April 20, 1916.

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

STONE DUSTING v. COAL DUST.

By James Ashworth.

The visit of the executive committee of the Miners’
Federation of Great Britain, at the invitation of the
Home Office, to the Government Testing Station at
Eskmeals early in February, and also the discussion by
the Lancashire branch of the National Association of
Colliery Managers, has attracted fresh notice to this very
interesting and important subject.

Dr. Wheeler and his staff at Eskmeals gave the visitors
a series of experiments to demonstrate the effectiveness
of stone dust in controlling or preventing the extension
of any explosion in a coal mine. These demonstrations
appear to have fully convinced the miners’ representa-
tives of the effectiveness of stone dusting, and they also
appear to have agreed with Dr. Wheeler that it is now
possible to secure complete immunity from explosions
in coal mines. This immunity the writer understands
to mean explosions of either firedamp or coal dust or
of firedamp and coal dust combined. The miners’
representatives were, however,. careful to request the
Home Office to stay any hasty legislation until they had
further considered the effect of stone dusting on the
working miners’ health; but they do not seem to have
considered the possibility of stone dusting being inopera-
tive during some of the ordinary happenings in a coal
mine.

As the result of many years’ study of the coal dust
problems, the writer considers that Dr. Wheeler was
too optimistic in saying that, under properly framed
rules, complete immunity from explosions from this
cause may be expected. These statements, as published,
are devoid of any qualifications, such as accidents from
blasting. That such a qualification is necessary is
within the writer’s personal knowledge; for in two
explosions which occurred last year in Western America
over 60 lives were lost through blasting with a permis-
sible explosive in dusty working places. Some people
seem to think.that such occurrences are impossible, and
fortunately they do not occur every day, but as the
strength of a chain is only equal to that of its weakest
link, it naturally follows that disasters will continue to
occur.

Thus, in'one of the cases above referred to, viz.,
Ravensdale, State of Washington, on November 16 last, a
shot was fired in the face of a chute, which was the
centre of a battery of seven which were in course of
being driven to the rise, on a pitch of about 30 degs.
The chutes had been watered, likewise the level, and,
in addition, there was a spray always at work on the
level. Monobel No. 1 was the permissible explosive
used, and all shots were fired without holing or mining
the coal. The result of firing one of these holes was
the explosion of a mixture of fine coal dust and air, with
probably some small percentage of firedamp, which
killed every man on the third east and west levels, and
wrecked the mine. In this case, if stone dusting had
been applied at the working faces, and in the chutes, in
the proportion of one of stone dust to one of coal dust,
the coal sent out of the mine would have been unsale-
able. In addition to this drawback, and to make the
stone dust operative as a flame-resisting medium, the
whole of the ventilating air current wTould have had to
carry in suspension a 1 : 1 mixture of stone dust, which
would be an absolutely impossible condition in such a
mine. In none of the experiments known to the writer
have miners been exposed to any such conditions, and,
if they were, their term of life would be most seriously
endangered.

The whole of the success claimed by the stone dust
enthusiasts depends on whether or not there is always
a “ pioneering cloud of dust,” as Col. Blackett has
termed it. Now, supposing that there is not always a
pioneering cloud, what is there to arrest the progress of
an explosion when the air is carrying a normal quantity
of the finest and freshest coal dust, which is being con-
tinuously produced’' by the cars or trams during transit
on the main haulage roads? The writer is absolutely
positive that a pioneering cloud of coal dust is not always
present, and, moreover, that it is not a necessary factor
in the progress of the flame of an explosion. Few, if
any, of the experiments at Eskmeals have been made
under the condition of floating coal dust in a moving
current of air. The velocity of the flame in a real
colliery explosion is far too great to allow time for a
pioneering cloud to be created. Thus, at the Fairmont
explosion some years ago, the writer and others calcu-
lated the speed of the explosion from time records taken
on the surface, to have been at least 3,000 ft. per second.
Those who are interested in this theory may refer to the
published cinema pictures of an explosion at Altofts, as
published in the Record of the First Series of Coal Dust
Experiments, 1908 (plate v.). The pioneering cloud of
dust is not in evidence in advance of the flame, but
No. 8 shows the dust so dense that until it became mixed
with.sufficient air, it could not break into flame. It is a
mistake to think that such a flame is the flame of an
explosion in a mine, because if such were the case the
flame would simply be smothered by the excess of coal
dust and the want of oxygen. Assuming that the air is
pushed ahead of the pioneering cloud of dust, and that
the flame is behind the dust, it may be asked how such
a flame is kept alive, when there is nothing but a trail
of burned gases behind it.

The engineers of the Bureau of Mines in the United
States of America seem to be convinced that the experi-
ments made at Bruceton have proved the existence of
the pioneering cloud of dust, and, therefore, that the
Rice stone dust patent sprinklers are effective in con-
trolling the flame of an explosion. But here, again, the
ventilating air current, charged with floating dust, such
as is found on a haulage way, is missing, and so is a
possible small percentage of firedamp.

