1352 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. December 27, 1918. neglected as unprofitable, and seams of greater depth than had been the practice; also proposals for generating power and distributing it electrically at different points, or for the installation of plant for the distillation of coal and the recovery of by- products, etc. In fact, the succesful development of the coal mining industry demanded not only the expert in various branches of engineering and of chemistry, but also the manager with a large outlook, a wide knowledge and a far-reaching policy. The control of an industry of such importance demanded an adequate training, because any failure to make the best use of the mineral deposits in this country could neverK afterwards be remedied, and also because so large a proportionate return would be given by an improvement in mining methods. The future student in this class should remain at a public school until 18, and leave after passing the matriculation or an equivalent examination. He should then spend twelve months working underground in a mine, when he should enter a university or a technical college of university rank in order to take the full time degree course. There was little doubt in all applied studies that the sooner the pupil got into contact with the industry he intended to enter, the better for him. The colliery was an excellent training school. By doing so be became more capable of taking an intelligent interest in the instructions given. If he were the right kind of boy, the practical experience he obtained would make him take up the theoretical part of his training with greater zest; while if he were not the right kind of boy, he would probably find the work distasteful and seek a more congenial occupation. At most of the universities and colleges of university rank excellent degree and diploma courses were already arranged, generally on the sandwich system. • Six winter months given entirely to university work, and six summer months given to work at a colliery, continued for three or four years, was a good course, the student keeping touch with the practical side of his work the whole time. The periods of work at the colliery should be of such a useful and responsible character that they would count as part of the period qualifying the student to sit for his first class certificate as manager. He should obtain his diploma at the end of the second year, and return to the colliery imme- diately. If he were possessed of exceptional ability and remained at college for another year of specialised post-graduate work, he would return to the colliery as soon as this advanced study was completed. Twelve months at a colliery subsequent to graduation would bring his age to 23, and he would then complete his qualification to sit for the first class colliery manager’s certificate. As an alternative to the above, a student might take the course which was fairly general up to a few years ago, but which he did not recommend in these days—that is, he could be articled to a mining engineer or at a colliery for, say five years. This course was also open to the student who came from the operatives’ side. In his case the experience gained at the colliery would form the basis of his education, and the theoretical training necessary to qualify him for his examinations he would obtain during his pupilage. The old method of letting an articled pupil have the run of the pit without any defined scheme of training was out of date. He had assumed that instruction of an elementary character would be given in evening or Saturday classes, but that advanced students would always be taken at the day courses. Day study was always more preferable than evening study, and it would be for the good of the profession to encourage day work at the university and technical schools. Mr. S. C. Laws expressed himself as strongly in favour of a scheme which would cover the training of a boy from the time he left school, at 15 years of age, until, at 22 or 23, he had become qualified to fill the position for which he was fitted by his natural capacity. The youths should be encouraged to attend the evening mining classes at the technical schools, but where the circumstances were favourable greater advantages would be gained from the day courses. For responsible positions the best brains were required. There should be ample opportunity to rise from the lower grade to the higher, and assist- ance should be freely given in the shape of scholar- ships. If the proposals which had been put forward were carried out in an efficient manner, the results would be admirable. By following up the courses of study which were laid down, it would be possible for youths possessing the requisite ability to rise into the higher grades with the mixed technical and practical knowledge acquired in the six or seven years over which their training would extend. Moreover, due provision was made for the lower grades, which could not be omitted from any scheme dealing with the subject as a whole. Mr. H. S.'Atherton suggested that at the public school it might be advisable to substitute for matricu- lation qualifications of a more practical nature, and enable the student to go forward to his university education without having to pass the matriculation examination. Mr. J. Gerrard said he should like to see among the young men from whom they would draw the future supply of mining officials a greater sense of the need for education. Whilst they made it easy for the advanced student to cover the whole field they must also consider what could be done for the elementary student to enable him to become a skilful and intelli- gent official in his own sphere. Before they could hope for much success in encouraging the higher studies it would be necessary to arouse among the boys who entered the ranks of industry in early life a fuller appreciation of the responsibilities and the advantages of the positions to which they might attain. Everyone should recognise that he qualified for a higher salary by going in for a higher degree of mining training. This would lead to a fuller appreciation of scientific training than had been shown in the past. Dr. Hickling said he should like to emphasise the importance of distinguishing between the various types of persons for whom training had to be provided. The widest possible training was essential tor the general manager type of colliery official. It was clear that he could not be expected to become an expert mechanical engineer, for he would not be competent to design, for example, electrical machinery; but his training should be obtained in an institution where he was brought into contact with experts engaged in such work and where he could obtain some knowledge of the funda- mental principles controlling such design. Again, in connection with coals, it was clear that the investiga- tion and research into minerals must be in a large degree the work of the expert chemist. The manager could not be expected to possess the detailed technical knowledge required for such investigations; but it was very desirable that he should be trained in an institu- tion where investigations of that kind were being made. These remarks indicated the part which he thought the universities should play in the higher training of