372

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

August 14, 1914.

missfires attributable to the new requirements. The
question arises, therefore, whether we have really
advanced very far in the direction of safety by the
substitution of the Rotherham for the Woolwich test.
Is it not possible, also, that the extra sensitiveness of
coal gas, as compared with firedamp, may be
responsible, at least in part, for some of the admitted
defects of the new Permitted List ? This question
seems to be answered in the affirmative by the
conclusions arrived at both at Lievin and Frameries.

Another point upon which M. Taffanel seems to
differ from British views is in regard to a criterion
for the relative inflammability of coal dusts. Experi-
ments have been made with the object of confirming
the conclusions arrived at in this country with
regard to the value of the pyridine extract for
this purpose. M. Taffanel finds that, although
the method is delicate, it does not appear to give any
better results than the determination of volatile
matter. In the absence of further details it is
impossible to say how far this deduction is warrant-
able, and we shall hope to find material for its
complete study at a later stage.

Of the numerous other points which have come
under M. Taffanel’s investigation, including further
researches on the efficiency of barriers in checking
coal dust explosions, stone dusting experiments both
in the gallery and in the Commentry mine, laboratory
researches on the velocity of reaction of explosive
combustions, cinematographic observations of the
mechanism of explosions, experiments in electric
shotfiring, and other important questions, we must
for the present pass by with the remark that the
year’s work at Lievin appears to have been full of
results of the utmost value, and creditable alike to
M. Taffanel and his colleagues. The thought
naturally arises at this stage of the coal dust enquiry
whether the time has not come for an international
conference upon this question. In this connection,
Mr. McKenna’s assurance given in the House of
Commons recently is satisfactory. But all these
arrangements of the pacific scientist are now
hopelessly compromised.

LABOUR AND WAGES.

South Wales and Monmouthshire.

South Griffin Colliery, Blaina, has been idle for more than
two months, owing to a. strike, but terms have now been
arranged so that the stoppage is at an end, and 900 men
will return to work.

At Ffaldau, also, after five weeks’ strike on the non-
unionist question and that relating to “ show cards,” the
dispute is at an end. The management forbid picketing on
the colliery premises or examination of cards.

Between 200 and 300 men are idle at Blaenavon owing
to damping down of the furnace, reduced wages having
been refused.

About 1,500 men are involved in a stoppage which is
likely to take place at Dowlais, this week, not due to the
war, but to lack of orders.

A striking feature of the situation is that the Socialists
among miners’ leaders are entirely at one with their fellows
in recognising the justice of British intervention in the
war. Messrs. Hartshorn and Stanton, to name no others,
have given strong. expression, of their feeling, recognising
that from the standpoint of the wage earner, the contest is
one against militarist aggression, unwarranted and inexcus-
able. Mr. Watts Morgan (Bhondda), of the more moderate
section, has also made a powerful appeal for unity, point-
, ing out that supplies of coal to the navy are an absolute
necessity.

No improvement can be recorded as to the position of the
anthracite collieries. Indeed, the dislocation of all busi-
ness in France, the great market, combines with the
difficulties of shipment from this side to make an effective
barrier to operations. In the Neath Valley area alone
between 4,000 and 5,000 men are idle.

North of England.

The quarterly meeting of the Conciliation Board for the
regulation of the wages of the Durham miners was held
at the Coal Trade Offices, Newcastle, on Friday. Sir
Lindsay Wood, Bart., presided. It was reported that the
accountants’ certificate showed a reduction in the selling
price for the three months ended June 30. The owners put
forward the following resolution :—“ Owing to the present
position of national affairs, the owners, although entitled
by the figures of the ascertainment to a reduction of wages,
do not propose that the question should be considered to-day,
but suggest that the matter be deferred until the next
ordinary meeting of the Board. The miners’ representatives
expressed their appreciation of the action of the owners.
Mr. John Wilson, M.P., expressed his satisfaction at the
owners’ willingness to allow wages to remain as they were,
owing to the circumstances in which things were at
present. At the same time he thanked the owners for their
kindness to the families of Reserve men in allowing them
to remain in the colliery houses, and giving them coals while
the husbands were on active service, as well as remitting
rents of those who lived in rented houses. The proposal
was adopted.

