Epitome of evidence taken before the Commissioners appointed to enquire into the condition of all mines in Great Britain to which the provisions of the Act 23 & 24 Vict. cap. 155 do not apply, with reference to the health and safety of persons employed in such mines / presented to both houses of Paliament by command of Her Majesty.
- Great Britain. Royal Commission on Mines
- Date:
- 1864
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Epitome of evidence taken before the Commissioners appointed to enquire into the condition of all mines in Great Britain to which the provisions of the Act 23 & 24 Vict. cap. 155 do not apply, with reference to the health and safety of persons employed in such mines / presented to both houses of Paliament by command of Her Majesty. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.
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![(B.)-MODE OF ACCESS AND EGRESS. B.a.)Lcidders. Capt. Silas James. 5994. {Chairman.) Which is the footway?—There is one footway for the Western mine, and up the other engine soaft is the footwaj for the Eastern mine. 5996. There is no protection between the footway and the pumjiing shaft ?—No. 5997. Have you never had any accident there P —No. 5998. Do you not think that there ought to be some protection between the pumping shaft and the footway? —If there was, nothing would stop an accident; if the beam was to break there must be a pretty protection to stop it. We put rails on the ladders to keep every- one safe. 5999. For the protection of the men should there not be some ])rotection between the laddei s and the shaft ? —We have rails at the bottom and top of every ladder, 6000. But none at the side ?—No. Capt. RiCJIAED BOYNS. 6703. (Chairman.) What is the distance between the staves of the ladders, are they 10 or 12 inches ?—Prin- cipally a foot; in this last year or two we have intro- duced some 10-inch distances. The miners do not like the short distances. Capt. Thom.\s Tuahaik. 6906. [Chairman.) Then the means of ascending and descending enables you to have moi'e experienced men ? —Yes, it does ; and not only that, but we can get more labour out of every man by his riding up and down. We perhaps calculate two or three holes for a man to bore in a day. I think it is better for a man to ride up and down by the skip, aud it will not harm him so much as if he put in an extra hole every day of his life. A man's walking fast in the footways is very injurious. 6907. How long does it take him to come up the ladder ?—It ought to take from three quarters of an hour to an hour, but some of them come up in twenty five minutes. 6908. You think that they Injure themselves by coming up quickly ?—Yes, just as much by walking fast in the footways as in damp ends. Very often when they are out the young men walk together, aud one will not give way to another. Mr. Henry Boyns. 7343. (Chairman.) After leaving a close end, do you feel affected when you arc climbing the ladders ?—I do not think it makes much difference in that respect; if a man works hard he becomes exhausted, but the climb- ing, I believe, is an evil amongst us. I thiiilv that we climb rather to fast, generally speaking. 7344. What causes do you think chiefly interfere with the miners' health ?—The first cause no doubt is the closeness of the air. The ne.\t is climbing the ladders; that has proved very injurious to our young men in walking up so fast, which they often do, the heart is greatly affected. I was down 200 fathoms yesterday, and I found that I could climb the ladders very comfortably, and felt very little exhausted when I got to the STirface after doing my work of examining the mine. The third cause is the high state of per- spiration produced, and then coming into a cold atmo- sphere near the Atlantic, and then, perhaps, having miles to walk to their homes. Capt. RiCHAKD James. 8353. (Chairman.) Are the bars of the ladders 10 or 12 inches apart ?—They are 11 inches a.part with us, but they vary very much. We do not see many ladders now 12 inches apart; those are the old style. Capt. Thomas Eichaeds. 8893. (Chairman.) Although the time should be shorter, would it not be an advantage for the adventurers, on accoimt of the greater amount of work the men could get through from ascending and descending by a man- engine ?—There are so many causes that are injurious ; for instance, from climbing; men are so differently constituted that some men will climb well until they become old men, and yet some of those men are done up in a week; that climbing is very objectionable there is no question. Capt. Joseph Vivian, North Roskear. (B.a.)Laddt 9111. (Mr. St. Aubyn.) Supposing that you could spare a shaft to adopt a man-engine, how deep would you go before you thought it necessary to give up the footways ?—I should not trouble myself about a man- engine if the mine were only 130 fathoms deep, if the ladders were well arranged; sometimes they are not well arranged, they are too perpendicular or too flat. A proper pitman will know exactly how to arrange the ladder. Mr. John Cady and Capt. Pascoe. 9831. (Mr. Holland.) Can men of 30 generally climb as much as 100 fathoms without suffering distress ?— No, they cannot. 9832. Could they climb as much as 50 fathoms at that age without suffering distress ?—No; they would require a stopping place. Capt. William Ruttes. 10,210. (Mr. St. Aubyn.) Do you consider a man- engine advantageous where it can be used?—Most certainly. I will give you a case. In G-reat Alfred, when Mr. Field was the principal, they came down, and put that mine to work. Some years ago he asked my opinion, because I had worked in the mine before. Mr. Field asked me what I thought about working the Great Alfred. I told him, If you put up a man- engine, and put a machine to raise the miners, you may succeed, but I would not give a farthing for it else. For men to come up 300 fathoms, it being very hot down there, is a tolerably tidy day's work, with nothing else. Mr. Thomas Hutchinson. 10,591. (Chairman.) Have you any suggestions to make by which the causes from which miners suffer by working underground might be modified ?—If the climbing up the ladders could be done away with, it would be very advantageous ; they evidently suffer from climbing, from want of ventilation, from the powder smoke, and the dust. If the levels could be made wide, these and the ends better ventilated, and the climbing done away with, the condition of the miners would be much improved. Capt. William Chappell. 10,763. (Chairman.) Do the men ascend aud descend there by ladder ?—Yes ; we have 10 inch staves ; the former plan was 12 inch. We now find the other much easier ; and the last few years we have taken out all the old ones, aud put in what we call 10 inch staves ; the men travel a great deal easier. Mr. Thomas Gill. 11.059. (Chairman.) Why have you not in your mine a man-engine or any improved means of taking the men up and down ?—Our mine is a young mine yet: we have only got it down to 162 fathoms, and that is no great depth. 11.060. Is it not a great depth for the men to climb ? —No. 11.061. To what depth would the shaft be carried before you would recommend some improved means for raising the men up ?—I should say about 150 or 160 fathoms, if you have a convenient shaft to put it in. We are sinking a sumpt, and we shall have it down to 132 fathoms in the course of two or three months more. We were thinking to increase the area of the old shaft down so far as the 132 to bring up the men. 11.062. How would you bring them up ?—^Just the same as the man-engines that have been set up in Cornwall; we can apply stages on the same rod. Capt. John Hajjcock and Mr. Michael Moecom. 11,196. (Chairman.) Do you know the distance which the steps are apart ?—12 inches. Capt. Zachabias Whliams. 11,805. (Chairman.) What is the distance between the staves of the ladders ?—12 inches. C 4](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b2398482x_0025.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
