WHERE THE COAL COMES FROM

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2159, 27 May 1914, Page 14

WHERE THE COAL COMES FROM

VAST BLACK CITIES -flNDfiB--GROvKB. A niile a»el tlireo*quarterS away ftp the tortuaus.valley-is tiro Ceaibraflkdate mijw entrance ftnd power plant, ' The Co.alijrQolw]a.li) Mine-, in .reality, comprises Wo mines* the workings of which a-.r0,, however, eonucctccS. Towartls the top of tlw valley the haulagiS jinq di" rides, oito branch ofi the left-going, into tl» Wares tea Jllne, alid the other oil tl)o right iiito tho Cascade Mine. J.n th& latter n> 'b-ig liiccfe of virgin country is being opejitecl tip and a now ago ruld is undei 1 construction through it. A ivaik of three-quarters of a milo unde-rgreund through this part of the niiiic tabes -oils through ttie heart aj the liii! to a poiilt high upoii a rugged hillside in tho valley -of the Cascade, : - a ti-ibuiavy of tho Buller River, the drifre em-crges in the midst- of an outcrop of a ssam of coal about 20 feat tliiolk. , 'Plkj wholo of tiro miiMs have feean w-oriißfl on wlint is known, as tlw bord and pillar system. Tito whole- nj.a.ss df cq!x\ hi tho mountain side is intersected sritli drives 23 yards apart, and it wo'Sld bo possible to spend flays exploring tliyse. 'flio seams of ctia.l vary from -a few foe?- m thickness tfl as rouoh as 40 feet. Tho canditiona dfq fatou.rab.lo for working the coal ei|her by ha.fi-fl labour or b,V cdal-eutiing machifery. .ill of wliicit is <lriveu hy oprnpoitn-fl sat supplied frem the power sfeatioiia on tho surface. As tho eon! is svoh from eftch section (if t-bo niiw, flio country behind is left to fall in, and liero and fclioro aa the surfaco oito pan se:& cr-aelii} reaci-i----iiig through i.lio snndstai'io wtero Stibsitleiico baS titkcn. piato.

The Ceafijvooicdiiio power is supplied b>- four largo Bfrbeoek ttivd Vi'iHewx: boilers. Froift tiicso a great steam pij)o ] runs abotit ft third of «. hii-le doftd tiia ' valloy te tkr-co Jiaulago stivtiijiis, riOq ] operating tiio lifts up frefn tfeo Jtinc'tims. ilw mioml sitpplyiuj; tho JiAitthge itoffor For tho Casraulo niiho n»d tte third thsit (or the Wafcntca. 'ilio pair of 12 by 14-inch Tftttgys pngiitßs doing tlio hniii*ago from the mines csccjst- the main en» giiws. Beside tho boiler house at the iiiinp fntranto is tlio grcni sivooco fan, tho largest iu rlio Dflfiiinion, which j forro,i d current, of 250,000 cuhic fi?et of i air per.minute through the two mines. ! An electric iinhting j>lnut tfill tie found j

her?, and. aba thre& Leynor fiojnftressorß tor working the toal-getticg mechiaerv, etc., below, ' v: Ine mines ate dossed as non-gassy, but the e&mjmny Has paid coneiderable ntteiit-iai! to voiititoiott, • aivi installed powerful fans to ventilate sill sections ft the workings. The boa Bridge mine is ventilated ft v v another big sirocea fan at tke Kiwi power station, directly over the centre <jf tbo mine, wfee is also to be found the ati-coiwressing Hiacliittery for this s«stio«< the Iran bridge workings ,as<j independent oif those yt Watfeatea and Cascade, a distajJoe of about 20 chains separating tfee njiites, HDaiaage «>f the is effificteel gent : ei-al.lj by deep fci-ei adits, speeis%'<fe- . tefmined ana driven xtm daylight .poiirts. iti tho deep gorges to ili6 lowest JSaiifi lef&k k tho aiftc-workihgs.