INDUSTRIES 



work, the buckets being frequently worn out at 

 the end of two or three hours. For some time 

 the cost of the leather required for the buckets 

 amounted to _|rii 55. per hour, and three tan- 

 yards were kept in operation to supply it. Some 

 relief was obtained by resorting to the expedient 

 of thrusting in straw behind the backing deals so 

 as to form a filter to restrain the sand, and when 

 all the available straw had been exhausted, stacks 

 of corn were next put into requisition. At 

 length all the shafts were successively carried 

 through the sand, and the whole of the water 

 tubbed off by cast-iron tubbing, and the Hutton 

 Seam reached on i 5 April, 1843, at a depth of 

 1,483 ft. 



The cost of this remarkable sinking is variously 

 estimated, but it is calculated that between 

 ;r250,ooo and j^400,ooo was spent, principally 

 in consequence of the difficulties experienced in 

 passing through sand only a few yards in thick- 

 ness. 



Cornforth Colliery, near Coxhoe, was won, 

 the shipment of coal at Hartlepool commencing 

 in the following year. 



West Auckland Colliery was won. 



Boring operations were in progress from the 

 surface on the Newfield Royalty, proving the 

 Busty and Brockwell Seams. 



A sinking, 34 fathoms deep, was finished in 

 April, in Stella township. North Ryton. 



The Kyo or South Tanfield Colliery was 

 sunk from the surface to the Five-Quarter Seam. 



Framwellgate Moor old pit was commenced 

 on 5 January, and was put down to the Busty 

 Seam. 



Boring operations from the surface were in 

 progress in the vicinity of Crook Hall, also in 

 the vicinity of Witton Gilbert, near Durham, 

 proving the Busty Seam ; in the vicinity of 

 Wheatbottom and Jobs Hill, near Crook, Peases 

 West Collieries ; in the vicinity of Westerton 

 Colliery, proving the Main Coal Seam ; on 

 Hownes Gill Royalty, near Knitsley, below the 

 horizon of the Brockwell Seam ; at Sacriston 

 from the surface, proving the Main Coal Seam ; 

 at Cockfield, and on Greencroft estate. 



The B Pit, Whitwell Colliery, was sunk from 

 the surface to the Hutton Seam. 



Murton Colliery, East Pit, was commenced on 

 19 February, and put down from the surface to 

 the Hutton Seam. 



A sinking was commenced on 10 December 

 from the surface at New Acres, near Moor Edge, 

 South Moor Colliery, upon Lanchester Common 

 Royalty, and put down to the Busty Bank Seam. 



Sinking was started in Kelloe freehold from 

 the surface to below the Brass Thill Seam. 



1839. — Commenced on 23 November to sink 

 the Harelaw Pit, Pontop Colliery, from the sur- 

 face to the Hutton Seam. 



A bore-hole was put down at Stella from the 



surface to prove the Stella Freehold Top or Five 

 Quarter Seam, south-west of shaft ; on the 

 Hunwick Royalty ; from the surface on the 

 Pagebank estate. 



The Engine Pit, Axwell Park and Whickham 

 Royalty, was sunk from the surface to the Main 

 Coal Seam, and a deep boring continued lower. 



The Lord Pit, Wingate Grange Colliery, was 

 sunk from the surface to the Hutton Seam, and a 

 boring continued lower, proving the Harvey Seam. 



Boring operations were recommenced on the 

 Nunstainton estate. 



The Whitworth Park Pit was sunk from the 

 surface to the Brockwell Seam. 



Boring operations were in progress on Newfield 

 estate from the surface, proving the Busty and 

 Brockwell Seams ; from the surface on the Wil- 

 lington estate in the vicinity of Sunnybrow 

 House, proving the Brockwell Seam ; from the 

 surface on the Willington estate in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Bowden Close, proving the Brock- 

 well Seam ; from the surface on Mr. G. Wil- 

 kinson's estate, near Crook, at Mawn Meadows, 

 to prove the Brockwell Seam ; for the extended 

 new winning at Boldon ; on Hardwick estate by 

 William Coulson ; and in West Edmondsley 

 estate. 



Commenced on 30 September to sink the 

 Tanfield Lea New Colliery (600 yds. west of 

 former pit) from the surface to the Five Quarter 

 Seam. 



South Tanfield Colliery was sunk below the 

 Five Quarter to the Brass Thill Seam. 



The William Pit, Craghead Colliery, was 

 sunk from the surface to the Hutton Seam. 



Stockerley House Pit, Crook Hall Colliery, 

 was sunk from the surface to the Busty Seam. 



Iveston Colliery, near Shotley Bridge, was 

 won, and Medomsley Colliery commenced 

 working. 



Garmondsway Moor Colliery shipped its first 

 coal. Sacriston Colliery was opened. A seam 

 of coal was won at Shincliffe Colliery. 



1840. — Shotton Colliery was begun by the 

 Haswell Coal Company and reached a fine seam 

 of coal in 18 50, after an expenditure of over 



j^I 20,000. 



A company was organized to supply Newcas- 

 tle, Gateshead, North and South Shields, Sun- 

 derland and Bishopwearmouth with natural gas 

 from Wallsend Colliery, and gas pipes were laid 

 to Carville station on the Newcastle and North 

 Shields Railway, and several lights were lighted 

 in the evening, but the illuminating power was 

 so low that the experiment proved a failure and 

 the enterprise was abandoned.'^ 



Cassop Colliery shipped its first coal at Har- 

 tlepool. 



Andrews House Colliery commenced shipping 

 coals at Shields. 



" Proc. Inst. Med. Engl 1849, p. 35. 



335 



