Supplement to THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

July 24, 1914

with it. In consequence, the socket opened out and the
cage fell to the bottom, fortunately doing little damage.
The capel has been replaced by a solid white metal
pattern without hoops. The possibility of a similar
occurrence at other pits equipped with hooped capels
should be considered by all concerned.

There were two cases of overwinding while persons
were being raised or lowered, and three cases of inrush
of water. The most important under the latter heading
occurred on December 29, at South Hetton Colliery,
Durham. Bord and pillar workings in the Main coal
seam were driven towards an area of coal which had
formed part of the royalty of the Haswell Colliery,
which had been closed down for some years. It was
rightly believed that no Main coal had been worked by
Haswell Colliery anywhere near this point, but a heading
was kept in advance and a certain amount of boring was
done until a fault was struck. A hole was also bored
some distance into the fault, and then the road was
turned to run parallel to the fault, with the view of com-
municating with the back heading. About midnight on
the day mentioned, while no one was at work in the
immediate neighbourhood, water broke in somewhere in
the crossheading near the fault and probably from the
floor. The feeder rapidly became some 1,100 gallons
per minute, and continued at that rate, and it was
impossible to get near the inbreak. Temporary dams
were hurriedly placed across the two headings in order
to direct the water into some lowside workings, and
then strong permanent brick and cement dams were
built to entirely seal off the water. A pressure gauge
placed upon the dams showed a pressure which was
being steadily maintained of from 30 to 32 lb. per
square inch. Although it is true that no workings in
the Main coal seam exist at the other side of the fault
anywhere near the inbreak, yet a large area of coal
immediately adjoining this point was worked out from
the Haswell Colliery in the Low Main coal seam, which
lies about 26 fathoms below the Main coal. Inspection
of the Old Haswell Colliery plans shows that the fault
referred to has a dislocation of 26 fms., which brings
the Haswell Colliery workings in the Low Main seam
practically level with the workings in the Main coal
seam in South Hetton Colliery. All the old workings
were known to be full of water, which is doubtless
standing at such a level above the dams as is indicated
by the pressure upon the gauges. The information
regarding Haswell Colliery old workings was available
to the management of South Hetton Colliery, and they
showed a great lack of foresight in not anticipating and
preparing for what actually took place; which events,
moreover, under other circumstances might have been
attended by most disastrous results.

On May 21 last year an alarming outburst of gas
occurred in the Harvey seam pit at Trimdon Grange
Colliery, Durham.

Prosecutions.—Proceedings were instituted in two
cases against the agent and the manager of a colliery.
Fourteen persons were proceeded against for contraven-
tion of regulations with reference to safety lamps ; they
were all convicted, and penalties amounting to £14 16s. 6d.
were incurred. Fifty-nine persons were proceeded
against for contravention of the provisions about
matches and smoking. A total of 258 persons were
charged, and 253 of them were convicted and mulct in
penalties reaching the sum of £239 5s. lOd. This is an
extraordinary increase on the previous year, all the
figures being rather more than doubled. In 1912,
proceedings were taken against 125 persons, of whom
120 were convicted, and the penalties amounted to
£109 9s.

Coal Mines Act, 1911.—Mr. Wilson says the Act has
entailed an enormous amount of work, and has meant
the expenditure of large sums of money. It has not
only increased the capital charge upon concerns where
extensive alterations have had to be made and new
apparatus to be provided, but it has also increased the
working cost through those sections, the carrying out
of which ensure better supervision. The capital charges
are not those which are likely seriously to affect the
industry; for trade for some considerable time has been
buoyant, and has enabled the colliery owners to spend
sums of money w’hich in lean years they would have
found it much more difficult to produce. It is the
permanent rise in working costs which may, in a few
short years, cause greater anxiety. The usual solution
of lowering wages to suit the state of trade will not in
the future play the part that it has done hitherto ; for
the economic conditions of the country have altered, and
the standard of living has been raised, so that men of all
shades of opinion are in general agreement that wages
are never likely to drop to the level of 25 years ago.
What perhaps is equally true is that the price of coal to
the consumer will also not be lowered to that of former
years.

Upon the surface at mines, in order to conform to the
new provisions, probably the greatest expenditure has
been incurred in connection with the requirements for
reversing the ventilating current. At many mines new
fans have been erected either as an addition to the
present arrangement, or to take the place of the old.
With a few exceptions, arrangements have been made
for reversing the air at all mines where mechanical
ventilators are in operation. Where this has not been
done it is due to a variety of reasons: a new fan having
been erected and the motor not delivered ; a long drift
to drive from the fan to the downcast shaft; extensive
surface alterations, etc. Work, however, is in progress
at these places, and shortly every mine will be in
compliance. The usual method of reversing is by
arranging to convert the fan into a forcing fan, but
sometimes by exhausting air direct from the downcast
shaft. Water sprays and steam jets are provided in a
few instances. Reversal has been tried in many cases
with very satisfactory results, but where the means are
mechanical ventilators only, most of the managers
hesitate to experiment on account of the large areas of

goaf which may be charged with gas. There surely
would be no insuperable difficulty in experimenting at a
week-end or holiday time, when officials only were in the
mine to see the results. The information to be gained
would be invaluable if ever the occasion arose when it
might be deemed necessary to reverse the air.

