1873 - Old Forge Coal Mines

INSPECTORS OF MINES. 87
The old shaft is 30 yards deep,>'and opens the Crossbyand Daniel seams,
and also the New seam, all of which are worked out. Tunnels open the
New and Daniel seams on their south dip on a 40° dip. Ten breasts are
worked in these seams. Fire-damp to some extent is generated in these
seams.
Ventilation is produced by a 20 horse-power fan, put in circulation in
proper spits, and; ventilating the different panels as it passes oiH to the fan.
Colliery Log.—November 13, 158 hands inside and out ; 22 mules and
SO wagons in active service ; 6 steam engines in use=740 horse-power ; 17
steam boilers in good condition ; 2 pumps; 7,979 yards of tracks laid for
use ;
no deaths and 6 injuries during the year ; 5 official visits of examination,
investigation and inquiry.
No. 13.
Kear Slopes.— Philadelphia and Beading Goal and Iron Company,
Operators.
The colliery is situated north of the Mine Hill Gap, on the estate of the
Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Company. It consists of 3 slopes,
sunk on the north dip of the E seam, 300 yards deep on their second lift
on a 65° dip. No. 1 slope is exclusively used for coal. No. 2 slope is exclusively
used lor pumps, men and material. No. 3 slope is used for drainage
and an out-cast air shaft ; a tunnel opens the Lellar seam north lift,
with 2 gangways working. West gangway in No. 2 lift is 550 yards, in 6
feet of coal.
East Lellar gangway is 560 yards in 2 feet of coal ; second lift in cast E
gangway is 814 yards, with 7 breasts working; and its west E gangway is
615 yards, with 7 breasts working; east gangway 3c lift, 475 yards, in 20
feet of coal ; west Lellar gangway in 3c lift is 605 yards, in 9 feet of coal,
and used exclusively as an air course. Its east gangway in 3c lift is 540
yards, in 8 feet of coal, and used as an intake for the counter working.
Mining is chief!}' confined to the run system until the boundary is
reached, when back mining is resorted to, this secures the mines from
crash or sits. Safety lamps exclusively used.
Ventilation is effected by the action of a fan. Nos. 1 and 2 slopes are
intakes ;
the air is conducted in spits into each panel of the mine, and up
into the working faces, thence back to the principal out-cast by the action
of the fan. This mine generates a large amount of carburetted hydrogengas—fire-damp.
Without a thorough system of ventilation it would be utterly
impossible to work the mine. The character of the work doing I
consider safe.
Colliery Log.—November 15.—Outside temperature, 44°; inside tempera-
66° 21° ture, ;
difference,
rometer, 29 T ^ths inches ;
fair; outside barometer,
difference, T^ths fair ;
28 1 ^ths, inside
34,000 cubic feet of
ba-
air
in circulation per minute.
Two hundred and twenty hands are employed on the premises ; 8 steam
engines, all in active use=215 horse-power; 2 steam bull pumps for drainage=l
280 horse-power ; 26 steam boilers, all reported in good order
#
; 1
head of mules and 40 wagons in use ;
1 mile of track in use in the colliery
;
1 death and 11 injuries during the year; 7 visits of inspection made during
the year.