1234 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN June 30, 1916. 276 against 350. By far the larger number of these accidents is connected with blasting. Forty-eight persons were killed and 298 injured, as compared with 44 killed and 375 injured in 1914. Explosive. No. of Accidents. Kille 1. Injured. Abelite .... 1 .... .. 1 — Ammonal .... 3 .... . — 3 Ammonite .... 2 .... . — 3 Aj ax powder .... 1 .... . — 1 Bellite .... 4 .... . 1 3 Bellite No. 4 .... 1 .... — 1 Blasting gelatine .... 3 .... .. 3 5 Bobbi nite .... 2 .... . — 2 Cheddite .... 2 .... . — 2 Denaby powder .... 1 .... . — 1 Detonators .... 14 .... ——- 17 Dynobel .... 1 .... . — 1 Erin gelignite .... 1 .... . — 1 Ergite .... 1 .... . 1 ... — Expedite .... 1 .... . — 1 Fraoturite .... 1 .... . — 1 Fulminate composition .... 1 .... . — 2 Gelatine dynamite .... 1 .... . — 1 Gelignite .... 65 .... . 14 71 Gelignite and gunpowder .... 1 .... . — 1 Gunpowder ....104 .... .15 112 Herculite .... 1 .... -— 1 Kentite .... 1 .... — 1 Monarkite .... 3 .... . 1 3 Monobel powder .... 1 .... . — 1 Monobel Al .... 1 .... — 2 Monobel No. 1 .... 2 .... . 1 1 Neonal .... 1 .... — 1 Permon powder Permon powder and .... 1 .... . — 1 other explosives 1 .... . — 2 Bippite .... 4 .... . — 5 Roburite .. .... 2 .... . 2 Robuirite No. 4 .... 2 .... . — 2 Safety fuse .... 1 . — 1 Samsonite .... 1 .... . — 1 Saxonite .... 1 .... . — 1 Socket sound signal ..... .... 1 .... . 1 ... — Stomonal .... 1 .... — 1 Stowite .... 1 .... . 1 ... — Super Excellite .... 2 .... . — • 3 Super Rippite .... 7 .... . 2 6 Swale powder 2 . — 2 Swalite .... 1 .... — 1 Thames powder .... 2 .... . —- 3 Tonite .... 1 .... . 2 Victor powder ...-. .... 5 .... . 1 5 Viking powder .... 5 .... . 2 3 ,, No. 1 . .... 1 .... . — 4 „ No. 2 .. Unknown .... 2 .... — 2 .... 1 .... . — 2 War trophies .... 3 .... . 2 4 ix Orders. made under Section 61 of the Coal Mines Act, 1911, were issued during the year, viz., Orders of January 15, January 28, March 30, April 1, July 3, and August 16. The effect of these Orders was to add 14 new explosives to the Permitted List and to amend paragraph c of Clause I. of the Order of September 1, 1913. This clause deals with the keeping of detonators. Of the 14 new explosives added to the Permitted List, six had been tested during the previous year. During 1915, 15 explosives were submitted for test, of which 12 passed and three failed. Of the 12 which passed, eight were included in the Orders issued during the year, one was held in reserve at the request of the manufacturers, and the remaining three were explosives manufactured in South Africa and not intended for manufacture or sale at home. In these cases a certificate that the explosive had passed the prescribed test for inclusion in the British Permitted List was granted. Owing to the delay and inconvenience caused by the rule that no explosive might be submitted even for experi- mental shots unless it had been fully examined by the chemical advisers, it was decided in 1913 that an explo- sive which had passed the preliminary examination might in future be submitted for experimental firing. It is, however, to be understood that this will apply to experimental shots only, and that any explosive sub- mitted for official test must, as heretofore, have passed all tests necessary for authorisation. PARLIAMENTARY INTELLIGENCE. HOUSE OF COMMONS.—June 28. Coal for Munition Firms. Mr. Currie asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether any assurances had been given to either controlled or uncon- trolled establishments that unlimited supplies of coal would be obtainable; and whether, in the event of a shortage or of an enhancement of price, uncontrolled firms might rely on the same treatment as the others. Mr. Harcourt said he did not know of any such assurance. In the event of a shortage of coal, an endeavour would natur- ally be made to supply firms in the order of their national importance. The late Mr. Isaac Cheesman, mining engineer, of Tyne- mouth, for many years manager of Throckley Colliery, left estate valued at .