July 17, 1914. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. 157 CONTINENTAL MINING NOTES. ___________________ France. Our Paris correspondent writes :—It may now be said that the trouble in connection with the introduction of the eight hours day in France has for the moment been settled, and practically all the collieries are working normally. The men are far from satisfied, however, only they came to see that the masters are merely applying the Act as it stands, and in contesting the matter now they are simply opposing the law. Thus they have made up their minds to await Parliamentary action, which their representatives are instructed to push actively. What they really want is an eight hours day from pit head to pit head, with a half- hour meal time below included, and they certainly were under the impression that this is what they were going to get under the Act. They may stretch a point as regards the time occupied in going down and coming up, because they realise that any speeding up in these operations would lead to danger. In all some 18,000 men were really out in the Centre and Loire basins. Meantime the effect of the new Act, coupled with the stoppage, has been marked. In the Northern coalfield, during the first fortnight of the month, only 70,730 wagons were despatched, as compared with 74,096 in the same period last year, while the German competition has been much stimulated in the Lyons district, where the number of barges coming down the Saone from the Saar basin have noticeably increased during the last fortnight. Still the French collieries can continue to maintain prices, notwith- standing continued reductions in Belgium. There is a fresh reduction of the output in Germany after the recent small revival, which also helps the French situation, so that the prices for the annual contract of the Poor Law Authori- ties which was placed this week are on the highest level of the year. The congress of miners’ representatives held at Denain last week to discuss the situation, as well as deciding the policy to be pursued regarding the eight hours day, also decided to take action regarding the miners’ pension. The annual pension which the Government proposes to allow is 730 fcs. per annum to men of thirty years service, payable, of course, by the collieries. The miners, however, intend to press for the thirty years to be sub-divided into thirty, so that men with less than their period in any one mine shall get the period they have worked in so many thirtieths of 730fcs., and that from each mine in which they have worked. This, of course, promises complications and probable trouble. There can be no question that the labour situation in France is pressing very heavily on the mining industries, and is causing the big manufacturing interests to rely more and more upon foreign sources of supply. In 1905 the French collieries were able to supply 75 per cent, of the national consumption. To-day they can barely supply 65 per cent., and the percentage is still falling. During the last three years the imports have been as follows :— 1911. 1912. 1913. Britain ..........' 9,099,000 ... 9,022,000 ... 11,257,000 Belgium.......... 3,911,000 ... 3,515,000 ... 3,660,000 Germany ........ 2,994,000 ... 3,182,000 ... 3,482,000 Other countries... 228,000 ... 256,000 ... 294,000 16,232,000 ... 15,975,000 ... 18,693,000 Of course, France also exports some coal, chiefly to Belgium, which took 1,279,000 tons in 1911, 1,336,000 tons in 1912, and 1,304,000 in 1913. There was a slight accident at the Courrieres Collieries this week, through subsidence of the ground near some of the shafts, caused by recent heavy rains. In particular a bridge built of reinforced concrete gave way carrying several workmen with it. The Lens Colliery is still troubled with an inrush of water in the No. 9 pit, which will require extensive repair. The men have been taken out of it, and are distributed over the other workings. At the same time the company is opening up a new ventilating shaft. As regards the metallurgical industries, there is no change. Everyone seems quietly waiting for better times, and when capital can be aroused from its present torpor and confidence restored, these should come. On the whole the French iron trade has less to complain of than its neigh- bours, and the manufacturers are pushing their export business with greater activity just now. Much is expected from the promised big developments in Russia, especially in the railways, where a wide programme of expansion is in progress. Apart from the 3,500 goods wagons and 400 locomotives, which are to be ordered this year, it is under- stood that the Government will proceed to order 22,500 wagons and 200 locomotives for 1915, and 22,000 wagons and from 1,100 to 1,200 locomotives for 1917. French builders are expecting a good share of this business. Meanwhile the P.L.M. railway has placed orders for 1,000 box cars, 200 flats, 700 coal trucks, and 400 bogie carriages, all with home builders. _________________________ Germany. Ruhr Coal Market.