June 30, 1916.

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

1233

Lignite is known at Ghemerek and at Tonus, in the same
district. Farther south lignites have been observed by
travellers in the vicinity of the Argana copper mines. In
the northern portion of Mamouretualziz province
coal is known in a band, which practically extends from
its eastern to its western boundary. The localities are
Chemishguedsek, where the coal is stated to be of good
quality; Zafran-ik, Dersim, and Derstek. At Shengyah
■also, near Baibourt, lignite occurs, as well as in the
Myriam Dagh. The Chemishguedsek seams are con-
veniently situated close to the banks of the Menzurchai,
an affluent of the Karasu or eastern Euphrates. They
lie at about 60 km. north-east of the Keban silver-lead
deposits south of the last-named town. In the Erzerum
province some lignite has been mined to supply local
requirements. The seams are generally embedded in the
upper eocene. They are well developed at Kheneke,
near Migri in the valley of the Arax, as well as east, in
the Kashkaldagh Mountain. Beds are known at
Kasach-an, Hortukderessi, Serishli, near Bayazid road,
Lezghiaf, and Ercovan.

Coal has been mined at Rizeh, north of Erzerum.
Proceeding southward from Erzerum, the occurrence of
bituminous coal is reported from the mountains lying
west of the Mush plain. South-east of the last-named
locality a hard variety of coal resembling anthracite is
found near Erooh, in the province of Bitlis. The coal is
stated to occur in abundance in this region between the
villages of Tchemak and Dergal. The village of
Komuirhan, between Harpoot and Malatia, owes its name
to the coal seams worked by the natives.

The same variety of coal is found farther east near
Palu. The meagre reports obtainable merely suggest the
possible existence of an anthracite basin in this district.
The Palu coal outcrops at 25 km. from the Murad Su in
the bottom of a valley. The fuel is used by blacksmiths
of the region. It will probably acquire importance owing
to its proximity to the copper mines at Argana.

West of the Persian boundary, the province of Van
seems to have been favoured by nature with ample
reserves of fuel. At Bashkale, in the Hekiari district, a
number of lignite seams 0-15 m. in width are known.
Near Tcough Pass, at about two days’ horseback ride
from Nordooz, the same coal occurs again. The coal-
bearing strata attain here a thickness of about 14 m.
At Akchai, about 24 km. from the harbour of Cheraker,
on Lake Van, a bituminous variety was discovered. Coal
is also known at Sivan, near Archek, 27 km. east of
Van, where a number of seams have been brought to
light. At Chahmani-s in the district of Chatak a number
of seams occur. Their width occasionally attains 1 m.

The occurrence of the fuel is also reported from
Beirootdagh Mountain, where iron has been mined since
times immemorial by the natives of the town of Zeitun.
This region has been, perhaps, least visited of all by
travellers in Asia Minor. North of Sis, toward Hajin,
anthracite float has been detected in the valley of the
Seihoon.

Syria.

Two deposits of lignite are worked in the province of
Beyrut. One is the Ainamade mine, which lies near the
village of Kermael, and yields about 1,000 tons annually.
The other occurs at Haitoora, near Jezzim, and produces
about 500 tons per year. Outcrops have also been traced
in the valley of the Nahrelkalb. Both deposits are
capable of yielding larger outputs. In the Lebanon, coal
that as probably lignitic is reported from Falooga, near
Hamana, as well as at Abdin, near Bekfaya and Mreyjatt.
The first-named locality was the seat of a native exploi-
tation which was undertaken on a small scale to supply
the silk factories of the district with fuel. Other Syrian
localities from which coal is reported are Meshgara, in
the Beka’s Mountains, and Huleh, in the province of
Damascus. The environs of Tyre and Safed are similarly
credited. At about 80 km. south-east of Aleppo, coal
outcrops have been noticed by various explorers. The
accounts relative to their importance are conflicting.
Two other localities regarding which very little is known
are Suedieh, on the Mediterranean coast, and the Ajiloon
province in Palestine.

Mesopotamia.

Coal was mined about half a century ago in the
northern section of this ancient province at Harput,
about 45 km. east of Jezireh. The product was used for
a while on river boats plying on the navigable sections
of the Tigris. The fluvial transportation industry appears
to have stimulated research for the fuel, since a little
mining was also undertaken for the same purpose in the
Jebel Hamiin 90 km. north-east of Bagdad. Coal has
also been found in the vicinity of Mosul, but the deposit
has not been worked.

At about 160 km. north-east of Bagdad a small amount
of coal has been mined by the natives since 1890.
Mining is confined to the low hills lying east of Kifri,
near the Nasalah village. The coal is won from open
cuts and shallow workings. Its quality was found to be
poor at that level, and deepen’ digging has not yet been
undertaken.

Turkey in Europe.

