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THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

November 6, 1914.

company, whose business it has been to develop as
many pits as they could, without regard to the
economic need for them. But, owing to the gratuitous
advertisement provided for the German promoters by
the Daily Telegraph and others, many British investors
lost their money. The vendors in 1910 formed a
company with a capital of £600,000, not including
debentures, £150,000 only being subscribed in
Germany. The directors were J. C. A. Henderson,
R. Littlejohn, W. M. Frank Schneider, R. J.
Turner, and Col. J. R. Wright. The company has
been a total failure, notwithstanding that further
capital has been raised from time to time, and a
notice has now been issued in the London Gazette
to dissolve the company and remove the name from
the register. The work was, indeed, carried out by
British consulting engineers and miners. A local
gentleman was appointed engineer to the company,
and his brother as manager, and they retained these
positions until the pits closed down about two years
ago. Two shafts were sunk ; one was carried to a
depth of 480 yds., and the other to about 360 yds.
Great difficulty was, however, experienced during
the sinkings through a tremendous volume of water,
and some of the most modern machinery was
introduced to cope with the water. Beds were also
prepared for the winding engine machinery, and it
is probably these concrete beds which gave rise to
the present rumour. Two years ago the work of
sinking the shafts was stopped. The whole story
conveys a moral, which it is unnecessary to elaborate.

Then there is the Harworth Colliery, in South
Yorkshire. This is the colliery owned by the
Northern Union Mining Company Limited, in which
a greatly predominant interest is held by Herr
Stinnes. Unequivocally a German enterprise, the
German workmen employed in sinking the shafts
have now most of them been interned as aliens, and
steps are being taken to get rid of the entire German
element. Indeed, it is probable that a well-known
local colliery proprietor will add to his already
numerous enterprises in the district, if certain
formalities in connection with the ‘ ‘ Trading with the
Enemy ” proclamation can be arranged. There is
little chance of the Harworth Colliery being of any
service to the enemy.

Our own judgment is that, far from German
interests in our pits constituting a danger to this
country in time of war—as they may in time of
peace—they must be looked upon as a bad bargain
for the German investor in the turn of events.

The Explosions in Mines Com-
Eskmeals : mittee have arrived at some measure

Sixth	of finality so far as to be in a

Report.	position to indicate definitely what

precautionary measures should, in
their opinion, be adopted with a view to the pre-
vention of coal dust explosions. The elaborate
series of experiments carried out during the past
three years is held to establish, so far as experi-
ments can, certain methods whereby these explosions
can be either prevented from occurring at all or
at least rendered comparatively harmless. These
methods possess the advantage of being apparently
simple, and there is no valid reason why they should
not be given a fair trial in every colliery in which
such measures are by the circumstances of the case
called for. Briefly they consist either in stone-
dusting to the extent necessary to make a 1 : 1
mixture of stone dust and coal dust, or in in-
corporating 30 per cent, of water in intimate mixture
with the coal dust, or in a combination of these two
methods.

The experiments upop. which these measures are
based have been conducted with the greatest care,
and it is difficult to see how any other conclusions
can be drawn from them, and our belief in their
efficacy has been greatly strengthened by the fact
that in this Sixth Report we are given the details of
important experiments made in the presence of small
percentages of gas. We may admit, therefore, that
under the experimental conditions adopted, a most
encouraging result has been obtained, and it is
proved that the presence of firedamp does not
appreciably diminish the protective effect that can

be expected from the adoption of the measures here
recommended. On the whole the Committee incline
to the view that the combination of stone dust and
water is to be preferred to either method alone.

It remains, therefore, only to consider how far
these methods can be considered as practicable in
their application to working conditions in the pit.

Considering in the first place the method of
watering, there are, as is admitted, many pits where
the use of water jets is undesirable, especially as
water thus crudely administered must be used in
large excess to produce even an approximately
satisfactory result, and the great disadvantage of
this method is the difficulty, amounting almost to the
impossibility, of ensuring the uniform distribution
of water through the whole of the coal dust. The
result is more often to produce a patchy condition
of wet mud and half-damped dust upon which no
reliance can be placed. This can, however, be
avoided by using atomisers to secure a water mist,
by which means it was found possible to produce
more satisfactory results than by any other method.
We thus arrive at the important conclusion that
practical immunity from coal dust explosions can be
secured by means of a water mist, throughout all
the roadways, sufficient to maintain at all times
30 per cent, of water in the dust,

In practice the difficulty would be to maintain
this condition by repeated applications at intervals
depending upon the rate of drying, which would
naturally vary not only in different pits, but from
day to day, or even from hour to hour, in the same
pit. Even where there is no objection to the use
of water in this way, there would be considerable
difficulty in bringing all collieries under a uniform
regulation as to its application, and probably it
would be necessary to leave a good deal to the
discretion of the management.

With regard to stone-dusting the practical difficul-
ties are not so obvious. For stone dust does not
evaporate, and the intervals between successive
applications can be more rigorously defined. In
this case the main probkm is to find a suitable
incombustible material. We referred last week to
this point in some detail, and it is satisfactory to
find that the Committee fully recognise the importance
of the points we then discussed. We gather from
this report that the question of the physiological
effects of various kinds of dust is still under
investigation, and it is to be presumed that the
Home Office will await Dr. Haldane’s report upon
this matter before any stone dusting regulation is
made. It' is clearly beyond the province of the
Eskmeals Committee to deal with this aspect of stone
dusting, but we do not see how any definite action
can be taken until it has been thoroughly investigated.
But whatever the physiological effect of inhaling
mineral dust may be, its dangers would clearly be
greatly reduced by the combination of the wet and
dry methods as suggested in this report. Whether
such a combined method could reasonably be
enforced in all collieries, however, is quite another
question.

