298 SINKS FOR COAL AND SUCCEEDS. CHAP. XIV. 



denuded surface of the coal measures ; indeed it was 

 afterwards found that it had turned to cinders one part 

 of the seam of coal with which it had come in contact. 

 The appearance of this bed of solid rock was so unusual 

 a circumstance in coal mining, that some experienced 

 sinkers urged Stephenson to proceed no further, believing 

 the occurrence of the dyke at that point to be altogether 

 fatal to his enterprise. But, with his faith still firm in 

 the existence of coal underneath, he fell back upon his old 

 motto of " Persevere ! " He determined to go on boring ; 

 and down through the solid rock he went until, twenty- 

 two feet lower, he came upon the coal measures. In the 

 mean time, however, lest the boring at that point should 

 prove unsuccessful, he had commenced sinking another 

 pair of shafts 1 about a quarter of a mile west of the 

 " fault ;" and after about nine months' labour he reached 

 the principal seam, called the " main coal." 



The works were then opened out on a large scale, and 

 Mr. Stephenson had the pleasure and good fortune to 

 send the first train of main coal to Leicester by railway; 

 The price was immediately reduced there to about 8s. a 

 ton, effecting a pecuniary saving to the inhabitants of 

 the town of about 40,000/. per annum, or equivalent to 

 the whole amount then collected in Government taxes 

 and local rates, besides giving an impetus to the manu- 

 facturing prosperity of the place, which has continued 

 down to the present day. The correct and scientific prin- 

 ciples upon which the mining operations at Snibston were 

 conducted offered a salutary example to the neighbour- 

 ing colliery owners. The numerous improvements there 

 introduced were freely exhibited to all, and they were 

 afterwards reproduced in many forms all over the Midland 

 Counties, greatly to the advantage of the mining interests. 



1 Mr. Stephenson was strongly in j safety of the persons working in the 



favour of working and ventilating coal- pit, in the event of the occurrence of 



mines by means of more shafts than any of the numerous accidents inci- 



one. He considered the provision of dent to coal-mining, 

 at least a second shaft essential for the 