—Business is naturally quiet, owing to the advent of the holidays and to stocktaking, and deliveries for home consumption are smaller in volume. The export trade, on the other hand, remains at a satisfactory level, and forms a welcome outlet, though prices are poor. At any rate, it enables the Syndicate to handle the full coal output for the current month. At home, the iron industry is still slack, and the unsatisfactory situation in the building trade is affecting other industries and their fuel require- ments, whilst coking coal is suffering from the poor demand for coke. In the coke market it is doubtful whether buyers can be found for even the greatly restricted output, and stocks at the cokeries are assuming disquieting dimensions. The up-river trade has been hampered by the low state of the Rhine; but there is no scarcity of coal in South Germany, business there being very quiet. Coal Market in South Germany.—The Main having been closed to traffic, most of the fuel usually destined for that district is going to the Upper Rhine ports, and stocks there are being replenished. Nevertheless, except perhaps as regards small coal for briquette making, the supplies are not as large as could be wished for the autumn demand. Industrial buyers continue to take their contract quantities, and house coals are in better request, in view of the higher price list which comes into force next month. Anthracite and smithy nuts are in better demand, but bituminous nuts are quieter, though the volume of business is not unsatis- factory for the time of the year. Gas coke and broken coke are also more active. Coal Market in Upper Silesia.—The traffic returns for June show a decline of nearly 40,000 wagons, as compared with the corresponding month of last year; and though, for the half-year, the total of 1913 is exceeded by some 55,000 wagons, this apparent surplus is really due to the cessation of business during the strike in 1913. Business is growing worse, the demand for house and gas coals being very low for the season, in consequence of the competition of English coals in the eastern districts and the capital. In industrial coals, the depression in the iron industry is still further checking the demand, and other industries are taking less fuel than usual. Coupled with these circumstances, and the low state of the river, is the continued growth of stocks at the pits, especially now that the trade with Austria is smaller. Russia continues a good customer, but consign- ments to the Balkan States are small. Hamburg Coal Trade.—Mr. H. W. Heidmann, of Ham- burg, writes as follows :—The imports of coal into Hamburg have been in June :—■ From Northumberland and Durham ..... Yorkshire, Derbyshire, etc........ Scotland ..................... Wales ....................... Coke ...................................... 1913. Tons. 230,762 65,499 114,244 9,499 1914. Tons. 261,992 62,510 103,184 11,001 ______ ______ Total ............ 441,693 ... 420,004 _________________________________ LETTERS TO THE EDITORS. ___________________________________________ The Editors are not responsible either for the statements made, or the opinions expressed by correspondents. All communications must be authenticated by the name and address of the sender, whether for publication or not. No notice can be taken of anonymous communications. As replies to questions are only given by way of published answers to correspondents, and not by letter, stamped addressed envelopes are not required to be sent. ______________________________________________________ FULLER’S EARTH AND INERT DUST TREATMENT. Sir,—Mr. Hill asserts that the writer is mistaken in stating that the Experimenting Committee recommend the use of shale dust, and that it is fullers’ earth which is recommended. The committee, in their 5th report, indifferently instance shale, flue dust, and fullers’ earth as suitable dusts to be used for the inert dust treatment, and, so far as the writer’s knowledge goes, the two first - mentioned are being chiefly used where inert dust treat- ment is being practised. From a chemical point of view, there is practically no difference between fullers’ earth and shale. Mr. Hill is rather optimistic in claiming experiment 225 as a successful demonstration of the application of 1 of fullers’ earth to 1 of coal dust. It must first be remarked that this experiment, along with all the experi- ments recorded in the 