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THE COAL COUNTRY AROUND
MAITLAND.
(From the Herald's Special Reporter )
After spending ten days in an interesting, and
were it not for the showery weather I might add
pleasant manner, wandering about the mines around
Newcastle, I took the train for Maitland and the
coal country north west of the now famous Port
Hunter.
On Stony and Four-mile Creeks, close to Maitland
many years ago coal was found to exist in good
seams, which, with proper appliances for working,
and railway lines to join the Great Northern, no
doubt could have been profitably worked. The
trade, however, lacking these, has been to this
period rather small, but lately a fresh start has been
made, and several parties have leased or taken on
royalty these properties, and at present are busily
engaged putting things in order for active work.
Higher up on the line, 32 miles from Newcastle, I
made a stay in the village of Greta which lies three
miles west of Branxton. There, on each side of the
Northern line, mines are at work—the Anvil Creek
and Greta Collieries—working on magnificent seams
of cannel and splint coal, which crops out in the
bed of a creek within a few yards of the railway
line. Going up the line from Maitland, the rail-
way of the Anvil Creek mine diverges to
the left from the main permanent way, a
short distance below the Greta platform. This
branch line is one of half a-mile in length, hav-
ing a slight rise towards the mine; the custom has
been to draw up the waggons by horses—the gra-
dient is just sufficient to cause the laden waggons to
run along unaided to the main line where they are
shunted to await the coming of the locomotive. The
price paid for the use of the Government line to
Newcastle is 2s. 4d. per ton.
The Anvil Creek Colliery is situated in the centre
of a block, or number of blocks, in area 605 acres.
The land, originally the property of the Rev. Mr.
Purves, Captain Smith, and others, was five years
back purchased by Mr. W. Farthing and worked by
him successfully until July last, when it was pur-
chased or formed into a company, capital £30,000.
In the year 1872, by Mr Mackenzie's report, the
quantity raised from the mine appears as 6000 tons.
This year the output has been about 280 tons
weekly. Since the formation of the company, ad-
ditions have been made to the plant—new waggons,
&c. —and it is intended to shortly sink a new pit and
erect more powerful machinery. The present work-
ing shaft is an oblong, 7 x 14 feet, 111 feet in depth.
The plant on top is by no means powerful, although
a useful one. The engine, a horizontal of 10 h.p,,
by Rodgers, of Newcastle, has to do all the winding
and pumping. The boiler-shed contains two egg-
shaped boilers set. At the time of my visit, but
one was in use. The winding drum is 4 feet 10
inches in diameter, the pump piping, 7 inches.
Decidedly the best thing about the mine is the seam
of coal at present worked, one of the finest I have
seen during my wandering through the black coun-
tries, south or north. Accompanied by Mr Farthing,
the manager, I had a peep at it in many parts of the
workings, and much as I had heard of the Anvil
Creek seam I was not prepared for the sight of such
a treasure.
The dip of this seam, which may be fairly stated
to average in thickness over 11 feet, is 1 in 8 to the
west, the coal is remarkably clean and free from
bands, with a good standing roof. Below 36 miners
are employed, 3 boys and 4 horses—in all about the
pit 53 hands are engaged. The prices paid are for
getting 5s. per ton, for yard work 7s. 9d. The
timber used in the mine for mining purposes,
though the presence of several fine trees on the
estate, is but small, about £1 per week. The venti-
lation of the pit is good, there being at present two
shafts, and a tunnel. Of rolling stock there are at
present 55 waggons and 64 skips; two screens are
used at the bankhead. Close to, and I believe
adjoining the mine, 500 acres of land have recently
been selected or purchased by parties interested in
the present company.
From the Anvil Creek, a walk of ten minutes will
bring the visitor to the pit of the Greta Shale and
Coal Company, situated on a property of 2136 acres,
leased from numerous parties, principally from the
late Mr Clift's family, by the company, at certain
terms of rental and a fixed royally, to be paid on
each ton of coal or shale raised. The company
entered into possession, and commenced operations,
about twelve months ago, since that time the im-
provements have been numerous, and no expense has
been spared in the necessary preparations to place
the mine in thorough working order, and commence
operations on an extensive scale.
From the section of the seam taken from the
main shaft, depth 76 feet, I take the following
measurements:—Coal, 21 feet 3 inches; kerosene
shale, 2 feet; coaly band, 1½ feet, stony band,
1 foot 4 inches; fire clay, 4 inches; both the coal and
shale are of excellent quality. On the property the
seam has been tapped by seven shafts, in all, so it
may be assumed that the seam has received a very
fair test. At the time of my visit the line of rails,
half-a-mile from pit to main northern line, was
almost completed, a fine permanent way, as
well constructed as the main line itself. The shaft,
14 feet by 6 feet in the clear, is well timbered.
Above it the bankhead is raised on massive timbers
24 feet, being 40 feet square, fitted with good screens.
The engine-house is a good lofty building of weather-
boards, within it is a 14 h.p. horizontal engine,
winding-drum 5 feet in diameter; boilers, two set
and well housed, with lofty brick stack. The ma-
chinery is all from the shop of Rodgers, of New
castle, erected under the supervision of Mr. Mitchell.
The pump gear is remarkably substantial—pump
pipe, 9½ inches. Close to the engine-house, a shed
for a saw mill, to be worked by a donkey-engine, is
in course of erection, the timber for use in the mine
and buildings to be sawn on the ground. Close to
the working shaft are situated the workshop, store,
powder magazine, the former of wood, the latter of
brick, well out of the way, and the stables; all these
buildings are capital of their class.
A short distance from the pit to the north is the
office, a neat little structure, well fitted, and a short
distance from this the manager's (Mr. A. L. Vindin)
house is in course of erection. Close to the company's
line, a good building has been erected for the under-
ground manager, Mr. E. Dixon, and around close to
the northern line stand a row of 20 huts for the
miners, all neat little buildings. For work on the
line at present the company has 40 waggons—10
more are in course of manufacture. The township
of Greta (Government) was surveyed some time
back, and when put up for sale on the 19th of August,
1873, all the allotments were sold, at prices ranging
from the upset price £8 to £38. As before written,
no expense has been spared to render this mine a
success. It is thought by the commencement of
1874 the pit will begin to pour its treasures down to
Newcastle for shipment. The progress of work has
unfortunately been slightly hindered by a disagree-
ment between the management and the miners as to
the price for driving or opening up the mine, but
that matter it is thought will soon, or perhaps ere
this appears, be settled.
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