648

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

Makch 28, 1913.

■IKING AND OTHER NOTES.

Although faced with many big schemes, such as borough
extension, sewage disposal, housing and town planning,
Doncaster continues to be one of the lowest rated places in
the country, thanks to the magnificent profit made annually
from the municipal racecourse. The finance committee are
recommending a general district rate of 3s. Id. in the £.
But at the same time they propose that this rate shall be
subsidised by 7d. in the £ from the Borough fund, so that
the actual amount the ratepayers will have to find will be
only 2s. 6d. in the £. The Electricity and Tramways
Committee of the Corporation have decided to recommend
the latter to carry out an extension of the electricity works
at a cost of £12,500.

Mr. Alex. Dewar, junr., late of New Logans Colliery,
Motherwell, has just been appointed manager of the
Glasgow Coal Company’s Daldowie Colliery, Mount Vernon.

Mr. John Pollock, late oversman at Bellfield Colliery,
Coal burn, Lanarkshire, has been presented by the staff
there with an aneroid barometer, together with a pendant
for Mrs. Pollock, in view of his leaving to fill an important
appointment with the Arigna Mining Company, Ballina-
more, county Leitrim, Ireland.

A local correspondent learns that, in addition to tapping
additional new seams, Messrs. S. Scowcroft and Sons propose
carrying out surface improvements at their Rosehill and
Tonge Moor Collieries, Bolton, which now find employment
for an increased number of men and youths.. The same
correspondent understands that the Hulton Colliery Com-
pany propose carrying out improvements at their Nos. 3
and 4 pits (Pretoria), Westhoughton, at an early date.

Mr. Joseph Firth, of Elsecar, who has been 59 years in
the service of the Fitz william family (30 years as manager
of the Hemingfield Colliery), was on Saturday night, at the
Elsecar Public Hill, presented with a black marble time-
piece, an easy chair, and a purse of gold, subscribed for by
the officials and workmen on his retirement. The presenta-
tions were made by Eirl Fitz william and Mr. Geo. Bacon, a
miner with 34 years’ service.

During the 10 days before Easter 24 mining students of
the Birmingham University, accompanied by Prof. Cadman
and Messrs. Clubb and Jeffrey, his assistants, have been
visiting the east of Scotland on a tour of inspection of the
principal coal and shale mines in the vicinity of the Scottish
capital. Amongst those visited were the following:—
Niddrie and Newbattle -collieries, Midlothian, Wellesley
Colliery, Buckhaven, Breich and the Dean shale mines, and
the refineries at Uphall of the Pumpherston Oil Company.
One visit, to the Valley field Colliery, in Fifeshire, had,
however, to be abandoned, owing to the train arrangements
for returning to Birmingham being considerably modified
for Eastertide. In some of their meetings the Birmingham
men were joined, by special invitation, and considerably
helped in their study of local conditions, by the mining
students of the Heriot-Watt College, Edinburgh—the
Students’ Mining Society of Birmingham University and
the east of Scotland branch of the Scottish Mining Students’
Society meeting on the Saturday evening to hear and
discuss two papers by Birmingham men on “ Modern
Research on Coaldust.” During the visit a number of
social functions were also arranged. A smoking concert
was arranged by the Heriot-Watt students in honour of
the visitors, and the Birmingham men entertained their
E dinburgh friends to a farewell dinner.

At Castleford on the 19th inst. the Allerton-By water
Silkstone and H'dgh Moor Colliery Company prosecuted
William J. Downham and William T. Wilson, miners, of
Castleford, for an alleged breach of Section 74 of the Coal
Mines Act, 1911. It was stated for the prosecution that
William Wilson, the night deputy, ordered a pack wall
to be built before the day men did anything else. This,
the manager said, was a reasonable order and ought to have
been obeyed by the defendants, who, it was alleged, because
tubs were refused them until the pack wall was built,
left woik, saying, "No tubs, then no work.” For the
defence it was stated that the defendants agreed that a
pack wall was necessary. They had in fact commenced
with the work, but they felt that a hardship was imposed
upon them by the deputy refusing them tubs, as they
could have gone on with their ordinary work and built
the pack wall at the same time. They left the place
as a protest. The Bench dismissed the case.

Thomas Marsh, of Trindle-road, Dudley, and Joseph
Marsh, of Waddam’s Pool, Dudley, described as the owners
of the Scotwell Colliery, Moor Lane, Rowley, were, at Old
Hill Police Court on the 19th inst., summoned under the
Coal Mines Act, 1911, for failing to permanently fence the
top of a disused pit shaft. It was explained that the colliery
had not been working for some years, and a recent inspection
by the surveyor showed that the pit shaft was not adequately
protected. Efforts had been made by the Council to secure
the proper covering of the pit shaft, without success, and
the local authority had no alternative but to bring the case,
which was the first under the Act, in order to secure a
proper protection of such a dangerous place. Thomas Marsh
informed the Bench that he was willing to carry out the
required work in order to make the shaft safe. Eventually
the justices adjourned the case for 14 days to enable the
owners to carry out the necessary work.

