November 22, 1918.

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

1081

Analyses of Bovey Tracey Lignites.

	1  South- acre Beds  3, 4, 5.	2  South- acre  Bed 6.	3  South- acre  Bed 10.	4  South- acre Bed 19.	5 i  South- 1 acre  Bed 20.	6 Teign- bridge, No. 5 Shaft, “Brisket clay.”	7  Kings- teignton “ Black Alum.”	8  Bovey Coal Pit, Bed 9.	9  Decoy B.S.W. clay.
Total volatile matter		47*11	47*35	50*98	44*90	26*51	44*27	22*12	56*38	27*35
Moisture		18*50	16 20	17*82	12*08	8*09	21*97	8*56	30*53	13*95
Wax (benzol)		3*85  Res	6*14 suits calcu	3*74 dated on d	5*17  try materi	2*21  al.	2*17	1*37	0*95	0*78
Volatile matter		35*10	37*17	40*35	37 32	20*04	28*57	14’82	37 21	15*57
Ash 		37*76	51*76	29*99	39*82	67*60	56*28	73*18	29*63	80*08
Fixed carbon		27*14	11*07	29*66	22*86	12*36	15*15	12*00	33*16	4’35
Nitrogen 		0*61	0*49	0*55	0*54	0*37	0*41	0*29	0*64	0’24
Sulphur 		0*76	0’63	1*37	0*89	0*40	0*89	0*39	2*14	0’26
Matter extracted with benzene...  Matter extracted with trichloro-	4*72	7*32	4’55	5'88	2\0	2 78	1*49	1*36	0’90
ethylene 			  Volatile matter per cent, on dry material after extraction with	4’92	7*92	419	6*24	2*28	3*25	1*44	1*34	1*03
benzene 		3P35	29*82	36*66	31*67	17*86	26*27	14*36	35*66	14*75

Teigngrace Borehole.

	Thickness.!	Depth.	Moisture.	' Volatile  !’ matter.*	Fixed carbon.	j Ash. 1
	Ft. in.	Ft. in. Ft. in.	Per cent.	! Per cent.	Per cent.	! Per cent.
Lignite 		1 3f	70 6 to 76 Of	16’85	35’88	34’30	12’97
Do. inferior 			3 3 i	604 0 „ 607 3	8’77	27*50	17’20	46’53
Do. very inferior		4 3	'	610 9 „ 615 0	9’05	■	24*71	15*39	I 50’85
Do. inferior 		3 6 i	625 6 „ 629 0	10’10	j 21’75	14*38	i 53’77
Do.	do		4 0	630 6 „ 634 6	11 27	1	29*16	12*63	46’94
Do.	do		4 6	649 0 „ 653 6	8’90	18’68	13*83	58*59
Do.	do		, * 1 2 * * * * * * 9 1	662 0 „ 664 9	1	i 7’55	|	20’78	9*22	|	62*45 i

* Excluding moisture. t Thickness estimated and exact position not determined.

German Boreholes at Bovey Tracey.

Borehole No. 1 (situated in the western end of the
“ Coal Pit ”) gave the following main results, the thick-
nesses (and depth from surface) being in metres—Coal,
0-80 (8-85); coal, 1’00 (11*30); coal, 1*10 (29 60); coal,
2*00 (32*00); coal, 1*50 (33*80p. The coal at 32 metres
contained 5 per cent, bitumen, the others 1-3 per cent.

Borehole No. 2 (ground surface about 130 ft. O.D.).—
Coal, 0*40 (14*75); coal, 0*90 (38*40); coal, 0*60 (48*50);
coal. 1*50 (53 00); coal, 0*70 (54*20); heavy coal, 2*10
(56*70); coal, 0*60 (60*90).

Borehole No. 3 (ground surface about 90 ft. O.D.).—
No coal down to 73*20 metres.

Borehole No. 4 (ground surface about 100 ft. O.D).—
Coal, 0*30 m. (5*70 m.); coal, 0*45 (8*25); coal, 0*30
(22*50); coal, 0*50 (26*30); coal, 1*50 (37'10); coal, 1*80
(39*10); coal, 0*70 (40*70); coal, 1*10 (46*10); coal, 0*70
(47 40); coal, 0*70 (49*30); coal, 2*30 (52*30); coal, 0*90
(53*30); coal, 0*40 (53*80); coal, 0*70 (54*60); coal, 1*10
(55*80); coal, 0*60 (57*20); coal, 1*70 (60*80).

