(No. 95.)

1864.

T A SMA N I A.

C 0 A 1.. FIE L D S.

REPORT OF THE SELECT CO:\,IMITTEE.

Brought up by Mr. Horne, and ordered by the House to be printed 2 September, 1864.

•

REPORT from the SELECT COMMrrrEE un COAL FIELDS.

THURSDAY. 21 JULY. 1864.

Ord .... d. that a Select Committee be appointed to enquire into the Coal Fields of the Colony. with a view to ascertain whether any of theru can be regardeJ as national undertakings to which public support might with justice and advantage be given. (Mr. Allison.) .

Then the following Members were nominated to be of the said Committee :-MJL. B'&'LPE. I MR. HODGS01'r. Ma. D..&.TIU. Ma. W.a.LJOr.JI.. MR. MURRAY. I MR. HOJl."B. Ma. HA.TU. MR. ALLlSO!f. Ma. JOB~ LORD .

PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMITTEE.

No.1. 5 August, 1864. PrtHtit-Mr. T. Horne, Mr. AllisoD, Mr. Hayes, Mr. Hodgson, Mr. John Lord. No.2. 10 August, 1864. Prtlmt-Mr. Horne, Mr. Murray, Mr. Allison, Mr. Hayt..a, Mr. Hodgson, Mr.

J ohn Lurd. No.3. 11 August, 1864. Prtlmt-Mr. Horoeo., Mr. Lewi!ll, Mr. Mumy, Mr. Hayes. No.4. 12 August, 1864. Prtunl-Mr. Horne, Mr. Murray, Mr. Hayes, Mr. John Lord, Mr. Lewi!. No.6. 17 August, 1864. Prtlt'Rt-Mr. Horne, Mr. Hayes, Mr. Balfe. No.6. 26 August, 1864. Prtle7lt-Mr. Horne, Mr. Lewis, ~r. Hayee, '!tIr. Balfe, Mr. HC)flgsonJ~ Mr Allison. No.7. 2 September, 1864. Prelt'ftt-Mr. Horne, Mr. LeWII, Mr. Alll!lon, Mr. Hayes, Mr. Hodgson, Mr.

John Lord.

WITNESSES EXAMINED. Geo~e Whitcomb, Esquire. N. H. Swifto, Eoquire. John Abbot~ Eaouire. W. R. Falconer, k-quire. Jobn Thomas. Esquire. Mr. Jamea Hurst.

REPORT. YOUR Committee have taken under their anxious consideration the question submitted to tbem by your Honorable House in reference to the Coal Fields of the Colony; and have examined tbe most e%perienced persons in their power to procure. whose evidence they have attached to this Report. and they ha,e COnte to the following conclusion; viz. -That no Coal has Been discovered in this Colony of quality equal to the Sydney Coal. except the Mersey Coal. which in quantity is too small to warrant furtber examination; and that no Coal Field or seam has yet been discovered in this Colony that can be regarded as a National undertaking to which public support might with justice and advantage be given. But your Committee are of opinion that. if the 4 feet 10 inch seam of Coal recently discovered and entered upon at the Seymour Mines turns out as valuable as the specimens exhibited to this Committee would seem to warrant. it would be a matter worthy of the consideration of the Government whether a Harbour or Breakwater should not be constructed at the Government expense at Long Point. not only for the use of Colliers. but as a place of refuge and convenience for Shipping in general.

Your Committee append to their Report the evielence taken ann oocuments furnished upon which they found their Report. and request that the same may be preserveo for future use.

Com mitt •• RUG m", 2 Stptember. 1864. THOMAS HORNE. ChaiT"""'.

(3)

EVIDENCE

AUGUST 10, 1864.

GEORGE WHITCOMB, EIIJ., zaminld.

My name is George Whitcomh. I am acquainted with the Schouten Island and Port Arthur Coal Fields.

The quality of the Schouten Island Co.l is about the same as the Seymour and Douglaa River. It i. semi-bituminous. It is not a caking coal j nor is it a pure anthracite.

Myopinion is, that tbe Douglas River, Seymour, and 5chouten Island Coal Fields are a continuation of the same seam.

We have Coal in this Island that will do anything that Coal can do, but will not compete with better Coal.

I am not interested in the Schouten Island Coal.

The Mines at Schouten Island have been given up for 7 or 8 years.

By Mr. AUuon.-The Coal here, with one exception (the Mersey), cannot compete with the Coal from Newcastle.

. By Mr. Rome.-The High Plains Coal I thought very highly of, until it was tested on a small scale at the Gas Works. The illuminating power of the gas it produces is very inferior.

If there was no other to be obtained, I think the Coal of this Colony would answer for steam purposes.

My belief is, that no Coal Field. yet proved in this Island will warrant the expenditure of any sum of public money, except for tbe purpose of testing.

Private funds, in my opinion, would soon be forthcoming for working any proved good Coal Field.

There are three requisites for a profitable Coal Field. It must be in quantity; of good quality; and near to a good shipping-place.

I am not aware of the chemical test of our Coals.

'- My firm opinion is, that tbe Mersey Coal is the best in tbe Colonies.

----- '---- - -,_ The consumption of Coal in this Colony, being so small, would not warrant any large expenditure of public money; and for other markets, it must he a Coal that can compete with the Newcastle.

A. H. SWIFTE, EIIJ., "",amined.

(Mr .. Swifte handed in a statement respecting Coal Fields, which was read, and marked D.)

