Re: SOULS OF COPPER

[John]

Another of the Barnsley Bards poems, AKA Daz






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Posts: 8

« message sent on: Today at 09:33am »
Here is part of my answer..........

THE LONG AND THE SHORT OF IT.

Coming or going
Does anyone know
Which way round a face should go?
Face to the right of us
Gate to the left of us,
Right hand
Or left hand?
Such decisions once left me in dread
Right hand cutter for left gearhead?
Retreating or advancing?
Ask me one on ballet dancing
But which way should it go?
Tell me quick, I need to know.
In at the right or left side gate?
No idea, can’t help you mate.
I’m only a fitter.

[Ragger]

Quick Pit Fitter.

A long time ago I was working on devs,
My fitter was missing a few upstairs revs,
He would argue for hours when installing trepanner,
But I knew he was scarred of using a spanner.

His problem went back a number of years,
A bossy old overman reduced him to tears,
He installed this gate belt drive, so it seems,
Upside down, he never got over the screams.

He was called everything under the sun,
Since then my fitter has not been much fun,
Now before every job, he sits down and thinks,
But half of the time he's having 40 winks.

Eventually he was cured of this terrible fear,
When the back of my hand arrived at his ear,
He looked at me with those sorrowful eyes,
And he flung his spanner; planning my demise.

Over I fell with my feet pointing west,
Then he grabbed me, right next to my chest,
That's it he said, that section goes first,
But I'll just have a drink to quench my thirst.

We had a good laugh as work progressed,
Each section aligned one after the rest,
Well done; the lads praised him to bits,
But he still shies away from using his mitts. ;D

[John]

Welcome Bill, see we have a Geordie Bard now as well!!

[Ragger]

Flame Lamp.



In firedamp it burns so bright,
In blackdamp it fades out of sight.
That’s ok because I know the way,
The lamp reacts each and every day.


It hangs from my belt most of the time,
Takes care of me keeps me in my prime.
When I take it off to test the air,
It soon tells me if gas is there.


This safety lamp it soon traces,
Mine gases in all different places.
Whether at the top or on the bottom,
This lamp of mine will soon spot em.


Gas can’t hide away, my lamps here to stay,
It keeps me safe, helps me earn my pay.
It saved thousands of lives down in the pit.
My thanks go to those who invented it,

[John]

Good one Bill, BUT I wonder how many ignitions the old oil lamps caused, Appin, NSW comes to mind, 1979, can't recall how many died, I think over 20 men.
They've done away with the flame safety lamp now in Oz, they use multi gas detectors instead., but I don't think there is anything better than the oil lamp for detection of black damp, or checking for respirable air......

[Ragger]

Some of the old safety lamps were not very accurate and gave false readings. With the Garforth lamp a sample of air could be taken from a particular area using an aspirator bulb, the sample was then injected straight into the lamp and gave a more accurate reading.

But the new detectors are, as you say John, much better.

And with my old eyes unable to read 1and 1/4 percent now, reading a methanometer would be much easier.

[John]

Ragger said:

Some of the old safety lamps were not very accurate and gave false readings. With the Garforth lamp a sample of air could be taken from a particular area using an aspirator bulb, the sample was then injected straight into the lamp and gave a more accurate reading.

But the new detectors are, as you say John, much better.

And with my old eyes unable to read 1and 1/4 percent now, reading a methanometer would be much easier.

The Garforth is what they used in Oz Bill, still much prefered an oil lamp over a gas detector when it comes to blackdamp any day Bill.
D6's were great for testing for firedamp though, far safer and a lot more accurate.
As part of my duties, if I was surface electrician on swing or night shift, I had to service the oil lamps as well as weigh the self rescuers and service the caplamps together with all the other duties, change loco batteries, charge the personell carrier batteries plus breakdown maintenance on the surface installation.