140 COALFIELDS AND COLLIERIES OF AUSTRALIA. 



complement of workmen, bricks, and mortar, was only about 

 14 tons at the pulleys. The use of guides in deep sinking is 

 not only safer, but admits of increased speed of hoisting. 

 Since the unfortunate accident, when a bucketful of men lost 

 their lives, presumably from the pendulum-like motion of the 

 bucket, possibly started by a slight movement by one of the 

 occupants, a cross-head, as seen in (Fig. 73) has been used, 

 and men when ascending or descending are strapped to the 

 bucket. 



The buntons are of ironbark, 14ft. Gin. long, lOin. deep, 

 and Gin. wide. They are built into the walling as work proceeds, 

 6ft. apart vertically from centre to centre, and 12ft. 9in. apart 

 horizontally. To each bunton is bolted two lines of steel rails 

 on which the shoes slide, which are attached to one side of the 



Fig. 74. Water Ring. 



cage only. Where two lengths of rails butt together they are 

 dowelled so as to keep their ends true. While sinking, gas 

 was found in fissures and cavities of the strata 1000ft. above 

 the seam of coal, in some cases under such pressure as to cause 

 the floor to lift beneath the feet of the men engaged in sinking. 

 In the Birthday shaft no trouble was caused by water; 

 only about 500 gallons per hour was made. This all came 

 from above 700ft., and was collected in a garland, or water 

 ring. (Fig. 74). The garland consisted of steel plates, Sin. 

 wide by in. thick, fastened to walling curbs by coach screws. 

 The upper edge of the plates was slightly dished to- 

 wards the centre of the shaft, so as to catch the 



