828 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. October 22, 1915. and the arrangements for loading now enable the boats to be despatched on the day following their arrival. Miners' Wages. — Evidently, says our Sydney corre- spondent, there is trouble ahead in the coal mining districts in New South Wales. The Colliery Employees’ Federation intend to make a demand for a 20 per cent, increase in the present hewing rate for miners. The proprietors are to be given time to consider the matter, and upon the nature of their replies the future action of the unions will depend. Con- sidering the many handicaps imposed upon the export coal' trade since the outbreak of the .war, and the unsettled state of the trade generally, it is to be hoped that a calamitous struggle may yet be prevented. Coaling Cranes at Newcastle (New South Wales').—The chief engineer of the New South Wales Government Dock- yard announces that the first of the electric coal loading cranes for Newcastle has been completed. The second is well forward, and the third is expected to arrive at an early date. State Colliery for Queensland.—The Queensland Govern- ment has reserved certain areas of -the Bowen Field for the purposes of a State coal minel Newcastle Exports.—The amount of coal exported from Newcastle during the month of August was 366,737 tons, a decrease of nearly 21,000 tons compared with the corre- sponding month of last year. Of the total, 250,876 tons went to Commonwealth and New Zealand ports. The amount sent to overseas countries was as follows :—Chili, 29,911 tons; Straits Settlements, 27,077; United States, 15,040; Guana, 9,750; Java, 9,692; Sandwich Islands, 5,324; Japan, 453; India, 3,569; Ocean Island, 2,396; New Caledonia, 1,120; Hawaii, 569; total, 115,861 tons—and the remainder went as bunkers to six other countries. Lithgow Steel.—The Lithgow steel submitted by Messrs. G. and C. Hoskins has passed all the tests for shell manu- facture, and the firm has sent a large consignment to the Munitions Department. Broken Hill Steel Works.—The Broken Hill Proprietary Company’s Newcastle steel works have, up to the present, produced 36,214 tons of pig iron, from which were made 17,134 tons of billets and blooms, and 11,574 tons of rails. The contracts entered into for steel rails include 47,000 tons for the Federal Government, 3,300 tons for the Victorian Government, 54,000 tons for the New South Wales Govern- ment, and 2,000 tons for the South Australian Government. The works are to be extended, at a cost of ^£300,000, and it is anticipated that the output of 125,000 tons of steel per annum, originally calculated upon, will be increased to 170,000 tons.____________________________ Canada. The Nanaimo Explosion.—Some interesting evidence was given at the enquiry recently held at Nanaimo into the circum- stances attending the explosion at the Beserve Mine of the Western Fuel Company on May 27, by which 22 miners lost their lives. The jury did not venture to define the cause of the explosion, but ascribed no blame to any person. How- ever, Mr. James Ashworth, who is to report on the accident for the Government, stated that, in his opinion, the accident was due to the explosion of a detonator. He stated that detonators were found loose and unprotected in the mine, 116 oz. of Monobel powder and eight detonators being found together in one place. Mr. Thos. Graham, the chief inspector of mines, leaned to the view that the explosion occurred in No. 5 crosscut, and that there was a secondary explosion. In this quarter, he stated that there was a heavy fall of roof, and that a broken lamp was found. Mr. Ashworth, however, held that this fall was not the cause, but the result of the initial explosion. He maintained that the explosion had occurred in a slope, where he found the greatest evidence of force, and it was probably caused by rock falling on a detonator. On September 23, Thomas Graham, provincial mine inspector of British Columbia, and J. H. Tonkin, manager of the Pacific Coast Coal Company, of Nanaimo, British Columbia, were committed for trial at the Assizes on a charge of manslaughter. The accident at the Beserve mine at Nanaimo last February, in which 20 lives were lost, is alleged to be due to the fault of these officials in permitting the use of inaccurate maps of the mine and the adjoining workings. Some improvement in conditions as regards coal mining in Southern Alberta is anticipated as a result of the undertaking of the Canadian Pacific Bailway to use in future Crow’s Nest Pass coal over the entire Manitoba division of the railway in place of American coal. This concession is the result of repre- sentations made by the Hon. Charles Stewart, Minister of Public Works. It means that Western coals will now be used on the locomotives as far east as Winnipeg, and that no American coal will be used west of Winnipeg. Mr. D. A. Thomas' Interests.—Our Toronto correspondent writes :—The proposed railway from Athabasca to Fort Vermilion, Alberta, some 300 miles in length, for which a charter has been granted by the Alberta Government, will, it is expected, be completed within two years. It has the financial backing of Mr. D. A. Thomas, the Welsh coal magnate, who during the past two years has spent a large amount of money in investigating the natural resources of the waterways north of Edmonton, and is convinced that coal is abundant in the region which will be opened up by the railway. The surveying of the route has been begun. Newfoundland. Duty on Pit Props.