Automatic contrivances to prevent overwinding have
now been installed at most of the mines where neces-
sary, but there are still a few places waiting for delivery
of the apparatus from the makers. In a few instances
old and out of date winding engines are being replaced
by modern steam or electrically-driven plant, and there
are one or two cases where the old vertical type of
winding engine is in use, which were unsuccessfully
sought to be exempted, which are still under the serious
consideration of the colliery engineer. Detaching hooks
are fitted at all the shafts where men are regularly
wound, with some two or three exceptions where the
headgears are being reconstructed.

With few exceptions nearly all the lamps now in use
comply with the Safety Lamp Order. There are large
numbers with only four poles, and these so arranged
that a straight line touching the exterior part of
adjacent poles touches the glass. Although a reason-
able time is allowed for this matter to be altered, the
lamps are now being dealt with in batches, so that by
January 1916 all should be in order. Approved glasses
have been obtained, and generally the safety lamp
question has been satisfactorily dealt with throughout
the division, though in many cases there was apparently
a failure to understand the meaning of the Order.
There is an increase of 1,567 in the number of electric
safety lamps in use.

With regard to management, the provisions of the
Act have necessitated an increase in the number of
managers and under-managers. In some cases where
one manager had charge of a group of mines separate
appointments have been made, and the former manager
has been retained as agent.

At a few mines in the division examiners have been
appointed with duties similar to those of deputies in
other parts of the country—that is, to inspect the
districts and supervise, and not to do the timbering. It
has been necessary in a few cases to draw attention to
the size of the deputies’ districts, and in each case more
men have been appointed to do the work. In the
county of Durham a deputy has charge of from eight
up to 30 getters, while in Northumberland the average
for each deputy is only 13. The examinations for fire-
men’s, &c., certificates have been conducted in accordance
with the conditions laid down by the Home Office. The
numbers of candidates who have obtained certificates up
to the end of 1913 was 18,469, there being 983 failures.

In probably no other coalfield is the power given to
the workmen, under section 16 of the Act. so much
taken advantage of as in Durham and Northumberland.
At a great number of the collieries in these two counties
the workmen’s inspectors make a complete inspection of
the mine every three months. It is the custom for the
local inspectors to be appointed for 12 months, and in
addition to making the quarterly inspection the two
workmen always visit the scene of a fatal accident. The
same system applies, but in a lesser degree, to Cumber-
land and Cleveland. The inspectors draw attention to
everything which they consider should be improved,
whether or no it happens to be a breach of the Act, and
their reports have quite a distinct value of their own.

The requirements regarding ventilation plans and
prescribed form of report books are well observed, but
the reports in the latter are not as full and complete as
they should be.

The question of ventilation is a very serious one at
some of the old mines, both in Durham and Northum-
berland. The working faces have advanced so far from
the shafts, and the return airways have apparently been
neglected, so that the temperature at the working faces
is higher than it should be, and any temporary derange-
ment in the ventilation causes the workings to become
foul. Such places are being frequently inspected, and
suggestions made respecting increasing the number
of splits and enlarging the airways, so that it is
hoped the conditions will soon materially improve.
The provisions of the Act have necessitated sinking a
new shaft at one mine, and erecting new fans at several
mines. The requirements as to measuring the air
current have proved to the management in many cases
how little air there is to measure. There may be an
excellent current of air travelling on the main engine
plane, but poor stoppings and an indifferent main return
will not ensure it reaching where it is most required.
The inspection staff are continuing to take samples of
air for various purposes, and up to the end of the year
888 had been taken and analysed.

There are many mines in this division, particularly
in Northumberland, where safety lamps are used only
by officials. Fortunately inflammable gas is seldom
seen, so the miner continues to use a candle, and it
would be difficult at many places to persuade him to
adopt any other form of lighting. At six mines, how-
ever, during the year small quantities of gas were
ignited which caused injuries to persons in each case
and necessitated the adoption of safety lamps.

Wherever safety lamps are required by the Act or the
Regulations a uniform system for searching persons
employed below ground has been adopted. That
searching is necessary is conclusively proved by the
number of persons found with prohibited articles in
their possession. The class of mine makes little
difference in this respect, as matches are discovered in
the most gassy mines equally with those which are not
so dangerous. It would materially reduce the risk of
these forbidden articles being taken into the mine if
each person were allowed to deposit his smoking equip-
ment in the lamp room upon the number represented
by his safety lamp.