5th report, is not a practical experiment, inasmuch as it does not simulate practical conditions for it, and all experiments recorded in that report were made in a smooth gallery free from obstruc- tions. Your readers are referred to the 4th report to gather quite what an enormous difference this makes in the results. Further it is recorded in the 4th report that explosive combustion is set up in pure coal dust only after not less than 425 ft. of travel in a smooth gallery, and the pressure developed under these condi- tions was only 16 lb. per sq. in. It must be noted that in none of the experiments recorded in the 5th report is explosive combustion allowed to be attained before some mode of treatment is applied. But, referring in parti- cular to experiment 225, the standard conditions were, in the words of the committee, such that any slight alteration in the experimental conditions were sufficient to check propagation. The fullers’ earth and coal dust were present in quantities of 5 lb. of the former to lib. of the latter, which, Mr. Hill will agree, constitutes something different to a 50 per cent, mixture. The addition of 5 lb. of fullers’ earth to each lb. of coal dust must surely constitute rather more than a slight altera- tion to the conditions. Mr. Hill remarks that the successful experiments were carried out with fullers’ earth, and implies that a 1 to 1 mixture of this dust and coal dust will not support propagation. Perhaps he will explain the conditions of a successful experiment. From a comparison of experi- ments 300 and 313, it will be seen that a mixture of 4 of fullers ’ earth to 1 of coal dust will support propagation —and a comparison of 308 and 311 shows that there is practically no difference in the action, or want of it, of shale dust and fullers’ earth. And neither of them prevent propagation in mixtures of either and coal dust when the coal dust is present in the quantity of 0-4 ozs. or upwards per cu. ft., once this mixture is ignited. What little effect inert dust treatment actually has in preventing propagation can be gathered from a compari- son of experiments 294 and 296. In these experiments coal dust in the pure coal dust length is reduced down in quantity to conditions such that any slight alteration in the experimental conditions were sufficient to check propagation. But notwithstanding the feeble propa- gating action set up in the pure 'Coal dust length, due to insufficiency of coal dust, propagation indifferently pro- ceeded in both of these experiments until the modifying influence due to the approximity of the open end of the gallery was felt. A careful dissection of the 5th report shows that the committee apparently became alarmed or disappointed with the results they were obtaining about experiment 313, and started another series of experiments, which are very equivocal. Mr. Hill asserts that the quantity of uncombined silica present in fullers’ earth is negligible. This, of course, depends upon what constitutes a negligible quantity. Actually the quantity of uncombined silica in the fullers’ earth, as used by the Experimenting Committee, is about 35 per cent, out of a total of 58 per cent. The quantity combined with alumina to form silicate of alumina will not be more than 23 per cent., for there is not more than about 20 per cent, of alumina present in the fullers’ earth as used by the Committee, and it may be remarked that the total silica is lower and the alumina higher in this particular fullers’ earth than some samples that have come under the writer’s notice. It cannot be said that quantities of between 30 and 40 per cent, are negligible. Mr. Hill’s question—“ Can anyone pretend that a steady application of 7 cwt. of fine dust during 24 hours over a mile of roadway is going to make any difference at all noticeable by people engaged therein?”—is most illuminating, for it shows he has no idea of the insidious action of silica-bearing dusts. As he gives a certain amount of data of a concrete case at a South Wales colliery, let us make a comparison. In previous correspondence the writer has referred to comparatively recent tests made by an inspector of fac- tories on behalf of a Departmental Committee. These tests were made for the purpose of ascertaining the quantity of fine floating dust contained in certain factory work rooms : the dust in question was essentially a silicate of alumina, and contained 20 per cent, or less of uncombined silica. The first words of that inspector’s report should be compared with Mr. Hill’s question. These are :—“ Visiting factories with members of the committee it at once became obvious that in many instances at least the amount of dust in the air could only be small, and that an apparatus