184'5.] BINNEY ON THE NEW RED SANDSTONE. 



(6.) Pendleton Section. 



21 



N.N.E. 



Irwell 

 Kersall Moor. river. 



S.S.E. 



Bolton road. 



Middle coal. 

 a, b, Sinkings to two seams of coal worked by Mr. Fitzgerald. 



The Pendleton section occurs two miles north-west of Manchester. 

 It exhibits the upper new red sandstone at Oatbank near the Eccles 

 new road, dipping to the south-west at a moderate angle. Drift 

 covers up the country under the higher part of Pendleton, but in 

 the valley of the Irwell Mr. Fitzgerald has worked seams both in the 

 upper and middle coal-fields. These dip at an angle of about 18° 

 to the S.S.W., and outcrop against the upper new red sandstone, 

 which there lies in a deep downthrow of the coal-measures of full 

 1000 yards in extent. The absolute thickness of the upper new red 

 sandstone at this fault is unknown, but it must be near 300 yards. 

 At a depth of 450 yards, red clays are met with in driving a level 

 from the deep pit through the fault. The sides of the fault exhibit 

 every appearance of the former action of water upon them. The 

 upper new red sandstone lying in the fault dips at a moderate angle 

 to the south-west. 



N.N.E. 



(7.) Patricroft Section. 



s.s.w. 



Railway. 



Upper coal-field. 4 



a. Messrs. Lancaster's deep shaft. 



The Patricroft section is about four miles west of Manchester. This 

 is one of the most interesting sections that I have yet met with, 

 being the result of the first successful attempt to sink through three 

 members of the new red sandstone formation in search of coal in a 

 district where all the practical miners asserted that it did not exist. 

 In other parts of England, no doubt, coals have been obtained by 

 sinking through some of the lower members of the new red sandstone 

 formation, but I am not aware of any other instance than the present 

 in which all the three lower members of this group have been sunk 

 through and coals profitably worked under them. The merit of this 

 enterprising mining operation is due to Messrs. Lancaster, who have 

 with the most persevering industry and skilful management sur- 

 mounted difficulties by which most men would have been over- 

 whelmed. 



The shaft of the Patricroft Colliery («, see diagram) is near 

 the station on the line of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway : 