—The Board of Trade are in receipt, through the Colonial Office, of copy of a Bill which proposes to amend the Act No. 7 of 1914, respecting the exportation of timber from Newfoundland. Under this Bill all licences issued, or to be issued, under the provisions of the above- mentioned Act shall continue in force for a period of 10 years from the date of the passing of the present Bill, and no longer. The Bill also provides that notwithstanding any- thing in any Act to the contrary, it shall be lawful for any person to export on the usual export entry to any place in the United Kingdom or in the Bepublic of France any timber or lumber for pit props for the period up to and including December 31, 1916, provided that such person shall satisfy the Customs officer to whom he makes application for export entry that such timber or lumber was not cut on any part of that territory or area which is known as the Three Miles Limit, and if cut on the said area, that such lumber or timber was burnt timber when cut. A duty of 1 (lol. per cord shall be paid at the port of entry upon all such pit props when the same are being exported, and no such export shall be permitted until duty is paid. Provided that it shall be lawful to export to any place in the United Kingdom at any time up to December 31, 1915, and without payment of the duty aforesaid, any lumber or timber for pit props cut prior to September 1, 1915. CURRENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY. Earth Tremors. Much trouble has been caused in the South African mines by what are locally known as “ earth tremors.” These bear some affinity to the “air-blasts” of the Michigan region, and the local disturbances that frequently occur in the Mysore gold field, and possibly to the “ bumps ” encountered in the South Staffordshire coal field. A good deal of data was gathered a few years ago by the Ophirton Earth Tremors Commission, but no definite conclusions were advanced. It was found that the seismograph installed at Ophirton by the Mines Department, whilst faithfully recording earthquakes at a distance, was not susceptible to these purely local shocks. In 1908 these disturbances became very frequent in the Witwatersrand, and the suggestion was advanced that they were due indirectly to mining operations. The number of local tremors has grown enormously—from 19 in 1910-11 to 466 in 1914-15. Mr. H. E. Wood, of the Union Observatory, has strongly supported this view, believing that the ultimate cause is to be found in the extraction of large amounts of rock and water from comparatively small depths beneath the surface. He imagines that the combined effects of mining and water-pumping operations is to divide up the ground beneath the surface into small sections, which may be subdivided further by existing faults. These small sections gradually become unstable, owing to the withdrawal of support, and suddenly slip by small amounts into positions of greater stability. This slipping communicates a slight jar to the surrounding ground, and the effect is radiated as a single wave of small amplitude. This suggestion may be regarded as a motive for the Commission that has just been appointed by the Transvaal Government to investigate the question. Mr. Wood was the first witness called, and he stated that he did not think there was any danger to be appre- hended to life and property on the surface from the tremors. The remedy lies in the abandonment of the pillar system of support, allowing the strata to subside gradually and evenly over the whole void, and in this connection the advantages of hydraulic stowing or sand- filling—to adopt the South African term—have been vigorously advanced. Fatigue and Accidents. The appointment of a Government Committee to enquire into the question of fatigue and health in munitions works endows with added interest the report on “ Fatigue from the Economic Standpoint,” presented at the recent meeting of the British Association. The general conclusions arrived at by the Committee are discussed in a leading article which appears in the issue of the Colliery Guardian for September 17 (p. 577), when it was pointed out that the main deduction was the great prevalence of “ spell fatigue ” as distinct from “weekly fatigue” or “daily fatigue.” The report con- tains some interesting data on this subject, ahd we reproduce herewith a diagram showing the frequency of accidents amongst American coal miners :— 20C 80 Ohio Minnesota Washington Illinois LUNCH HOUR 5 -1360 Hours of work usually 8 per day; starting early. 9______10 II 12 I 2_________________________3 AM. 240 The curves refer to the accidents amongst coal miners in Ohio, Illinois and Washington and amongst iron ore miners in Minnesota, and the accidents recorded are those involving disability for one day or more. As a pendant to these figures we may recall certain figures which were given in the Colliery Guardian over seven years ago (May 22,1908, p. 985). The first set of figures was compiled from the annual reports of Mr. John Gerrard, H.M. inspector of mines for the Manchester district. It includes fatal and non-fatal accidents, and shows in percentages of the total the accidents occurring in various hours of the shift over a period of seven years, viz.:— Hour of Per cent. Hour of Per cent. shift. of total. shift. of total. First 13’4 Sixth 13 0 Second 11’7 Seventh 9’5 Third . 