My name is Algernon Horatio Swifte.

I do not know anytbing of the Coals of the interior of this Colony.

I have seen a specimen of the Adventure Bay Coal, shown me by Mr. Abbott. It appears to be a very good specimen of a semi-anthracitic Coal. I have not seen the locality from whence it came.

The working of tile Coal would depend principally as to economic value Qf tbe working,-on the thickness and dip of the seam,-the nature of the roof and strata immediately under the Coal for holing ill, -and the facility for shipmen~

I have seen the Coal that lies about the Pits at Spring Bay.

Frum ",htlt I have seen there, I would recommend a slight expenditure both at that place and Pro~ser's Plains.

No Coal of this Colony, in my opinion, could compete with the Newcastle, except the second seam of the Seymour, and th e 8-teet seam of Coal which is shown in the section of the Douglas River, some miles distant from the old Company's Works, and near to Nicholas' Cap.

I think these Coals would bear comparison with the Newcastle Coal.

I also .trongly recommend tbat a sy.tem of boring should be undertaken between the Coal at Nichol •• ' Cap and tbe sbipping-place at Seymour; as not only tbe S-feet seam, but alllO the seams already worked by the Seymour Company, might possibly be reached.

AUGUST 11, 1864.

MR. S WIFTE'S eo:amination continued.

The upper .eam of Coal at Seymour could be delivered at the shipping-place (free on board) with a fair profit for 10 •• 6d. per ton; but the second seam, according to the boring proof, at s.. 6d. per ton, is a far more superior Coal than the upper seam.

I believe tbe Coal at N .wcastle i. delivered at from 11 •. to 1&. per ton.

The experiment on board the Orpheus was mode with Coal out of the upper seam, which, according to Mr. Sharpe's an.lysi" contains upward. of 20 per cent. of ash; but he has analysed 88mples from the second seam which gave only 11 per cent. of ash.

Result of Mr. Sharpe's analysis :-

&ym11UT.-Top &am. Sydney. &ymour.-&cond &am.

Volatile Matter ...•.... 26 Volatile Matter ...••... 40 Volatile Matter. • • • • • • . 40 Coke...... .. .. •••. • . • 74 Coke.......... •.. . . . . 60 Coke.... . . ..• .•••••• 60

100 100 100 Ash, 20. Asb,10. Ash,l1.

None of the Coal of the second seam has yet been worked, but simply bored through to ascertain its thickness and quality.

The Seymour Coal Company h •• entered iAto a contract with six men to sink a shaft to tbe second seam.

The depth from the surf..,." is about 150 feet.

I was present, together with Mess,.. Allport, Maxwell, and Toby, at an experiment made at the Ga. 'Vorks. EiO'ht ounces of the lower seam of Seymour Coal was put into a small retort: it yielded a volume of pure gas, ~hich the Manager of the Company informed me ... as .-qual to three street light:!, barned more than twenty minutes, and left a reaidue of 01 ounces of excellent coke.

JOHN ABBOTT, EMJ., called in and eo:amined.

I am well acquainted with the Ad ventur. Bay Coal.

Mr. Gould stated tb.t it .... s his opinion that the Coal cropping out at Three Hut Point wu identical with the seam cropping out at Adventure Bay.

As far as I b.ve been ~Ie to ascertain, tbe thickness of the Co.l at Adventure Bay i. about IS inches.

The thickn ... of the Colil at Long Bay I am not able to speak of, having been told 10 many different statemeots with respect to it. . . . .

I produce two aamples of' coai, the best I could collect, one out of the Seymour Coal.yard at the Con-stitution Dock, the other from the Coal drive at Long Bay. . .

I also ProH-uce tw~ other f;pecimens ot inferior Coal, being part of the crop, the ODe given to me by Mr. .. Gould as procured from Ad.enture Bay, the other from the crop at Long Bay. . : , I

Tbe twe. latter specimen. are not to be considered good aamples of Coal, as they are taken from the crop, and are produced meiely to .howthe resem,lance bet"een the Tbree Hut Point and Adventure Bay Coal.

-.

(5)

The Three Hut Point Coal ha. beeu analyaed in England. 11 is a aemi·bituminous Coal, producing only 2000 reet of gao to tbe ton, at the Hoban Town Gas Works.

The analysis was made in England by Dr. Price; and I now present to tbe Committee the printed account of tbat analysis, furnisbed by me from Dr. Price's letter to the Ad.ert;"", (marked F).

I hne no idea of the extent of the Coal-fields in the neigbbourhood of Three Hut Point. No experi­meut on a large scale hao been made, by boring or otherwise, to ...,.rtaiD the ext eDt o( this Coal-field.

At Long Bay the Coal could be shipped at once from the Beach by means of a Jetty about half a mile iu length.

I am not able to speak of Adventure Bay further than what is sbown upon the cbart.

The Coal I have produced is not fit for gao. It has never been tried by any of the steamers here; but it has been triod for household purposes and for forgea. It aDswers well for tho .. purposes. It emits very little amoke, and makes little or no ash.

I leave with the Committee an analyoi. of the Coals made by Sir Henry De La Beehe, .uited for the British Navy, (marked G); wbich .hows how noarlr the Long Bay or Tbree Hut Point Coal agrees in oompoaition with the Duffryn Coal of WaI .. , wbich IS oonsidered tbe finest iD the world .for Naval .team pnrpotes.

