32

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

January 5, 1917.

Similar holes were bored at' the Novosmolyaninoff
mine, where the'depth of the working exceeded 150
sazhens. The coal in the seams, worked there was dis-
tinguished by greater softness. Perhaps because of this
no pressure was observed in any of the holes, which, .as
in .’the former case,, were not over 2-J in. deep. The data
obtained disclose some remarkable facts. For example,
that both the pressure and volume of the. gas in the holes
are subject to considerable fluctuations' whilst the
maxima do not coincide with the initial period of the
tests. Thus we may assume that the gaseous regime in
the pillars is subject.,to. some complicated factors, not
the least of which may be the pressure of the cover rock
and the fissures in the standing coal. We may suppose
that where the solid coal surrounding the holes com-
municates, through newly-formed fissures, with the
deeper strata, which have not yet.parted with all their
gas,, the pressure in the holes would rise quickly. But
if such fissures connected the hole with the outer face
of the coal, the pressure would diminish, since each hole
drains only the small area, surrounding it. Thus, for,
example, in the case. given, the removal of the tubes
from hole No. 2, only two arshines distant from hole
No. 1, reduced the pressure in the latter by only 39
per cent., and the, decline proceeded very gradually.
The pressure in hole No. 1 was as follows :—

Table III.

Day.	Hour.	Pressure.  Funts.
22/v. to 1/vi.	• . —	... ■ 20-19
1/vi.	... 12 noon#		 •
	...	4 p.m.	18
99	...	8 p.m.	16
	... , 12 mdt.	15
2 vi.	4 a.m.	15
9 9'	8 a.m.	15
	... 12 noon	14
	4 p.m.	13
	...	8 p m.	13
	... 12 mdt.	13
3/vi. .	... . 4 a.m.	13
	... 12 noon	12
	8 p.m.	12
4/vi.	...	4 a.m.	..:	12
	8 a.m.	11
4/vi. tol9/vi.	—	11-12
19/vi. to 24/vi.	—	... 12-13-14

* Tube 2 was put in.

The volume of gas liberated from the holes does not
always agree with the degree of pressure observed in
the closed hole. We must suppose that this disagree-
ment would be observed still more in the case of soft
coal, as in this case the same hole may drain away gas
from wider areas of the solid coal masses. At the same
time, in such a hole it will not reach extended limits,
since soft porous coal allows the gas to escape through
the outer face.

The great regularity of the pressure in hole No. 1
testifies to the low permeability of the coal. As a con-
firmation of this we may take the tests of J. I. Graham
(Colliery Guardian, September 15, 1916), who prepared
small plates from various kinds of hard coal, and
fastened glass tubes to~l in. diameter) to each side.
The combination was first tested for impermeability.
After this, gas was let into one of the tubes, and the
process of the passage of the gas from one tube to the
other through the tested plate of coal was observed.
The transfusion of the gas was hindered by the known
difference in the pressure.

The practical observations made by the author point
to the small value to be attached to draining a seam
artificially by drilling holes, whether in the form of
preliminary borings in the coal or special boreholes made
from the surface, or from the worked out neighbouring
seams, though greater success in all three cases might
be obtained in the case of friable or fissured coal.

RUSSIAN COALAND MEDITERRANEAN TRADE.

■ A Petrograd paper says that the world war has hit
the French mining industry very seriously, the chief
centre of French mining being in the fighting area.
Owing to the transfer of the centres of French industry
from the' districts bordering on Germany, the Mediter-
ranean ports of France should naturally, in the future,
become ports for importing coal, and whilst Great
Britain will no doubt have a large share in this move-
ment, as it has done previous to the war along the
whole Mediterranean shore, where the chief consumer
of English coal, amounting to 10,000,000 tons a year,
was Italy, the possibility iis foreshadowed of Russia
supplying Italy and the Mediterranean basin generally
with coal from the Donetz basin. The South Russian
coal industry is rich in non-bituminous coal and anthra-
cite, in which there can hardly be any competition from
England, especially since, with Belgium destroyed, and
the certain future boycotting of German industry,
Europe will require such quantities of coal as English
industry will hardly be able to supply. In these cir-
cumstances, it is considered certain that South Russian
anthracite and non-bituminous coal will find a large
sale in the. Mediterranean basin, given proper railway
and. port construction.and large coasting service, and
the cultivation of business relations with French and
Italian buyers; but preparatory work can be under-
taken even now.

