The colliery manager's handbook; a comprehensive treatise on the laying-out and working of collieries, designed as a book of reference for colliery managers and for the use of coal-mining students preparing for first-class certificates

Front matter

PIS

Return this bocfcfeiF^feefore the Latest Date stamped below.

AUti 3 n

Preface

Even a slight acquaintance with the duties and responsibilities of a Colliery Manager will lead to the conclusion that he had need be almost omniscient within his own province. Besides his responsibility for satisfactory results in the openingout and working of a colliery, under the ever-varying conditions of coal-mining enterprise, there rests upon him a heavy legal as well as moral responsibility which no true man would wish to shirk, and in the discharge of which he has to prepare for that which happens more often, perhaps, in his career than in that of most professional men — viz., the unexpected. It becomes him, therefore, to fit himself beforehand in every possible way for the discharge of his onerous duties. In so doing he will have to acquire the rudiments of Geology, Chemistry, and Electrical Engineering ; a good deal more than the rudiments of Mechanical Engineering, Surveying, and Plan-making ; and to make himself master of the mysteries comprised in the comprehensive terms Practical Mining and Ventilation. Further, he must be thoroughly versed in the obligations imposed upon him and his subordinates by the Acts of Parliament bearing on the subject of Coal Mining, and by the Special Rules in force in any given district.

The Author is well aware, after twenty years’ experience, that the best and indeed the only satisfactory preparation for the efficient discharge of the duties of the Colliery Manager is that which is to be gained in the laborious school of experience ; but he knows also that the wise use of a carefully prepared and comprehensive handbook — such as he ventures to believe the volume now in the reader’s hand will be found to be — would have been to him an incalculable boon in the earlier vfefars of his course, and hardly less so subsequently as a book

VI

PREFACE.

of reference and of practical guidance. No doubt excellent handbooks already exist, dealing with various branches of the subject ; but the Author’s aim has been in the following pages to prepare a work more complete in itself than any of its predecessors, and one comprising the most recent information as to the ever-progressing science and art of Coal Mining. In the use of the work by students, it is believed that the questions and answers given on the various subjects will be found specially helpful.

The Author gratefully acknowledges the assistance which has been given him in preparing this work for the press by his friends Mr. J. T. Robson, H. M.’s Inspector of Mines for South Wales, and the Rev. J. E. Flower, M.A., of Wandsworth ; and also the courtesy shown by the Council of the Mining Institute of Scotland in granting him permission to quote the result of their Commission of Mining Engineers, as given in their Transactions (vol. iii., pp. 51 to 124). Besides much valuable information which has been obtained from the Transactions of the North of England and South Wales Institutes of Mining Engineers, he has also received considerable assistance from the columns of the Practical Engineer and the Colliery Guardian , and from other sources, reference to which will be found in various pages of the work.

The greatest care has been taken to ensure accuracy in every respect, but if any mistake has escaped notice the Author will be thankful to have it pointed out to him.

The preparation of this handbook — which for several years has occupied such time as the writer has been able to give to it — has been to him a most congenial task ; and he ventures, in sending it forth, to express the hope that the work may be found as useful to the student, and to those engaged in the management of collieries, as the preparation of it has been pleasant and profitable to himself.

Pontypridd,

January , 1891.

Chapter I. Geology

PAGES

Stratified and Unstratified Rocks — Dip — Rise — Outcrop — Strike — Diversified arrangement of Rocks — Faults — Classification of the Rocks into Systems — Igneous Rocks — Description of the different systems of Stratified Rocks 1-8

Chapter II. Search For Coal

In untried Districts by the Application of Geological Knowledge — Search in both anUnknown and Proved Coalfield by Boring — The operation of Hand-boring by the use of Rigid Rods — Boring with the Diamond Drill — Application of the Result obtained by a Series of Bores — Search for Coal in South Staffordshire — Search for Coal in Kent . . . 9-23