A pertinent query is whether the dust in the air, or
the dust on the perimeter of the roadways, is the more
dengerous factor. The writer has always considered

that the floating dust is the principal danger. Assuming,
therefore, that the floating dust is the principal danger,
and that, to render it innocuous, another part of stone
dust is to be added, then it'follows that any man walk-
ing on such a road must breathe a double quantity of
dust. The Miners’ Federation executive may not have
seen the seriousness of the matter from this point of
view, but it shows that their hesitation to endorse com-
pletely the apparently decisive results of Dr. Wheeler’s
work is fully justified. Watering has proved to be an
impossible safeguard, and stone dust will eventually be
proved to be impossible also, but not for the same
reason.

The writer notices that Dr. Wheeler, referring to the
Senghenydd explosion, said he thought it had been
proved that the disaster was caused by a bare electric
wire used in signalling. This, if true, would reveal a
danger far in excess of coal dust, and would require an
overwhelming proof before such a problematical danger
from low-voltage electricity would be accepted on a
main intake roadway. The writer wrould, in this con-
nection, drawT the attention of Dr. Wheeler and other
interested people to the report of an explosion which
occurred in the early part of February at the Ernest
Colliery in Pennsylvania. Here an explosion occurred
on the morning shift while the second regular test for
gas was being made by two officials of the mine; and
the query is, whether Dr. Wheeler .is aware that a
similar test for gas was being made by the two principal
underground officials of the Senghenydd Colliery at the
very moment of the initiation of the last explosion at
that colliery?

If explosions in coal mines are to be reduced to zero
in number and effects, the following factors must have
first attention, viz. :—(1) No open lights; (2) No elec-
tricity with a voltage higher than 10; (3) no blasting
with explosives; (4) no firedamp must be in the air
current; and (5) the fallibility of man must be sur-
mounted.

As the writer does not expect that these conditions
will be altogether possible on this side of the millennium,
we shall have to do our best to accomplish the fulfilment
of the desire of everyone to render practical the well-
known slogan of “ Safety first and always.”

LAW IKTELLICEMCE.

SUPREME COURT OF JUDICATURE.

COURT OF APPEAL.—April 14.

Before the Master of the Rolls, Lord Justice Phillimore,
and Mr. Justice Sargant.

Railway Rates for Coal.

The Glenavon Garw Collieries Limited v. The Rhondda
and Swansea Bay Railway Company, The Great Western
Railway Company, and The Barry Railway Company.—Their
lordships delivered a reserved judgment in this action, which
was an appeal by the railway companies from a judgment
of the Railway and Canal Commission. Two points were
raised by the appeal, one relating to the fixing of a through
rate for the carriage of coal from the applicants’ two collieries
in Glamorgan, known as the Glen Rhondda and Corrwg
Rhondda collieries, over the appellants’ lines, for shipment
in the owners’ wagons from the collieries to Cardiff, Penarth,
and Barry; and the other relating to the apportionment of
the rate as between the three railway companies, against whom
the through rate was granted.

The Master of the Rolls said that for several years the
traffic of coal to Barry was conveyed by the Taff Vale Rail-
way, and handed over to the Barry Company at the junction
of that railway with the Taff Vale Railway at Trehafod.
The rate charged was Is. 4-4d. per ton. It was strictly a
through rate, but was made up of three local rates, and a
great deal of coal was still carried by that route. The Great
Western Railway Company in 1908 desired to obtain some
of the traffic to Barry Dock by means of the alternative route
vid Cyrnmer and Peterson Junction, or vid Cymmer and
Coity Junction. The rate charges were the same, viz.,
Is. 4-4d., although the distance was greater. This was con-
tinued for some four or five years, but in January 1914 notice
was given to the applicants that the rate would be increased
to Is. 6-4d. Upon appeal to the Railway and Canal Com-
missioners, the court fixed a through rate at Is. 4-4d. per ton.
In his opinion, the jurisdiction of the court to grant a through
rate was clear, and the advantages of an alternative route
were obvious, and it was in the public interest. The ques-
tion was one of fact, and he saw no reason for disturbing
the decision which had been arrived at. There remained the
question of apportionment of the through rate as between the
Great Western and the Barry companies. The Great
Western contended that as the Barry Company allowed a
rebate of 2d. to all traders on coal going to Barry Dock by
Peterson, this rebate ought to be taken into account, and that
the through rate should be treated as Is. 6-4cL, or that the
Barry Company should undertake not to give any rebate in
the future. The position of the Barry Company, as he under-
stood it, was that they were under no legal obligation to
allow this rebate, but that it was in virtue of an undertaking
given by counsel when the Barry Company’s Bill was before
Parliament. The Commissioners had allowed to the Barry
Company 6d. in respect of the Peterson route, and lOd. in
respect of the Coity route. He did not think the court ought
to interfere with this. It was a finding of fact, and he could
find no misdirection on points of law. The appeal was
accordingly dismissed, with costs.