Other Boreholes and Fits.

The old pit (the “ Coal Pit ” of Pengelly’s account) is
now flooded, but for some time previous to the war was
worked by the German firm already mentioned. An
engine-house, kiln, &c., were erected close to the pit,
and electric power was supplied thence to the clay pits
at Liverton.

Heathfield Pit.—At Heathfield, a few yards N.W. of
the railway station and 1| miles to the S.E. of the
“ Coal Pit,” pottery clay is worked by Messrs. Candy
and Co., and contains a 1 ft. bed of lignite. The
material for the Lignite-Carbon Co. (extinct) was
furnished from this pit.

A borehole put down by Messrs. Le Grand and
Sutcliff in the pit and commencing at a level 56 ft.
below the original surface of the ground, has furnished
a detailed section exhibiting the following strata of
lignite:—Lignite (thin veins of sand), 4ft. 6in. (137ft.);
lignite, 10 ft. (330 ft.); lignite, 5 ft. 6 in. (337 ft. 6 in.);
lignite, 5 ft. (343 ft.); clay and lignite (mostly lignite),
37 ft.; lignite, 34 ft. 6 in. (414 ft. 6 in.); lignite, 13 ft.
(428 ft.); lignite, 4 ft. (433 ft.); lignite, 4 ft. (438 ft.);
lignite and day, 18 ft. (456 ft.).

The Heathfield Pit lies nearly in the centre of the
basin. It is believed that the uppermost strata proved
lie above any which exist in the ‘’Coal Pit” section, and
that strata between 170 ft. and 350 ft. represent roughly
the strata measured at the “ Coal Pit.”

Southacre Pit (ground surface about 50 ft. O.D.).—
The Southacre Pit, which is described by Mr. Pringle
as the best exposure of the Bovey lignite now in exist-
ence, is one and a-half miles east-south-east of Heath-
field. It exhibits—Brownish-black lignite, 1 ft. (4 ft.,
10 in.); brownish-black lignite, 1ft. (6 ft. 2 in.); lignite,

1	ft. to 1 ft. 6 in. (29 ft. 2 in.); lignite, about 1 ft.
(33 ft. 5 in.); lignite, 1ft. 8 in. (56 ft. 7 in); lignite,

2	ft. 6 in. (61 ft. 7 in.).

The two last beds are used as fuel, and their thickness
varies up to 5 and 6 ft. The beds dip generally towards
the south-west or south -west-west at about 10 degs.;
but they have been thrown into a number of undula-

tions, or even sharp folds, the axes of which pitch
eastwards.	•

Teigngrace Borehole (ground level about 30 ft. above
O.D.).—This borehole was put down in 1917-18 by the
Department for the Development of Mineral Resources

in the United Kingdom.

In the table above (Teigngrace borehole) Mr. E.

Williams gives an interpretation of the material brought
up from the lower part of the borehole, and makes
reference to beds of lignite of definite dimensions at
horizons on which Mr. Pringle (who examined the
specimens obtained when boring) was able to record only
clay with fragments, or plentiful fragments, of lignite.
The proximate analyses were made by Mr. V. C. Illing
at the Royal School of Mines.

Teignbridge Shaft.—On the Teignbridge estate, a
shaft sunk by Messrs. Hext er, Humpherson & Co., on
the west side of the road to Chudleigh, 180 yards north-
east of Fish wick Cross, revealed a clay with lignite
(“ brisket,” up to 5 ft. thick) at 75 ft.

Kingsteignton.—A pit near Kingsteignton contains a
1 ft. bed of lignite, which is occasionally used as fuel on
the premises.

The decoy shaft contains a 1 ft. bed of lignite, at
60 ft. from the surface; one of 1 ft. 6 in , at 62 ft. 6 in.;
and one of 4 ft. 6 in., at 70 ft. The lignite is regarded
genei ally as waste, but is occasionally used as fuel.

