72 



THE GEOLOGIST. 



merits of the two systems of working coal ; but all must be agreed as to 

 the importance of adopting the system that will admit of the greatest per- 

 centage of " round " or " hand-filled " coal, and the greatest yield per acre, 

 whilst affording to the workman the greatest security from accident, and 

 the capitalist from losing his property. To say that any one system pos- 

 sesses all these much-to-be-desired advantages, under all circumstances, is 

 more than could be affirmed. That the long-wall system possesses advantages 

 over the pillar-and-stall, under some circumstances, is an indisputable fact ; 

 while, on the other hand, it is simply impossible to work some mines to 

 advantage upon the long-wall system, however skilfully the workings may 

 be conducted. Perhaps the most important advantage in the long-wall 

 system is, that all the coal may be worked out without the slightest waste ; 

 this cannot be said of any other. If we consider this loss or waste in a 

 national point of view, it will not be of much less importance to the whole 

 community or future generations than it is to the proprietors of mines who 

 sustain a direct pecuniary loss ; for although there may be no fear of the 

 coal of the United Kingdom being exhausted for a couple of centuries, 

 — and in the meantime substitutes may be discovered that will lessen its 

 consumption, and render the nation much less dependent upon it than at 

 present, — it, however, cannot have failed to have occurred to all who have 

 carefully considered the subject, that before another century has passed 

 over, coal will not only be far more difficult to work, owing to the increased 

 depth at which it will have to be wrought, but that some of our existing 

 coal-fields will have been worked out, and many others reduced to very 

 narrow limits. 



In working the coal upon a properly conducted system of long-wall 

 working, where the mine is adapted for such system, there can be little 

 doubt but that the risk of accidents from falls of roof is materially lessened. 

 The author had never seen the slightest accident from such source, where 

 the long-wall S3'steni has been practised. But the fact ought not to be 

 overlooked that some mines are naturally more dangerous to work than 

 others, and that the danger often increases in proportion as the thickness 

 of the seam increases, assuming that all other circumstances remain the 

 same, and that, as a rule, it is the thinnest seams that are worked upon the 

 long-wall system. The ventilation is far more simple in long-wall work- 

 ing than in pillar-and-stall, besides which, the health of the workman is 

 not so impaired -by driving narrow or " strait " work, this being in a great 

 measure dispensed with. 



Another advantage for the long- wall system is that of being able 

 to dispense with the necessarily large outlay consequent upon driving 

 narrow work in a systematic manner preparatory to working back the 

 pillars, and thus securing a return for the capital expended in the least 

 possible time. The North of England may be considered as the parent of 

 the pillar-and-stall system, but it is now more or less used in almost every 

 coal -field in Great Britain as well as upon the Continent. If it possessed 

 no advantages over the long-wall system, the mining engineers who adopt 

 its use might reasonably be considered very prejudiced men. That epitbet 

 lias been lavishly applied by some of the advocates of the long-wall sys- 

 tem lo those who continue the use of the pillar-and-stall system, for- 

 ge! ting thai they lay themselves open to the very same charge by adhering 

 too rigidly to that which they believe to be the best. The author had 

 deemed it best to carefully examine into every circumstance connected with 

 a mine before adopting any system, and after so doing, he would not say 

 thai he might not err in judgment. The pillar-and-stall system will admit 

 of an almost unlimited quantity of coal being daily worked from the same 



