693 
At a distance of about seventy yards above the Swallow 
Wood, we come to the great seam of this part of the coal- 
field, the Barnsley or Nine-foot Coal. This seam is in the 
neighbourhood of Sheffield about 4' G" in thickness; it 
increases about Rotherham to seven or eight feet, and 
around Barnsley reaches nine or ten feet, and here and 
there a still greater thickness ; about Haigh and Criggle- 
stone it is much split up by dirt partings, and of inferior 
quality, and further north becomes so much divided as to be 
unworkable. Over the district where it is best developed, 
it may be divided into three parts, the uppermost and 
lowest being " soft," or bituminous coal, and the middle 
" hard," " steam," or semi-anthracitic coal. The following 
table shows the thickness of these sub-divisions : — 
Sheffield district 
Rotherham to Elsecar 
Top Softs. 
i' o" to r 8" 
1' 6" to 3' 0" 
Hards. 
1' 6" to 2! 0" 
3' 0" to 4' 6" 
Bottom Softs. 
0' 2" to 1' 0" 
r 4" to ^ o" 
About Barnsley a parting of clay and bad coal comes in 
between the Top Softs and the Hards. The following table 
shows the sub-divisions : — 
Top Softs in several 
beds. 
2' 2" to 4' 0" 
Clay and bad coal. 
0' 4" to 1' 8" 
Hards. 
1' 9" to 3' G" 
Bottom Softs. 
1' 1" to 2' i 
The following section, measured in the cutting by Criggle- 
stone Station, shows the splitting up northwards of this bed. 
Coal 
Grey shale 
Coal 
Grey shale 
Ironstone nodnles . . 
Dark shale 
Coal 
Grey clay 
Coal 
Black shale and coal 
Coal 
r 7" 
0' 2" 
& v 
v 6" 
2' 10" 
6' 2" 
C 7" 
4' 6" 
Of 1" 
r o'' 
0' 2" 
1' V 
The further history of this bed I must defer till I have 
made acquaintance with the country north of this spot. 
H H H 
