The History & Coal Resources of Newcastle from 1830 - 1889

from a series of articles published in the Newcastle Morning Herald covering the period 26th September, 1889 to 21st November, 1889

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THE NEWCASTLE COLLIERIES
THEIR RISE AND PROGRESS
[No IX]
The Co-Operative Coal Mine

Published 6th November, 1889
Probably no colliery in the Northern district has such an eventful history as the Co-Operative Mine, which is situated in Plattsburg, the adjoining borough to Wallsend, some seven and a half miles by rail from Newcastle harbour. As the name implies, it was originally held by a party of miners working in co-operation, and the early struggles of the men to ensure prosperity for their venture are well worthy of a foremost place in the history of coal-mining in this colony. It was the first, and, so far as the district is concerned, the last, attempt made to work a coal mine on the co-operative principle, and, although the party failed to carry out their plans, yet it was a praiseworthy enterprise, and one which is deserving of the sympathy of all unprejudiced persons. Had practical skill and patient industry been the only attributes necessary to secure success, then the Co-operative would at the present time be in possession of the finest coal trade in the colony. Unfortunately the miners lacked capital, and the want of it crushed the venture before it can be said to have fairly sprung into life.

On the 25th November, 1861, James Fletcher, Alan Wylde, Hugh Walker, Samuel Fletcher, William Wonders, George Curliss, Thomas Alnwick, Robert Forrester, Richard Peeks, William Davis, Duncan Cherrie, William Bower, James Richardson, Matthew McClaren, and James Nelson, all thoroughly practical miners then working other collieries, entered into an agreement. Many of the above gentlemen are now in the district, where their names are well and favourably known. The document set forth that the parties had leased from Messrs. Kenrick, Kenrick, Brooks and Company, a parcel of land containing 1280 acres with the right to mine the coal underlying it at a royalty of 6d per ton. The estate was at the head of Ironbark Creek, and between the present Wallsend Company's estate and the land belonging to the firm of J. and A. Brown. It was originally a Crown grant to Henry Cowper, Charles Cowper and George Miller, and the seam had been proved in the Wallsend colliery, which is some 90 chains to the eastward of the present Co-operative mine. Besides this the miners obtained some 320 acres of land then known as Brooks's farm, situated at the north-east of the former estate. The deed provided that the concern should be known as the "New South Wales Co-operative Coal Company", with a capital of £30,000 divided into 6000 shares of £5 each. All the parties were bound to do the utmost to further the interests of the company, and the management was reposed in a board of directors, of which Mr. James Fletcher, now a member for Newcastle, was chosen chairman, and Mr. Robert Bousfield, secretary. The capital and property of the company were looked upon as personal estate, and transmissible as such by the shareholders, but there was no benefit of survivorship among the parties. No legatees, next of kin, or cestui que trust, under the will of any deceased proprietor was to be recognised, the administrators or executors being considered the holders. Not more than eight shares were allotted to any one person during the first six months, and a deposit of five shillings per share was to be paid before execution. The capital could be increased under certain conditions, and the shares issued to other persons outside those named at the discretion of the directors, who received 11s 4d and travelling expenses for every meeting they attended. There were numerous other rules, many of which, particularly relating to the payment of calls, were very stringent.

In 1862 a tunnel was driven into the out-crop of the seam near the present site of the colliery buildings, and for many years coal was hauled from this tunnel. It runs in a south-easterly direction, following the seam at an inclination of about 1 in 40. The first coal mined by the company was taken in a cart to Ironbark Creek, and shipped on small barges. In 1863 the Wallsend Company completed their railway, and then the Co-operative miners, having made all arrangements, constructed the present line, joining with the Wallsend at a point about 70 chains from the mine. Owing to the keen competition among the various coal companies, and the low price of coal then ruling, the young company had anything but a prosperous time of it, and many people in the district still remember how in those days the directors had often to allow the miners to go home without their wages on a pay-Saturday evening. In 1865 the output was 2442 tons; in 1866, 24,600; in 1867, 29,945; in 1868, 33,363; and in 1869, 34,717 tons. Many of the shareholders in the company refused to pay the calls on their shares, and the director's being at their wit's ends for money were forced to borrow it at a high rate of interest. The price of coal was only between seven and eight shillings per ton, and in the year 1868 the shareholders realised that the co-operation had not been a success. The mortgagee in 1869 foreclosed on the property, and the concern became a thing of the past.

The colliery then passed into the hands of its present proprietor, Mr. William Laidley, who, having capital at his command, quickly raised the output to a high standard. Mr. James Fletcher for years after managed the mine, and 1872 the output was 97,709 tons. From that year to the present time the colliery has had a successful career, and is at present one of the largest in the district. The major portion of the old estate is now nearly worked out, and in 1875 the proprietor obtained a forty years mineral lease of the Wentworth estate, which adjoins the freehold land on the east. This estate contains 1238 acres, and extends from Wallsend to Minmi.

