INDUSTRIES 



royalty, under the Cloffbcks, in the Moor- 

 banks Seam. The trespass was clearly proved, 

 and the action was compromised by the pay- 

 ment of a goodly sum to the earl. 



In 1799 the output of the Chapel Bank 

 Colliery was : 



Tons 



Lady Pit, Main Band . . 21,059 

 Union Pit . . 1 1,089 



In 1800 the output of Banklands Colliery 

 was : 



Tons 



John Pit, Moorbanks Seam . 2,276 



Elizabeth Pit . 6,135 



Hope Pit, Main Band . . 6,473 



Henry Pit . . 2,578 



Old Engine Pit, Main Band . 2,978 



Crosthwaite Pit, Yard Band . 6,134 

 Bowness or Well Pit, Four 



Feet Seam 5, '5 



31,589 



In 1808 Mr. Curwen began the sinking 

 of Isabella Pit, which reached in 1814 the 

 Moorbanks Seam, found in perfection at 90 

 fathoms. 



In 1816 the sinking of Isabella Pit was 

 resumed, and in 1818 the pit had been sunk 

 128 fathoms to the position of the Main Band, 

 which was discovered to be ' nipped-out.' How- 

 ever the lower part of the Main Band was 

 subsequently proved through the ' nip,' by a 

 stone-drift 400 yards long, driven to the west ; 

 and, eventually, 100 yards further south, the 

 seam was found, in its normal thickness, in 

 1822. 



The output of the Workington Collieries 

 during 1816 was : 



Chapel Bank Colliery Tons 



Lady Pit, Main Band . . 8,846 



Union Pit . . 12,834 



Isabella Pit, Moorbanks Seam 9,634 



Banklands Colliery 



Church Pit, Main Band . 



3',3H 



9,393 



40,707 



The ' nip ' prevented the Main Band being 

 worked east of Isabella Pit ; but that seam 

 was worked therefrom to a considerable ex- 

 tent under the land towards Union and Lady 

 Pits, and to the south-west, under the sea, to 

 the dip of Lady Pit. 



When Chapel Bank Colliery became to be 

 thoroughly developed, Banklands Colliery was 

 laid in and all the shafts were filled up. 

 Church Pit, the last to be closed, was aban- 

 doned in 1820, when the removal of some of 



the Main Band pillars on the east side of the 

 ' Sand-wash ' (separating the Chapel Bank 

 and Banklands Collieries) had liberated the 

 ' sand feed ' which overcame the pumping 

 engine. 



Buddie Pit had then been sunk 27 fathoms 

 to the Hamilton Seam, and from that pit a 

 small area of Main Band that had been left in 

 Church Pit was worked from a drift made, at 

 a subsequent date, over a down east fault of 

 40 fathoms. 



The output of Workington Colliery (then 

 limited to Chapel Bank) in 1829 was : 



Isabella Pit, Moorbanks Seam 

 Main Band 



Lady Pit, Main Band 



Tons 



6,541 



17,665 



24,206 

 15,464 



39,670 



Workington Colliery until 1837 had been 

 free from any very serious catastrophe. On the 

 28th of July in that year a disaster took place, 

 causing the deaths of 27 persons and 28 horses 

 and the loss of the Chapel Bank Colliery. 

 On that date the sea broke into the Main 

 Band workings at the rise of Camperdown 

 district in Lady Pit, and speedily filled every 

 working in Lady, Union, and Isabella Pits. 

 Fortunately, access to the district, being con- 

 fined to two drifts, so limited the passage of 

 the sea into the other parts of the colliery that 

 time was afforded for 30 persons to escape by 

 the bearmouth, near Union Pit. The fall, by 

 which the sea effected its entrance into the 

 mine, was about 80 yards in diameter, and 

 occurred i miles south of Lady Pit, and 

 about 50 yards below low water mark, opposite 

 Salter Beck. 



The Camperdown district was worked to 

 the rise of the main south road, leading direct 

 from Lady Pit towards the land. The 

 workings had reached within 20 fathoms of 

 the bed of the sea and were nearly up to the 

 line of the ' Sand-wash,' which divides Chapel 

 Bank and Banklands Collieries. The coal in 

 this area had been cut up into pillars, 15 

 yards by 10 yards, which the manager had 

 begun to remove. Heavy falls of roof, accom- 

 panied with sea-water, ensued ; but regardless 

 of these warnings the manager persisted in 

 working the pillars until the fall of roof took 

 place which let the sea into the colliery. 



After the abandonment of Banklands and 

 Chapel Bank steps were taken to open out 

 Buddie and Moorbanks Engine Pits. The 

 latter was again abandoned in 1840, the Main 

 Band, supposed to have been left, having been 

 found to have been worked. 



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