Chapter III. Shaft-sinking

Forms of Shafts — Mode of keeping them truly Vertical during the Sinking — Circumstances calling for consideration in Selecting their Sites — The Tools and Appliances used in Sinking— Timbering as it proceeds — Walling — Tubbing — Machine Drills to Expedite Sinking— Piling through Quicksands — Sinking through Quicksands by hollow Cylinders of Cast-iron — Poetsch’s Freezing System of Sinking through Quicksands—

The Kind-Chaudron System of Sinking —Explosives used for Blasting in Sinking 24-39

Chapter IV. Fitting Up The Shaft And Surface Arrangements

Arrangement of Pit Bottom for Small and Large Trams — Shaft Gates — Conductors— Buntons — Keeps — Pit Cages — Safety Cages — Detaching Hooks — Pit Head-gear — Pulleys — Ropes — Capping Round and Flat Ropes— Observations for Users of Ropes — Tables of different qualities of Round and Flat Ropes and of Chains — Method of Splicing Ropes — Shaft Signals — Pit Stage — Tipplers — Screens and under Railways— Winding Engines — Conical and Spiral Drums — Steam-brake to prevent over-winding — Counterbalancing the Load in Shaft — Rule for Winding Engine — Calculations of sizes required under given Conditions — Questions and Answers on Steam and Steam-engines — Systems of Winding Coal up Shafts without using Drums 40-87 viii

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER V. SURFACE ARRANGEMENTS {continued)

STEAM BOILERS AND THEIR FITTINGS.

PAC

Ordinary forms of Colliery Boilers, “ Egg-ended ” Cornish and Lancashire — General Construction and Flue arrangements — Galloway Tubes for Cornish and Lancashire Boilers — Details of Construction — Riveting, Punching, and Drilling — Caulking — Welded Shell Joints — Attachments of Flat Ends — Expansion Joints for Internal Tubes — Relative Strengths of Different Riveted Joints — Diagonal Seams — Complete Shell Rings — Means of Strengthening Apertures cut in the Shell — Seating a Lancashire Boiler — Faulty Methods of Seating — Seating Blocks and Crown Tiles — Means of Preventing Radiation of Heat — Position on the surface in which to place Boilers — Boiler Fittings — Mechanical Stokers — Hydraulic Test — Steam-pipe Connection — Steam-pipe Expansion Joints — Heating the Feed- water before it enters the Boilers — Feed-pumps and Injectors — Chimneys and Chimney Flues — Galloway Breeches- Flued Boilers — Babcock and Wilcox Water- tube Boilers — Vertical Boilers — Safeguards against Explosions — Grooving, &c. — Necessity for Care in Tending Boilers — Water Impurities — Analysing and Purifying Feed- water by the Addition of Chemicals — The Hotchkiss Boiler-Cleaner — Seale’s Patent Water Purifier — Periodical Examination of Boilers by Experts — Causes of Explosion — Dangerous Practices when Cleaning Boilers — Warming Surface Buildings by Steam —Rules Relating to Boilers — Separators and Steam-traps— Feed- water heaters and Economisers — Warning Whistles, &c. 88-

Chapter VI. Timbering And Walling

The kind of Timber used at Collieries — Storing it Underground — Method of fixing Props and Lids — Temporary Props and Lids — “ Dog” for drawing Props — “ Sets ” of Timber and their fixing in Main Roadways — Timber for Collars — Sills under Props — Timbering for a bad Roof, where the Floor and Sides are good — Lagging — Timbering for a bad Roof and Side, the other Side and Floor being good — Timbering for a bad Roof and Sides, with a good Floor — Timbering for a bad Roof, Floor and Sides — Lagging of Trees and Brushwood— Sizes of Timbers and their distance apart — “Cogs” or “ Chocks ” — Methods of Timbering in France — Notching the Timber — Cast-iron Props — Wrought iron and steel supports — Storing the Timber on the surface — Creosoting as a means of preserving Timber from decay — Customs as to Setting and Drawing the Timber — Walling the Main Roads from the Shaft — Material used in Walling — Semicircular arched Roadway — Invert under Side Walls — “Horse-shoe” Arch — Elliptical Arch for Roadway — Process of building Arches —Necessity of removing all Timber, and tightly packing behind the walls of Arches — Packing the Top and Sides with Sand 144-

