October 13, 1916. THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. 713 SAFE TRANSPORTATION UNDERGROUND.* By D. Wolfe. The first requisite for safe transportation in the mines is a good road. Where horse haulage is used, 25 lb. rails, with sleepers spaced 2 ft. between centres, makes a road sufficiently strong. Where electric motor or steam locomotives are used, the rails should be not less than 401b. per yd., with sleepers spaced 18in. between centres. The sleepers used should be 18 in. longer than the track gauge, and should be of hard wood, with 5 in. face. On a motor road more sleepers are required to keep the road in proper alignment, because the thrust of the heavy motor and trips on the track tends to kink the rails and throw7 the track out of line. Grading Roadways. The grade should be carefully watched as the road- ways advance. The road way man should have a grade ta ----4-Q |D With side of Gangway SECTION C-D SLIDING CHUI E Fig. 1. board, with which he can get the proper grade as he puts in the long rails. When the long rail is put in, the fishplates should be put on at once and all bolts tightened. A plug, or two, on the high side will often take a kink out of the track, when the short rails are taken up to put in the long rails. Fine rock should be used as ballast, and the coal loaded in the cars, instead of being thrown on the road to filbup. The road should be well drained, by having a good ditch on the low side and cross ditches where water comes down the chutes. All frogs should be standard rail frogs on steel plates. The latches should be made of rail, the same size as the track, and operated by a ground lever. Condition of Cars. The second requisite for safe transportation is good cars. All cars with bad wheels, out of gauge, with loose bolts, broken rails, broken sides, should be repaired Fig. 2. 'O Strip Hl SWINGING CHUTE S/Cte ti pf- Gangway/ '/ges ■ '^2pcs. % steel - Z'-G'/ong STEEL CHUTE Fig. 3. 1 ■b £ */ol 'reel promptly, and not kept on the road until an accident happens. Drivers in bumping up the trips should be careful and side hitch in the proper place to avoid bend- ing tie rods and bolts or breaking side frames. Roadway Clearance. At all times, proper clearance must be maintained on the roadway. No chute spouts or platforms should project over the rail. They should be kept 2 ft. from the rail or flush with the timber. A clearance, 18 in. high, over the car should be kept at all times, and on the low side the clearance should be 3 ft. Chute Spouts. Where the chute spout must be kept 2 ft. from the rail, a sliding chute (fig. 1), a swing chute (fig. 2), or a steel chute (fig. 3), can be used. Where any of these are used, the clearance, after loading, should be 2 ft. from the rail. Safety Blocks. Where cars are handled on a run, safety blocks (fig. 4) should be put in at the top, and throw-off switches along the run. At all times when pulling up a run, a drag should be used on the last car, and the men should not depend on being able to sprag the cars should anything happen. Scotch Blocks. When the car follows in the breast, a scotch block (fig. 5) should be used to hold the car, and not a sleeper braced against the car. A piece of wood or coal should not be used. Fig. 4. sp/'/Te SAFETY BLOCK SCOTCH BLOCK Fig. 5. With good roads, good cars, and proper clearance, the accidents to drivers, runners, and patchers should be eliminated. They must, however, take proper pre- cautions themselves. They should not ride between or on the side of the cars, on the front end with the driver, uncouple cars while in motion, make flying switches, or scotch cars with a sprag. * Lehigh Employes' Magazine. OBITUARY. The death has occurred at Wednes-bury of Mr. R. G. Walker, a member of the firm of Messrs. Walker Brothers, iron merchants, Walsall and Dudley. Col. T. E. Jobling, J.P., one of the best known coal owners in Northumberland, died at his residence, Bebside Hall, near Blyth, on Saturday from pneumonia. Mr. Jobling, who was about 65 years of age, was managing owner and agent of the Bebside Coal Company Limited, vice- president of the Northumberland Coal Owners’ Association, vice-president of the North of England Institute of Mining a ad Mechanical Engineers, and an alderman of the Northumberland County Council. Mr. J. 0. Greaves, chairman of Messrs. Terry, Greaves and Company Limited, Old Roundwood Collieries, died recently in his 93rd year. He was for many years a director and chairman of Messrs. Charles Roberts and Company Limited, the Wagon Works, Horbury, but retired a few years ago. Mr. W. Corner, manager of the by-product coke plant at the Dean and Chapter Colliery, Ferryhill, was knocked down and killed by some trucks on Monday night, the wheels of the vehicles passing over his body. He was about 56 years of age, and leaves a widow and large family. Donetz Experimental Coking Plant.—On the initiative of the Council of the Congress of South Russian Mine Owners, an experimental coking station, the first of its kind in Russia, has been opened at the Auerbach Collieries, for ascertaining the yield of by-products from the coking of Donetz coal. The station is under the charge of Prof. Rubel. The Coal Supplies of Paris.