SOUTH CLIFTON COLLIERY. 169 



-the coke ovens is reduced in a disintegrator, it is then conveyed 

 along a trough on the top of the rows of ovens by U-shaped 

 scrapers. When desired to fill any particular oven, a slide is 

 withdrawn from the bottom of the trough, so that the fine coal 

 can pass down through a portable shoot and the crown of the 

 oven (Fig. 103). There is a bank of 24 beehive ovens, with a 

 flue in common, leading to a brick stack, and another of six 

 ovens, with short chimneys, one between each two ovens 

 placed back to back ; 16 new beehive ovens were in course of 

 construction at the time of my visit. The ovens vary in size. 



Fig. 103. Coke Ovens. 



A 5-ton oven will yield about three tons of coke, and takes 

 about 60 hours to burn. The coke is quenched by playing 

 water on it in the ovens, after which it is handled with 15- 

 tine forks, the tines being lin. apart. 



North Bulli Colliery. 



This colliery may be looked upon as the youngest produc- 

 ing colliery on the South Coast, but it is rapidly pushing its 

 way to the front under the supervision of Mr. T. Cater, who 

 is a large shareholder in the company. 