Chapter VII. Narrow Work And Methods Of Working

Shaft Pillars — Water-Levels — Cross-measure Drifts from Shafts sunk through inclined strata — Stone Drifts through faults — Longwall Method of Working — Post and Stall System — Different Arrangements of Single Road Stall Working — Double Road Stall Method and its Modifications — Method of Working and Timbering adopted at the following Collieries: — Celynen, Risca, and the Ocean — Wicket System of North Wales — The Bank System of South Yorkshire— Method of Working and Timbering adopted at the following Collieries : — Lundhill, Kiveton Park, Pligh Park, Wearmouth, Silks-

CONTENTS.

IX

PAGES

worth, Florence, Great Fenton, Cannock and Rugely, Pemberton, Clifton Hall, Pendlebury, Sovereign, Radstock, Kingswood, Allanshaw, Cowdenbeath — Working thin seams in Northern France and Belgium — Square-work Working of the Staffordshire thick coal Seam — Working the thick coal Seams of Poland, Upper Silesia, and Bohemia — Dealing with excessively thick Coal Seams by Longwall and Post and Stall — Questions and Answers bearing on the Subjects of the Chapter . . . 158-243

Chapter VIII. Underground Conveyance

Rails on Main and Minor Roads — Construction of Tubs — Inclination suitable for Main Levels and Self-acting Inclines — Arrangement of Rails and Friction Rollers on Inclines — Blocks at the Bank-head— Ramean’s Safety Catch for Inclined Planes— Mortier’s Safety Catch — Method of Fixing the Incline Drum — The “ Seizer” placed at the Foot of Inclined Planes — Accidents on Self-acting Inclines — Arrangement for Stopping Run-away Tubs down Inclines — Cut-chain Haulage on Inclines — Counterbalance Tram for Inclines — Different Systems of Engine Planes — Direct Haulage-Tail-rope— No. 1 Endless Rope — No. 2 Endless Rope — Endless Chain — Signals on Engine Planes — Size of Hauling Engines necessary — Compressed air as a Motive Power — Compound Hauling Engines — Determination of Gradient for Horse Road and Inclined Plane — Calculating the Friction of Tubs 244-276

Chapter IX. Drainage

Winding Water up Shafts — lifting and Forcing Pumps— Making Pipe Joints Watertight — Balance Bobs — The Windbore — Clack-piece — Fish-piece — The Working Barrel — Action of the Pumps — Water Speed in Pipes — Construction and Method of securing Pumps — Preserving Pipes from the Action of Mineral Water— Pump Rods: — Their Material ; Method of Joining ; Steadying ; Safety Catches — Attachment of Bucket to Spears — Hanging Clack and Bucket Doors — General Arrangement of Lifting and Forcing Sets of Pumps — Determination of Weight Necessary for Balance Bobs — Use and Action of the Air Vessel — Bunton and Plank Brattices to form compartment in Shaft for Pumps — Arrangement for a Sinking Set of Pumps — Sliding Suction for Sinking Set — Messrs. Thornewill and Warham’s Details of Pump Work — The “ Deane” Sinking Pumps — The Cornish Pumping Engine — The Cornish Double-beat Valve — Davey’s Differential Valve Gear for Cornish Engine — Davey’s Compound Differential Pumping Engine — Relative Advantages of placing Pumping Engines Above and Underground — Steam Pumps — The Compound Differential Engine as arranged Underground — The Worthington Pumping Engine — Compressed Air for Underground Pumping Engines — Hydraulic Pumps — Moore’s Hydraulic Mine Pump — Wire Rope Systems of Pumping — Electrical Pumping Plant at the Trafalgar Colliery — Syphons for Drainage of Underground Roadways — Memoranda — Powers of Engines forgiven work — The Pulsometer, its Action and Use — Pulsometer arrangement for Draining Underground Workings — Calculation of Contents of Water Barrels . 277-315

Chapter X. The Gases Met With In Mines : Ventilation

The Atmosphere — Specific Gravity — The Symbols of Gases — Atomic Weight — Oxygen — Nitrogen — Carbonic Acid, or Carbonic Anhydride — Carbonic Oxide — Sulphuretted Hydrogen or Hydrogen Sulphide — Proto-carburetted Hydrogen —

X content's.