Petrockstoiv.—At the Clay Works, between Little
Marland and Moorhill, a shaft has been sunk to a depth
of nearly 80 ft. in stiff unctuous white day. Irregular
veins of lignite seldom exceeding 1 ft. in thickness are
said to occur at a depth of 56 ft., but the lign:te gener-
ally is too much mixed with clay to be of any use.

COAL CONCILIATION BOARD.

A special meeting of the representatives of the coal
owners and the miners in the Federated area of England
and North Wales was held at the Midland Hotel,
St. Pancras, yesterday (Thursday), to consider proposals
for the reconstitution of the Conciliation Board for the
area. Mr. F. J. Jones (Yorkshire), chairman, presided,
with Mr. Stephen Walsh, M.P., chairman of the
workmen’s section, in the vice-chair. *

The men’s proposals for the bases of reconstruction
were:—

1.	That any future agreement shall comprise all
colliery workers who are members of the Miners’ Federa-
tion within the Federated area. (This clause will bring
the surface workers into the agreement).

2.	That it be a condition that six shifts be paid for Eve
worked to all workmen employed on the afternoon or
night shifts, subject to the proviso that wages equ-<l to
the wages payable for a shift and a-fifth shall be paid in
respect of each shift worked.

3.	That the existing war bonus of 18 per cent, calcu-
lated upon present rates be merged into present wages,
and be the basis of a future agreement.

4.	That there shall be no maximum in any future
agreement.

5.	That in any agreement regulating wages within the
Federated area, the basis upon which advances are secured
shall be the current rates in operation at the commence-
ment of the agreement.

6 That the present condition embodied within the
existing rules of procedure to the effect that no altera-
tion in wages shall exceed 5 per cent, be deleted.

7.	As the selling price of coal is an important factor
in the regulation of wages in the Board’s area, such
selling price be fixed by the joint Board.

8.	That any scheme agreed to be conditional on the
same being terminated by either side on one month’s
notice. That underground travelling be paid for at the
rate of 6d. plus percentage per shift, beyond 500 j ds. up
to 1,000 yds., and an additional Cd., plus percentage per
shift, be paid for every 500 yds., or part thereof, beyond
1,000 yds.

It was resolved that, both sides having agreed to the
desirability of the continuation of the Board, a sub-
committee be appointed to draw up the terms upon
which it can be constituted, and report to a further
meeting.

The following committee of five coal owners and five
workmen’s representatives, together with the joint
secretaries, was appointed:—F. J. Jones, Yorkshire;
Leslie Wright, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire;
Col. Pilkington, Lancashire; Col. Williamson, Mid-
lands; W. Orawshaw, Yorkshire, and Sir Thos.
Ratcliffe-Ellis, secretary, for the coal owners; and
Stephen Walsh, M.P., Lancashire ; J. Hoskin, York-
shire; E. Hughes, North Wales; C. Sunfield, Notts;
J. Baker, Midlands; and T. Ashton, secretary, for the
men.

An Iron and Steel Exchange for London.—The London
Iron and Steel Exchange Limited has been formed, we
learn, by a group of some forty of the leading British
firms engaged in the iron, steel and metal industries. The
secretary’s office is at 113, Queen Victoria-street, E.C. 4,
and for the purposes of its business the London Iron and
Steel Exchange Limited has secured the great Pillar Hall
of Cannon-street Hotel.

THE GERMAN COAL AND IRON
TRADES.

We give below further extracts from foreign
periodicals that have reached us, showing the course
of the coal and iron trades in Germany :—

Rhenish-Westphalian Iron Market.

As was the case last year, the chief problem at the
beginning of the present month was that of traffic
facilities, coupled with the difficulty of obtaining raw
materials and sufficient labour. In respect of ore, the
works are reported to be well stocked, some of them
having enough in hand for a year; and supplies of
manganese—chiefly manganiferous Sieg er] and spathic
ironstone—were by no means short, deliveries coming
forward as well as the available labour and traffic
facilities wrould allow; but, after being satisfactory for
some time, the supply of railway wagons latterly became
quite inadequate, and ore had to be stocked at the
mines. Prices remained unchanged, and in many cases
were below cost of production. The association entrusted
with marketing Siegerland ores demanded an advance
of 6 mk. per ton, and proposed a grading of prices
according to pit cost or to quality. This was not
accepted, nor has tLe suggested alternative of putting a
tax on consumers of spiegeleistn been carried into
effect

