The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-06-03

A very comprehensive account of the
pumping operations at the flooded
Avondale and Nottingham mines Is
contained in the current report of the
Anthracite Coal Operators associa-
tion. The article in question indicates
that the two collieries will be in OPP
Grafton before many months. 1t is as
follows:
The problem of pumping the water in
the Nottingham and Avondale mines Is at
last definitely solved. The water filled to
the pumps short distance below the
Fifth Lift west of the underground slope
In the Red Ash seam of the Nottingham.
at y. m. Saturday, May the Sth. The
pumps were started and proved of ample
At 4 p. m. Saturday, May the Sth, the
Lehigh and Wilkes-Barre Coal company
demonstrated it's ability to do great and,
in a surprisingly short time, excellent
work.
In only three weeks after becoming
convinced that II would have to pump
the water, three batteries OF Babcock
& Wilcox steam boilers of 500 tons horse
power each were placed, housed and
completed on the surface.
Five large pumps additional to the two
already there and four more at the SHAFT,
besides the two already at that point, to-
gether with all the necessary column and
steam pipes leading from the pumps to
the surface, were laid, so that when they
were started all ran smoothly and without
hitch.
CONDITION OF AFFAIRS.
The west hosting compartment of the
shaft had to be utilized to give room for
the steam and column pumps, and the
pumps and pipe occupy the space in the
tracks leading from the bottom of shaft
to the Red Ash slope, but all the workings
east of the shaft and in the Ross seam are
available for mining at present. Only one
cage can be used for hosting in the smart.
At AVondale the Delaware, packawanna
and Western has put in four large pumps
and used the Ross shaft for the pipes.
They are sinking the water at the rate
of about two feet "A day, and pumping II
to the surface at Cne lift. This will likely
be the point whore all the water Will
have to BE- pumped, and ii is now intend
ed when the water is lowered TO tha
dams to locate the permenent pumps
there, and have all the water pumped di-
rectly to the surface through the Ross
shaft.
The main shaft of Avondale and the air
shaft will then be free for service IN
working the remaining coal from the NO
Slope, which Is separated from the
source of the water by ample pillars
When this is done, and it is now demon
strated to be practicable, the standing
water can soon be pumped out of the NOT
tingham, and the extra pumps taken out
of the way. When this is done, which
will be be fore long, the Nottingham and
Avondale collieries will again become
large producers.
To a Tribune reporter it was stated
by Delaware, Lackawanna and West
ern official yesterday that the water
in the Avondale had been lowered
about 45 vertical feet and that there Is
a little more than 100 feet of water tc
be removed before the dam is reached
Through the dam the water enters the
Nottingham and the pumping in the
latter mine is only being attempted al
a capacity sufficient to keep the flow
level with the Avondale dam.
PUMPING OUT WATER.
When the Avondale pumps remove
| the water above the dam the entire
pumping capacity of the nottingham
will be utilized and the mine cleared
| 1t will be from seventy to iv hundred
| and twenty-five days before the Avon
| dale dam is reached though the worl
may be FASTENED if the Eehigh anC
Wilkes Barre company, which owns tht
| Nottingham, decides to tap the Avon
| dale dam.
In that case the pumps of the TIVE
| mines would be at work on a common
body of water.
1t is reported that mining operations
will be resumed in the Ross shaft if th'
water and column pipes it now contains
will permit the installing of an ade
| quate counter-hoisting apparatus. Thi
report could not be confirmed yester
day but it is current talk in mining
| circles.