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(CONTINUED FROM OCTOBER 16).
SUGGESTIONS FROM THE EXPERIENCE OF
AN EX-PRIVATE MINE INSPECTOR—PRE­
PARATIONS, PUMPS, TIMBERING, AND
COAL MINING.
Another question put to the mine inspector:
Our posts are costing too much, look into the
matter; see if there can't be some improvement
made in posting generally. The inspector visited
no mine particularly to investigate this case, yet
the first mine entered thereafter disclosed a few
features in posting that were amazing. Hundreds
of posts were simply stuck up, some not vertical,
others without caps, hundreds more were within
3 feet of the gob rib, many were not more than
15 to 18 inches away. This is a very common
and an extremely wasteful practice. The ends of
dozens more thrown carelessly on the gob were
seen protruding from the dirt, as if they were ef
no value whatever. In some of the rooms a fourabreast
row was carried, then without apparent
cause one of them was discontinued. Often there
was a large area in the gob with never a post.
Along the tracks spaces of 20 feet were found between
posts, and again five and six would be seen
with a less distance. No method and no system,
consequently no order. Every man was a law
unto himself, as far as posting was concerned.
When the man in charge was remonstrated with
concerning the negligence and waste every '/here
manifested, he had no remedy to suggest, merely
stating that he seldom saw posting clone in any
other way, and couldn't see how it could be improved
very much. True, it's a difficult matter
to apply a hard and fast method to room posting,
yet any way that contains within itself some outlines
of a system is to be preferred to none at all.
It is wrong to allow workmen to wilfulh waste
posts by placing them where they serve no useful
purpose, and where they actually do harm. Why
should a row of posts be placed in such close
proximity to the gob rib? What are they protecting?
There is no traffic there and little to
support. The natural resistance of the rib is not
increased in an appreciable quantity by adding a
row of posts to it. They are irretrievably lost
as they are too far away to be recovered when
the rib is being extracted. It is when the attempt
to move them is made that one discovers the
harm done by locating them there. A tremendous
pressure is then being exerted. A section of
roof is trying to fall but can't, ihe pressure of
which is now being transmited to the neighboring
post and passed along, to the detriment of the
ribs and to the danger of an already perilous
vocation. The necessity of superior protection to
the dead or gob side of a room over that of the
business side is not apparent. The distance from
THE COAL TRADE BULLETIN. 51
the rib to the post in one case averages say 3 feet,
in the other where drivers, men and mules are passing
along at intervals during working hours from
6 to 8 feet. It is evidently wrong. There -vie
two very important points to be taken into consideration
in room posting, safety and economy.
Posts should be located where they will form the
most complete safeguard to the workman and, as
far as possible, where they can be recovered so
that the purchaser will derive all the benefit
possible from them.
The following general plan was suggested, which
subsequent experience has proved to be the nearest
to perfection in room posting and which conforms
to another important feature, neatness; instead
of placing them in line from the gob rib to
the track, the new method suggested forms the
figure • . and concentrates the posting in close
proximity to the track. The reason of centralizing
and staggering the support in this manner,
apart from its economic feature, is that each unit
sustains its proportionate amount of pressure,
something impossible with the old style. The
maximum pressure is bound to be exerted more
intensely at the center of the room than at any
other point between the ribs. Places have been
driven to their planned destination by this method
in roofs so bad that they caved almost as soon
as widened out when posted haphazard as formerly
done. It is excellent for a good roof, and
it is better in a bad one. In croppy or slack
vein material it is particularly efficient and it
permits the gob side to cave, thus draining the
balance of the room oi water and gas. For the
miner's protection at the lace they are allowed
4 posts for temporary use between the rib and
the permanent posting, taking out the back two
and bringing them forward after each fall.
Posting thus provides the maximum of safety to
the rib men, their breaking off rows come in line
with the room posts enabling them to work in an
angle formed by natural and artificial supports in
greater safety and a better opportunity to obtain
all the coal and with it nearly all the posts. The
rooms present a very neat and workmanlike appearance
alike pleasing to me eye and satisfying
to the mind. The cost is consioerably lower
where this system has been applied.
"Several of our mines are not producing the
quantity of coal reasonably expected of them,
their territories are extensive, their equipment
sufficient, and there is no lack of labor. There
is evidently a lack of system at some of these
mines, investigate this thoroughly, give me the
results of your investigation as quickly as possible,
the season is fast approaching when we
will be required to give coal and not excuses. We
must be ready." Thus commissioned, the inspec-