The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-07-13 00:00:00

THE DRAINAGE OF THE KINGSWIN.

FORD MINES.

On Saturday, the Arbitrators under the Sou:h
Stafford,h re Mlles Drainage Act held a public meeting
at the Offices ot toe C. malissioners, in Wolverhampton,
.o snake a draft mines drainage award for the Kingsvrin-
ford distri,t. The /arbitrators presiding were Mr. U M.
Dowdeswell. Mr. '1 hoassa Hawksley, and Mr. J. T.
Woodhouse ; and the Commissio,,ers present were
Mr, Joseph Naylor, Mr Joseph Mills, and Mr. John
W liter Mr d. Underhill, law clerk; Mr. Smith,
secreti.ry ; and Mr. E. B. Maiteo, C.E., the chief
eugit.eer to the commissioners, took part in the pro-
c :edings
he Arbitrators had estimated that a rate would be
r-guired of Id per ton on ad minerals raised in the dia.
tr,et.- except in that portion known as the Bromley or
Brockmoor Pound, which is flooded. Throughout the
area of the Bromley Pound the maximum rates would
be 3d on Li eclay and limestone, and 5d on ironstone,
coal, and slack.

Appeals wre pressed by only two firms.
Mr. Homfr y (Hoinfrav and Ho:berton), of Brierley
Hill, appeared tor Messrs John Bradley an.i Cu., 'Thuit
End. _the learued gentleman's contention was +hat his
clients' property derived no benefit whatever from the
operations of :he Act in the Kingswidord district,
atthougn as .t.rf co rate they oontrthuted £1,500 a year.
Further, that they drained other wines in the crop,
and by their pumping had enabled Mr. 'Finituis to atop
,he puwp he had had at walk, vet were receiviug no
compensation.

Mr Dovrdeswell explained that only surface drainlge
have at present been done in the King.witiforit
I,...ttict. Work preliminary to the adoption 'if a corn-
p.et.-. plan of nitues drain i,4e had, however, been done.
aid it was to detrty the cost of tiiat pr-timitiary work
0- • hich the tate 130,1 proposed was to be levie 1.
.• re ii-mplete work has not yet been undertak,n,
oecimse of of the action which the Kingswinford mine
in-re at one tim i took In deference to what they
o •ii,ved to be the wiati of those gentlemen, the arbitra•
...,e stayed tneir hand ac to further proceedings; but
be i -ving that the views of the mine owners were net.
w wuat they acre, the arbitrators were about to re-
tame th •ir enquiries touching the drainage of the King
,ihford •eines

Air iiiitnfrsy did not object to ply the proposed
p itity rate for the expenses already incurred preliminary
to the n aking of a draft award; but be did object
to cowititie io pump a beige go .utity of water at their
,wit exptnse for 0,-.llers' benefit as well as their own-
lie
conmitssimers ought to subsidise Mr. Foster's
•iigine, and so drain Vioso mines which wore in the
It was unfair to his clients that they should be
•.o go on without re,;t):.pens,.
!dr. Underhill xpiaineO tidit tile commissioner-
ivanti•d to MitlUre a scheme that Jay befote the arbitra-
o • tc to tue mode of pumping the Kings:ail:ford dis-
rict ia a manner witich abouid tot leave room for the
•,•jection sometimes exp eased as to the Tipton distric..
.h.ch wis more thor iuhly drained uudrr the pro-
visions of the likes Drainage Act than any other. In
Lipton a larzer namhinjuf pumping engines were at work
ban were required A 8 to Kiugswinford, ii was &siren
• set on to their fail capacity the leading pumps no •
only working in part, properly connect them. and stiq
the smaller Ones. A well oie-ested scheme woual by ails
;ty have been prepared, with which he believed that the
.nine wners in the Kingsainford distiict would be satis-
-11-d, convinced that by it tha district could he more
ffl.ientiy and ultra economically drained than by an,
~Ler Aeantime, as to the Bromley Pound, a portion
.if iiingswinford upon which they reasonably enter-
taioed some feeling, it was proposed to favourably con•
•dder the offer of Mr. Rayboald. That gentleman hail
considerable interest as a mine owner in the wholl.s
submerged locality, as well as in other parts of King-
,ivii,ford, and had offered that, if the commissioners
would guarautee him a certain rata! f ir a sp cifie I num-
:er of years upon all he intriera,B winch might be goi
iip, be would uuwater the pound and keep it uuwaterad
luring all the time of the agreement.
Hr. Dowdeswell said that if the mine owners them-
.lyes had not interpoiiel, the Mines Drainage Act woui,i
,ow have been in fuil operation througuout the King
iwinford district.

Mr. Howfray expressed no concern for the Bromley
Found locality, which contained nothing like thp
quantity of minerali to be found in the other portions
the King.winford distiict The Bromley P-tind we-
herme:ically bedied—quite cut off from the mines of his

The Arbitrators suggested that Mr. Homfray should
rn iture a scheme for submission to the commissioners
vhich wou:d embrace the objects Mr. Homfray's cie t;
ani they were sure it wouid be considered pro
pirltory to ilex ear's flperations.
Mr. Underhill: Any scheme that approves itself to
y or mines wili be cousid,reci with every object to carry
it into uffect

Mr. Homfr4y promiAed to take this step, and the
appe.l waa in that way oisiosed of._ _

khe case f I:e.srs. Iluffdrd and CO., Stourbridge, of
,ew Farm Pound Colliery. vac) are also interested in
the Lye Pound Colliery, was now considered. The
Ippellants were repr-sented by Mr. Perry (firm or
Freer and Perry. Mr. Perry c.ttimed that his client
were in the deep, pumped their own water, and drained
the property of their neighbours. Messrs- Rufford
wished that, as they derived no benefit from the Act.,
they should be excluded, or that with the same object
thy sh,,uld be included in some subdistrict,
'llte ...Irbitrato,rs said thtt such an application could
ot at that time be considered. 'the court was beiny
1.-ld to fi,id money for expens,44 which had been incurred
:.!; tee eoinixt,asioners titter,. the apelicatma DOW made
be entertained there must be an eeciniry and F.ue
vey to ascertain the leers which 'Mr. Perry based hi,
IPPlication if Mr. P( rry's clients would propose any
2.ati to the comm,s,ioners wher,by the ,bjf.ct atwhico
•.%iey aimed na:ght, be attai,Jecl: the arbitrat-Irs would he
Jal.py to topsider it, and report upon it if necessary to
tie etiminisdioners. _ _

Mr. Perry said that this should be done, Thi,
earned advocste then applied, under tie 20th clans:-
f the new Act. that the arbitrotors would order thi
tilling up of three iiisused shafts near to his clieats'
lteries. by which a great qusniit,i of water drained
into the workings.
Mr. Dowdeswell explained that the Legislature, in
.onsiiiii.rai.ion of the great damage which these old
did. had given the Commissioners power to
irder any of them to be closed at the expense of the
mine owners who wished them to be stopped. In thi,
ease they cow:tared with Mr. Perry, and they intimated
at the necessary notice would be given to the own3r of
shafts that it neeeasary he might show cause again,.
we application. The cost would be only £2O or 1:30
per suaft. _

Ur. Perry assumed that the clause allowed of the costs
being defrayed out of the rate; but he did not wish to
press the point at that sittiog.
The business was now over.