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Where general rule 25 is complied with by affixing spring catches or automatic 
tumblers to the guides to prevent the fall of cages down the shaft, there the guides 
should he connected with the cap of the poppet-heads. But at mines like to the 
Aroona, where self-acting doors and a fenced overwinding brace are constructed at 
just the proper distance below the cap of the poppet-heads, it is not a matter of 
importance that the guides should be connected with the cap. 
Mr. Inspector Grainger writes : — 
In reference to the question as to whether it is a necessity that the skids or guides should be carried 
to the poppet-heads or not, I beg to report as follows. If the skids arc carried high enough, so that when 
the safety hook disengages the cage will still be in them, there is really no absolute necessity for them to bo 
carried all the way to the poppet-heads; This depends on the length of the connecting chains between the 
safety hook and the cage. In a case of overwinding, it will be seen that the cage cannot go above a certain 
point in the skids (which point is determined by the length of the connecting chains), as, the hook coming 
in contact with the thimble, the rope is detached, and tho cage, as a consequence, cannot be raised higher 
after the detachment takes place. 
I may add, howover, that I much prefer having the skids all the way up, as I consider they would 
be stronger aud better stayed, and, of the two, would be the safer. 
Mr. Stewart (Ballarat) on the same subject writes:— 
I agree with Mr. Meekison as to the absolute necessity for all skids or guides being taken to the poppet- 
heads, for the following reasons, viz.:—All safety cages have grippers for acting on the skids, aud although 
these grippers are of different construction, nearly all of them are fixed near the top of flic cage ; hence, 
unless the skids are up close, the ‘grippers cannot act. It is not enough to have a second brace, or automatic 
or self-acting catches, for the reason that, in a caso of overwinding, if the skids are not close up when the 
safety hook strikes the disconnecting ring and before the cage can settle on tho catches, tho concussion 
twists the cage, and it is likely to fall either on tho brace or the surface, and thus either kill men, or destroy 
property, or perhaps both. 
In the mine of the Countess Company, Ballarat East, in a case of overwinding, the catches were of 
no use whatever, for the skids, not being to the top, tho cage, when it struck the poppet-head, fell over on to 
the housing, and had not a rafter of the roof gone through the cage, it and the truck of quartz would liavo 
fallen on to the brace. Tho chains referred to by Mr. Inspector Grainger would not alter things in this 
district, as all hooks arc on the cages. The skids or guides fixed right up to tho poppet-heads must be 
much safer than those not so fixed ; hence they should, in my opinion, be onforced. I shall always suggest 
them in my district, and I am sure no manager will ever think of objecting. They are very little extra 
expense, and they are most certainly an extra precaution. 
• | 
This Department quite approves of the recommendation that all skids of mining 
shafts be carried up to the poppet-heads. No doubt it is true that the arrange¬ 
ments and precautions about some mines are such that it might be unnecessary to do 
this. But the cost is very inconsiderable. And, moreover, it is the conduct of the 
careless, not the careful, engine-driver that has to be considered. If an exhibition of 
want of precaution lie conceived possible in the case of careful meu, what can he looked 
for from the careless ? There is much force in the above remarks of Mr. Inspector 
Stewart, and there can be no doubt that, in view of the careless habits engendered 
by constant contact with a certain degree of danger, no reasonable safeguard, and 
especially one so inexpensive as this, should be omitted. 
Lowering or Raising Men .—It has been pointed out to this Department that, 
in a great many instances, the engine-driver, in lowering or raising men, merely gives 
the engine a stroke by hand, and then throws it into gear. The Travelling Inspector 
of Machinery (Mr. Meekison) has suggested that mining companies he requested to 
make it a rule of their mines that engine-drivers, when men are on, must hand-work 
the engine till the ropes in the .shaft have travelled a greater distance than between the 
surface and poppet-heads. If this rule were adopted, Mr. Meekison points out that, in 
the event of the engine having been wrongly started, it would not have the same way 
on, and could be more readily stopped, thus affording considerable protection against 
accidents from overwinding. 
Mr. Inspector Stewart concurs in this suggestion, and adds— 
Iii giving my evidence before the coroner’s inquosfc at Gordon, on the death of Charles Neal, who 
was killed at the Parker’s United Mine, on September the 4th, 1882, in consequence of the engine having 
been started the wrong way, and having taken the cage to the poppet-heads, 1 made the same suggestion, 
and have on many occasions, when in mining engine-houses, advise the drivers to adopt the practice ; but 
they seldom do so. If mining managers made it rule of the mine, and informed the engine-drivers that for 
any violation of it they would he discharged, it would, I believe, have a salutary effect. 
Acting on Mr. Inspector Meekison’s suggestion, this Department issued, early 
last year, circulars to all mining managers requesting them to be so good as to adopt 
