Transactions Volume 2 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1863 edition. Excerpt: ...the now extensively worked iron ore districts of Cleveland. CHAPTER V. COLLIERY DISTRICTS AND COAL SEAMS. The Tyne district was formerly the most important in the Northern Coal-field, both as regarded the value of its coal seams and the number of its collieries in operation, but it is at present excelled in finer, harder, and better qualities by the Wear and a portion of Bishop Auckland, called the Tees Wallsend district. Nevertheless, it still retains the first position upon the official lists, published by the Committee of the Coal Trade, as it still comprises the largest number of collieries. There appear in the circulars issued by the Coal Trade Committee, at the present time, the names of 134 collieries, and most of them have several different pits or working shafts. There are sixty-four collieries in the Tyne district, twenty-four of which are distinguished for producing good household coal, the like number (twenty-four) a coal suitable for coking or the manufacture of gas, six collieries producing coal suitable for steam purposes, and the remainder an article of a promiscuous character between household and coking coal. These characteristic differences in the quality of coal shall be afterwards investigated and explained, as they have an important bearing on the consideration of the general subject of the coal trade and the probable duration of the coal-field. Four collieries, all supplying steam coal, are enumerated in the Blyth district, but they ship coals also on the Tyne. Three extensive collieries, supplying household coal, belong to the Seaham district. On the Wear there are sixteen collieries, all of which, excepting one, produce household coal. And in the Tees district there are twenty-one collieries, ten of which yield...