THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN AND JOURNAL OF THE COAL AND IRON TRADES. Vol. CXI. FRIDAY, JUNE 23, 1916. No. 2895. TREHARRIS PIT-HEAD BATHS. Ever since the Coal Mines Act (1911) came into opera- tion there has been in the collieries owned by the Ocean Coal Company Limited a movement on foot to establish pit-head baths at these collieries, and the first instalment has just been completed at the Deep Navigation Collieries, Treharris. If these baths are taken advantage of—as everyone interested in the welfare of the miner hopes they will be—it is quite certain that very little time will be allowed to elapse before suitable baths will be erected at all the Ocean Collieries. Three years ago Mr. David Davies, M.P., chairman of the Ocean Coal Company Limited, organised at his own expense a party of men selected from the various collieries worked by this company to make a personal inspection of the pit-head baths in use on the Continent. The party, beside the representatives from the Ocean Collieries in Glamorgan, consisted of two representatives ■, C; S':'- O' •L'.ri Fig. 1.—General View of ihe Baths. from their North Wales collieries, Mr. W. Vyce and Mr. E. Davies (agent and president respectively of the Ebbw Vale district) of the Miners’ Federation; Mr. T. L. Davies (manager, Fernhill Collieries), Mr. T. E. Richards (architect, Pontypridd), Mr. G. E. Carter (Llandinam offices), and Mr. G. D. Jones (engineer of the Deep Navigation Collieries, Treharris), who has been -responsible for the planning and erection of the baths now completed at these collieries. The party was put in charge of Mr. John Samuel, assistant principal at the School of Mines, Treforest, who had for many years been in charge of the Glamorgan county -students when making their visits of inspection to the Continent. In France the deputation visited the Lenh Collieries, and at No. 5 Pit inspected the oldest form of pit-head baths used in France—what is now known a-s the “ first system.” These baths consist of a series of sprays each fitted into a separate cabinet built of zinc sheets -and arranged round the sides of the building, the central portion of the -hall being used as a combined dressing and drying room, in which the clothes are hung up near the roof by means of ropes and pulleys. Radiators are fitted into the walls—usually above the baths—and these circulate a current of hot air towards the roof, which dries the clothes. At this colliery 300 miners wer-e employed, 80 per cent, of whom used the baths. There were 40 sprays, in which the water was automatically kept at a temperature of 38 to 39degs. Cent. The initial cost of the baths was £1,800, and the maintenance charge (including 10 gals, of water per man) was between 6s. and 7s. per day. At the St. Edouard No. 12 pit they inspected the “second system ” of baths, which only diSers from the former in having the cabinets built of glazed bricks, fitted with revolving doors, and a rack for the workmen’s clothes. Here 54 cubicles were’erected, the whole struc- ture costing £2,400, and capable of dealing with 350 men per hour, at a maintenance charge of about 8s. per day. At No. 15 colliery the “ third system ” w-as inspected. In this system the cabinets are arranged in two rows, one above the other, with a balcony passing round at the level of the second tier, with steps at intervals between the balcony and -the floor. Lockers -are arranged for the workmen's clothes. The chief objections to this system are (1) the stuffiness due to the crowding of so many baths into a small area, and (2) having to keep the ordinary and working clothes alternately in the same lockers. At No. 4 Colliery of the Lievin Mining Company -the party was shown the latest form of French pit-head baths —the “ fourth system.” The baths in this system are separate cabinets erected in separate wings instead of around the walls of -the drying and dressing hall, but each leads into the central dressing room. The baths at this colliery, containing 70 separate cabinets, cost £6,000, and were used by 60 per cent, of the 1,800 men employed, the maintenance charge being 7s. t-o 8s. per Li Fig. 2.—Front Elevation of Bath House. day. In most cases in the “.fourth system ” hooks and chains are used to suspend and dry the clothes, but at Courrieres No. 6 collieries 640 lockers were used. In Belgium the deputation found that the baths were, generally speaking, similar to those of the third and fourth systems in France. The use of the b-afhs is optional in Belgium, as in France, yet practically all the men use them in the former country. In some cases, as at the Associated Grand Sac Colliery, separate baths are built for girls working on the pit-head, and these are fitted with electric fans for drying their hair. In Germany the colliery proprietors are compelled to erect colliery baths, and the workmen are compelled to use them. Unlike the baths