The Spitzbergen Coal Mines.—According to a report circu-
lating in the United States, German efforts to gain control
of the extensive coal mines of Spitzbergen, a group of islands
in the Arctic Ocean, north of Norway, have failed, and the
property has passed from local interests to a Norwegian
syndicate. The purchasing syndicate, which is headed by
the Central Bank of Norway, and includes many prominent
bankers and business firms of that country, is capitalised
at about 2,680,000 dols. German interests were most active
in seeking to gain financial control of the Spitzbergen mines.

THE COAL TRADE OF 1916.

(Continued from page 23.)

LONDON.

The year 1916 will unquestionably stand out as one of
the most strenuous years in the coal trade that has been
experienced in the memory of man. Some of the
peculiar features which marked the previous year have
been present throughout 1916, and grimly intensified.
The barging stations, such as Black wall, Chelsea,.
Poplar, etc., have for months past been so congested
with .stock, and barges so difficult to obtain, that practi-
cally throughout the whole year the stations have been
closed for ordinary traffic, except ais the railway
managers give special permits for the coal to come
forward.

The opening days of the year found both colliery
owners and London merchants with an overwhelming
number of orders on their books, and the shortage of
labour—from the number of loaders and carmen called
up—made it necessary for every kind of vehicle to be
requisitioned by householders to fetch the desired quan-
tity of coal to tide, over the bitterly cold months at the
commencement of the year. At the depots it was no
uncommon thing to witness perambulators and beauti-
fully equipped motor-cars side by side, waiting their
turns for loading, and even in such grimy work women
threw themselves heroically into the work, and proved
capable of dealing with the delivery of coal.

The advertised public prices on January 1, 1916,
were :—Best Wallsend, 35s.; Derby brights, 33s.; stove-
coal, 29s.; best ■Silkstone, 34s.; kitchener cobbles, 31s.—
and throughout the year no change has taken place in
any district. The actual demand has moderated some-
what, in accordance with the changes in the weather,
but the pressure for coal has not ceased from January to ■
December. One advance of Is. per ton was announced
in March last, but this was not, strictly speaking, applic-
able to. the coal prices, but rather to the extra cost of
cartage and delivery owing to snowstorms, and a notice
was posted up on the subscription room dbor early in
March : ‘ ‘ The coal merchants of London and district are
within their rights in charging from Is. to 3s. per ton
in accordance with cartage difficulties in their parti-
cular districts, 'also Id. per cwt. on trolleys and shops.
No advance to dealers drawing their own coal. The
above to be in force until further notice. By authority
of the Coal Prices Committee.”' Towards the end of
March the- principal merchants, agreed to withhold sup-
plies from dealers who were found to be charging more
than the recognised prices, especially in the poorer dis-
tricts of London. No change was made in the actual
delivery prices, and the Board of Trade was notified
accordingly on April 1. In May an important meet-
ing of the Coal Owners’ Committee was-held at the
Hotel Cecil, when it was practically agreed that all
renewals of contracts should be at the same price as
last year, with the special proviso that, should the
Board of Trade allow any increase in the selling prices,
the increase should be added to the pit prices, to cover
the increase conceded in the miners’ wages and the extra
cost of production. This was agreed to and adopted,
and all contracts were renewed at last year’s prices,
with, however, a notable diminution in the monthly
quantity in many cases. The maximum pit prices for
the London market have practically remained
unchanged throughout the year, and all colliery prices
are regulated by the Price of Coal (Limitation) Act.
Best Silkstone are quoted at 20s. per ton at pit, best
Barnsieys at 18s. fid. to 19s., Derby brights, at 17s. fid.
to 18s., large house nuts 17s. to 17s. 6d., South York-
shire hards 18s. to 18s. 6d., Derbyshire hards 17s. to
17s. 6d., kitchener cobbles at 16s. 6d. to> 17s., bakers’
nuts 15s. 6d. to 16s. fid., nutty slacks Ils. 6d. to
12s. fid., fine slacks 6s. to 7s. All, however, have been
largely nominal.

