September 20, 1918.

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

603

only been partially successful. Certain concessions
have been granted with respect to the written and
oral examinations, but no alteration has been made
in the statutory conditions for practical experience,
whilst the certificate granted to candidates who
successfully pass the examination will be withheld unti
the statutory three or five years’ practical experience
has been gained by them. The committee have been
requested by the council to continue their efforts on
behalf of these students. In response to an appeal
from the National Council of Y.M.C.A.s for a donation
towards their Christmas Fund, the sum of £710 17s. 5d.
was subscribed by the members of the institution and
handed over to that council. The invested funds of
the institution remain unaltered, with the exception
that the two bonds (£1,000 and £200) for the sum
of £1,200 lent to the Tyne Improvement Commission
at 3f and 3J per cent, respectively, have now been
renewed as one bond for a further period of five years,
with interest at 5| per cent, per annum. The state-
ment of accounts, as submitted, showed the ordi-
nary income for the year ended July 31, 1918, to have
been £4,674 14s. 9d., as compared with £4,473 14s. 8d.
for the previous year. The expenditure amounted to
£4,444 Is. 10d., as compared with £3,633 10s. 2d. for
the year 1916-1917. The balance of assets over
liabilities, exclusive of capital funds and of the value
of the stock of Transactions, but inclusive of the value
of furniture and fixtures (after allowing for deprecia-
tion), now stands at £3,869 17s. 9d., as against
£3,639 4s. lOd. for the previous year.

Officers for die Year.

The names of the officers of the institution for
1918-19 were announced as follows : President, Mr.
G. Blake Walker; vice-presidents, Messrs. A. J. A.
Orchard and Wm. Pickup, representing the Man-
chester Geological and Mining Society; Messrs. George
Spencer and H. E. Mitton, representing the Midland
Counties Institution of Engineers; Messrs. C. C.
Ellison and W. D.* Lloyd, representing the Midland
Institute of Mining, Civil and Mechanical Engineers;
Messrs. David M. Mowat, Jas. Hamilton and
S. Mavor, representing the Mining Institute of Scot-
land; Messrs. W. C. Blackett, F. Coulson, T. Y.
Greener, C. C. Leach and F. R. Simpson, representing
the North of England Institute of Mining and
Mechanical Engineers; Mr. J. Gregory, representing
the North Staffordshire Institute of Mining and
Mechanical Engineers; Mr. Alexander Smith, repre-
senting the South Staffordshire and Warwickshire
Institute of Mining Engineers. Messrs. Jno. G.
Benson and Sons, Chartered accountants, of Newcastle-
on-Tyne, were re-elected auditors.

The President said that his next duty, as it was
his last duty, was to introduce Mr. G. Blake Walker
as his successor. The word “ introduce ” was a most
anomalous one under the circumstances, as Mr. Blake
Walker had been known to them for a great number
of years, especially to the members of the Midland
Institute of Mining, Civil and Mechanical Engineers,
of which he has acted as secretary for the past ten
years. He would therefore content himself by asking
Mr. Walker to take the chair, and assuring him of
the most hearty support of the members during the
ensuing year.

Presidential Address.

Mr. G. Blake Walker then took the chair, amid
applause, and proceeded to deliver his address. (See
Colliery Guardian, September 13, 1918, p. 546.)

On the motion of Mr. Jno. Gerrard (Manchester),
seconded by Sir W. N. Atkinson I.S.O. (Tintern,
Mon.), a cordial vote of thanks was passed to Mr. Biake
Walker for his address.

Thanks to the Retiring President.

Mr. G. S. Bragge (Moseley) moved a vote of thanks
to the retiring president, Mr. Wallace Thorneycroft,
for his services during the past year. In times like
the present, the work of every institution, especially
one like theirs, was carried on under great difficulties,
and they wanted a good man at the head, and in Mr.
Thorneycroft they had such a man.

Mr. G. J. Binns (Duffield) seconded the motion,
which was heartily agreed to.

Mr. Wallace Thorneycroft, in acknowledging it,
said that it had been both an honour and a pleasure
to him to fill the presidential chair for the past two
years, and he could only say that he had tried to
the best of his power to do the little which he had
been able to do. He was sure they would extend to
the new president the same degree of support which
they had given to him, and without which his work
would have been futile.

Presentation of the Institution Medal to Mr. C. E. Rhodes.

The President said that it was a personal pleasure
that it should have fallen to him to present the
institution medal to his old friend, Mr. C. E. Rhodes,
for, being his near neighbour, he had had 'the privi-
lege of watching his career for some forty years.
Mr. Rhodes had been in a special sense the embodi-
ment of mining engineering in South Yorkshire. He
had been identified with the various developments and
progress in mining methods both from the point of
view of safety and profitable working, and had always
been ready to impart the fruit of his experience and
knowledge to those who were desirous of profiting
by it. Many of them owed him a deep debt of grati-
tude. Mr. Rhodes was a native of Rotherham, and
commenced his mining life with a well-known firm
established in Manchester. He was at Wombwell Main
Colliery and other collieries in South Yorkshire and
also in Lancashire, where there was an opportunity
of observing a rapid development in mining work.
He also had the unfortunate experience of assisting
at many serious explosions both in Yorkshire and in
Lancashire. His experience gained there, when naked
lights were almost universal and gunpowder was the
only explosive used, brought him rapidly to the con-
clusion that these were the two primary factors in
connection with explosions, and that the introduction

