The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-04-08
LONDON MINE
SHOWS COAL /.
PROBLEM
Empire Exhibition Visitors Go
Underground to See How
Digging Is Done.

LONDON, April s. - Emerging
from the palace Of. engineering,
and looking toward the striking
dome and minarets of the Indian
pavilion at the British Empire Elk
hibition, visitors are faced by the
massive headgear of full.sized
colliery. This has been constructed
by the Mining Association of Great
Britain in conjunction with the
Institute of Mining Engineers and
the Miners Federation to Illus
trate the problems with which the
coal industry has to deal, and DEM
onstrate the great progress that
has been made in technique since
its early days.
1t is marvellous reproduction
with pit props and seams camou.
flaged so skillfully as to give the
impressions of a northern colliery.
Nearly a quarter of a mile Of
underground workings have been
opened out from London clay.
Shafts have been sunk, underground
stables prepared for pit ponies,
pumps installed and roadways con-
structed and connected up.
Handles 1900 an Hour
One of the principal features of
the mine is an electric winding
machine which will lower into the
workings 1000 persons an hour.
Visitors will be carried in a. two
decked cage to the shaft bottom,
and will step out into the actual
workings. Next to the winding
engine house is the miners lamp
room. Close at hand are the
underground managers office, bath.
rooms for miners, motor ambulance,
workshops and electrically driven
air compressors. An electrically
driven fan will be in operation to
ventilate the labyrinth of under.
ground workings.
The whole process of winning
and transporting the coal from
the seam to the pit head will be
enacted. Coal has been taken under.
ground and put in position as in
an actual working colliery. Two
types of haulage engines will be
shown, and five types of longwaH
workings. The first face" four
feet six inches thick, is to be
worked on. by hand. At the second
a disc cutting machine will be
used and the coal loaded out by
hand. A three-foot seam is to be
hand worked, and another of the
same thickness undercut by dia-
mond chain cutter. A two-foot
seam is to be undercut by a bar
cutter and loaded out by a con-
veyor to a mechanical loader, all
electrically driven.
Pit Ponies Shown.
There will be demonstrations of
"shot firing" and of the use of
explosives for breaking hard ground
and shooting down coal. An electric
locomotive driven by storage bat
teries will represent a new form
of power for hauling coal. Pit
ponies are to be brought to show
that method of haulage. There
is a complete telephone and signal
ing system with switchboards be.
low the ground and above, so that
communications can be established
with all points.
In hall on the surface there will
be shown exhibits illustrating the
history of coal mining, geology,
boring, shaft sinking, pumping,
ventilating and all forms of colliery
work in model form, from the
earliest examples to the most mod.
ern devices. Various types of
rescue and breathing apparatus
will be on view. In scientific
and research section will be seen
the latest discoveries, and the lines
along to increase knowledge with
regard to which investigation is
being conducted in coal dust and
gases.