December 31, 1915.

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

1335

in eight-hour shifts. As with the coaling plant at Crewe,
the capacity of the Edge Hill installation is in excess of
present requirements, and several locomotives stationed
at other centres are now receiving their coal at Edge
Hill before returning to their home depot. At Crewe
it was necessary to include in the coaling plant a
“ tippler ” for wagons and conveyors for supplying the
bunkers overhead. The Edge Hill shed is, however,
located within a maze of connecting and goods lines,
several upon a high level, so that a ferro-concrete struc-
ture was built out as a spur from one of the lines. (See
right hand side of fig. 1.) The designs for this were
prepared at Crewe, and the iron work was constructed
there, but the gantry and viaduct were carried out by
private contractors. During erection a special coal-
ing bank was provided in the running shed, as the new
plant is situated on the site previously occupied by the
old coaling stage.

HIHTS ON WINDING EQUIPMENT.

[Contributed.]

Cage Chains.

Where the conditions permit of it, the chains by means of
which the cage is fixed to the winding, should be as long as
possible. When short, they more readily allow the hose to fall
on top of cage, if the rope is too long, when the cage is at the
bottom of the shaft. This action causes the winding rope
to make rather sharp bends, which, after a short period, if
the windings are numerous, tends to harden or crystallise the
wires. Not only do long chains keep the rope straight, but
the strain to which each chain is subjected diminishes as the
length increases, which means that thinner chains could be
used, or a greater factor of safety could be obtained with
chains of a given thickness. The nearer the chains are to

WORKING OF THE COAL MINES ACT
IN 1914.

In Part II. of his General Report, the Chief Inspector
of Mines states that the Coal Mines Act had, by the end
of the year 1914, been in force 2| years, and, speaking
generally, may be said to be satisfactorily worked and
administered.

Firemen, Examiners, and Deputies.

In conformity with section 15 there were 8,611
candidates for certificates, of whom 7,161 passed.

Very few applications for exemption from the require-
ment that the fireman must devote the whole of his time
to his statutory duties (section 14 [2]) were received
during the year; none at all from the Lancashire, North
Wales and Ireland, York and North Midland, South
Wales, and Midland and Southern Divisions. In the
Northern Division applications were received and
granted in respect of 22 mines in the Cleveland ironstone
district.

Ventilation.

During the year 4,918 samples of mine air were taken
by the inspectors. The sampling was carried out to the
following extent in the various Divisions :—Scotland,
780; Northern, 821; York and North Midland, 2,381;
Lancashire, North Wales, and Ireland, 226; South
Wales, 428; Midland and Southern, 282. It is believed
to be beyond doubt that sampling is having a salutary
effect on the ventilation of many mines, particularly in
the case of open light mines, as the fear of the enforced
use of safety lamps which results if the average of six
samples, taken at intervals of not less than a fortnight,
shows the air current in the return airway from any
ventilating district in the seam to contain more than
4 per cent, of inflammable gas, acts as an incentive to

vulcanite insulation, for example) it should be liable to
work loose, and become detached from the lamp. In the
case of electric lamps, the use of an inflammable sub-
stance, such as celluloid, as an insulating material for the
battery contacts, is objectionable, since sparking at the
contacts when the lamp is switched on and off may
ignite the substance, and cause flame within the lamp
case. Further experimental work has been carried out
(1) on the passage of flame through gauzes and per-
forated plates, and (2) on the conveyance of flame by
air currents. The work is not yet completed.

Surveyors.

Thirty-eight managers’ certificates were endorsed by
the inspectors under the last paragraph of the Surveyors
Order during the year, as follow:—Scotland, 3;
Northern, 7; York and North Midland, 9; Lancashire,
North Wales, and Ireland, 5; South Wales, 10; Midland
and Southern, 4.

Care and Treatment of Animals.

The result of the census of animals employed under-
ground, with particulars respecting the death rate from
injury and disease, and cases of injury and ill-treatment
is as follows :—Number employed, 70,396. Number
died (exclusive of those required to be destroyed) : From
injury by accident, 1,529; from disease, 826 (of this
number, 54 died from old age)—total, 2,355. Number
required to be destroyed : In consequence of injury,
1,470; in consequence of disease, 1,045 (of this number,
321 were destroyed in consequence of old age or blind-
ness)—total, 2,515. Number of cases of injury or ill-
treatment reported to manager, exclusive of cases
included in the foregoing : Injury, 10,878; ill-treatment,
206—total, 11,084. The number of reported cases of
ill-treatment was 0-29 per cent, of the total number of
animals employed, as compared with 0-67 per cent, in

LOCOMOTIVE COAL-HANDLING PLANT AT EDGE HILL, LIVERPOOL.

Fig. 4.—Balancing Arrangement for Shoot Valves for Tank Engines.
(Cross Section.)

-J-2‘

----6-2

Fig. 5.—Balancing Arrangement for Shoot Valves for Tank Engines.

(Longitudinal Section.)

being parallel, that is to say, the smaller their angle of
divergence, the smaller is the strain they have to bear, and
vice versa. Moreover, chains having a large angle at part-
ing exert an undue strain on the ring or block which attaches
them to the winding rope.

