Mr. Dickinson's Report. REPORT On the INSPECTION of MINES in the DISTRICT Comprising NORTH and EAST LANCASHIRE and IRELAND, under the COAL MINES REGULATION ACT, 1872; and CHESHIRE, IRELAND, and within the COALFIELD of NORTH and EAST LANCASHIRE, under the METALLIFEROUS MINES REGULATION ACT, 1872; for the Year 1873.-By JOSEPH DICKINSON, Esq., F.G.S. SIR, Pendleton, Manchester, 23rd April 1874. In accordance with the Coal Mines Regulation Act, 1872, and the Metalliferous Mines Regulation Act, 1872, I have the honour to make the following Report of my proceedings as an Inspector of Mines during the year 1873. The guiding event of the year in relation to the regulation and inspection of mines The new has been the commencement of the two above-named Acts, which, with the exception of Acts. the Coal Mines Act being one year later in Ireland, came into operation in Great Britain and Ireland on the 1st of January 1873. Prior to these Acts the coal and certain ironstone mines of Great Britain were regulated by the former Coal Mines Act, which was based upon broad principles relating to safety to life, and a few specialities; but the only Act extending to the other mines in Great Britain, or to any mines in Ireland, was the 5 & 6 Vict. c. 99, which had scarcely any relation to safety, but prohibited the payment of wages in public houses, and the employment of boys under 10 years of age and of all female persons below ground. By the two new Acts provision for safety is extended to all mines in Great Britain and Ireland, and under the Coal Mines Act new clauses are introduced relating to the examination of managers, and to matters of contract between the masters and operatives, beyond those for which even special rules could be framed under former Acts. An important feature in both the new Acts, which seems likely to be approved of in such work as mining, where the safety of others so often depends upon mutual caution, is that of requiring observance by all persons concerned, so far as is reasonably practicable, and the making of any act or omission which would be an offence in the case of a master, also an offence if committed or left undone by an operative, and any act or omission by the operative, also an offence by the master, unless he can prove that he had taken all reasonable means by publishing, and to the best of his power enforcing, the regulations to prevent such contravention or non-compliance. The clause in the Coal Mines Act making the manager responsible with the owner Managers. and agent, is likely to have a beneficial effect by fixing the responsibility upon the person who has to see to the work being done. It however remains to be proved how the clause relating to the examination of managers may operate in future times, when it limits the choice of the owner and agent to those managers only who have obtained and hold a certificate of competency, as at present nearly all the managers are those who hold certificates of service, and not by examination. The clause in the same Act rendering it compulsory to weigh the mineral, except in Weighing those cases where special exemption is granted, when the wages depend upon the clause. quantity of mineral gotten, has fallen with considerable severity upon this district, where hitherto the practice was to pay by measure. In some mines, owing either to the steepness or to the thinness of the seams, the tubs to be safely and advantageously moved about are small, and therefore ill adapted for weighing. So evident has this appeared, that numerous applications for exemption have been made, and necessarily granted for the time being. Indeed in some of the instances where the tubs are very small, so that the variation in the weight of the tubs actually exceeds that of the coal which they contain, it is difficult to see how the weight of the mineral gotten can ultimately be truly ascertained, except by taking the tare of each tub separately, and deducting it from the gross weight, which will be a tedious process, and likely at busy pits to prove an obstruction to the working of the mine. Special rules. Extension of The improved effect likely to follow the establishment of special rules adapted to the new Coal Mines Act, under which they are imperative, remains to be experienced, as in this district the year was far advanced before a code could be arranged to meet the proposals of the masters on one side and the objections of the miners on the other; and even then, owing to the Coal Association of Lancashire and Cheshire persisting in going on with arbitration after all the numerous objections of the miners had been arranged,-or at all events arranged so far as it has been possible to arrange them,—the completion of the code for a large number of important collieries was unavoidably thrown into the second week of March 1874. In order to meet the extension of the Acts, this district, which formerly comprised the district. the coal mines of North and East Lancashire, now includes those mines and also a large addition of the newly comprised mines. On the 3rd of February 1873, in addition to my old appointment of inspector of coal mines, I had the honour to be directed by Mr. Secretary Bruce to act as an inspector of metalliferous mines also. In accordance with this arrangement, I acted temporarily as inspector for all the metalliferous mines of Lancashire and Cheshire until the 15th of July, when two new inspectors of metalliferous mines having been appointed, the mines of Ulverston were withdrawn, but the important addition of the coal and all other mines of Ireland made to this district. Assistant inspector. Working of the Acts. Under the new arrangement this district consists of all mines comprised by the Coal Mines Act in North and East Lancashire and in Ireland, and under the Metalliferous Mines Act of those in Cheshire, Ireland, and in the coalfield of North and East Lancashire. The mines under the Coal Mines Act number 367 in North and East Lancashire, and 37 in Ireland; and the mines under the Metalliferous Mines Act, 11 in Cheshire, 68 in Ireland, and 