The committee have disposed of the conclusions
advanced in some quarters with regard to any
special advantage being obtained by the use of
carbonate dusts. It has been thought that liberated
carbon dioxide from this class of dusts might play
the part of a fire extinguisher. This view has not
been confirmed, however, the decomposition tempera-
ture of the earthy carbonates being too high for any
rapid evolution of carbon dioxide to take place under
the conditions of an incipient coal dust explosion.
With regard to this point, it would have been
interesting to know whether carbonate dusts and
other kinds of earthy material possess any marked
difference as regards cooling effect. This property
would depend largely upon the heat conductivity,
and the specific heat of the substance. No experi-
ments upon this point seem to have been made, and
probably the differences would be too small to have
a practical bearing ; but, nevertheless, it seems to be
a point deserving of consideration.

An interesting feature of the report is the attention
which is devoted to the effect of diminished oxygen on
explosions of firedamp and of coal dust. Dr. Harger
may be flattered at being thus taken seriously, even

if he is not altogether satisfied with the results
arrived at by the Committee. It is conclusively
shown that the method of oxygen reduction holds
out no promise of practical utility within the limits
necessary to support life in full vigour. The
American investigators have come to the same
ssme conclusion. It is no longer, therefore, a “live”
proposition.

This great research initiated by the Mining
Association at Altofts. and since steadily pursued by
the Home Office at Eskmeals, has now reached its
immediate objective, and has succeeded in establishing
a method by which the dangers of colliery explosions
can be largely, if not wholly met. Let us not,
however, conclude that the matter is thus finally
settled. Much remains to be done in evolving a really
practical scheme suitable for the varied conditions
prevailing in our pits. It is here that colliery
managers can assist. The Eskmeals researches have
established the principles : it remains to work out
the practice, for which purpose an artificial surface
gallery is not well fitted. Then we shall have the
thing complete so far as present knowledge permits.

In the meantime we trust that the valuable work
at Eskmeals will still be pushed on. There is still
plenty of room for investigation, and we hope that
the facilities now perfected in these laboratories, both
in equipment and in staff, will continue to be used to
their utmost extent.

THE SPANISH COAL INDUSTRY AND THE
WAR.

The Spanish Government having issued a notification
that foreign coals may be imported into Spain during
the war, without paying duty, the Association of Spanish
Coalowners (“ Hullera Nacional ”) recently addressed a
petition to the Secretary of the Treasury, pointing out
that this measure is calculated to injure the home coal
industry. The total consumption of coal in Spain is
about 7 million tons per annum, of which over 4 million
tons are supplied from Spanish pits, the balance being
imported. When war broke out, the imports ceased for
a time, but the actual shortage in the supply did-not
amount to more than 200,000 tons. It is considered that
this quantity is not sufficient to justify the total removal
of the import duty, and that such removal is likely to
flood the market with foreign coals, to the prejudice of
the home producers, who will be unable to compete
against such invasion. The-home collieries are stated
to be quite capable of supplying the normal industrial
requirements of the country, although the output has
been kept down through scarcity of labour owing to
external causes. Attention is called to the Bill, already
approved by the Senate, for re-establishing in full force,
Art. 85 of the Mining Law, so as to free the coal industry
from all taxation, except the area tax and export duty.
The Bill also proposes to relieve from the first tax, for
a period of six years, all new mining properties on
which it can be shown that the concessionaires have
spent at least 50,000 pesetas in development work, and
to allow certain bonuses on all Spanish coals conveyed
by rail and coastwise craft to ports and interior markets.

The Association requests that this Bill should be
put into execution as soon as possible, and also that
arrangements should be made with the War Minister to
minimise the number of miners withdrawn from work
for military service, in order that the output may not be
reduced below four to five tons per man per day. It is
requested that the exportation of pitwood should be
prohibited, this material being essential to the upkeep
of the mines; that facilities should be given for the
importation of pitch and machinery for making
briquettes, and finally that bonuses should be offered
for increased coal outputs, to reward the efforts of the
coalowners in this direction.

To these measures should be added the immediate
repeal of the exemption of imported coal from payment
of duty, since this exemption merely benefits the
foreign producer and importer, whilst causing loss of
revenue to the Treasury and injury to the home
producer, without any justifying cause. In order that
the requests of the association may be shown to be well
founded, the appointment of a committee of engineers
is asked for to investigate the coal resources of the
collieries, as well as the present and possible output.

(Since the presentation of the above petition, a Royal
Decree has been promulgated restoring the duty on
imported coals, as and from October 3, the exemption
being granted solely to such cargoes as can be proved by
the bills of lading to have been shipped for the Spanish
Peninsula or Balearic Islands before or on said date.)

The Crown Agents for the Colonies notify that sealed
tenders for the supply during 1915 of 4.000 tons of steam
coal to the Government of Gibraltar will be received at the
offices of the Crown Agents for the Colonies, Whitehall
Gardens, London, S.W., up to ifcon on November 16.

H.M. Consul at Cairo reports that tenders are invited by
the Egyptian Coastguard Administration for the supply of
4,330 tons of large Cardiff and Newcastle coal required
during the year 1915. A copy of the specification and condi-
tions of tender may be seen by United Kingdom coal
exporters at the Commercial Intelligence Branch of the
Board of Trade, 73, Basinghall-street, London. E.C.

* Ke vista Jfinera.