September 24, 1915.

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

621

In deciding the voltage of the power plant, considera-
tion was given to the drop in underground cables at this
depth; but, upon investigation, it was found that a low
voltage (500) was just as economical as a high voltage
and transformers—:at any rate, for use at the shaft
bottom. The high-tension cables would be cheaper, but
the cost of transformers and the loss in transforming is
avoided in low tension, whilst a voltage of 500 is also
suitable for surface work. This voltage was therefore
adopted, and if electricity be taken further in-bye (by
which time the present 0-38 in. area cables will be fully
loaded), it may be considered advisable to step up at the
surface to, say, 3,000 volts, and to transform at the
point used. The present power cables in the shaft are
as follow : — (1) One three-core cable of an area of
0-38 sq. in., with low tension No. 3 vulcanised bitumen
insulation, sheathed with double-wire armouring. (2)
One fourteen-core cable with an area of 0-0018 sq. in.,
with low-tension rubber insulation of No. 3 vulcanised
bitumen, sheathed with single-wire armoured and yarned
cable. This is to supply the current for haulage and
shaft signals from a motor generator, and also current
for telephones from batteries. Both cables are fixed in
continuous batten casing.

Bentley Colliery.

Bentley Colliery, the property of Messrs. Barber,
Walker and Company, is situated 2| miles north of
Doncaster. Each of the two shafts has a finished
diameter of 20 ft., and is sunk 30 ft. below the Dunsil
seam, which is 54 ft. below the Barnsley bed. The
sinking of No. 2 pit was commenced in October 1905,
and the Barnsley bed was reached in April 1908,. at a
depth of 625 yds. No. 1 pit was commenced in September
1906, and the Barnsley bed reached in October 1908. Con-
siderable trouble was experienced with the bed of quick-
sand 100 ft. thick at the surface. Full details of the
sinking and equipment up to 1907 will be found in
the paper on “ The Sinking of Bentley Colliery,” by
Messrs. J. W. Fryar and Bober Clive, in vol. xxxiv.,
of ths Transactions, pp. 389-400.

Coal is wound at No. 1 pit only. During the first
half of 1914 the output was 4,000 to 4,500 tons per day
in two shifts of eight hours each.

Surface Equipment.—At No. 1 downcast shaft the
ferro-concrete- covered-in heapstead was completed in
1911. The building measures 176 ft. long, 34 ft. wide,
and 58 ft. high from the foundation level to the top of
the flat roof. The foundation consists of a monolith
raft of reinforced concrete, braced with beams so as to
spread the weight evenly over the whole area, the total
weight on which does not exceed 15 cwt. per sq. ft.
A specially strengthened reinforced concrete block forms
the pit eye. There are openings into the shaft at the
horse hole and main siding level, 15 ft. above ground
level. The main coal work level is 42 ft. above ground
level, and consists of a top and a bottom landing for
simultaneous decking. Three tubs are loaded on each
of the two decks, and the tubs run by gravity over the
tub-weigh to the tipplers. The tubs from the top deck
are lowered by a creeper on to the same tub-weigh. The
empties run through the tipplers, round and up empty
creepers in between the shafts, from the top of which
they gravitate to the empty side of the shaft on each
landing. The reinforced columns which carry the main
and back legs of the headgear are 36 in. square, and are
well braced together.

The headgear, which is of the girder type, was built
by Messrs. Head, Wrightson and Company Limited,
and measures 62 ft. from the main coal level to the
centre of the pulleys, and 49 ft. from the main coal
level to the knock-ofi platform. The locked-coil guide
ropes are hung from the knock-off platform, which is
fitted with Ormerod detaching hook bells. The pulleys
are 18 ft. in diameter. The cages are fitted with the
Fryar patent equalising cage chains and Ormerod detach-
ing hooks. -Stauss keps are used.

The No. 2 upcast shaft is fitted in a manner similar
to No. 1, with a reinforced concrete heapstead, with the
addition of an air lock at each end of the structure, which
is also in ferro-concrete. The headgear itself is in ferro-
concrete, and consists of 30 in. square main and back
legs suitably tied together with cross beams, the whole
forming one homogeneous structure with the heapstead.
The equipment is similar in all respects -to that of
No. 1 pit.