In tb. official catalogue of the Great Exbibition of 1851, page 31, the Duffryn Steam Coal is fully described, and .hows a singular correopondence with tbe qua1iti .. of the Coal at Long Bay, as ShOWD by trials made with the latter.

In a work entitled "The Museum of Practical Geology," i. a Report ou Coals suited to tbe Stl!am Navy, by Sir Henry o. La Becbe aDd Dr. Playfair, in wbich, at page 17, the requisites of Steum Coal are fully eet forth, and to wbich I desire to refer the Committee.

I al80 produce the Papers and Proceedings of Ibe Royal Society of Ta.mania, Vol. 1, Part 3, page 26-5, in whicb i. the recommendation of Sir Henry De La Beebe to the GovernmeDt to explore fully the Coal of Adventure Bay.

AUGUST 12, 1864.

W. R. FAI.CONER, E"1., calkd in and ..,amined.

I know the Coal-field. of tbe Don, the Mersey, and Fingal, and have .180 visited the Coal-field. of Hamilton and Jerusalem, and have had 88m pIe, of the different Coal. in tbe Colony tested at tbe Hobart Towu and Launceston Gas Work., and also tested on board tbe M01llJrch and Tannania lteemers.

Tbe result of those experiments will be fo.md in Papers that are to be submitted to tbe HoUBe next week.

The reoolt of tbe experiments made by Mr. Robenson, eDgiDeer of tbe Tannania, on the MODnt Nicholas, Seymour, and Hamilton Coals was unfavourable to their being used in sea-going vessels.

No Coal yet found in the Colony is able to compete with tbe W.J1 .. nd and some of tbe otber new _ms of Coal at Newcastle, N .S. W.

Ifa clean and I100d anthracite Coal could be discovered, it would be preferred by tbe Sbips of War to tho bituminoDs Coal' of New Soulh Wal ...

Within the last few yea ... tbe WalJsend RDd otber Coal Mines in New South Wales have been opened up, and produce a very Iuperior quality of Cual to tbat formerly supplied by tbe Agricultural and Copper Company 8 years since. .

• , The Pe.i ..... lar lnd Oriental Company DOW take their supplies of Coal from 80me of tbe new miDes at Newcaotle: formerly they were supplied with Wel.b Antbracite Coal.

Tbe three toOl of Coal tried from tbe ontcrop at Adveuture Bay wa. fouDd to be quality .. that from Taso:.ao's PeniDsula, commonly called Port Arthur Coal: it "as Mo"arch Iteamer.

of about t.he same tried OD board lbe

. Mr. AhhqU contracted to IDpply tbe Coal Commi .. ioners with 3 COn. from Tbree Ifut POiDt, but never fDlfilled hi. Igreement. .

......,

The Coal Field to which the attention of the Coal Commis.ioners was first directed was that at Mount Nichola. and Fingal. on account of the thicknesl of the oeam. being 14 feet and 12 feel; but. after driving into each of those _ma 60 feet. the Commi •• ione .. w.re di.appointed al their Dol improYing in quality; aDd the greal distance fiom a shipping place precludes them from al present comiDg into competitioD with Ihe Coal 01 New South Wal... •

The Commi .. ione .. then directed th.ir attention to Ihe Coal al the head of SL Paul'. Rive,. which i. withiD from 20 to ~ miles from the .bipping place al Swansea: the seam here was aboul 10 teet iii thickn ... , bul gave only 6l reel of !rood Coal. being interspersed with lay ... of shale. The Coal was of a similar quality to that at Ilingalancl S.ym~ur.

Mr. L. William •• who wal getting oul the Coal at Fingal and SL Paul's River. was then directed to proceed toward. Swan ... and SprinlC Bay, to try if he could discov.r Coal near to Ih ... · lwo shipping places,-it being considered of great importance to di3COver Coal near to a good IhippiDg porL .

I band in extracts from Mr. William,.'. l.tt .... in reference to that locality. and allo in regard to Jerusalem. (Murked H.)

AI Adv.nture Bay it is probable that another aesm may be discovered by sinking d.eper, a. there are two seams on Tasman's Peninsula, and it is likely that the Coal at Adventure Bay is a continoation of the seam from Tasman's Peninsula; and having reference to its contiguity to a port of shipment, it ill' imporlant that that experiment should be made, provided that the sample of Coal that is now being o.btained from Adventure Bay i. found to he of good quality and superior to thaI of PorI Arthur.

I am not aware if any experiment ha. been made on the Coal al the Old Beach.

I consiJ.r that the Coal at Swansea and Spring Bay, a. reported upon by Mr. William •• should be f.rther examined.-it being very desirable to obtain Coal near to a good port of shipment. \

There i. not at present known in this Colony any Coal Field that would juolify expenditure of public money as a national undertaking.

Before the Government expended any large .um of money there should be prop.r experimenls made by boring, to .scertain the extent of the Coal Fields.

The diffusion of Coal throughout the Island is very great.

By Mr. Hay ... -I do not think there is anything to warrant the Government in building a break­water at Se~'mour at the present time. They would not be justified in doing 80 unless Coal in 1arge quantity, and of a good workable thickn ... of seam. could be <!iscov.red that would be able to compete will. the New South Wales Coal •.

A breakwater in that loculity would be a very expen.ive work.

