Certain coalfields or collieries were always thought to be free from
gas. One example was Timsbury Colliery, Somerset, where inflammable gas
was unknown, thus safety lamps were unheard of, and they were excempt
from rules to do with explosives. Thus they thought they were free from
the risk of explosion. Until one occurred in 1895 killing 7 men, the
cause being attributed to the use of gunpowder which directly ignited
coal dust. Similarly Kames Colliery, Ayrshire, was said to be gas free.
Thus when cap lamps were introduced in 1956 the specification was not
complied with, thus the lamps were not within the meaning of the
relevant Act, so the mine technically remained a naked light mine.
Explosives continued to be lit by fuse or match and, although forbidden,
smoking continued. The gas explosion which killed 17 men in 1957 was
caused by smoking in an unventilated heading. It was this disaster
which lead directly to the total prohibition of naked lights in British
coal mines (that is every mine becoming a safety lamp mine).
On a slightly different note- coal reflects between 5 and 10% of
incident light, whereas stone dust reflects 40 to 80%. Hence
stonedusted roadways will need much less light for good photography.
Barry Job.
-----Original Message-----
From: Phil Clifford [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 16 February 2004 18:06
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Mining Photography
I am by no means a good photographer let alone an expert in mining
photography. I do however have an anecdotal reference to underground
mining photography.
On the reverse of one of the photographs I have, (taken in Lightmoor
Colliery, Forest of Dean by my ancestor Arthur Bernard Clifford), there
is a hand-written note which states "I am sorry that this one turned out
so poorly, due to a miscalculation of the flash powder........."
The picture was sent by Arthur to his father and is one of a series of
underground shots ( I have 37 of them) taken by Arthur at the time. The
picture to which this note relates is a shot of timbers breaking under
pressure in an area of the mine.
I understand that the Forest of Dean pits were not gaseous but this does
prove that using a flash device for photography was allowed there at
that time (circa 1920)
Phil Clifford
----- Original Message -----
From: "Alan Vickers" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, February 16, 2004 5:45 PM
Subject: Re: [MINING-HISTORY] Mining Photography
> Unless the regulations have changed in recent years (and I have to
> admit
to
> not being up to date on this), the principle used to be that no
rechargeable
> battery could be made of flameproof construction as the batteries
> must be able to breathe. Cap lamp batteries were not of flameproof
> construction, they were deemed to be safe because of the method of
> construction and use. Likewise loco batteries were not of flameproof
> construction.
>
> I do recall some photography being carried out underground in the
> 1950s
and
> 60s using a power supply and lighting unit which was of flameproof
> constructions. The complete unit was about 0.75 m x 0.75m x 0.75m and
> was quite heavy, consequently it was not used very much. This may be
> the main reason why there was not too much underground photography
> carried out in safety lamp mines at that time.
>
> Alan Vickers.
>
>
>
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