£5,962. British Firm and German Patents. — Messrs. Newton, Chambers and Company Limited, Thorncliffe Iron Works and Collieries, near Sheffield, made an application in the Patents Court, London, for licence to take three German patents, and manufacture under them, during the war, fur- nace hoists, charging mechanism for blast furnaces, and an opening and closing device for the mouths of furnaces. Counsel explained that the patents were of 1904 in the name of the J. Pphlig Akt.-Ges., of 1907 in the name of Aumunde, and of 1909 in the name of the J. Pohlig Company. The Controller said he would recommend the Board of Trade to issue the licence. THE GERMAN 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 :— Coal Syndicate Report for April. Total coal raised, 7,325,857 tons (8,320,676 tons in March), or 314,602 tons (308,173 tons) per working day. Calculated distribution, 5,745,259 tons (6,354,468 tons), or 249,794 tons (235,351 tons) per working day, being 69-10 per cent. (65-11 per cent.) of the participation. Total coal distribution, 7,546,978 tons (8,317,000 tons), or 328,129 tons (308,037 tons) per working day. Deliveries, including local sales, miners’, house coal and supplies to pits’ own ironworks : Coal, 4,034,571 tons (4,701,983 tons), or 175,416 tons (174,148 tons) par working day ; coke, 2,074,762 tons (2,067,290 tons), or 69,159 tons (66,687 tons) per working day ; briquettes, 301,590 tons (350,481 tons), or 13,113 tons (12,981 tons) per working day. During the month 285,585 tons were shipped per the Rhine-Weser and Dortmund-Ems canals, including 215,719 tons to Ruhrort, 21,450 tons to Minden and 48,416 tons to Emden. German Pig Iron Output for May. The report of the Association of Iron and Steel Manu- facturers gives the pig iron output for May as 1,112,574 tons (1,073,716 tong in April), or 35,890 tons (35,790 tons) per working day. This total is made us as follows : 19*% ■Ml ■IS Il ik-S r.i ? 7000-kilowatt Parsons Turbo-generator Plant. Foundry pig, 161,191 tons (165,895 tons); Bessemer pig, 4,646 tons (13,864 tons); basic pig, 713,425 tons (687,689 tons); steel, iron and spiegeleisen, 212,430 tons (187,704 tons ; puddling pig, 20,882 tons (18,564 tons); the Rhenish Westphalia produced 479,375 tons (469,705 ■tons); Siegerland, Wetzlar and Hesse-Nassau, 73,574 tons (69,964 tons); Silesia, 68,398 tons (65,590 tons); North Germany, 19,586 tons (19,436 tons); Mid- Germany, 32,690 tons (30,137 tons); South Germany and Thuringia, 21,034 tons (20,462 tons); the Saar dis- trict, 78,047 tons (70,838 tons); Lothringen, 171,222 ■tons (164,325 tons); and Luxemburg, 168,6648 tons (163,260 tons). Steel Union Report for May. The deliveries amounted to : Semi-manufactured pro- ducts, 80,765 tons (83,132 tons in April), or 71 per cent. (73 per cent.) of the participation; railway material, 142,347 tons (119,936 tons), or 66-4 per cent. (55-5 per cent.) of the participation; and sections, 88,528 tons (68,688 tons), or 42-1 per cent. (32-7 per cent.) of the participation1—a. total of 311,620 tons (271,756 tons) calculated in weight of raw straw. Tho Iron Market in Upper Silesia. During May prices continued to rise, and the works were well booked with orders, but prevented from developing satisfactorily from scarcity of labour, espe- cially skilled workmen, so that the supply of products was unequal to the demand. Little assistance was derived from the employment of extraneous workers and women; and the increased cost of living entailed higher wages, and thus added further to the cost of production. Ore, coke, pig iron and semi products were in short supply, the rolling mills suffering in particular, and being com- pelled to delay deliveries. Orders from neutrals came forward in increasing quantity. Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and especially Roumania, being eager buyers, irrespective of price so long as early delivery could be assured. In these circumstances the works had to decline many new orders. Deliveries to Eastern Ger- many were comparatively small, but large quantities were despatched to Poland, Scandinavia, and Bulgaria, licenses being quickly obtainable. Large stocks were kept on hand, awaiting instructions from the central purchasing authority in Berlin. Brown Coal Market in Mid-Germany. During May, business remained on about the same level as the previous month, or rather better. Deliveries of-briquettes and raw coal were good, sugar refiners having begun to cover their winter requirements. The demand could be met in almost all cases, but, owing to the scarcity of labour, overtime was necessary to a large extent. A 7,000-kw. PARSONS TURBO- GENERATOR PLANT. With reference to the announcement we made a short time back on the purchase of a turbo-generator plant by Messrs. R. H. Longbotham and Company Limited, of Ings Foundry, Wakefield, we are now able to give the accompanying illustration of the plant, with a few additional particulars. The turbines are of the latest improved type, with a normal steam pressure of 190 lb. and a normal superheat of 150 degs. at the turbine stop valve; or the steam may be either saturated or superheated to 200 degs. Fahr. They will also work non-condensing, with the steam exhausting into the atmosphere. The maximum output is designed for 5,000 kw. for one hour, or 5,500 kw. maximum. The governors are of the mechanical type, and so arranged that the speed at any load up to maximum load may be varied gradually to 5 per cent, above or below the normal speed while the turbine is running. This adjust- ment of speed may be made either by hand at the turbine or by electric motor control from the switchboard. This motor is worked from a direct current 100-volt circuit, and can be stopped automatically at either end of the travel of the gear. In addition, a mechanical safety governor is provided, to cut off steam when the speed rises to 1,400 revolutions per minute. The emergency valves can be tripped by hand, both at the floor and basement levels. The governor valves are of the double- beat type, with removable cast iron liners. The alternators are of the field rotating type, with exciter complete, 6,000 volt maximum load, capacity 3,500 kw. 40 cycles. The condensers are capable of maintaining a vacuum of 27| in. when 400,000 gals, of water per minute are being supplied, and have a three- throw air pump, driven by three-phase electric motor. The steam consumption is 15-1 kw. hour. OBITUARY. Sergt. J. W. Fawcett, of the Durham Light Infantry, formerly a mining surveyor at Easington-lane, has been killed in action in France. The death has occurred of Mr. James Latham, Atherton, for 34 years secretary to the Atherton and District Miners’ Association. He had served on the executive committee of the Miners’ Federation. The death has taken place at Moor Hall, Cookham, Berks, of Mr. F. D. Lambert, who was well known in coal exporting circles in the North. The deceased gentleman, who was 76 years of age, was the head of the firm of Messrs. Lambert Brothers, coal exporters, London, and till within two years of bis death was the vice-chairman of Messrs. W. Cory and Sons, coal exporters, London. He was the son of Mr. Francis Devereux Lambert, who belonged to a promi- nent Northumbrian family. The death has occurred, somewhat suddenly, at Harrogate of Mr. James Ritchie, founder and principal of the firm of Messrs. James and Ronald Ritchie Limited, Acklam Foundry, Middlesbrough. The deceased gentlemafi, who was 74 years of age, led a very active business life, and under his able direction the foundry, which he controlled .for over thirty years, developed and became a works of considerable importance in the industries of Teesside. , The governors of the Huddersfield Technical College, in order to provide additional facilities for training industrial chemists, decided to establish a new department for study- ing the chemistry of coal tar colours. The department has been placed in charge of Dr. A. E. Everest.