Electricity in coal mines: a retrospect and a forecast

The paper gives, first a brief review of the use of electricity in coal mines from 1908 to the present time, secondly a statistical summary of the position as it now stands, and finally the author´s view of possible future developments. The early part of the period under review was a period of some difficulty. An average death roll from coal-dust explosions of more than 250 persons per annum over a period of 5 years, added to the fact that electricity was widely suspected of having been the originating cause of the most disastrous explosion in the history of British mining, namely that at Senghenydd Colliery, South Wales, in October, 1913, had the effect of causing the miners to call for the removal of electricity from the pits. Happily, by the application of systematic stone-dusting, a means was found of preventing the spread of an explosion of gas or coal-dust, and thereafter the miners´ opposition lessened, at any rate in degree. It has not yet disappeared. During the last 10 years the coal industry has been greatly assisted by mechanized mining and mechanical methods of coal-sorting. These, with normal development in other directions, have resulted in a total of 2 162 01.5 h.p. of motors installed in 1937, made up of just over 1 000 000 h.p. above-ground and the same below-ground. Accident statistics are touched upon. It is recorded that taken over 10 years, 1927¿1936 inclusive, electricity has been responsible for 224 out of 8 656 deaths, or 2¿% of the total loss of life in the pits. The position in respect of the number of electrical accidents has not improved during recent years, but at the same time the number of men exposed to the risk of electrical accident has steadily increased year by year. The last section of the paper consists of a forecast of probable future developments. The author concludes with an appeal to electrical engineers to capture, if possible, the confidence of the miners.