1342

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

June 25, 1915.

reason to lament. Dr. Wilson’s estate lias been revealed at
<£4,977 3s. lOd. gross, and .£4,888 10s. lOd. net. Mr. T. H.
Cann, who succeeded as secretary of the Durham Miners’
Association, and Mr. John Butterfield, of Sunderland, Dr.
Wilson’s son-in-law, are nominated in the will as executors.

Mr. T. Weatherley, of Pelton Pell, has been elected
chairman of the Northumberland and Durham Miners’
Permanent Belief Fund, in succession to Mr. Fenwick Bell;
and Mr. T. Neville, of Bewicke Main, has been chosen as
vice-chairman in place of Mr. Weatherley.

In the House of Commons on the 17th inst., Mr. Wing
stated that there was a matter which was causing a good
deal of unrest in the mining areas, especially the area of
the county of Durham, where between 30,000 and 35,000
men had enlisted. At the commencement of the war they
were promised, and granted, that by becoming members of
his Majesty’s Forces they would have, for those dependent
upon them, a continuance of their houses and coal free,
whilst in some instances sums of money from the proprietors
were paid to the families left behind. Owing to the very
large number that had enlisted, the conditions had been
revised. The money had been reduced in some instances,
the coal had been stopped, and a small money payment made
in place of it. In other instances the question of the house
had come up for reconsideration. In addition, some—indeed,
a very large number of them—were now threatened with
eviction, to make way for the new men who had come to
the pit.—Mr. Brace promised that the Home Omce would
look into the matter.

Cumberland.

Lowca Coke Ovens—Sinking Accident at Risehow.

The Workington Iron and Steel Company hope to start
the new battery of 50 by-product coke ovens at Lowca in
the course of a week or two. Operations would have been
commenced some time ago but for the scarcity of coal, but
now that they have secured the services of a number of
Belgian miners, the increase of output at the colliery is
such as to justify the lighting of the ovens. This step is
invested with more than local importance, as the company
have a large plant for the extraction of benzol, from which
is further gained the T.N.T. used in the manufacture of
high explosive shells.

An alarming accident, which resulted in the death of
one man and serious injuries to three others, occurred at
the New Colliery, at Bisehow, near Maryport, on Tuesday
morning. For some time (sinking operations have been in
progress at this pit, and about 7.45 a.m., a pumpsman,
named John Clark, 36 years of age, of Grasslet, was in the
kibble along with two sinkers, named Bartholomew Leek
and. John Jones, and they had been hoisted up the shaft
some distance to' prepare for blasting operations at the
bottom of the shaft. Thomas Young, a chargeman, was
lifting up the water-pipes for the same purpose about
7 or 8 ft. from the bottom. John Briggs, foreman, was
* directing operations at the top of the shaft, and a boy
named Joseph Kearns, 16J years of age, a banksman, was
between the pit top and the crane, which is used to control
the pumps and the piping in use. Young gave the signal to
Briggs for the pump to be lifted, Briggs signalled to the
craneman, Wm. Fearon, and the crane was just put into '
motion, when the wire-rope attached to the pumps and
piping suddenly snapped, with the result that about
50 fathoms of piping was precipitated down the shaft
amongst the four men mentioned above. When the piping
struck the men the kibble would be 10 or 15 fathoms
from the bottom of the shaft. The alarm was given, and in
about 15 minutes the four men were brought to the surface.
Clark was found to be severely injured about the head;
Leek also sustained’ severe injuries to the head and face;
Young was injured about the head, back and legs; and
Jones escaped with a few minor injuries.- The lad Kearns
had been caught by the chain as it was being draped
down the pit, and his injuries consisted of a broken thigh
and fractured skull. Temporary first aid was immediately
given to the injured by the colliery staff , and the unfor-
tunate men were at once conveyed to the Maryport Victoria
Hospital. Dr. Proud met them on the way, and Clark was
then alive, but died on the way to the hospital. When the
accident occurred all the lights at the bottom of the shaft
were extinguished, and the men were in total darkness.
—The inquest was4 opened on Wednesday afternoon by Mr.
E. After, coroner for West Cumberland, and after evidence
of identification had been given, the enquiry was adjourned
till Tuesday, July 6, when Mr. J. B. B. Wilson, H.M.
Chief Inspector of Mines, will be present.

Yorkshire.

Possible Developments at Thorne—Doncaster Housing
Scheme—Fines for Slackers—Worksop and Bawtry
Railway—Coal Struck at Brierley.

