COAL FIELDS.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 18626, 26 February 1926, Page 5

COAL FIELDS.

—; —©— EARLY HISTORY. DISCOVERY AND DEVELOPMENT. AX IMPORTANT INDUSTRY, Much more is known about the discovery of gold on the West Coast than t!io c;ifly history of the coalfield?, yet the development of the province has depended nearly as much on coal as on the precious metal. As long ago as July ltitli, 18J7— three years before the pioneers of Canterbury arrived at Lytteltoir—Thomas. Brunner, an explorer and surveyor, discovered that the country around ISrunner was coal-bear-ing. .Mining on the iiruunei' seam appears to have begun in August, ]B(J4, when 27 tons of coal, brought down tho Grey 'River in boats, was exported to Nelson by steamer. -Mr Matthew Rally, held the first right, and mined the first coal, probably on the northern .side of the river.

Jn isstj.j a concern known as the Bulla ra I Syndicate, or Company acquired a "lease of the Brunner coal mine, and worked it for some years. One of the conditions of the lease was that a railway .should be made from the mine to Greymouth, but as the lessees continued to transport tho coal in boats, causing, it is s-aid, considerable damage 1 to the banks of the river, the Nelson Provincial Government cancelled the lease, and for some tjmc worked tho mine as a public concern. On January Ist, 1874. a lease on certain conditions as to royalty and output was granted to Messrs Croaker, Hughes and McCarthy. The area held under the lease was 1280 acres, and the term twenty-one years. In IS7.J the lease was transferred to the Brunner Coal Company, and in 1877 to Mr Martin Kennedy, who was later to become a prominent figure in commercial circles in New Zealand.

When the coal seams were first worked, the transport of the product down the river in barges was a hazardous business, and many lives were lost.

Completion of the Railway. In 1876 tho completion of the railway to Greymouth enabled the output of the Bruimor .Mine to be considerably increased, and for a 1111111001' of years it appears to have been worked with a fair measure of success. A fault of some magnitude impeded operations for several years prior to 1885, when coal was found beyond the fault, of good qualitv, though only Bft thick, or about half the thickness of the seam in the older workings. On January Ist, 1837, the old lease having been cancelled, a new lease for sixty-three years was issued. This in its turn was cancelled on December 31st, 1804, and replaced by a new lease issued for fifty-six years from that date.

In August, 1888, tlio Grey Valley Cnnl Company (Limited) was formed. This concern took over the Brunner lease, together with properties then owned oi' controlled liy the AVestport Coal Company, and for somo year 3 mined and exported all the coal produced in the Greymouth district. In 1890 foreign competition seems to have been severely felt, and in consequence a lowering of the miners' hewing rates was proposed. This and other causes led to prolonged disputes between the Grey Valley Coal Company and its employees. In 189.1. the Grey Valley Coal Company's interests in the Ururmer lease, were transferred to the Greymonth--I'oint Elizabeth Railway and Coal Company (Limited). The coal beyond the fault already mentioned, was about

this time found to thin to an unworkable thickness, and, moreover, to be affected by faulting', so that lor many years roar-getting was confined to pilars, and no new development work undcrtaken.

The Brunner Disaster. On the morning of March 26th. 1800, a disastrous explosion took place in the Brunner mine, whereby all who were underground at the time —sixty-sis in number—lost their lives. A Royal Commission that enquired into the cause of thii catastrophe, found that it was duo to an explosion, or series of explosions, of coal-dust, started by a blown-out shot, aided by the ignition of coal gas evolved from the surrounding coal, and possibly locally intensified by the presence of small quantities of firedamp. A fund was started for tho relief of the minors' dependents, and was placed in the hands of tho Public Trustee.

In December, 100(5, work in l*<? o' d Brunner mine ceased, tho pillars having been exhausted as far as possible. To-day, this part of tiic Grey Valley is a scene of intensifying activity, two companies which were recently formed having commenced operations, with strong resources,'and the exploitation of the coal measures should accomplish a great deal in the infusing of new life into this old settlement. It is doubtful whether the investors in the early ventures received anything like an adequatel return on their capital, but a great deal has been learned in the science of mining since those days.

Coal-pit Heath and Wallsend. The Coal-pit Heath Company having obtained, on January Ist, IS7o, a lease of 7(7 acres on the western side of the Brunner lease, sank two shafts on the northern bank of the Grey river, and for a number of years, from 1878, maintained :i fair output. In September, ISB7, the lease was transferred to the Wcstport Coal Company, and in August, ISSB, the right, of working the mine -was acquired by the Grey Valley Coal Company. For some years the Coal-pit Heath mine was worked in conjunction with the Brunner mine, but-in June, 1893, it was abandoned. Tho Wallsend mine began with a 21 years' lease for about 1000 acres granted to the Greymouth Coal Company in 1875. This concern met with many difficulties, and its history is hard .to trace. At first, it seems a shaft OS ft deep was sunk on what was later known as the Tyneside property. In or before 187!) a shaft lift in diameter had been sunk to a, depth of about 670 ft. After being transferred to a private syndicate, the lease became the property of the Wcstport Coal Company, who, in 1880, had completed a second circular shaft 14ft in diameter, near the first. In 1888 the Grey Valley Coal Company acquired all "the rights in connexion with the lease. Tho mine was closed down after the labour troubles of 1890, and the machinery was dismantled and removed. Last year the Brunner Collieries, Ltd., a company which was formed j largely through the initiative of Messrs Joseph and Charles Taylor, of Cobden, who have been associated with most of the prospecting work in the district, erected a baling plant over the shafts, and tho unwatering of the mine is now nearly completed.

