Report on the Benhar coal field

REPORT BY J.B. WILLIAMSON, M.E.

By request of Henry Aitken, Esq ., on behalf of the directors of the Benhar Coal Company ( Limited ) , I have made an examination of the workings and working plans of this colliery with the view especially of enabling me to estimate the quantity of Virtuewell or Benhar No. 1 coal remaining to be got from the present going pits, as well as in the rest of the coalfield, for which purpose I had interviews with borers, and others who were conversant with various trials to prove the Virtuewell coal , more especially in the more northerly or undeveloped portions of the coalfields under lease . I also examined the Ball coal in No. 15 Pit , East Benhar besides a seam of coal hitherto undeveloped in No.13 Pit, East Benhar, 8 fathoms below the Virtuewell seam.

I found four pits going at Benhar on the Virtuewell seam viz; Nos. 1 Starryshaw, and No.6, 10, and 17 West Benhar, producing an output of from 400 to 500 tons a day of coal and dross. The price realised during the last ten months has been 6s 2d. per ton overhead on a total quantity of £105,977 tons . The present average price is 5s. 8d . per ton. The cost of raising the Virtuewell coal since the last reduction of wages was made a few weeks ago, has been 3s.9d, per ton overhead, including lordship and general charges but exclusive of depreciation, interest , and redemption of capital.

The whole of the going pits are situated on the south side of a 23-fathom upthrow slip to northrunning east and west a little to north of Brownhill and Langrack which slip throws out the VirtueweII coal to the surface , All the coal to the south of that slip, with the exception of some small patches near the outcrop, may be described as in its best state for household purposes. The average thickness of the Virtuewell seam of coal, according to the measurements taken by me, is as nearly as possible four feet, the top eight inches or head coal being inferior in quality, and put out and sold separately. I have made careful calculations of the quantity of Virtuewell or Benhar No. 1 coal; to work after the present date from the pits south of the 22-fathom slip; and without entering into details of the various areas, I may state generally that I estimate there are six hundred and seventy thousand tons (670,000), of which 480,000 tons are proved beyond a doubt by mines or workings surrounding them or in their immediate vicinity, and the remaining 190,000 tons, if not more, may be looked for with every reasonable expectation. This will produce 100,000 tons a year for nearly seven years to come. There is besides a good deal of crop coal, proved by bores which I have not taken into account; and it is probable enough that workable coal may be found to the south of the upthrow slip to south, which has hitherto formed the limit of the workings in that direction. The Virtuewell coal has been found in bores south of this, but no mines have been put into it.

To the north of the 22-fathom slip, the Company owns the property of Easter Hassockrigg, and holds leases and pays rent for minerals under Wester Hassockrigg, South Hirst, Dewshill and various farms belonging to the Duke of Hamilton. The holdings of the leases of South Hirst and Wester Hassockrigg any longer is I consider, unnecessary and they should be given up. Regarding the quantity of Virtuewell or No.1 Benhar coal, lying to the north of the 22-fathom slip; I find that the seam has been proved over a large area. This I estimate at 600 acres, capable of producing 2,400,000 tons of coal and dross. These borings extend over . Brownhill, Hassockridge, Muirhead, Fauldheads and Dewshill; but without further provings I am unable to estimate at all satisfactorily what are the relative proportions of household, steam, and blind coal contained in these 600 acres. I do think that such further, provings should be made at once, especially in Dewshill not only is a fixed rent running on there without any equivalent for it , but it is the likeliest spot for the coal being got in good household state over part at least of that property, as indicated by former borings in it and adjoining lands. The sale of blind coal in the district is, in the meantime, small but by conjoining the working of it with the ball coal in the same pit may be made available as a profitable working.

Of Ball or Shotts furnace coal called also the Benhar jewel coal, there is an immense area held on lease; indeed , there is no chance of its being exhausted during the existence of the present leases. Even as far north as Dewshlll the borer reports it as in excellent order for steam coal and of full average thickness. The Ball coal is a seam of about two feet thick, with three inches of clay balls and band ironstone above it, the whole forming an excellent working. It is considered one of the best furnace coals in Scotland , and is a valuable seam . The ironstone averages fully 20 per cent of the output of the seam and, even taking the low price which calcined ironstone has been lately realising, the returns furnished me from the colliery show that the coal , dross and ironstone overhead have, during the last ten months, fetched within one penny per ton of the Virtuewell Seam. Notwithstanding the state of the coal and iron trade the output at present is 160 tons a-day of coal and dross, and 40 tons of raw ironstone from two pits, Nos. 13 and 15 East Benhar which I believe can be increased in quantity if the sale demands it. No. 15 pit West Benhar, and 14 East Benhar are both sunk to this seam, and the coal opened out and can within a few months be ready for the market when the trade improves. It may be described generally as a seam which yields a fair profit, even when the coal and iron trade is pretty low, and an ample profit when it is good, and is a valuable adjunct to the coalfield. Its present cost of raising , taking coal , dross , and ironstone overhead, since the last reduction, is 4s. 3d . per ton, exclusive of depreciation , interest and redemption of capital, or 6d . per ton more than the Virtuewell seam, nearly halt of which difference is caused by the lordship on ironstone being included in the cost of the Ball coal . The average price for the Ball coal seam , including ironstone , is 5s.7d . per ton overhead . The output from the Ball coal during the ten months ending 30th October last was 35,430 tons of Jewel Coal, 5710 tons of dross, and 10,714 tons of raw ironstone . Round coal has averaged 69 per cent of the outputs, dross 11 per cent, and ironstone 20 per cent .

Engine coal has equalled 5¼ per cent of the whole outputs of both seams at the various pits, which is very moderate . I measured the seam of coal lying 8 fathoms under the Virtuewell coal in three places in No . 13 pit , East Benhar where alone I had an opportunity of seeing it and found its average thickness to be 22 inches. I learn that it has since been opened in No. 15 pit East Benhar , very similar in condition to what it is in No.13 pit; and it was opened up formerly in No. 8 pit East Benhar. It has a very favourable soft holing 6” inches thick, and a “following" of 9 inches of bale underlying a fakey brushing 15” inches thick with 4 inches of fire-clay above it. A thin ply of rock covers the whole . Altogether, so far as a working goes, it seems as well adapted for being raised at a low rate as almost any coal of its thickness I have ever seen and as cheaply as many coals a foot thicker . I have seen several fires of it burned, and am of opinion that while it cannot be considered a first-class house coal, it should prove, a useful auxiliary to the colliery. It requires no expense for sinking, and little for opening it up in No.s 10, 13, and 15 Pits, East Benhar, which are all through it already, and I should recommend that it be put in working order for an output in one of the going pits and its value in the market more definitely ascertained . I believe the area to work of it to be extensive . I have made no estimate of the value of this colliery, having received no instructions to do so, but may state generally that while most collieries in the country are making little or no profit in the meantime, this colliery is clearing , as I have before shown , a profit of 1s. 11d , per ton on the Virtuewell coal seam, and of 1s.4d. on the Ball coal and ironstone associated with it, without allowing tor depreciation, interest , and redemption of capital , demonstrating the subject to be an exceptionally valuable one.

Reported by JOHN R.WILLIAMSON. Edinburgh, 24th December 1878

The Scotsman, 27th December 1878