196 COALFIELDS AND COLLIERIES OF AUSTRALIA. 



A small generator set of 8 li.p. capacity is used for 

 running lights. The travelling ways are lighted by means of 

 incandescent lamps for the first few hundred feet from day- 

 light, so as to give the men a chance to get their underground 

 eyesight more rapidly. Electric lamps are also used at the 

 flats. The safety lamps carried by the miners are the Thomas 

 and Williams Cambrian type, fitted with electric ignition 

 apparatus. Re-lighting stations are provided below at suit- 

 able points. The batteries used for re-lighting the lamps are 

 accumulator batteries charged from a dynamo, and they are 

 kept in a wooden box enclosed in a brick chamber. The glas& 

 of the Cambrian lamp is slightly greater in diameter than 

 that of some other makes, and does not get so hot. The 

 gauze, instead of being doubled, simply has a cap over the top, 

 ( which is the port that first gets burnt out) ; this enables air to 

 have access to the lamp easier, and in consequence it burn& 

 better. This is just as safe as the double srauze, for as soon 

 as the gauze shows signs of damage, it is discarded, the cap in 

 the meanwhile acting as an extra precaution. The gauzes 

 are more particularly examined twice a week. The lamp can 

 be cleaned by taking but two parts off. i.e., the oil vessel and 

 the shield, leaving the rings, glass and gauze undisturbed, so 

 there is less likelihood of the parts being mislaid, and time 

 is saved. 



Formerly a Waddle fan was used at South Bulli, and a 

 Schiele fan having 1 a capacity of 50,000 cub. ft. per minute at 

 IJin. water gauge at Bellambi, but now the ventilation is 

 carried out with the assistance of a Walker's patent indestruc- 

 tible fan, 26ft. in diameter and 8ft. wide, the air entering 

 into it from both sides. This is the largest fan in Australia, 

 and is driven by a compound engine capable of developing 550 

 li.p. under non-condensing conditions. The plant is guaran- 

 teed to produce 450,000 cubic feet of air per minute at a pres- 

 sure of 5 Jin. water gauge. At present the fan only revolves 

 70 revolutions, and passes 250,000 cub. feet of air per minute, 

 that being sufficient to serve both mines. The bearings 

 of the fan are lubricated with heavy oil. but water pipes 

 are arranged in case it should be necessary to keep them cool. 

 The fan engine was made by Walker Bros., of Wigan, Eng- 

 land. The high pressure cylinder is 23in. in diameter, and 

 the low pressure cylinder 38in. diameter, the stroke being 

 4ft. Gin. At present it runs at about 40 revolutions per 

 minute. It is provided with Meyer's adjustable valves. The 

 steam valves are so arranged that either engine can be used 

 independently of the other. 



In the important air-ways sometimes three doors are used 

 instead of two for an air-lock, as an extra precaution. 



At South Bulli the endless system of rope haulage is in 

 vogue. Originally a single continuous rope passed through 



