C—2a

No. 1a Section : This section is situated north-east of No. 1 Section and has for some years been abandoned. To gain access to this section it was necessary to clear and retimber approximately 20 chains of roadway through old workings adjacent to No. 1 Section. A small area of solid coal adjacent to the fault, where the thickness of the seam is approximately 10 ft., is being developed prior to extracting pillars. Rise Working Between Shaft and Tyneside. —This section, which has been sealed off for some years, is now being reopened and ventilated for the purpose of surveying and determining the position of the present Wallsend workings in relation to the Tyneside. No further development will be done in this direction until the Tyneside has been dewatered. An overcast was constructed near the shaft bottom to provide ventilation for the above section. Old No. 2 Section : Approximately 4 chains of dip workings have yet to be dewatered to allow the fault in the dip heading to be prospected. The haulage road is being repaired as the water is lowered. Very little coal has been won from this section for the year as the work done has been confined to the forming of haulage roads only. No. 1 Slant Dip : Coal-production from this section has been won from pillarextraction only. The thickness of the seam is 10 ft. This section is also nearing completion. No. 2 Slant Dip : Coal-production from this section was won from pillar-extraction. This section is now completed. The Extension Section and B. Section have also been completed, and extraction is now confined to the haulage roadside pillars, two pillar widths on each side of the haulage road. Preparations are being made to extract pillars from the six-box section. Extensive repairs have been carried out on the storage bins and auxiliary shaft poppet heads. A new picking belt, slack-conveyor, and slack-elevator were installed during the year. Dobson Colliery Goal-winning. —The gross output for the year was 74,276 tons 4 cwt. 2 qr., an increase of 5,154 tons 14 cwt. 3 qr. when compared with the figures for the previous year. After allowing for waste (2,198 tons 3 cwt. 2 qr.) and the quantity used on works (330 tons 1 cwt.), there remained for disposal a net output of 71,748 tons. Taking into account the stocks at the beginning and end of the year, the following statement shows details of the coal disposed of during the year : Ist April, 1949 Tons cwt. qr. Tons cwt. qr. Stock in bin and yard .. .. 2,182 6 3 Stock on wharf . . .. . . 444 5 0 2,626 11 3 Add net output for year .. .. 71,748 0 0 74,374 11 3 31st March, 1950 Less stock in bin and yard . . 2,770 1 3 Less stock on wharf .. .. 171 18 0 2,941 19 3 Total disposed of .. .. .. 71,432 12 0

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