Tyneside Mine. The old Tyneside mine consisted of grounds sub-leased from the Wcstport Coal Company by Messrs Kilgour and Wickes about 1885 or earlier. Towards the end of 1888 tho Grey Valley Coal Company acquired tho sub-lessees' interests, the mine was closed down, and the leasehold rights abandoned. On October 15th, 1901, a lease of 108

acres 2 roods 30 perches, which included the old Tyneside mine, was issued to Mr 11. Jones for sixty-six years. In 1902 tho lease was transferred to the Tyneside Colliery Company, Limited, who reopened the mine, but in 1903 gave place to the Tyneside Proprietary Company, Limited. In May, ICOB, owing to an inrush of surfaco and river water overcoming the pumps, work ceased within the mine.

The same experience befel a co-opera-tive party, which was working the mine a year or two ago.

Blackball Company. The Blackball Coal Company began operations by acquiring a lease'of ISU4 acres in three nearly equal sections, dated for twenty-one years from January Ist, 18SG. At a later date the land was granted to the Midland Railway Company, who sold to the late Sir Edwin Dawes, from whose representatives the Blackball Company holds its present lease of the original area. Active production began in October, 1593, and, though for ,i number of years the mine was not a profitable undertaking, it later entered on A period of prosperity. Until a few years ago the coal was transported from the mine to the railway line at Ngahere by means of an aerial train nearly four miles in length. This aerial tram, though a very fine piece of work of its kind, was unsatisfactory, owing to its limited capacity (about 50 tons an hour) and not infrequent breakdowns. Tho massive trestles may still be seen stretching in a line from the railway at Ngahere to the plateau on which Blackball stands.

The company ..has had its share of tribulations in recent years, including a fire, which compelled the sealing-off ox a large part of the mine, but the flames died when the air supply gave out, and scores of miners, who had left Blackball were able to return to their employment. Production has been hindered by innumerable disputes, damage to and final destruction of the railway bridge, and strong competition from within the Dominion and from the other side of the Tasman.

The State Mines. At an early date leases of several areas north of Greymouth, in the valley of Coal Creek, near Point Elizabeth, at the Nine-Mile Bluff, near the Ten-Mile Creek, and elsewhere, were obtained by various persons and companies. In 1577 a lease of 103G acres near the head of Coal Creek was held by tho Coal Creek Mining Company. Tho Point Elizabeth Coalmining Company at this time held a lease of 38-10 acres, extending along the coa3t from a point between the mouth of. the Seven-Mile Creek and the Nine-Mile Bluff to a point near the Twelve-Mile Creek, and reaching from a mile to nearly two miles inland.

On January Ist, ISS9, Mr William Simson Smith obtained 2783 acres under three leases, two of which were granted for sixty-six years, . whilst the third lease, of 223 acres, was for sixty-five vcajs. In 1891 this area seems to have been in the name of the Point Elizabeth Coal Company, which later apparently became merged into The Grcy-mou'th-Point Elizabeth Railway and Coal Company. This latter concern, after acquiring the lease, did a good deal of prospecting, and partly constructed a. railway from Greymouth to where it was proposed to open out a mine. In IAO2 the New Zealand Government took over the Point Elizabeth property, and reserved a considerable area of adjoining territory, with a view to operating a State mine Active development was begun, and tho railwav completed. About June, 1901, the first coal was shipped away. The boundaries of the State coal reserve were subsequently extended so as to include all public Hinds on the western slope of the Paparoa Range as far north as the Ten-mile Creek. For many vears the country towards tho head of the Seven-mile Creek was steadily prospected, with very satisfactory results, and the .work of development proceeded actively. Tho new mine was known as Point Elizabeth State Coalmine No. 2. The State miners haivc probably lost more time through lack of orders than any the Coast, with tho probable exception of those at Stockton, and at times have worked only fivo or six days in the fortnight, but lately there has been a decided improvement.

Co-operative Parties. In addition to the State mines, which are at Rewnuui. numerous cooperative* parties are working small pits on lease from the Mines Department. There is a great.diversity in

the quality of tho product, but mo«t of the parties arc doing well, and one or two rind difficulty in meeting tho for their coal. An interesting development has been the opening of roads in some of th© cities by tho co-operative parties.

Paparoa Mine. In December, 11)05, the Paparoa Coal Company was formed to work a lease of 1000 acres (later added to by 197 acres) on tho Paparoa Range, near Mount Davy. This area had lx'cu prospected by Messrs H. Neilson and F. Cnllen, who located a. number of coal scams of fine quality correctly stated by them to occur in a horizon below that of the other known conl seams of the district. The Paparoa Company, after making careful surveys, undertook extensive development works, including the construction of a railway (with centre rail) on a grado of 1 in 2o from Blackball to Boa. In November, 1909, tho first coal was sent away, and since then the mine has been operated continuously, except for a period during which it was declared "black" by the employees, following upon a prolonged dispute with the manager some difficulty has been experienced of late years in disposing of this coal, which ,is easily mined, enabling tho miners to make excellent wages when working.