Apropos of the suspension of work at the Thorne Moorends
Colliery^during the continuation of the war, to which subject
we made reference last week, interesting rumours are ’in
circulation which, if they materialise, will mean much to
the little town of Thorne. Bumour has it that the Govern-
ment, who are requisitioning buildings up and down the
country for purposes associated with the war, has its eye
upon the large works and machinery which will shortly be
idle af Thorne, and that they will find a way of utilising
these to the service of the country. Enquiry shows that
there are now probably 180 workmen employed at Thorne
Moorends. In any case, it is not expected that work will
cease until about September, and even then the pit will not
be absolutely closed down, as it supplies electric current to
the neighbouring town of Goole, and a certain number of
men would be required to continue this.

It is reassuring to know that town planning is not being
entirely overlooked in the Doncaster district, where its
importance cannot be overrated. Owing to the war, and
various other causes, little has been heard of the subject of
late, but in the annual report of Dr. Dunne, medical officer
of health to the Bentley Urban District Council, just issued,
there is a reference to it. Dr. Dunne makes mention that
during the year the special Town Planning Committee of
the Bentley Urban District Council have finally decided
upon the area which they intend in the coming year to
submit to the Local Government Board for approval. This
area comprises the whole of the parish of Bentley with
Arksey, except some exempted areas, amongst which are
those situated in Water House-lane, the colliery village,
Bostholme and Toll Bar.

Pit slackers are not meeting with much sympathy in
South Yorkshire, and within the past few days several
examples have been made. At Barnsley, last week, the
Carlton Main Colliery Company summoned a number of

their employees for breach of contract. It appeared, from,
the statement of the company’s solicitor, that the men were
employed at Grimethorpe, and although only 5s. per day
damages were charged, if claims had been made in regard
to standing charges alone they would have been 16s. per
day. About 800 men had enlisted from this colliery, and
there was thus a serious shortage, which made it impera-
tive that all the men remaining should work properly.
There were some men who were content, said the solicitor,
so long as they could earn a certain amount per week, in a
certain number of days, not to work full time. Since the
war broke out the absentees at the pit had increased from
16 per cent, to 27 per cent. In each case the Bench ordered
the payments of the amounts claimed with costs.

Interest continues to centre in the Worksop and Bawtry
Bailway. The railway companies are persisting in their
opposition, and are now carrying an appeal to the House of
Lords. This opposition, it is pointed out, means the
putting down of a light railway adapted only for
the carrying of minerals, as against a scheme for a
properly equipped railway by the Sheepbridge Goal
and Iron Company. The country through which .the
proposed line is to run has always made Worksop
its market town, but with the developments which follow the
sinking of pits, the old-time means of locomotion is quite
out of date, and the people are clamouring for a passenger-
carrying railway as against the carriers’ cart. In this con-
nection, they point to the Doncaster and Shireoaks railway,
and upon which two or three passenger trains -are run daily,
to the great convenience of people from a wide-stretching
colliery area, who desire to come into Doncaster to do their
shopping.

Mr. Baymond Nadin has been appointed manager of
Brierley Colliery, near Barnsley, belonging to the Hodroyd
Coal Company Limited, and has resigned the position of
manager of New Ingleton Colliery, Yorkshire, to take up his
new 'appointment.

Coal has been found at a depth of 197 yds. in the Town
Bank field at Brierley, after boring operations extending
over three months. This coal, which is 4ft. 7 in. thick,
was lost in the Brierley mine owing to the presence of a
great many faults and throws, and all attempts to find it
by drifting had been unsuccessful. The winning of this
new bed will open out (again a district that has had to stand
for some time, and will find work for a good many miners.

Lancashire and Cheshire.

Capt. Claud H. Bobertson, of Brantwood, Moore, who
holds a position in the engineering department of the
Pearson and Knowles Coal and Iron Company Limited, at
Warrington, has been wounded in the shoulder.

Sec.-Lieut. Eric J. Burrows, who has been wounded in
the fighting at the Dardanelles, is the son of Mr. J. S.
Burrows, a member of the firm of Messrs. Fletcher, Burrows
and Company, colliery proprietors, Atherton. Sec.-Lieut.
M. Kenneth Burrows, who has also been wounded, is the
son of Mr. M. F. Burrows, a member of the colliery firm.
He is 27 years of age, and prior to going on active service
was acting managing director of the Howe Bridge Cotton
Spinning Company Limited, Atherton.