The market opened very strong for 1916, and the
sparse supply has kept the position firm and brisk
throughout the whole year. Gales along the coast made
shipping very scarce' during the earlier months, and the
high freights and hi'gh-priced coal made business exceed-
ingly difficult at times; . Towards the end of March
considerable havoc Was occasioned by extraordinary gales
amongst the river craft, and scores of barges were sunk
by the violence of the wind and waves. On the arrival
of the steam collier . “Wan die ” in the Thames on
May 8, all the steamships at Gravesend greeted her with
blasts on their sirens in acknowledgment of her heroic
fight with an enemy .submarine. She carried only one
small gun. Field Marshal Sir Evelyn Wood made a
presentation of £25 to the skipper and £100 for the crew.

On June 1 Lady Markham arranged to attend the
London Coal Exchange and to- sell by auction 20 lots of
50 tons of coal in aid of the Wounded Allies’ Relief
Fund, but owing to the death of Lord Kitchener the
auction was postponed until June 14. The sale realised
£11,500, each 50-ton lot carrying with it an option of
1,500 tons of coal 'at the Price of Coal (Limitation) Act
figure of 16s. 6d. at pit spread over the 12 months.
A considerable number of old pit lamps were also sold
at varying prices, none under 5 gs., and one went for
20 gs. The Right Hon. the Lord Mayor (Sir Charles
Cheers Wakefield) attended the market in June, and
inaugurated a special fund for the relief of Belgians in
Belgium, which realised over £1,400.

The freight market has been unusually fluctuating
during the year. The average ranged about 10s. from
the Tyne' to London, whereas, prior to the war, 3s. and
3s. 3d. was the standard freight for many years. During
the past year, however, freights have varied' from 6s.
lowest to 17s. fid. highest. The seaborne market ha.s
not had an official quotation throughout the whole year.
The South Metropolitan Gas Company settled their
yearly contract in the commencement of the year for
1,500,000 tons at 15s. 6d. to 16s. per ton for Durham
coal, and about Is. per ton more for a few of the

superior coals; and in March the Gas Light and Coke
Company made a considerable purchase of Durham gas
coal for their London works, over 1916 and 1917, at
20s. 6d. per ton f.o.b. The Norwegian State Railways
closed their contracts in September for 5,000 tons New-
castle coal at 38s. 6d. per ton f.o.b., 5,000 tons Durham
steam at 36s. fid. per ton f.o.b., 5,000 tons South York-
shire hards at 30s. fid. per ton f.o.b., but delivery had
to take place within six weeks; and the Norwegian
Government later bought 8,000 tons of South Yorkshire
hards at 31s. fid. per ton f.o.b., also 7,000 ton of New-
castle coal at 35s. 9d. and 3fis. per ton f.o.b.

A landslip on the Southend line, notified by the Great
Eastern Railway Company in March delayed all
passenger and goods traffic for a time.

A new association was formed in July, under the title
of the Railbome Coal Factors and Wholesale Merchants’
Association, to take in hand the great question of bring-
ing before the Board, of Trade all questions of sales of
coal made by collieries, factors, merchants, or 'any other
persons, contravening the Price of Coal (Limitation)
Act. Mr. George Rose (of Messrs. Myers, Rose and
Company) was elected its first chairman, and Mr. P.
Le Mare (of Messrs. Rickett, Cockerell and Company)
vice-chairman.

