470

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN

September 3, 1915.

unoccupied, were commandeered for military occupa-
tion, and for a time nothing could be done. Later on
Mr. Mottram took up the matter of equipment with the
coal owners. Doncaster thereupon decided to instal
the >Proto apparatus with modifications recommended by
Dr. Haldane, and both the Wakefield and Barnsley com-
mittees undertook to give the matter their best
attention. As regards the new Wakefield station where
it is intended to provide a central rescue corps in
accordance with the General Regulations dated May 19,
1914, pending its equipment, the West Yorkshire coal
owners have made an arrangement with the Altofts
station authorities, whereby the services of a trained
brigade can be speedily given if required at any of their
collieries within a 10-mile radius of Wakefield. The
perfecting of the station is now receiving attention. It
should be noted here that many of the ambulance men,
from which class such men are chosen for rescue work,
are serving with H.M. Forces, and special effort will,
therefore, be required on the part of the owners, in order
to fill the vacancies, for, by the General Regulations,
only such men as possess certificates of proficiency in
first aid are eligible for training in rescue work. In the
north-west part of the Division, where there are about
40 pits—most of them small and damp in the neighbour-
hood of Bradford, Halifax and Huddersfield—there is no
central rescue station from which such places could be
served.

As regards the southern part of the Division, namely,
Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, the building of the
intended stations at Chesterfield and Ilkeston was
not commenced during the year, although the Notts
and Derbyshire coal owners empowered their advisory
committee to proceed with the building as far back as
January 23 last year. The original idea was to make
Chesterfield and Ilkeston sub-stations to Mansfield under
the Regulations dated July 10, 1913, but after considera-
tion, it was decided to instal central rescue corps at
both places. This entailed the purchase of new sites,
which took some time, and it is now stated that the
buildings are to be proceeded with forthwith. Accord-
ing to the secretary of the Mansfield station, it is
estimated that the cost to complete the scheme for the
Notts and Derby area will be about £22,000. Meantime,
the Mansfield station is in working order, and could
readily supply to any colliery in Derby or Notts a fully
equipped, brigade in case of emergency, but until the
new stations are completed the Regulations cannot be
complied with, either as regards the associated collieries
outside the 10-mile radius of Mansfield or those collieries
which are not affiliated, but which later on will be able
by arrangement to obtain service on reasonable terms.
When the Chesterfield and Ilkeston stations are com-
pleted they,.along with the Mansfield station, will, with
one exception, cover the whole mining area of
Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.

Signalling and Visual Indicators.

The proposed alteration in the code of shaft signals,
accepted by the Secretary of State on the representa-
tions made to him by the Mining Association of Great
Britain and the different associations of winding engine-
men, led to some delay in the adoption of the new code.
There was at the outset great reluctance on the part of
many officials to change from codes which had worked
satisfactorily at many mines for a great number of years,
and in several instances the reason given for delay was
that the proposed amendments had not been incor-
porated in the Regulations, and until this had been done
they preferred to make no alteration at all; indeed, some
went so far as to say that the alterations were no
improvement on the code under the original Regulation
92. Again, as visual indicators were to be installed,
some preferred to delay the operation of the new- code
until such apparatus could be got and fixed in position
to demonstrate the new code to the engineman. Con-
tinued delay in adopting the new code could not, how-
ever, be permitted, but it took some time to put the
matter right. The inspectors are still coming across
instances where delay has occurred, but each case is
being dealt with as it arises, and the code with the pro-
posed alterations is now becoming general throughout
the Division. Visual indicators are now being gradually
installed throughout the Division. At first several types
were put upon the market by engineers who did not fully
realise what General Regulation 92 actually meant. As
a result, indicators were supplied which did not fully
comply with the requirements, and when attention was
called to the matter by inspectors of mines, owners
became somewhat perplexed, and in some instances the
apparatus had to be replaced. A great number of types
have been brought out since the Regulations became law,
and among these there are now several which comply
with the Regulations. There is apparently a general
desire to comply with the requirements on the part of
the owners, but there was a reasonable excuse for delay
so long as it was difficult to obtain apparatus of satis-
factory design. At some of the larger collieries different
types are being installed in order to ascertain which is
the most suitable under the strain of shaft work. Since
the invention of suitable apparatus some owners com-
plain of difficulty in getting their orders executed.

Care and Treatment of Ponies.

No less than 16,767 horses were employed under-
ground. The horse inspector, Mr. Ross Baxter, has
visited 201 mines, and inspected 11,408 horses. At the
majority of the pits the third schedule was found to be
fully observed, but in some instances one or other of the
clauses in that schedule were not being carried out.
Where contraventions have been found, the pit is kept
under special observation by the horse inspector until
the matters complained of have been remedied, and in
one case proceedings were taken. Of the total number
of horses employed, 518 died from injury by accident,
and 122 from disease; 457 had to be destroyed in conse-
quence of injury, and 320 (including 50 aged, worn out,

or blind horses) in consequence of disease; in addition,
3,320 cases of injury and 90 cases of ill-treatment were
reported.

