October 30 1914. THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. 939 The By-Product Coking Industry and Its Relation to the Manufacture of Iron and Steel. G. S. Cooper. “Colliery Guard.,” Sept. 25, p. 663; 6 fig. (Paper contributed to Iron and Steel Inst.) Coke Recovered from the Cupola Dump. W. J. Keep. “ Steel and Iron,” Sept. 14, p. 1105. (Address Amer. Fdrymn’s. Assoc.) Electrical Separation of Tar from Coal Gas. A. H. White, R. B. Rowley, C. K. Wirth. “ Gas Age,” Sept. 15, p. 261; 4 fig. (Paper read before Michigan Gas Accoc. Deals with an electric process. Experiments demonstrate that gas may be completely freed from suspended tar particles with an expendi- ture of about 0’2 kw. hours per 25,000 cu. ft. of gas pumped per hour.) XXIV.—Fuels, Testing, etc. 'The Purchase of Coal on Specifications : II. F. R. Wadleigh. “ Coal Age,” Sept. 12, p. 422. The Purchase of Coal on Specifications : III. F. R. Wadleigh. “ Coal Age,” Oct. 10, p. 581. (Considers particularly the effects of sulphur on the actual value of coal.) Oil v. Coal in our Ships. James Armstrong. “ The World’s Work,” Oct. 1914, p. 493. Peat at Codigro (La Torbiera di Codigro). “ L. Ind. Chim. Min. e Metall.,” Sept. 25, p. 337. A Study of Some Austrian Locomotive Tests. L. H. Fry. “ Engineering,” Oct. 9, p. 439; Oct. 16, p. 468; 7 fig. Honeycomb and Clinker Formation. S. W. Parr. “ Coll. Guard.,” Oct. 9, p. 770. (Paper read before Internat. Rly. Fuel Assoc.) Utilisation of Heat Contained in Slag. W. L. John- son. “ Colliery Guard.,” Sept. 25, p. 677; 4 fig. (Paper cont. Iron and Steel Inst.) .Relation of Composition of Ash in Coal to its Fusing Temperature. J. H. K. Burgwin. “ Journ. Ind. Eng. Chem.,” 6, p. 694. Recording Pyrometers. C. R. Darling. “Trans. Faraday Soc.,” Aug., p. 139; 6 fig. Ash Influence on Fuel Value of Small Anthracite Coal. F. G. Philo. “Power,” Sept. 22, p. 416; 2 fig. Making Anthracite Culm Pile Pay a Big Dividend. P. W. Thomas. “ Black Diamond,” Oct. 17, p. 307. ;(The use of anthracite waste in the manufacture of graphite at Niagara.) XXV.—Steam Engines and Boilers. •Condensers and their Auxiliaries. R. N. Ehrhart. “ Steel and Iron,” Sept. 28, p. 1177; 8 fig. (Abst. paper read before Iron and Steel El. Engin., Cleve- land; deals mainly with Leblanc type of condenser.) Flywheels: I.. “Vulcan,” Oct., p. 68; 4 fig. Explosion from a Steam Pipe Joint at the Celynen Col- liery. Oct. 2, p. 731; 2 fig. The Robey Patent Uniflow Engine. “ Colliery Guard.,” Sept. 25, p. 666; 1 fig. New Water Tube Boiler. “Power,” Oct. 6, p. 482; 3 fig. (Boiler made by T. T. Parker, N.Y.) Pulverised Coal Burning in the Cement Industry. R. C. Carpenter. Pulverised Coal for Steam Making. F. R. Low. An Installation for Powdered Coal Fuel in Industrial Furnaces, with Discussion. W. Dalton and W. S. Quigley. “ Jour. Soc. Meeh. Engin.,” Oct., p. 337; 35 fig. XXVI.—Compressed Air. The Alley and Maclellan Air Compressors. “ Engi- neer,” Oct. 9; p. 351; 4 fig. A Remarkable Air Compressor Record. F. Richards. “ Compressed Air,” Oct., p. 7363; 1 fig. XXVII.—Electricity. The Operation of Rotary Converters at Coal Mines. C. A. Tupper. “ Coal Age,” Sept. 26, p. 506; 7 fig. Schrage Patent Three-Phase Commutator Motor with Shunt Regulation by Brush Displacement. “ El. Rev.,” Sept. 25, p. 445; 5 fig. Large Induction Motors : Some Features of Mechanical Design. G. Moores. “El. Rev.,” Oct. 2, p. 452; 8 fig. The Electrification of the Cottonwood Coal Company’s Mines. C. Webber. “ Coal Age,” Sept. 19; p. 454; 2 fig. The Economic Justification for the Use of Electric Power in Collieries. R. Holiday. “ Iron Coal Tr. Rev.,” Oct. 9, p. 448. (Pres. addr. Assoc. Min. EL Engin.J Earth Connections. F. H. Davies. “ El. Rev.,” Oct. 16, p. 537; 7 fig. Electricity in Coal Mines. J. Liston. “ Canad. Min. Journ.,” Oct. 1, p. 640; 4 fig. Mine locomotives, hoists, pumps, ventilating fans, and air compressors, rock and coal crushers, breakers and tipples, coal cutters.) Sizes of Motors Driving Centrifugal Pumps. E. M. Marshall. “ Power,” Sept. 15, p. 383; 1 fig. XXVIII.