i>;)4 (X)ALFIKLDS AND COLLIERIES OF AUSTRALIA. 



tail rope system, but has been converted for its present pur- 

 pose. It is on the third motion, which reduces the speed and 

 surging of the rope. The rope, which is a Lang's lay of 3|in. 

 circumference, is given four turns round a Fisher's pulley, 

 i.e., a pulley with an inclined face, so that the diameter near 

 one flange is greater than the diameter near the other flange. 

 The rope passes on to the pulley at the side with the larger 

 diameter, and oft' at the smaller diameter. As the face of the 

 pulley gets worn down, it has other liners bolted on to it. Cast 

 iron liners get ground down too easily, so hard steel is used, 

 but they must not be made rough, as any roughness has to be 

 worn down by the rope. These pulleys are thrown in and out 

 of gear by Fisher's clutches. The tension pulley is mounted 

 on a trolley that runs on an incline at the rear of the engine- 

 house. The endless rope runs at the rate of 1 miles per hour, 

 *ui(l is dressed by drips from an oil drum suspended above the 

 drum of the engine. Signalling can be done from any part of 

 the hauling roadway by means of the usual electric wires. 

 Bulb rails, weighing 26-301b. per yard, are used in the main 

 roadways, and bridge rails, weighing 161b. per yard, in the 

 bords. The present skips average 16cwt. of coal, but when 

 vHe roadways are increased in length, the sides of the skips 

 will be made higher, so as to lessen the chance of coal falling 

 out on to the track. The skip wheels are made of ."Miller's 

 chilled iron, and are imported from Edinburgh; they are found 

 to give every satisfaction. 



The bords are made 8 yards wide, and have 11 yard pillars 

 between. The greatest inconvenience caused by rolls in the 

 seams, which are met with in places, is having to lift the 

 bottom to make room for the skips, and also having to pay 

 more for coal under 5ft. in thickness. Headings from which 

 the bords are turned off are about 18 chains apart, but the dis- 

 tance varies according to the output required from the mine. 

 For the same reason, the bords are worked both to the rise and 

 dip, instead of only to the rise. The present area being worked 

 is so irregular, that the bords cannot be carried to their stand- 

 ard length on account of the cramped position. The colliery 

 cannot be properly opened out till they get into the back 

 country. The seam averages 7ft. thick; it is seldom under 

 5ft., but may be 4ft. on the top of rolls; on the other hand it 

 is sometimes up to 10ft. thick. The seam is remarkably free 

 from bands and sulphur. The roof is sandstone, and the floor 

 shaley "post." In places rolls are fairly frequent in the floor, 

 but never in the roof: they average about 2ft. Gin. in height. 

 In rolling country, the bords are generally driven in the 

 troughs, while the crests of the rolls are left as pillars. The 

 jnllars are extracted as soon as possible after the bords are 

 finished, and are worked in 5 to 8 yard lifts. The coal is all 



