Mauch 16, 1917

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

541

able, though, when writing the paper, the author had
no idea that that gentleman was the “ discoverer ” of
the Dudley Castle print shown in the paper. He was
also unaware that he was using Mr. Prosser’s words
when quoting from Newcomen’s life in the. “ Dictionary
of National Biography,” as undoubtedly appeared to
have been the case. As regards the production of heavy
castings in Thompson’s time, and Mr. Rhys Jenkins’
significant statement that engine factories did not exist;
a recent very close examination of the cylinder had
revealed the presence of the founders’ name—“ Smith
and Company, Chesterfield, 1791” — in large letters.
The mention of Chesterfield was of interest, as a news-
paper cutting from the Derbyshire Times, dated 1882,
had come into his hands, in which an article on reminis-
cences of Chesterfield mentioned Francis Thompson as
of the “ Forge Works,” the inference being that he put
down a foundry in that district. The term “ hire
system,” queried by Mr. Rhys Jenkins, was possibly a
misnomer, though the error was probably one more of
title than of fact. In a letter to Mr. Smeaton, written
in 1778, James Watt mentioned that they charged their
profits in proportion to the saving made in fuel by the
engine when compared with a common one which
burned the same kinds of coals; and they asked one-
third of these savings to be paid them annually, or half-
yearly, the payment being redeemable in the option of
their employer at 10 years’ purchase. That explanation
was borne out by an investigation of the Gregory Mine
books by Mr. J. H. Twigg, who traced payments to
Boulton and Watt between the years 1782 and 1799,
though he explains that such payments may have
extended both before and after those dates. During the
period in question, there was no sign of any large capital
sum having been disbursed, though annual payments
were made, which appear to have gradually increased in
amount, totalling the comparatively large sum of .£1,936.
Mr. Twigg considered that the proprietors would hardly
have paid “ premiums ” (as they were described in
the books) for a period of 17 years for patent rights
alone, and that they must have included a portion of
the purchase price. It was well known that Mr. Watt
had a “ counter,” or apparatus for recording the amount
of work done by his pumping machines, “ and by the
accounts thus kept of the actual number of strokes made
by each engine. Messrs. Boulton and Watt charged the
proprietors of the mines with their premiums for the
portion of savings made in fuel.” (Farcy, p. 520.) With
regard to Mr. Dickinson’s reference to the steam inlet
valve, he had not seen that dismantled, but understood
that it took the form of a mushroom drop clack, raised
by the controlling levers against the head of steam. As
Mr. Dickinson suggested, the absence of the “ Y ”
and “ F ” levers, generally associated with Smeaton’s
design, might point to a “ modernisation ” of the valve
gear at some period of the engine’s history. The injec-
tion catch mechanism (replacing the “ F ”) was impor-
tant. With regard to diagrams, the engine was “ stand-
ing ” at the present time, so that it was impossible to
get one, and there was unfortunately no record of any
ever having been taken: The sketch contributed by Mr.
Duckworth, junr., was valuable, and should certainly
have been embodied in the paper. It was not, how-
ever, until after the latter was written that he (Mr.
Anderson) had the opportunity (with the aid of a ladder
and duck lamp) of getting down to the bottom of the
cylinder. To make that drawing complete, it might be
mentioned that the inside measurements of the round
eduction pipe and the rectangular steam inlet were 9J in.
and 14J in. by 8 in. respectively. Mr. Mills’ reference
to the pyschoiogical moment at which the sniffing valve
opened was interesting, as upon that point the older
authorities appeared to disagree. Thompson himself
said that it served to let out the air injected with the
water, which precipitated air was forced into the sniff-
ing pipe as the steam rushed into the cylinder, being a
little stronger than the air; whilst according to Stuart,
the descent of the piston compressing the air made.it
raise this valve. It was, of course, possible that the lift
of the valve might cover a portion of both the downward
and the upward strokes of the piston. As the engine
was at present not working, it was not possible to say
definitely. Certain it was, however, that the valve
emitted steam at each cycle of operations. The second
function with which Mr. Mills credited the sniffing
valve, at any rate in the engine under discussion, was in
the author’s opinon, hardly likely, at any rate, if the
valve gear was always in its present position, because,
being behind the cylinder, it would not be visible, and
being boxed in, it was hardly likely to be audible at any
distance. All authorities appeared to agree that the
original purpose of this much criticised valve was that
mentioned in the paper, but it seemed highly probable
that Mr. Storey’s theory—which would also account for
Thompson’s alteration of its position—was the correct
one. Mr. Hiller’s suggestion of phonographic records
being taken had much to commend it, as each portion
of the Pentrich engine seemed to play its own particular
musical part—even the rattling of the carrot valve could
be plainly detected when the engine was working. Mr.
Hiller’s explanation of the Pentrich stop pins was valu-
able, as that point had been overlooked in the general
description. With regard to Air. Hiller’s remarks con-
cerning the suction stroke, that was dependent on what
really constituted it. If the suction stroke of the pump
was 'that movement which brought the water into the
pump barrel above the bucket, in position to be dis-
charged by the pump, the description given in the paper
was correct. Air. Hiller was quite right in.the reason
he gave for the survival of Newcomen engines in the
North for a period of 200 years—namely, proximity to
cheap fuel—just the reverse of which conditions signed
their death ' warrant in Cornwall long ago. Another
factor altogether was, however, ultimately to prove their
undoing—namely, the call for a constant and regular
. rotary motion—a call which was not felt so long as the

