488 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. March 5, 1915. or where one or two men might be physically unfit at a time when there was urgent need for their services. Although a rescue station for the training of instructors has been in existence for some time at Birmingham University, this is the first fully-equipped rescue station in connection with a college in this country. The advantages of such an arrangement are :— (1) The teaching of the additional subjects specified by General Regulation 140 d (iii.) can be thoroughly handled because of general mining equipment of the college. (2) The college being aloof from associations of any kind, it lays down no conditions for entry of any company or brigade for training purposes. (3) Diploma and degree students (who are among the next generation of mine managers) are able to see the station in constant operation, and are required to undergo training there. REPAIRING ROOM CELLAR GROUND FLOOR BEDROOM KITCHEN PARLOUR DRESSING ROOM Fgct/o s o io 20 30 40 soFeer Fig. 4.—Plan of Station. OBSERVATION HALL .V ■ r • ■■ Big. 5.—Team in Training at Station. The station was planned and equipped by Mr. Henry Briggs, M.Sc., the head of the mining department, Heriot-Watt College; and the structural alterations were conducted under the supervision of Mr. John Anderson, superintendent of works, George Heriot’s Trust. The station forms a portion of the mining department of the college, Mr. Briggs acting as superintendent, Mr. M. McCormick (formerly instructor at Kilmarnock Rescue Station) as instructor, and Mr. W. Smith as assistant instructor. THE OPENING CEREMONY. The formal opening ceremony of the new station was performed on Thursday, 25th ult. Lord Provost Inches presided over a large and representative gathering of colliery owners, managers, and miners’ representatives, and he was accompanied by various members and officials of the Heriot Trust. Those present at the inaugural ceremony included Mr. James Hamilton, Glasgow, presi- dent of the Mining Institute of Scotland; Mr. G. L. Kerr, secretary of the institute; Mr. Charles Carlow, chairman of the Fife Coal Company; Mr. lames A. Hood, chairman of the Lothian Coal Company; Mr. J. Duncan Millar, M.P.; Mr. J. W. Pratt, M.P.; Mr. Joseph Parker, principal of the Fife Mining School, Cowdenbeath; Mr. Robert McLaren, H.M.I.M., Airdrie; Mr. A. H. Steele, H.M.I.M., Glasgow; Mr. W. E. T. Hartley, H.M.I.M., Stirling; Mr. John Masterton, H.M.I.M., Ayr; Mr. Adam Nimmo, coal master, Glasgow, and chairman of the Scottish Coal Trade Conciliation Board; Mr. James Reid, chairman of the Wood- hall Coal Company; Mr. James Barrowman, Hamilton, mineral factor on the Hamilton estates; Mr. J. Balfour Sneddon, Oakbank Oil Company; Mr. D. M. Mowat, Summerlee Coal Company; Mr. James Walker, C.A., secretary of the Lothian Colliery Owners’ Association; Mr. James Kirkpatrick, Bothwell, secretary of the Scottish branch of the National Association of Colliery Managers; Mr. Thomas Waldie, of the Edinburgh Collieries Limited; Mr. M. Brown, Shotts Iron Company Limited; Mr. R. N. Dundas, W.S., the Amiston Coal Company Limited; Mr. A. S. Jenkins, managing director of the Mining Engineer- ing Company, Sheffield; Mr. Henry Briggs, head of the Mining Department, Heriot-Watt College; Mr. Peter McNaughton, clerk and law agent to George Heriot’s SITE OF MACHINERY HALL MINING DEPARTMENT Trust; Mr. Henry Rowan, Bife Coal Company; Mr. George Gibb, Rutherglen (Messrs. Jas. Nimmo and Com- pany) ; Mr. Neil A. Wilkie, Cardenden (Fife Coal Com- pany); Mr. J. B. Thomson, Hamilton (Messrs. John Watson Limited); Profs. Hudson Beare, Badly, and Westergaard; Dr. George Macdonald, assistant secretary of the Scotch Education Department; Mr. Mark Brand, Twechar (Messrs. Wm. Baird and Company); and Mr. J. T. Forgie, Bothwell (Messrs. Wm. Baird and Company). Lord Provost Inches, at the outset, intimated that a telegram had been received from Sir Richard A. S. Redunayne, regretting his inability to be present at the opening ceremony, as he was obliged to remain at home in consequence of the serious illness of his eldest son. Lord Provost Inches, in formally declaring the station open, gave an interesting resume of the history of mining in the Heriot-Watt College, and said that an application had been made to the university authorities to recognise the mining department in connection with the degree of B.Sc. in mining, and negotiations were pending in regard thereto. The university authorities moved slowly, but he was hopeful that some arrangement would be come to at an early date. When it was remembered that Edinburgh was the only university town in Great Britain situated in a mining dis- trict that did not possess a mining degree, and when the increasing importance of the city as a mining centre was considered, there would seem little doubt that the estab- lishment of such a degree, both in the interests of the university and the college, was most expedient. In the course of his historical account of the teaching of mining in the Heriot-Watt College, the Lord Provost observed that in the year 1886 a very modest beginning was made by the delivery of lectures to a small number of students. The experiment was not very successful, because for some years the classes were discontinued. Later on, however, they were resumed. Not much progress was made until the year 1907, when the present lecturer, Mr. Henry Briggs, was appointed. In the following year a mining advisory com- mittee was formed, consisting of a certain number of governors and colliery owners, and their advice had been most valuable, in assisting the Heriot-Watt College Com- mittee in its decisions. In addition to lectures in coal mining, they had now classes for mine surveying, metalli- ferous mining, assaying, mine firemen, and also ambulance and other incidental classes. The