130 e

vard. Our illustration affords a realistic idea of this scetion of the South Mcetropohtan Works on a busy day,

Dut to return to the retorts at Beckton, In a few minutes the greater portion of the charge has been withdrawn, and one can look — always at a respectful distance - along the retort. The men's work has o grown hotter and hotter the farther the rake has heen shoved into the retory, and great streams of perspiration run down their faees and backs. In the midst of it all comes alony our artist. He is armed with the camera, and sugeests that the men should stand Gl Tor o while in the act of withdrawing, m order to let him take a shot at them. Fhe proposal strikes one as cool even this haot house, hut the men scem pertecthy willing o he roasted alive moorder o give himan opportunity ol conveyving o the British public o truthful impression ol the way St s done.” They would make capital martyrs these men, and our artist would make a0 very daring army general, Iire: has no terror Tor him when he is salelv out of its way, and he stands, for what scems to his less exacting colleague an - interminable time, counting by his watch the sceonds necessary o obtain the negative he wants. But at last he says, ' Thank you s that will do 7 and the men finish drawing the coke from the retorts.,

T'hen, without the loss of a minute, they prepare to re- charge them. On the groundis aheap of coal running the length of the house, deposited by one of the trains running above, and from this two scoops ten [cet in length, con-

taining one hun- dredweight cach, have been filled.

One man takes the handle, hoists it shehtly, the other two place a bent har, called a bridle, undernceath and about the middle of the scoop, 1t 1s lifted to the height required, the nosc is thrust mmto the

STRAND

MWAGAZINE.

mouth of the retort with a dexterite which comes ol daily practice, the two men with the bridle find themselves perilously near the Mame which bursts forth from the retort, the man at the handle rams the scoop well home, turns it upside down and rushes hack with it : the next scoop is treated in the same manner, both scoops are refilled and cmpticd, and a few shovelfuls ol coal thrown in complete the charge.

The door ol the retort is closed and Gstencd, the process of gas making has hegun, and for the next siv hours the coal will undergo distillation. The men have Leen about forty minutes over their work.and some twenty minutes will L‘I;l]m: before the time to clear another set ol retorts s up. Thev retire toa room, where are many lockers containing their clothes and helongings, and the interval is spent ine Test, in gossip, oroin snatehing refreshment.

The men work i cight-hour shifts, carn cood money (the average being /2 a0 week), . wearing as their occupation seems to e, cnjov exeellent health and opportunitics of improving their position. 1o will generally he found that the foremen in immediate responsibility over the men have sen

T'wo nstances T'he first s that

Of success

ol a head

o the ranks. may he erted.

CHARGING RETORTS BY MACHINIRY.