They
employed 12,691 men and boys, and the gross profit on the
minerals raised was Is. ljd., compared with lOd. That was
not a large profit for a boom year, and if prices and trade
decreased he did not see how some of the pits in the county
could exist. The profit on coal was 37 per cent, of what it
was in 1900-1, but the profit was absorbed in shorter hours
worked, and recent legislation which brought about more
officials. There had been an absolute revolution in costs
and prices, to go back no further than a period of 10 years,
and with lower prices the collieries would be stopped rather
than worked at a loss.

Lancashire and Cheshire.

Mr. William Brown, who has been under-manager at the
Clifton Hall Colliery, Clifton, for 12 years, and who has
just resigned on account of ill-health, has been presented with
a purse of gold and an illuminated address by the colliery
employees. The presentation was made at a social function at
Swinton, presided over by Mr. G-eorge Lysons.

Mr. George Haworth, mining engineer, of Burnley, and
Miss Florence E. Pratt, of Brierfield (Lancs.), were married
at Brierfield last week.

Mr. Edward Pilkington, head of the Clifton and Kearsley
Coal Company, last week formally opened a club which has
been provided by the firm for the mental and physical
recreation of the miners at their Outwood Colliery.

The Atherton District Council have decided to hang a
portrait of Mr. J. S. Burrows, J.P. (a former chairman),
in the council chamber, and the clerk has been instructed to
write thanking Mr. Burrows for the gift. Mr. Burrows is
one of the leading members of the firm of Messrs. Fletcher,
Burrows and Company, colliery proprietors, Atherton, near
Manchester.

The Little Hulton (near Bolton) District Council have
instructed their clerk, Mr. J. H. Heyes, to ask the Earl of
Ellesmere to quote a sum for lighting Wharton-lane by
electricity from the Wharton Hall Colliery plant.

The board of management and officers of the Lancashire
and Cheshire Miners’ Permanent Relief Society have pre-
sented their secretary, Mr. David Shaw, with a gold watch
and a canteen of cutlery on the occasion of his marriage.

North Wales.

At the Ringside mine, Cwmystwyth, a fatal explosion
recently occurred. Three men, named John Roberts, Thomas
James and W. Richard Edwards, were employed in work-
ing the 10 fathom level, and whilst drilling the rock, some
gelignite, which had probably lodged there, was struck by
the rock, and an explosion followed. Roberts was instantly
killed, and the other two men were very seriously injured.

In connection with the requirements of the Coal Mines
Act, an examination for firemen has been held by the Flint-
shire Education Committee (who have been approved by the
Secretary of State for the purpose of granting these cer-
tificates), at the County School, Mold. The examiners were
Mr. W. C. Collins, Buckley Colliery, and Mr. Thomas
Jones, Mold Colliery. A large number of candidates
presented themselves for examination, from the different
collieries in the county, and the results are highly satisfactory
to all connected with the examination.

Notts and Derbyshire.

A Midland Manager on Recent Legislation—Signalling Code
Criticised.

In returning thanks to members of the Midland branch of
the National Association of Colliery Managers, at a meeting
held at the University College, Nottingham, on Saturday
afternoon, June 6, for re-electing him as president, Mr. J.
Strachan, of Stanton-hill, touched upon several mining
topics. Commenting upon recent mining legislation, Mr.

Strachan said there was a certain section of the public who
believed that the colliery manager objected to legislation of
any kind. Colliery managers knew that that idea was
false, for they had in the past, and would in the future,
appreciate any measure that would tend to greater safety.
They recognised their very high and heavy responsibility,
but they did want the regulations they had to comply with
to be a help and not a hindrance. With the rapidly increas-
ing legislation, coupled with the demands of labour, it was
becoming every day more and more necessary that the best
scientific methods and labour-saving devices should be
adopted if the coal trade was to keep its head above water.
Though great and rapid strides had been made of late years
in the advancement of scientific knowledge, and in the
adoption of improved appliances for the purpose of ensuring
safety, yet it was terribly distressing to find that so many
accidents arose from falls of roof. In his opinion the better
education of the workmen was the best possible safeguard
against accidents. The future of the coal trade of this
country lay to a very great extent in the hands of the miners.
It was from among them that the subordinate officials of
the collieries must be selected, and just as it was true that
the backbone of the Army was the non-commissioned officer,
so was it certain that the working qualities of any pit
depended to a very great degree upon the character of its
deputies. Concerning working men inspectors, the point
that appealed to the mind of the public was that a practical
man must know everything about a coal pit. There could
not be a greater fallacy. There were men who worked year
after year in one working place, whose entire experience
was summed up in a few hundred yards of working face,
and such workmen could not have the variety of experience
and knowledge of a man (quite probably a young man) who
had opportunities of travelling from working face to working
face, and from colliery to colliery, and so obtaining that
width of experience which was necessary to an inspector. He
was not saying that to discourage practical men, but to take
a man direct from the coal face, and to give that man a
position as inspector and to put him to supervise the work of
experienced colliery managers, would be unjust and
unreasonable.

