1898 - Coalmininghistorypa.org

No. 11. EIGHTH ANTHRACITE DISTRICT. 2b9liave coiistnic'k'd a section as the veins were beiiig cut iu the timuel,which woukl have shown the error in the Geological Section andvery nearly the true position of the old workings, was not consultedother than to give a line for starting the tunnel.Isend with this report a sketch showing the ground plan of partof the colliery fiom the bottom of the shaft eastward to the tunnelfrom the bottom split of the Mammoth vein, on which the insideslope is sunk; also the gangway westw^ard on the top split from thetop of the inside slope to the tunnel driven south to the Orchard veinwhere the water broke in. The connections from the mouth of thistunnel to the pump rooms at each side of the shaft are also shownv'lXh the tidal elevations of the bottom of the shaft, top and bottomof the inside slope, and the south end of the tunnel and old gangwayabove. The Red Ash slope which is on the Orchard vein and the oldv.orkings from this slope on the Orchard, Primrose and Holmes veins,from which the water came, are shown by dotted lines, as taken fromthe colliery maps, indicating that their position could only be shownai)proximately. However, it can be seen by this sketch that the supl)osedposition of the lower gangways on the Orchard vein was veryclose to its true position, as the end of the tunnel is close to theMd gangway, the dilference of level between the bottom of the tunneland the bottom of the old gangway being less than 20 feet. 1also send on the same sheet a cross section of the veins from the bottomsplit of the Mammoth vein at the bottom of the shaft to theOrchard vein as cut at the face of the south tunnel. This sectionshows in heavy lines the position of the veins as they have beencut by the tunnel with the old Orchard vein gangway a few feet abovethe south end. The dotted lines show the position of the Orchard.Primrose and Holmes veins, as shown on cross section lineNo. 15 of the Second Geological Survey, from Avhich itcan plainly be seen that if the Geological Section had been correctit would have been useless to drive the tunnel further than the Primrosevein, as it would have reached the land line before any workablecoal of any account was cut. It can also readily be seen thatafter the Holmes and Primrose veins had been cut, any person possessedof ordinary knowledge of mining and a tape line and clinometercould readily have seen that the geological section was not correct,and knowing this, would have taken some precautionary measuresfor the protection of life and property.I do not hesitate to say plainly that this disaster was caused bythe misrepresentation and incompentent management of the superintendentincharge, whose previous training was not of such a charaiteras to qualify him to take charge of a colliery of this kind.Thecondition of the colliery had been i)Oor for two years before this accident,as is evidenced by records of my visits which have been frequcnt,and by correspondence relating thereto.27