By Mr. Lemil.-Th. Coal that contain. the largesl amount or carbon is most suited for steam pnrpo ... _

The analysio of the Adventure Bay Coal gives 80 per cent. of carbon. as appears fiom Sewell'. work ; and the Jerusalem i. given at 68 per cent.; but I believe that picked samples ofth .. e Coals must have been forwarded for analysi •.

There is ahout 1 inch or 1~ inches thickness of Coal in each of those .. ams thaI might have been picked out to produce such results.

To decide if any Coal in this Colony is fit for .team purpo .... there should be a snfficient quantity lupplied for the full trip of a sea·going steamer to Melbourne and back. and not merely for 1100 or tbree hours' trial.

AUGUST 17, 1864.

JOHN THOMAS. Esq .• called i1l and e.,amined.

I have been connected with Coal in this Colony for 12 years,

From the inferior description of the Coal that I have met with in this Island. I could not .. commend the expenditure of public money upon its work as a national undertaking.

I do not think Ihut the Monnt Seymonr Coal will an.wer for steam purpo .... as it leaves so much ash. Those parties who have tried it have never come for it a second time.

From the sa:ne seam at Douglas River I hand-picked 40 ton. and placed iton board the Mimo.a. She started from Bicheno with 18 lb!. pressure of ltteam to the ~quare inch, and when off Long Point sbe bad only (; Ibs. to tbe square inch, and could not keep up steam at ull.

10 \ ;;l..O

I have just retur~ed from Adventure Bay.. The thickness of Coal there is, on. tbe .ve .... ge, 18 inches. It is the best Anthracite Coal that I have seen In the Colony. I have not tested It In any way.

The beatfrom the Ad veuture Bay Coal is quite. equal to Ihat of Welsh Coal. It would make an exeel· lenl malting Coal. It would also make a fine house Coal, but would not do for steam purposes.

Every fall of C.al at Advenlure Bay improves in quality. We are now down!JO feet.

I do not think that boring would be of any use at Adventure Bay, for the beds of sandslone are aa regular as possible from tbere up to Isthmus Bay. Ti,e position of the beach is about north and south; and the rise being north, every layer riaes nortberly at about 1 in 50 from the sea.

By Mr. Balfe.-I think it would be a good mercantile speculation to work tbe Adventure Bay Coal. There are men in this town who would be willing to work that Coal and put it on board the vessel, free of charge, at s.. per ton.

lf I were working that bed, I would not expect the assistance of the Government.

The land on which the laat Coal was obtain~d belongs to Mr. Penny. There is also plenty of Coal on each side on Government land, at about three-quarters of a mile from the outcrop at Mr. Penny's place.

By Afr. Horne.-The Mount Nicholas Coal cannot compete with the Sydney Coal for steam pur. poses; but, on account of the thickuess of the seam, it would soon turn out the Newcastle Coal for houaehold purposes.

By Mr. Hay ... -I have not seen any Coal from the Old Beach.

By Mr. Balje.-lf a road conld be got from Mount Nicholas to George's Bay, the Coal could be shipped at from Ill. to N. per ton.

I do not think a reward would be the means of finding a good Coal Field.

By Mr. Horne.-I think the High Plains Coal very inferior.

By Mr. Hay ... - Tbe average price for boring would be abontlOs. per foot for 300 feet.

I do not think it would be advisable for tbe Government to spend sums of money iu oinking sbafts in different Coal beds.

By Mr. Balf •. -I know the Port Arthur Cual. I do not consider tbat it i. improving in quality.

MR. JAMES HURST called in and ".,amined.

I have been connected with Coal in this Colony for 24 years.

I have been principally engaged with tbe Port Arthur Coal.

I have also been at the Scboutens, Mr. Abbott's (Adventure Bay), Red Rock on the East Coaal, and New Town CObl Fields.

By Mr. Balfe.-I do not know any place, except Port Arthur, where the Government would be justified in giving assistance.

I han seen the Seymour Coal.

Port Arthnr Coal is not fit for steam purposes.

A.ll the Coal yet found in tbis Island i. so impregnated with dirt, and leaves 80 much ash, that it i. quite unfit for steam purposes.

By Mr. Hayu.-I have every reason to believe that tbere is better Coal b<neath the seam now worked at Port Arthur. .

In all the COIl Fields of this Colony we find that the top seam is always the thickest. "

. The Mines at Port Arthur are not now worked by prisoners. They were worked by them some ti!De ago.

By' Mr. Horru:-I have not seen any Co.I from the Old Beacb.

It there i. not sometbing done, I believe the Coal now being worked in the Colony will be exhau,ted in about two years.

....,

I do not think there i~ any Coal in the Col~ny fit for export. • ). • • J

, .

Boring for a diltance of 000 feet would COlt, on an anrage, from £2 to .£3 per foot. tirot 60 feet wonld be very trifling. . ~

The coot of the

~~, _· .... ~t

..... I pref.r linlting to boring, for yon get npon your ... m of Coal, and ... what il i. in qualitY'ODd thick. ' nest; whereas by boring 1 haTe thought thot I wat coming on 3 feet or 4 feel of coal, and il only tarDed oul 3 inch .. or 4 incbel thick.

BlI Mr. Balfe.-The only way in which I would recommend auistanc. (rom the Government would be in IlDking sban. to great deptho. Tbera could be nothing dODe with .£2000 or .£3000. .

SIR,

The reason why I racommend linking inltead of boring iI, bocaUIO I have been deceired by boring.

II il ~ yea ... lince I firot began to work in the Coal Min .. of England.

c. 9, W ilmot·,trett, 5th Augu.t, 1864.

