CATARACTS OF COAL.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2159, 27 May 1914, Page 14

CATARACTS OF COAL.

BUSY SCENE'S ABOUND; THE BIN'S.

On arriving at,, the top and hating , made arrtl-flftonient* t« sea c«3r the mine, tho ftrei s,po-t, of; interests nft<* a v'iuw down tho incline, is tlie \>\g h]6ck of buildings hi wfch arc tho screens and tho bids-. Here oii-ft scos rivers and cataracts of coal flowing in all liti'sc* tions. A s-w-ar-i-ri <jf Boys is busy mtniiiK tho tubs frarn tlio end of the hnulnßo lino to the autansvtie tumblers which instantly swing them areimd and empty their fcont.ftMs cm to endless eoit* vcyor belts, and then land tho c&ipty tubs back ready for their tlire'e-fliile journey out aga-hl, '

The coal tut as It Mrifcs Erera tho mino is unMtchiSCl from tho \yteo- by a boy and pftssed' en to a weighbridge, On each tub is a leather teg with tho numbers of t'htt two iftiuers who fiiled it. and th-os-o toftdjors thts bey cute out. In tlic ,woij3ib.ridgo olßse is- a Ug dial, the haacE. of. vdsich swings roundand registers tiro Weight of oacli tubful of coal as it- passes across the, bridge, automatically .deducting ikd t«M, A representative of tho tfaapaay and a representative, oi the mett waicli the ever, moving finger <m tho dial, and in tfe. two immense Icdgeifs they h.ito before them credit fho triiekfiil of cost iti ttto two miners who taved" it. O.n this tally depends the amount ftaeli tnimtv receives wlicm tho fortnightly event of "Pay Saturday" oa-iaos round, The average earnings p« miner are state] to bo about 18s. a- dfl.y, tliough in some cases a good' deal aioro is mftdo. At present the mines are 'being worked' .considerably below their full capacity as there is si sfortaga of miners in $osv Zealand. Detuiistoft, when fall? wanned, finds work for 810 men, but today only about 680 or 51)0 are employed. - , ■

Tho boys, .mafty of them jiappa-wnUy fresh from seTiQoj, who- ran the tuljs U and fro froto tic tape h> the ittmbteis, are paid at the fate of 3s. fid. ft day. They look a- h<Jai% and iftteffigenfc swarm of youngsters. The Westpert Coal Company mates it its policy' to train its own managers, a.ml heads of' departments, atari one do-übHess -sees here tho raw material from which many of tho respoiiSifelo po-sitio-ns- oil the managing staff wlj bo lUJed- in years to come. '

Leaving the boys and the tufas otie proceeds down to the floor, below, where the coal- comes shooting dawn from the tubs. Here it eaii- be sent travelling practically in- any direction that is dfe* sired. If screened coal is wanted tlio tubs shoot thoijf loads down ever the shaker screens, and then en to' pjfcfc, ing belts, 85ft, t» length. As coal travels over th&se belts ifc is examined by men stationed at tie sides, wltt pkk out and throw to oho side any stone that may be among it. At tho -ciict of its journey atong the belt tho screened coal falls into t!.',e Government railway iriicks stationed Mo*, and from there the truck- is hauled along to drop dmtii tho incline aftd off o» it.-. journey to Westport. Tf>6 gliteb token out in tho screening is carried by elevators to a Inigo storage bin. The steam coal., which does not gtf over the screens, is -carried along a picking belt., and. then conveyed on belts into any compartment in. the bins that is desired. The conveyer belts aro laid down from, end to end of the bins, and a l-rintl of Jilq-tighsharo arrangement can be fixed so iis to tarn tho river of coal off the belt into t&e bins at any desired point.