atmospheric engine was confined to beam pumping. In
conclusion, he (Air. Anderson) would like to amplify his
reference to Thompson’s patent of 1792 (not 1793, as
erroneously given by Farey) for a double-acting engine,
as that engine proved for a time to be of considerable
importance. The idea of a double impulse was first
mentioned by Papin in 1690, and its application to the
atmospheric engine was also suggested by Dr. Falck in
1779. Thompson, however, was indubitably the first to
put it into execution on a rotative machine of that type.
He probably did so owing to an increased demand for
steam driving in factories, coupled with the desirability
of procuring continuity of impulse without having to pay
heavy initial costs attached to the purchase of Watt
machines. A description of the apparatus was given by
Farey, and Stuart spoke of this double-acting impulse
of Thompson’s as “ the most meretorious of the schemes
to accomplish this matter which had any pretentions to
originality.” The author had thought it advisable to
elaborate details of Thompson’s achievements, as they
undoubtedly proved him to have been one of our earliest
constructional engineers, whose career, singularly
enough, had passed almost unnoticed by our technical
historians. A typical representative of a fine race of
men, he stood out after the lapse of a century and a
quarter as one of that earnest band of pioneers who
might, not unreasonably, be termed great.

Notes from the Coal Fields.

[Local Correspondence.]

South Wales and Monmouthshire.

Difficulty of Securing Steamers — Colliers' Wages when
Gutting Timber — Assize Cases — Swansea's Annual
Trade Report—Coal Owners' Association Annual Meet-
ing : New Officers : Trade Figures — Merthyr Coal
Returns.

Mr. James Aides, of the United National Collieries Com-
pany, has addressed the Cardiff Business Club upon trade
prospects after the war; and, dealing with the outlook for
coal exports, he said that although at present coal exports
to other than allied nations had practically ceased, he
thought that, notwithstanding the competition of oil, etc.,
we should soon regain our former markets. In support of
this, he cited the experiences of exporters after the 22 weeks’
strike in 1898. Then, again, there would, he said, be a
huge demand for coal, because of the heavy requirements of
iron and steel. The shipbuilding industry, too, would be
very active, and, however great the output of new tonnage,
the rates of freight would remain high for some time. Mr.
Miles dwelt insistently upon the need for a good understand-
ing between employers and employed, industrial peace being
an absolute necessity.