I HAVE the honor to request I may respectfully Memorandum on the Adventura Bay Coal Field.

lubmit, through you .. Chairman, the enclooed

Up to tbrae yearo ago, when I called the attention of the Government to 'the fact, ~ believe no Geologial had ever visited tbe .ite of the Coal crop in that locality.

W. RACE ALLISON, &q., M.H.A.

I have the honor to be, Sir;

Your most obedient Servant,

JOHN ABBOTT.

MEM O. on the Ad~tfltur. Bay Coal Field.

BEFORE it is decided that the Adventure Bay Coal can be worked, it must be .bipped either near Cookville, at the anchorage, or in Isthmus Bay, near Simpson'. Point, in the Channel; 1be first being a distance of three or four miles, and the latter about six milell. The difference of the distance of each port would be of little consequence, whereas the carriage through smooth water would be less expensive. But if bronght to the Channel by J"'clil or tramway, which might connect Cookville with the Coal crop, and so on to Simpson's Point, the whole distance could be made by tramway,-tcn miles-for £3000. Tramway. were made at the Huon in dear times for only £200 a mile. It would go through government land nearly the whole distance; and what would tbe land realise if it were made, with the knowledge that it abounded in Co.1 of the best quality for steam purposes? The Township o(Cookville would then lOll; and perhaps doeo Dot offer a fiDer situation for sea-bathing, or for a deep sea fi,bery, though 1lllel .. s for both purpos .. if the steamer from the Huon did not offer a rapid communication to Town. When the Huon people are alive to their own interefts, they will bave a fast steamer of their own, and make the passage to Town and back in a day. The large fish, now so rare, will be an every day sight. They might be (,aught in the night,shipped by means of a tramway on board the Huon steamer in the morning, aud eaten at diFlDer tbe same day. Some Scotch fishermen were brought (lut to the Colony, and were provided with a boat: what ule was it to them when tb.y hart to bring their fish to Town? In England tbe fish are landed from the boats, where 1reight is then sent by locomotives and steamers all over tbe country.

Though Mr. Gould gave it .. his opiniou that the seam of Coalot Long Bay was identical with that of Adventure Bay, there is a difference of three percent. of carbon more, and of one per cent. of ash leap, in favour of the Coal at Long Bay. There is every reason to suppose tbat tbe same Coal Field e:o<tenris right across the Channel, nnd it, pfl:rhap!l, mi~ht be worked ad"nntagrously under the sea, as it is so often done in England; in which cose the mines would be the property of the Government. Some of the best mines in England are worked under the sea, in Swansea Bay .nd Carm.rtben Bay; the Edinburgh ReW'" for JaDu.ry 1800, page 91, stating that twenty-~ix square miles of Coal lie under the sea in Swansea Bay, and ODe hundred and 6.,·e !quare miles of Coal are under the sea at Carmarthen Bay.

Page 92, Idcm.-" Anthracite is preferred to bituminouf!: Coal in the agricultural Districts to which it is exported," &c.

But if any boriDgs .hould be succ .. oful at Ad.eDture B.y, would it not be worth while to pursue. similar course at Three Hut Point, where the Coal is uf better quality 1 The Coal which crops out near the Township of Gordon extend! soutb-westerly in the direction oftbe Town tlbip, which is nfarly all in tbe hands of Go,ernruent, as ",'ell as the ndjoining land. If the Coal was found underneath the Police Reserve, it might be worked under the Town.bip and for mil .. under the .ea, ond within. few yards ohjetty already

...,

9\::lC:>

conltrueted. wbere v .... 10 of large size can now load. In En~land it il not usual to work surrace sesms. il considered thick. enough for tbe purpose, until it is first ucertamed if more valuable Beams exist uuderneatb.

There must be more than one hundred square mil .. in the Adventure Bay Coal Field. Thirteen yea ... ago, Sir Henry De la Beebe. in a published report. advised the G.ov~mm~t of this Coal Field. which he pronounced the best of all our Coalo. Had that been then done. It ,. po88lble the Men-of-War and Mail steamers who use Wel.h Coals might have been now visiting this Colony for the purposes of coaling.

JOHN ABBOTT. 4 AUglUt, 1864.

D. Hobart TOTIJn, 9th AUglUt, 1864.

SIR, To the Chairman oj the Select Committee. HoU$8 of Auembly. on the Coal Field..

b having the honor of sobmitting the following remarks to your notice, I beg leave also to state tbe ex~rience I bave had ip Coal Mining. to justify me in doing so. I served five yesrs articles with Mr. RlChard.on, Civil and Mining Engineer of' Dudley. Staffordshire. J was the owner of the Hyatt's Colliery. Staftordshire, and the Managing Partner in the Cefu. the Garth, and the Bieton Ferry Ironworks, Glamor:gansbire. I was alto the first person to sink for Coal at Seymoar, on my own account; and subsequently had the management and construction of the Works there for the Seymour Coal Mining Company.

Port Seymour, on the E.st Coast of this Island. is in latitude 410 41)' S. and longitnde 1480 19' E., lying between Spring Bay and George Town •• Iong the whole of which eo .. t line there io at preaent no avaHable barbour to shelter veSsels. from all winds; it is in the direct track of ships between Melbourne and New Zealand, and between Melbourne and Hobart Town; it is much nearer to Adelaide, and very much nearer to Melbourne, than Newcastle is.

