A HISTORY OF DURHAM 



Eldon through the Magnesian Limestone, prov- 

 ing the lower measures. 



Boring operations were being carried out from 

 the surface in the vicinity of Westoe, South 

 Shields, at Elwick, on the Whitworth estate, 

 proving the Busty Seam, and by Coulson in the 

 vicinity of Langley Park for the Consett Iron 

 Company for a proposed new winning to work 

 the Busty Seam, also on the Whitworth estate, 

 near Durham, near the Whitwell Colliery, 

 proving the Low Main Seam, and on the Whit- 

 burn estate Shield Row Colliery was sunk. 



The No. 2 Pit, Axwell Colliery, was sunk 

 from the surface to the Brockwell Seam. 



1874. — A diamond bore-hole was put down 

 at Ryal, near Sedgefield, for the Weardale 

 Coal Company. 



Redheugh Colliery, Gateshead, commenced to 

 sink and was put down below the Hutton Seam. 



The New Herrington Colliery was sunk from 

 the surface to the Hutton Seam. 



A boring was put down below the Busty Seam, 

 Edmondsley Colliery, and another from the surface 

 was in progress in the vicinity of Woodhouse 

 Close Colliery by Mr. William Coulson. A 

 diamond boring was also put down at Ricknall 

 Grange, north of Aycliffe, for coal, but proved 

 fruitless. 



Commenced on 14 July to sink the Whitburn 

 winnings ; a bore-hole was put down below the 

 Brockwell Seam, without finding any workable 

 coal. 



A bore-hole was put down at Bradbury, prov- 

 ing the thickness of the Permian Measures and 

 going through into the Millstone Grit series 

 without meeting with any trace of coal. 



A trial bore-hole was put down on Salt Holme 

 Farm, near Port Clarence, for Messrs. Bell 

 Brothers, Limited. 



The Lamp Pit, West Stanley Colliery, was 

 sunk from the surface to the Busty Bank Seam. 



1875. — A staple was put down below the thill 

 of the C Pit, Hebburn Colliery, proving the 

 Beaumont Seam. 



Sunk the Busty Pit, Waldridge Colliery, from 

 the surface to the Busty Seam. 



Boring operations were in progress in the up- 

 cast shaft at Old Durham Colliery below the 

 Hutton Seam, proving the Brockwell Seam. A 

 diamond drill bore-hole was put down near 

 Woodham on the Ricknall Grange Royalty, 

 proving these coals worthless, and a boring was put 

 down at Redheugh Colliery below the Brockwell 

 Seam, also proving the lower coals worthless. 



The main shaft, Dunston Colliery, was sunk 

 from the surface to the Brockwell Seam. 



A shaft was sunk at Osmondcroft, in the 

 township of Winston, through the Mountain 

 Limestone formation down to a coal - seam 

 3 ft. 9 in. thick. This is the only colliery, and 

 the only district in the county of Durham, where 



any of the coals in the Mountain Limestone 

 formation have been found so far thick enough 

 to work. 



1876. — A bore-hole was put down in Major 

 Surtees' Landsale Pit at Medomsley from the 

 thill of the Hutton Seam to the Low Main 

 Seam. 



The Thornton Pit, Croxdale, or Sunderland 

 Bridge Colliery, was sunk from the surface and 

 continued down to the Victoria Seam. 



A boring by W. Coulson was put down be- 

 low the thill of the Hutton Seam at the Kepier 

 New Pit in the township of St. Giles, Durham, 

 to prove the lower coals, but with disappointing 

 results ; boring operations out of the Harvey 

 Seam were in progress at Coxhoe Colliery by 

 Coulson, to prove the Busty Seam. 



A new winning (the New Pit), West Stanley 

 Colliery, was sunk from the surface to the Busty 

 Seam. 



In this year the coal trade was in an unsatis- 

 factory state, and twenty-four pits were laid in. 



1877. — The 16 ft. shaft at Windlestone Col- 

 liery was finished in October for Messrs. Pease 

 & Partners ; put down from surface to Marshall 

 Green Seam, and bored further. 



The first successful shaft sunk by the Kind- 

 Chaudron method in England was commenced 

 in this year by the Whitburn Coal Company at 

 Marsden, and was completed in two years, it 

 having been found impossible to sink it by the 

 ordinary methods, although over 12,000 gallons 

 of water were being pumped. 



This year over sixty pits were laid in owing 

 to bad trade. 



1878. — The Old Furnace shaft, Cornsay 

 Colliery, was sunk below the Main Coal or 

 Brockwell Seam, proving the Victoria Seam, and 

 the Marshall Green Seam, which was found 

 worthless. 



1879. — Over seventy pits were standing idle 

 this year. 



1 880. — A couple of bore-holes were put down 

 below the thill of the Hutton Seam at Houghall 

 Colliery, proving the lower coals to be worthless 

 at this point. 



1 88 1. — Boring was commenced from the sur- 

 face in the vicinity of Hamsteels Pit. 



Boring operations from the surface were in 

 progress at Croxdale Colliery and vicinity, proving 

 the Busty Seam. 



A diamond boring was put down at Salt Holme 

 salt works, near Port Clarence, for Messrs. Bell 

 Brothers, Limited. 



A shaft was sunk from the surface to the 

 Brockwell Seam north of the Woodlands Pit^ 

 Woodlands Colliery. 



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