of safety lamps, with some other means for blasting
than that of gunpowder, would have to be resorted
to. When he became manager under Messrs. John
Brown and Company Limited, in 1873, he recom-
mended that safety lamps should be used in lieu of
naked lights; the directors acceded to his request.
The introduction of lamps followed rapidly throughout
the district, but occasional explosions still took place,
and it was felt, * after some experiments on a small
scale had been made, that the then safety lamp was
not a satisfactory one. Mr. Rhodes conducted a large
number of experiments in conjunction with a com-
mittee appointed by the Midland Institute, and also
assisted a committee set up by the Government under
the presidency of the late Sir Warington Smyth, the
result being a very considerable improvement in
safety lamps generally. He conducted experiments
on a small scale at Aldwarke Main Colliery, and these
demonstrated beyond doubt that an infinitesimal por-
tion of gas, coupled with coal dust, would cause a very
violent explosion, but as appliances used were of a
limited size, it was not possible at that time to get
a pure dust explosion. Mr. Rhodes made numerous
experiments as to the safety and efficiency of high
explosives, and conditions had much improved. He
endeavoured to introduce electric safety lamps many
years ago, but could not then obtain a satisfactory
battery. He had sunk shafts in Yorkshire to all depths
down to 800 yards, under varying conditions, and ha 1
had the advantage of being able to develop very large
areas of coal in the district, and was associated with
the principal undertakings. For over 50 years he
had been connected with mining. The developments
during that period were hardly appreciated by those
who had not had an opportunity of seeing the result
of continuously growing experience.

Mr. C. E. Rhodes, in reply, said there was no testi-
monial of esteem which would commend itself as much
to him as the presentation which had just been made
to him. When one saw the conditions existing at
the present time, they were so absolutely different
from what prevailed long ago that the youngest
generation could hardly appreciate the vast improve-
ment which had been effected in the management of
collieries and the various methods adopted not only
for economical, but for safe working. The work of
that institution had resulted in the embodiment in
a code of legislation provisions which had for their
primary object the securing of the safety of those
employed underground, and without the efforts of that
institution and the individual efforts of members of
their profession, like Sir Warington Smyth, Sir
William Garforth and others, we should not now have
anything like the scale of safety in mines at which
we had arrived. If in his small way he had been able
to do anything in that direction, he was more than
repaid by feeling that he had been associated wTith
men who had brought the primary industry of this
country—the one on which the whole prosperity of
the country depended—to the success which it had
attained at the present time. He did not think that
anyone outside could appreciate the difficulties which
had had to be confronted in connection with the
carrying on of collieries during the past four or five
years. The strain of the war, the difficulty of dealing
with labour, and the obligations imposed upon them
by the' Control Board, manifestly for the benefit of
the community, had caused great discomfort and
anxiety to those responsible for the carrying on of
the huge industry. Nevertheless, they had every
reason to congratulate themselves that, in spite of
the extreme depletion of labour, they had been able
to keep the collieries going as they had, and had
successfully coped with conditions which no one
anticipated five or six years ago they would ever be
called upon to deal with.

Mr. T. Lindsay Gallloway then read his paper on
“ A Method of Determining the Magnetic Meridian
as a Basis for Mining Surveys” (see p. 597).

Discussion.

The President said that jthey were very much in-
debted to Mr. Galloway for bringing before them
an appliance which might materially reduce the
liability to error with which all mining surveyors
were familiar.

Dr. Chree said that he was very glad to have had
the opportunity of listening to Mr. Galloway’s paper
and of seeing the instrument which it described. It
was rather curious that Prof. Tanakadate, of Tokio,
was at present in this country, and he was sure that
he would be very gratified to note that Mr. Galloway
had found it'an advantage in his apparatus to utilise
the method of attaching a counterpoise to the end of
the fibre of exactly the same weight as the mirror
and magnet. He thought that it would be very
interesting if Mr. Galloway could ascertain from Prof.
Tanakadate whether this method of employing a
counterpoise was still in use in Japan. With regard
to the new apparatus, it struck him at first sight as
something rather complex, but probably that was
because they were unaccustomed to it.

Mr. G. Spencer observed that he had followed
Mi*. Galloway’s paper with great interest, and the
first thing which struck him was that we were un-
doubtedly making some progress in this subject.
They were all agreed as to the importance of correct
plans not only for the preservation of important
buildings on the surface, but also for the conservation
of coal, because if plans were inaccurate, or even
doubtful, a large margin of unworked coal had to be
left. Mr. Galloway’s instrument was a most interest-
ing one, but it seemed to him to be more suitable
for permanent observation than for general work in
a mine. What they wanted was a simple apparatus
which could be manipulated with ease by the surveyors
or their assistants, so that the declination at any
moment could be ascertained with a fair or a great
degree of accuracy.

