Mexborough and Swinton Times September 16, 1898

Technical Education at Denaby Main.
Coal Mining Lecture.

A popular lecture to inaugurate the course of lessons about to the given at Denaby Main on coal mining was delivered in the New Schools, on Monday evening, by Mr. L T O’Shea, BSc.’ of the University College, Sheffield, on the “Safety of Modern Mining Explosives.”—Mr. W H Chambers presided, and introduced the lecturer as an able exponent of the subject he had so often previously discoursed upon, and a gentleman to whom a few, at any, rate were greatly indebted for information gained under his instruction.

The Chairman said it was a great pity that more did not take advantage of the facilities now offered for obtaining greater knowledge of the precarious work in which they were daily occupied, and regretted that the attendance was so small. However, the effort was not lost; some availed themselves of these opportunities, and they were the men who usually got on. It was not unlikely that at some time it would be necessary for all to pass an examination or show certain ability and knowledge before being allowed to enter a, mine.

Mr. O’Shea said the system of instruction which had been carried on during the past seven years had not been altogether quite as successful as could have been liked. Yet to a certain extent it had done good work. During the past three years there had been a steady increase in the attendance of the public at the classes in coal mining, whilst there had been a gratifying decrease in the number of explosions and serious accidents arising from carelessness or ignorance. They were now going to revert to the old system of holding classes under a local teacher, who was fully qualified, and a syllabus had been arranged to meet the requirements of those engaged in mining, and the Department of Science and Art would recognise that syllabus, and allow those who attend those classes to obtain their certificate.

The difference was, instead of getting through all the lectures in one year, it was             now divided into two here’s, and unless the student was somewhat advanced to begin with he would take the examination of the County Council at the end of the first year, and most, likely the examination of the Science and Art Department at the end of the second year, or which he pleased. The County Council undertakes the selection of a teacher and they look out for teachers who are well qualified and have a practical experience, and at the same time have been through a course of training either at the University College, Sheffield, or the Yorkshire College, Leeds. Such a teacher had been found in Mr. Witty, who had taken classes under the Science and Art Department before, and he (Mr. O’Shea) had every “confidence that the classes would meet with the support they deserved.

The lecturer, in the course of his remarks, which were illustrated by photographs taken from actual scientific experimental explosions, traced the origin of the power of explosions back to their atoms —first building up, as it were, gunpowder from three inexplosive, but combustible bodies; each harmless in itself, but mixed in certain proportion were capable of tremendous effort on the application of slight heat, and in exploding, raising the temperature to a much greater heat. Gunpowder was a ‘low’ explosive, and, referring to the Explosives Order of 1898, he showed the constituents of the various high explosives, and taught how and at what temperature they were ignited, And the resultant high temperature. Mr. O’Shea explained how blown out shots were a great danger to miners ,and how they might be avoided by causing each charge to do only the amount of work required of it, illustrating by slides the methods used by Mr. Hall in working up his evidence for his paper on coal dust three or four years ago. Either gunpowder or dust is the dangerous factor in a mine. One must, go—dust, we make—so powder in its original state must give way to safer compounds. The lecturer produced various samples of high explosives, and showed how they were more effective than gunpowder, and in a measure safer, because of the extremely minute particle of time during which all the explosive was entirely consumed. Detonation is required to explode the high, whilst low explosives may be fired by applying a light. The lecturer showed how ammonium nitrate, being mixed with the nitro-glycerine compound, was a factor of safety and how the miners themselves, who were certified to be able to fire shots, contributed to the safety of the mine by giving the explosion just enough work to do.

A vote of thanks to the lecturer for his very able and scientific lecture, proposed by Mr. Chambers, seconded by Mr. Thomas Weston, and supported, was carried by acclamation.

Mr. O’Shea suitably responded, and, the interesting proceedings terminated by several of his audience giving in their names to be members of the class, which commences on Saturday next.