Man Car; Safety Week
May 1965

Jinsha; Anzen Shukan
[Man Car; Safety Week]
38.0 x 53.9 cm Painting in Watercolors and Ink

A seven-day Safety Week started from July 1, 1928, and was, of course, held at coal mines and factories throughout the country. Coal miners had taken all measures to ensure their safety before then, but sometimes unforeseeable accidents had happened at some pits. Unfortunately, some man cars, which were required to be the safest of all mine equipment, caused a fatal accident, killing eighty-three people.
The accident happened at Sumitomo Tadakuma Coal Pit on April 15, 1936. The accident occurred when a hole of the triangular steel plate between the wire rope socket and the chain of the leading car broke. The plate had three holes for connecting chains, and the main hole broke. It was the first time that man cars accidentally reversed. The accident gave a big shock to middle and large-scale coal mines using such cars.
Nittetsu Inatsuki Coal Pit had also researched into safety devices for man-riding cars before then, and after that they focused more and more on the task. All connecting fittings and other parts were temporarily replaced with firm components to make the safety of man-riding cars doubly sure. All parts like the above triangular steel plates were doubled, and two draw bars and connecting chains were fitted onto each of their cars. Other coal mines took the same measures.

Words in and around the Inset at the Top Center
Sumitomo Tadakuma Tanko: Sumitomo Tadakuma Coal Pit
Kore ga wareta: This part broke.
kosu: winch rope socket
jinsha: man car or man-riding car

Text in the Box at the Bottom
The man cars used at Inatsuki Coal Pit could fit three people in a row and twelve in total. Normally, five cars were linked and sixty people could enter the pit at once. The railway track was 970 meters long. The rail weighed 60 lb/yd. The ties (surippa: sleepers) were 2.4 inch-wide channel-types. The slope of the haulage way was twenty-three degrees.

Text Written in Blue Ink Next to the Box
Nittetsu Inatsuki Coal Pit had a private electric power plant, but their man-riding cars were winched up and down by a steam winch with 18-inch pistons.

Description of the Inset at the Bottom Left
Ropu ga yurumu to hidari no yoni naru:
When the rope connected to a weight came loose (in an accident), the safety devices under the floor worked as shown in the left inset.
Anzenki: Safety Devices
Daisha: truck
Mizogata Surippa: Channel-type Tie or Sleeper


Translation Assisted by Mr. Nathan Johndro

<<Last pictorial record    Next pictorial record>>

<<Last 10 items  391 | 392 | 393｜394 | 395 | 396 | 397 | 398 | 399 | 400 |   Next 10 Items>>

393／585