PAGES

Blowers — Outbursts — Pressure of Firedamp in the Solid Coal — Effect of Earthquakes in Liberating Gas — Afterdamp — Explosions of Fire-damp — The Diffusion of Gases — Natural Ventilation — The Furnace — The Waterfall — The Steam Jet — The Struve Ventilator — Nixon’s Ventilator — The Fabry Ventilator —

The Lemielle Ventilator — Cook’s Ventilator — Root’s Ventilator — Guibal Fan — Waddle Fan — The Schiele Fan— The Capell Fan — The Medium Fan — Fan Arrangement for a Winding Shaft — Two Separate Engines to Drive Fan — Duplicate Fan and Engine — Ascentional Ventilation — Stoppings to Direct the Underground Air- currents — Advantages of Air-splitting — Regulators — Doors on Travelling Roads — Air-crossings — Brattice — Velocities of Air-currents in the Roads and Shafts — Relative Sizes of Downcast and Upcast Shafts — Anemometer and Measuring the Volumes of Air — Ther- - mometer — Barometer — Effect of Diminished Atmospheric Pressure in Seams yielding Firedamp — Barometric Rules — Water-gauge — Motive Column and Rule to ascertain it — Horse-power of Ventilation — Useful Effect of Ventilating Fans — Theoretical Quantities of Air displaced by Fans — Rules for Total Volumes of Air required at Collieries 316-356

Chapter XI. On The Friction Of Air In Mines

The Pressure necessary to overcome Friction — Rate of Increase or Decrease — Power necessary to produce Ventilation — Rate of Increase or Decrease — Best Form of Airway— Examples on Pressures and Powers of Different Shaped Airways — Questions and Answers on Ventilation .......... 357~395

Chapter XII. Surveying And Planning

General Use of Working Plans — Chaining Distances — Construction of the Spirit Level — Method of Taking Levels — Ordnance Bench Marks — The Adjustments of the Spirit Level — Forms of Levelling Book — Mr. Wells’s Hints on Levelling Operations — The Miner’s Dial — Davis’s Improved Pledley Dial — The Hoffman Joint — Method of Needle Surveying — Vernier or “Fast” Needle Surveying — Reducing Angles to an Original Base Line — Declination, Diurnal Fluctuation, and dip of the Needle — Construction of the Transit Theodolite — Method of Using the Theodolite Underground —

The Adjustments of the Theodolite — The Protractor and its Use — The Parallel Ruler and its Use — Scales — Survey Book — Paper for Colliery Plans — Meridional Lines on Plans — Separate Plan of each Seam’s Workings — Desirability of Placing Full Information on Colliery Plans— Plotting the Surveys — “ Tieing ” Surveys — Plotting Sections — Colouring Colliery Plans — Computation of Areas and Produce of Coal from them — Setting out Railway Curves — Making Geological Sections — Louis’s Improved Davis’s Clinometer — Practical Questions and Answers 396-443

Chapter XIII. Safety-lamps And Firedamp Detectors

The Davy Lamp — The Clanny — Morgan’s — Protector — Pieler — Gray’s- -Hepplewhite- Gray — Marsaut — Mueseler — Evan Thomas — Clifford — McKinless — Cryptograph Lock — Cuvelier’s Patent Lock — Examining and Testing Safety-Lamps before going into the Mine — Patterson’s Testing Apparatus— Primary and Secondary Portable Electric Safety-lamps — Garforth’s Firedamp Detector — Liveing’s Firedamp Detector — Maurice’s Firedamp Indicator 444~4^4

CONTENTS.

