PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED.

Otago Witness, Issue 3352, 12 June 1918, Page 46

PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED.

The New Zealand Mines Department lias published a booklet which is of interest and value to all connected with the coal mining- industry in the Dominion. It is "A Paper entitled A Laboratory Study of Inflamiability of New Zealand Coal uusts," by W. Donovan, M.Sc., chemist, Dominion Laboratory, with remarks thereon by P. G. Morgan, M.A., director of Geological Survey, and "A Report on a Coal-Dust Explosion at Bronbridge Colliery, Denniston," by Frank Reed, M.1.M.M., inspecting engineer of mines. Mr Donovan gives an outline of the methods he adopted _ and se*s out in tabular form the results obtained. A point noted in these was that a lignite from Alexandra South proved almost as' inflammable as the best bituminous coal. The conclusions arrived at are:—(l) That coal dust is' inflammable, and that its presence in mines constitutes a danger, s (2) That a simple test of inflammability may be made by blowing some of the dust through the flame of a Busen burner. (3) That the dust from brown coals and lignites appears to be quite as inflammable as that' from bituminous coal. (4) that the danger arising from the presence of coal-dust in a mine can be obviated by strewing those parts where coal-dust tends to accumulate with finely ground stonedust. Mr Morgan, in his remarks, emphasises some of the points mado by Mr Donovan and adds that any coal mine owner may have his coal tested by forwarding one or more representative samples to the Dominion Laboratory, Wellington. Mr Reed's report on the Ironbridge_ Colliery explosion still further emphasises . the danger of coal-dust, and. the necessity for a further regulation prohibiting the use of anv but permitted explosives in all coal mines except lignite pits and open cast workings. Who started the war? "Prince Lichnowsky's Revelations"' is a book of over 30 paires, published bv Messrs Cassell and Co.. at the price of 3d. The revelations of Prince Lichnowsky, late German Ambassador in England am convincing even Germans that thei blame for the world-war rests on the shoulders of the German military partv. The text of the memoirs was received "from the British Ministry of Information by cable thrmifrh Reuter s Agency for the present publication