THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN ________________________________________________________________________________ May 18, 1917. 945 There are difficulties to be faced in this work, owing to the topography. The coal is dipping beneath a con- tinuous sandstone wall 300 ft. high, which is a buttress of the White Mountains, which cover the coal to the south of Dingo Creek. Boring would have to be done in the creeks or gorges which cut through the sand- stone cliffs, and this necessity restricts the suitable sites for boring almost to the irreducible minimum. The water supply has to be considered, but, particu- larly after the wet season—from March onwards for a few months—little difficulty in this regard should be encountered. It is suggested that two diamond drill bores be put down to intersect the seam at a depth of about 200 ft. Assuming that the dip under the sandstone cliffs remains the same as in Dingo Creek (one in seven), the distance of the drilling sites from the outcrops should be from 450 to 500 yds. on the line of dip. A suitable site for one bore could be obtained in Dingo Creek about that distance upstream from No. 2 shaft. A complementary bore is desirable to test the seam on the dip below No. 6 outcrop. Owing to the sandstone cliffs an ideal location is impossible here. This will necessitate the bore being put down in a gorge open- ing into Oxley Creek below the junction of Dingo Creek if water is available; if not, the only alterna- tive site appears to be on the eastern side of Oxley Creek below Dingo Creek, where water is obtainable. These two bores are regarded as necessary prelimi- nary prospecting work only. If the coal cores obtained show after testing that the seam is not diminishing materially in thickness, and that the quality of the coal is sufficiently good to meet the railway, smelting, and steaming demands of North Queensland, further expenditure would well be justified. . Districts. Cleveland........ Cumberland and Lancashire ..... Scotland ........ Other districts ... Average No. of days worked per Work- week by mines people in fortnight em- ended Inc. (+) or dec. (—) in April 1917 on a ployed (---------A--------' (------A-----} in April April Mar. April™ y 1917.* 28, 24, 15, iV10ntil Iear 1917.1917.1916. ag0’ ag0’ Days. Days. Days. Days. Days. 6,199 ...5’98...5’92...5’62... +0 06... + 0’36 4,871 ...5’93 ..5 94...5’92...-0’01... + 0’01 725 ...5*76.. 6’00...5’93...-0’24...-0T7 2,691 ...6’00.. 5*96...5’96...+0’04...+0*04 _______________________ MINING EMPLOYMENT STATISTICS. The Board of Trade Labour Gazette for May states that employment in coal mining during April was good on the whole. It showed an improvement compared with the previous month, but a decline compared with a year ago. Difficulties of transport were reported from several districts. There was an increase of 3,012 (or 0’6 per cent.) in the number of workpeople employed at collieries making returns compared with the previous month, and of 29,761 (or 5’8 per cent.) compared with a year ago. Of the 544,878 workpeople included in the returns for April 1917, 297,666 (or 54*6 per cent.) were employed at pits working 12 days during the fortnight to which the returns relate, while a further 124,899 (or 22’9 per cent.) were employed at pits working 11 but less than 12 days. All districts... 14,486 ...5’95...5’94...5’80...+0’01...+0*15 * At mines included in the returns. Pig Iron.—Employment continued good, and showed an improvement as compared with a year ago. Shortage of materials and difficulties of transport were reported from several districts, and there was a continued scarcity of labour. Iron and Steel Works.—Employment in iron and steel works continued very good, and showed an improvement as compared with a year ago. Shortage of labour was again reported from every district. Engineering Trades.—These trades continued to be extremely busy during April, and a large amount of overtime was worked. Trade Unions with 282,201 members (mostly in skilled occupations) reported 0*1 per cent, unemployed at the end of April, compared with 01 per cent, in March and February, and with 0'3 per cent, a year ago. Tinplate.