Xl

Chapter XIV. Sundry And Incidental Operations And Appliances

PAGES

Carbonic Acid Gas Detector — Coal Dust — Watering the Underground Roadways — Explosives and Blasting Operations — Gunpowder — Gun-cotton — Tonite — Nitro-glycerine — Dynamite — Bellite— Useful work performed by Explosives — Blown-out Shots — Johnson’s Tamping Plug — Charging, Stemming and Firing Shots — Experiments with Wooden Plugs for Tamping — The Water Cartridge and Accessories — Sand and other means of Protecting Cartridges — Tamping with Wet Moss — Roburite — Carbonite — Securite — Lime Cartridges — Wedges for Coal getting — Macdermott’s Rock and Coal Perforators — Ingersoll Hand-power Rock Drill — Ingersoll Machine-power Rock Drill — Gillott and Copley Rotary Coal-cutting Machine — Bower, Blackburn and Mori Electrical Coal-cutting Machine — Stanley’s Coal Heading Machine — Caging Appliances and Drop Staples — Pit Horses, their Food and Work — Fleuss Apparatus for Breathing in Noxious Gases — Fleuss Lamp — Exploring for Water — Underground Dams -Water-blasts — Underground Fires — Testing the Roof — Driving through Faults — Watt’s Steam Indicator — Richards’s Indicator — Use of Indicator Diagrams — Continuous Diagrams — The Thompson Indicator — Schaffer and Budenberg’s Double Indicator — Bourdon’s Pressure Gauge — Schaffer and Budenberg Bourdon Gauges —

Steel Tube Gauges for Very High Pressures — Duplex Gauges — Graduating Ordinary Pressure Gauges — Graduating Steel Tube Pressure Gauges — Bourdon Vacuum Gauges — Schaffer Diaphragm Gauge — Testing Vacuum Gauges — Lightning descending .Shafts — Dunford and Emen’s Patent Automatic Tub-greaser— Self-lubricating Pedestals for Colliery Tubs 465-529

Chapter XV. Miscellaneous Questions And Answers

Denudation — Meeting of Cages in a Shaft with Flat Winding Ropes — Outstroke and Wayleave — Pressure of Water against a Barrier — Applying the Result Obtained from Boring —Discharge of Water from a Bore-hole — Pressure per Square Inch Produced by an Air-Compressing Engine — Description of Anthracite, Semi-Bituminous, Bituminous, Cannel, and Lignite Coals — Dynamometer — Elements of Rocks — Relative Hardness of “ Rock Masses ” — Beds and Veins of Minerals — Difference of Vein, True Fissure Vein, and Lode 53°-540

Appendix

SUMMARY OF REPORT OF HER MAJESTY’S COMMISSIONERS ON ACCI- DENTS IN MINES 541-552

INDEX .

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

fig. i. Stratified and Unstratified Rocks page i

2. Horizontal and Inclined Strata .......... 2

3. Unconformable, Bent and Contorted Strata 2

4-9. Head-Gear and Windlass for Boring, Ordinary Bore-Rod, Chisel, Wimble,

Beche and Rounder ........... 10

10-14. Bracehead, Brake or Lever for Boring, Runner, Topit, Key . . . .11

15* Shoe-Nose Shell, with Valve, for bringing up loose stuff. Wrought-Iron screwed Well Bore Pipes. Auger for clay and stiff soil. V-Nose chisels for hard ground. Shell -auger with valve for loose and wet soil. Bell-shell, with Valve, for loose gravel. Lifting Dog for raising Rods. Pair of Rod- Wrenches for screwing and unscrewing Rods. Levers for turning Rods. Spring Dart for drawing Pipes in Bore-Holes. Bell-Box for bringing up broken bits.

Spiral Worm for extracting broken Rods. Worm Auger for loosening stuff in Bore-Holes. Square-Nose Chisel. S-Nose Chisel for Hard Strata. T-Nose Chisel for Hard Strata. Rods with Screw Joints in 5 and io-foot lengths . 12