The winding engines were built by Messrs. Fraser and
Chalmers, and are of the same description at each pit.
Each consists of a cross compound engine with 35'in.
high pressure and 58 in. low pressure cylinders and 6 ft.
stroke, fitted with Corliss valves, cut-off gear, steam
reversing gear, Whitworth steam brake, and overwind-
ing prevention gear. The drum is partly conical, having
three dead coils and six working coils on a cone rising
from 12 ft. 8 in. to 13 ft. 2 in. in diameter. Four coils
range from 13 ft. 2 in. to 19 ft., and the remainder are
on a parallel drum 19 ft. in diameter.

An auxiliary winding engine has recently been erected
on the east side of No. 1 shaft, and so arranged that it
can be used in either shaft in an emergency. This is a
slide valve engine with 26in. cylinders, 5 ft. stroke,
fitted with a steam brake, and working at a pressure
of 110 lb. per sq. in.

The power and fan house measures 141| ft. in length
by 40 ft. in width, and is fitted with one 1,000 kw.
mixed pressure Westinghouse turbo-generator (the
principal working unit); two 500 kw. Rateau exhaust
steam turbo-generators; two 250 kw. Bellis-Westing-
house high speed sets; one Fraser and Chalmers cross
compound fan engine, coupled by ropes 40 a 5| ft. by
16 ft. single inlet Capell fan, capable of producing
300,000 cu. ft. of air per minute at 4 in. of water gauge;
and one Hick-Hargreaves cross compound engine,
coupled by ropes to a 6 ft. by 17 ft. single inlet Capell
fan, capable of producing 350,000 cu. ft. of air per
minute at 5| in. of water gauge.

The basement contains the condensing plant for the
three turbo-generators; one Alley and MacLellan two-

stage air compressor driven direct by a 220-horse power
motor, producing 1,200 cu. ft. of air per minute; and one
Alley and MacLellan two-stage air compressor, belt
driven by a 60-horse power motor, producing 400 cu. ft.
of air per minute.

The main screens, which were built by Messrs.
Plowright Brothers, will, when the projected alterations
are completed, be capable of dealing with an output
of 6,000 tons per day. The large coal travels on plate
and bar picking belts with lowering jib ends. The
small coal travels along cross conveyors to a dry
coal hopper, from which it is elevated by bucket elevators
into the washer.

The washer is of the Liihrig type, and consists of two
separate units, each capable of washing 60 tons of slack
per hour.

The wagon shop is a brick building measuring 110 ft.
by 42 ft., and is capable of holding ten wagons.

The water supply is obtained from a well 40 ft. deep.
The water is pumped into storage tanks erected on brick
pillars 40 ft. above the ground level. The water, which
is very hard, is softened by a Lassen and Hjort water
softening plant capable of dealing with 10,000 gals,
per hour. From the water softening plant it runs into
a reservoir 120 ft. long by 90 ft. wide.

The boiler plant consists of four 30 ft. by 9| ft., and
three 30 ft. by 8-} ft. Lancashire boilers, each fitted with
Crosthwaite firebars, superheaters, and economisers.
The necessary draught is obtained by a brick chimney
160 ft. high.

The lamp cabin is a brick building measuring 53 ft.
by 29 ft., and is situated close to the main entrance
gates. It is built on a ferro-concrete platform measuring
66 ft. in length by 48 ft. in width, and 15 ft. above
ground level, and contains 2,000 Ackroyd and Best oil
lamps and 350 Oldham electric lamps. The lamp cabin
is reached by ferro-concrete steps, from which point the
men travel up a sloping gangway on to the pit top. The
basement is used as a store for bicycles, and as time-
keeping and check offices.

The stores is a brick building measuring 129 ft. by
42 ft., with a ferro-concrete platform for the first floor.
One end is partitioned off and used as an electric work-
shop and store, with draughtsmen’s and electricians’
offices on the first floor.

Pit Bottoms.—The mouthings into the shafts at the
Barnsley level consist of concrete horseshoe arches 18 ft.
in diameter by 18J ft. in height. The full tubs run by
gravity from the end of the endless rope haulages to
the top deck level at each shaft; those for the bottom
deck are lowered by a creeper at No. 1 pit, and by a
drop cage at No. 2 pit. The empties off the top deck
are brought down to the bottom deck level in a similar
manner, and are run by gravity back between the shafts
to each of the six main endless rope haulage roads.

