Cite: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1261966

TEE REDBANK COAL MINES.

THE coal-mining industry, though but of comparatively recent birth, gives promise of becoming one of the most important in Queens- land. The mines, the name of which forms the heading of this artiole, were, until within a few months ago, the only ones in existence, and it is only a few years since that even thoy have been worked upon an extensive scale. There is everything in favor of tho development and extension of nool mining. A few impediments removed, and this colony may become the chiof depot of India, China, the wost coast of America, and all other places in the Southern Seas where

steam traffic is carried on. There is no doubt that we can furnish an unbounded supply. The resources of the pits at Redbank are as it were scarcely touched ; while ulong the coast to the northward are to be found indications of coal

fields, which only require enterprise to bring them prominently forward. The Burrum minf s, boyond Maryborough, only the other day dis diacovered, aro reported, on good authority, to furnish an excellent spocimou of coal. So much for tho supply ; tho domaud would .be vory great. The shipB which visit this and other parts of Queensland would be only too glad to take away cargoes of coaLjinstead of ballast. The large ships which bring immigrants hither, [and clear out, for India, China, or America,

would much prefer taking coal instead., of ballast, because, at all these places, there

is a good markot for coal. The traders from Viotoria, South Australia, and Tasmania would also gladly avail themselvoa of a return cargo in tho snapo of coal. Tho obstados in tho way of this state of things being n't onco accomplished, aro few and may bo soon ovorcomo. ' Tho cost of lightering coal from Redbank to tho Boy in punts is considerable, and ndds a good doal to tho price of tho coals ; but if vessels of moderato tonungo (such as now lio alongside our wharvos) wero able to go up tho river to the pits, and ro- coivo tho cool direct from the shoots, all this oxtra oxponso would bo avoided, and the ooal could bo suppliod to thom at tho samo rato as it is sold ut in Newcastle The colonial tradors could load at once without trouble, and the largo Bhips might bo supplied with thoir cargo m a vory Bhort timo by largo lighters. At prosont only two small steamers mid a number of punts, windi only carry o fow tons, aro omployod. Now all that stands in tho way of largo vessols ascending tho Brisbane River, as far as Rotlbank, is tho existence of tho Soveliteon Mile Rocks. The presont channel at that point is too shallow for tho vossols wo speak of, but tho now passage whioh is being out will, it is said, whon com- pleted, furnish a depth of six feet al low water. Thoro is a largo party now romoving tho rocks and drodging the channel, and thoir work is expected to occupy but a fow mouths longer. If, after tho operations nro coinplotod, a deep onough channel is obtained, wo could scarcely ovor-cstimato tho advan- tages whioh aro likoly to acornó to tho trado of Brisbane. The difficulties to be sur- mounted at the Burrum are of a much more serious naturo, but enterprise and capital will soon removo thom. If tho export trado once springs into activity, thcro will be a domand for coal sufficient to maintain both miuos, and any othoi-3 which may bo horoaftor discovorod. Let tho quality of tho coal oxportod bo good, and the sale of it will bo comparatively easy. Wo oan toko a lesson in this respect from New- castle, Tho captains of large ships have boen onxiouB for somo years past to orooto tho trade wo speak of, and they tried an oxporiinonl with Newcastle ; but tho coal furnished lo thom was of an inferior description, and honco tho place got a bad mimo.

Tho Rodbank Mines, which form moro im- mediately the subject of our roniarks, aro tho property of Messrs. J. Campbell, Son, and Co. They aro Bituatod oloso to the banks of tho Brisbane River, a few milos bolow tho junction of that stream with the Bremer, Thoy woro oponod about oight* years ago, but it waa only within tho Jost fivo years that thny have acquired ouy importance Fonnorly, tho river stenmors and a fow others woro all thal looked to tho mines for supplies ; during the lattor poriod, however, tho wholo of the QuoonBlimd steamers uro coalod from Rodbank. Tho Sydnoy and Northern steamers all depond on Redbank now ; and tho quantity sont from Iho mines monthly avorogos over 2000 tons. The

pit is cntorod by a tramway at a spot on the verge of tho river, about 20 fcot above high wator. Tho position of the coal bed was most fnvorablo to the opening of tho minc. The employment of shafts ÍB almost entirely disponBod with, oxcopt for tho purposo of vontilation. Thoy aro not ncodod (unless ii bo on an extraordinary omorgonoy) for raising the ooal ; and in thoir place a tramway runs from the entrance into tho vory heart of the mino, tho doolino boing vory slight. Tho mon ontor by this way, and by it OIBO tho coal ÍB removod in trucks as it is oxcavatod. The saving, there- fore, in respect of machinery is vory great. Thoro is a truck Uno leading from tho cntrouco to the inmost part of the pit, and off it branch minor ways. The doopost part of the mino is 01 feet bolow tho surface. A shaft waa sunk to tho dopth, of threo hundred feet, but it has novor boon used, tho coal being plontiful ni the present level. The placos whoro tho miuors work oro culled " stalls," of which thoro aro G5. In somo only ono minor works, but in the majority two. Where thoro aro two, ono of thcin excavates tho_ coal, which is cut out in largo blocks, and tho othor places it in the trucks. They talco tho difforont work in turn, ono oxoavating to-day, and another to-morrow. As soon ns tho truck is filled, ii ia taken lo tho dopôt, and tho coal ÍB thenco removed ?' to tho mouth of tho pit by tho lloraos. Each minor excavates about two tons and-a-half daily. His hours of labor aro lou, and ho is paid by the piece Al- most all tho minors are married mou, and thoy havo housos orectod on tho ground for thomselvos and thoir family. Living rent freo, and fur niBhod with wood and water in abundance, they find £3 a week for bettor than largor wages ob- tained at othor occupations whoro thoy havo to

