GUARDIAN AND JOURNAL OF THE COAL AND IRON TRADES. Vol. CXIII. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1917. No. 2929. North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers. The president (Mr. Frank Coulson) occupied the chair at last Saturday’s meeting of the members of the North of. England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers, held in the lecture theatre of the Wood Memorial Hall, We>stgate-road, Newcastle-on-Tyne. The council reported with regret the death of Mr. John Philip Kirkup, and stated that a. vote of sympathy and condolence with the widow- and family had been passed. The council had decided to invest L250 in the new War Loan, and to transfer the institute’s holdings in the old War Loan and in Exchequer Bonds to the new. Messrs. R. 0. Brown, M. W. Parrington, and W. 0. Tate had been appointed as members of the council of the Institution of Mining Engineers. Mr. John Simpson had been appointed a member of the finance and publications committees of the institution, and Mr. W. C. Blackett a member of the general pur- poses committee. New Members. The following were admitted into the institute :— Members —Messrs. E. W. Abbott, electrical engineer, 21, Pearl Assurance Buildings, Northumberland-street, New- castle; P. Archer, colliery manager, Cherrybum, Mickley- square, Stocksfield, Northumberland; P. Barkes, colliery manager, Elemoire Colliery, Hetton-le-Hole, co. Durham; J. W. Beith, mining engineer, Apartado 45, Bilbao, Spain; G. W. Bell, colliery manager, Throckley Colliery, Newburn, Northumberland; H. M. C. Bell, colliery manager, High Hedgefield House, Blaydon-on-Tyne; T. Bewley, colliery manager, Stobswood Colliery, Acklington, Northumberland; B. L. Brodhurst, colliery manager, South Brancepeth, Spennymoor; I. Brown, colliery manager, 38, Grey-street, Workington; T. S. Cockbain, colliery manager, Usworth Colliery, Washington Station, co. Durham; S. G. Coxon, colliery manager, Malton Colliery, Esh, Durham; T. S. Durham, civil . and mining engineer, Highland View, Bransty, Whitehaven; M. Elder, colliery manager, Hafod House,' North Side, Workington; W. G. Grace, mine manager, Eston Mines, Eston, Yorkshire; W. Jones, colliery manager, East Moor House, Trimdon Colliery, co. Durham; J. A. Lister, mine manager, The Anchorage, Hinderwell, Yorkshire; D. MacGregor, colliery manager, Bentley Colliery, Doncaster; W. Musgrove, colliery manager, Heddon Colliery, Wyl’am, Northumberland; R. Parkin, colliery manager, Hairtford Colliery, Cramlington, North- umberland; J. Paterson, assistant engineer, 57, Laburnum- avenue, Wallsend-on-Tyne; J. C. Pearson, colliery manager, Butt Bank House, Fourstones, Northumberland; W. H. Priest, colliery manager, Anton Field, Bearpark, Durham; G. D. Ridley, colliery manager, Linton Colliery, Ashington, Northumberland; R. Stokoe, colliery manager, Eppleton House, Hetton-le-Hole, co. Durham; J. T. Swann, colliery manager, 1, Tyne-View, Throckley, Newburn-on-Tyne; and F. Widdas, colliery manager, Thrislington Hall, West Corn- far th, co. Durham. Associate Members.—Messrs. H. S. Corder, 55, Osborne- road, Newcastle; and F. T. Mansfield, Ii6, Bar cl ay-road, South Croydon, Surrey. Associates.—Messrs. F. R. Allen, colliery under-manager, 201, Hugh-gardens, Newcastle; J. H. Allison, assistant colliery manager, The, Villas, Dean Bank, Ferry Hill; G. Bewley, colliery under-manager, 46, Kingsley-terrace, Newcastle; J. W. Brown, colliery under-manager, 99, West Chilton, Ferry Hill; G-. W. Graydon, colliery under- manager, 122, Argyle-street, Hebburn-on-Tyne; R. Halkier, colliery under-manager, The Villas, Hartford Colliery, Cram- lington, Northumberland; J. B. Hockaday, deputy, 8, Der- went-street, Stanley, co. Durham; C. A. Hood, colliery under-manager, Fox Hall, Butterknowle, co. Durham; J. Kelly, colliery under-manager, North Biddick Colliery, Washington Station, co. Durham; J. Marr, colliery under- manager, Ashleigh House, Sheriff-hill, Gateshead-on-Tyne; D. Martin, colliery under-manager, 7, East View, Blackhills- road, Harden, co. Durham; T. H. Pollard, colliery under- manager, 24, First-row, Ashington, Northumberland; A. Rose, colliery under-manager, Front-street, Grange Villa, co. Durham; W. R. Young, colliery under-manager, Bomairsund, Choppington, Northumberland. Student.—Mr... E. C. Johnson, stoneman, 19, Pavilion- terrace, Burnhope, Durham. Subscribers.