1873 - Old Forge Coal Mines

164 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE
No. 19. New Locust Gap Messrs. Gro.ber & Kemble, Operators.
This colliery is situated at Locust Gap, in Northumberland county, on
the estate of the Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Company. It
consists of a double track slope on the E seam, on a 40° south dip in coal
20 feet thick, and under Avater level. The hoisting slope is 150 yards deep.
The east gangway is open 40 yards, and its west gangway 100 yards.
There are no breasts yet open A pumping slope is sunk 50 yards east of
it, and an inlet traveling road is now driving in a central location between
these slopes for use of men. Work was principally confined to making
turnouts and enlarging the slope bottom, employing 23 men.
Engines and Power.—A double engine of 120-horse p>wer is used at the
slope, and a 90-horse power is used for drainage, and a breaker engine of
40-horse power is used to prepare the coal=250-horse power, with 12 steam
boilers, each 30 feet long and 34 inches in diameter.
As the colliery is a new one, and all the improvements are of first-class
character, the opinion is it will become one of the first in the county.* It
will go into operation early in 1874.
No. 20. Rurnside.— Isaac May & Co., Operators.
This colliery is situated in Coal Town, near Shamokin, Northumberland
count}', On the estate of the Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Cornpan}-.
It consists of two slopes, sunk on the Twin seams of the E or
Mammoth seam, on each dip north and south. The west slope is 110 yards
deep and opens the basin ;
and the east slope is 50 yards deep ;
the angles
are 33° dip. A gangway is driven across the basin in No. 9 seam in the
new slope, some 416 yards long, with 7 breasts working on its south dip,
in coal 8 feet thick, and a switch-back gangway is open eastward on the
south dip with 7 breasts working in it. A cross-cut opens No. 8 and an
east gangway driven 80 yards, but mining is suspended at present : and
211 yards of a west gangway is also open, with 4 breasts opened, and
stands idle. The coal is 5 feet thick and dip 55°. The east gangway on
the short slope in No. 9 seam is 1,460 yards long, with 15 breasts working.'
The east counter on No. 8 is open to the boundary line on an 18° dip, with
7 feet of coal and 2 breasts working. A slope of single track has been
sunk 83 yards deep on No. 9 seam, on a 40° dip. Its west gangway is open
400 yards ;
its extension is suspended, but 3 breasts are worked.
Ventilation is effected by the action of a 20-horse power fan, the slope
being used for an intake, and continued into the deep slope level, there it
ventilates No. 9, returns by the cross-cuts into No. 8 seam, ventilating all
that district, thence passes out to the fan.
The top rock in No. 8 appeared unsafe, and a large force had been employed
re-timbering the gangway, to put it in a safe condition.
Engine power consists of a 40-horse power engine on the north slope, a
40-horse power breaker engine, which also runs a saw-mill, a 20-horse fan
engine, and a 60-horse pumping engine, working a 14-inch pole pump, and
hoisting at the south slope. 11 steam boilers supply the necessary steam,
which are reported to me to be in good condition.
One hundred and sixty hands are employed at the colliery ;
there are 23
mules and 85 wagons in use ; 14,120 yards of track are laid in and about
the colliery; 672 yards of a tunnel is being drivin' in expectation to open
the Mammoth Twin seams. This piece of work is directed by the Philadelphia
and Reading Coal and Iron Company, which reflects greatly to
their credit for such expensive enterprise.