A granite point called (I Long Point" stretches out into the sea, as shown on the accompanying pIau of Mr. Tully's survey; and although by the same two bayo are partially formed. one on the north and the other on the BOuth aide, affording shelter to vessels on either side from opposite winds, tbey form little or DO

protection against easterly weather.

In addition, however, to the facilities this place presents for forming a barbour of refuge for ships gene­rally. and its being the natural ohipping-place for a very large extent of country. including Cullenswood • Fingal, and surrounding diatricu, a neceuity exists to provide a safe means of shipping for Coal of most superior quality, aDd of many pquare miles in eltent, lying in the vicinity of Port Seymour.

On the land of the Seymour Coal Mining Company (Limited). within three-quarte ... of a mile of the proposed Dock, three shatt. are sunk throu~h the top sesm. lying between thirty and forty feet from the IUr/ace, of a total thickness of five feet six IDchetl; and although, owing to upper bands. only two feet are actually worked now. if the ohipping.place were improved it would pay to work the whole thickn ... and extract the band.

Several hundred yards of heading have been driven in this seam. and proved it to be singularly free from faolts,-a most maLerial point in the economic working of the same.

The Coal from this upper seam has now been in use here for over 2l years: its quality, therefore, is pretty well understood as a domestic fl1el; and the reports of the Engineer of the Monarch steamer, and the Commanders and Engineers of the Orp"ew and Omeo steamers. clearly ohow that it ;. not to be despised even as a steam coal. The price the miners bave for getting it is 41. 2d. per too.

There are alao two bore-holes down to the second seam of Coal, little over 100 reet below the first seam. In the first one. which I put down in November laot. I reported tbe Coal at 4 feet 1 inch. In tbat subsequently made by the present Manager it is reported as 4 reet 10 inches. Of auch a thickn .... and with Ihe I10Qd roof aDd holing proved in the boring. this seam will be mined for about one-half tbat now being worlr.ed: the q""UIy. aloo, ia very luperior. Eight ounc .. tried at tbe Gas W ~rks here yielded a volume 01 go 01 pure quality. equal to three street lighta, and burned over twenty minutes, the ... idue being 51 ouuceo of very good~k/! •.

The tollowin~ analysil made by Mr. Sharp of this town (dentist) pia ... thia 8eam close up to the New­eutI~; and when It is considered that ita go will be purer and easier evolved. and that .Ioam will be gene­nted quicker than hl' tbe N e ... castle, I think the palm will yet be given to the Tasmanian Coal.

Copy analyais :-Sqmtl1J,r, ttlp ,earn.

, Volatile matter ...... .. Coke ......................... .

26 74

100

A.h,20 Ash, 10

SVtWv· 40 60

100 =

Sernwvr, 2nd MII"'-

Ash,ll

40 60

100

(10)

A trial in tbe Monarc" steamer gaYe the following rOlDlt:~

CDOltutd. T"". ctDtl. qr.. IN.

Sydney ........................ 2900 Seymour, top seam •.....•••.••.. 2 1.5 0 0

,A,l 4ft. ClIJt,. fIT" lhl.

7 2 14 14 0 14

\

the same amount of work bein{ done with each. It must he horne in mind, bowever, that the Seymour Coal UJOd was tbe top seam. :;eymour Coal and Don Coal were the only Tasmanian Coals naed in thoae experimenta that were not condemned by tbe Engineer for steam purposes, he giving the results. .

The two feet oftbe urper, and four feet of the lower, .. am will, together, yield over six tbOlllllDd tona per acre of workable Coa to market, which, at a toll of one shilling' per ton OD its shipment, represent a money v.lue .o~ .£300 per acre, or '£192,000 per square mile. This Coal Field is of mODY square mlI .. in extent, contalnmg over twenty.

The eightafeet seam at Nicholas' Cap on the Dotlj'las River, shown in two different sections about five or six miles distant from the .. ark. of the old uouglas River Coal CompaDy, is estimated by Mr. Selwyn, the Government Geolowst of Victoria, who has hlspected it, to yield over five million tons per squsre mile. It could be readily conveyed to Seymour by a tramway of about five miles in lengtb. It appean a very good Coal, although, perhaps, not equal to the lower seam at Seymour. At tbe Porches on the beacb, aboot three and a half miles soutb of Seymour, there i. al.o at low warer an exposure of Coal dipping under the sea; and at noctor's Creek, on Seymour Township, and at Piccanini Creek, about three miles north of Seymour, Coal is seeD.

The extent of these .eam., and tbeir capacity of being profitably worked, could only be derermined by a proper course of boring or ,inking. And I beg r .. peetfully to suggeot tbat a necessary ·expenditure to ascertain these facts would not be thrown away j nor, indeed, would it be either at Spring Bay, Prosser's Plains, AdveDture Bay, Three-but Point, and the Huon, iD all of wbicb places Coal ... oold be found: altbougb I am of opinion the lower Seymour seam would be by far of tbe best quality. I would alao advi .. the extracting and .bipping at Seymour of a few bundred tons of the eigbt feet seam, to ucertain its quality and working value, 88 it is not improbable this seam may yet be found much nearer Seymour.