The three main haulage engines are in the Dunsil
seam, each set consisting of two main rope pulleys with
friction clutches, Power Plant Company’s spur gearing,
and a 100-horse power motor.

The electric pumping plant is in the Dunsil seam
close to No. 1 pit bottom, and includes two 75-horse
power centrifugal direct driven pumps, each capable of
pumping 250 gals, per minute from a lodge situated
600 ft. from the surface; also two 60-horse power three-
throw ram pumps, gear driven, each pumping 60 gals,
per minute from the lodge in the Dunsil seam 1,950 ft.
deep.

The return air enters the shaft through mouthings
60 ft. above the Barnsley seam, stone drifts being driven
down in the Barnsley seam between each set of main
roads some distance from the shafts. The main roads
into each district, consisting of haulage road and
travelling road respectively, are both intakes.

Notice is given that Philip Francis Oddie has made appli-
cation for the restoration of the patent granted to him for an
invention entitled “ Improvement in duplex pumping
engines,” numbered 24539 of 1907, and bearing date
November 6, 1907, which expired on November 6, 1914,
owing to the non-payment of the prescribed renewal fee.

The Use of Safety Catches.—In the House of Commons on
Wednesday, Mr. Stephen Walsh and Mr. Sutton questioned
the Home Secretary on the subject of safety catches. They
asked whether he was aware that several appliances exist
whose patentees claim that by their use accidents involving
loss of life in the pit shaft, such as those at G-edling Colliery,
Nottinghamshire, at Maryport, and Burton-on-Trent, would
have been prevented, and whether he would cause an early
enquiry to be made into the effectiveness of such appliances.
The Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr.
Brace) said it appeared from the reports he had received that
in none of the three1 cases mentioned would the use of such
an appliance have availed to prevent the accident. The ques-
tion of safety catches was thoroughly investigated by a com-
mittee appointed by the recent Royal Commission on Coal
Mines, who reported that no appliance of this kind had been
devised which would be generally reliable and effective, and
he was advised by the Chief Inspector, who was a member
of that committee, that none had been brought to his notice
since ; but if any new appliance which appeared likely to be
effective was brought at any time to the notice of the Home
Office, it -would be, most carefully considered by the Mines
Department. That morning, at the Home Office, he had
examined, with the Assistant Chief Inspector of Mines, a cer-
tain appliance, and he had requested him to go down and see
the appliance in operation at the colliery where it was in oper-
ation. Mr. Leif Jones asked : ” Is it not the clear duty of the
Home Office to inform themselves upon the subject, rather
than to wait until members of the House are able to bring
these appliances to their notice? Has not the Home Office
full information in regard to all these appliances?” Mr.
Brace replied : “ It is because the Home Office has full infor-
mation up to date that they are unable really to fix upon any
particular appliance, and make a compulsory order upon the
coal owners to adopt it; but if hon. members or anybody
else know of any appliance which they think will be effective,
I think we shall only be too delighted to give it our very
best consideration.”

COAL MINING ORGANISATION
COMMITTEE.

DIGEST OF THE EVIDENCE.

(Continued from page 575.J

Mr. Hugh Bramwell.

Mr. Hugh Bramwell, agent of the Great Western
Collieries, and chairman of the South Wales Coal Owners’
Association, gave evidence on April 11. He said : The
output of the South Wales coal field in 1913 was 56,830,000
tons. The Owners’ Association represent an output of
45,994,000; 1914 was nearly two millions less. Out of that
output, the 24 odd collieries that are on the Admiralty list
represent an output of 20 million tons. The effect of the
war has been very different on each class of coal. In the
case of the Admiralty collieries, in August last practically
the whole of the output was commandeered by the Govern-
ment. We also, on pressure from the Admiralty, arranged
with the workmen to work an extra hour each day,
practically taking advantage of a particular clause in the
Eight Hours Act. With perhaps only one or two exceptions
the whole of the district is a single shift district so far
as coal producing is concerned. Coal is only cut in the other
shifts in such places as winning headings and so on. The
Admiralty collieries continued working at full pressure with
the extra hour for some two months.. At first the extra
hour certainly gave an increased production but it is not
quite clear whether it was due to the extra hour or whether
it was due to the increased exertion on the part of the
men. By the end of October the immediate pressing
demands of the Admiralty had been supplied. They con-
tinued only as to commandeer the pits’ output of those
particular collieries that stood highest in their list. They
classify the collieries on their list as First-Class Admiralty,
Second-Class Admiralty, and so on; and below that again
are the normal or ordinary steam coals of the coal field.