—Bebside Coal Company Limited, 23, Queen- street, .Newcastle; Bedlington Coal Company Limited, Watergate-buildings, Newcastle; Bolckow, Vaughan and Company Limited, Middlesbrough, and Mines Office, Eston, Yorkshire; J. Bowes and Partners Limited, Milburn House, Newcastle; Cargo Fleet Iron Company Limited, Middles- brough; Carlton Iron Company Limited, Carlton Iron WorKis, vid Ferry Hill; Carterthorne Colliery Company Limited, Zetland-buildings, Middlesbrough; East Holywell Coal Com- pany Limited, Milburn House, Newcastle; He worth Coal Company Limited, Deans Primrose Office, Newcastle; Johnasson, Gordon and Company Limited, Newcastle; Mickley Coal Company Limited, Mickley Offices, Stocks- field, Northumberland; Netherton Coal Company Limited, Cathedral-buildings, Dean-street, Newcastle; Newbiggin Colliery Company Limited, Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, North- umberland; North Walbottle Coal Company Limited, Aken- side House, Quayside, Newcastle; Pease and Partners Limited, Darlington; Walter Scott Limited, Victoria House, Grainger-street West, Newcastle; Seaton Delaval Coal Com- pany Limited, Exchange-buildings, Quayside, Newcastle; South Derwent Coal Company Limited, West Stanley Colliery, Stanley, co. Durham; Owners of South Pelaw Colliery Limited, Newcastle; Henry Stobart and Company Limited, Colliery Office, Etherley, Bishop Auckland; Wash- ington Coal Company Limited, Washington, co. Durham i West Mickley Coal Company Limited, Newcastle; and Wingate Coal Company Limited, Collingwood-buildings, C oiling wood - s treat, Ne wcas tie. This list of 66 names of persons and firms is the longest submitted for incorporation in the membership of the institute at any meeting for many years past. The paper on “ The Absorption of Oxygen by Coal,” by Mr. T. F. Winmill, B.A., B.Sc., was open for dis- cussion, but none resulted. Economical Production of Power : Discussion. When Mr. F. F. Mairet's paper on “ The Economical Production and Utilisation of Power at Collieries ” was reached, The President stated that this paper wais read before the Midland Institute, and dealt with the necessity of using inferior coal in the best way. The question arose whether it was better to feed the coal into the furnaces in iffe original dirty state, or to waish it; and the con- clusion was, he thought, that it was better to wash the coal and use the clean coal for boiler firing. Air. Simon Tate said that course was not always prac- ticable. At many collieries, bottom coal was used and tipped into the fires just as it came up out of the pit. They could not always keep crushers going to deal with that coal. It was a matter of s. d., and what would be suitable for one colliery would be unfit for another. .Most collieries in the county of Durham were trying to do without steam altogether, and to use the gases from the ovens. The President admitted that was so, but said there was undoubtedly a remarkable amount of useful material burnt which could be crushed and washed, thereby saving money. Mr. R. J. Weeks said he thought a great many collieries in Northumberland utilised the bands- already to the greatest extent possible without crushing. In many collieries there was no room for improvement in that respect. Air. 0. C. Leach thought a good many people over- looked the- fact of the cost of an extra boiler. The President added that the paper also discussed whether it was cheaper to buy electricity or to generate it. It appeared to him that, where there were coke ovens, it could be generated very cheaply, but, where they had not surplus heat from coke ovens, it would be very much more costly to generate electricity at the colliery, than to buy it. If they had a very small unit running, they had to keep big generators going. Mr. Tate agreed that if one was using it from high- pressure turbines or high-pressure engines, it might be cheaper to buy.it, but where it was being generated from the-waste steam in mixed-pressure turbines, that was very much cheaper than buying it. The electric com- pany had to buy the coal and pay railway rates upon it. They could not concentrate a plant any more cheaply than a colliery could. Mr. Reginald Guthrie suggested it was largely a question of the amount of power a colliery required that dictated whether it was cheaper to buy or to generate. Mr. Leach observed that -a fairly big colliery could generate electricity for about Jd. They could not buy it for that, although the people from whom they bought it might get it for about |d. Therefore, in those cir- cumstances, if a colliery made electricity for itself, it was saving for itself but not for the country. Dr. Henry Louis agreed that all depended upon tne circumstances of the individual case and the quantity of waste fuel available for the purpose. Mr. Mark Ford endorsed this view, and added that, for an ordinary-si zed colliery, he thought it was cheaper to buy than to generate. Safety Lamps. Air. Simon Tate read his paper on “ Further Notes on Safety Lamps.” (See page 332.) Discussion. The President remarked that it was interesting to have a paper on the Davy lamp just 100 years after its invention, and to learn'that some people had confidence in it even nowadays. He imagined that, for general use under the existing conditions of deep pits, the Davy lamp would not be very much good. When it was invented, people had gone as far . as they possibly could with the naked light, and it was absolutely neces- sary to have some kind of safety lamp to make it safe for men to work. It seemed to him that there were three essential points in connection with the safety lamp :—(1) That it should give a good light; (2) that it should become extinguished when introduced into an explosive mixture; and (3) that there should be no con- trivance by which a