—The number of mills working at the end of April showed a decrease of 14 compared with the previous month, and of 161 compared with April 1916. The reduction of the number of mills in operation was due to the further restriction in the supply of steel bars. Much short time continued to be reported. Steel and Galvanised Sheets.—The number of mills working at the end of .April showed no change from a month ago, but a decrease of 21 . compared with April 1916. Employment was adversely affected owing to the shortage of steel bars. Tubes.—Employment in the Midlands was very good, and much overtime was worked. Wire.—Wire workers were again fully employed, and there was a shortage of labour and materials in a number of centres. Districts. Average No. of days worked per week by the collieries in fort- night ended Inc. (4-) or dec. (—) in April 1917, on a Work- people em- ployed (---------------N t-----------' “ 1 A2^ril ^r- Af5ril Month Year 1917. 1917. 1916. ag0’ ag0’ England ft Wales. Days. Days. Days. Days. Days Northumberland ... 34,757...4*96...3’68...5’49... +1’28...— 0*53 Durham .......... 92,358...5 19...4’78...5’55...+ 0’41...-0’36 Cumberland ______ 7,H44...5’89...5’73...5*90...+0T6...— 0’01 South Yorkshire ... 63,154...5*93...5 89...5’88...+0’01...+0’05 West Yorkshire.... 21,919...5’93...5’93...5’77.. — ... f0’16 Lancs. & Cheshire... 51,894...5*90...5’92...5’91...-0’02...-0’01 Derbyshire ........ 29,572...5’83...5’83...5’68... — ...+0T5 Notts and Leicester 36,471...5’26...5’72...5’42...-0’46...-0’16 Staffordshire ...... 28,511...5’91...5’78...5’85... +0’13... +0*06 W arwick, W orcester and Salop........ 7,704...5*86...5*85...5*81...+ 0*01... +0’05 G-lo’ster & Somerset 4,690...5*90...5’91...5’96...—0’01...—0*06 North Wales ...... 6,342.. 5*76...5’96...4’93 -0’20... + 0’83 South Wales & Mon. 110,558...5’82 5’62,..5’89...+0’20...-0’07 Total ...... 495,574...5 64.5’44...5’75...+0’20 . —0’11 Scotland. West Scotland .... 21,152 5’00...5 22...5*48...-0’22...-0’48 The Lothians ...... 2,028 5’23...5’58...5’48...-0*35...-0’25 Fife ............... 25,668 4*34...4’54...5’47... - 0’20...-1’13 Total ...... 48,848...4’66.4’88...5’48...-0’22...-0’82 Ireland ....:.............. 456 ..5’07 5’26...5’06...-0T9.. +0 01 Total, U.K...... 544,878 . 5’55...5’39...5’73... + 0’16...-0’18 * At the collieries included in the table. The following table shows the numbers employed and the average number of days worked, distributed according to the principal kind of coal raised at the pits at which the workpeople were engaged:— Average No. of days worked per Inc. (+) or Work- week by the pits dec. ( —) in t. ... people in fortnight April 1917. Description ended On a ______________ ofcoM. ployed t--------------------r___---------- in April April Mar. April M y 1917.* 28, 24, 15, Montn Iear 1917. 1917. 1916. ag0‘ ag0- Days. Days. Days. Days. Days. Anthracite ......... 5,188 ..4’78...5’47...5’56...-0’69...-0’78 Coking ........ 27,447...5’72...5 66...5 73...+0’06...-0’01 Gas ...... 38,016...5’05...4’47...5’55... +0’58. ..-0’50 House’ ............ 48,Oil...5’60...5’60...5’70... — ...-0T0 Steam ' ....... 195,198...5’64...5 42...5’79...+0’22...-0’15 Mixed ...... 231,018...5’54.. 5’44...5’72... +0T0...-0T8 All descriptions... 544,873...5’55...5’39...5’73... +0’16 -0’18 * At the collieries included in the table. Iron Mining.—Employment was good in iron and shale mines. Returns received for each of the three periods named below, relating to the same mines and open works in each case, show that 14,486 workpeople were employed at mines included in these returns in April 1917, an increase of 263 (or 1’8 per cent.) com- pared with March, and of 1,111 (or 8’3 per cent.) compared with a year ago. _________________________ WET v. DRY COAL STORAGE.