Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1877-04-14

A-' LIZ Ai ! NJ -ASS| t'4HE0 INV ~
lite invitation Of one of the promi-
nent officials Of the Consolidation
Coal Company last Monday, we jump
ed aboard a mining car and went in
to Ocean Mine No. l. With lively
and sagacious horse it was not long
before we safely reached the end OF
the main heading, about three thous-
and feet from the entrance, and where
the work is now mainly carried on in
accordance with an original and i'm.
proved plan lately inaugurated by
the Superintendent. On one side
here the rooms, 100 feet apart and Is
feet wide, branch of to parallel head
ing, leaving pillars 100 feet thick
The great advantage gained by this
system, as we understand it, is that
the interior coal is first and complete
ly brought out-that is, before the
contingency of loss by crush can pos
slbly occur. The next step after cut
ting out the rooms is to draw the
pillars, those farthest in first. In this
way, aided by an improved system of
proppage, the coal is safely and en-
tirely withdrawn. The loss, if any,
at any time, is an exception-not the
rule-and always the consequence of
unavoidable circumstances.
We measured the height of one of
the props, and found it to be l23 feet,
which indicates the thickness of the
big vein in this mine, all of which is
clean coal, saving two thin layers of
slate near the bottom. Great care is
taken to exclude these by all parties
in charge in and outside the mine; so
assiduously is this matter watched
that, We are informed, not a pound
of slate reaches market.
This system is fully described by
Andrew Roy, Esq, State Inspector
of the Mines Of Ohio, in his book en-
titled "The Coal Mines" published
last year, as follows
Within the past year the general super
intendcnt of the Consolidation Coal Com
pany's mines has adopted the plan of leav-
ing strong pillars. The mine, as in the or
binary method, is iaiduut ny driving main
and a series of side galleries, and the looms
are started from the side galleries. The
rooms are reduced in width TO thirteen feet
and The pillars enlarged in width to one
hundred feet. The working rooms are di
Flded into sections of seven each, which are
driven forward to then poiat of destination
-four hundred feet 70 provide ycntila-
latlon, cross cut, or cross room, is cut at
right angles across the advancing rooms in
the centre of the block After the first spy-
en- rooms are finished series Of side rooms
are opened along the 1al of the first one
at right angles with the first series. They
are also made thirteen feet wide and are
separated from each Other by pillars TWEEN
ty feet thick. AS soon as these cross rooms
are finished, the pillars of the block are at
tackled. The first room has no pillars to be
withdrawn The third room attacks the
pillars of the second room and removes
them before its own pillars are touched
when the pillars Of the second room are all
out, the fourth room attacks the pillars of
the third one, and so on till all TIE pillars
of the block have been recovered. As the
root tails down in the abandoned waste it
can do no harm, and crush of the SUPER
incumbent strata must confne its force to
ground wrought over the strong mine
supports behind being capable of resisting
the weight of several thousand feet of thick
ness OF strata. When the pillars have been
robbed down to within one hundred feet of
the entry, the miners remove their ools.
Between the exhausted rooms of the
fir square and the air gallery of the sec
ond one, pillar OF forty feet is left and
between this air gallery and the hauling en-
try another pillar of fifty feet is left; so
that one hundred and ninety feet of almost
sold al supports the galleries Of the mine.
Inc point OF retreat i'll Withdrawing the
pillars may be stopped at one hundred and
nifty OF two hundred feet from the entry,
should 1t be deemed necessary. Most of
this coal will be ultimately recovered after
the mine has been worked over to its boun
diary, the min rs beginning at She extremity
of the mine and working backward, as in
the ordinary mode Of pillar working
This plan of working the Great Vein coal
is beyond all question the BEST which has
yet been applied in the Cumberland coal
region. The @ llcries of the mine will
stand firm for one hundred years, and may
be used for hauling coal underground for
a dist nee oftwcnty miles should the occa-
sion arise requiring it. Besides, greater
amount of coal viii &c got from the same
mine--there can be little or no losses from
crushed pillars. With proper care four
gifths Of the coal may be recovered.
Noting the thickness of this vein
and the extent Of coal acreage owned
by the Consolidation Company, the
old, mooted question of exhaustion
occurred. SITTING down Ia fioIrag and