Lieut. Basil L. Fletcher and Sec.-Lieut. P. Gawthorn
Fletcher, sons of Col. P. Fletcher, of the firm of Messrs.
Fletcher, Burrows and Company, colliery proprietors, have
been wounded in action. They were both educated at Bugby
and Oxford, and the former subsequently became connected
with the colliery firm, while the latter was a master at
Charterhouse College prior to volunteering for service.

The Midlands.

Unusual Accident at Hamstead—Home Office Prosecution
at Stoke : a Question of Responsibility.

The death of George Timmins, a miner in the employ of ,
the Hamstead Colliery Company Limited, formed the sub-
ject of an enquiry by Mr. G. C. Lewis, the South Stafford-
shire coroner, last week. Timmins, who was working in
the pit on the 4th inst., complained to a fellow workman
named Joseph Prince that he had had a “ smack in the eye,”
and to the deputy he explained that a bit of coal flew from
his pick and struck him in the eye. Dr. Garman expressed
the opinion that Timmins had inhaled something of an
irritant character. While it was likely that <a strong blast
of air caused him to inhale dust, he could not understand
why that should render the man unconscious. The coroner
suggested that the unconsciousness might be due to fright
or exhaustion, and Dr. Garman replied that the curious
thing was that there was no dust in the man’s eyes., Joseph
Prince, who was working with Timmins, said he did not
notice any signs of gas in the mine where Timmins was
working. He had had trouble with the air in that part of
the mine, and had told the manager about it taking the
use out of his legs. George Warner, a deputy, said Timmins
had driven a hole into the air passage, and when he saw him
he was sitting in his wet clothes in the strong draught
which came through the hole. When the air came through
the hole it would disturb the dust, but it was the best air in
the pit. Timmins never complained to him of gas. Witness
examined that portion of the workings twice that morning
and found no indication of any gas. It was true that men
had been gassed down the mine, but that was two years ago..
The jury returned a verdict that death was due to pneu-
monia, which was secondary to the inhalation of an irritant
while the man was working in the pit.

At Stoke Stipendiary Court, on Friday last, before Mr.
Bertram C. Brough, the Potteries Stipendiary, three
summonses were brought against the New Hem Heath
Mining Company Limited, Chesterton, and three against
Mr. Wilmot John Hassam, manager of the company, for
contraventions of the Coal Mines Begulations, all of which
arose out of the disastrous fire which occurred at the colliery
on February 25, when several lives were lost. The sum-
monses against the company and the manager were iden-
tical. Only one set of summonses were proceeded with, in
which the company and the manager were charged that in
the engine-room of the mine, in the construction of which
timber was used, they failed to provide adequate means of
extinguishing fire. Mr. S. Pope appeared to prosecute on
behalf of the Home Office, and said the 'information which
he had been asked to deal with at the moment was based
on section 70 of the Coal Mines Act, 1914, as amended by
section 3 of the Coal Mines Act of 1914, which said that in
every steam-engine room adequate means of extinguishing
fire should be provided. The term “ steam-engine room ”
was (amended by the Act of 1914, and instead of the words
“ steam-engine room ” the words “ engine room ” were sub-
stituted. The Act of 1914 came into operation on August 7