* By A. Bement. Under-water storage was long ago recognised as a positive protection against fire, and it was also thought that it would prevent deterioration. Laboratory tests on coal submerged for one year gave results which indi- cated that the combined loss of weight and heating power was about one-third of the same loss with out- door storage for the same period. Some 10 or 15 years ago a submerged storage pit was constructed at a large industrial establishment in Illinois. It was not an expensive pit, because level rock existed below the surface, at such convenient depth as to allow of its being used as a floor. There- fore, the only concrete work required was the side walls; in this way there was no cost for a floor. After the pit was excavated, railroad tracks were provided over it, so that coal could be unloaded directly into it, or taken out and loaded on cars by a locomotive crane. When completed and put into service, this pit attracted much attention; several people investigated it with the idea of employing the scheme themselves. But when the cost of construction was taken into con- sideration, it did not appear to be an economical pro- position. First Cost. As the first cost of the pit is a serious obstacle, the problem would be much simplified if a pit could be had without cost. Such pits are available in the form of abandoned clay holes and stone quarries. The quarry is much to be preferred, of course, on account of its having better shape, stronger walls, and being much cleaner. Therefore, interest attaches to the quarry as a storage reservoir, and the following factors must be taken into consideration : — The pit must be located very near rails, or else cost of side tracks alone will be prohibitive. The pit should be pumped out and cleaned before use; it would be decidedly hazardous to put coal into one without doing so, as there would be no way of knowing the condi- tion it might have been left in originally, or how much it may have been used as a dump. If it contained a lot of dirt and rubbish, this would mix with the coal and damage it seriously. Pumping and cleaning the pit will be a considerable item of expense which it is not safe to ignore. In the establishment of submerged storage, probably the first thing to decide is what coal would demand such treatment. We know from experience that anthracite, semi-bituminous and eastern bituminous can be put in outdoor storage without danger of firing and witk so little deterioration in value as to be negligible. With western bituminous coal, lump, egg, nut, or No. 1 washed, and possibly No. 2 washed, may be successfully stored outdoors. It probably would not pay to store mine run coal to any important extent; at all events, it would be quite difficult to handle it in a pit, so does not enter into the problem at all. We now come to screenings as the logical fuel for submerged storage. This is the coal which cannot be stored dry, and the grade which in the past has shown the greatest fluctuation in price and supply. For the foregoing reasons, screenings is the only grade to be considered. Pit Equipment. After a pit has been found, it is necessary to equip it with appliances for loading the coal both in and out. If the pit is to be pumped out, trestles could be erected carrying tracks from which cars could be unloaded, and * Black Diamond. also loaded by means of a clam shell locomotive crane. Another scheme costing less consists of the use of a long sluice or trough, through which coal is washed along and down a moderate grade by flowing water. This requires a suitable means for unloading the coal and elevating it to the chute. The best method for taking the screenings out of the pit is by pumping, for which purpose a centrifugal pump must be employed; the suction pipe being moved about as the coal is taken out, the discharge pipe delivering to an elevated bin, into which the coal is discharged, and from which the water drains back into the pit. This pumping plant can also be used to spread and distri- bute the coal as it leaves the chute in filling the pit. This spreading is necessary because if much of the coal is allowed to remain above the water it is quite sure to fire. It is obvious that a large amount of water will be displaced by the coal in storage, which may cause the pit to overflow, and this may be a matter of some signi- ficance. When the coal is taken out, the water level will be lowered, and this condition may require that a source of water supply be available to restore this depletion. An important factor is that of frost; the surface of the pond will freeze in cold weather. This will inter- fere with winter operation, and if coal is loaded in cold weather it will freeze in cars, with the result that its removal