—Surface Transport. New Types of American Mining Cars. “ Steel and Iron,” Sept. 21, p. 1137; 5 fig. Coal-Handling Plant on the United States Fleet Collier “ Jupiter.” “ Engineering,” Oct. 23, p. 503; 11 fig. Rotterdam as a Coal Port. F. J. Warden-Stevens. “ Colliery Guard.,” Oct. 23, p. 867; 6 fig. The Coaling of Warships. F. J. Warden-Stevens. “ Colliery Guard.,” Oct. 2, p. 715; 3 fig. A New Method for Transporting Small Coal. E. Koenigs. “ Colliery Guard.,” Oct. 2, p. 730; 3 fig. (From Proc. S. Wales Inst. Engin.) Coal Handling Plant at Charleston. “ Collierv Guard.,” Oct. 2, p. 737. Coaling at Las Palmas. “ Colliery Guard.,” Oct. 9, p. 772; 1 fig. New Belt-Conveying Coal-Loading Plant at Port Talbot. Colliery Guard.,” Sept. 25, p. 667; 4 fig. Modern Coal Handling at Charleston. “ Manuf. Rec.,” Sept. 17, p. 51; 2 fig. XXIX.—Sanitation, Diseases, etc. Miners’ Nystagmus. “ Colliery Guard.,” Oct. 9, p. 767. CONTRACTS OPEN FOR COAL AND COKE. For Contracts Advertised in this issue received too late for inclusion in this column, see Leader and Last White pages. Abstracts of Contracts Open. Downpatrick (Ireland), November 4.—Best household coal and also steam coal, for the Secretary to the County Council. Tenders to the Court House. Gravesend, November 3.—Coal and coke for the Town Council. Forms from Town Clerk. Goole, November 3.—About 100 tons of steam coal and 80 tons of house coal for the Guardians. Forms from C. H. Coggrave, clerk, Bank-chambers, Goole. Rugby, November 2.—About 150 tons of Whitwick Deep coal for the Rector and Churchwardens. Tenders to W. T. Simmonds, Elborow House, Rugby. Thurlaston (near Rugby), November 3.—About 80 tons of best coal or cobbles free from slack (Moira and Donis- thorpe) for the Trustees of the Thurlaston Poor Plot Charity. Tenders to W. D. Barnwell, Dunchurch. The date given is the latest upon which tenders can be received. CONTRACTS OPEN FOR ENGINEERING, IRON AND STEEL WORK, Ac. Bull Bay, near Amlwch (Anglesey), October 31.______ Waterworks— Pumping station and plant, concrete service reservoir, and laying about 3,500 lineal yds. of cast iron S. and F. water pipes, and other works, for the Marquis of Anglesey. Specifications from T. B. Farrington and Son, civil engineers, Llandudno, on deposit of £3 3s. (returnable). Blackpool, November 19.—Boilers, etc.—For the Elec- tricity Committee: Water tube . boiler (40,0001b. duty), mechanical stokers, economisers, steel chimney, coal storage hopper, one 1,500 kw. turbo-alternator, surface condenser, and auxiliaries. Specification from C. Furness, borough electrical engineer, Electricity Works, West Caroline-street, Blackpool. Broughton (near Chester), November 11.—Plant.—For the Hawarden Rural District Council : Gas engines, suc- tion gas plants and dynamos, switchboard and storage bat- tery. Specification from H. G. Roberts, clerk, Council Offices, Broughton, on deposit of £2 2s. (returnable). Connah’s Quay (Chester), November 6.—Plant.—For the Urban District Council : Gas engines, suction gas plants, etc. Specification from Messrs. A. J. Leigh and Partners, Bank-chambers, Northwich, on deposit of £2 2s. (return- able). Cowes.—Steel Liners.—Three bored and turned flanged steel liners, Ilin, diameter, for the Urban District Council. Particulars from J. W. Webster, water engineer, Cowes (I.O.W.). PORTARLINGTON (IRELAND), NOVEMBER 13.— Well.—Sink- ing a well and erection of a pump, for the Mountmellick Rural District Council. Specification from J. B. Bannon, Council Offices, Mountmellick. Staverton, November 2.