Page:Rambles on the Golden Coast of New Zealand.djvu/209

Rh started a few times as a trial. The manager, Mr Elliott, and the builder, the late Mr Broadfoot, being present at one of these trials, Mr Broadfoot lifted his candle towards the roof, thus causing an explosion, by which Broadfoot lost his life. The manager narrowly escaped, and the fan was blown to atoms, thus stopping the further prosecution of this mode of seeking for the lost coal.

This accident led to a change of mine managers, and Mr Jonathan Harrison, F.G.S., entered on the management, which he kept for one year, and resigned to accept the management of the Wallsend Mine. During Mr Harrison’s management, he succeeded in carrying the coal workings beyond the line of fault to the westward, and it was thought then, and may yet prove correct, that he thus proved this great barrier of a fault. At all events it is quite certain that by his action a large coal area was made available, which under a less observant person might have remained dormant, and be to this day regarded as the continuation of the fault. It is from this field one-half of the present output is being obtained, and is commanded by the endless rope, and that portion of the mine looks inexhaustible although the seam is thin, 9 ft., in comparison with the seam lower down the mine, 16 ft. thick. After Mr Harrison, the mine was managed by Mr James Lees, and for a short period by Mr Tattly. During Mr Lees’ term the dip workings were started to provide and ensure together with the rise workings a certain supply for all possible demands, pending the proving of the fault in what was regarded the proper position in the tunnel where the explosion occurred.

Mr Bishop superseded Mr Tattly in the management, and this may be regarded as the turning point in this important property. The inferior pumping appliances in the dip workings were replaced with the present complete pumps. The winding engine was replaced with a new and suitable one now at work. The working roads were all put in order and have since been kept in order, thus doing away with the enormous amount of breakage previously occurring. Hadfield’s steel wheels and axles have been imported and applied to the running skips in the mine, thus saving largely in cost of grease, oil and labour for lubricating and avoiding frequent break-down of the iron wheels. The ventilating fan has been rebuilt, but not in the position where formerly wrecked. It is now on the outside of the mine at the highest-up entrance about 100 ft. higher up than the tipping bank. This is also driven by a small portable engine 8 h.-p., and keeps the mine thoroughly ventilated; so much of the workings are commanded by openings to the surface that they are easily ventilated. With the completion of this fan Mr Bishop made a new start for the great work of proving the fault, and after satisfying himself that the old tunnels were in the proper direction for the work, he had them cleaned out and put in order, a work of greater magnitude almost than making a new start as it subsequently proved. And after prosecuting this tunnel a further 150 ft., not exactly in the same line, but turning off more to the westward and entering the original undisturbed strata, he was rewarded by discovering the long lost seam. Judging by its appearance and thickness, fully 16 to 18 ft., it is the full seam. Thus, after the lapse of about 15 years’ work, which was carried on at long or short intervals, but of late