Two motor ambulance cars have been subscribed for
and presented to the Red Gross Society during the year
by the members of the London Coal Exchange for con-
veying wounded soldiers from the stations to hospitals.
Very interesting ceremonies took place on each occa-
sion when the cars were presented.

The recommendation of the Board of Trade, urging
householders, wherever possible, to lay in a winter’s
stock during the summer months, has been of untold
benefit during the current- winter. No trolleymen have
been heard in the streets of London hawking coal about,
and small greengrocers have only been able to secure a
supply in the poorer districts in proportion as they were
able to fetch the coal. In many districts municipal coal
yards have been established, and the poor can purchase
7, 14, or 21 lb. of coal at fixed regulation rates.

The bulk of the London merchants seriously opposed
the “ pooling ” of railway wagons, but the advantages
of such a measure, and economies in the shunting staff,
brought about an agreement, in January, for the Great
Northern, Great Eastern, and Great Central railway
companies to pool all their wagons; and in March the
London and N o r th - Western, Midland, Gr e at Western,
North-Eastern, and Lancashire and Yorkshire railway
companies adopted the- pooling system.

• The darkened streets have led to a serious curtailment
of the hours of delivery in London and the suburbs, and
regulations dealing with vans and horses remaining in
the streets have, from time to time, been issued by the
Board of Trade. Flare lamps at the various depots can
only be used after 5 a.m.,and must be put out at 6 p.m.
All offices have closed at 5 p.m. since November 1.

Unscreened coal has added considerably to the diffi-
culties in the labour problem at the various depots, and
the decision of so many small collieries to 'send up the
coal “ as raised ” has given rise to a series of disputes
and complications with loaders and carmen.

In February the owners of the Brodsworth Main,
Hickleton Main, Bullcroft, and Oxcroft collieries, repre-
senting an output of about 4,000,000 tons of coal per
annum, set a noble example, in the hope of many others
falling into line with them, and announced through Sir
Arthur Markham that they would sell all their coal at a
price not exceeding 15s. per ton at the pit for any
description.

The Great Eastern Railway Company somewhat
startled London traders on May 1, announcing the entire
closing of a number of stations for all passenger traffic.
The ultimate closing of the stations was postponed until
May 22.

On Whit-Monday, and again on August Bank Holiday,
the market was held as usual. Notwithstanding the
Bank Holiday, a full attendance was recorded, in con-
junction with the decision of the pitmen to give up the
holiday, and all the wharves, depots, and offices were
open for business. -'

In the Welsh coal market the Government have prac-
tically commandeered the whole of the supply of best
Admiralty coal, and have also been heavy buyers for 'all
kinds of Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, and Derbyshiire
hard steam coals. The export trade has been unfettered
by the Price of Coal (Limitation) Act, and, whilst the
shipping ports have experienced an unprecedented
demand for all classes of fuel, the collieries nearest to
the Humber and Tyne ports have had very little coal to
spare for the London markets.

On July 20 the Board of Trade startled the London
coal market by issuing a notice agreeing to an increase
of 2s. 6d. per ton for all Welsh coal for the provincial
and home markets, dating the advance back to June 1.
The advance was to a certain extent anticipated, but the
ante-dating opened up a series of difficulties, as all
accounts for June supplies had been rendered, and in
many cases paid for. Since then, however, even more
. startling steps have been taken, and the Government
have decided to take over the control of all the South
Wales' collieries. The decrease in output owing to the
considerable number of miners serving at the front has
been estimated by the Home Office at 30,000,000 tons
per annum, but the elimination of avoidable absenteeism
is calculated to increase the yearly supply by about
10,000,000 tons.

The annual meeting of' the London Society of Coal
Merchants was held at the Coal Exchange on
December 18. Mr. G. A. Warren was re-elected chair-
man, Mr. Errington Bre-wis vice-chairman, and Mr.
George Gentry honorary secretary. The principal items
of interest discussed were the Price of Coal (Limitation)
Act, the siding rent question, the flare lamps for the
dark coal wharves, the increase of wages arranged with
the Coal Porters’ Union, the establishment of a volun-