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The Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864-1933) (about)
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Cite: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1262552
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THE KEDBÀNK COAL MINE*.
TEE coal-mining industry, though but o comparatively recent birth, gives promiso of becoming one of the most important in Queens- land. Tho mines, the name of xvhich forms tho heading of this article, xvere, until xvithiii a fow mouths ago, the only onos in oxistcnco, and it ia only a fow years sinco that oven they hax-o been worked upon an oxtensive sede. Thero is everything in favor of tho development and extension of cool mining. A fexv impediments removed, nnd this colony moy become the chief depot of India, China, the west coast of Amorica, aud oil other places in tho Southern Seos xvhero steam traffic is carried on. Thero is no doubt that wo con furnish an unbounded supply. The resources of tho pits at Redbank aro as it xvero scarcely touchod ; xvhilo ulong tho coast to tho northward aro to bo found indications of coal fields, which only require enterprise to bring them prominently forward. Tho Burrum mines, beyond Maryborough, only the other day dis discovered, arc reported, on good authority, to furnish aa excellent specimen of coal. So much for tho supply ; tho demand would bo very great. The ships which visit this and other parts of Queensland would be only too glod to take owoy cargoes of cool instead of ballast. Tho largo ships which bring immigrants hither, and clear out for India, Chino, or America, would much prefer taking cool instead of ballast, becauso, at all theso plocos, thoro is o good markot for coal. Tho traders from Victoria, South Australia, aud Tasmanio xvould also gladly avail thomsolves of a return cargo in the shape of cod. The obstacles in tho x» ay of this state of things being at onco accomplished, are fexv and mny bo soon overcome. Tho cost of lightering eoal from Redbank to tho Bay in punts is considerable, and adds a good deal to the prico of the cools ; but if vessels of moderato tonnogo (such as now lio olongsidc our wharves) xvere nblo to go up tho river to tho pits, and re- çoive the cod direct from the shoots, all this extra expense would be avoided, and the coal
could be supplied to them at the same rate as it
is Bold nt ¡nNowoasfIe>-The-oolonial traders oould-i load at once without, trouble, ond the largo ships might bo supplied, xvith their cargo in a vory short time byjurge lighters. At present only two small steamers and a number of punts, which only carry a fexv tons, aro employed. Now all that standB in the way of largo veasels ascending the Brisbane River, as far as Redbank, is tho existence of the Seventeen Milo Rocks. Tho present channel nt that point is too shallow for the vessels xvo spcakfof, but tho now passage xvhich is being cut xvill, it is said, xvhen com- pleted, furnish o depth of six feet ot loxv xx-oter. There is o largo party noxv - removing the rocks and dredging the channel, and their work is oxpoeted to occupy but a fow months longor. If, aftor tho operations aro completed, a dcop enough channel is obtained, xvo could scarcely over-estimate the advan- tages which oro likely to occrue to the trade of Brisbane. The difficulties to bo sur- mounted at the Burrum aro of a much moro sorious nature, but cnterpTiao and capital will soon remove them. If tho oxport trade ouco springs into activity, there xvill ho a_ demand for coal sufficient to maintain both minos, and nny others xvhich moy bo hereafter discovered. Let tho quality of tho coal oxportod be good, and the sale of it xvill be comparatively easy. Wo can tako a lesson in this respect from Noxv costle. Tho captoins of largo ships hove beon anxious for some years past to create tho trodo xvo speak of, mid they tried an experiment xxith Noxvoostlc ; but the coal furnishod lo thom xvns of an inferior description, and heneo tho place got n bad name.
The Redbank Mine3, winch form more im- mediately tho subject of our remarks, ure tho property of Messrs. J. Campbell, Son, and Co. Thoy arc situated close to the banks of 'the Brisbano Rix-er, a fexv milos below the junction of that stream xvith tho Bremer. Thoy wero oponed about oight years ago, but it was only within tho last five years that thny havo acquired any importance. Formerly, the rivor steamers and o fov othors woro oil that looked to tho mines for supplies ; during the latter period, however, the wholo of the Queensland steamers aro coaled from Redbank. The Sydnoy and Northern steamers oil depend on Redbank now ; and the quantity sont from the mines monthly averages over 2000 tons. The pit is onterod by a tramway nt o spot on the verge of tho river, about 20 foot above high xvater. The position of tho coal bed xvas most favorable to tho opening of the mine. The employment of shafts is almost entirely dispensed with, except for the purpose of ventilation. They oro not needed (unless it bo on an extraordinary cmergeucy) for raising tho cod ; and iu thoir place a tramway runs from the entrance into the very boort of tho mine, the decline being vory slight. The mon enter by this wa), and by it nlao the coal is removed in trucks us it is excavated. Tho saving, there- fore, in respect of machinery ia very great. There is a truck line leading from the entrance to the inmost part of the pit, and off it branch minor xvays. The deepest port of the mine is 94 feet below tho surface. A shaft xvas sunk to the depth of three hundred feet, but it has never been used, the cod being plentiful at tho present level. Tho places where tho miners xvork are culled " stalls," of xvhich thero aro 65. In soino only one miner works, but in tho majority txxo. Where thoro aro two, ono