The Works Of Messrs. Schneider And Co.

THE COAL MINES OF DECIZE, MONTCHANIN, AND LONGPENDU. 15 coal washing and separation works are established at Pré Charpin on the line of railway belonging to Messrs. Schneider and Co. Fig. 26, Plate VI., is an illustration of this extensive plant. The district of La Machine, which forms the centre o£ the working, is 5 miles from the small town of Decize. It contains 5,000 inhabitants, and is situated about 300 ft. above the level of the Loire, on the ridge which separates the two valleys where the coal pits are sunk. The beds are nine in number, forming three separate systems ; their thickness varies from 3 ft. to 9 ft. The method of working is by stopes, the coal in the lode being taken away direct without filling up. Three main pits (Fig. 27) serve for extracting the coal : the Glénons pit on tlie west, the Zagots pit in the centre, and the Marguerite pit to the east. Fig. 28, Plate VII., shows the head of the Zagots pit, whilst Fig. 29, on the same power over long distances. The development of the work- ings made it necessary to establish a certain number of ventilators, at long distances apart and in unfrequented spots difficult of access. Each ventilator would have involved the installation of a separate power station, which it would have been difficult to keep regularly supplied with fuel and water, and the services of two men would have been required at each station. Moreover, the fuel it was intended to use, was of such an inferior quality that it would not have paid to transport it. Under these conditions, the only practical plan that suggested itself was to burn this inferior fuel at a central station near the pits, and to transmit the power thus producecl, electrically. This installation was complétée! in 1893, and a plan of the district is given in Fig. 30, on which the lines of cables to the distributing stations are marked. The electric plant was designeel and manufacturée! Fig. 33. Electrical Receiving Station, Decize Mines. Plate, illustrâtes the headworks and air-compressing plant of one of the smaller pits, that of La Chapelle. The Marguerite pit is in communication with the two others by means of a system of inclined planes, and by a narrow-gauge railway on whieh run small locomotives. In 1890 investigations were commenced beyond the dip of the coal bed, and compressed air was used in connection with these new workings. One gallery starts from the 1,200 ft. level of the Glénons pit, and has been carried to a depth of 2,100 ft. In the case of this working, the ex- ploration carried out at the level of 1,500 ft., in the seam itself, has proved the latter to extend for a length of 4,200 ft. Since 1890 the use of compressed air has been greatly increased, not only for exploration works, but also for hoisting the coal up the inclined planes by means of winches, thus saving the excessive cost of cutting fresh levels through rock. In 1893 an important electric plant was put down for the lighting of varions shops, and also for the transport of by Messrs. Schneider and Co., at their Creusot Works. The distance between the extreme points is 5 miles ; current is supplied to six electric motors, of 15 to 30 horse-power; to 30 arc lamps ; and to 600 incandescent lamps. The generating station, plaeed approximately in the centre of the distribution area, consists of three complété groups of 100 kilowatts each, one of them being kept in reserve. Each group is complété in itself, with boiler, engine, and dynamos. The illustrations, Figs. 31 and 32, Plate VII., and Fig. 33, show the central station and one of the isolated receiving stations. The Montchanin and Longpendu Mines.—These collieries include two distinct concessions : 1. The Montchanin Mine, once forming a part of the Creusot concession, but made independent of it by a Royal decree dated October 24th, 1838. In the same year Messrs. Schneider and Co. organised a company to work this separated portion, under the title of the “ Société des Houillères de Montchanin.”