1873 - Old Forge Coal Mines

92 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE
yards long and idle, except robbing out pillars. The west gangway is 1,100
yards, and working 10 breasts in 9 feet of coal, with inadequate ventilation
for mining, chiefly due to the contracted air courses adopted. For this,
and sundry other causes, the court issued an injunction suspending operations
until the requirements of law had been complied with.
A 20-horse power fan is used for ventilating the mine, but for sundry
causes is of little effect, for reasons above given. The bad condition of the
slope and gangways has been truthfully complained of, and the opposition
evinced by the operators to make the necessary repairs is not at all creditable.
Colliery Log.—Outside temperature, 40° ;
inside temperature, 68° ;
difference,
28° ;
danger. Outside barometer, 29 r^
;
inside barometer, 29 T^ ;
difference ; danger ; indicating the air was impregnated with fire-damp.
By accurate measure 231 cubic feet only was circulating in the air-course
at gangway face. Forty-eight hands employedinside ; 49 hands outside=9T
11 mules and 40 wagons working ; 4 engines in use=160-horse power ; 10
boilers, no report of; 1 death and 3 injuries during the year=4 ;
10 visits
of inspection during the }'ear.
No. 24. Richardson Slope.— Oak Bale Coal and Mining Company,
Operators.
The colliery is situated at Glen Carbon, on the estate of the Philadelphia
and Reading Coal and Iron Company. It consists of a double track
slope sunk 200 yards deep on a 66° south dip of the Crosby seam, opened
in two panels. The west panel is 900 yards, with 7 breasts working ; the
east panel is 500 yards, with 4 breasts working. A tunnel 45 yards south
opens the Church seam, and east and west panels opened on it. The west
panel is 250 yards, and 2 breasts working ;
the east panel is 500 yards,
with 4 breasts working in average thickness of 6 feet of coal. A tunnel
is in progress of opening the Daniel seam. I do approve of the system
adopted to open and work the colliery.
Ventilation is produced by the action of a 40-horse power fan. Each
panel is ventilated by a separate spit of air, and the supply is abundant.
Colliery Log.—Outside temperature, 78° ;
inside temperature, 74° ;
difference,
4°
;
safe. Outside barometer, 29 T foths inside barometer, 29
; T £oths
inches; difference, T^ths; safe. 160 hands inside ;
83 hands outside; total
bands=243 10 mules and 90 wagons worked on colliery
; ; 7 engines are in use
=284-horse power ; 18 boilers are in use ;
condition, no report made ;
2 pumps
are in use in the old slope ; track railroad in use ;
1 death and 9 injuries=
10 casualties ; 6 visits of inspection during the
}r
ear.
No. 25. Buckville Slope.— Philadelphia and Reading Goal and Iron
Company, Operators.
The colliery is situated at Buckville, west of Tamaqua, on the estate of
said corporation. It consists of a double track slope sunk 280 yards deep
on a 45° south dip of the F or Holmes seam, and opened in two panels
;
west is 750 yards with 8 breasts working. At the face of the west gangway
96 yards of a tunnel north opens the E seam, in 25 feet of coal, (the
F seam is 10 feet.) From bottom of the slope 35 yards south a tunnel
opens the G seam, in 4 feet of coal, breasts chiefly 10 yard with 7 yard pillars.
A new slope will be sunk on the G seam, used for pumps, men and