of considerable delicacy was necessary for its estimation. The average of 48 determinations was 0-017 grain per cu. ft. It must be remarked that very stringent regulations were formulated, and are now strictly enforced, based upon the results of these tests. The data Mr. Hill gives is 7 cwt. of fine dust put into sus- pension in 24 hours over a mile of road. If this mile of roadway has an average sectional area of 100 sq. ft., the number of cu. ft. in a mile of such road will be 528,000, and as there is 5,488,000 grains in 7 cwt., this will give rather more than 10 grains of dust to the cu. ft. Comparison, 10 grains as against 0-017, or nearly 1,000 to one. But that comparison is not quite correct, for there would be an air current of some kind passing along this road. Therefore we will assume that 50,000 cu. ft. of air per minute be passing along this road, and the fine floating dust be fed into this so that every cu. ft. of air which passes through during the 24 hours takes its quota of the 7 cwt. of dust. In the 24 hours 72,000,000 cu. ft. of air will pass, and if the 7 cwt. of dust be distributed through this, each cu. ft. will have in it rather more than 0-076 grain of dust dangerous to health, which is over four times more than the average amount of dust for which the afore- mentioned stringent regulations were made and enforced to guard against. It will also be observed that the dust used in the mine contains the higher percentage of uncombined silica contents. Such -a quantity of dust would not be noticeable by people engaged therein at the time, and if it were simply a question of inconvenience it would be frivolous to raise any objection thereto. But the action of silica-bearing dusts is insidiously cumulative and deadly. It takes some time to get hold, but once it has, the result then becomes noticeable, but it is then too late to obviate the result. The writer, quite casually, came across a case of miner’s phthisis (coal miner) during the course of the last few days. As far as age went the man.was only in his prime. He was not totally incapacitated, but the disease was at the stage when it had compelled him to relinquish underground work. As treatment his medical adviser had ordered him to be continually in the open air. He was then seeking open air work. Will this be a reprieve, or only a respite? In any case the man has a period of lessened earning capacity before him. Such cases at present are not common, but in view of the extending practice of introducing fine dusts highly silica-bearing into the mines this will soon be altered. E. O. Simcock. Hanley, Staffordshire, July 15, 1914. _____________________________ The reference in a recent article to the suggestive comments which were made in certain quarters some six years ago appears to have been misconstrued into a suggestion that the Chief Inspector of Mines is a relation of the Prime Minister. This is not so, and the reference does not, and was not intended to, convey any such interpretation. Coal in Argentina.—According to the U.S. Consul, Mr. W. Dawson, junr., of Rosario, 4,046,278 metric tons of coal were imported into Argentina in 1913. This was an increase of 338,322 tons as compared with the preceding year. Imports by countries were, in metric tons, as follow in 1912 (latest figures available) :—From Germany, 56,450; United Kingdom, 3,499,989: United States, 115,901; other countries, 35,616—total, 3,707,956. Imports of American coal during the five years from 1908 to 1912 amounted to 165,800 tons, of which 115,901 tons were imported in 1912. Thfe authori- ties of the Port of Buenos Ayres having asked permission of the Argentine Ministry of Finance to acquire 350 tons of North American coal in order to ascertain whether its use will result more satisfactorily than that from other countries, a decree has been published under date of March 28 according the necessary authority. The 350 tons referred to are being supplied bv Acosta and Company, at the price of $9’12 Argentine gold ($8’80 U.S. currency) per ton. A second decree bearing same date authorises the prolongation of the existing coal contract with Wilson. Sons and Company until such time as tests have been made, when new tenders will be called for. The price paid under this contract with Messrs. Wilson is $8 gold ($7’72 U.S. currency) per ton, plus manipulating and delivery cost, valued at a further $1’37 ($1’22 U.S. currency) per ton. Coal exports from the United States to Argentina, which had been formerly negligible, assumed considerable proportions in 1913. the total bituminous being 279.993 tons, valued at $890,247. The exports of such coal to Argentina during the first three months of 1914 totalled 57.067, valued at $166,610.