THE GREY COAL COMPANY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 162, 10 July 1874, Page 2

THE GREY COAL COMPANY.

The following description of the Grey Coal Company's mine, in which many residents of the colony are in-, terested, is furnished by the Grey River Argus: — The mine of the Grey Coal Company is situated seven miles from Greymouth, and exactly opposite the Buller seam, of which it is a continuation. The earlier operations of this company were, under the experienced management of Mr Simpson, from Newcastle, wisely cooflned to proving their extensive lease, which was first done by boring. The first and only bore rendered necessary by the judicious selection of its site, reached a depth of about 220 feet, proving a splendid seam of coal to exist seventeen feet in thickness. Through this satisfactory result, the manager was at once enabled to fix upon the selection of a site for the shaft, which was immediately proceeded with. The shaft, as has already been stated, is opposite the Brunner mine, and at a distance of about 200 yards from it; of course, separated, as all other interests are in the Grey Valley, by the river. Situated as it is at a slight elevation above the river, and less than 100 yards from the railway, the position could not be improved upon, since nature herself has placed the coal in the very best possible place that it could be obtained with the least expenditure of capital. The shaft itself merits some description. For the first twenty feet it is twelve feet in diameter, thus leaving room, besides being well timbered, for a stone wall one foot in thickness, which will be buik in. Eighty feet from the surface a m&nificent seam of coal, fourteen feet flick, was met with. It will be seen . that the thickness of the seam varies, but the average may be presumed to be fourteen feat. This is the thickness of the Brunner seam, which it resembles in every respect, both in quality of the coat aud the thickness of the seam. The shaft is yet to be sunk a further depth of 14ft, which when finished will make it 108 ft. Although considerably below the level of the river, no hindrance has been experienced from the water, nor is it at all likely to prove troublesome. One of the most noticeable features in connection with the working of the mine is a contrivance*&r landing the luiojtets, quite new to the^Test Coast, and^not in use even in Victoria. Instead of the ordinary method of emptying the bucket at the side of the shaft, rails are laid some distance apart, over the mouth of the shaft, and a truck thereon run underneath the bucket, when it is pulled up to the surface. The bucket is then lowered on to the whioh is emptied a short distance fr^>m the shaft. Sinkin^a&all times is -attended with a certaiu afhount^of danger, so that too much precaution cannot be used in ensuring the safety of those engaged in it. A windlass has hitherto been used for winding iud the debris from the bottom of **th4jbaft. This method is now becoming too laborious, so in the course of a day or two a small portable engine will be used for this purpose. This will be found to be much cheaper than the erection of a whin and the purchase and maintenance of horses. A further proof of the pluck and energy this company has exhibited is shown by their possession of a powerful 40-horse power engine, whioh is on the groand. Ihe contractor^enfagedin its. erection sra sanguine M I^ing^i completed m^n«#H««%king>>lordei; within six