Mining Students Visit to Cadeby Colliery

The members of the South Yorkshire mining students Association, paid a visit to the above colliery on Saturday. About 70 students presented themselves at the manager’s office at 9 o’clock on Saturday morning, where they were met and cordially welcomed by Mr H. S. Witty, manager of Cadeby.

The party divided into two sections, one section being content to view the various items of interest above ground under the guradianship of Mr Witty, whilst the other section elected to pay a visit underground, where they were met by Mr S. J. Bridges, the under manager, who took them on a short visit to the East district of the mine.

After a most interesting and instructive visit the students repared to the Denaby Main Hotel, where a capital luncheon was partaken of, provided on the usual liberal scale practised by the juvenile host, Mr G Gibbs. After lunch had been disposed of, a meeting was held at which Mr Chambers, Mr Witty, Mr O’Shee and Mr Adwick, were elected as honorary members of the Association.

A paper, giving a short description of Cadeby colliery, was read by Mr Walter Wilkinson, followed by the advantages of the ordinary safety lamp over the electric hand lamp,” by Mr B. Hadfield, of Denaby. Then Mr H. Ross read one of the”advantages of the electric hand lamp over the ordinary safety lamp,” followed by a description of several electric lamps by Mr Cook.

Referring to Cadeby Colliery Mr W. Wilkinson said that at the present time there were about 2000 men and boys employed underground, and about 1000 men and boys on the surface. Coal is wound up both shafts; the death of number one shaft (downcast) is 2250 Ft. and that of number two shaft (up cast) is 2216 ft., diameters of the shafts being 16 feet each. The record number of tons of coal wound in one week from the two shops is 18,164 tonnes made during the week ending December 20, 1905.

The winding ropes are 6 inches in circumference. Omerods Safety Hook being used in case of an over wind. The cages have four decks each, carrying two tubs on a deck, making 4 tons of coal each wind.

The loading of the driving chairs is down to means of Hydraulic Pressure, whilst the cages are travelling in the shaft the hydraulic chairs at the bottom are being loaded, and as soon as the driving chair reaches the bottom, the full tubs are pushed into the cage by means of rammars worked by hydraulic pressure, at the same time pushing the empty tubs into the empty hydraulic chair. Whilst this is being done at the bottom a similar process is being enacted at the surface to enter the cage of full tubs and replace them by empty tubs. The number of “winds” or “draws” varies from 40 to 50 per hour.

The ventilation of the mine is effected by means of a Schiele Fan, driven by a double acting engine, with cylinder 42 inches in diameter, and 34 inch stroke with a steam pressure of 80 per square inch. Nos one and two pit winding engines are similar in May, in each case there are two coupled engines, double acting, with cylinders 45 inches diameter, each having an 84 inch stroke, steam pressure being 80 lbs per square inch.

Spiral drums are used, the smaller diameter being 16 foot and the larger diameter 33 feet, the pitch of spiral being 8 inch. In the electric light plant there are two sets of double acting engines, cylinders having 12 inch. Diameter, and a 16 inch stroke, steam pressure being 120 lbs per square inch. There are two dynamics of 350 amperes and 110 volts capacity, and one dynamo of 150 amps and 250 volts capacity.

In the electric power generator numbers 1 and 2 set, the engines are of the compound double acting type. With generator of 90 kW, capacity at 50 V in the number three turbo alternator, the capacity is 250 kW, at 500 V. In the number four turbo alternator, the capacity is 450 kW, at 500 V.

The electric house may also be seen as an air compressor of a double acting single cylinder type, steam cylinder being 20 inches diameter, and with 20 inch stroke, the air cylinder being 20 inch. Diameter and 20 inch stroke, air pressure being £50. Per square inch.

An hydraulic charging pump is also fixed in the electric house, this also being of the double acting type, the cylinders being 16 inch diameter, 17 inch stroke. The water pump being five each diameter with a 17 inch stroke; water pressure is 450 lbs per square inch.

The empty tub creeper from number one pit top to number two pit top is worked by a 54 power motor, running at 570 revolutions per minute. There are two sets of screws, each set being worked by 50 hp, pumping water out of boreholes into a reservoir for the use of the inhabitants of the village; also to motors of 50 hp, pumping water from the river into another reservoir for colliery use only. There are in use 180 Coke ovens of the beehive and 10 Peyton ovens 30 feet long land 6 feet wide.

The system of working adopted in Longwell, and the endless rope method of haulage is used with distinctive advantages. The power used for hauling the coal is the modern agent known as electricity.