—Last winter the Municipal Council of Paris established a stock of 205,000 tons of coal, of which 60,000 tons were allotted to charitable institutions for distribution among the necessitous poor, and 5,000 were sold, leaving a surplus of 140,000 tons in stock on April 15 last. To prevent loss by deterioration in storage, it was decided to pass this coal over 2 in. screens, the screenings being used in official industrial establishments, and the large for heating purposes during the coming winter. Up to the end of September, 80,000 tons had been treated, yielding 63,000 tons of small. For the coming winter, the existing stock of 60,000 tons is to be made up to 310,000 tons, of wdiich 200,000 tons (English and French coals in equal pro- portions) are to be supplied by the State Railways Adminis- tration. It has been arranged that 210,000 tons are to be w-aterborne, the supply by rail being strictly limited to such French coals as cannot be conveyed by w7ater. COKE OVEN MANAGERS AT STAVELEY. The Midland Counties branch of the Coke Oven Managers’ Association visited Staveley on Saturday last, and inspected the Devonshire Coke Works. There was a very satisfactory attendance of members, and, under the guidance of Mr. J. A. Wilson (manager of the department), the tour of these extensive works proved very interesting, and much valuable information con- cerning the working of one of the most up-to-date plants in the country was gained by the members of the asso- ciation, who, after the tea to wdiich they were subse- quently entertained, extended their cordial thanks to the directors of the company and to Mr. Wilson. Before conducting the party round the works, Mr. Wilson explained that, prior to March 1906, the ground on which the extensive plant now stood was the Staveley Company’s farm, but so keen w’as Mr. Markham upon the expeditious erection of the plant that within little more than a year’s time the first 50 ovens were in oper- ation. There wrere now’ a total of 150 ovens. The first 50 Simplex ovens were put down in the early part of 1906, and w-ere working in May of 1907; in June of the same year a second 50 of the same type were installed, and in August 1912 50 Huessener ovens were started. Meantime blast furnaces had been laid down; and the extensive acid plant now in active operation was soon afterwmrds added. The benzol recovery and aniline plants w’ere especially developed, and, of course, at the present time were proving a particularly valuable adjunct. Proceeding to an inspection of the plant, the visitors were particularly impressed by the highly efficient and labour-saving methods adopted for the unloading of the coal from the trucks by means of an hydraulic lift. It is afterwards carried in skips by a ropewmy, and is w'cll crushed, water being added to obtain a moisture con- tent of about 10 per cent. The working of the ovens was next inspected, and the party found much to interest them in the naphthalene plant, which is thoroughly modernised in every particular. It was explained that the crude, naphthalene is subjected to hydraulic pressure of about two tons per sq. in.; it is then disintegrated, and at this stage can either be sold as pressed naphthalene, or carried a further stage by re-subliming to obtain a purer product. In this latter case, it is subjected to the heat of superheated steam coils, and the vapour is condensed in a chain tow’er about 30 ft. in height by 6 ft. diameter. This process is believed to be of a unique character, and the re-sublimed naphthalene is of an exceptionally fine character, and fetches something like £35 per ton. Coming to the chloride of ammonia tanks, the visitors learned that between 1 and 1| tons of this product is now obtained per week, as compared with a former weekly average of three tons, the decrease being attri- buted to the use of a less salty coal. The chief diffi- culty experienced in connection with the chloride of ammonia extraction seems to be that it corrodes the steel tanks, and experience has shown that it is more economical to scrap the tank when this occurs, rather than attempt preventive methods or constant repairs. The thick tarry w’ater being allowed to settle, the liquor containing the chloride is pumped oft into an evaporator and concentrated to super-saturation, and is then run into lead crystallising vats, the liquor being taken off by means of an ejector. The pitch is run through a sieve, and proves of fairly good quality. The tar tanks last nearly a couple of years without repair. An interesting feature in connection with the tar extractor plant was that it has been found possible to use it for circulating either tar or liquor. It has been found that the horizontal type of cooler extracts the tar very satisfactorily, and no appreciable quantity of tar is found in the ammonia scrubbers. The tubes follow a zig-zag upw’ard course, and the efficient working is attributed to the impinging of the gas on the closely set horizontal tubes. These tubes, moreover, are very accessible, and easily cleaned. The electrically-driven centrifugal pumps, for the circulation of the liquor and oils, are of the Sulzer type, and are said to be most economical in upkeep, one pump having been in w-’ork for several years without having to be touched by a fitter. Similar pumps are in use for the water system. The party also inspected the two vertical ammonia scrubbers, three vertical benzol scrubbers, and a Holmes washer, and, after passing the cooling tower where water from the River Bother is circulated, the benzol rectification plant was reached. This proved of special interest, being one of the most modernised departments of the wffiole works. It includes several stills of the German type, and another of Scottish make is now’' being installed: and certain developments of an experimental character are being designed. The plant is turning out the purest products both in benzol and toluol, but in the same building there is also a crude benzol plant. The working and experiences gained in connection with this installation will furnish much interesting material for the paper Air. Wilson has promised to read at the November meeting of the association, on “ Points in Connection with Benzol Recovery.” Imports of Pit Props.—In September 141.893 loads of pit props, of the value of £503.063. were imported into the United Kingdom. The imports in September last year were 178,529 loads, value £515,120: and in September of the pre- ceding year 193,092 loads, value £276.705. The total imports during the nine months were 1.669.378 loads, valued at €5,631,504. as compared with 1.661,013 loads, valued at €3.129,685. in the corresponding period of 1915. and 1.920.925 loads, value £2,309,282 in the same months of 1914.