A curious action was heard last week in Durham County
Court, under the rules of the D urham Miners’ Association,
against certain miners who had acted as marrows at
Edmondsley Colliery, and who, it was alleged, had not
shared their earnings equally with another set of marrows.
From the evidence it appeared that at Edmondsley Colliery,
just before the last month of the quarter’s cavil, the
manager decided to do away with four gateways, in which
originally 16 men were employed. Eight men were left to
work the same coal, but a difficulty arose as to which of the
men should remain, but these eight men were to share with
the other eight men employed elsewhere in the pit. At a
meeting of the miners’ lodge on November 29 a resolution
was passed unanimously that William Smith and William
Todd should be proceeded against for not having carried
out the arrangements made at a special meeting relative to
the pooling of the wages of the men who were originally
cavilled to the gateways upon the north side of the pit,
which was afterwards converted to a coal conveyor face.
His Honour said he believed the dispute on the part of the
two men, Smith and Todd, was bond fide, but he held that
they were mistaken owing to the special circumstances that
had arisen, whereby they were in justice held to comply
with the special resolution. Judgment was given for the
plaintiffs.

The directors of the Caledonian Railway Company have
appointed Mr. Henry Allan, of Messrs. J. and A. Allan,
21, Bo th well-street, deputy-chairman of the company in
room of the late Mr. Edward Cox.

The committee of Newcastle Chamber of Commerce,
having charge of the arrangements in connection with the
presentation to Lord Joicey of his portrait, met last week.
The chairman stated that, when in London last week, he
had paid a visit to Mr. Lavery’s studio, and had seen Lord
Joicey’s portrait. It was a striking likeness, the chairman
added, and he had no doubt that Lord Joicey would be very
pleased with it. It was resolved that the presentation to
Lord Joicey should take place on the Newcastle Exchange
on Friday, April 4, at 12.15 p.m.; that Sir W. H.
Stephenson be asked to preside; and that Mr. Thomas
Bell, the senior vice-president of the Chamber of Commerce,
unveil and present the portrait to Lord Joicey.

Mr. C. Greaeley, formerly an official of the Flockton Pit,
Waleswood, and who is now under-manager at the Primrose
Main, Barnsley, was at Killamarsh, on Saturday, the
recipient of a handsome timepiece, which had been
subscribed for by the officials and workmen of the Flockton
Colliery.

Extensions are taking place at Nobel’s Safety Fuse
Explosives Factory, at Linlithgow, and also at the
magazine not far off.

We understand that the Lilleshall Company (Shifnal,
Salop) have ordered eight sets of the Exhall overwind
preventer.

At a meeting of the Geologists’ Association, to be held at
University College, G ewer-street, W C., on Friday, April 4.
1913,at 8 p m.,a paper on" The Geology of the Nottingham
District” will be read by Mr. Bernard Smith, M.A., F.G.S.

Ample sidings and railway approaches have been provided
at considerable cost for the large new Wellesley Colliery,
belonging to the Wemyss Colliery Company, at Denbeath,
Fife. The North British Railway Company have had built
a massive sea wall to reclaim 30 acres of the foreshore
Owing to heavy seas the work has occupied three years, and
has proved an arduous undertaking. The wall is 850 ft
long and 49 ft. high. At the base it is 20 ft. thick, tapering
to 9 ft. at the top, and is constructed throughout of massed
concrete, and battered on the face as a further protection
from the heavy waves. The sidings are close to Methil
docks.

The Barnsley magistrates have carried out their threat
of inflicting imprisonment without the option of a fine in
cases of flagrant brutality to pit ponies, the example being
Herbert Luckman, a boy driver employed at the Rockingham
Colliery, of Worsborough Dale. He was found guilty of
depriving a pony of the sight of one eye by striking it in
that organ with a piece of pit prop. The sentence was one
month.

The scale of charges for warehouse rent, wharfage,
demurrage, and labour, applicable to merchandise traffic,
other than coal and coke, as settled at the Norman ton
conference, came into effect on March 25.

A presentation took place at Ynyshir recently when
Mr. David Rowlands (manager of the Albion Colliery,
Cilfynydd) was made the recipient of an illuminated
address, a gold hunter watch and chain, subscribed for by
the officials and workmen of the Lady Lewis Colliery,
Ynyshir.

A presentation meeting was held at Tylorstown on the
same day, the recipients of gifts being Mr. and Mrs. Howell
Morgan, the occasion being that of their departure for
Blaina, where Mr. Morgan has been appointed manager of
the collieries.

Mr. Thomas Walters, late manager of Graham’s Naviga-
tion Colliery, Sirhowy, has been presented with a marble
clock and set of bronzes upon leaving for Ebbw Vale, the
gifts of the officials and workmen.