Explosives Used.

The total quantity of explosives used was
1,894,8101b., and 4,111,657 shots are estimated to have
been fired—3,606,076 by electricity, 504,681 by fuse, and
900 by squibs; 5,715 miss-fire shots were recorded, 4,759
being fired by electricity.

Safety Lamps.

The number of safety lamps in use was 223,214, being
a decrease of 5,555 as compared with 1913. The
number of portable electric lamps in use was 38,035, as
compared with 25,004 in 1913, and 4,608 in 1912. Of
the total number flame safety lamps (185,179), 110,545
were of the Marsaut type, and 42,370 of the Clanny
type; 105,534 were locked by lead rivets, 68,319
magnetically, 11,276 by screws, and 50 by other means;
the illuminant in 85,846 cases was colza or colza and
petroleum, 23,949 burned petroleum, 37,657 volatile
spirit, and 37,727 some other illuminant. The electric
lamps were of the following makes :—Ceag, 24,626;
Oldham, 6,223; Gray-Sussmann, 3,527; Wolf, 3,179;
Joel-Fors, 453; Bristol, 27. Of the total, 32,443 were
locked by magnetic lock. Of the flame lamps, 90,775
were lighted by electricity.

Electricity in Mines.

Electricity was in use at 240 mines, a reduction of
80 as compared with 1913, but the aggregate horse-power
shows an increase, being as follows :—Surface—
Winding, 1,462-J-; ventilation, 10,292y%; haulage, 3,054^;
coal washing or screening, 21,537|^; miscellaneous,
29,510t7o; total, 65,857-J g. Underground—Haulage,
28,699; pumping, 16,366|; portable machinery, 9,124;
miscellaneous, 3,600J; total, 57,790f. Gross total,
I23,648f£. According to county the details were as
follows :—Derby, 56 mines, 19,618.^ horse-power;
Nottingham, 26 mines, 17,023horse-power; Yorkshire,
158 mines, 87,006f horse-power.

Effects of the War in the Division.

The outbreak of war had an immediate effect upon the
employment at practically all the pits in the Division.
At many pits the loss of underground hands numbered
from 20 to as high as 40 per cent., and for a time this
materially disorganised underground arrangements. At
the end of July the persons employed below ground and
on the surface numbered 260,870, and by the end of
the year these figures were reduced to 235,177, showing
a decrease of 25,693 or 10 per cent, of the persons
employed, owing to the outbreak of war. The output,
in consequence of this decrease in the number of persons
employed, suffered considerably, and was probably about
four million tons less than it would otherwise have been.

There was a corresponding reduction in the number
of accidents between the end of July and the end of
December. During these five months no great number
of new hands could be got to fill the vacancies under-
ground, and most of the new hands obtainable consisted
of boys over 14 years of age, who were drafted into the
mine from the pit head and other occupations to take
the place of older lads moved on a stage to become
loaders and to fill positions carrying more responsibility.
So far the effect of the employment of new hands is
scarcely apparent so far as accidents are concerned.

Eight Hours Act.

A few complaints were received during the year about
men being employed below ground longer than the
statutory period. Such communications for the most
part concerned pits where coal-cutting machines are
employed, and where unforeseen circumstances do from
time to time occur and require to be dealt with without
interruption in order to avoid serious interference with
ordinary work in the mine. Where such delays are of
frequent occurrence in a given machine run they cannot
be termed unforeseen circumstances, and, therefore, can
and should be dealt with either by reducing the length
of cut requiring to be done by the machine during the
shift, or by the employment of additional hands to carry
on the work.

Exemptions.

N umerous applications were received from mine
owners during the year. Fifteen small mines were
exempted from the requirements of the Rescue and Aid
Regulations with regard to the formation and training
of rescue brigades and the supply and maintenance of
rescue appliances. Under section 32 (1) (6) (Safety
Lamps) exemptions were granted in respect of eight
mines—the exemption being in regard to the provisions
requiring safety lamps to be used. In every case the
exemption was granted subject to certain conditions—
the principal one being that no light other than a locked
safety lamp shall be used within 20 yds. of any known
fault, but this condition is not deemed to prohibit a
drawer from using a naked light on a road running
parallel or approximately parallel to a fault, provided the
light is not brought within 20 yds. of the place where
work is being done. To this is added a proviso that it
shall not be unlawful to use naked lights in any part of
the same ventilating district between the place or places
where safety lamps are required by this condition to
be used, and the return airway. Two mines were
exempted under section 36 (second outlets), on the
ground cf the quantity of mineral proved being insuffi-
cient to repay the outlay of sinking or making a second
outlet. Two further mines were exempted while a
second outlet is being made; and two others from pro-
visions as to the dimensions of the communication
between two shafts or outlets. Four mines were
exempted from provisions requiring apparatus in certain
cases to be provided with an effective automatic con-
trivance to prevent overwinding—section 40 (2); and
exemptions were granted from provisions requiring
winding apparatus in certain cases to be provided with
a detaching hook to eight mines.

