GRETA COLLIERY. 327 



liery owners, but also to the country, and might result in the 

 permanent closing down of a mine if a fire started when there 

 were not sufficient men to keep it under control. 



East Greta Colliery 



This colliery, which is the pioneer of the district, and is 

 about 18 years old, belongs to the East Greta Coal Mining 

 Company Ltd., who also own the Stanford Merthyr Colliery. 

 It is under the management of Mr. J. EL Rees, who formerly 

 acted as under manager. 



The seam being worked is the lower seam, of the Greta 

 coal measures, which about here is from 12 to 13 feet thick, 

 the whole of it being worked, but in two operations. 



The tunnels follow the seam from the outcrop, and are 

 consequently fairly steep. No. 2 tunnel has an inclination 

 varying between 40 and 44 degrees, and is the full height of 

 the seam, so as to give sufficient head room. It is 2200 feet 

 deep on the slope. Levels are driven right and left every 160 

 yards on the incline, and are connected at the back or in 

 front of the shaft by uiidercasts or overcasts, according to cir- 

 cumstances, which are really horizontal passages along which 

 skips can pass the shaft. 



The mine is divided into paniiels, and as each pannel is 

 worked out it is sealed off. 



The method of working is by bord and pillar. Near the 

 surface the bords are 8 yards wide, and the pillars are 8 yards 

 wide also; deeper down the pillars have to be stronger, so are 

 made 10 to 14 or 15 feet wide. 



A jig or self-acting incline is sunk between two levels. 

 Thej" are driven down hill rather than up, as being safer, and 

 easier to ventilate. A 15 yard pillar is left on each side of a 

 jig. Through this each bord is driven, commencing with nar- 

 row work, and then opening out to the full width of eight 

 yards. The bord is taken out for a height of 7 or 8 feet, that 

 being convenient for timbering. At every 50 yards a cut- 

 through, 4ft. by 4ft., connects adjoining bords for ventilation 

 purposes, but these cut-through s are not made continuous 

 through all the bords, it being found that ventilation in the 

 bords is facilitated by staggering them. These cut-throughs 

 have steps cut in them, or ladders, according to their steep- 

 ness, for men to travel on. A bord is carried on where pos- 

 sible to the limit of 20 chains, this distance being adopted as 

 over that the wheelers have to receive increased pay for trans- 

 porting the coal. At 20 chains the bord is driven narrow 

 again, and adjoining bords are connected by cut-throughs, 4ft. 

 by 4ft., in a continuous line; this is later on enlarged to Oft. 