of them oxcavatcs the coal, xvhich is cut out in largo blocks, and the other places it in the trucks. Thoy take the different xvork in turn, one excavating to-day, and another to-morrow. As soon as the truck is filled, it is tuken to tho depot, and tho coal is thenco romovod to tho mouth of tho pit by the horses. Each miner excavates about txx-o tons and-u-half daily. His hours of labor oro ten, and ho is paid by the piece. Al- most all tho miners arc married men, and thoy have houses orected on the ground for themselves and their family. Living rent freo, and fur- nished xvith wood and xvater in abundance, thoy find £3 a xveek far better than larger xvageB ob- tained nt othor occupations xvhero they have to próvido themsolves with everything. But to roturn to tho pit, the miners only wear a pair of trousers, boots, and cap when ot work, and oaoh man carries a smnll tallow lamp fixed in bia hot. Oil is not used, because it emits n. great deni of smoke. The stdls ave nil aoven feofc high, and from each six feet (in depth) of coal is obtained. Thoro ia no storago of coal in the minea, ovory piece being romoved as it ia out out. Tho tram- way, howovor, only allows of six horse trams being worked at once ; tho place whore the in xvard lot passes the outward only containing three trains. It is, therefore, found necessary to xvork both day and night in ordor to supply the demand. Thoro aro two relays of miners, but tho gang omployod at night is less numerous than tlio other. Tho ut- most ordor prox'oila in the minea, and tho venti- lation being good, tho xvork is not so unpleasant as it might be. Peoplo outside canuot under- stand hoxv men enn be induced to labor in dork dismal caverns carried fur into tho earth ; and it is not ovcryone xx-ho enrca obout going along the narrow and winding xvays xvhich traverso the cool bed. But the minors ure used to it, nnd think ns little of walking up and down thoso places osan ordinary laborer does of pacing our Btreots. To him theso lanes, though shrouded in in the blackest darkness, only lighted by the small lamp ho earrios on his head, aro as well known as our most common thoroughfares aro
to a strcct-xvalkcr.
Clhe great feat uro in fho pit is the excellent way in which it is ventilated. Tho tramways are between one and INO thousand yards in length, yet the current of air which runs through them is as cool, if not cooler tlmn tho air outside, and equally pure. From tho en- trance to tlio pit to tho placo xvhonco it oscupos, the air has to traverso considerably over a milo. The manner in xvhioh tho pit is ventilated, owes its introduction into the Redbank mines to the present working mouuger, Mr. John Corbet, though the idea is not original. We will en- deavour to explain the process as luoidly os possible. At one end of the pit thore is a small furnace constantly burning, xvhioh rarifics the air, and it being lighter than the otmosphorio air, tho latter xjresse3 into tho x-ncuura created. Thus it is by rnrifying the air at ono end of the pit, fi-osh and heavier air rushes in, or rather as it x\-ero, is sucked in. Tho lighter air escapes by a small shaft, and its placo is filled by the heavier nir. A strong current by this means is continually runuing from tho large feeding shaft to tho escapo shaft. This systom is now commonly adopted in mines. Many of our renders, however, must hove read accounts of visits to coal pits, mentioning that the atinosphcro x\-hich pervades thom ia for above tho ordinary temperature, und especially in deep mines, and that persons unaccustomed to theso places often nre incapable of enduring the stilling heat. But a visitor to tho Redbank mino would experience no such feeling. Speak- ing for ourselves, x\-o may say, that on loaving tho pit, tho air outside appeared to bo xvarmor than that inside. This state of affairs, hoxvovor, has not been in existenco moro tliau about two years and a-hnlf. - Beforo Mr. Corbet took ohargo of tho place, ond when the mino only extended n few hundred yards from the entrance, tho men were unable to labor in it for any length of timo. The air becomo impure, ond thoy xvore compelled to leave the pit ot intervals. Noxv, under the existing Bystom, though tho lanes loading into the recesses of the mino uro many times longer than xvhat thoy xx-ero then, no one ever boa hod occasion to complain of bad air. In order to sustain tho current from tho admission shaft, as wo shall torin it, to the place of exit, the enfcranco usod by tho horsoa is shut off from the pit by mova oblo doors. The reason is this-tho distanco from tho opening by xvhich tho trucks onter to the place of exit is much shorter than tho dis tauco from the admission shaft to tho same place ; so, if tho doora wero romoved, the air xvould bo drawn in by tho shorter road, and the principal part of tho mino would not be venti- lated at oil. Tlio admission shaft, we may observe, boa on the left side of tho truck line, the exhausting furnace on the right, and tho Itwo communicate by means of a zig-zag tunnel,
xvhich crosses the- blue.
Thore i» another matter deserving attention. The entrance to the pit is situated at tho bottom of a hill, undor which the cod-bed Res, and, as wo beforo observed, it is 20 feet above high
ÏÏ& £ark- Attu°tíme>ofÍtbé'great flood of -1864rthe river-rose obove-the-mouth of-the "S ond oft course-filled it with water.. In orÄ prevent such-a thing oecurring'ngain, a water proof door has been erected on tho truck W near the entrance. It is fixed in solid masoni and is very Biibstantml. Immediately in fj£i of the door, o amoll shnft has boen .>»?,? through which sand-bags could be dropped to protect the door. I another flood tooYphice the entrance could tims be effectually atoWd up, ond the operations of the mine carried on at usual, the coal being raised by windlasses at tht