workman could re-light it in the workings. He asked Mr. Tate what would be the result of a Davy lamp becoming red-hot where there was a large amount of dust present, with the dust settling-on the gauze—not of a tin-can Davy, although, even with it, the dust would come in—whether there was any chance of the dust igniting or of any other material which came* in contact with the hot gauze igniting, causing a flame, and rendering the lamp dangerous. What would be the result, in such a. case, of gas coming off freely—when a man was testing for gas—more quickly than he could get away from it? With.the gas burning inside the gauze when that lamp became red- hot, what would happen? He remembered that, in his early days, they used the Davy lamp to a very great extent, when shot-firing, by■ inserting a piece of wire through the gauze, getting it red-hot, and fighting the shots from it. It was probably the only safety lamp by which they could light a shot at that time. Dr. Louis, referring to Mr. Tate’s improved pricker, said he had an impression that something of the kind was put before the institute some years ago by, he thought, Mr. Blackett, in the form of an appliance for screening off the white light of the lamp. All these inventions for obscuring the white light and using the safety lamp with the light comparatively large were liable to one danger, which, he thought, had not been sufficiently appreciated—that was, the cap one got no longer corresponded to that which one got with the flame turned down. Admittedly, the error, if any, was on the right side. It tended to make the proportion of gas appear larger than it otherwise would be. The cap was caused by particles of burning methane in the atmo- sphere, and the size of the cap depended on the rate at which these particles ignited within the range of the flame. Obviously, the size of the cap might be due either to the increase in the number of methane par- ticles in the atmosphere, or to the increase in what- ever was igniting the methane. That was especially true of methane, on account of its peculiar slow inflam- mability, so that, if one worked with a flame turned down so that it showed no white light, one was work- ing under different conditions from those under which one worked with the white light obscured. Unless one was careful to set up a new scale or new standard under such conditions of an obscured white light, one would certainly get erroneous readings. Air. AIark Ford said he thought the use of safety lamps in different collieries largely depended on the likes and dislikes of the viewers controlling them. At Wash- ington, in 1879, the hewers and stonemen used Clanny lamps with one protection-, and the boys used the plain Davy lamps; but there were certain districts in the pit where a lot of gas came off, and, in those districts at that time, the Davy lamp was put inside the tin can, the latter being looked upon as very much safer than the ordinary Davy lamp. All the waste-men used the Geo-rdy lamp. That state of affairs obtained until the 1887 Act came into force. Mr. Tate seemed to regret the disuse of those lamps, but the speaker did not think that anyone else-—men, boys, or ponies—did. On the point of testing for gas, he found that deputies and shot- firers were very much'more expert than he was. The Hon. Secretary (Mr. M. W. Parrington) stated that the same old principle’that was adopted by Davy was still in force in every oil burning lamp. He was averse to saying that he should like to- use -the Davy lamp in such cunrenfis of air as they had in- their mines nowa- days. Air. Tate had referred to the inquest at Wear- mouth Colliery. . When he (the speaker) went to- Wear- mouth 44 years ago, an old report book came into his hands. The reports were all entered phonetically, the man evidently speaking the broad dialect, and the book contained some entries he. (Mr. Parrington) would never forget.- -One was, “Jack Johnson'got hissel bornt . i’ the stowbord.” That might not be the same' accident to which Air. Tate had referred, but the speaker wanted to point out that such an accident as that could not happen nowadays and stop there. If such an accident occurred aga-in, the- explosion would not stop until it got to the pulleys. .Whether it was safe to- use the Davy lamp in the old days, with practically no currents of air, it might not be safe to use it now. He remembered being told in his young days by his old overman that when the latter was putting, the candle used to burn with a flame like a fox’s brush. There was not suffi- cient air at that time to- support* a general ignition of the gas. Despite the “ fox’s brush ” flame, there was nc record of any serious explosion at that time. Mr. Leach did not think that any- such man being burnt in the stowboard should cause an explosion if the pit had been stone dusted. Air. Parrington said that every set of tubs going on produced a cloud of dust. That could not be helped. Air. Leach considered that everyone—horses, men, and all—should travel.on the engine plane, and kick up as much stone- dust as they possibly could.