Coming to explosives, Mr. Strachan considered that their
use wherever possible should be reduced to a minimum
owing to the many dangers attendant thereon. There was
no doubt some of the recent legislation was necessary and
beneficial in its working, but he could not say the same
about the Explosives Order. The desire to reach the safety
limit had been so strong that the present results were far
from being satisfactory. Instead of tending to effect
greater safety the risks had been increased owing to the whole
of the cartridges not being exploded in some of the classes
of explosives. This was caused through the reduced strength
of the explosive, and by the increased number of cartridges
having to be put into the shot hole—in some cases almost
filling the shot hole, thereby causing a larger quantity to be
used to do the same work.

A discussion took place on the proposed code of signalling
at coal mines, which is to come into operation on July 1.
At the close of the discussion, in which the president (Mr.
J. Strachan); Mr. S. Evans, Creswell; Mr. C. J. Turton,
Kirby-in-Ashfield; Mr. G-. A. B. Miller, Alfreton; Mr. R.
Laverick, Nottingham; and Mr. J. W. Eardley, Alfreton,
took part, a resolution was passed expressing the opinion that
the proposed code of signalling was impracticable, and asking
for an extension of time with the present code until such
time as a new and more satisfactory system of signalling
could be arranged.

Kent.

Boring, at Elham—A Coal Harbour in the Isle of Thanet—
Financing the Tilmanstone Colliery—Sale of Guilford
Colliery—Cementation at Stonehall.

A commencement has been made with the boring by the
Channel Collieries Trust Limited at Elham to the west of
Dover, the site being close to the railway station bearing
that name. As Messrs. Dorman, Long and Company, of
Middlesbrough, have a large interest in this trust, it is
anticipated that the boring will be put down principally to
prove the existence of iron ore, although the bore will be
carried down to the coal measures.

It is stated that a syndicate of commercial men have
bought 500 acres of land and foreshore with deep, water
frontage in the Isle of Thanet, where they intend to build
a large harbour for the purpose of dealing with the Kent coal
traffic. This syndicate have, it is understood, obtained the
support of all the colliery companies and the railway
company.

At a meeting of the East Kent Colliery Company, Mr.
Arthur Burr stated that according to estimates, on an out-
put of 12,000 tons per week—without taking into considera-
tion briquette . making or distillation—but selling coal at a
low average price, less than they were actually getting at
present, the Tilmanstone Colliery from one seam could return
£120,000 per annum. If the shareholders appointed a com-
mittee they could have all the figures upon which that
estimate was based, and any other information they wanted.
It was further stated at the meeting that a scheme for
financing the colliery had been formulated. It was not
absolutely binding, but was subject to variation if those who
provided the capital agreed. The scheme would have to be
passed at a meeting specially convened to consider it.

At a meeting of the debenture holders of the Guilford
Syndicate, held at.Dover last week, two resolutions were
passed, approving of an arrangement for the sale of the
syndicate property. The proceedings were private.

With regard to Snowdown Colliery, the output has reached
200 tons per week, and is on the increase. Arrangements
are now in hand for starting a second coal raising shift,
which will practically double the output in the course of a
week or so. With regard to the Snowdown hard seam
recently struck, this is giving every satisfaction as a domestic
fuel, and a local firm of coal merchants has been giving
demonstrations to its customers in the ordinary grate.

Rapid progress is being made with the sinking at Stonehall
Colliery, four miles to the north of Dover, where the cementa-
tion process is being used in the initial stages of the
sinking.

Scotland.

Mining Bursary at Edinburgh University—Subsidence. at
Motherwell—Housing in Lanarkshire—Large New Fife-
shire Colliery—Glasgow Coalfield.

At the new Wellesley Colliery, belonging to the Wemyss
Coal Company, Fife, one of the deep shafts is now com-
pleted, and the other is nearly ready for work. The Dysart

