120 



COALFIELDS AND COLLIERIES OF AUSTRALIA. 



The main haulage roadway is the intake, while the travel- 

 ling road is the return airway_. The main haulage has been 

 properly graded, and is straight except where proximity to a 

 neighbouring property necessitates a curve. Track laying is 

 a very important matter in the economy of a mine, and when 

 properly done will pay for itself many times over by saving 

 useless wear and tear of plant and expenditure of unnecessary 

 power. 



The coal won is about ojft. of the middle coal, which is 

 fairly free from bands; the bottom coal is 12 to loin., and the 

 top coal about 4ft., which is inferior, and interbedded with 

 bands. The ordinary bord and pillar system of working is 

 used to win the coal. The bprds are of two widths, being four 

 yards for a single man and eight yards wide for two men ; they 

 are driven 60 to 80 yards long on either side of a heading, no 



1 



Shaft. 



Elevation. 

 Fig. 59. Rope at Top of Shaft. 



matter whether to the rise or dip. The pillars are about. 2") 

 yards wide. The neck of a four-yard bord is opened out to its 

 full width right away, but that of an eight-yard bord is com- 

 menced four yards wide for four or five yards, after which it 

 gradually widens out on either side till a width of eight yards 

 is attained. 



The system of haulage employed is the endless rope, which 

 is set in motion by an old P. N. Russell and Co. s engine. 

 working on the second motion ; but this engine will shortly be 

 removed to another part, and be replaced by a more powerful 

 one, which is now on the ground, this being necessary in order 

 to cope with the greater amount of work to be done. The 

 main haulage rope is |in. diameter, and has a circulating 1 

 length of 2400 yards. It travels at the rate of two miles an 

 hour, and four skips are clipped on at a time to make a set. 

 The district ropes are f-in. diameter; they travel at the rate of 



