15

C—3a

with fires known to exist in the old works. The leakage of damp is conducted to the upcast by substantial wood brattice. Where coal is taken out the roof falls, and, the cover being thin, several large plumps and land-cracks are visible on the surface. Ladder-way in upcast shaft and second-outlet shaft in good order. Air good where men are working, being near the intake. Jubilee, Saddle Hill (J. Loudon). —(28/11/1900) : The mine is in very good order. A fault has been struck in the low level which deteriorates the coal somewhat. Air-current baffling. An up cast air-shaft is required near the working-faces. The present air-shaft being near the minemouth, and ventilation being natural, leakage and drag are very considerable. Saddle Rill No. 1, Saddle Hill (J. Christie).—(2B/11/1900): Tops being dropped; air good. Mine standing in good order. Saddle Hill No. 2, Saddle Hill (J. Christie).—(2/11/1900) : The level is now in 14 chains The coal at the face is somewhat faulted, and bands of stony coal are making their appearance. The levels are in good working-order. Bumweil, Saddle Hill (A. Harris). —(27/11/1900) : Owing to a fire breaking out in the workings, the mine-mouth and shaft had to be closed. A new tunnel has been driven to the dip of the fire, and an air-shaft sunk near by. The new mine-workings cut across some of the bords in the old mine. The ends are bratticed off with ordinary brattice-cloth only, and there is very little smell from the fire. Glenochiel, Saddle Hill (D. Bryco).—(27/11/1900) : The fire which broke out in Harris and Sons' mine (adjoining) caused the workings to be filled with damp and smoke. After trying in vain for some time to get into the mine, Mr. Bryce sank a small shaft near the roadside, which draws off all bad air leaking through from the fire. He is now taking out pillars between his own and Harris's workings, and bringing down the roof, in the hope that the gases from the fire may be thereby kept back. Mosgiel, Saddle Hill (J. Sneddon). —(27/11/1900) : Bobbing on south side and bords being opened off the new mine on the north side. The mine generally in good order. Air good. Bruce, Milton (A. Young).—(l 9/12/1900) : Pillars and roof in old workings have been partially robbed; all standing in good order. Air good. Strip-and-at-it, Milton (N. Hard wick). —(19/12/1900): No one about. Apparently nothing doing. Fortification, Milton (John Shore). —(19/12/1900): The new mine-tunnel has been opened, which at 60ft. struck the main seam. The dip is down 230 ft. in good hard coal. This dip has about 10 chains to go to cut No. 2 dip, old mine, which has about 6 chains to go. Air good, and workings in good order. A railway is being brought in from the main line at Milton, six miles to the mine. The formation is almost completed, and the rails are laid at the Milton end. MeGilp's, Milton (N. MeGilp). —(19/12/1900): Opencast and drive in good order. Stripping well ahead. A siding will be made into this pit from the Fortification Company's railway-line. Early Bank, Milton (H. Groves).—(l 9/12/1900) :No one about ; evidently very little doing. Coal at level face changing to soft and inferior. Timber set at regular intervals. Wallsend, Lovell's Flat (Eobert Hewitson). —(9/2/1900) : No one about, owing, probably, to the inclemency of the weather. Working-face not stripped, and a mass of clay and coal overhanging where coal being taken out. Should this fall while men working they could not possibly escape. Owing to the manner in which the accumulated dirt is stacked opposite the face, there is only a narrow gutter left for working in. A small portion of coal is being stripped at another place. I wrote Mr. Hewitson under date the 12th February, requiring him to take out coal at the place where stripping is done, and to work present face until stripped. (16/5/1900): Working block of coal well stripped, and owner intends to strip before taking coal out in future. Lovell's Flat, Lovell's Flat (J. Carruthers, manager).—(l 6/5/1900): South communication heading to second outlet is double-shifted, and satisfactory progress being made. North level being extended with the object of getting round and cutting off the old workings to the rise. Two headings are being driven off the main east-rise crosscut for development purposes. Air sluggish and current baffling, mainly owing to the cages being only a little less in area than the compartments; the cages, therefore, act somewhat like pistons while winding, only the air that can squeeze past the cages and shaft-walls circulating. The pit-bottom has been lowered and substantially retimbered. There is now good head room. A new special Tangye steam-pump has been placed at the pitbottom: stroke, 14 in.; steam-cylinder, 16in.; throw, 465 ft. ; capacity, 10,000 gallons per hour. About four hours' pumping per day keeps down the growth. Rules posted. Seport-book and plan well kept. Mount Wallace, Stirling (George Shaw). —(9/2/1900.) : Workings being well opened up in thick strong coal. Low level to be started shortly, which will give more grip of the field and provide second outlet and return for air. Kaitangata Colliery, Kaitangata (G. H. Broome, manager).—(B/2/1900) : Mr. W. M. Shore, who for many years was the manager of this colliery, has been succeeded within the last week by Mr. G. H. Broome, late of Westport-Cardiff Colliery. Accompanied by Mr. Broome and Mr. J. Shore, I examined the airways, travelling-ways, and working-places (north side); the dip workings, the rise workings on the south side and the return airway to the furnace and up-cast airshaft. At the bottom of the main incline (intake) the air measured 15,000 cubic v feet per minute. The winch-dips are being extended and preparations made to obtain more coal from them than has recently been done. In No. 2 winch-dip ten men are working; air dull. There is no second outlet or return, and consequently no active circulation of air, compressed air being used for ventilating purposes. A level being driven has 80 ft. to 90 ft. yet to be cut to hole through. This will enable a split from the main air-current to be circulated through these workings, and Mr. Broome promised me that he would push the level on with the utmost speed. The south-side headings are being gradually stopped off as coal is