Wages and Labour Shortage. — According to the Board
of Trade Labour Gazette, the general high level of employ-
ment of recent months was fully maintained in March, and
notwithstanding the increasing introduction of women into
industry the shortage of labour became -still more acute.
The changes in rates of wages reported as taking effect
during the month affected nearly 459,000 workpeople, and
resulted in a net increase of about £35,200 per week. The
principal changes were increases affecting over 377.000 coal
miners in Cumberland, Yorkshire, Lancashire, the Midlands
and North Wales; 18,500 semi-skilled and unskilled men in
engineering and ship building establishments on the Clyde ;
and 8,000 men of similar grades in the engineering industry
at Sheffield.

ITALIAN CRITICISM OF FREIGHTS.

The arguments of Mr. R. P. Houston, M.P., regarding
coal freights are severely criticised in the Italian
Tribuna, which points out that the Italian colliers at
Cardiff, said by.Mr. Houston to be most numerous, are
chiefly Government ships, carrying coal for the Fleet
and for the Italian State Railways, and thus in no way
concerned with the high freight charges, and remarks
that the majority of colliers at Swansea and Newcastle,
which are charging exorbitant tariffs, are British.

After giving a long list of British shipping companies
which show an enormous rise in the prices of their
shares and in their dividends, the Tribuna argues that
the “ present compaign conducted by British ship
owners, both in the Press and in Parliament, with a
view to defending their own personal interests against
those of the general public ” is unjustified. The news-
paper continues :—

We would not complain if the British Government
assured its Italian Allies a supply of the first necessities
of life, such as grain and coal, by requisitioning the
ships required for that purpose, and we fail to under-
stand why the British Government, which requisitioned
all private enterprises, such as railways and arms and
munitions factories, should not do the same with
shipping, so that the absolute needs of Britain and her
Allies should be (satisfied, thus enabling the Allied
nations to make certain, both in military and in civil
affairs, of that resistance which forms the most impor-
tant part of their common action.”

Commenting on this question, the Rome co; re-
spondent of The Times writes :—

“ The most striking feature of the controversy that
has arisen has been the divergence of the figures quoted.
In England the proportion of British tonnage requisi-
tioned by the Government has been placed by different
speakers and writers as low as 40 per cent., and as high
as 66 per cent, of the whole mercantile marine. One
speaker who should have known better, estimated the
Italian mercantile marine at almost 50 per cent, more
than the correct figure, and every one seems to have
assumed that Italians wished British tonnage to be
requisitioned on Italian account, while Italian shipping
remained free. Figures were quoted to show that the
proportion of British ships carrying coal from Cardiff
to Genoa w*as only half that of Italian ships, and the
triumphant assertion was made that this fact disproved
any claim Italy might have against England in regard
to freights.

“ This argument ignores an important fact. The
Italian Government long ago requisitioned some 60 per
cent. of Italy’s small merchant marine, and a large-
proportion of the Italian ships carrying coal from South
Wales either belonged to the State Railways or had been
requisitioned for Government purposes. In neither
case were they earning freights in the open market.

” On the other hand, the arguments of many Italian
critics of the British attitude were vitiated by an
inaccurate use of figures, and in some cases by the
addition of unjust charges. Hardly any of those who
plunged into the discussion, either in England or in *
Italy, showed an adequate grasp of the facts. Or if
they knew the facts they twisted them to serve their
particular arguments.

L‘ If ever a situation called for a clear and full official
statement it is the situation caused by the rise in
freights. We have had no adequate statement from any
quarter, and the true position has been lost sight of in
a cloud of recriminations.”

France and High Coal Freights.

The French Senate, on Saturday last, adopted a Bill
for regulating the price of coal. M. Perchot said that
the Commission had accepted the taxation of coal in
port because this was a sine qua non of the adoption by '
the British Government of a tax on coal freights. The
fixing of the freight prices'for the transport of coal under
the national flag was part of the general measures to. be
taken in common agreement between the British and
French Governments, and to which other States,
apparently, must adhere.—M. Sembat, Minister for
Public. Works, said that he was unable to divulge at
present the negotiations which were in progress with
England, but he could state that they were closely con-
nected with the present Bill, and were of a kind to give
satisfaction to France.’ All Departments were making
considerable efforts to diminish the rate of demurrage
by increasing the activity at French ports, in spite of
the difficulties caused by the mobilisation.

Limiting Freights.

Discussions regarding the limitation of freights to
France and Italy are taking place between the Govern-
ment and the ship owners most concerned. Owners are
quite prepared to hear any day that an agreement on
the subject has been reached. It would probably take
the form of an undertaking by British owners to carry
coal for public bodies at freights not above certain
figures. It is thought that in order to ensure this
legislation will be necessary. Although British owners
are not likely to object to this limitation, in order to
assist the Allies, the problem of the neutral vessels, in
which a large proportion of the coal is shipped, is a
different one, and cannot be treated in the same way.

Although much sympathy is expressed with the public
bodies in France and Italy on account of the present
high cost of coal, merchants recall the fact that long-
term contracts could have been placed last year on terms
which, compared with those now current, would seem
very moderate. The question, however, of making such
contracts was dependent on the views held on the
Continent as to the future course of freights, and on
this point the judgment even of British companies was
not always perfect. References to the subject appear in
the “ Parliamentary Intelligence ” in our present issue.