The environs of Keshan, in the province of Adrianople,
have been prospected for coal somewhat more thoroughly
than other districts of European Turkey. The beds are
found at the edge of a synclinal sandstone basin, 13 km.
in diameter. From a point 1’5 km. north-east of Keshan
a single seam has been traced for a distance of 5 km.
along the southern edge of this basin at about 165 m.
above sea-level. The coal mined here is bituminous.
One of the seams worked was about 1 m. thick, and had
-the characteristics of cannel coal, burning with a long
flame and emitting little smoke.

Its specific gravity was 1’37, and it yielded about 2 per
cent, in ash. The section of a prospect borehole revealed
the following sequence: Red, stony clay, 10-35 m.;
volcanic ash and rhyolitic breccias, 14-85 m.; sandstone
and dark-coloured beds, 2-00 m.; coal and bone, 0-45 m.;
shale and clay, 1-65 m.; sandstone, 1-70 m.; shale and
clay, 0-20 m.; coal, 1-10 m.; sandstone, 0-45 m.

The evidence gathered underground showed that the
coal rests on sandstone, and is capped by a hard clay
roof about 0-60 m. in thickness.

At Bosztepe, 9-6 km. west of Keshan, the same variety
of hard cannel was discovered. In the opposite direction
several seams are known along the Marmora coast
between Sarkeui and Ganos, at a distance of about
48 km. south-east of Keshan. The thickness of these
veins varies between 0-30 and 0’45 m. The outcrops of
another deposit, which contains seams about 0-70 m.
thick, are known. The coal seams are here interbedded
with oil-bearing formations, with which they have a
common southerly dip into the hill forming the southern
slope of the Kavak River valley at about 130 m. above
sea-level.

The prolongation of the Ma-rmora-JEgean lignites can
be followed in the vicinity of the seaport of Rodosto, in
the Sea of Marmora. Deposits of lignite a-re also known
near the villages of Akbunar, Tchiflik, and Agatehly at
a short distance from Constantinople.

A LANGHAM ONE-TON COAL
TIPPING WAGON.

The accompanying illustrations depict a special coal
tipping wagon body fitted to a Langham one-ton petrol
motor chassis which has lately been supplied to Mr.
Grenville Morris, coal merchant, Nottingham, by the
district agents of the Langham Steel Company Limited,
the Tolputt Company, of Dover-road, Sheffield. The
body, which is of strong construction, the ends and edges
being fitted with steel plates to render it capable of with-
standing the roughest use, is fulorumed at its centre on

COALWaggok

the side members of the chassis, so that the tipping is
effected steadily. The tipping gear consists of a ratchet
and pinion, the latter being operated by a handle on the
near side. As the load is tipped the rear of the body does
not come in contact with the ground, but on the sloping
rear edge of the body bearers, which thus act as buffers.
Owing to the fulcruming of the body at its centre, the
work of returning it to, and securing it in, its normal



horizontal position is quickly performed, and without
requiring any great exertion on the part of the driver.

The chassis of the Langham one-tonneir is fitted with a
four-cylinder engine, 89 mm. bore by 127 mm. stroke,
developing 23 horse-power at 1,000 revolutions per
minute, so that ample power is available to carry the load
up any gradient. In fact, quite recently, one of the
steepest gradients in the hilly district of Halifax was
successfully climbed with a load of 30 cwt.

Medals for Miners.—The Edward Medal of the second class
has been awarded to A. Woodhouse and J. Peat, miners at
the Wood Lane Colliery, Hill Top, Horsley, near Derby, for
the attempted rescue on December 24 last of J. Orrill,
manager of the colliery, and W. Aidread, who had -been over-
come by blackdamp. The air was so bad that a flame would
not burn, but Woodhouse and Peat, by successive rushes over
an obstacle caused by a fall of roof, succeeded in attaching
their belts to the bodies and pulled them out by a long strap
from some adjacent machinery. The rescue lasted from 60
to 90 minutes. Orrill and Aidread were dead.—The Edward
Medal, second class, is awarded to F. G. Stephens, under-
manager of the Aberaman Colliery, who on September 10
last, when a worker named Gamble was pinned under a fall
of roof, placed his body over that of the imprisoned man,
while volunteers pulled down the overhanging stones.
Stephens, who is a strong man, diverted the falling stones,
and was himself injured. Gamble was freed.—The Edward
Medal is also awarded to Harold Gregory (under-manager),
C. B. Frankin (day deputy), C. W. Hudson (contractor), E.
Nurse (stallman), and T. Smith (stallman), employed at the
Ireland Colliery, Staveley, Derbyshire. In February last
they worked for 10 hours in circumstances of great danger
to release J. W. Fieldsman, who had been buried by a fall
of roof.—For gallant conduct at an explosion at the works of
the Nobel Explosives Company, Ard-eer, on July 30, 1915, the
King has awarded the Edward Medal of the first class to J.
Burt and A. Frankland: also the Edward Medal of the
second class to D. McPolland.

