Sorry to disagree with Tony,but carbide lamps were quite common
in coal mines,although not universally so.Small mines in many coalfields
but large collieries in Scotland,parts of Wales,Dean of course,parts of the
Midlands.
Never seen a photo of one in Lancashire or South Yorkshire though.
As to dates,in one of Guthrie Hutton's excellent publications a caption
claims that carbide lamps were introduced into mines in 1905.This accompanies
a (claimed) pre-1914 u/g colliery shot.In another book I have a photo of Leven
Colliery of early 1900's vintage with all three colliers 'carbided'.
Photos of carbide 'in action' abound,in as much as any u/g shots abound,
of the 20's,30's and 40's.To my mind one of the best photos comes from
the G.H. Lothians book showing two shot firers stemming a shot hole at
Newcraighall in 1957,using a carbide lamp for illumination.In this fair sized
colliery the undersea workings were a flame safety area but the rest of the
pit was a naked light pit right into the 1960's
Best wishes , Andrew Santer
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