16. Method of Boring with the Diamond Drill 14

17. Plan showing position of Bore- Holes 18

18-20. Spring Hook, Curbs or Cribs for Sinking . . . . . . 25

21-23. Ring-Crib. Combined Wedging and Ring Crib 28

24-25. Segment of Metal Tubbing .......... 29

26. Timber, Walling and Tubbing in a Sinking Shaft 31

27. Piling through Quicksands in a Sinking Shaft 32

28-29. Poetsch’s Sinking Process ........ 33~34

30. The Kind-Chaudron system of sinking Shafts ..... *35

31-33. Kind-Chaudron system — Large Trepan ........ 3^

34-37. Do. do. — Small Trepan 37

38. Double-Decked Cage 42

39. Treble-Decked Cage 43

40-41. Broadbent’s Safety Cage 44

43-46. Ormerod’s Safety Link 45

47. Arrangement of Catch-Plate in Headgear for Ormerod’s Safety Link . . . 46

48. Foster & Brindle’s Detaching Hook 47

50. Iron Pit-head Frame at the New Hall Park Collieries 49

51-53. Wire-Rope Capping 53

54. Repairing broken Wire Rope 5^

55-58. Rope Splicing 5^“59

59-60. Cone and Spiral Drums . . . . • • • • .61

61. Pair of High-Pressure Winding Engines • 63

62. Counterbalance Chain for Winding 65

63. Marcet’s Boiler 7°

64. Illustrating the action of a Winding Engine 7 8

65. Lancaster Piston Block 80

66-67. Lancaster Piston Rings and Spiral Spring 81

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. xiii

fig. 68-69. Lancaster Piston Rings and Serpent Coil Spring page 82

70. Joy’s Valve Gear 83

71-72. Craven’s Winding Gear 85

73. Common Cylindrical Boilers .......... 89

74. Cornish Boiler 89

75. Lancashire Boiler with Galloway Tubes .... ... 90

76-79. Boiler Plate Joints 91

80-81. Zig-zag and Chain Riveting 92

82. Punched Holes 92

83-84. Split Caulking 93

85-86. Attachment of Front and Back End Plates 94

87. Bowling Hoop Expansion Joint . ......... 94

88. Adamson’s Flanged Seam 95

89. Paxman’s Flue Joint 95

96. Faultily Seated Cornish Boiler 98

98. Closing-in Tile . . .99

99-104. Improperly Seated Boilers 100

91-95. The Seating of an ordinary Lancashire Boiler 101-102

105. Front Elevation of Lancashire Boiler ......... 102

108. Hopkinson’s Double Safety Valve ......... 105

90. Longitudinal Section of a Lancashire Boiler . . . . 106

109. Side Elevation of a Lancashire Boiler 106

iio-iii. Steam Pipe Expansion Joints .......... 108

112-113. Undesirable methods of connecting Steam Pipes with Boilers .... 109

114-116. Approved methods of connecting Steam Pipes with Boilers . . . iio-iii

1 1 7. Means resorted to through neglecting to place the main steam pipe on a level

with the stop valves . . . . . . . . . . .111

1 18. Steam Pipe Expansion Joint for underground roadways . . . . . 112

1 19. The Giffard Injector 114

120-122. The Galloway Boiler 118-119

123. The Babcock and Wilcox Water-tube Boiler . . . . . . .122

124. The Hotchkiss Boiler-cleaner . . . . . . . . . . 127

125-128. Seale’s Patent Water-purifier . . . 129

129. Laminated Steel Boiler-plate . . . . . . . . ..131

130. Geneste and Hercher’s Self- acting Steam-trap 137

1 3 1. Tangye’s Self-acting Steam-trap and Separator . . . . . . . 137

132. Royle’s Automatic Return Steam-trap . . . . . . .138

I33~I34* Expandisc Steam-trap 139

I35~I38 and 141-144. Methods of Timbering Roadways 145

137. Dog for drawing Props . 145

157. Method of Securing a Roadway having a good Floor but a bad Roof and Sides,

by means of Side Walls and Semi-circular Arch 153

158. Method of Securing a Roadway by Walling with Upright Sides, over which is

turned a Semi-circular Arch and Underneath an “ Invert ” or Flat Segment Arch *154

159. Arching for Underground Roadway where the Sides and Roof form part of an

Ellipse, and the Floor an “ Invert ” or Flat Segment Arch . . . . 155

160. Section of Elliptically Arched Roadway, having One Foot of Sand interposed

between the Arching and Stratification, and showing a Double Line of Rails laid, and Gutter formed in it 156

