358 COALFIELDS AND COLLIERIES OF AUSTRALIA. 



they do will begin by taking out those of the top split first. 

 The bords are all worked up hill from one side of a heading 

 only, since the coal falls forward better. There is natural 

 drainage, and the full skips have a down hill run. The road 

 ways are given a grade of half an inch to the yard. 



They use both the main and tail rope and the endless 

 rope systems of haulage. The main and tail rope works both 

 splits in the seam, and serves five districts altogether. It 

 brings the skips to the endless rope, which takes them to the 

 surface, and to the tumbler at the pit top. A Tangye engine, 

 20in. by 40in., geared 3 to 1, with 6ft. drums, and provided 

 with steam reversing gear, is used for the main and tail rope. 

 There are 35 skips to a set, and the last skip has a "bull" or 

 drag bar attached. This "bull" is forked at the end near the 

 skip, and each arm has a double hook. (Fig. 225.) This end 

 is hooked on to the skip, while the pointed end is hung from the 

 tail rope, so as to keep it from knocking against the rollers. 



Fig. 225. Bull and Dragbar. 



Should the main rope break, the tail rope becomes slack and 

 the "bull" falls, so that it can stick into the ground. The 

 skips travelling up hill must stop momentarily after the main 

 rope breaks before they start down in the opposite direction. 

 It is then, before the pace is accelerated^ that the "bull" must 

 act. 



The endless rope engine is a Eobey llin. by 22in., geared 

 15 to 1, fitted with a Bichardson patent cut-off gear, which does 

 not use more steam than absolutely necessary. The skips are 

 attached to the rope by Smallman's clip, in which a wedge, 

 worked by a lever, forces the cheeks of the clip apart at the 

 top, and causes them to grip the rope below. 



They work with 16 Jeffrey chain breast machines and one 

 Goodman, all electrically driven. This is the only pit in the 

 district to use safety lamps with coal cutters. Two of the Jef- 

 frey and the Goodman make 7ft. by 3ft. cuts, while 14 Jeffrey 

 make a 6ft. "by 3ft. cut. The chief trouble with the electrical 

 part is burnt out starting boxes and damaged trailing cables; 