I bave for a period of over three yeara .teadily puraued tbi. malter, because I have been all along thorougbly con vinced tbat a Dational Coal Field exista in the locality of Seymour. I .... derided by many parties for commencing coal piu bere, becallse it was generally supposed no jetties could be made to stand, and tbat consequently no cORl could ever be shipPed from there. However, I was quite convinced to the contrary, and the two jetties constructed under contract with Mr. P. Oldham, and the one ~uilt by my.elf on account of the Company, are as perfect a. the day they were completed . (oYer twelve months ago); .011 upwards of eigbt thousand ton. of coal bave been .bipped from there.

Did I advocare tbi. matter for the benefit of the Seymour Coal Mining Company alone, I migbt well be accused of selfi.hnes. (although tbe justice of tbe cau.e migbt Dot be tbereby affected); but on the contrar:" as I say there is a national Coal Field, so make it a national shipping place that aU colliers may ship their Coal alike. By this means, monopoly would b. destroyed, competition induced, prices kept at a fair level, and the Coal under Crown land brought into operation.

Tbe sale of Coal in New South Wales is many thousand Ions per week: and wbo shallaay, with our .uperior geographical position, and Coni of equal quality, tbat Tasmania sball not get ber fair ahare of tbe demaDd 1 I oay it is my opinioD tbat .be will, and tbat to the extent of thousand. of tons weekly.

Being sati.fied, therefore, that nature h .. , witb a bountiful band. botb in exteDI and quality, placed in the lIeighbourhooc.l of Seymour the same element which bas above all given Britain her cheap manufactories, her speedy locomotion, increased the productive power of her people a hundred times, and placed her on the pinnacle of wealth dond power; and that nature has, bClOide':l, made the greater portion of a harbour to render the same availahle, I trust you may at once COli sider it would be wise and praeticable to complete that barbour. The outlay would be repaid in a few yeara.

I respectfl1lly beg to hand a section, front views, plan, and estimate for a dock at Port Seymour, wbich I .ball be quite bappy to have cbecked, either by the Director of Public Works or any otber competent person. I entertain no doubt whatever that the work can be executed for the estimate; viz.-

By Contract Labour, South Side .....•.•..••.....••....• Prison I.abour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . .......•......... . .

In excess of the present cost of the Prisonera; and on the North Side for twc>-third. of these sum. respecti vely.

.£ s. d. 46,906 10 7 18,.500 0 0

The COlit of sea works has been 80 little considered here, and is so liable to be misrepresented and misunderstood, tha.t I will make a few comparisons of actual cost of Breakwaters as executed in Great Britain (according to the report. of the Tidal Harbour Commiaaionera).

The .... wall on the cnrve shown on the plan will be forty feet at top, by a little over eighty feet Ilt the base, compo!lpd of gtal,ite stones enclosed within rows of heavy piles, tied and braced tranlversely, longitudinally, and diagonally with heavy timbers, which will form a staying to coDvey the .tone

, •

during con.truction. In this manner not one-third of the stone will be required •• nd it will be .tronger th.n thongh built with loose Itones .t • greater slope. The weight per running yard of this sea w.1I will be upwards of ... en hundred tonI; the total length will be o.er {our hundred yard.· alld the price, .ccording to my estimate. will be not quite £40 per running foot. even by conlractl.bour. •

I find. according to the .uthority already quoted (Tidal Harbour Commissione ... ), Capt Connell estim.tes the cost of the Great Clontarf Break .. ater and Pier .t £16 10,. 4d. per foot run. to £2.5 10,. per foot run.

Cubitt estimates a Breakwater at Kingston Harbour, tW"enty feet above high water, and with paved Ilope of 5 to I •• nd with light.house at each end. Pier Head Circular Towers. and 1200 feet lon~ to cost £:75,O<XJ, or about £62 per foot run.; but owing to the slope, there will be at lea&t three time:" the stone in this than in the one I propose. Courtown Harbour Pier, 100 feet long, of stone, with three row. of piles well tied together. co,t £2000. or £20 per foot run,

Portsmonth Pier. into 29 feet water. length 402 feet, quantity of .tone 100,132 tons, co.t £8538. or about £21 per foot run. Rennie estimates the co.t of Belfast Dock. area 18 .c ..... to enclose 100 large .... el •• to cost £83.327.

Cubitt estim.tes the cost of Stone Quay, with 20 feet at low water. at £40 per foot run .• but .tone had to be con.eyed two miles.

Temperley estimates the co.t of Port Ramsey Pier. 350 yards long. at £15,000, or £14 per foot run.

lale of Man Harbour. Sir John Rennie propooes to build a Breakwater. 12 feet high. 300 yard. long, for £5000, 8 little over £5 per foot run.

T.mperley •• ys, "On I,le of Man Harbour. Derby Ha.en Breakwater. which is 260 yards long and 26 teet wide at top, cost £3506 IS.. 3d.; and Ram.ey North Pier. 123 yards long by 2.5 feet wide at top. 008t. £2-520 7,. 3d .• -or a.erage of about £5 per foot run."

I trust that these remarks of some of the moat eminent engineers, of actual cost, may be considered to bear me out in my calculations, and to dispel the erroneous idea that such fearful amounts as have been .poken of will be required.

AI80. from the same authority, the following examples of piies and stone being u.ed togetber:-

On lOme part of Clontarf Wall. Kingston Harbour, as to gale reported that the timber framing .tood the gale. but stone-work wasbed down tbe whole length.

Courtown Harbour Pier of stone and three rows of piles. Wexford Pier, built on a framing of piling. Dagger Bank, piles round eastern end to protect foot. &c.

