North Staffs Mining Institute Oct 1910

Research by John Lumsdon

The 38th annual meeting of the North Staffs Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers was held at the North Stafford Hotel, Stoke on Monday afternoon Mr. John Gregory presided pro tem; and expressed regret that owing to ill health, the retiring President, Mr. J.R. Haines was unable to be present. He read a letter from Mr. Haines thanking the Institute for the resolution of sympathy passed at the last meeting, stating that he was now in much better health, and had greatly benefitted by his stay at Harrogate.

The annual report stated there were 3 honorary members, 115 members, 7 associated members, 49 associates and 19 students making a total of 193.

The discussion on the various papers before the meeting had been both instructive and interesting.

It was to be hoped that now that the Federation of the Potteries towns into the county Borough of Stoke-on-Trent had been accomplished, some effective movement might be made towards providing suitable buildings for mining and pottery technical education in this district wherein the Mining Institute might find accommodation for their meetings and library.

The Treasurers statement was the receipts had amounted to £360-9s-3d.

Mr. F.H. Wynne, the librarian in his report stated that it was still a matter for much regret that no progress had been made in the way of providing a building in which the valuable literature in the possession of the institution could be suitable housed. The space available in Glebe Street was even now totally inadequate to accommodate the bound volumes of the various publications, not to mention the numerous and rapidly accumulating unbound parts which were awaiting the time when they might be properly dealt with and added to the bound sets to which they belonged.

The scrutineers reported on the election of officers, including the new President, Mr. A. Hassam.

New President’s Address

Mr. A. Hassam in his presidential address, expressed the earnest wish that the retiring President might be speedily restored to health and strength and also the hope that the Institute would have a successful year in scientific and technical usefulness and also financially. It is now 38 years since that Institute was brought into existence. 2

Old Methods

He continued; at the founding of the Institute, there was little about collieries save winding engines, generally of primitive construction, working of low pressure steam generated in egg-ended boilers with pumps of unwieldy and inefficient types. Frequently however, the water was dealt with by the unsatisfactory and costly process of shaft winding.

Ventilation was largely produced by furnaces and mechanical means were only just beginning to be adopted. Illumination was secured by open lights, or in very dangerous mines, by the Stephenson and Clanny lamps. Shafts of 10 to 12 feet in diameter by 500 yards deep were considered remarkable, and a daily output of 500 to 600 tons was looked upon as something uncommon.

Modern Methods

At the present time, (1910) what a different aspect of affairs met the view. The old egg-ended boilers had been replaced by the tubular and multi-tubular varieties fitted in many instances with automatic stoking and steam super heating apparatus and working at pressures up to 200lbs per square inch. Powerful high-class winding engines fitted with automatic cut off, safety and recording appliances were used and the heat from the exhaust steam was arrested and stored up in reservoirs, and served to drive turbines to generate electricity.

Large electrical plants were installed, and power for all purposes transmitted to points both above and below ground. Complex mechanical appliances were in use for filling and emptying the cages for traction and transit purposes, for screening, cleaning, and loading the fuel. Water could be dealt with under any head by centrifugal force alone. Shafts of 18 to 28 feet in diameter by 800 to 1.000 yards deep, from which daily outputs of 2.000 to 3.000 tons could be obtained, were quite common.

Small fuel was washed and separated by complicated and costly machinery, and the old wasteful methods of coking in the open and in ovens of the beehive and wagon type were rapidly given way to the process of coking in externally fired ovens with the simultaneous recovery of the products of distillation, and the use of surplus gases for internal combustion engines; a process which had the further merit of enabling many coals to be coked which were formally regarded as non-coking.

Great advances had been made to the construction of safety lamps, although a lamp perfect for illuminating and gas testing purposes had yet to be produced.

Blasting with Gunpowder 3

The old dangerous methods of blasting with gunpowder has been, in dangerous mines entirely superseded by the use of so-called flameless or safety explosives, chiefly fired by electricity, of which there was an extensive category, some attaining a high degree of safety, but probably none absolutely so.

Great numbers of persons were now employed in individual mines, many of which mines were dry and dusty and therefore dangerous and while the expansion indicated the great advantages it had great disadvantage that if danger unfortunately took place, the loss of life might be appalling, in addition to serious loss of employment to many persons and loss of capital. Therefore there was a necessity for highly-trained engineers and officials if the necessary safety, efficiency, and economy were to be obtained.

Progress in North Staffordshire

The progress that has been indicated had been in no district in England more marked than in North Staffordshire. The enterprise of the owners and engineers and managers had provided examples of collieries which in equipment and magnitude, ranked as some of the most up to date in the kingdom. It was however a district presenting unusually great mining difficulties, which called for constant resource, skill and courage to combat them.

The more shallow mines were being exhausted and year after year saw larger quantities of coal coming from greater depths and the consequent danger and difficulties of mining thereby increasing.

There was no fear of exhaustion of available coal supplies for a long time to come, but it was now necessary to provide for the safe and efficient working of the collieries in the district under more dangerous and exacting conditions that obtained in days gone by.

North Staffordshire Coal field

The coal field of North Staffordshire found employment for about 28 thousand persons and produced about11.000 thousand tons of fire clay and nearly 1.000.000 tons of iron stone per annum. It occupied an area of at least 100 square miles and according to the Royal Commission on Coal Supplies contained in the proved coal field an estimated net available amount of coal un- worked of 4.368.000.000 under 4.000 feet in depth; in addition to which there was believed to be a coal field concealed under the Triassic Rocks to the south of the proved area, estimated to contain 1.741.000.000 tons.

