May 16 1913.

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

1009

taken from the tank to a mixer, where it is reduced by
the admission of cold water to the required temperature
for the baths—viz., 100 degs.

Another method employed to heat the water at some
installations, is by passing either live or exhaust steam
round a tank containing the water to be heated. In
this case the temperature is regulated by the amount
of steam passed round the tank and not by the admission
of cold water as in the latter case.

In all the methods a thermometer is placed near the
mixer or near where the attendant regulates the supply
of the water, so that he can readily see whether it is
too hot or too cold, and regulate the temperature
accordingly.

Consumption of Water.

In some cases the users of the baths are allowed to
control the water supply for their individual require-
ments ; but, in others, it is under the direct control of
the attendant, who, as a rule, stands on a raised platform
at one end of the building from which he can see the
sprays being used by the workmen. The valves con-
trolling the water supply and its temperature are also
placed on this platform in order to make it unnecessary
for the attendant to leave it while the men are bathing.
Where the attendant controls the water supply a series
of taps and valves are fitted on to the raised platform,
each tap supplying water to from 8 to 10 sprays. The

selves, and it contains corrosive and other deleterious
matter, and to deal satisfactorily with this water to
make it safe to be used for bathing purposes, a cost
would be involved much above the amount which, under
section 77 of the Coal Mines Act, is allowed to
be expended in connection with bath and washing
facilities.

Soap and Towels.

On the Continent it is the custom for the workmen to
provide themselves with soap and towels, and these are
either kept in the cupboards or suspended from the roof
of the buildings with their clothes; but at the baths at the
works of Messrs. Brunner, Mond and Co. Limited these
are provided by the owners free of cost, whereas at the
baths at Wharncliffe Silkstone Collieries, near Barnsley,
they are provided by the users of the baths, or a small
charge is made to cover the cost of supplying them.
The Committee presume it is the intention of section 77
of the Coal Mines Act, 1911, that these should be included

in the charge of 3d. per week per head for the provision John
of all the facilities. In cases where a large number of
men take advantage of the bathing facilities, even where
public laundries or other means of washing towels are
available, the practice at the former works of providing
a small laundry for the washing of the towels is the
most convenient and economical. The question of j
whether this is done on the premises or arrangements

to give such elaborate facilities as are afforded at the
great majority of mines on the Continent. In West-
phalia the capital outlay amounts to about £5, and in
Belgium and France about £4 per person using the
facilities and accommodation, and, so far as can be
ascertained, the outlay at mines in the United Kingdom,
even with the exercise of the greatest economy, with
due regard to efficiency, will not be less than the latter
figure.

The type of baths and general arrangements at the
Lens No. 5 pit appeared to be most likely to meet the
conditions existing in the mines in the United Kingdom,
and at the same time, to be the most economical in first
cost, and also of maintenance.

In order to obtain some idea of the probable cost
of a building in corrugated iron, which appeared to be
the cheapest and most likely to come within the sum
placed at the disposal of the owners and persons
employed under the Act, the Committee asked Messrs.

Lysaght Limited, of Bristol, and Messrs, the

Carron Company, of the Carron Works, near Carron,
Falkirk, to give estimates of the sum for which
they would be prepared to erect buildings and bath
fittings, &c. These are appended to the report for the
information of those who are likely to adopt the facilities
provided by the Act.

It may be urged that corrugated iron will not be

SECTION A.B

2 *2 Timber Filling
Asbestos Cement Lining
10 >3'Rai I

Ceirient |>heeJjS|p

£

---- PART LONGITUDINAL section .---

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Fig. 3.—Proposed Building. Designed by Mr. Frank Brain.

latter system probably tends to a greater consumption
of water than when each man controls his own supply,
especially in cases where men come in for baths at odd
times, as then probably 8 to 10 sprays are kept going
in order to allow one man to have the supply for his
bath.

Where it is possible to obtain it, the water supply
should be of such a quality that it can be used for
drinking purposes, and, on the Continent, it is usually
obtained either from filtered pit water or from the local
town supply. Where water from a public supply is not
available, some standard of purity should be insisted
upon, and that the one adopted by the Departmental
Committee on Humidity and Ventilation in Cotton-
weaving Sheds, and a modification of the Regulation
mentioned on page 18 of their report dated January 7,
1909, should be incorporated in the Regulations dealing
with bathing facilities at mines.

The quantity used varies considerably, but an adequate
allowance is about 8 gallons per man per bath. This,
however, does not include the water necessary for
thoroughly cleaning the floor and walls of the building
and baths, which should be done daily, and an allowance
of probably other 8 gallons per head should be made for
this purpose.

The question of the water supply for the baths in
some localities will be a difficult matter, for often the
only water supply is that obtained from the pits them-

made elsewhere should be left to the discretion of the sufficiently substantial, but, if painted with rust-resisting
Committee of Management.	paint periodically, and properly looked after, it will be

The type and size of the machinery for the washing found to be satisfactory in use. The difficulty is that
and drying of the towels will vary according to the a brick building will be much more costly, and, if
number of persons taking baths, and it is, therefore, adopted, the sum available under the Act will be
impossible to estimate with any degree of accuracy j exceeded. This is especially the case with smaller

what the cost of the provision of the necessary mines. At large mines with outputs of 1,500 to 4,000
machinery will be, but, roughly, it will mean the tons per day, the number of men employed will probably
expenditure of not less than £100 over and above the justify the necessary expenditure on a brick or stone

amount required to provide the building, baths and
means of heating the water and building.

As to soap, the most economical and satisfactory
method to adopt is to provide each man with a small
tablet of soap sufficient for one bath. Messrs. Brenner,
Mond and Co. have done this with satisfactory results.
They obtain the soap in tablets of the size they require
from Messrs. J. Crossfield and Sons Limited, of Warring-
ton, the price being 30s. per cwt. Messrs. Christopher
Thomas and Co., of Bristol, also submitted samples
of suitable tablets of soap for inspection. Huckaback
towels, size 25 in. by 60 in. are obtained from Messrs,
Barlow and Jones, of 2, Portland-street, Manchester,
lettered “ B. M. & Co.”

Capital Outlay.

The amount of money available under section 77 of
the Coal Mines Act., viz., 3d. per head per week to meet
all expenses, including 5 per cent, per annum to the
owner of the mine on the capital outlay, is insufficient

building, and, in many cases, it is anticipated that the
owners of such collieries, if satisfied that the baths
would be used by the great majority of the workers
during the life of the mines, would be prepared to bear a
greater share of the cost of the buildings and fittings
than than they are called upon to contribute under the
provisions of section 77 of the Act. The provision of
baths, in the opinion of the Committee, especially at
fiery mines, would be a great safeguard, owing to the
less liability there would be of matches, pipes, cigarettes,
&c., being inadvertently taken into the mine. The home
conditions of the persons employed in and about mines
would also, if facilities for washing and cleaning clothes
were provided at the mine, be better from all points of
view.

The Committee are of opinion that in the great
majority of cases different requirements are unnecessary
in respect of different classes and descriptions of mines.
The only modifications would be as to the size of the