— Well.—Sinking a well for the Totnes Rural District Council. Particulars from P. Pearce, sanitary engineer, South Brent. Westerham (Kent), November 6.—Reservoirs.—Two ser- vice reservoirs for the Metropolitan Water Board. Specifi- cation from Board Offices, Savoy-court, Strand, W.C., on deposit of £10 (returnable). Grimsby Coal Exports. — During the week ending October 23 the shipments of coal from Grimsby as shown by the official returns were as follow :—Foreign : To Ber- muda, 417 tons; Christiania, 1,549; Dieppe, 1,180; Dram- men, 1,625; Gefle, 3,687; Halmstad, 752; Helsingborg, 5,993; Malmo, 5,469; Oxelosund, 1,204; Skein, 839; Skuts- kar, 1,900; Stocka, 1,558; Stockholm, 1,597; Trondhjem 2,298; and Ystad, 2,170. Coastal: To Whitstable, 280 tons ; and Yarmouth, 195; making a total of 32,238 tons foreign, and 475 tons coastwise, compared with 22,302 tons foreign and 1,358 tons coastwise for the corresponding period of last year. Safeguarding Mines During Winter Months.—The U.S. Bureau of Mines has just issued a number of precautions in regard to the proper ventilation of mines. The mine superintendent should be sure the ventilating fan is kept running at its regular speed 24 hours a day, whether men are in the mine or not. The fan should not be placed over the shaft or in front of a drift or slope opening to the mine, but should be at one side, so that it will not be disabled if an explosion takes place. Explosion doors can be placed in front of or over the mine opening to serve as a safety valve and keep the fan from being damaged. The merits of this arrangement have been proved in explosions at several mines. The fan should never be reversed while men are in the mine without full knowledge of the condi- tions and for the benefit of the men. Generally it is a serious mistake to reverse the air current. If there is a fire in the mine, it is apt to drive inflammable gases over the fire and cause an explosion. If the air current is reversed in a mine that makes gas, and in which some open lights are used, the inflammable gases may be pushed out on the naked lights, so that an explosion follows. The mine fore- man should see that airways have as large a cross section as is practicable, and dirt or slate should not *be permitted to accumulate in them. Falls should be removed as soon as discovered. Large airways and slow moving but ample cur- rents are better than narrow airways and air currents moving so fast that they stir up and carry coal dust. The fire boss should take on his rounds only his safety lamp and a port- able electric flash light, or better a “ permissible ” electric lamp, for examining the roadway to prevent stumbling before becoming accustomed to the darkness. Even in an open light mine, an open light should not be taken on inspection. ABSTRACTS OF PATENT SPECIFICATIONS RECENTLY ACCEPTED. 337 (1914). Improvements in Continuous Stills for the Dissociation of Chemical Solutions by Heat. R. Fabry, The White Building, Fitzalan-square, Sheffield.—The object of this invention is an improved dissociating still designed for treating economically any chemical solution which can be partially or totally dissociated by heat from the gas or gases which it contains in the form of dissolved chemical compounds. The invention is characterised by arranging the various parts of the dissociated still so that a regulated proportion of the cold solution which is to be dissociated flows into the dephlegmator for the purpose of recuperating most of the water vapour and valuable gases, which would otherwise escape along with the gaseous products of the dissociation whilst the remainder of the cold solution which is to be dissociated enters