16 in the coalfield of North and East Lancashire. The mines under the Metalliferous Mines Act consist of 10 rock-salt and 1 copper mine in Cheshire, 15 flagstone mines and 1 limestone mine in North and East Lancashire, and a variety of mines in Ireland; namely of barytes, copper ore, gold, iron ore, iron pyrites, lead and silver ore, lignite, rock salt, slate, and zinc: there is also a bed called lithomarge in county Antrim, which is worked as a flux. The mines of Ireland are scattered over many counties. The copper, iron pyrites, &c., mines in the counties of Cork, Waterford, and Wicklow are extensive, and some of them are deep. The iron ore mines in county Antrim appear to be all modern, and to have been brought rapidly into active operation. The lignite mines have apparently been partially worked from ancient times, but only on a very small scale, and they do not seem to have succeeded well when ordinary coal could be obtained at a moderate price. The lignite is really a species of coal, but it lies in strata above the ordinary coal formation, and as the mines of it are small, and do not need the most stringent provisions, they have been classed by the decision of Mr. Secretary Lowe under the Metalliferous Mines Act. The iron ore mines of county Antrim, which are of stratified ore, have likewise been classed by Mr. Lowe under the Metalliferous Mines Act. Concurrently with these large extensions of the district under my charge, Joseph S. Martin, Esq., was appointed an inspector of mines, and has acted under my directions as assistant inspector in the district. Since the dates above named all the newly comprised portions of the district have been visited, and means have been taken to cause compliance with the regulations at every mine which is known to be at work. At many of the newly comprised mines some of the provisions of the Acts have been found in abeyance, and time has had to be allowed to admit of the requirements being carried out. The same also applies with respect to some of the new provisions in the Coal Mines Act, especially as to the numerous entries in books and keeping of registers; but under both Acts there appears an evident desire to give full effect to all matters directly relating to safety. Under the Metalliferous Mines Act, as the record commences, there is found in the first year in the mines attached to this district to be eight fatal accidents, with one death in each accident. This is the number so far as ascertained, but as the Act is new it is possible that every accident may not have been reported. Under the Coal Mines Act, where the number of accidents and deaths in North and East Lancashire admits of comparison with previous years, the result as to the working of the Act is favourable. The Coal Mines Act did not commence in Ireland until the present year, therefore any accident which may have happened in the coal mines there in 1873 has not been reported ; but in North and East Lancashire the fatal accidents in 1873 are 69, as against 78 in the preceding year; and the deaths 74, as against 116, being a considerable diminution under both heads. The proportion of fatal accidents and deaths to persons employed is also favourable, being one accident amongst every 462 persons, and one death amongst every 430 in the year 1873, as against one respectively amongst 367 and 247 in the preceding year. The proportion of mineral wrought is the reverse under the head of accidents, but is also favourable under the head of deaths, being 117,703 tons per fatal accident, and 109,750 tons per death in 1873, as against 120,041 tons per accident, and 80,717 tons per death in the preceding year. The following proceedings for penalties were taken by me under the Coal Mines Act: 21st May. At Ashton-under-Lyne against the owner of an insecurely fenced shaft at Hurst fined 17. and costs. 26th June. At Little Bolton (Bolton County Sessions) against the owner of Arley Hall Colliery, for not having the shaft sides secured: 201. and costs; and costs as to two unfenced fly wheels, and for not providing an indicator to the engine used for raising and lowering persons. 27th June. At Rochdale the agent of Raghole Colliery, for having a boy under 12 years of age employed to drive a horse at the gin used for raising and lowering persons: 51. and costs; also costs for having boys between 10 and 12 years of age employed below ground without the required sanction. Legal proceedings. The cases against the owner and agent of the Atherton Collieries, referred to in Appeal. previous reports under the former Coal Mines Act, came on for argument before the Court of Common Pleas on the 17th of November, when judgment was given in favour of the respondents with costs. It appears by the report of the proceedings that the main questions, which related to the accumulation and fencing off of the fire-damp, could not be argued by the Judges in consequence of the Justices finding, as "facts, firstly, that the mine was under ordinary circumstances in a fit state for working in, and secondly, that the spade which had been knocked down was a proper fence against the fire-damp. As to the merely collateral question of safety lamps being unlocked, the Judges held that the duty of locking them rested with the subordinates, and that an owner or agent ought not to be visited with any final consequence without there being something of either neglect or default in the person so visited. Consequently as the owner and agent have been exonerated under all the heads by the Justices, and the underlooker was acquitted at the Assizes, all have escaped punishment for what appeared to be serious neglect. It is satisfactory, however, to be able to finish the record by adding that at these mines but little time had elapsed after the commencement of the proceedings before measures were taken to improve the management. Returns of persons employed and quantities of mineral wrought having now to be Persons emmade under both Acts to the inspectors of mines, the following are the totals for ployed, and this district : mining produce. |