Federated Area.

The dispute which arose at the Shirland pit of the Black-
well Colliery Company respecting the price paid for
“ ripping ” has now been settled. The company had
previously agreed to instal self-registering instruments, in
place of beam weighing machines, on their pit banks, and
the ripping dispute was referred to the County Disputes
Board. Thursday, the 6th inst., was the third day’s sitting,
and at the commencement of the proceedings Mr. M. S.
Brodhurst, who sat as umpire, suggested a compromise,
which he pointed out was especially desirable in view of
the grave crisis through which the country was passing.
The two parties promptly accepted the suggestion, and the
result of their conferring together was that an amicable
settlement was arrived at. The men asked for 4s. 6d. per
yard for ripping over any length of coal face, and the agree-
ment, duly signed by both sides, provides that the full
amount shall be paid for the first 30 yds., and half that
rate afterwards. This scale, it is stated, is satisfactory
to the men.

There is prospect of serious trouble in regard to the
minimum wage award applicable to West Yorkshire
collieries, which concerns nearly 60,000 men. A special
meeting of the Council of the Yorkshire Miners’ Association
was held at Barnsley on Saturday to consider the matter.
Mr. H. Smith (president) explained that under the award
of Judge Amphlett (the independent chairman for the
district), made on the 21st ult., an advance of 4d. per day
was awarded. The Coal Owners’ Association asked for a
meeting on the 5th inst. to consider the question of a
modification of the award. The miners’ officials refused to
meet to discuss such a proposal. They were willing to
agree to an adjournment of the meeting at the request of
the Owners’ Association, subject to the men continuing at
work on the new scale, but the owners asked that the old
rate should still be in force. But for the trouble arising
from the war the association would, Mr. Smith stated, have
taken the only course of insisting upon the award, which
was equal to an Act of Parliament, being complied with.
The council instructed the delegates to ask the branches
to decide what action shall be taken, but it was hoped the
owners would pay what was legitimately due. A resolution
was adopted protesting against the action of the West
Yorkshire coal owners, and calling attention to the fact that,
when appeals are being made on all sides for patriotism and
loyalty, the West Yorkshire coal owners are refusing to
carry out the law as to the minimum wage. The council
also decided to ask the Miners’ Federation to call a confer-
ence at once to decide whether the men shall give notice
to fight the question in Yorkshire or through the conferences
as a whole. It was reported that applications had been
received from nearly 10,000 men for out of work pay owing
to stoppages at pits due to various causes. The stoppages
owing to the war have already affected about 3,000 members.

Notices issued by the Warwickshire Miners’ Association,
to expire on Tuesday at collieries at Arley, with the object
of bringing all the miners into the association, have been
Withdrawn in consequence of the war.

Scotland.

The resumed meeting of the Scottish Coal Trade Con-
ciliation Board, in connection with the employers’ appli-
cation for a reduction in wages to the extent of 25 per
cent, on the 1888 basis, or Is. per day in the present mini-
mum of 7s., took place in Glasgow on Friday. Mr. Adam
Nimmo presided, on behalf of the owners, and Mr. Robert
Smillie acted as vice-chairman in the miners’ interests. At
the outset Mr. Nimmo stated that, in view of the extreme
national gravity caused by the European War, it had been
decided, without prejudice to either side, to postpone their
application until there had been some sort of settlement.
This postponement was only temporary, and would entitle
owners to have their application reconsidered at the same
stage of procedure as it stood at the moment. It was
unanimously agreed to adopt the proposal.

COLLIERY ACCIDENTS.

Wharncliffe Silkstone Colliery Explosion.