XIV

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

FIG. 161. Section showing cross-measure drift driven from the Shaft to two Coal-seams page

162-163. Driving through a Fault 160

164. Plan showing Longwall Workings with Gob Roads advancing to the rise and

across the Cleavage ........... 161

165. Plan showing Longwall Workings with Gob Roads advancing Level Course and

across the Cleavage . . . . . . . . .163

166. Effect of “ Creep ” on the Roadways of a Mine .164

167. Post and Stall System of Working where the Levels are proceeding in the direc-

tion of the Cleavage 166

168. Post and Stall System of Working where the Levels are proceeding across the

Planes of Cleavage . . . . . . . . . 167

169. Plan showing usual arrangement of Single Road Stall System of Working Coal

in South Wales 169

170. Arrangement of the Single Road Stall System of Working Coal in South Wales

where the Roof is very good . . . . . . . . 1 7 1

1 7 1. Plan showing the Double Stall System of Working Coal in South Wales . . 172

172. Section of the Black Vein at Celynen Colliery, showing also the Mode of

Securing the Face of a Double Stall Working by Cogs and Props . 1 73

173. Celynen Colliery, South Wales. Double Stall Method of Working . . . 174

174. Arrangement of the Broken in the Double Stall Workings on the Black Vein at

Celynen Colliery . . . . . . . . . 175

175. Section of the Black Vein at Risca Colliery 1 77

176. Risca Colliery, near Newport, Monmouthshire. Plan showing Longwall

Method of Working the Black Vein . . . . . . . . 178

177. Cwmpark Pit, Ocean Collieries, Treorky, South Wales. Section of Four Feet

Steam Coal 179

178. Ocean Colliery, Treorky, South Wales. Plan showing Longwall Method of

Working the Steam Coal Seams . . . . . • • . . 180

179. Plan showing the Wicket System of Working Coal in North Wales . . . 182

180. Plan showing the Bank System of Working the Barnsley Seam in operation at

the Lundhill Colliery, Yorkshire, in 1857 185

181. Lundhill Colliery, near Barnsley. Mode of Spragging and Propping in the

Pillar Workings of the Barnsley Seam 186

182. Lundhill Colliery, near Barnsley. Plan showing Bord and Pillar System in

operation for Working the Barnsley Seam . . . . . 187

183-184. Lundhill Colliery. Working in the solid places of the Barnsley Seam . . 188

185. Lundhill Colliery, near Barnsley. Mode of Working off Pillars in the

186. Kiveton Park Colliery. Double Fork for Endless Rope Haulage . . .190

187. Kiveton Park Colliery, near Sheffield. Sprags and “Cockermegs” in the

188. Kiveton Park Colliery, near Sheffield. Plan showing Longwall Method of

Working the Barnsley Seam . . . . . . . . .192

189. High Park Colliery, Langley Mills, Notts. Mode of Propping and Spragging

Coal in the Top Hard Coal Seam 1 93

190. High Park Colliery, Langley Mills, Notts. Plan showing Longwall Workings

in the Top Hard Coal Seam 194

191. High Park Colliery, Langley Mills, Notts. Plan showing Part of two Stalls,

with the Packwalls, in the Top Hard Coal Seam 195

192-193. Methods of Timbering in the Maudlin Seam, Wearmouth Colliery, Sunderland 196

194. Silksworth Colliery, near Sunderland, South Durham. Plan showing the usual

Method of Pillar Working in the Maudlin Seam 198

195. Silksworth Colliery, near Sunderland, South Durham. Plan showing Pillar

Working under a good roof in the Maudlin Seam 199

196. Silksworth Colliery, near Sunderland, South Durham. Plan showing a possible

arrangement of Pillar Working from one side of the Splits in the Maudlin Seam 201

197. Florence Colliery, Longton, North Staffordshire. Mode of Propping and Sprag'

ging at the Working Face on the Great Row Seam

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

XV

200-202.

206. 207. 208.

21 1.

219-220.

