DUCKEXFIELD COLLIERIES. 275 



is double acting, and the rope passes into the mine for half 

 a mile. The oil pump is a three-throw. 



At present the mechanical haulage all over the two col- 

 lieries is done by engine planes, the skips entering the mine by 

 gravity. One engine plane is 2300ft. long, another a mile, 

 while a third is a mile and a quarter; there are 28 skips to a 

 set. A main and tail rope is about to be installed at No. 2 

 tunnel. The direct haulage is fed by self-acting inclines and 

 horses down below. 



On the bank there are the usual weighing machines, kick 

 ups, shaking screens, and picking belt, also a slack storage 

 hopper. Between the two collieries is situated the workshops, 

 where local repairs are made; but the Brown's main shops are 

 located at Hexham. Here they employ over a hundred men at 

 the saw-mill,, pattern-makers' shop, foundry, etc., making 

 waggons, repairing tug boats and locomotives. They find 

 wooden waggons last longer than those constructed of iron 

 or steel, as the latter rust with the sea air, and in case of a 

 smash a plank or two are easier to replace in a wooden waggon 

 than to mend one made of iron or steel. 



This is really a naked light colliery, but safety lamps are 

 now used when extracting the pillars, except in some of the 

 shallow workings. Monobel is the explosive used to break 

 down the coal, it being fired by means ot a Nobel's low-tension 

 battery. No coal machines are used in these collieries, all the 

 holing being done by hand. There are 24 boilers, Lancashire 

 and Cornish, under steam at Minmi. 



Seahani No. 1 Colliery. 



This colliery is about 20 years old, and works the Bore- 

 hole seam from shafts. The downcast shaft, 460ft. deep, up 

 which the coal is hoisted, is 16ft. in diameter; while the air 

 shaft is 13ft. in diameter. Near Blue Gum Creek there is 

 another downcast, known as the Blue Gum shaft. At the lat- 

 ter shaft there is a Norwalk air compressor. This supplies the 

 motive power for working three pumps, all of the Worthington 

 type, also the Hardy punching machine. Only one of the 

 Hardy machines is used, and it cuts two 4-yard places for a 

 depth of 5ft to 6ft. ; 15 square yards being considered a fair 

 day's work, without allowing for breakages. It is only rigged 

 up once for a 4-yard bord cut, when it is placed opposite the 

 middle of the face. The Little Hardy is found to be too light 

 for the work it is called on to do, consequently breakages are 

 frequent. The air hose is served with marline, which is given 

 a half hitch every turn, so as to prevent it from coming undone 

 in case it is severed. 



Horses draw the coal from the working places, a limber 

 Ibeing used to hook the horse on to a skip. The limber throws 