There was also probably another hidden coal field lying to the west of the known area, but whether or not the coal was within workable depth remained to be proved. The amount of available ironstone existing in the coal measures had 4 not yet been estimated but it is certain that there were enormous available supplies. There were still considerable quantities of Black Band ores to be got and there would never be any difficulty in getting these rich ores worked.

The Clay Band ores were very numerous; were of a much poorer quality than the Black Bands and had as a matter of fact, being forced out of the market and were at present almost entirely un-worked. They would no doubtless come into extensive use again following the depletion of the ores from the Dolitic and Lassic beds of Northamptonshire, an event which might be somewhat nearer than was generally supposed.

Ironworking and Pottery

Ironworking had long occupied a prominent part in this industrial life of North Staffordshire. There were now a number of blast furnaces at work, producing about 300.000 tons of iron per year and large finished iron and steel works. These works directly and indirectly gave employment to many thousands of persons and the progress in the manufacturer of steel during the last few decades had probably been even more striking than in mining. A modern steel works called for a high degree of scientific, technical and manipulative skill. Pottery, the other staple industry of the district, employed an enormous number of persons and to get the best results and to compete with the growing foreign competition, it was necessary that the highest scientific, technical education and experimental facilities should be within reach of the officials and operatives.

In addition to the three staple industries, there were numerous engineering and other industries calling for advanced technical education in there administration, which could not be obtained in this district, but upon the excellence of which the prosperity of the district largely depended. The great developments indicated in the application of scientific and technical knowledge to all manner of economic undertakings rendered paramount the need for the best and most complete technical training for those to whose care and guidance these great industrial concerns would in future fall.

Value of Modern Science

In their proper spheres, essentially practical men were intensely valuable, but modern science, theory, and technique had made such strides both at home and abroad during recent years that to get the best results in our mines and manufactories something more than mere practicable experience was necessary, and was moreover, a good investment.

In order to obtain these in various industrial centres large technical institutions were in existence , admirably staffed and well equipped in every way with apparatus for experimental and research work. Quite recently Birmingham had 5 inaugurated a University which formed an admirable apex to the educational system in the south of the county and adjoining areas.

Need for Technical College

But in the north of the county they had positively got nothing in the way of a Technical Institution. Surely, in these days, this is not as it should be. This year has seen an epoch making development in the civic life of the district, and they were then standing on the same spot as the youngest county borough in England, a county borough of great magnitude and large interests, but with still greater potentialities. It would be a very fitting memento of this striking coalition of powers and interests and would further tend to strengthen the bonds of unity and concord, if it could be signalised by the recognition of the common needs of the whole district by the erection and equipment of a scientific and technical institution of suitable scope and character affiliated to Birmingham or Manchester Universities, and where their young people could get the requisite higher training which the world’s industrial progress rendered absolutely essential if they were to maintain, to say nothing of improving their position.

He knew that in mining alone, there were 14 centres for evening classes in the area attended by 536 students. The headquarters for both mining and pottery were two temporary iron sheds at Stoke. This was grossly inadequate, and when one considered the excellent results obtained by such meagre accommodation, the district was to be congratulated on the excellence of the teaching staff, and the great enthusiasm of the pupils.

Matter of Finance

A populous and wealthy area like North Staffordshire ought to be able to deal, without serious difficulty, with the financial aspect of the question. It was to be hoped that all trades sections and parties would join hands in promoting this object for the common good.

The three great industries in the district were to be a considerable degree independent, and were materially affected by each other’s prosperity and development, and a joint effort on the part of all of them would probably stimulate and encourage the Education Committee of the County and County Borough to put those crowning stones upon their educational edifices which were so urgently needed.

The Institution has taken a lively interest in the question for some years, and in conjunction with the council for the extension for higher education, made an appeal for funds in 1904 to the members and others interested in the coal and iron trades of the district. They then collected £1.156, which together with the 6 accrued interest, now amounted to £1.456. A further sum of about £490 was promised, some portion of which might not now be available.

An appeal was also made to the pottery manufacturers, but he hardly new with what success. The late Mr. Bolton, of Oakamoor, generously offered to give a piece of land, valued at ££8.000, at Stoke Station, upon which to erect such an institution. This offer he believed was still kindly kept open by Mr. Bolton’s sons, but it could hardly be expected to remain indefinitely open.

He appealed to all interested in the welfare of the locality to generously consider the representations which would be made to them on the matter. He hoped that the councils and voters, employers and employed, would give it careful and broadminded consideration, and compare the needs of this vast hive of industry, and the lack of facilities for this class of education, which after all touched the roots commercial prosperity, which with the splendid establishments which were available in places such as Leeds and Sheffield.

Vote of Thanks

Dr. Cadman proposed a vote of thanks to the President, who he said had pointed out the importance of a fully equipped technical college for the instruction of mining engineers in the district. In Mr. Stobbs they had an excellent and trained instructor, but his equipment was inefficient and inadequate for the work. Speaking with some little experience upon the subject, he did not know how Mr Stobbs got the results he had obtained.

Mr. Gregory seconded. There was he said no doubt that the cause of higher technical education in this district had been shelved for several years, largely owing to the uncertainty as to the Federation of the Pottery towns. The district was a most important one, and compared very favourably with other large industrial centres which had made proper provision for technical education. It was expected that the college buildings which would he hoped, be put up would afford a home for the Institute and for its valuable library, and he trusted their next meeting would be held in the new building.