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usually consist of a pair of levels being driven east and west 
of the shaft, out of whicli, as the Coal proceeds to be got, 
artificial roads are made thirty or forty yards apart, ac- 
cording to the nature of the roof. These roads are made by 
being packed on either side with the debris obtained in the 
getting of the Coal. The roads are always kept close up to the 
face, and the failure of this system on some occasions where 
it has been introduced in Yorkshire, has arisen solely from 
these walls not being built in a solid and substantial manner, 
for unless they are, the roads through the goaf and the bank 
face are sure to be buried, as well as endangering the ven- 
tilation. If this be properly done, and with anything like 
a suitable roof and competent management, I do not fear 
any failure. 
At the face of the Coal, the men are protected by one or 
two rows of props, and here I may remark in passing, that 
these wood props, intended for safety, are often a source of 
danger when worked under incompetent or unskilful manage- 
ment, for you may have too many of them as well as too few. 
In Longwall, our object, after securing the safety of the 
miner, is to let the roof gradually bend down upon the goaf, 
and throw all possible weight upon the face, to facilitate the 
economical getting of the Coal. 
As the face of the Coal advances, the hindermost props are 
brought forward, and the roof let down ; the sooner and the 
better ; the longer your face of Coal, and of course the greater 
wiU be 3^our supply, which can be made very great under this 
system ; but to arrive at perfection in quality, as well as 
quantity, I would in most cases have the Coal worked or 
broken off at right angles to its natural cleavage, or, as it is 
commonly called, "end working." Any person not con- 
versant with this end way of getting Coal, will understand 
my meaning by examining an ordinary block of wood; if 
you break it off with the lines of cleavage, it produces thin 
