44 hughes: wardha valley coal-field. 



Coal was proved at Warura and the intermediate villages between 



it and Wun during- the early prospecting of the 



Warura coal struck. „,,,.-» , -,^ m ,\ m i i ■, , 



field (December 1871). Two bore-holes were put 



down near the Warura nala, north-north-east of the village. In the 



first, the pump broke at 231 feet. In the second, which was a little to 



the rise of the first, coal was struck at 131 feet from the surface, close 



under the Kamthis, and the section was — 



Ft. In. 

 Kamthis ... ... ... ... 132 



Bardhars. 

 1. Light shale ... ... ... ... 1 



2. Black carbonaceous shale 



3. Coal 



4. Shaly sandstone 



5. Black carbonaceous shale 



6. Shaly sandstone 



1 



16 



6 



2 

 4 



In 1874 and 1875 the advisability of opening out the Neth- Warura 

 area of the field was entertained by the local Government, provided more 

 extended operations were sanctioned at head-quarters. It was hoped 

 that the lie of the beds would be less steep, the area of coal larger 

 and the rocks less wet than at Pisgaon. To determine the first two points, 

 more bore-holes were ordered to be put down, but no definite system was 

 adopted, and the borings seem all to have been put down promiscuously 

 with a view to testing the presence of coal in the field, and not to test 

 its lie at any one point. Five sites were selected by Mr. Bourne (the 

 Superintendent of the Pisgaon Colliery), but coal was only struck in 

 Nos. 3 and 5. After that gentleman's departure for England on 

 sick leave, consequent upon his having been severely injured by a tiger, 

 three positions were chosen by Mr. Smyth. No. 1A. was somewhat 

 too far to the rise, but No. 3A. (commenced 9th March 1875) struck 

 coal at 215 feet from the surface. Thickness of seam 29 feet. The 

 strata passed through were sandstones of the ordinary Kamthi type, 

 and some beds of white, red, and yellow clay. Immediately underlying 

 ( 44 ) 



