25 
than five (which in itself is an objection, for all springs working in mines are liable to lose their power 
through the action of the water, and also —in my opinion— through the action of the air; consequently, a 
complication of springs is not desirable). I cannot, myself see in what the superiority of this cage over some 
others at present working consists. All models look and act well, but the cage has not yet been practically 
tested. No doubt, if the principle of notched skids could he got to work, it would be an additional assistance 
to cages, which, like this one, are to work on the face of the skids. The spread of the dogs on cage would 
have to he limited to (say) 2 inches each side, and, to prevent these dogs, or arms, from having any out¬ 
ward pressure on the skids, the notch would have to he fully 2 inches deep. Now, seeing that nearly all 
skids at present in use are of timber 4 inches by 3 inches, and flat ou to the shaft, you will at once see 
that the skids would he completely destroyed unless larger timber were used. To do this (seeing that many 
shafts are tho same size), tho cages would have to be smaller; this would not matter if for cages only, but 
then all trucks would have to bo smaller as well. I therefore cannot see that the Department can adopt any 
unusual course with this cage; but if, as Mr. Webster says, everybody approves of it, he should have no 
difficulty in getting it brought into use and thus prove its value. I am informed that a similar cage is now, 
and has been for the last fourteen years, working at the Comet Co., Sandhurst, but I cannot see anythin* 
about it to induce me to say it is the best and must be used. The description 1 forward herewith is written 
by Mr, Webster himself, also the estimate of cost, which I consider too low. 
Description of Patent Safety Cage designed by Francis Webster , Tress-street, Ballarat East . 
1. Top of centro straps with slot holes ; when placed together form a socket. 
2. Connecting shackle with pin running through the socket and lifting bar. 
3. Iron hand tying centre straps together. 
4. Lifting bar, which compresses the springs when the cage is suspending by the rope. 
5. Stay for lifting bar fastened to centre straps. 
0. Spiral spring. 
7. Screw nut on to lifting bar compressing the spiral spring. 
8 and Flat springs fastened to centro straps. 
10 and 11. Cross-head and jam nut on to lifting bar to compress the flat springs. 
12 and 13. Two lover springs pinned on to main stay which move the dogs. 
14. Link holt tying lever springs. 
15. Hollow stay fastened on to centre straps. 
16 and 17. Dogs pinned on to hollow stay. The bottom parts of dogs protrude through the centre 
straps, so that when the springs are compressed the arms, or dogs, fall back in the cage ; or, if any sudden 
slackening takes place, the dogs move to the skids. 
18 and 19. Spiral spring and gland fastened with set screws. Spiral spring is onto link holt 
and inside the hollow stay to act as a counter balance. 
20. Stop handle screwed on to tho link bolt. Can be used to stop the cage in any part of the shaft 
apart from the self-acting gear in the descent , and to act as a ratchet in the ascent . 
21. Skids which are notched in the centre of face, which have the appearance of an inlet ratchet 
tooth, so that the dogs when moved to the skids get imbedded. 
22. Iron skid, which is plain in the sides and notched in the face. 
I do not intend to introduce the iron skidding in my cage. The wooden skids could be made for 
about 25s. per 100 feet, and a cage constructed for about £20 to £25. 
(Signed) F. Webster. 
Safety Cages in Actual Use. 
In the following pages will be found the reports of the Mining Inspectors on 
the safety cages actually in use at the present time on the several gold-fields; hut 
it will be advisable, before submitting them, to enumerate the cages described in 
previous Annual Reports of this Department, many of which are still in use and highly 
approved of. With this view, I subjoin an alphabetical list of previously mentioned 
cages, together with the date of the Annual Report in which each is described, viz.:— 
Aytoun’s (English) 
Buttle and Jackson’s 
1874 
Nancarrow’s 
1877 
1877 
Osborne and Mitchell's 
1879 
Dobson's... 
1882 
O’Malley’s ... 
Owen’s 
1877 
Jackson’s 
1877 
1880 
Kennedy’s 
1877 
Pryor’s 
1878-9 
Macaw’s... 
1879 
Seymour’s •*# 
Thomson's ... 
1877-9 
Middleton’s 
1879 
1876 
McKay’s... 
1879 
Way man and Kay’s ... 
1879 
McLeish’s 
1877 
William’s 
1876-9 
Nance’s ... 
1879 
The Senior Inspector of Mines (Mr. II. B. Nicholas, Castlemaine) writes 
Since the receipt of your instructions to practically test each description of safety cage, in use in my 
district, I have made fifty-eight trials of eight different styles of appliances adopted by mining managers 
for preventing cages falling down shafts, and now beg to report tho results. 
D 