ACCIDENTS FROM EXPLOSIVES
IN 1914.

The 39th annual report of his Majesty’s inspectors of
explosives for the year 1914 has been issued by the Home
Office.

As was the case in 1913, work at Rotherham has been
very strenuous during the past year. After the out-
break of war in August there was a temporary lull, but
owing to the subsequent difficulty in obtaining certain
raw materials, and the need for the substitution of
others entailing fresh tests, there was a renewal of
activity towards the end of the year. A large number
of new explosives have been added to the Permitted
List.

The Heat Test Committee issued its first report during
the year, and it is not proposed to hold any further meet-
ings until, in accordance with the second term of refer-
ence, it is called on “to examine and report on any
supplementary test or tests that may be submitted.”
Capt. Desborough is still a member of the Safety Lamps
Committee, in the practical work of which he has
received considerable assistance from Maj. Thomas.

A committee was appointed to carry out experiments
to determine, as far as practicable, the best type of
building to be used for the manufacture of explosives.
The committee consisted of two representatives of the
War Department, two of the explosives trade, and the
Chief Inspector of Explosives—Maj. T. H. Crozier acting
as secretary. Experiments were carried out at Shoe-
buryness on July 7, the general result of which seemed
to show that the resistance offered by the framework of
a wooden building to the effects of an explosion in an
adjacent building, taken in conjunction with the facility
with which the weather boarding can be repaired, and
the comparative absence of heavy debris, forms a com-
bination difficult to improve on. It is hoped, however,
that as soon as it is possible to call a meeting of the
committee for the purpose, a brief report will be issued
dealing with each design experimented on.

The report of chemical advisers states that the total
number of explosives examined during the year amounted
to only 337, a very much smaller number than usual.
A very large proportion of these, however, were com-
plete examinations. The number of samples examined
in connection with the testing station at Rotherham is
again very high, being two more than last year. The
remarks re complexity of composition made under this
heading and elsewhere in the last annual report apply
even more forcibly to this year’s work. The only work
of general interest carried out during the year was a
lengthy investigation, on behalf of Messrs. Nobel’s, into
the effect of the addition of diphenylamine on the
stability of nitrocellulose powders. In this connection,
the chemical advisers say : “As we have frequently
been accused of condemning explosives because they con-
tained ingredients (so-called stabilisers) which interfere
with the heat test, we would take the opportunity of
pointing out that this has only been done in cases where
such an addition lengthened the test without improving
the stability of the powder. This is the first occasion
on which an addition has been proposed which, while
it interfered with the rate of the heat test, at the same
time really improved the keeping qualities of the powder,
and we have sanctioned the addition, although it makes
the heat test of practically no value.” The heat test
may not be infallible, but a more reliable substitute does
not yet appear to have been found.

The number of accidents by fire or explosion of which
the Department has had cognisance during the year was
447, causing, as far as is known, 66 deaths, and injuring
423 persons. The total number of accidents shows a
decrease from last year, viz., 447 against 498, and is
above the average (434-5) for the past 10 years. The
number of deaths from accidents is the same as in 1913,
viz., 66, and is more than the decennial average (56-1).
The number of persons injured last year was 423, as
against 485 in 1913, and is above the decennial average
(433-9).

Over 91 per cent, of the accidents causing death or
personal injury occurred in the use of explosives and
under miscellaneous conditions to which the controlling
provisions of the Act do not apply, and such acci-
dents caused 44 out1 of the 66 deaths, and 375 out of the
423 cases of injury. This leaves a balance of 34 acci-
dents causing death or personal injury in manufacture,
storage, and conveyance, these being the conditions to
which the Act does apply. By these accidents, 22
persons, i.e., 4 more than in 1913, were killed, and 48,
or 10 less than in 1913, were injured. The number
of such accidents is 12 less than in 1913. Of the 97
accidents in manufacture, keeping, and conveyance, no
less than 62 were unattended with personal injury,
whilst of the 350 accidents in use, etc., none were free
from personal injury.

The following table shows the total number and nature
of fatal accidents occurring in the use of the different
explosives and under miscellaneous circumstances in
1914