The demand for pig iron was maintained, but the
frequent stoppage of traffic by the railway authorities
affected both production and delivery, though the
circumstance has allowed certain accumulation of
stocks which would not otherwise have been possible.
The association, too, made provision for emergency
demands during the winter. Prices remained without
change, beyond the September advances. Scrap was in
short supply, to face an active demand, especially for
turnings, but prices remained unaltered, except that
the quality of the different grades was falling off

Semi-manufactured iron was very scarce, neither the
associated nor the outside makers being able to meet
the demand, especially since the diversion of the steel
for other purposes. Prices were unaltered and unre-
munerative, but without prospect of any advance.
Nothing had been exported for some time. There was
an active demand for bars, but the output was generally
low, all the works being busy on war material, though
they were turning out as many bars as possible.
Deliveries also fell off, and the pressing demand from
abroad could not be met. No new foreign contracts
were coming forward, buyers evidently expecting a
sharp fall in prices with the conclusion of peace. In
the home market the only change in prices was to place
the rates ex Diedenhofen and Oberhausen on an
equality. Sections were also scarce, with a strong
demand, in spite of the stagnation in building opera-
tions. Prices unchanged and unremunerative. The
demand for strips could not be satisfied, and makers in
some cases refused to take orders unless for delivery
some months ahead. The pressing enquiry for boiler
tubes was maintained, but could not be met.

In the plate market there was less demand for heavy
grades than for light, tin plates being in special
request for early delivery, which, however, could not
be guaranteed. Prices unchanged, and claimed to be
unprofitable, so far as ordinary merchant qualities were
in question, though this was counterbalanced by the
rates for better qualities. For soft wires the slackening
in the demand eased the situation to some extent, but
hard wire was in greater request than the mills could
satisfy. There was less activity in railway material, the
monthly supplies for the administration having been
delivered during the summer, and measures taken by
the authorities to release more steel for other purposes.
The military demand for railway material also declined,
and more rails were therefore available for pit and
agricultural use, tram rails being also released in
specially urgent cases. The production of rolling stock
was well maintained, but complaints were made of the
unremunerative prices of wheel sets delivered under old
contracts.

Ruhr Coal Market.

There was no improvement in the coal output during
October or any amelioration of the shortage, nor were
the railway facilities such as to contribute thereto—the
influenza among railway employees having spread to
such an extent as greatly to interfere with such of the
wagons as could be supplied and loaded. There were
very few stoppages of traffic, but deliveries from the
pits were considerably reduced, and the problem of
satisfying the demand of domestic consumers and
important industries threatened to become acute.
The supply of coke was kept up to the September
level. In consequence of the low state of the Rhine
and the occasional fogs, waterborne traffic was consider-
ably impeded, and it became necessary to reduce cargoes
in order to prevent the delay of lightening at inter-
mediate river harbours. On the tipper Rhine in
particular the conditions were very unsatisfactory,
through traffic to Basle being entirely suspended, and
lightening necessary on the Karlsruhe - Strassburg
section. The influenza was also responsible for a reduc-
tion in the coal handled at the Duisburg-Ruhrort tips,
and the shipments from collieries’ own wharves on the
river. On the other hand, the traffic on the Rhine-
Herne Canal increased, though not sufficiently to
counteract the lessened tonnage at the tips. Conse-
quently, consumers obtaining their supplies by rail
profited at the expense of those taking waterborne coal
in South Germany.

Surfacemen's Hours.—On Wednesday the Coal Con-
troller discussed with the executive of the Miners’
Federation and the Mining Association the application of
the Miners’ Federation that all surface workers who are
now working more than 8| hours per day, including 20
minutes meal time, should have their hours reduced to
that point, the demand of the miners being that this
alteration should take effect as from December 5 next.
The Mining Association agreed to concede the demand over
all coal fields in Great Britain, but. stipulated that the
arrangement should come into force on the first make-up
day in January instead of December 5. It is understood
that the Coal Controller agreed with the coal owners.