will be very difficult. It is obvious that for such enterprise to be successful requires that screenings be placed in storage at times of surplus supply, and consequently at period of low price, and that they must be removed at time of minimum supply when the price is high. This, of course, implies that such periods of high and low price shall prevail. In the past there have been marked periods of variation in supply, with corresponding range of price at the mine. This condition has materi- ally changed in recent years, owing to the rapidly increasing use of screenings. So now the low price tends to attain a figure equal to mine run, and the high price to be greater at times than mine run. If this differential is sufficient, it would, of course, afford an opportunity to the submerged storage to earn a profit. At this point, however, the coal crusher becomes an active and definite competitor of storage. The Probable Outcome. When the time comes that the consumer market absorbs all the screenings produced in mining, there will be no surplus at time of maximum production. It must necessarily follow then that the minimum price * of screenings will at least equal mine run. During minimum production the price will be greater than that of mine run, because natural production will be less than demand. Under these , conditions the coal crusher located at the mine or consumer’s plant will make up the deficiency in screening supply by crush- ing mine run, and this will keep the price down. Under these conditions there will be no surplus supply of screenings, and the deficiency will be made up by the crusher. There will be no necessity to store, because the crusher will furnish crushed coal imme- diately ap demanded and at a lower cost than could storage, even if the coal for storage was available. Therefore the question is whether conditions favour- able to storage will continue long enough to ensure that cost of plant can be paid for during the period, as well as that expense of operation and fixed charges shall be earned. ___________________________ FRENCH MAXIMUM PRICES FOR IMPORTED COALS. Under date May 8, the Minister of Supplies and Maritime Transport has issued a Decree, on.the proposal of the Director of the National Coal Bureau, to the effect that when importers of coal can furnish proof that the cost of sea transport (freight, insurance and charges) exceeds the figures (francs per ton) given in the following table, the excess may be added to the maximum selling prices fixed by the Decree of August 8,1916 (see Colliery Guardian, August 18, 1916, p. 306):— Ports of shipment. Ports of ( destination. w.des. Liver- pool. . 43 . East coast of Clyde. West 1 coast of Scotland. ... 45 England. .. 42 ... 45 . Dunkirk 40 .. Calais 39 .. . 42 . .. 41 ... 44 . ... 43 Boulogne 39 .. Treport, Dieppe and . 42 . .. 40 ... 41 . ... 43 Fecamp 36 .. . 38 . .. 40 ... 41 . .. 43 Havre 34 .. . 37 . .. 40 ... 40 41 Rouen-Duclair 36 .. . 39 . .. 41 ... 42 . .. 43 Honfleur 34 ... . 37 . .. 42 ... 40 . .. 41 Trouville 34 ... 37 . .. 41 ... 40 . .. 41 Caen & Cherbourg 34 ... . 37 . .. 40 ... 40 . .. 41 Granville 33 .. . 36 . .. 40 ... 39 . .. 40 St. Malo 30 ... 34 .. . 40 ... 39 .. . 40 St. Brieuc 34 ... 37 .. .. 40 ... 39 . .. 42 Brest 31 ... . 34 . .. 40 ... 37 . .. 42 Lorient 41 ... St. Nazaire and . 42 . .. 50 ... 45 . .. 52 Nantes 43 ... 44 . .. 51 ... 47 . .. 54 Sables 41 ... La Rochelle, La Pallice, Rochefort, . 42 . .. 50 ... 45 . .. 52 Tonnay-Charente 41 ... 42 . .. 49 ... 45 . .. 52 Mortagne 48 ... 49 .. .. 56 ... 52 . 61 Bordeaux 50 ... 51 . .. 58 ... 54 . 63 Bayonne 51 ... 52 .. .. 59 ... 55 . 64 ____________________________ The Wigan Coal and Iron Company have entrusted Messrs. Simon-Carves Limited, of Manchester, with the cementing of the wet lining of their two shafts at Parsonage Colliery, Deigh, Lancashire. On the 21st inst. Messrs. W. T. Henley’s Telegraph Works Company Limited will remove their Birmingham branch offices and stock rooms to Broad-street Chambers. The new premises will afford facilities for carrying much larger stocks of materials to meet war demands for urgent delivery. The new telephone number is Midland 790, but there is no change,in the telegraphic address.