Tweet

General

By reference to Plan No. 1 it will be seen that the entrance to the No. 3 North District is reached from the shafts by way of the Haig Engine Plane, which is also the main intake airway, at a distance of approximately two miles. This road has an average height of nine feet and an average width of thirteen feet.

The No. 3 North Dip extends for about 400 yards; it is level for 150 yards and then dips at the rate of one in six. The workings comprising the No. 3 North District extend to the west and to the east the of this Dip for some 300 yards and 200 yards respectively ; the system of working is bord and pillar with the roads about 50 yards centre to centre. The westward side is the developing side and is all in the whole. The eastward side has been developed and broken working has been started.

The Main Band Seam in this district is about half its normal thickness of some eleven feet, the top coal being somewhat thinner than usual and the bottom or "Benk" coal missing.

The configuration of the seam in this district roughly resembles the half of a saucer, the main dip starting at the rim and approximately bisecting the half saucer. The roads to the east are more or less level for a short distance and then rise in that direction those to the west dip for a short distance and then rise.

Ventilation.

The district is ventilated by a split of some 19,000 cubit feet of air per minute. This split is divided into three sub-splits. one containing 3,500 cubic feet per minute enters at Hodgson's place a second of the same amount goes to the east and vent ilates the broken workings, whilst a third of some 12,000 cubic feet per minute goes to the west by way of Bailey's level. The course of each of these sub-splits is shown in Plan 1.

Lighting.

The workmen used Oldham electric lamps and the deputies and other officials Patterson flame lamps.

Shotfiring.

In Hodgson's level, a top canch was in course of being taken down. Samsonite No. 3 being the explosive used. In Bailey's place, the coal was found to be difficult to get and the men working in it asked the Undermanager for a special price in order to enable them to earn reasonable wages. The Undermanager suggested that if they would undertake to undercut the coal to a depth of five feet, he would supply "Cardox"* shells to blow down the undercut coal. This bargain was struck, and on 27th January two shells were fired, and a third, to which reference will again he made, when the explosion occurred.

There was no other shotfiring in the district.

Stonedusting.

Limestone dust was used for dusting the roof, floor and sides, fifteen and a quarter tons being distributed in the No. 3 North District during the months of December and January, or about 5 lbs. of dust per ton of output.

Samples of the dust in Bailey's level taken on 29th December by the Master Wasteman, John Fearon, gave the following percentage content of combustible matter

Roof 5.47; Sides 2.80; and Floor 10.62.

The average percentage of combustible matter found in the samples taken monthly in compliance with the General Regulations in the No. 3 North District during the year 1930 was, to the nearest unit, Roof 11; Floor 19; and Sides 13, the highest in each case being: Roof 17; Floor 29; and Sides 17. The Agent, Mr. William Morgan, said that the results of the analyses of the samples were sent direct to him and if he found that in any of the samples tested the incombustible dust was getting down towards 70 per cent., he at once drew the attention of the Manager to the fact. Mr. Morgan was familiar with the work of the **Safety in Mines Research Board on the inflammation of coal dusts and his aim was to keep the incombustible matter in the dust up to 80 per cent.

Bailey's level was treated with stone dust on 27th January and the roads to the east of the Main Dip on the 28th. Samples were due to be taken on the day following the explosion.

Supervision.

Mr. George Marron and Mr. Andrew Naysmith were the Manager and Undermanager respectively; they visited the workings of the mine daily, and Mr. William Morgan, Agent, visited them at frequent intervals. There were four shifts of deputies — one deputy in each — in the No. 3 North District for three shifts of workmen. In addition, on the morning and afternoon shifts, an overman supervised this district as well as the No. 1 South District adjoining. During the night shift, there was one overman for the Haig Section of the mine.

* See Statutory Rules and Orders 1930, No. 354.

** S.M.R.B. Papers 33, 48 and 56.