Mr. Dron (Glasgow) congratulated Mr. Galloway
on his very ingenious apparatus. While it was
obvious that with sufficient care and skill an accurate

meridian might be laid down on the surface, it was
very questionable if the use of the method under
ordinary underground conditions would give accurate
results. Provided that due care was taken to allow
for magnetic variations, the miners’ dial was a most
useful instrument for the routine work of a colliery.
The main stations underground should, of course,
be established by theodolite surveys. If base lines
had to be established by means of a transit theodolite
from the top of the shaft, the work must be done by
experienced men using expensive instruments. As
they were not usually available at most collieries, it
would be a good thing if the Ordnance Survey De-
partment would undertake work of that kind. He
would like to ask whether the Meteorological Depart-
ment would be willing to reply to written communi-
cations as to the magnetic variations on any par-
ticular day.

Mr. C. C. Leach did not think that any pit could
be properly surveyed with the magnetic needle.

Dr. Chree, in reply to Mr. Dron, said that the
Meteorological Department would be glad to send,
on application, information as to whether on a par-
ticular day there was a magnetic disturbance or not.

Prof. Hummel (Leeds University) remarked that
Mr. Galloway appeared to think that by Mr. Bean-
lands’ method of determining the true north line
by means of a transit instrument at the top of the
shaft, and placing two marks at the bottom in line
with the line swept by the theodolite, it was difficult
to get a good result, but he assured them that a very
good result could be obtained quite easily by that
method. In the case of the Severn Tunnel a long wire
was used, and it was said that this enabled a long
base line to be obtained. It should be remembered,
however, that from the bottom of the shaft only a
portion of the wire was sighted, and in his opinion
the base would be not the full length of the wire,
but that portion only which was visible. That was
a point which he thought might be further discussed.
He thought that the presentation by Mr. Galloway
of this simple apparatus—and simplicity was generally
to be found where original ideas were brought for-
ward—came at a very opportune moment, following
as it did Dr. Chree’s exhaustive paper on “ Terres-
trial Magnetism.” Mr. Galloway had shown them
how to utilise the records of the annual and daily
variations of the magnetic meridian, which were now
being regularly published, and his instrument seemed
to be one which they could easily construct for them-
selves.

Prof. L. H. Cooke (Royal School of Mines), in a
written communication, criticised the title of the
paper as giving a false impression and lending
support to an antiquated and unsatisfactory system.
There were still too many upholders of the system
of referring mine surveys to the “mean magnetic
meridian.” In his preliminary comparison with alter-
native methods, the author omitted to notice the
shaft-plumbing orientations which were by far the
most widely used at the present time, where accurate
correlation was necessary. With two or more shafts
hundreds of yards apart excellent results could be
secured. He differed from the author in regard to
the best time for observations, looking at the matter
purely from the point of view of accuracy. The
evening was an unfavourable time, while 2 a.m. till
dawn was the best time for an isolated observation
which was not to be checked by another observation
on an orientation line or corrected from declination
curves. He had suggested, as the result of careful
consideration, making two observations—one on the
line of known orientation, and the other on the line
to be oriented, at the same hour on different days,
one closely following the other, a suggestion which
Mr. Galloway seemed to approve. The principle had
long been applied in precise setting out, but its appli-
cation to the precise orientation of underground
surveys had been, strangely enough, overlooked.

Mr. G. T; Newbould (Earl Fitwilliam’s Collieries)
thotight that Mr. Galloway’s interesting and instruc-
tive paper was a valuable addition to the literature
of surveying, coming so soon after the papers by
Dr. Chree and Mr. George Spencer. At the great
majority of collieries the surface and underground
surveys had for their base the magnetic meridian,
and the accuracy of the plans depended entirely on
the precision of obtaining the magnetic bearings on
the surface and underground. An instrument calcu-
lated to render these observations more accurate was
therefore of great value, and he thought that Mr.
Galloway’s instrument would come to be generally
used by mining surveyors.

Mr. T. Lindsay Gallloway expressed his gratifica-
tion at the way in which the paper had been received.
He admitted that the instrument was capable of .
many improvements. It was rather a rough produc-
tion so far, but it was very difficult at the present
time to get any optical work done. If it were found
useful, however, he had no doubt that a very much
improved instrument could be turned out, though
he did not think that, in principle, anything simpler
could be devised. One of the greatest practical diffi-
culties had been to prevent the wind from influencing
the mirror, and he had put round the sides an endless
rubber tube which seemed to be pretty successful.
He hoped that Dr. Knott would record the expe-
riences of himself and Prof. Tanakadate in Japan.
He told him that they carried a tent—sometimes for
the sun and sometimes for the wind—and that they
had little difficulty in obtaining good results.

A paper by Mr. David Penman on “ A Digest of the
First Report of the Mines Rescue Apparatus Research
Committee ’ ’ (part of which has already appeared in
the Colliery Guardian) was then read, the discussion
upon which will appear in our next issue.

The executive committee of the Miners’ Federation of
Great Britain has decided to refer the subject of de-
mobilisation after the war to the “triple alliance.” The
subject of non-unionists is to be referred to each district.