THE AMERICAN COAL TRADE.

In th© bituminous coal trade the Pittsburg labour
difficulties caused a distinct flurry. -Substantial
increases in -spot prices on the grades affected have been
the result, while it is expected that other varieties will
act in sympathy with these, should the trouble be long
continued. In addition to this, the shortage of labour
seems to become more pronounced as the season
advances, and there ar© no indications of any relief in
this direction. However, there is considerable accumu-
lation at some of -theseaboard ports, according to the Coal
Age. A slight reaction in ocean freights has occurred,
but rates are still too high -to make a free movement
possible.

Boston reports that the demand is settling down to the
normal summer level. Accumulations are still large at
the Hampton Roads piers, and practically the only
movement coastwise is in season contracts. The coal
factors are not shipping more than they -are under obliga-
tion to unless the buyer furnishes the bottoms. F.o.b.
prices are the same as a week ago, but the volume of
business is still curtailed by the high range of marine
freights.

Georges Creek supply has somewhat improved.

T-he market for Pennsylvania grades is generally quiet.

In Baltimore the demand for bituminous is only
moderate. Prices to the trade at the mines -are about as
follows: Georges Creek Tyson, 1-75 dels.; Miller vein,
1-55dots; Quemahoning, 1-60 dols. ; Somerset,
1-50 dols.; Freeport, 1-10 dols.; Fairmont gas, three-
quarter, 1-25 dols. to 1-30; same, run mine, 1-25dols.;
slack, 1-20 dols. Shipments included 3,794 tons to
Italy.

The continuation of the recent heavy export move-
ment, particularly to South America, is the feature of
the Hampton Roads market. The scarcity of coal at the
British loading ports is responsible in a large measure for
this increased tonnage.

Summer prices on anthracite effective June 1 for local
delivery are per ton of 2,2401b. delivered: Furnace,
7-50 dols.; egg, 7-50 dols.; stove, 7-50 dols.; nut,
7-50 dols.; pea, 6 dols.; buckwheat, 4-50 dols.

ACCIDENTS FROM EXPLOSIVES
IN 1915.

The 40th annual report of his Majesty’s inspectors of
explosives, for the year 1915, has been issued by the
Home Office.

Little work wa-s done at Rotherham during the year,
manufacturers having been fully occupied in furnish-
ing explosives for -the War Department.

The report of chemical advisers states that the total
number of samples examined during the year amounted
to only 300, a further drop from th© previous year-. All
these were, however, complete examinations, and the
decrease in the amount of work done compared with
former years is not so great as it appears. The reasons
for the decrease in numbers are the same as those given
last year, but in an aggravated form. Next year ’t is
hoped, however, that things will be more normal.

The proportion rejected (73) was very considerably
higher than usual, -the increase being almost entirely due
to the fact that 26 samples were -rejected for low heat
test, none being rejected for this reason in 1914. This
may be partly due to the pressure on the factories due to
war conditions, but largely to the greatly increased use
of sodium nitrate. There can be no doubt that explosives
made with sodium nitrate are considerably less satisfac-
tory than the corresponding ones made with potassium
nitrate. The special attention of the various explosives
companies is directed to this fact. The number of new
explosives examined was very small compared to what it
had been previously, due no doubt to the fact that all the
explosives companies were too fully occupied with work
on explosives for the war to devote time to the working
out of new explosives. The small number of new explo-
sives necessarily meant fewer samples examined in con-
nection with the Home Office testing station. No w< rk
of general interest was carried out during the year.

The number of accidents by fire or explosion of which
the department had cognisance during the year was 485,
causing, as far as is known, 70 deaths and -injuring 472
persons. The total number of accidents shows an
increase from the previous year, viz., 485, against 447,
and is above the average (448-9) for the past 10 years.
The number of deaths from accidents is more than in
1914, viz., 70, and. is more than the decennial average
(58-1). The number of persons injured was 472, as
against 423 in 1914, and is above the decennial average
(446-3).

Over 70 per cent, of the accidents causing death or
personal ihjury 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 48 out of the 70 deaths, and 298 out of the
472 cases of injury. This leaves a balance of 116
accidents causing death or personal injury in manufac-
ture, storage, and conveyance, these being the conditions
to which the Act does apply. By these accidents 22
persons, i.e., the -same as in 1914, were killed and 174,
or 126 more than in 1914, were injured. The number
of such accidents is 81 more than in 1914. Of the 209
accidents in manufacture, keeping and conveyance, no
less than 93 were unattended with personal injury, whilst
of the 276 accidents in use, etc., only two were free from
personal injury.

The number of accidents grouped under the heading
of *' Use and miscellaneous ” is less than in 1914, being