11’0 Eighth 10’9 Fourth 11’3 Ninth 5’8 Fifth 11’5 Tenth 1’9 A second set of statistics, also referring to Lancashire coal mines, showed the experience of a large indemnity association, all non-fatal accidents being included, viz. :— Hour. Per cent. Hour. a.m. of total. p.m. 6-7 4’6 12-1 7-8 11’2 1-2 8-9 9’2 2-3 9-10 9’5 3 4 10-11 12’4 4-5 11-12 14’4 Per cent, of total. 6’2 7*7 11*2 9’0 3’9 The figures do not cover identical periods, an extra hour being included in the second set of figures, but the eleventh hour covers periods at the beginning and end of the shift in which only a portion of the men were employed. Before the Eight Hours Act came into force, the Lancashire colliers worked approximately 10 hours per day, beginning to descend at 6 a.m.; “ snap ” time came from noon to 2 o’clock, after which a number of the men began to ascend, the bulk, however, remaining on until 3 o’clock, after which the winding of men was proceeded with. The statistics here show that the first hour is that in which the greatest number of accidents occur, the reason undoubtedly being that the workmen would then come fresh to their places in which the strata had been “ working ” overnight. Accidents on travelling roads would also be included. This incidentally demonstrates the following of a ligid system, which often prevents the hewer from making his place safe overnight. After that, however, the most dangerous hours were clearly the fifth and sixth, thus corroborating in striking fashion the American figures, which are those compiled by the Industrial Commission. THE GERMAN AND AUSTRIAN COAL AND IRON TRADES. We give below further extracts from German periodicals that have reached us, showing the course of the coal and iron trades in Germany and Austria :— Ruhr Coal Market. In spite of the increased prices, the demand for fuel in September showed no falling off in comparison with the previous month. Apart from the improved demand for house coal, any decline in one branch of industry was counteracted by the larger requirements of others. It is reported that the Syndicate has contracted to supply 50,000 wagons of coke to Berlin, during the coming winter, to take the place of the gas coke usually manufactured there from English coal. Supplies of water-borne Belgian coal to Ruhrort have latterly increased considerably, the bulk being transferred to rail and forwarded to the northern seaports. Coal and Iron Market in Upper Silesia. The demand for coal is highly satisfactory, and although the pits have been able to bring the output up to nearly 85 per cent, of the normal, the practical absence of pit stocks has prevented requirements from being fully met. However, so far as can be foieseen, all consumers will be supplied with the necessary fuel before the arrival of winter. Wagons have been some- what scarce, owing to the potato and beet harvest rather than to the war. All grades have been in active request, especially gas and coking coals, and much difficulty has been experienced in furnishing the eastern provinces with the gas coal they formerly obtained from England. Water-borne traffic has been heavy, notwithstanding the fluctuating condition of the river. The demand for coke has also been very brisk, the output of all kinds being readily absorbed and stocks practically exhausted. This, and the heavy demand for by-products, have stimulated the cokeries to increased production. Prices of coal, coke and by-products are very satisfactory, even in view of the higher cost of production. Large supplies of iron ore and slag have been coming in by i ail and water, so that the furnaces will, in a'l probability, have ample raw material for the coming winter. Holders, however, are asking increased prices, on the pretext of advanced sea freights and insurance, thus influencing the price of pig iron. Ironmasters me increasing their output to the utmost, to meet the demand for raw material, the whole production being taken over at once, irrespective of price, so that no stocks can be accumulated. The demand for ferro- manganese is particularly active. Coal Syndicate. At the meeting of the Coal Syndicate on the 6th inst., it was decided to leave the settling prices unchanged for the current quarter; and the output of coal, coke and briquettes fur October was left at the same percentage of the participation as before—viz., 89 per cent. The various standing committees provided for in the new Syndicate agreement were appointed. Rhine Traffic. Owing to the recent rise in the river, a good many craft have been able to get to the upper reaches without lightening cargo. Traffic, however, has been much interrupted by fog, and a number of vessels have grounded. Enquiries for available tonnage have improved, and many boats that have been lying idle for some time have been chartered, so that small craft are becoming scarce. Towage rates have advanced, but not to an extent commensurate with the high working expenses. German Output of Medium Steel in August. The report of the Iron and Steel Makers’ Association for August gives the output of medium steel in the