The difficulties as to supply of tonnage are in no wise
minimised, but rather the reverse, by recent events ; and at a
meeting of ship owners and others held at Cardiff Exchange
on Friday of last week, some very strong criticisms were
made. Notice had been received stating that under a recent
Order no charters after March 8 should be effected on the
local market, but that all free tonnage, whether allied or
neutral, for France and Italy must be submitted to the local
committee which deals with the supply of coal to those
countries. Full particulars were to be given as to the ships,
the port, range of destination, etc., and it was provided that
the local committee would then ascertain from the London
representatives of the two foreign Governments their
approval of the shipper with whom it was desired the vessel
should be fixed. This regulation, which gave to the.French
and Italian representatives in London close supervision over
shipments to those countries, enabling them to allocate
tonnage according to the urgency of orders, extinguished the
power of the local committee in respect of allocation; and
at the meeting (which was summoned by the Cardiff Insti-
tute of Brokers) this new method was discussed from the
point of view of its effect upon the supply of tonnage. It
was evident that those present generally had clearly adverse
views, both as to this new development and as to the
freight limitation scheme itself, the result of the latter
having been that neutral owners had found it to their advan-
tage to despatch their ships to other ports of the world,
where they had freedom and could get better terms. Ulti-
mately, on the proposal of Mr. Trevor Jones, seconded by
Mr. H. Rees Jones, it was decided to send a telegram to the
Controller of Shipping pointing out that the freight limita-
tion scheme had failed to secure the necessary tonnage, had
driven neutral steamers away; and recommending the
abandonment of the scheme; also asking the Controller to
receive a small deputation. It was the opinion of those pre-
sent that, if the scheme were abandoned, neutral tonnage
would again be attracted to the market.

In the course of a case at Bargoed, where a collier was
charged with obtaining money by false pretences through
falsely marking another man’s tram, the question of identity
of the tram was raised; and it was stated that the men in
this case could identify their own trams by the method of
piling up. The one in question was of the “ pitch,” or
Staffordshire style; and the manager, who deposed to this
fact, said that he visited the working places, and found
that defendant piled on the flat system, whereas the man
whose tram had been wrongly marked, piled in the Stafford-
shire style. Plaintiff came from Staffordshire, and he said
that that style was adopted in Staffordshire because the
roads were narrower than where the flat style prevailed. The
miners’ agent agreed with the manager as to the difference in
the style of piling, and said a man would know his own
tram by that alone. Defendant said he had filled the trams
on the "Staffordshire style because the road had got narrow.
The case was considered proved, and a fine of £3 was
imposed, with an order to pay 2 gs. towards the cost of
prosecution.

The county court judge at Pontypridd had before him a
compensation case which raised a peculiar issue. A man
employed at the Bute Colliery Company met his death by
accident, and his widow sued the employers. The defence
was that she was not dependent upon her husband at the
time of his death, and was therefore not entitled to com-
pensation. The husband and wife lived apart; and one of
the relieving officers of the Pontypridd Union gave evidence
that the Woman was in receipt of 5s. out-relief, the deceased
man, by arrangement, reimbursing 3s. a week towards her
maintenance. The judge held that the woman was not
dependent on deceased, and gave judgment for the company.

The trade of Swansea during January and February
showed a serious decline, and it is noted that the coal and
coke exports totalled no more than 313,558 tons, while patent
fuel totalled 107,417 tons, and tin- and black-plates 21,296
tons.

* A very heavy snowfall on Friday of last week interfered
seriously with coal shipments at the local docks, and the
delay of wagons, in turn, hindered colliery operations.

The colliery workmen who volunteer for cutting and trans-
porting home-grown timber will, under the agreement
arrived at in a joint sub-committee of the Conciliation Board,
receive 7s. 6d. per day, plus 7s. 6d. per week lodging allow-
ance for single men, and 10s. per week for married men and
those single men who are the main support of a family. It
will be remembered that a call has been made for 3,000 men
for this work; and at the recent meeting of the Conciliation
Board, the joint sub-committee was appointed to arrange
terms. Notices are posted at the collieries making the offer
above stated; and, in addition, there will be opportunities
given for piecework. Railway fares will be paid on com-
mencement and termination of employment. Reasonable
facilities will be given for men to visit their homes. There
will be a guaranteed six days’ work per week of 55 hours,
and the usual colliery terms of notice are to be observed.
Families of workmen will receive house coal in accordance
with colliery custom, and each man will be guaranteed re-em-
ployment at the colliery from which he volunteered. As has
been previously announced, every man will retain his certi-
ficate of exemption from military service. It is stated that
about 90 colliery companies—representing an output of 40
million tons per annum—have joined the newly-formed Welsh
Pitwood Association, and that standing timber has already
been purchased in considerable quantities, so that cutting
and transport can be commenced almost immediately.

