HETTOX COLLIERY. 293^ 



a rod, kept in tension by a weight; 011 the rod is a hinged 

 finger, which is stiff when anything presses on it from above, 

 but which is pushed back when pressed against from below. 

 A horizontal axle has two wheels, and an indicator hand at- 

 tached to it. The larger wheel has cams on its periphery, by 

 coming into contact with which, the finger on the rod can turn 

 it. The smaller wheel has a cord attached to it with a 

 weight at the end, which is the motive power that fetches 

 the hand back to zero again. Ten men are raised or lowered 

 at a time in a double cage, and six in a single cage. 



The mechanical haulage below is on the main and tail rope 

 system; there are two of these. The distance hauled is 

 li miles, which takes 10 minutes to accomplish. Eighteen to 

 twenty sets of skips are run in and out a day. The tail rope 

 is attached to the end of a set of 64 skips by a slip hook. As 

 a set of empties coming in approach the end of their trip, 

 a lad jumps on the buffer of the first skip, and pulls out the 

 pin that releases the hook, leaving the tail rope opposite the 

 last skip of the full set 011 a parallel line. The inertia of the 

 empties pulls the main rope opposite the first skip of the full 

 set. This is necessary, for the incoming set is pulled out to 

 its full extent, while the empties, having been pushed one 

 against the other, are buffer tight, so that it would cause much 

 trouble and delay to manipulate the rope otherwise. The main 

 and tail rope engine has a pair of 30in. cylinders, and a 5ft.- 

 6in. stroke. There is a clutch between the 7ft. drums, which 

 connects one drum with the shafting, while the other runs 

 free. The driver knows by the position of the ropes on the 

 drums when he can increase .or must decrease the speed. The 

 skips are brought to the make-up station by horses. A heavy 

 pointed iron rod known as a "bull" is attached to the last 

 skip of a set. This is kept from dragging on the ground by 

 a hook, which holds it on to the tail rope, but when the tail 

 rope becomes .slack, it digs into the ground, and prevents the 

 set of skips from running backward down hill. 



The electric plant consists of a compound-wound British 

 Westinghouse direct-current generator of lOOkw., built to 

 carry 200 amp. at 570 volts. This is belt-driven, at a speed 

 of 600 r.p.m. by a compound Westinghouse engine. Thi& 

 plant is used for electric lighting and also for some pumps. 



There are three electrically-driven triplex Gould pumps,, 

 one with a capacity of 32,000gal. per hour, and the other two- 

 of 25,000gal. per hour. The larger one is connected with its 

 motor by a rope drive; the others by gearing. 



There are also several air-driven pumps, of Tangye and 

 Worthington make. The air-compressor is a duplex Tangye, 

 with a 23in. diameter steam, and a 22in. diameter air cylinder. 