After giving further evidence, which is deleted from the
minutes, witness said they were then being hard pressed
again. And their ordinary customers would have to be
supplied later on. They were nearly all foreign buyers—
Italian State Railways, the French Transatlantic Company,
and very largely the coal depot trade of the world for
supplying coals to steamers all over the world. With
regard to the production of bituminous coal for manu-
facturing purposes, witness continued : On the outbreak
of war the pits worked very short time indeed, three days
a week, and that sort of thing. Numbers of the smaller
pits producing bituminous coal were stopped altogether.
They have had rather poor work until towards the end of
last year. Since then they have been practically fully
employed, and are now fully employed. The anthracite
pits again, were practically stopped for a whole month at
the early part of the war, without any work at all, and
they have hardly recovered yet.

Mr. Bramwell next dealt as follows with the means of
increasing production : In South Wales the workmen have
a considerable reserve or latent power for producing coal
if they choose to exert it, without any question of hours
or length of shift coming in. In the western district there
is an absolute stint; that is, the workmen will practically
only turn out a definite quantity of coal. There is no
absolute stint in the steam coal districts; but at the same
time the men do set up more or less a standard, and they
do not care to produce more. The ordinary good production
per day from a steam coal working place employing two
men is about five trams of coal, and the trams carry
25 up to 30 or even 35 cwt. At the particular steam coal
pits of which I have particular knowledge, before every
holiday they exert that power and fill more coal. . For,
instance, in the figures we have returned, we took out the
output per man per actual shift employed for November,
December and January of 1913-14 and 1914-15; and the
December work, which practically represented the three to
four weeks before the Christmas holidays, show that they
produced in the first year 3| per cent, more, and in the
second year 5 per cent, more per actual shift worked than
they did in November and January. There is no New Year
holiday in Wales practically. The Christmas holidays are
an arrangement between the owners and workmen. The
usual arrangement is three days, but a great many of the
men do not return to work until the following week, so
that although we normally may say three days, in practice
the holiday is more extended than that. Then another
point on which we think there is room for increased pro-
duction is the suspension of the Eight Hours Act. It
affects Wales differently, I think, from most of the other coal
fields, in this respect, that it is a single-shift producing
district. We do not think it would serve any useful purpose
actually to change the stated hours that the men are raised
up and down the pits. We would rather not change
any of the arrangements; but we would like those coal
getters who care to have the right or facility of stopping in
their working places half an hour or an hour after the
termination of the normal coal drawing shift, for the pur-
poses of repairing and putting their places in order for
the succeeding day. That is really the old Welsh system
of working before the Eight Hours Act came in.
The collier in Wales is not only a coal getter, but he is very
largely a repairer as well of his own working place. The
consequence is, should they have the facilities, should they
choose to do so, and if the Act did not exist, to stay in for
half an hour or an hour longer and do a certain amount of
repairing work, instead of having it to do during the period
of the actual work of production of coal in the transport shift,
we do not think any alteration in the normal times of the
shift is necessary to enable that to be done. There is one
other thing I should like to say about South Wales, and that
is that almost universally in the w’hole of the coal field six
days a week are worked. There are very few collieries that
are not open to work and that do not work fully six days a
week. They work the same time on Saturdays as on the
other days now, since the Eight Hours Act came in. For-
merly they worked a shorter day on Saturdays.

Then the next point is absenteeism. (Witness here pro-
duced a summary of the South Wales returns.) The figure
for absenteeism in 1913-14 is 11-5 and the figure in the second
year is 11-4. The figures for absenteeism vary somewhat
materially between the three districts. The highest rate of
absenteeism is in the Cardiff district. Newport is the medium,
and Swansea is the lowest. The Swansea district being affected
by the anthracite pits having very slack work, naturally came
down to a low figure for absentees during these months. New-
port also comes in between Cardiff and Swansea, chiefly
because it is more a bituminous coal producing area. The
return also gives the percentage of men in the different dis-
tricts who have joined the Forces. Instead of the men w7ho
have not had the least opportunity for work being the most