At a meeting of the Celtic Collieries Company, Mr.
Seymour Berry (chairman) stated that some of the credit for
the present financial position should go to the old directors.
The association of Lord Rhondda with the company,
although of only short duration, had added substantially to
the prospect of future success, because he had given the
company the benefit of an option which he previously
secured, to lease 1,200 acres of virgin coal field. The posi-
tion, therefore, was that, in addition to having shafts at
Garth and Oakwood, from which their present outputs were
obtained, the company had now an area of nearly 1,200
acres where it was proposed to sink two new shafts in order
to win valuable seams—though, on account of the war, there
would be delay in proceeding with these developments.

Several cases of interest to the coal trade came on at
Glamorgan Assizes, amongst them one in which Mr. R. O.
Dowdeswell, coal exporter, Cardiff, sought to recover £59
from Mr. A. L. Hopkins, another exporter, in respect of loss
incurred through detention of wagons. Plaintiff had pre-
viously been defendant in an action for hire of wagons
brought by Mr. Hopkins ; and there was a counter-claim in
respect of the detention now alleged. Judgment was given
upon this counter-claim for £14.

In another case, an action was brought by Grey and Com-
pany, Swansea, against Phipps and Company, of the New
White Croft Colliery, Forest of Dean, for non-delivery of
coal. The judge held that there was not sufficient evidence
of a concluded contract between the parties, and the case
was therefore dismissed.

In another case, the Swansea Harbour Trustees were sued
by a widow for compensation in respect of the death of her
husband, who was killed at the docks, leaving her with four
young children. The Trustees were not his employers—he
having been in the service of the Phoenix Patent Fuel Com-
pany, who rented a wharf. Owiing to a mishap in respect
of one of the cranes, coal briquettes fell upon the man, injur-
ing him so severely that he died. The Harbour Trust
supplied the cranes, and lent drivers to the company; but
on their behalf it was contended that the crane men were
not negligent, and that the deceased should have taken cover
more quickly. It was further pleaded for them that the
crane and drivers having been lent to the fuel company,
they were at that time in the -service of that company; also
that it was the duty of the hatchway men to see that the
load was brought over properly, and that this man, with
the stevedore and the men below, were employed by the fuel
company. The secretary of that company saiid that pay-
ments had been made to the plaintiff to an amount totalling
£72. The jury found a verdict for defendants, holding that
they were not responsible.

A conference of the local authorities in South Wales and
Monmouthshire took place at the Engineers’ Institute,
Cardiff, on Friday of last week, when a paper was read by
Mr. Lleufer Thomas, the stipendiary magistrate for the
Rhondda. He pointed out how the district was broken up
with valleys, and commented upon the destruction of natural
beauty which had taken place. He said that the utter dis-
regard by colliery owners for immediate surroundings had
resulted in the destruction of all the amenities; whilst not a
small part of the responsibility of the hideous disfigurement
was due to the inhabitants themselves, who dumped their
refuse into the river beds and other places. He urged that
steps should be taken to modifv the prevailing ugliness by
planting belts of trees around the pitheads where practi-
cable, the planting of shrubs on the unsightly tips, etc.;
and he outlined a scheme for main roads covering the greater
part of South Wales.—With regard to this suggestion, it is
to be noted that in certain parts of South Wales the plant-
ing of trees upon the colliery tips has been singularly suc-
cessful—notably so in the Aberdare Valley, where the late
Lord Aberdare established plantations which at the present
time change the aspect of the district, the trees having
flourished excellently. In certain other parts, although only
to a small extent, planting has taken place; and in almost
every case with signal success.

The difficulty which arose in the South Wales coal field
upon the “ combing-out ” of miners—who considered they
were entitled to two months’ grace before entering the
Army, whereas they were being called up in 14 days—has
been settled. One of the reasons why, in this respect, the
South Wales coal field differs from that of England is that
the surface men in the southern part of the Principality are
members of the Miners’ Federation, but in England these
classes of men are not members. Consequently, it was in
South Wales more particularly that the Federation took up
the cause of these men, they having also the hearty support
of their fellow workmen underground.' Apparently there was
conflict of opinion between the Home Office (with whom the
understanding as to two months had been arrived at, because
of the need of increased coal production) and the War Office
(which sought to obtain the men for military service). There
was also a distinction between attested and non-attested men
which operated as against the attested. However, after con-