Winding Ropes.

Though the use of detaching hooks has been made com-
pulsory, they have not brought about the degree of safety
anticipated, their introduction having revealed a new
feature influencing the life of the winding rope. The inser-
tion of those detaching hooks in many cases, more especially
in deep shafts, means cutting away more than 3 ft. of the
winding rope; and this, in turn, means a corresponding
reduction in the distance from the top of the hose to the
pulley wheel when the cage is in position at the pit head
level. When the cage is being wound up, the twist or
torsional strain of the rope is gradually bunched up, as the
winding proceeds, into that continually diminishing portion
of the rope which lies between the pulley wheel and the
hose. Previously this collected torsional strain was dis-
tributed over a longer length of rope than is now the case
since the insertion of the detaching hook.

To raise the pulley sufficiently to maintain the same length
of rope as before is often an expensive matter, and it also
decreases the angle formed by the vertical part of rope, and
that going towards engine. Although it is held by some
that the aforesaid torsion passes over the pulley and spreads
over the rope, there must nevertheless be a large amount
which does not pass over, but is confined to that part of the
rope next the hose. The insertion of a suitable swivel would
no doubt disperse this strain, but makers of ropes are adverse
to the use of swivels, as they cause loss of formation in the
rope, and consequent loss in strength.

Grimsby Coal Exports. — Returns for the week ending
December 24 of coal exported from Grimsby was as follow :—
Foreign: To Dieppe, 554; Esbjerg, 351; Gefle, 1,659; and
Troport, 1,557 tons; a total of 4,121 tons foreign, against
6,981 foreign and 780 coastwise during the corresponding
week last year.

the management to improve the ventilation. The
requirement of section 29 [2] and General Regulation 77
respecting the monthly measurement and record of the
air current, has also tended towards improved conditions.
Mr. H. Walker (Scotland Division) says that “ judging
by the number of instances where a single current of air
is made to course over a very long distance, the benefit
gained by splitting the main ventilating current does not
appear to be fully appreciated, or, if appreciated, cer-
tainly does not receive the attention it deserves.”

Safety Lamps.

The effect of the provisions contained in section 32
[1] (5) has been the introduction of safety lamps into a
number of collieries, especially in Scotland; and where
an exemption has been granted, it has been deemed
advisable in most cases to make it dependent upon the
adoption of certain safeguards in respect to using safety
lamps at certain places, and under certain conditions.
The salutary effect of the provisions is markedly indi-
cated by the following comparative statement respecting
gas explosions caused by naked lights in Scotland :—
Whereas, in 1909, the number of fatal accidents was
eight, causing three deaths, and there were 90 non-fatal
accidents, with injury to 119 persons, there were in 1914
only three fatal accidents (three deaths) and 38 non-fatal
accidents (54 injured).

The increase in the use of electric safety lamps is very
marked, the numbers being:—For 1911, 4,298; 1912,
10,727; 1913, 37,823; 1914, 75,707.

With regard to the safety lamp testing station, Dr.
Wheeler reports that the numbers of types of safety
lamps and of lamp glasses of different brands submitted
for test were : Flame lamps, 23, together with many
modifications of lamps previously approved; electric
lamps, 7; glasses, 7. Two unforeseen sources of danger
in the construction of safety lamps have become
apparent. In the case of flame lamps fitted with electric
re-lighters, the manner of attachment of the re-lighter
requires careful attention, lest (through shrinkage of the

the previous year. The work of enforcing the Regula-
tions relating to animals employed underground has
been carried on satisfactorily, and, according to the
reports of the divisional inspectors, the horses and
ponies underground are generally well treated, kept in
good condition, and housed in comfortable stables.

Inspection on Behalf of Workmen.

More advantage has been taken by the workmen than
heretofore in some of the Divisions of the provisions
relating to inspection of the mine or part of the mine by
their representatives. But the practice is capable of
considerable extension, especially in the Scotland, York
and North Midland, and the Lancashire, North Wales,
and Ireland divisions.

Signalling and Visual Indicators.

The General Regulations relating to signalling in con-
nection with winding in shafts came into operation on
July 1. A small alteration in the code of signals was
agreed upon between the representatives of the Owners’
and Winding Enginemen’s Associations, and submitted
by them to the Secretary of State, who has authorised
adoption of the altered code pending an amendment of
the Regulations. It is, of course, optional to the owners
bo use the unamended code for the time being if they
so desire.

Appliances for automatically indicating the nature of
the signals in a visible manner, as required by the
Regulations, have been much improved of late.

During the year Dr. Wheeler carried out important
experimental research work in respect of battery bell
signalling, with the object of obtaining a system of bare
wire signalling which would be free from the danger of
ignition of firedamp-air mixtures by the flash produced
on breaking circuit at the signal lines; this object was
attained, and the results were embodied in a Report
dated January 20, 1915, a copy of which, by the direction
of the Secretary of State, was sent to all the colliery
owners in the United Kingdom, with a covering circular
letter epitomising the results arrived at.