OPEN LIGHT IN BRUNNER MINE.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 6 November 1901, Page 2

OPEN LIGHT IN BRUNNER MINE.

The Inspector of Mines having reported to the department that he had given authority to Mr E. Alison, minemanager of the Brunner Mines, to use naked lights in the dip section, outside the big fault-line, the Inspecting Engineer, who has been visiting the West Coast in connection with the location of a State coal-mine, was requested by the Under-Secretary cf the department to satisfy himself, when he reached Greymouth, as to the practicability of working with naked lights. Mr Hayes states; “The dip section is all worked out, that part of the mine now known as such being the fault-line—to which the dip section and places immediately to the rise _of same were worked—and was partially worked many years ago. Present operations consist of working out what coal was then left; in fact, this remark applies practically to all the ground now being worked, which has a total extent of probably little more than 40 acres. The upper part of this ground has been worked under the conditions of open lights, the dip section proper being until recently a separate ventilating district in which safety lamps have been used since the explosion in 1896. This section is now full of water, and the air-circuit much shorter than when the dip ground was being worked. Owing to the ground now being worked out haying been partially worked previously, it is not feasible to make both openings into the mine positively separates ventilating districts, although they are so to some extent; and after the dip was out and filled up with water it certainly was an anomaly to work the rise end of the ground under the conditions of open lights, and the lower section with safetylamps. Under the conditions, if open lights were safe in one part they be in the other. I carefully examined as far into the old worked-out ground as I could get, but there was not the faintest suspicion of the presence of explosive gas, and the air was quite sweet right up to the edge of the worked-out ground above water-level. The underground manager, Mr J. Coulthard, accompanied mo, and he is as solicitous for the fafety of a man as a manager can be. We agreed (and he informed me that Mr lennent was also agreed) on the desirability of keeping a ‘ scale ’ of air sent right in against the worked-out ground near lop of old dip, and he also concurred with my suggestion to do a little additional work to secure the desired end for as long a time as may be necessary. Where the coal is now being worked the ground is in many places fissured to the surface, and in wet weather numerous streams are running down these fissures into the workings. No blasting is now being done, and I see no reasonable cause to anticipate any risks from the use of.open lights. Under conditions as now existing the use of open lights will conduce to the diminution of accidents from falls of roof.”