Durham Mining Museum - Newspaper Articles (original) (raw)

17th October 1901

William Pit, Whitehaven

Important Haulage And Ventilation Changes

Opening Of The New Haulage Plane

During the past week the first portion of a most important undertaking has just been completed and opened out for haulage and ventilation purposes at the William Pit, Whitehaven Collieries, which is sure to have a pleasing and far-reaching effect not only to the owners and managers, but also to the workmen and everybody concerned. William Pit has been working almost continuously since the year 1801, and "Old Father Time" has marched on, necessitating changes in haulage, and ventilating roadways, as well as in other branches of our great mining industry; and for some time it has been under consideration to re-construct the entire haulage arrangements to facilitate the work of the colliery, and to prepare for the ever increasing demands of such an extensive area as prevails at William Pit. It was decided to drive a new engine plane for this purpose, which, when completed, will be practically in a straight line with the shaft bottom, and will extend from four to five miles in-bye, and the first length of this enormous undertaking has just been completed and connected, measuring 1,456 yards and 400 yards driven seven years ago — 1,856 yards already completed in this great undertaking.

The drift in its finished size is 12 feet wide and 10 feet high, the roof and sides when necessary being secured by semi-circular brick arching, or brick side walls and steel girders, and substantial larch bars and legs. Two lines of rails are laid, 2 feet 6 inch gauge, with 4 feet between the roads for travelling, and electric signals are fixed in the centre of the drift. Some idea of the enormous amount of work accomplished may be gathered from the following particulars :— About 540,448 cubic feet have been extracted; nearly 60,000 tubs of debris filled and sent out of the pit.

Thousands of tons or bricks and slag lime, steel bars, larch bars and legs, cover wood, &c., have been sent down the pit to secure the roof and sides. Over 20 tons of explosive (Roberite and Gelatine) and nearly 60,000 detonators have been used, and it is computed that neatly 30,000 shots have been fired without a single accident from explosives.

Over 3,000 sleepers, and 970 eighteen-feet rails, and 3,880 fish bolts, 1,940 fish plates, nearly 20,000 dog spikes, 145 roller pulleys and wood boxes, 290 brackets, and 1,150 8" and 10" bolts, &c., have all been to handle and fix, without a single ton of coal being lost to the pit, the extensive working department in-bye proceeding as usual, and the daily output of 1,200 tons of coal per day average being fully maintained, although the new plane at two points abuts on to the old engine plane, now defunct.

The in-bye end of the new plane is some 12 feet above the out-bye and vertically and this has enabled the drift to be driven at a slight inclination in favour of the load, the in-bye end terminating at a point known as Hinde's drift, and not the least interesting feature connected with the new plane, is a splendid curve, which has been specially designed, and put down by the management to connect the new plane onto the old plane beyond.

There is a difference in the direction of the two engine planes at this point of 32 degrees, and the curve has been designed to connect the two, and is fit up with special steel pulleys, with bracket frames fixed at an angle of 30 degrees from the horizontal, and securely bolted onto pitchpine logs; the pulleys are 3 feet diameter, and have been designed to supersede the easily displaced Tee pulleys, which are so ruinous to the life of the haulage rope; each pulley is fitted with a lubricating cup, and the whole job complete is a decided success; the bogies with rope in clutch, passing around smoothly and never a hitch. The new drift was let to Mr. Roland Williams, 1, Bransty Villas, Whitehaven, and he commenced on the work on February 10th, 1900, and the ropes were coupled up and the sets running through on October 6th, 1901. It will thus be seen that 1,456 yards x 12 feet wide x 10 ft. high (finished size) has been driven, secured, and completed in 86 weeks, or 602 days, which is equal to 24 yards per day of 24 hours, or 374 cubic feet per hour extracted. This is the second drift Mr. Williams has contracted for at this colliery, and it says much for the satisfaction he has given his employers, that the continuation of the new plane beyond has also been given to him.

It should be mentioned that the work was done in two sections, 954 yards being driven from the out-bye end, 502 from the in-bye end to meet each other, and it must be especially pleasing to the colliery surveyor, who surveyed and levelled for the new plane, that the work throughout has been so accurate. Much satisfaction must also be felt by the owners, and by Mr. Turner, the manager, also by the under-manager, and the other officials, that the result of their united labours, and the energy, tact, and vigilance exercised have been so abundantly and pleasingly rewarded, and the finest engine plane extant such a decided success.

Newspaper transcript kindly provided by
West Cumbria Mines Research.