main seam, an excellent steam coal, was struck at a depth
of 280 fathoms, and so far as developments have gone every-
thing foretells that o-reat fields of coal, both inland and
under the sea, lie untouched. Main roads on the largest
scale are being constructed, the roofs supported by great
steel girders, and the roadways lighted by electricity. At
the bottom of the shafts the coal is 560 yds. under the sur-
face, but as the seams dip under the sea bed of the Firth
of Forth, the workings seaward will ultimately be from 800
to 1,000 yds. deep. Even in seams far above the Dysart
main the covering will be ample without any possibility of
the sea breaking into the workings. There are eight hutches
on each of the cages, and six tons will be drawn every wind,
the journey of 1,600 ft. from the bottom to the surface being
accomplished in 45 seconds. As the shafts are the deepest
in the district, the workings are the gathering ground for
the water for a large area. Two immense pumping engines
have been introduced, each capable of forcing 1,000 gallons
of water to the surface per minute. The winding engines
already fitted on No. 1 shaft are of the largest size, and have
steam reverser, steam brakes, with automatic overwind
preventer, and patent detaching hooks. For power and
lighting electricity is utilised in every department to the
fullest extent, the power house containing a Curtiss mixed
pressure turbine of 1,250 k.v.a. driving a b.t.h. alternator
generating current at 6,600 volts. The coal screening and
picking plant is of the most effective type, and the Baum
coal washers are capable of dealing with 5,000 tons of slack
coal in 20 hours. Already the colliery, by the one shaft, is
giving an output of 1,400 tons per day, and before long the
output of the two shafts will be from 3,500 tons to 4,000 tons
daily. Up to the present the capital expenditure is almost
£350,000, the Baum washers alone representing £60,000, and
the electric power installation being responsible for a large
expenditure. In every way the Wellesley pits are on the
most up-to-date lines, and new appliances have been intro- ■
duced freely to economise time and labour. Coal cutters
and electric haulage are on the most extensive scale. The
manager of the Wellesley Colliery, Mr. Thomas Gray, has
recently patented a device to control the loaded and empty
hutches on the cages. All the operations are being carried
out under the supervision of Mr. John Gemmell, mining engi-
neer, Edinburgh. Housing accommodation is a problem the
Wemyss Company have taken in hand strongly, and are
adding 300 houses to their already large village, or almost
town, of Denbeath. The houses are on excellent planning,
with open streets wide and airy. At the colliery a suite of
spray baths is now in course of construction and equipment.
There are 84 cubicles, and the innovation, so far as collieries
in Fife are concerned, will be of interest. To handle the
coals speedily very extensive railway sidings give scope for
careful planning to receive full and empty wagons. Ground
was reclaimed from the sea for this purpose, and a village
cleared away. The coal port of Methil is half-a-mile distant,
and the Wellesley sidings connect direct with the three
docks. This is the most important coaling port in Scotland,
with the exception of the Glasgow group of docks, and the
large new basin opened last year is equipped with the most
modern loading facilities. Fife coal is in great demand on
the Continent and in South America and elsewhere.

In view of his approaching marriage, and in recognition
of his services as honorary treasurer of the West of Scotland
branch of the Association of Mining Electrical Engineers
since its inception some five years ago, Mr. D. Landale Frew,
Glasgow, has been presented by the members with a
handsome drawing-room clock. The gift was handed over,
on behalf of the association, by Mr. Matthew Brown, general
manager of the Banknock Coal Company, at a social meeting
of the council held in Glasgow on Monday evening.

The announcement is now officially made that the trustees
of the late Mr. William Dawson, of Gairdoch and Powfoulis,
propose to establish a mining bursary at Edinburgh Univer-
sity, beginning with the winter session 1914-15. The bursary,
it is intimated, will be open for competition to all mining
students who are prepared to pursue the course of study in
the mining branch of the science faculty, which is about to
be constituted at the university. Students who are desirous
of competing should apply for full particulars to the agents
of the trust, Messrs. John C. Brodie and Sons, W.S., 5,
Thistle-street, Edinburgh.

The question of damage to property through’ mineral
workings is becoming an acute one in Motherwell, and a
circular has been issued convening a meeting of “ representa-
tives from the Town Council, whose water, gas, and sewage
pipes and works have been invaded; the Parish Council
whose properties may further suffer; the School Board, whose
schools carry the scars of injury; and the religious bodies,
whose very altars are threatened.” The coal owners who
have pits in the Motherwell district are Messrs. John Watson
Limited, Wishaw Coal Company, Glasgow Iron Company,
and Messrs. Merry and Cuninghame Limited.

The Middle Ward District Committee of the county of
Lanark have given their sanction to plans submitted by the
Cadzow Coal Company, showing a further instalment of
improvements which they propose to carry out on their houses
at Moore-street, Cadzow, Hamilton. It has been explained
that in connection with this scheme a number of one-
apartment houses are to be demolished.

On the occasion of his leaving the district for South Africa,
Mr. George Orr, under-manager at No. 4 pit, Blantyre
Collieries, has been presented by the officials and workmen
with a gold watch, together with a pearl pendant for Mrs.
Orr.

Plant is to be erected at one of the Glasgow Corporation
Gas Works for the manufacture of a smokeless fuel. In
the first place the capacity will be 20 tons of coal per day.
The Maclaurin process is the invention of a Glasgow chemist.
The unit plant is supposed to be capable of dealing with a
ton of coal per hour, the heat necessary for carbonising being
generated internally. . What is aimed at is a low temperature
coke which will burn freely in an ordinary grate. The coal,
under this new process is dealt with in bulk, and with an
entire absence of moving parts. The amount of sulphate of
ammonia anticipated is double that at present yielded in
carbonising retorts, and instead of 10 gallons of coal tar of
low value, a yield of 20 gallons of oil is hoped for with the
same yield of gas per ton of coal carbonised.

The Provost’s Committee of Kirkcaldy Town Council
recently considered a letter from Mr. Dods, factor on Raith
estate, intimating that a piece of ground had been feued to
the Fife Coal Company for the sinking of a shaft at the
Clayholes near the Beveridge Public Park. The town’ clerk
was asked to supply a report as to the powers of the town
council under the Town Planning Act, and also to communi-
cate with the Local Government Board asking their assist-
ance in the matter.