232. 233

Florence Colliery, Longton, North Staffordshire. Plan showing Longwall page Method of Working the Great Row Seam ....... 203

Florence Colliery, Longton, North Staffordshire. Plan of Longwall Face with the Gate-road and Packwalls connected with it in the Great Row Seam . 204

Methods of Repairing the Timber at Florence Colliery 205

Great Fenton Collieries, Stoke-upon-Trent. Cockersprag, Sprag> Props, and

Chocks at a Working Face in the Great Row Seam 206

Great Fenton Collieries, Stoke-upon-Trent. Plan of Longwall Face in the Great Row Coal Seam, showing Props and Chocks ..... 207

Cannock wood Collieries, Hednesford, South Staffordshire. Section of Deep Seam, and Mode of Propping and Spragging in a working Face . . . 208

Plan showing Longwall Method of Working the Deep Coal Seam at the Cannockwood Collieries, Hednesford ........ 209

Cannockwood Collieries, South Staffordshire. Plan showing Longwall Face in the Deep Coal Seam, and the Stalls, Packs, and Props connected with it . . 210

Pemberton Colliery, near Wigan, Lancashire. Method of Timbering a Working Place in the Orrell Five Feet Seam .212

Pemberton Colliery, near Wigan, Lancashire. Plan showing Longwall Method

of Working the Orrell Five Feet Coal Seam

Pemberton Colliery, near Wigan, Lancashire. Plan showing Longwall Face in the Orrell Five Feet Seam, with Packs, Chocks, and Roadway along Face Clifton Hall Colliery, near Manchester. Section of Doe Coal Seam, and Timbering in it .

Clifton Hall Colliery, near Manchester.

Clifton Hall Colliery, near Manchester.

Clifton Hall Colliery, near Manchester.

Clifton Hall Colliery, near Manchester.

Five Quarters Coal Seam Clifton Hall Colliery, near Manchester.

Clifton Hall Colliery, near Manchester.

same time in the Trencherbone Coal Seam

Method of Working the Doe Seam .

Plan of Lift on the Doe Coal Seam .

Section of Five Quarters Coal Seam .

Plan showing Method of Working the

Section of Trencherbone Coal Seam .

Plan of Three Lifts Advancing at the

Pendlebury Colliery, near Manchester. Section of Ram’s Mine Coal Seam and Timbering in it . . . . . . . . . . . . 222

Pendlebury Colliery, near Manchester. Method of Securing Roof by Double-headed Rails ............ 222

Pendlebury Colliery, near Manchester. Plan showing the Face of Level in the Ram’s Mine ............ 222

Sovereign Pit, West Leigh, near Manchester. West Leigh Five Feet .Seam, showing Props and Sprags used there ........ 224

Sovereign Pit, West Leigh, near Manchester. Plan showing the Method of Working the West Leigh Five Feet Seam ....... 225

Longwall Method of Coal Working in the Upper Series of the Somersetshire

Coalfield at Radstock 227

Longwall Method of Working the Great Vein of the Lower Series in the Somersetshire Coalfield at Kingswood, Bristol ....... 229

Allanshaw Colliery, Hamilton, Scotland. Section of the Ell Coal Seam . . 230

Allanshaw Colliery, Hamilton, Scotland. Plan showing Pillar and Stall Method

of Working the Ell Coal Seam 231

Cowdenbeath Collieries, Scotland. Section of the Dunfermline Splint Coal Seam .............. 232

Cowdenbeath Collieries, East Scotland. Plan showing Longwall Working of

the Dunfermline Splint Coal Seam 233

Cowdenbeath Collieries, East Scotland. Plan showing Face of Longwall Working in the Dunfermline Splint Coal Seam 233

No. 1 Mode of Working Thin Coal Seams in Northern France and Belgium, adopted where the Inclination does not exceed Thirty Degrees . . . 234

No. 2 Method of Working Thin Coal Seams in Northern France and Belgium, adopted where the Inclination ranges from Thirty to Sixty Degrees . . . 235

No. 3 Method of Working Thin Coal Seams in Northern France and Belgium, adopted where the Inclination varies from Sixty to Ninety Degrees . . 235