próvido thoiUBolves with everything. But to return to the pit, tho miuors ouly wear a pair of trousoi'B, boots, and cap when at work, and oaoh man carries a small tallow lamp fixod in his hat. ' OE is not UBod, bocauso it emits a great deal of smoko. Tho stalls aro all seven foot high, and from euch six feet (in dopth) of coal is obtained. A layor of stone runs through tho whole Boam, tho thickness of it being one foot. This ia the oaso in nearly all mines. The height of tho ways varies vory much, in some boing less than' four feot, and in others sovon. Tho visitor often finds it a difficult matter to thread his way along these roads without striking the roof with his head ; and it is no pleasant task lo bavo to walk two or threo hundred ynrds with ono's body bent nearly double. The Hold of coal presents no obstructions. Tho minora can drivo straight through it. In some mines the scams abruptly terminate in a rock, and in order to striko thom again, a tunnel has to be cut boneath tho rook, which ofton dips a considerable number of fcot. ,This is not the caso at Redbank, where tho field can bo worked from end to end at ono olovation.

Thoro is no storage of coal in tho mines, ovory piece boing romovod os it is cut out. The tram- way, however, only allows of six horao trams being worked at onco ; the placo whoro tho in- ward lot passes tho outward only containing threo trams. It is, theroforo, found necessary to work both day and night in order to

supply tho demand. There oro two relays of minors, but the gang employed at nigh tis loss numerous than the other. Tho ut- most order prevails in tho mines, and the venti- lation being* good, tho work is not so unpleasant as it might;be. Fooplo outside cannot under-

stand how men can bo inducod to labor in dark dismal cavorns carried far into Iho earth ; and it is no1 ovoryono who cares about going along tho narrow aud winding ways whioh traverse the coal bod. But tho minors aro used to it, and think as little of walking up and down these placos asan ordinary laborer does of pacing our " stroots. To him these lanes, though shrouded in iu tho blackest darkness, only lighted by the small lamp he carries on his head, aro as well known as our most common thoroughfares aro

to a Btreot-walkcr.

The great featuro in .the pit is the excellent way in which it is ventilated. The tramwayB aro botween one and two thousand yards in length, yet the current of air which runs through thom is as cool, if not cooler than the air outsido, and equally pure Erom tho en- trance to the pit to the place whonco it escapea, tho air has to travorso considerably ovor a milo. Thomaunor in whioh the pit is ventilated, owes its introduction into the Redbank minos to the

present working mniiagcr, Mr. John Corbet, though tho idea is not original. Wo will en- deavour to explain the process ns lucidly as possible. At one end of the pit thoro is a small furnace constantly burning, which rarities tho air, aud it being lighter than the atmospheric air, the latter presses into the vacuum created.

Thus it is by ranfying tho air at one end of the pit, fresh and heavier air rushes in, or rather as it were, is suckod in. The lighter air escapes by_ a small shaft, and its place is-flllcd by tho heavier air. A strong current by this means is continually running from the large feeding shaft to the eacap» shaft. This system is now conunonly adopted in mines. Many of our roaders, however, must havo road accounts of visits to coal pits, mentioning that the ¿tmosphoro which porvados them is far abovo the ordinary tomporaturo, and especially in deep mines, and that persons unaccustomed to those places often are inoapablo of enduring the stifling heat. But a visitor to tho Rodbank mine would experience no such feeling. Spook- ing for ourselves, we may say, that cn leaving the pit, tho air outside appeared to bo warmer than that inside. This stabs'of affairs, however, has not been in existence more than about two

years and a-hiilf. Boforo Mr. Corbet took charge of I ho placo, and when the mino only oxtonded a fow hundred yards from tho

entrance tho men were unablo to labor in it for

any length ef time. The air booanio impure, and thoy wero oompollod to leave the pit at intervals. Now, undor tho oxisting system, though tho lanes loading into tho rccosses of tho raino aro many times longor than what they woro then, no ono over has hod occasion to complain of bid air. In order to sustain the currant from tho admission shaft, as wo shall tonn it, to tho placo of exit, tho ontrauco usod by the horses is shut off from tho pit by mova

ablo doors. Tho roason is this-the distance

from the opening by whioh the trucks enter to the place of oxit is much shorter thau tho dis- tance from tho admission shaft to tho samo

placo; so, if the doors woro removed, the air would bo drawn in by tho shorter road, and the principal part of the mino would not bo vouti lalcd nt all. Tho admission shaft, we may observo, lies on tho left sido of the truck lino, tho exhausting furnaco on tho right, and tho two communicate by moans of a zig-zag tunnel,

which crosses tho line.

Thoro is unothor mattor deserving attention. Tho entrance to tho pit is situated at the bottom of a hill, undor whioh tho coal-bod lios, and, as wo boforo obsorvod, it is 20 fcot abovo high- water mark. At tho timo of tho great flood of 1864, tho rivor roso abovo tho.mouth of tho pit,

and of oourso filled it with water. In ordor to

prevent snob a thing occurring again, a water- proof door has boon oroctod on tho truok liuo, noar tho outranco. It is fixod in solid masonry, and is vory substantial. Immediately in front of tho door, a small shaft has boon Blink, through which sand-bags could bo droppod to protect tho door. Tf another Hood took place, tho entronco could thus bo offootuolly Btopped up, and tho operations of the mino carriod on as usual, tho cool being raised by windlasses al tho shafts.

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