The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-09-06 00:00:00

THE ELECTRIC LIGHT IN MINES.

The electric light installation at the Mechernich
Mines in its once volcanic Eifol district in Rheinish
Prussia has now h3d a fair trial for more than three
years, and has proved a complete success. The ex-
pectation that it would both facilitate the operations
and increase their security has fully been realised,
and an extension of the plant is now being car-
ried out. Messrs. Siemens and Halske, of Berlin,
undertook the work, which was superintended on
their behalf by Mr. Boeddingliaus. An open working
2000 ft. long, 1000 ft. wide, and over 300 ft. deep, in
which 300 men and 20 horses are continually occupied,
was first to be supplied witli the electric light. Tli s
part of the mine is excavated in steps, the horizontal
terraces being provided with rails. Ordinary lamps in
globes on poles were out of tile question, as blasting
operations continue throughout the day, and the shots
would soon have made havoc of the lamps. After several
trials two powerful lamps of 3000 candles each, were
erected at the upper margin of the pit, vi here they
were fairly out of the reach of the projected stones;
and reflectors were fixed to throw the light down upon
the steps. To find, the proper positions for these
powerful lamps and to avoid too dark shadows caused
some difficulty. But the illumination was finally
rendered moat efficient, and the open pit with the
light playing on the whitish grey rock affords a fine
spectacle. As any interruptions, even for short
periods, such as those occupied in renewing the lamp
carbons would be dangerous, the whole plant is double;
each lamp receiving its current from a D 2 dynamo.
No hitch of any kind has occurred, and the safety of
the miners has decidedly been augmented. It was
formerly not always possible for the superintendents
to see whether the loose mass resulting from the
blasting operations had been properly removed,
and frequent minor accidents arose from the
debris falling upon the miners engaged on
the step next below. The work can now be
controlled much better than before when petroleum
lamps and hand lamps were in use. The cost shows
a saving of about 4d. per hour in favour of the electric
illumination. The satisfactory results obtained in the
open working induced the company to introduce the
electric light down in the subterranean galleries. The
ore forms little concretions of sand and galena
scattered all through the rock; the whole mass has
therefore to be brought every day to be disintegrated
and sifted, and the mining proceeds in parallel and
cress galleries, which axe constantly being widened
until they become 90ft. in width and 70ft. in height,
by sometimes 300 ft. in length. The operations in
themselves would not require much light if there was
not always danger threatening from loosened pieces
of rock. Pitch torches were formerly employed to
examine the bore holes and fissures round them after
each explosion. It was a question whether the arc
lamps would answer for this purpose in the smoky
atmosphere. For the first experiments arc lamps
of 3000 and 1000 candles were used, with the positive
carbon in the lower holder. The effect was brilliant,
yet the light did not penetrate the white smoke cloud
which collects at the upper wall immediately after the
shot. But as the smoke settles within ten minutes,
it was thought advisable to acquiesce in this inter-
ruption of a few minutes, and to use small lamps of
350 fandles, which proved quite efficient. Of these
there are ten in use, with about 10,000 ft. of lead
cable, the cable being partially elastic, as the lamps
with their wires have to be removed when the blast-
ing is to take place. The lamps were originally sup-
plied with hexagonal lanterns with obscured glass to
protect the eyes of the minors. The glasses were of
course soon broken, but no complaints are said to
have 0,..en made about the naked electric lights.
The proprietors of the mine have decided upon an
extension of the installation.—Engineering.