35S 



Accident at Felling Colliery, 



tipperniost of wlilcb were extensively wrought in the beginning 

 of the last century. The stratum called the High-main, was 

 won in 177^^ and continued to be wrought till the j9th January, 

 1811, when it was entirely excavated. 



The present colliery is in the seam called the Low-main. It 

 commenced in October, 1810, and was at full work in May, 

 1811. Messrs. John and William Brandling, Henderson, and 

 Grace, have each a fourth share, both in its royalty and in the 

 adventure : they have also a lease from the Dean and Chapter of 

 Durham, of a large extent of coal, lying oa the south and east 

 of the manor of Felling. 



The working or down-cast shaft, marked A on the annexed 

 plan, is called the John Pit^ and is situated on the north side of 

 the Sunderland road, and half way between Felling I'oll-bar 

 and Felling Hall. It is 204 yards deep, and furnished with a 

 machine or steam-engine for drawing the coal, and with an 

 engine called a whim gin, wrought by horses, and of use in 

 letting down and drawing up the workmen, when the machine 

 chances to be crippled, or repairing: and when it lies idle on 

 pay Saturdays and on Sundays. Here is also a high tube of 

 brick-work, employed in assisting ventilation while this shaft 

 ■was sinking, and till the communication by the narrow boards 

 and the drifts was opened between the two shafts : since that it 

 has been of no use. 



The up-cast, or air furnace shaft, is called the William Pit, 

 It is on an eminence 550 yards south-west of the John Pit, and 

 is distinguished by a whim gin and a lofty tube of brick-work. 

 This shaft is 232 yards deep. 



Over each pit two iron pullies were suspended on a kind of 

 scaffold, called the shaft-frame. In these ran the ascending 

 and descending ropes. The pullies over the John Pit were six 

 feet in diameter, and weighed nine cwt. a-piece. Those in 

 which the rope of the gin of the John Pit ran, were fixed on a 

 crane, which turned them over or from the shaft as occasion 

 required. 



As there are no feeders of water in the strata below the high 

 main, the low main coal is kept perfectly dry by tuhhing the 

 watery seams with a circular casing of oak wood, formed into 

 pieces resembling the fellies of a wheel : this contrivance has 

 the appearance of the ashlar work of a well, and saves the 

 expense of a steam-engine for drawing water. The white lines 

 on the plan represent the excavated parts : the broadest of them 

 are called hoards^ and those that cross them at right angles are 

 walls. The two narrow lines which run north and south, on the 

 east side, are called double winning head-ways, and the narrow 

 lines between them, stentings : the two lines on the west side of 

 the William Pit are also double winning head-ways. The twa 



