Thank you to those who were able to offer information on this subject.
It would seem from this that steel arches came into use at the end
of the 19th century and may have been a French innovation.
An nice example of types of support,inc.steel arches,can be seen
in the excellent (mock-up) underground tour at Musee de la Mine at
Le Molay-Littry a few miles S.W. of Bayeux in Normandy.The tour
is self conducting with a voice over in English and includes an
imaginative demo of firing a pattern of charges to drive a roadway
and ends with a mock up coal face aux 1950's complete with A.B.
coalcutter and Becorit props and bars.There is also a chapel devoted to
the (female) patron saint of miners-I've forgotten the name-and a superb
1/10 scale model of the surface features of a mine in the Pas de Calais
and made for an exhibition in 1902.
So...if you are in Normandy,and why not,drop en famille in Bayeux and
head for Bessin and Le Mollay-Littry.
Best Wishes....Andrew Santer
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