Mr. Charles F. Rand, who has been unanimously elected
president of the American Institute of Mining Engineers,
comes of the family which created the Rand rock drill.

The appointment of Mr. J. C. Davies, of Gowerton, the
manager of Baldwins Limited, on the directorate of this
well-known firm, and that of the Port Talbot Steel Company,
was marked recently at a smoking concert held at the Hotel
Metropole, Swansea, by a most remarkable demonstration
of the high esteem and regard in which he is held both by
his co-directors and the workmen. Nearly a thousand of
the men gathered together to honour Mr. Davies, and
during the evening he and Mrs. Davies were made the
recipients of some very costly and lovely presents, which
included a pair of five-light electroliers, a silver salver,
silver dessert dishes, a gold bangle watch, studded with
emeralds and diamonds, and an illuminated address.

The Leeds Mercury contains an account of experiments
that have been carried out at Hunslet recently into the
production of a new type of fuel briquette by Messrs.
Suddine Limited, of 115 and 117, Cannon-street, London,
E C. The experiments have been conducted on the premises
of Yeadon and Company, Front-row, Victoria Bridge, Leeds,
and have been designed with the object of combining tar,
treated under a patent process, with chalk and other
ingredients. Sir Charles Soame, Bart., is the chairman of
Suddine Limited. It is intended to place the briquettes
upon the market in 15 lb. and 4 lb. blocks, the former for
commercial and the latter for domestic purposes. The new
fuel is produced in an ordinary coal briquette plant without
any alteration, and an important feature is that the moulds
and presses which now produce an ordinary 3 lb. coal
briquette will, without alteration, and with the same power
and labour, and in the same time, produce a block of the
new fuel weighing 1 lb. heavier (4 lb.) than the coal block,
thus increasing the output and capacity of a coal briquette
plant of 25 per cent. It is understood that the new fuel
can be sold at 10s. per ton, with a good margin of profit.

Messrs. Meldrums Limited inform us that Mr. A. B
Scorer, A.M.I M.E., A.M.I.E E., has joined the board. Aho
that they have moved their London office to 92, Grosvenor-
road, Westminster, S.W.

A presentation was made at the offices of the Tynedale
Coal Company, Acomb, near Hexham, on Wednesday, when
Mr. W. J. Wrightson, the managing director of the Tynedale
Colliery Company Limited, was made the recipient of a
beautiful burr walnut Queen Anne bureau on the occasion
of his approaching marriage. Mr. Wrightson, who is a son
of Sir Thos. Wrightson, Bart., of Neasham Hall, Darlington,
is to be married on St. George’s Day, April 23, at St.
George’s Church, Hano ver-square, London, to Miss
Victoria Winby, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. F. C. Winby,
Shen field, Essex.

COLLIERY ACCIDENTS.

Manvers Main.

Details of a somewhat curious accident at the Manvers
Main Colliery (No. 1) were given recently at an inquest on
George White, a collier.

George Whiteley, a trammer, said deceased, with witness
and a number of other men, travelled down some distance
from the pit bottom to their working place in a train of tubs.
They alighted at a point known as Seven South-top, and
were told by the train man there to stand clear while the
train was started again. They did so, but the safety rope
which runs under the tubs and fastens them together
caught in a point rail and, forcing it up, it flew out. There
was a cloud of dust, and then Whiteley saw White lying
unconscious across the rails with a wound in his left side.
Shortly after White died in a rapping station close by
without recovering consciousness. The accident, said
Whiteley, was solely due to the safety rope catching the
point rail.

Mr. A. T. Thomson, who represented the Manvers Main
Colliery Company, said the safety rope was enforced by the
last Act of Parliament, though he (Mr. Thomson) highly
disapproved of it as dangerous where there were curves and
levels.

A verdict of “ Accidental death ” was returned.

Sirhowy. .

Mr. J. B. Walford, district coroner, held an inquest at
Tredegar on Sidney Edwards (16), who was killed at
No. 9 Colliery, belonging to Graham’s Navigation Colliery
Company.

Arthur Andrews, collier, stated that on the day of the
accident he was in the cage with the deceased and seven other
men, all of whom were getting off at the Gwarycae landing.
When the cage stopped seven of the men got on to the
landing, leaving him and the deceased in the cage. The
deceased started to get off, when the cage was suddenly
lowered about 10 yards, and the boy fell between the cage
and the side of the pit. The last man getting off would, in
the ordinary way, give the signal to lower, but he did not
hear any signal given. The chain of the signalling appa-
ratus could not be reached out of the cage. There was no
hitcher present on the landing to supervise the men getting
in and out of the cage and to give the signals.

William Rees Millard, a young collier, said he was
working on the night shift, and stood on the landing
waiting to ascend when this particular cage came down.
He saw a number of men get off, and he went to give five