Joseph Beete Jukes

“ The difficulties of sinking, as regards watery strata, being inconsiderable, except in some few cases, the ingenious and expensive application of wooden or iron tubbing, practised so frequently in the Belgian, and in our northern coal-fields, is almost unknown; and the shafts are lined with brick-work, unless when they pass through strata sufficiently strong to stand permanently without support. ”

“ Very important, however, in an economical point of view, both to the lord of the soil, and to the lessee, as well as to the interest of humanity, is the success which has attended the efforts of certain coalowners to get the ten-yard coal on the principles of "long work," as exemplified in the pits of the Messrs. ”

“ We have seen that by the usual method, what with the ribs and pillars left untouched and the quantity of coal cut up into slack, a vast amount of useful fuel—of what in fact in a very few years must become of much higher value, is utterly lost to the nation. ”

“ It need scarcely be observed how greatly the danger is augmented, when the "air heads" are not brought up simultaneously with the main workings, yet under the "butty" or "chartermaster" system, it is too common to find those important works omitted for long distances, and the men working in a confined space charged with foul gases and firedamp almost to the explosive point. ”

“ Plot remarks, "we shall find it very great, if we look back upon the methods of our ancestors, who made iron in foot blasts, or bloomeries, by mens treading the bellows, by which way they they could make but one little Jump or bloom of iron in a day, not 100 weight, leaving as much iron in the slag as they get out. ”

“ For additional security during the working, small pillars of three or four yards square at the base, termed men of war, are spared out of the solid coal, wherever it is deemed necessary, to be rapidly prostrated and carried off, when the stall is fully opened. ”

“ The sulphureous vitriolic steams that issue from the pyrites, which frequently, if not always, accompanies pit coal, ascending with the flame, and poysoning the ore sufficiently to make it render much worse iron, than that made with char coal, though not perhaps so much worse, as the body of coal it-self would possibly doe. ”

“ In conclusion, the ventilation of these works requires a short notice, from the fact, that although the coal is not highly charged with firedamp, very serious accidents have happened from explosions, and the every-day state of some of the pits cannot be regarded without dread. ”

“ Blend metell; and tough iron, the last being the best, and chiefly made from ores obtained at Rushall. The ores were first calcined on the open ground, "with small charcoal, wood, or sea-cole." After this they were taken to the blast furnace, where they were smelted with charcoal, one basket of the latter being used to one basket of calcined ore. The iron run from the furnaces was then taken to the forges, which were of two kinds, one known as the Finery, the other as the Chafery, and made into bars. For cutting the iron into rods it was taken to Slitting mills, and there cut and rolled. ”

“ The acknowledged requisite for the most advantageous method of working, viz, the combination of the cheapest mode of extracting the greatest possible quantity of mineral, with the safety and comfort of the men, has in this district been greatly modified by the circumstances of position, and an adherence to long established customs. ”

“ In a few rare instances only have any attempts been made to substitute a new system for the old routine, and to such it will be needful to advert after we have viewed the principal features of the practice almost universally followed. ”