Electric lamplighters. Develop ments of Bye- nd tidi he I notice that an explosion was caused during the year in a colliery in the Cardiff district by the use of electric lamplighters. I anticipated this danger years back in some of the mines in this district, and insisted upon these appliances being dealt with at lamp stations," in exactly the same manner as if the lamps were opened and relit from a flame, instead of having them in various parts of the mine for the men to re-light their lamps but where no proper supervision was exercised. When revising the Special Rules recently, it was proposed to alter the rule so as to allow of placing these appliances for the men to light their lamps themselves, and without their being in charge of some responsible person appointed for the purpose; I opposed this, and was supported generally by the owners, agents, and managers on the committee. Experience now shows that I was right in the position I took up in the matter, seeing that, as I then explained, a spark must necessarily occur, if only momentarily, in each case of lighting a lamp, before the contact is made between the lamp and the electric lighter. At the Powell Duffryn Co.'s Elliot Colliery, New Tredegar, a large electrical installation has been erected, and power is at present transmitted from it to their Bargoed Colliery about two miles distant. At this latter colliery a still larger installation is about to be erected in order that the plants may be interchangeable and of mutual assistance in case of necessity. The motive power at Bargoed will be gas-driven engines of 1,250 B.H.P. and 2,500 B.H.P. The gases resulting from the coke ovens are treated for the bye-products which they contain and are then stored in large gasometers for the purpose of supplying these engines. The bye-products obtained are tar, sulphate of ammonia and sulphuric acid, but, while the coke ovens come under my inspection, these bye-product plants, although on the colliery premises, come, according to your decision, under the Factory and not the Mines Department. These collieries are, perhaps the most interesting in the district, as Mr. Hann, the General Technical Manager for the Company, has adopted a large number of the most approved mechanical and other arrangements, including a four-cylinder compound and condensing winding engine, iron rail guides of 100 lbs. to the yard in the shafts with which, much to my surprise, the cages run more smoothly than at any other colliery in the district, large double deck cages with simultaneous loading and unloading at top and bottom to enable an output of 350 tons per hour being raised from a depth of 625 yards, a large double vertical and compound engine for working the air-compressor, a large pumping engine, electrically driven centrifugal pump having a long column of water, gas engines of 1,250 and 2,500 H.P., a large coal washery, Kopper's coke ovens, bye-product plant, aerial rope tramways for conveying refuse up to the tipping places, &c., &c. Cleanliness There is, perhaps, a slight continuous improvement with regard to cleanliness and tidiness about the collieries, but improvement in this respect advances slowly and when less about I have spoken to some of the owners who, I believe, would like to see their collieries Collieries. tidier, was told that colliery managers and officials who have gained their experience in the South Wales coalfield are in this respect hopeless, and they find that imported managers soon lose heart in the matter as they cannot get their officials out of the slovenly practices which prevail. This surely should not be so, but I am sorry to say it is only too apparent at many of the collieries. Still, I hope things will improve by degrees. A list of the Record Plans received and forwarded to the Home Office during the is given in Appendix IV. T. H. Deakin, Esq., Parkend, Gloucestershire, Vice-Chairman. E. F. Broderip, Esq., Filey, Weston-super-Mare. M. Wolstenholme, Esq., Abergavenny, Mon. Mining Engineers. Robert Jordan, Esq., Newport, Mon. Thomas Morgans, Esq., 60, Queen's Square, Bristol. Theodore Vachell, Esq., Newport, Mon. Working Miners. Mr. J. Wrentmore, Beeches Terrace, Cross Keys, Newport, Mon. H.M. Inspector of Mines. Joseph S. Martin, I.S.O., 16, Durdham Park, Bristol, Chairman. Secretary. Svdney J. Thomas, Esq., Coleford, Gloucestershire. From these figures it will be seen that there has been an increase of 925 in the number of persons employed (300 underground, 625 above-ground), distributed over the several counties as follows: Cornwall, increase 857; 353 underground, 504 above-ground. Devonshire, increase 193; 91 underground, 102 above-ground. Dorsetshire, decrease 12; 11 underground, 1 above-ground. Gloucestershire, increase 4; decrease 2 underground, increase 6 above-ground. Kent, decrease 8; 3 underground, 5 above-ground. Somersetshire, increase 31; 9 underground, 22 above-ground. Surrey, increase 11; decrease 1 underground, increase 12 above-ground. Sussex, decrease 7; increase 1 underground, decrease 8 above-ground. It will be seen that, notwithstanding the exceptionally high prices which have prevailed during the year, there has been a falling off in the quantities of Copper Ore, Manganese, Ochre, Tin, &c., mined under this Act. It is difficult to account for this, most probably owing to the low prices which prevailed for some time previously, the mines were not in a position to increase their output. Had those which could afford it kept development in advance, as I constantly urged should be done, they would now be reaping the benefit of it. I am unable to understand the falling off in the quantity of chalk mined except that brick-making has not been very brisk and this chalk is principally used for tempering clay for this purpose. The condition of the building trade accounts for the falling off in stone which is principally of the oolite formation around Bath and known as "Bath Stone." SECTION III. SUMMARY OF FATAL and NON-FATAL ACCIDENTS, classified according to PLACE and CAUSE. The death-rate from accidents per 1,000 persons employed was (a) above ground, 50; (b) below ground, 2.83; and (c) above and below ground, 1.82. TABLE (20). Name of Firm, Nature of Fatal Accident, and Number of Employees. No. of No. of Non-fatal Accidents. CORNWALL. Adams, W. H.; (Ventonwyn Mine). (1 fall of side)... Basset Mines, Ltd. (1 fall of side, 1 (3) fall of roof, 1 boiler explosion.) ... (43) (539) Carn Brea and Tincroft Mines, Ltd. (1 falling from part way down 1 (930) 1 (265) Dolcoath Mine, Ltd. (1 things falling from part way down in shafts.) 1 (1,142) East Pool and Agar United Mines Adventurers. (1 underground haulage, 1 sundries underground.) (641) Levant Mining Co. (1 explosives underground) South Crofty Mine Adventurers. (1 ascending or descending in shafts.) Details of the accidents will be found in Appendix I., while special reference is made to some of them on pages 30 and 31. It will be seen that there were two fatal accidents and two deaths less in the district than in the previous year, but an equal number of accidents and deaths in the Mines in Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, and part of Somerset which before 1892 when it was amalgamated with mine, formed a separate Mining Inspection district (No. 14). In consequence of remarks which came under my notice, with reference to accidents under the present inspection arrangements as compared with those when the districts were separate, I have prepared the following tables which show the results since 1873 for the district as at present constituted, and for the Counties mentioned as if they had continued a separate district (No. 14). |