the preheater for the purpose of recuperating most of the heat available in the dissociated solution before the latter leaves the still. According to the invention, the dissociating still consists of four distinct main parts, either joined direct or- connected to each other by suitable piping, and each of which is built so as to answer efficiently the special purpose for which it is provided. It may be advantageous to work the still forming the object of the present invention under several atmospheres of pres- sure, when by doing so, the separation of the gases which it is desired to evacuate from those which it is desired to retain in the dissociated liquor is thereby facilitated. For instance, when dissociating liquor containing carbonates and sulphides of ammonia, an increase of pressure considerably increases the dissolving power of the liquor for caustic ammonia, whilst such working pressure does not materially affect the temperature of dissociation. It follows, therefore, that the caustic ammonia will be more easily retained in the liquor, and the loss of ammonia escaping with the gaseous products of dissociation much reduced. The accompanying drawing shows one of the more normal arrangements of the object of the invention. The bulk of the undissociated solution stored in the overhead tank 21 passes through the valve 26 and the pipe 27 into the chamber Y of the preheater D, whence it is distributed in and gradually rises through the tubes X, which, being heated by the dissociated solution, gradually descending around them, cause the undissociated solution to increase in temperature and to lose more and more of its 21 2’ El -G >E -F E >G ,K Y^22 II-23 ^-24 25-j z/; i| '! 15-j 17—1 W- /14 ’U <"— -4-^J B ““HL™ 12 W dissociable gaseous components. The solution which, when it reaches the chamber V, is practically at boiling point and partly dissociated, meets in this chamber V another regu- lated portion of partly dissociated solution, which is fed cold and undissociated into the top section of the dephleg- mator A by means of the valve 22, the funnel 24, and the pipes 23 and 25, and being subjected to the heat and move- ment imparted to it by the vapours and gases rising through the dephlegmator A, reaches the chamber V in a partly dissociated state and at a high temperature. The whole volume of hot and partly dissociated solution now flows through the pipe U into the dissociator B, wherein it is submitted to the heat and movement of the water vapour generated in the superheater C, owing to the heat afforded by the condensation of the live steam admitted into the steam shell P by means of the steam pipe 1, the steam reducing valve 3, and the steam stop valve 2. The said chemical solution becomes thereby completely dissociated from the gases and vapours, which it can liberate under the application of heat. The steam supply to the superheater C is so regulated that the thermometer 14 shows the tempera- ture which is necessary to ensure proper dissociation. The supply of cold undissociated solution to the dephlegmator A is also regulated by valve 22, so as to maintain a sufficiently low temperature at the thermometer K, and thereby prevent the escape of such gaseous compounds which should be retained in the dissociated solution. The dissociated solu- tion, after passing through the tubes Q of the superheater, then reaches the preheater D by means of the pipe T, and after abandoning a large portion of its heat to the incoming undissociated solution finally escapes to the collecting tank 29 by means of the connection 9, the pipes 17 and 15, the float valve 20, and the pipe 28. The mixture of water vapour and undissociated gases collects in the chamber V, whence it rises through the passages F and the bubbling