378 COALFIELDS AND COLLIERIES OF AUSTRALIA. 



The method of working adopted during this period was 

 stoop-and-room, the pillars or stoops being about 100ft. square 

 and the roadways 10ft. wide. 



During the rush of emergency mining, great care was 

 exercised in the timbering methods adopted. 



In the south side workings, w r here the cover was from 30 

 to 40ft., only 6ft. of the coal seam was mined, the remaining* 

 2ft. being kept on for a roof, as it was found to have more 

 bind than the decomposed strata above it. 



Split bars, 9in. x Tin. section, were put up to the coal roof 

 on legs of 8iii. x 6in. section. The bar sets would average 

 about 4ft. centres, and where necessary were laced with slabs. 

 In the deeper workings in the north side, all the coal in the 

 first workings was taken out to a fair sandstone roof, which 

 was then timbered with the same care as in the south side. 

 In the present workings, especially in No. 5 main shaft, the 

 ordinary coal mine method of timbering with "prop and lid" 

 is usually found sufficient in the 15ft. bords. 



The maximum output reached during the emergency 

 period was 400 tons per day. 



Ventilation was chiefly natural, assisted by Boot's 

 blowers. 



All labour was paid by the day, according to the following 

 scale : 



Coal miners, 10s. per day. 



Hand wheelers, 6s. to 8s. per day. 



Winch drivers, 8s. 4d. per day. 



Deputies, 11s. per day. 



Skilled labourers, Ts. 6d. to 9s. per day. 



Unskilled labourers, Ts. 6d. per day. 



When the Government succeeded in getting their State 

 Coal Mines Bill through, arrangements were made to equip the 

 mines in accordance with modern principles, and No. 3 shaft 

 was made ready for winding. A pair of coupled horizontal 

 engines, with 14iii. cylinders, were placed in position on good 

 concrete foundations. 



Poppet legs, about 70ft. in height, were raised over No. 

 3 shaft, and in June of 1910, the old basket system was super- 

 seded by the more modern method of winding with cages. 



The tipple at this shaft is equipped with modern ap- 

 pliances, so as to reduce as far as possible the cost of handling 

 the coal. 



These include a patent two-speed tippler (the invention of 

 the writer, who took charge of the operations in April, 1910), 

 and a modern screening and conveyor plant. The tippler 

 works excellently, and is most adaptable for dealing with soft 

 coals. A lever is touched to start the tippler, and the tippler 