Mr. P. P. Maitland (coroner) concluded his enquiry at
the 15th sitting on Thursday afternoon into the circum-
stances attending the death of the 12 men by an explosion
at the Wharncliffe Silkstone Colliery, Tankersley, on May

Mr. Robert Nelson, H.M. electrical inspector of mines,
gave evidence of two inspections of the district in the pit
after the explosion. At the Sunday inspection Mr. Nelson
said there was general agreement that the coal cutter was
a possible and even a likely cause of ignition. He fitted a
piece of wood into the two holes in the coal cutter frame.
On the following day an electric lamp was placed inside the
case of the coal cutter. The position and size of the larger
of the two holes in the coal cutter frame could be plainly
seen. Again the opinion was expressed that the coal cutter
was a likely cause of ignition. After hearing all the
evidence and the important statement of Capt. Desborough
that it was very unlikely that the lamps could have caused
it, “ having considered all the circumstances and weighed
them as well as I can,” witness continued : “I am of
opinion that the coal cutter is very likely to have caused it.
My evidence on this point is that the coal cutter in the con-
dition in which it was seen by me on May 31 (the day after
the explosion) would sooner or later quite certainly ignite
inflammable gas if surrounded by it. That view is based
upon the knowledge that a small spark from a 500 volt
continuous current circuit will ignite a mixture of firedamp
and air, and the experience of the explosion at Cadean
Colliery on October 22, 1909, when a motor supplied with
the same kind of current at the same pressure actually did
ignite an explosive mixture of firedamp and air.” There
were two facts, Mr. Nelson considered, from which it might
be inferred that the coal cutter motor was or had been
sparking on the morning of the explosion, viz., the condition
of the commutator, and the fact that the coal cutter atten-
dant found it necessary to remove the cover. Having heard
the evidence, and having in mind the certainty that the coal
cutter would cause an explosion if surrounded by an inflam-
mable mixture, it was in his opinion impossible to resist
the conclusion that the coal cutter did in fact fire the gas.

Referring to the inspection of the electrical plant at the
colliery, Mr. Nelson said the gate end box was not flame-
proof, nor was the starting switch frame of the conveyor
motors. His opinion was that the examination for flame-
proofness about No. 2 face had been neglected, and that
examination generally of the electrical apparatus in the
mine had been infrequent. It was clear from the log-book
that the examination of the electrical apparatus had been
spasmodic rather than systematic. Other irregularities

appeared, and the log-book seems to have been entered in
a perfunctory way. Where this was the case it was never
any surprise to find indifferent examination of apparatus in
the mine,, with risk, great or small, depending on the cir-
cumstances, to the men employed.

By Mr. Mottram (H.M. inspector of mines) : Though the
electrician was nominally responsible for his assistants, he
thought if the assistants failed to carry out the work it
would be hard to make the electrician responsible.

During the last 10 years witness said there had been four
or five cases where gas had been ignited from these con-
tinuous current motors.

By the Coroner : There was no case exactly parallel to
this. In each of the other cases the machines did not
purport to be thoroughly airtight. That did not alter the
fact that the same kind of current and same pressure ignited
the gas. In each of those cases it was supposed the gas
would not interfere with the working of the machines. He
thought in every case there was some interference with the
ventilation from the normal conditions, and in that way
these cases were parallel to this case.

The Coroner : In these circumstances they were running
risks?—Witness : Under certain circumstances.

Mr. Mottram referred to the fact that there was no sign
of force or burning in the commutator box in this case, and
said this was suggested to be evidence against gas having
been ignited inside the box. He asked if witness had any
experience of experiments bearing on that point.

Witness said after the Hulton disaster four years ago a
great many experiments were made, because it was argued
that because there was no sign of blast in the switchbox
that could be set free from suspicion of having caused the
explosion. Experiments made it necessary to qualify that
conclusion. Small pieces of cotton wool were placed inside
the cover of the switchbox, and explosions were caused. They
got instances in which there was not the slightest trace of
burning of the cotton wool, and there were also explosions
showing signs of burning of the cotton wool. The con-
clusion arrived at was that when the explosion was quick
it passed over the cotton wool without showing the slightest
trace, and when the explosion was slow the cotton wool was
burnt.

