NORTH OF ENGLAND INSTITUTE OF MINING ENGINEERS. TRANSACTIONS. VOL. XII 1862-3. NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE: A. REID, PRINTING COURT BUILDINGS, SANDHILL. 1863. [iii] INDEX TO VOL. XII A Atkinson, J. J., on securing Engine Beams 7 Atkinson, J. J., on Close-Topped Tubbing 19 Alleghany Coal-Field 32 Ansted on Coal Formation 32 Allan, Bog of, Peat Black Moss at 34 Air Return, Messrs. Daglish and Atkinson on 131 Air, quantities of, at Hetton Colliery 186 B Brough, Lionel, on securing Engine Beams 8 Brough, Lionel, on Carbonic Oxide 10 British Association 18 53 91 Bog of Allan, Peat in 33 Buddle, J., as to Mining Records 36 Buckets, Gutta Percha 39 Broomhill Colliery Coal-Cutting Machine 49 Berwick Old Red Sandstone 90 Blackett, Mr., Locomotive used first by 176 C Catch-pin broken at Hartley 7 Carbonic Oxide at Hartley 11 Coulson, W., on Close-topped Tubbing 19 Castle Eden New Winning 19 Cox-green, N. Wood as to Stone decomposed at 25 Chapman, Wm., on Mining Records 37 Coke, washed and unwashed 38 Castle Eden Second Winning 47 Coal-cutting Machine 48 [iv] Coal wrought by the Romans 161 Coke made in 1640 167 Coking Coal, Demand for 167 Coals sent by North-Eastern Railway 173 Cast-iron Rails used 194 B Double Shafts 4 Davison, A., on the Hartley Accident 12 13 Daglish, J., on Feeders 22 Daglish, J., on Furnace Gases 25 Donnesthorpe's Coal Cutter 78 Drainage of Mines 179 Drainage of Old Hartley 181 E Experiments, Committee for 8 Experiment at Framwellgate Colliery 37 Elemore Colliery, Experiments at 82 Eppleton Pit, Experiments at 83 Eppleton Hetton Pit, Engine at 80 Excursion, British Association 88 Eddies in Ventilation 113 Early History of Coal Mining 164 Elis, Coal anciently noticed at 164 F Furnace Gases, J. Daglish 25 Fan Ventilating at Elsecar 27 Formation of Coal, W. Green, Jun., on the 31 Framwellgate Colliery, Experiments at 37 Fossil Flora, Lindley and Hutton's 41 Forster, G. B., on New Gauze Wire 75 Force Pumps, Ventilation by, T. J. Taylor on 176 G Gas in Hartley Pit, J. Daglish on 9 Gas in Hartley Workings, N. Wood on 9 Gases evolved by Furnace Action 25 [v] Green, Jun., Wm., on the Origin of Coal 31 Gutta Percha for Buckets 39 Greenwell, G. C, on Safety-lamps 72 Gauze for Safety-lamps, how made 73 Geology of Northern Coal-field 153 Gas Coal 161 Greeks, Coal known to the 164 H Hartley, Accident at 3 4 Hall, T. Y., recommends Two Shafts 4 Harton Pit, Feeders at 23 Haxwell Colliery, Stone in 25 Hall, T. Y., on Moorsley New Pit 26 Humboldt, Baron, on Coal 32 Hutton Flora 41 Hibernia Colliery Ventilation 51 Hetton Colliery, Experiments at 83 House Coal 163 I Institute at Jermyn Street 37 Ince Hall Colliery, Machine at 50 Introduction of Screw Steamers 194 J Jermyn Street, Mining Records at 36 Jars, M., on Coke Manufacture 167 K Keps for Pump-spears 5 Killingworth Colliery, Blower at 74 L Ludworth Pit 23 Liebig, Professor, on Coal 32 Long-wall Working 39 Leather Buckets 39 Limed Sleepers 38 39 [vi] Lindley and Hutton's Fossil Flora.......... 41 Lamps, Safety 73 Lithanthrax 164 Lighting Mines of Coal 184 Locke, Stephenson, and their Locomotives 195 M Marley, John, on British Association .. .. .. 19 91 Monkwearmouth, M. Dunn as to Shaft at 25 Moorsley New Pit, Shaft at 26 Maclaren, Mr., on Coal Formation 31 Mountain Carboniferous Limestone 89 Murton Colliery Draining 180 Modes of Working Coal 182 N North Hetton Colliery, Stone for Shafts at 26 Natural History Society .. 41 New Gauze Wire dangerous 75 Northern Coal-field described 150 O Old Mill Pit at Hartley 4 Origin of Coal, W. Green, Jun., on the 31 Oil in Wire Gauze 77 Old Red Sandstone 89 P Pelton Colliery, Wedging off Gas at 24 Pneumatic Despatch Company's Fan .. .. .. .. 28 Prudhoe Colliery, Shells found at 33 Prussian Mine Ventilation .. .. .. .. .. 47 Peace, Mr., his Coal-cutting Machine 48 Prussia, Hibernia Colliery in.. .. .. .. .. 52 Paradoxes in Ventilation .. .. .. .. .. 93 R Ryhope Colliery won by John Taylor .. .. .. 23 Reid, P. S., on Green Sand............ 23 [vii] Rogers, Professor, on Coal .. .. .. .. .. .. 33 Return Air Currents .. .. .. .. .. 131 S Schiller, Mr., his Letter 45 Shafts to be properly secured.. 6 Spring Beams at Hartley, G. B. Forster on 7 Spencer, W., as to Position of Valve .. .. .. .. 20 Seaton Pit, N. Wood as to............ 21 Shotton, Shaft at, damaged .. .. .. .. .. .. 25 Shells at Prudhoe Colliery............ 33 Sleepers tarred and untarred 39 Screw Steamers .. ., .. .. .. .. .. 194 Sections of Northern Strata 151 Steam Coal . .. .. .. .. .. .. 161 Sleepers, Limed 39 Society for Natural History .. .. .. .. .. .. 41 Silurian Formation . .. .. .. .. .. 89 T Tubbing, Close-topped 19 Tyne Main Tubbing, N. Wood on 27 Taylor, Thos. John, on Coal Formation 32 Thomas, Mr., on Mining Records 37 Tarred Sleepers .. .. .. .. .. .. 