ABERDARE COLLIERY. 361 



high by the endless rope so that they can gravitate to the tip- 

 pler, and after being tipped, they are pushed out by the next 

 skip, and gravitate to the empty line. Drop chocks, that can 

 be raised between the rails, are used on the empty or return 

 line in case of a run away, while monkey chocks are used on 

 the up line. The side tipplers were made by Head-Wrighton 

 and Co., of Stockton on Tees, England. The underside of the 

 tippler is weighted. It is set in motion by a friction wheel 

 which is brought in contact with it by means of a lever. This 

 was originally made self acting, but as a man had to be in 

 charge, it was found better to let him do the work, so as to 

 keep him fully employed. Each tippler is capable of dealing 

 with 3 tons per minute. From the tippler the coal passes to a 

 shaking screen, and the round coal falls on to a 70ft. by 4ft. 

 6in. picking belt. The small coal storage has a capacity of 

 4000 tons. The bottom portion is brick-lined, the Jeffrey elec- 

 trically driven run-a-round conveyor over it being supported on 

 a steel structure. 



The company does all its own brass castings, and in the 

 shops they have a shaping machine, 2 drilling machines, punch 

 and shearing machine, steam hammer, and five forges with 

 forced draft. The shafting runs the full length of the shop, 

 and is driven by a Bobey engine. 



Aberdare Colliery. 



This colliery belongs to the Caledonian Coal Company 

 Ltd., for which Mr. D. McGeachie is superintendent. It is 

 situated at Weston, near Cessiiock. The seam being worked is 

 32ft. thick, but only 8ft. Gin. of the lower coal is won. The 

 mine is laid out in panels a quarter of a mile square, with a 

 barrier pillar one chain Avide between them. The coal is ex- 

 tracted on the bord and pillar system, the former being 8 yards 

 wide, and the latter 16 yards. 



The seam is worked from brick-lined circular shafts about 

 500ft. deep. The downcast shaft has a steel head frame. There 

 are three rope guides for each cage, and two dead ropes are 

 hung between the cages to prevent them from swaying too 

 much. The g-uide ropes have their upper ends fastened by pass- 

 ing them through eye bolts at the top of the head frame, and 

 clamping them. The hoist consists of a pair of engines, with 

 J4m. diameter cylinders and 48in. stroke. These drive a 

 12ft. diameter drum with a brake path round the middle. 

 The driver's seat is high up, and so situated that he has a 

 g-ood view of the pit top. 



A band rope driven from the surface by an engine passes 

 down tlie main shaft to a clutch room underground, where it 



