AFTER 36 YEARS

Grey River Argus, 23 September 1926, Page 2

AFTER 36 YEARS

WALLSEND COAL. Brought to the Surface. The completion this week of the work of imwntering the W.illaeml Mina Ims eletired the way for the preparations to resume the prodimtion of i-o.i I. Yesterday nmrke.l further stage on ihe road towards such a. icsumption when, for the first time sime the closing down of this mine about 36 \enis ago, Wallseml coal once again was brought up from Ihe bowels of rhe earth into the daylight. Certainly the pirnntity was not large, but it served Io confirm the hopes of the

company that they have a, commodity that is sure, to sell readily. The manager, Mr \\ hit t lest on. secured a number of small blocks of coal that had fallen from the seam to the base of the roadway, and one of these was ex .i mined yesterday afternoon by an “Argus” representative through the courtesy of Air Joseph Taylor, a member of the company. It proved to be a very good specimen of bituminous coal, clean, bright, and not showing any indication of inability to the extent that would suggest much loss in the form of slack. In reply to a. question, however, Mr Taylor ’stated that these specimens are probably not a good criterion of the seam, as they have since about 1890 been exposed in the mine to the action of the water that has tilled the workings all these years, the effect of which was evidenced by a thin deposit of limestone on »ne surface of the block of coal inspected. Another consequence of the unwatering is that the various roadways leading from the main drive have been all found to be in good condition. This of course, was natural to expect

considering that the floor is an ideal one of fireclay. Another satisfactory discovery is that the ventilation extends over a large area of the workings already, and this is a feature that will commend itself to the miner. The most distant face from the main shaft is about fifteen chains away, and it is indicative of the success of electric al ventilation that the air is now good •it this face when the fan is in operation. The Company has thus found their property in an even better state than they had expected, and the prospects are therefore excellent in every way. While the proportion of slack coal is likely to be comparatively small nt the mine, the Company hope, from inquiries made, to be able to find a market for this product as well as for the whole coal. The latter is likelv .o prove equal in quality to that so readily marketed in years ]iast from the Coal Pit Heath Aline, as it looks almost identical with that fuel. The Wallseml coal is of course, adopted not only for household use, but also for steam and smithy purposes, being :i very good sort of bitumen. While the restoration of the mine involves a considerable outlay, the Company now f, el convinced that all uncertainties have been solved, and they intend to lose no time from this out in bringing matters to the stage when production will proceed on a substantial scale. P •an be said that this mine is second in promise to none opened up in New Zea la ml in recent years, and a successful future should now be assured for the company. It is therefore a source df general satisfaction that this important source of wealth for the district has at last been restored to its original state of utility, and should be the means very shortly of. supporting quite n noticeable addition to our population.