THE NELSON COAL .COMPANY

Grey River Argus, Volume III, Issue 157, 15 January 1867, Page 3

THE NELSON COAL .COMPANY

A: short time ago we mentioned > that tjie , , . 'iCo'al Company had decided ' pnj constructing a jrailway from the Company's ■ ' Mine to the place of shipment at Cobdeu. j The survey of the proposed line has /been .completed, afttl v Ave have been alloyed to , the r plans. Thecourse of the line, >w ; " ; a3'"at present arranged, starts frpiu ■ the point of lai>d on the upper side of the ,entrance to Cdal Crock, where it is injtended to construct a wharf for loading .vessels. There is fully twelve feet of -water at low tide at this place, and the (Company propose to .dredge a sufficient space to maKe asort of basin where vessels ( can lie in still water oyt of the influence ,of the current .of .the-^iver. From this point the line will proceed through the reserve on tho flat, coiuiug ,xmt on the bank. of the river again at the terrace beyond. Tlu's portion will be as nearly as ; pQssi.ble l pne dead level. Through the terrace there .will be a rather deup putting, b,\vt ground being all gravel, £he Avork .^vill Ye .easy, and -tlie debris wi^l be available Iqi" ballast. Jyftev leaving jtlie teiTace th^ line 4 will follow .the coni^e f of the river "bank at varying distancesfroin jthe water, the formation generally pi:<a? Renting no great difticulties. Oji entering jthe secpnd terrace a few abrupt points will have to be c,\jt off, but tlu luaterial wilj jbe useful for filing in. Fn/in the second jterrace to within about half a mile of t\ie fliine, the A\rork will be cymyarati\ r ely easy, and frpin thence to the mine there will be ii cutting with an incline of about one. in ninety. The bridges . aver the various greeks will be light and inexpensive, as \the timber £or the work is dose at hand. •Sleepers will also be easily obtainable ( along the line, timber buing plentiful. Pn reaching the Goal Mine ihe line passes (directly 'above the two lower levels, where ja shaft will be sunk, and an engine erected raising coal for screening and tilling jnto the trujeks. Thei\?e the line passes }' slightly below the upper level, so as to .alloAr for screening a with jbhe t drive, the screening? then being ta.ken .direct to the coVe-pycns, which are intended to be erected beyond. The line flvill pass directly over the ovens, -.sjo as to fallow of the t coal being'tipped in at tl>c top them. The line is to be about 5| miles length, with a narrow gauge, and iron jrails of 4Q .to 45 lbs, to the yard, and is to cost aiv?utLls,Qoo or LIG,OOO. Locomotive engines will be employed. So soon as the sectional drawing.? are completed tenders \v#l be called for the work, Avhich it is intended to push on Avith as .iu,uch rapiclity ppssible. ft is satisfactory to fiud that the engineering diffi- ' pulties of the line are so much less than Jus been generally believe^ would be found to exisjt, an ( tj still uyji-p sp to seethe l^ener^y displaye,d Vy the .o^l Company, appear determined to develop the rich B3piiuur.il wealth g{ the Gyey Qpsd Fiold. f£T h It should operate as an encpuragejupnt 'to the formation ,pf a Gas Company here jbo learn that the illuminating pinyerof the ,Grey coal has been proved Ijy the best authority in Victoria to, be inujjli superior to. that of New .§,outh \Vale3 .coal The j[oJloAying is the copy of a report supplied by Mr Thos. E. Jone3, Elngineer of the Ball^iarat Gas Company, and avlio is ,acknow!eJge.l to be the niost reliable authority on such matters :— [coi-y.] Ballarat Qas Cpinpany's Qftjce, Engineer's pep.artineut, ' Ballaa-at,.Dec., 4,1866. g IRj _ r p} lore passed thirty-three tons of Nelson coal through tlie' works qf this Company with the following results as (compared Avith A. A. Company, New South Wales coal :— . Nllson coal A.. A. Com. Qua7i.perton '11,181. " 10.200 Sulp. Hydrogen 1.0,66 pewt . 807 Carbonic acid 6 4 Evapo. power 13.01 13.5 Coke per ton 12c. 81bs 13c. 201bs. B,arning^est ." <5-2 4.6 Photonfetric ■'••-. ■ value. • (20 candles 15 candles You will perceive by. this statement that the Nelson coal produces more gas and of a better illuminating poAver than the A. A. Company's. §till the "coke" is soft, and would have to be sold at a considerable reduction ; a charge avoulcl likewise have to be made for. extra lime in purifying. >yith,these excep^ons I have no hesitation in pronouncing it a good coal, superior to the A. A. Company, and about pqual tq the Anril Creek, NeAyr §.QUth AVales. .. } have, &c, : . Thos. % JqNES, Engineer. J. T. Morgan, Esq., Secretary Nelsqn Coal Mining Company.