last year, and it became the duty of the owners and the
manager to provide satisfactory fire-extinguishing appli-
ances. There was no question that timber was used in the
construction of the engine-house. Unfortunately, a fire broke
out on February 25 last, and the result of that fire was that
some 12 men lost, their lives. The fire was caused by the
overturning of a paraffin lamp, which was used in the
engine-house, by the man who was filling the lamp when it
was lighted. There were two witnesses of the occurrence,
and the evidence as to what took place was the best evidence
of the complete absence of any adequate means of extin-
guishing the fire there. Mr. Milward, for the defence, said
his clients felt that it was their duty to plead guilty to a
breach of the Act, under circumstances which he proposed
briefly to put before them. First of all, the mine itself was
of a peculiar character, of such a character that it must have
a considerable bearing upon the action of the company. It
was an ironstone mine of a peculiarly safe description, and
not in the least fiery, and was extremely wet. For 20 years
or more his clients had carried on the mine, and until the
unfortunate day in February there had never been a fire of
the slightest description. Prior to the amendment coming
into operation, a fire-hose, for instance, was provided, and
there were two separate water-pipes within from 30 to 50
yds. of the engine-house. It was not until the amendment
substituting the word “ engine-room ” for ” steam-engine
room ” came into operation that the company were guilty of
any breach, and with regard to this, he said quite frankly
that his clients, like 99 out of every 100 othe rpeople, did not
make themselves acquainted with the letter of the law. The
Stipendiary .asked what, was to be done with the other
summonses. Mr. Milw.ard saifl that he thought that all
he need say was that, with the magistrate’s• consent, they
would be adjourned sine die, and might not come before
him at all if certain things happened. The Stipendiary had
the other summonses before him and knew what they were.
They were summonses for a breach of the regulations as to
the provision of certain rescue brigades. The Stipendiary,
therefore, adjourned the other summonses for three weeks,
with a further adjournment if necessary. He asked Mr.
Pope if he was making any application for costs. Mr. Pope
said he was in regard to certain witnesses. Six witnesses
were subpoenaed, and he had several inspectors he was
going to class as expert witnesses. The Stipendiary,
referring to the first case, pointed out that no evidence .had
been called. One did not quite know in the case of a
limited company with whom the real fault, if any, lay. In
large limited companies there were shareholders in different
parts of the country, who could not be collectively and
legally liable where1 an offence was committed, as was a
separate owner. So far as the manager was concerned, it
might be extremely unpleasant if a manager were called
upon to make .admissions against a company, if there were
any admissions to make. The Stipendiary imposed a fine
of £10 on the company, and £5 on the manager, and he
allowed £7 7s. for witnesses’ allowances against the com-
pany and £5 5s. against the manager.

Kent.

Tilmanstone Finances—Chislet Sinking.

In a further letter sent out to the shareholders in the
East Kent Colliery Company Limited, the decision of the
debenture holders concerning the proposed modification of
their rights is announced, and it is added :—“ One of the
conditions contained .in the deed carrying these modifications
into effect is that at least £50,000 of the second debenture
stock shall be subscribed for before the 30th inst. Up to
the present time, about £24,000 of this stock has been
applied for. The directors and committee have done every-
thing they can to protect the interests of the shareholders,
and the time has now arrived for the shareholders to come
forward and subscribe the money required if they wish to
save their valuable property. The committee suggest that
all shareholders should subscribe for at least £1 of debenture
stock for every 20 shares held by them.” Since the issue of
this circular about £7,000 has been received, and there is
reason to hope that the £50,000 required will be forthcoming
before the 30th inst.

A further call of half-a-crown on the shares of the Chislet
Colliery Company Limited has been decided to be made,
making the shares 10s. paid up. The progress with the
sinking of the colliery is satisfactory, the troubles with the
water-bearing strata having been overcome. Mr. Joseph
Shaw, K.C., has been re-elected a director of the North Kent
Coal Fields Limited. The board now consists of Mr.
Arthur Woolley-Hart (chairman), Mr. F. L. Davis, and Mr.
Shaw. In order to reduce expenses, negotiations are in
progress with the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, that the
company may be allowed to give up a.portion of the area
leased from the Commissioners. This portion represents
ground where the boring operations have proved that coal
does not exist.

Scotland.

Safety Lamps and Explosions.

In the House of Commons last week, Mr. Duncan Millar
called attention to the facts of the case- relating to the
colliery of Blairmonckhill, where, owing to an ignition of
gas which resulted in loss of life, safety lamps had been
adopted throughout the whole seam. He said the circum-
stances under which this explosion took place were of a
very special character, and, after looking at the whole facts
of the case, he ventured to submit it was a case in which an
exemption might be given under clause 32, subsection (1),
paragraph (b), of the Coal Mines Act, 1911. The remainder
of the seam, with the exception of the small portion in
which the explosion took place, had never been known to
generate gas. The gas occurred in a cavity some 6 ft. above
the level of the roof at a point quite close to the uptake,
and in circumstances where the danger was now completely
removed owing to the roof having been built up and the
cavity filled in. The men, since this explosion occurred,
had refused to work with the coal cutters in the seam, owin'*
to their real belief of the danger which might occur through
falls in the roof and sides if safety lamps were used, and
if the ordinary naked light was not available. The result
was that there were now only 73 men working, only 55 tons
of coal being raised daily, and practically the whole colliery
was at a standstill.—In his reply, Mr. Brace pointed out that
had the Home Office, through its inspectorate, not insisted
upon safety lamps, it would have been impeached by some
hon. members for a dereliction of duty. There was no
guarantee that gas would not be found in some other cavity.
There was no reason why electric lamps should not be
introduced. The Home Secretary had asked the inspector
to go down, conduct an enquiry, and make a report.