By Mr. Neal : No explosion had occurred when machines
properly enclosed had been worked. He considered there
was evidence that the machine was sparking by the fact
that the cover was removed on the morning of the explosion.
There could be no other reason for taking it off, though he
agreed the machine man might have been repeatedly
opening the case cover to examine the brushes, owing to
sparking. He agreed that after the changing of the
armature the machine should be inspected by a competent
person.

By Mr. Mottram : He had never seen a continuous electric
driven coal cutter without sparking.

By Mr. Roebuck (Yorks Miners’ Association) : Witness
said he understood Bailey, who worked the coal cutter,
was on piece work, and that he was a contractor responsible
for the wages of a number of men. Mr. Nelson, proceeding,
said he agreed that it was undesirable that the matter of
safety should be in the hands of a man who was in the pit
to earn as much as he could whilst in the pit. As a general
proposition it was undesirable that any apparatus which
involved safety shoqld be under his care. Witness repeated
that he was still of the opinion that the coal cutter had
ignited the gas. He could not see any other possibility
that was anything like so strong.

A Juror : If it is necessary for safety lamps to be used
in the mine, do you think that coal cutters are really safe
in the mine? Witness : Well, it is a question of mainten-
ance. If the machine is perfectly maintained it is safe.

The Coroner said he w’ished to thank the jury for the
patient and careful attention they had given to the case
and all who had assisted at the enquiry. They had to
decide, he said, whether the deaths of the men was due
to accident or was it a disaster that should never have
occurred. If they- were satisfied there Was neglect on the
part of one or more persons, which had caused the deaths
of the men, they would have to say whether the neglect
was such as to amount to criminal neglect. On the evidence
he did not see how they could say that this was a pure
accident. They had to give their verdict on the evidence,
not on outside talk, and if they considered there was care-
lessness or negligence, they would have to say whether it
amounted to criminality. No expert evidence was needed
to prove what was patent to anyone with commensense,
that if there was gas in the workings, and the ventilation
was stopped, it would accumulate. Gas had been found in
the pit in small quantities, and it was reported having
been found on the shift previous to the explosion. They
had to consider what precautions were taken in such a state
of things.. It was necessary that before the stoppage of
the fan orders should have been given to withdraw the
men for possible danger. As to whether such an order w’as
given the evidence would require careful examination. Was
notice given to the proper persons and was it a proper
notice? The explanation of Mr. Walker, the managing
director, on the matter was not satisfactory—that the
manager and undermanager were busy. An important
matter like that, involving the safety of men, ought not
to be subject to certain persons being busy or not. They
would have to consider who was responsible for allowing the
fan to be stopped with the men in the workings, and if they
decided they were, was the neglect criminal neglect. He
thought, despite the expert theories, the evidence showed
the cause of the explosion wras due to the defective coal
cutter. Of course, it did not follow that electrical coal
cutters were a source of danger if properly taken care of.
It was a defect that w’as dangerous, and it ought not to
exist. Electrical coal cutting machines had been proved
to be of immense value in coal mines, but like safety lamps,
they required to be properly used, and regularly and
systematically inspected, otherwise they might just
as well say they might as well have no safety
lamps in the pit. The jury would have to decide
if there had been a regular and systematic inspection
of the coal cutting machine by efficient persons appointed
for the purpose, and also who was responsible for the
running of the machine with a palpable defect, and also
was the neglect of a criminal character.

The jury spent several hours in considering the verdict,
which was as follows : “ That the 12 men lost their lives
by an explosion of coal gas on May 30, caused by the
stoppage and restarting of the fan, that a defective coal
cutting machine running at the face caused ignition, and
we are of opinion that the whole of the management have
been very negligent, but not criminally so.” The jury
added a rider trusting the Home Office would give such
instructions so that the management might be more careful
in future.