38 Taylor, Hugh, elected Vice-President .. .. .. 42 Taxes on Coal .. .. -- .. .. .. .. .. 165 U Union with Natural History Society 42 Underground Boiler Ventilation .. .. .. .. 80 V Ventilating Fan at Elsecar 27 Ventilation of Boilers Underground.. .. .. .. 80 Ventilation, Paradoxes in .. .. .. .. -. .93 Vends of Coal, Annual .. .. .. .. .. .. 169 [viii] W Wood, N., on Double Shafts 4 5 Wood, N., on Catch-pins .................................5 6 Wood, N., on securing Shafts ...... 6 Wood, N., on Carbonic Oxide 11 Westphalia Wedging Curbs on Sand, &c..... 22 Working by Long Wall 39 Wingate, South, Tubbing at........ 43 Wood, N., on Explosions of Lamps 73 Wire Gauze, New Experiments on...... 55 Y Yoredale Coal Formations 151 [vix] REPORT In the case of a Society, the progress of which has been almost uniformly regular and uniformly prosperous, any deviation from that uniformity, however slight, must necessarily partake somewhat of an opposite character in the mind of the observer, and, perhaps, more strongly so than the case demands. In one particular, at least, this remark may be considered applicable to the year just past, which has been less prolific of papers than any since the successful establishment of the North of England Institute of Mining Engineers. For this, however, a sufficient reason may, probably, be assigned. The production of the papers which constitute Vol. X., and of those constituting Vol. XI, having taken place within a period of one year—the period usually devoted to the production of a single volume—rather severely taxed the energies of the members. And as, in the vegetable world, seasons of exuberance are almost invariably followed by seasons of comparative sterility, so in literature and in science, a period of extraordinary productiveness is usually the precursor of a period of comparative dearth. It is also to be recollected that the preparation of papers, as a consequence of the impending visit to this town and vicinity of the British Association for the Promotion of Science, may also have operated to produce this effect. Be this as it may, it is apparent, in the records of the year which has just expired, that the production of the tenth and eleventh volumes of the "Transactions" has been followed by a rather unusual scarcity of contributions. The papers read have, in fact, been, comparatively speaking, few, consisting, as they do, of some "Supplemental Remarks on the Origin and Formation of Coal," and some "Suggestions for the Enlargement of the Sphere and Objects of the Institute," by Mr. William Green, jun.; a short paper on "A Coal-Cutting Machine," by Messrs. John Daglish and Lindsay Wood; a paper on "The Comparative Efficiency of two [x] Modes of Ventilating the Hibernia Colliery, in Prussia," by Mr. J. J. Atkinson; a paper on "The Ventilation of Underground Boilers," by Messrs. Wm. Armstrong and John Daglish; and a paper "On certain Paradoxes in the Ventilation of Mines," by Messrs. John J. Atkinson and John Daglish; all of them papers more or less suggestive in remark, and original in statement of fact, but fewer in number than those of former years. More than one of the discussions, during the past year, have, however, been of rather peculiar interest—more especially those which arose out of the singularly-unfortunate accident at Hartley Colliery, and that which was caused by the asserted fact, that explosions of carburetted hydrogen gas may be produced by the use in the construction of the safety-lamp of wire in the drawing of which oil has been employed. It has been suggested as an explanation of this important fact—if fact it be—that a certain minute portion of the oil so employed is taken up by the wire, and that when this wire-gauze is subjected to a great heat, it is again given out in the shape of olefiant gas, which is of a highly inflammable nature, and by the ignition of which the explosion is caused. It will be seen that this subject is by no means exhausted, and that the asserted facts have been doubted or denied. That the whole subject is worthy of further investigation will not, however, be either denied or doubted; and it is trusted that a more complete inquiry, by means of experiments, may decide the question in one way or the other. During the year now passed the actual increase of members has been small, owing to various contingencies, although, during the twelve months, the number of new members elected has been considerable. The results may be thus stated:— New members elected since August, 1862 15 Members lost by death and other casualties 12 Leaving the actual net increase only 3 This makes the total of members now on the roll, 298. There are, however, six proposed for election this day, and the addition of these will increase the number on the roll to 304.