colliery managers. Mr. Mellor doubted whether the mining industry was, to a greater extent than other fields of employ- ment, a hereditary occupation. A man who had been brought up in it and had attained the age of 50 or 60 years was rarely inclined to put his son to mining unless he was in an exceptional position for getting him a good training and a satisfactory start. There was no real division between the manager, the agent, and the mining engineer. Nearly all the agents had been managers, and he did not see that they got any extra scientific training beyond what they neces- sarily had in connection with their work as managers. He should judge that they studied psychology to some extent, and knew something about human nature, and they were able to make use of that knowledge. Really he could not see how a satisfactory start could be made if they began with three divisions. How could they tell who would prove to be the best man? With respect to the knowledge that was required of Sioe Elevc+ior looking up Track Screening Plant of the Simpson Co. at Galloway (W. Va.). BOX GAR CHUTES LUMP CHUTES Sec+ton B-B NUT CHUTE BOX GAR CHUTE HANGING DEVICES FOR- ■ CHUTES Tl $ Drive for 24* Belt Conveyor Spnaaue 5-Ha L. GIO Motor 24”PD. mining officials he thought the country was altogether behind at the present time. When an examination was passed what did it amount to? It was something that a schoolboy could pass. And yet they must have these certificated men. If they were to go ahead, any viewer who was preparing to be a fireman should be able to pass an examination equivalent to a matricu- lation examination; he would do it if he could see before him something which would make it worth while to pass that examination. If this country was to fight its competitors abroad successfully and keep level with them, it must see that adequate remuneration was given for scientific knowledge and trailing. Then the industry would get the men that it wanted, and they would be able to compete with anyone on the face of the earth. The Chairman said the subject had been fully dis- cussed, and he thought it could be summed up in a few words. What was wanted was good schools, good teachers, and the linking up of the schools with the industry. To his mind, the last point was of great importance. In Lancashire they were much behind in respect to linking up. He would make one excep- tion to that statement—the Wigan Mining School, which was better connected up with the industry than any other school in the country, as far as he knew. Besides linking up with the industry the schools must be linked up with the university, in order to enable the people to get the higher training which was essential. New Zealand’s Brown Coal.—With a view to the wider utilisation of brown coal in New Zealand, a bulletin has been issued by the Board of Science and Art, under the authority of the Minister of Internal Affairs, giving the results of researches by Mr. H. Rands and Mr. W. 0. R. Gilling in the use of New Zealand brown coal in gas pro- ducers and for low temperature distillation. It has been estimated that 521,000,000 tons of brown coal are avail- able. The total quantity mined up to the present is not much more than 13,000,000 tons. AN AMERICAN COAL TIPPLE.* By R. G. Read. The fundamental consideration governing the design of the new tipples of the Simpson Creek Coal Company, at Galloway (W. Va.), was the saving of power and labour for operation. Contrary to the general practice of using a retarding or drag conveyor, where the coal is to be delivered, for loading, to a lower level than the mine, a conveyor of the apron type was used. By this arrangement the potential energy in the coal, due to the action of gravity, was utilised instead of being wasted, together with the additional power required actually to drag the coal down the hill. The illustration shows the general arrangement of one of the new tipples, the other being substantially the same, except that the conveyor is shorter and on a uniform pitch. The trip of 80 cars, containing 2J net tons of coal each, is delivered to the tipple by a chain car haul. A Phillips cross-over dump delivers the coal to a hopper, from which it is fed, by means of a reciprocating feeder, to the apron conveyor, which discharges it on to the gravity screens. The empty cars are kicked back on to a car haul trip maker, which elevates them to the level of the loaded track and pushes all preceding cars out on to the empty track, so that the trip is made mechanically. The loaded car haul has an adjustable capacity of five cars per minute, and is so located with regard to the scales that each car comes to a stop while being weighed. The driving machinery is located in a concrete pit below the floor, an idler sprocket being used in order to gain headroom round the machinery. The recipro- cating feeder is provided with an adjustable-stroke crank and an adjustable-speed motor. The discharge end of the feeder plate is perforated so as to allow the fine coal to drop through, providing a cushion for the lumps. This also mak<- s a partial separation for picking on the conveyor when desired. The conveyor is 48 in. wide, of the long pitch apron type, mounted on two strands of bushed roller chain with enclosed-oiling, chilled-tread rollers. The drive is placed at the head end, all machinery being m< unted on a self-contained steel frame on concrete foundation. The take-up is located at the lower end and the pitch of the conveyor on the flatter portion is sufficient to run the line when loaded, so that no power is applied through the take-up shaft. A 20-horse-power adjustable-speed motor is geared direct to the drive shaft. This motor starts the con- veyor empty, and as the conveyor becomes loaded the power taken becomes less and less until the motor is finally run as a generator with an output of 30 horse- power, which is returned to the line. A magnetic brake attached to the motor holds the load when the motor is stopped. The control is of the remote push-button type with magnetic acceleration. A push-button station for starting and stopping is operated by the dumper, and a stop and safety (no start) station is located on the trimmer’s platform in the tipple. The discharge end of the conveyor is carried on a pivoted frame so that the screens can be adjusted with- out increasing the drop of the coal The discharge chute is connected to the take-up shaft and moves with it, thus maintaining the proper relation between the two. The speed of the conveyor may readily be adjusted to travel from 50 to 90 ft. per minute. Contrary to accepted practice, the point of discharge to the railroad car was considered as the basic point rather than the discharge on to the screens. The entire screening equipment, including the discharge of the conveyor, is adjustable, so that any reasonable pitch can be secured without increase in breakage. The point of discharge to the car is also adjustable within reason- able limits. The principal requirements in this installation are the loading of large quantities of thoroughly screened f-in. lump and run-of-mine in open and box cars, and the loading of slack in open cars. It is also necessary at times to load nut coal in open cars. It will be noted that the design is such as to accomplish the main * Coat Age.