at French and Belgian collieries, the German pit-head baths are on the open principle, although the baths are usually separated from the dressing room -and a separate place is provided for youths up to 18 years of age. The baths are free, the workman supplying his own soap and towel. The miners are compelled to provide a clean set of pit clothing once a week. The baths are usually built in the basement of -the main building containing the administrative offices, and are connected to the shafts by means of a covered way. The party on their return expressed their unanimous approval of the excellent results accruing from the use of pit-head baths, more particularly those arranged on the fourth French system, with single cubicles, in a separate'building directly connected with the central dressing and drying room fitted with suspenders for the miners’ clothes. It will be seen from the drawings and photographs that these ideas have been incorporated in the Treharris baths, as shown in the accompanying photograph (fig. 1), which are situated in close proximity to -the pits, thus avoiding any risk to workmen catching chills in winter when withdrawn from the warm atmosphere of the mine. The building (which also serves as administration offices) is a very substantial structure, the main walls being constructed of Pennant rock (fig. 2). It consists of a large central dressing room 55 ft. by 32 ft. (fig. 3), fitted with 800 chains. for -suspending the miners ’ clothes, near the roof and over the radiators, which are fixed 14 ft. above floor level. These radiators heat the air circulating through the hall with an exit in the roof, for the purpose.of drying either the working or wearing clothes when suspended. The miners enter the dressing room through the corridor shown on the right in fig. 4, each person having his specified position in the hall with his own chain and padlock with number attached. Entry to the adult baths is obtained through passages in the centre, and at each end of the dressing -room. The 54 cubicles are erected in a separate corridor 92 ft. by 15 ft. (fig. 5). The cubicles are constructed of white glazed bricks -in the form of T-shaped walls. Between the inner and outer T’s pegs are fixed to the wall -for holding the clothes, while the space on either side of the inner T forms the b-ath cubicle, which is quite private. Each spray is connected to a hot and cold water supply (fig. 6), the water used being the same as that used for household purposes, and obtained from the Brecon Beacons. The hot water supply is obtained by passing steam at 501b. pressure through a calorifier, which is capable of heating 6,000 gals, per hour from 60 degs. Fahr, to 250 degs. Fahr. By means of an automatic arrangement the temperature of the water can be fixed to prevent danger from scalding. Adjoining the dressing room there -is a separate bath- room containing 16-eubieles with sprays for boys, making a total of 70 baths for workmen. Taking the average time at 10 minutes per man, this would give accommoda- tion for 420 men per hour, and as it takes lj( hours -to withdraw the men from the two pit-s, 630 men could pass through the baths during this period without waiting. A separate room containing five baths is set aside for the officials, the only difference in the arrangement being that they have lockers for their clothes instead of the suspended system used in the main baths. On the upper floor, which is reached by means of an iron ladder, a special drying room has been built in the superintendent’s department for the purpose of drying wet clothes. It consists of a small room containing four racks (one of which is shown withdrawn in fig. 7) sur- rounded by steam radiators. Arrangements have also been provided for the inclusion of a special washing machine in this department, should the workers show any desire to take advantage of the arrangements already provided. An ambulance room (fig. 8) fitted with all the latest first aid appliances has also been provided. The total cost of building was £8,000. Of this sum approximately 6,500 has been spent on the baths, and this has been handed over by the Misses Davie-s of Llandinam -as a free gift to the miners of Treharris. At -the opening ceremony Mr. W. Jenkins, J.P., of Hereford, one of the directors, who has taken a keen interest in the question of pit-head baths, and to whose initiative the erection of the Treharris baths was made possible, in presenting Miss Davies with a silver key to unlock the door of the baths, said it had long been felt that something should be done by which men engaged in -the production and handling of coal should have proper facilities to cleanse themselves from its effects before going home to their dwellings, but some obstacle or other continuously cropped up in the past, causing delay in carrying out what was apparently the right -and proper remedy, viz. : facility to wash in the