One of the new provisions in the Act under section 36
is apt to be lost sight of. Officials have not always

realised that “ every part of a mine in which 10 or more
persons are employed at the same time shall be provided
with at least two ways affording means of egress to the
surface.” While on the whole the provisions of the
section are being carried out, in two or three cases
attention has had, to be drawn to the fact that there was
only one road into a small district.

Part of section 40 has already been referred to with
reference to the provision of guides. In most cases
these were already in accordance with the subsection,
but one or two instances occurred in which there
was a misapprehension as to the meaning of the
clause, and particularly as to the interpretation of
“ working shaft ”; in other cases proper provision was
not made because so much alteration and work had to
be done in the shaft owing to earth movements; because
pumps and haulage ropes had first to be removed;
because it was for some time not decided to carry on
the mine, &c. Keps have been provided where necessary.
With perhaps two exceptions, wherever any other
winding engine or any other machinery than the
winding apparatus is fixed in a winding engine-house,
substantial partitions have been erected to separate
them. With regard to catches and gates, or other rigid
fences, some form of protection has been applied to all
the cages in this division. Much improvement has been
effected since the Act came into force.

In an endeavour to conform to the requirements of
the Act, possibly much longer time has been taken and
has been required, and much greater expenditure
incurred in order to bring mines into line in connection
with those sections which deal with travelling and
haulage roads than with any other portion of the Act.
To provide the 2 ft. of space at the side of haulage
roads, required by section 43 (1), has meant in many
cases very hard work under considerable difficulties.
It is usually work that can be best done at week-ends;
but the average miner has a strong antipathy to week-
end work. Where side has not been taken off, and
where such a space is difficult to obtain, as at curves,
notices prohibiting persons travelling have been posted
up, and also in some cases a haulage hand had been
stationed at the place to prevent persons travelling. At
many places special travelling roads are being made
in order to keep workpeople off the haulage roads
altogether. The Act provides for persons being allowed
to ride on sets or trains of tubs with the written permis-
sion of the manager, if they are being conveyed to or
from their work. This is interpreted as allowing men
to ride outbye on the tops of the full tubs. It saves
making up a special train for the purpose, and does not
impede the output; but the custom is fraught with
considerable danger, as in all cases the persons so
riding can never be very far from the roof or roof
supports, and forgetfulness may at any time lead to
disaster. With regard to the clear space to be provided
under section 43 (3), where tubs are coupled or
uncoupled, a great amount of work has had to be done,
but the position in this respect is now quite satisfactory.
In most cases it has been found best to make a space of
3 ft. between the tubs on sets of rails, as this allows a
shorter length of roof balk to be used. There was
considerable misconception regarding the width of
refuge holes ; the dimensions specified in the section
was taken to mean the minimum, instead of as near as
may be the exact width. Many refuge holes have had
to be built up, and much has yet to be done as regards
size. A very good rule in this connection is in force at
some mines; when each refuge hole is completed in
accordance with the requirements of the section, a
record is made in a book kept for the purpose. The
inspector of horses and the workmen’s inspectors have
on several occasions drawn attention to the dimensions
of the horse roads, usually because the animal was
rubbing its harness against the roof or roof supports.
These matters were usually promptly attended to.
Attention has had to be called in a few cases to an
insufficiency of lockers, and to the lack of stop blocks
at the top of inclines. The same may be said of the use
of holing props or sprags; there is not in this division
anything like the keenness for setting these supports
which obtains in the Midland counties.

One of the new provisions in the Coal Mines Act
stipulates that so long as persons are in the mine below
ground, a competent person shall be in constant
attendance at the top of the shaft for the purpose of
receiving and transmitting signals. There appears to
be no disposition to evade this, but it may be as well to
point out that the section does not say merely that the
person shall be within hearing of the signals, but that
he shall be at the top of the shaft. The same section,
with the qualification about persons authorised in
writing by the manager to give signals, requires an
onsetter at every shaft landing, if persons in the mine
may require to be raised from that landing. In some
cases where there are several landings within a short
distance of one another, pipes are provided connected to
the main inset, so that persons can call the onsetter’s
attention and intimate that they wish to leave the mine.
Though the onsetter may be always in attendance when
persons use the shaft, it has been pointed out that one
man cannot be in constant attendance at more than
one entrance into the shaft, and any other arrangement
is an infringement of the A?t.

The new provisions respecting steam boilers are being
observed, and in some cases where boilers existed under-
ground they have been removed, and electric motors
installed in the place of the steam engines.

The regulations made under section 57 and 86 of the
Act, as to the hours of employment of winding engine
men, which came into force on July 1 last, are being
well observed. While at many mines an eight-hour
shift is being worked, at the majority of the coal-
drawing shafts the shift during which the heavy coal
winding is in operation has been reduced. At a very
large number of places the length of shifts are seven,
eight and nine hours respectively.