importance of Edinburgh as one of the chief educational centres of the Empire, the fame of its geological school, and the diversity of mining and geological conditions in its neighbourhood, were further points strengthening the belief that a local degree in mining would prove a successful departure. With this end in view, the governors had prepared a scheme for a complete and up-to-date mining department, but until the war was over nothing could be done. The full scheme made provision for the following accommodation :—Coal mining laboratory, two gas testing laboratories, research laboratory, metallurgical laboratory, micrographic, section cutting, and photographic rooms, drawing office, mining lecture theatre, central machinery hall, large ore dressing and coal washing labora- tory, etc. This scheme would cost about £15,000, but it would be impossible for the governors to carry it out, looking to their present financial circumstances, without the help of the Scotch Education Department, the colliery owners, and the Carnegie Trust. The buildings and site of the Castle Brewery, he proceeded, were acquired by the governors for the purpose of preserving and improving the amenity of the surroundings of George Heriot’s School. It was subsequently found that the building was particularly suitable for 'the erection and equipment of a mining school, including a central rescue station, which they were met to open that day. The Lord Provost described the outstanding features of the station, and, in closing, expressed the sincere hope that it would not be necessary to use the apparatus very often; but they must be prepared for every emergency, and he was certain the efficient staff the governors had selected might be depended upon to do their duty in the event of an explosion taking place within their district. Mr. James A. Hood, Lothian Coal Company, in proposing a vote of thanks to the Lord Provost for his kindness in attending and declaring the new rescue station open, said that the most recent Mines Act 'had led to many changes in mining matters. By that Act the coal owners in the Edinburgh district were compelled to provide a central rescue station. They could have arranged for it elsewhere, no doubt, but it was felt by the colliery owners that it would be a very good idea to connect it to an educational institutional like the Heriot-Watt College. Once the idea had been mooted, the governors of the Heriot-Watt College were approached, and but for their hearty co-operation, this result could not have been attained. There had been many difficult points to discuss, and a solution of these had been found possible because of the cordial encouragement and assistance given to them 'by the governors of the college. In this connection, he should like to refer to the valuable work done by Principal Laurie and by Mr. Henry Briggs, the head of the mining department. The latter gentleman bad been most indefatigable in his labours. He had prepared all the details fqr consideration at the meetings, and altogether he had been most enthusiastic on behalf cf the scheme. The Heriot-Watt College, wider the able leader- ship of Mr. Briggs as lecturer in mining, had already established for itself a high reputation. From the sketch Lord Provost Inches had furnished them with regard to contemplated developments, he thought that reputation would go on increasing in the future. He was a great believer in the superiority of our race. We had shown what we could do when we started to manufacture motor-cars and aeroplanes in earnest, and, frankly, he did not think ■they would have long to wait before our technical educa- tion also showed a superiority over that of our rivals and competitors. Edinburgh was a convenient centre for this rescue station, and with a continuance of that splendid co-operation which had existed hitherto between the governors of the Heriot-Watt College and the colliery owners of the district, he had no fear as to the future results. While Mr. Briggs had done a considerable amount of work in designing and superintending in connection with the station, Mr. John Anderson, superintendent of works to the George Heriot’s Trust, had also given a great deal of time to details. The result was that both these gentlemen had succeeded in completely transforming the place in an incredibly short space of time. Lord Provost Inches, in acknowledging the compliment, said he had always taken a deep interest in the Heriot- Watt College, and, as chairman at present of the Heriot Trust, he felt it to be his duty to do everything in his power to keep the college in the forefront, so far as the teaching of technical education was concerned. The company afterwards had an opportunity of witnessing the rescue operations in the smoke gallery, and of inspecting the apparatus. Manchester Geological and Mining Society.—An ordinary meeting of the members of the Manchester Geological and Mining Society will be held at Queen's Chambers, 5, John Dalton-street, Manchester, on Tuesday, March 9, at 4 p.m., when the following paper will be read :—“ Some Notes on Supporting the Roof in Coal Mines,” by Mr. Erank N. Siddall, H.M. inspector of mines. The following paper will be open for discussion :—“ Some Remarks on Mining Education,” by Mr. N. T. Williams, B.Sc. Hull Coal Exports.—The official return of the exports of coal from Hull abroad for the week ending Tuesday, February 23, is as follows :—Amsterdam, 201 tons; Alex- andria, 1,000; Bergen, 3; Buenos Ayres, 3,946; Calais, 2,038; Copenhagen, 1,556; Christiania, 851: Dunkirk, 1,398; Dieppe, 610; Duclair, 1,179; Harlingen, 945; Karachi, 206: Malmo, 1,828; Rouen, 16,632; Reykjavik, 994—total, 33,387 tons. The above figures do not include bunker coal, shipments for the British Admiralty, nor the Allies’ Governments. Corresponding period February 1914—total, 81,718 tons.