A second tunnel was driven into the hill about half a mile to the south of the old one, and from this the coal was worked until recently.

The full skips were drawn from the mouth of No. 2 tunnel to the screening shed by a wire rope; but a few months ago water got into the workings from the "goaf", and work was suspended for some time. A third tunnel was, however, nearly completed about another half mile further to the south-east, and shortly after the flooding of No. 2 it was opened. It was made to lessen the underground haulage and develop another portion of the estate. The No. 2 tunnel is now lying idle, but as many acres of pillars still remain in the workings, work will be resumed within a short time.

The new, or No. 3 tunnel, is driven into the hill in a westerly direction for a distance of nearly three-quarters of a mile, when headings go off in every direction. The full skips are taken to the main engine planes by horses, and are attached to a wire rope controlled by a 45 horse-power engine placed at the mouth of the adit. When they reach daylight a second engine of 30 horse-power, which is placed near the first, supplies power to convey them over the surface for nearly half a mile, when the rope from the main engine at the screens, 60 chains further on, is attached to the train, which is drawn up to the screens over a mile distant from the mouth of the tunnel. The system is a marvellous one, and, although the hauling distance is great, it is mainly on the surface. A train of forty-five full skips, each containing from 12 to 14 hundred weight of coal, is hauled over a line of rail on 22 inches wide right from the workings underground to the screening sheds, a total distance of over a mile and a half, by a thin steel wire rope controlled by three engines. Owing to the undulating nature of the ground, both a main and and a tail rope are used to pull coal trains - in some places going at a furious rate, but always passing each other in the same spot. Upon arrival at the screening sheds the coal is tipped on to four common sloping parallel iron bar screens, the small going through and the large or round coal passing over on to the railway waggons beneath. The main colliery buildings are of common structure, no useless expense in embellishment having been entered into by the old company who first erected the plant. Close to them are forty five Beehive coke ovens, which when in full swing can turn out 150 tons of coke per week. At present there are no buildings at the mouth of the new tunnel, but in a short time the engines will be covered by a large shed. The small coal when not in demand is stored in a hopper which has a capacity of 750 tons.

The workings are ventilated by two furnaces placed at the mouths of air shafts, 150 and 40ft deep respectively. They draw about 130,000 cubic feet of air per minute through the mine, which is divided into six splits. When the workings are extended the furnaces will be worked to full power, when they are capable of greatly increasing their present supply of air. The mine is comparatively free from water, the workings at present being kept dry by a double lift dry rod pump placed at the mouth of a shaft 80ft deep, and worked by a 15 horse-power engine. Owing to the depth of the ream the water finds its way to the bottom of the shaft by gravitation.

The seam at present being worked in the colliery is the well known Borehole, or, as it is better known in the vicinity, the Wallsend seam. In the old tunnels the seam was 9ft in thickness including bands, but in the present workings is 5ft 9in, being a clean bright coal, very free from impurities, and all workable. There are very few faults in the mine, the seam lying regularly at a dip of about 1 in 60 south. The system of working is similar to that obtaining in other collieries, the bords being 8yds wide and the pillars 5yds in thickness. An analysis of the coal gives the following excellent results: - Moisture 2.45 per cent, volatile hydrocarbons 34.38, fixed carbon 58.24, ash 4.20, sulphur 0.73, the specific gravity being 1.310, and the percentage of coke equal to 62.44 of the whole.

In 1886 the output of the colliery was 240,274 tons, 1887 224,225, and last year, despite the strike, 172,256 tons were raised. During the past five years its output has only been exceeded by two collieries; but owing the workings being flooded in the month of July and part of August, the output for the present year has been greatly reduced. During the half year ending June 30th last, 90,534 tons were raised, and for the quarter ending 28th September last the output was 21,115 tons. When in full swing the colliery is capable of putting out 1000 tons of round and 250 tons of small coal per diem, and is at present working very steadily. The mine gives employment to 310 miners, 110 shiftmen and underground hands, and 93 others on the surface - a total of 513 employees. At the present time there are seventy-four horses constantly at work in the colliery.

The trade of the Co-operative colliery is largely intercolonial, the major portion of the coal going to Victoria and South Australia; while the remainder is distributed in the other colonies and foreign ports. The shipping arrangements are excellent, the proprietor having three-quarters of a mile of private railway joining with the Wallsend Company's line, the total distance to the ship's side being seven and a half miles. There are 229 steel hopper and wooden waggons in daily use, the Government hauling the coal to the port at a fixed rate.

The proprietor forms one of the parties to the Master's Association, Mr. James Fletcher, MP, representing the colliery at the meetings. Mr. James Fletcher, jun., is the colliery manager, Mr. D. Pullen the engineer, and Mr. R. Davidson the overman, and for some time a very good feeling has existed between them and the miners.