As to whether or ·not it would be better to construct this work by free or prison labour, I can merely respectfully offer an opinion, which is, that by taking only short-sentenced men of the better character, and giving them some inducement in the shape of an accumulating fund (to be paid on t.be expiration of their sentences or otherwi~e), they will be found to work well, and that the work can be done in a few years with very little aJditioDal expenditure to the present; and there is one advantage which must not be overlooked. which is. that e.ery foot of Breakwater completed adds to the security of the Bay.

I think the prisoners could be enclosed by a wall across the point. close to their work. and kept iecurely in the usual way.

I omitted to mention, although it is too important to be overlooked, that most excellent fire-clay exists at Seymour, of which I had some fine bricks made last year; and on being tested at the Gas Works here and at Melbourne, bave been pronouooed equal to the best Stoorbridge. The locality al80 abounds in common clay of a good quallty, fire-bricks, brown free-stoDe, aDd granite for building; and some most excellent timber,-in fact, every tbing to form a large aDd prosperous towuship, except a shipping-place.

I bave the honor to be. Sir,

Your obedient Servant. A. H. SWIFT.

E.

SIR, 1\ •

Hobart Taro., lOt" Aug"'!. 1864.

I HAVE the honor herewith to encl .... you copy of the .... ult of experimento made on board the M01IIlrck with Colonial Coal, and, at the same time, request the favour of your representing to the Select Committee the claim the Coal. at present being railed at the mines at Seymour possess over any other Coal yet worked iu Tumaoia; which il amply testified by the Commander and owners of the Omeo steamer, and the Com­modore and Engineer of Her Majesty' •• hip Orp/IeU.,-eopy of Certificatct of which are also herewith enclosed.

(\:2.")

In addition to :whicb, I bave tbe honor to requ .. t that the Committe. will recei.e .. idence u to the .xtent of the operauona of the Company I represent, and particularly in reference to a oeam of Coal lately bored tbrougb, known to be four feet ten incbes in thickn ... , and pronounced to be of equal qaality to the beet N ... South Wal .. Coal, and to produce a very Inperior coke. Samples of both Coal and Coke I b.eg to hand yon herewith. ' ,

" I have the honor to be,

Sir, . Your obedient Servant,

CHARLES TOBY, &cr.lary offM &!f""'Vr Coal Mining Company, Limit.d. .

DAVID LEWIS, Esq., M.E.A.

SEYMOUR COAL MINING COMPANY, LIMITED.

NoxnU.L CAPIT,U., £12,ooo-Xl'f 2400 SHARKS OP :£5 BACD.

(Iaeorpuratad UDder thI loint Stock Comp&.DiH Act, with llm.It.d lIa1)tutr.1

DireetDTI.-Messra. B. Marwedel, Joho MUward, A.. A. Butler, W. Wat:erhOUle, C. A. Pritchud, &ad O. H. Hedberg.

BanUrl,-Tbe Commercial Bank. SolicUur,.-Meura. Allport, Roberti, &:; Allport.

Manogn- at Seymour.-Mr. A.. H. Swift:. Sternary.-Mr. Charles Toby.

AudlUwl,-Meurs. H. S. Barrett and H. J. Chapman.

REP a R T of 1M Directors of the SEYMOUR COAL M,N,NG COMPANY, Limit.d, adopted al the FirslOrdinary General Meeting of the Skar.lwlders, held at the Company" Office, on Wednesday, Ihe 41h March, 1863.

PURSUANT to the Joint Srack Companies Act and the Articles of Association under which this Company has been incorporated, the Directors have convened this First Ordinary General Meeting of the Shareholders for the purpose of placing before tbem the present po,ition of ·the Company, wbich i. fully set fortb in th; accompanying Returns and Balance Sheet, wbich has been lying at the Office for inspection by the Share­ho:ders since Monday, the 23rd February.

The Directors deem it unnecessary to comment on the establishment and progren of the Compy

Crevious to the Report adopted at an Extraordinary Meeting of Shareholders, held on the 20th October

ast, copy of which is appended herelo.

At that Meeting it was resolved unanimously, that a Special General Meeting of the Shareholders be convened as early as prlcti<:able, to adopt measures for carrying out the rt:CommenuatioD of the Directors that tbe Capit .. l of the Company be increased to £12,000 (or the conremplated purchase of a Steam Collier. Pursuant to which the Directors convened an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Shareholdent on the 10th November, 1862, when Resolutions were passed unsnimowly, authorising the Directors to issue]600 additional Sbares. making the total Nominal Capital of the Company £12,000; such additional Sbares to be parable on three·fcllirths being subscribed for, and providing that £6Q(X) be set apart solely for the purchase of a Stesm Coliier.

The Directors used every exertion to dispos~ of the requisite number of Shares to enable them to proceed with the arrangement for a Steam Collier j but, beine.. unsuccessful, they caused a l\lemorandum of AQ'l'ee. ment to be drawn up and signed by Shareholders purcftasing ac1ditional Shares, and also by those conse~ting to the issue thereof, which resulted in 400 additional Sh>res being purchased and issued, payable at 3, 6, 9, 12, and 16 months; 1200 Shares still remaining for the purchase of 8 Steamer, a specification of which the Directors have forwarded to England, and request~d all necessary information relative to its cost, &tc., a reply to which may be looked for by tbe April mail.

On the subject of the Tramways, Piers, and Coal Depots, Buildings, Mines, &c., the Directors beg to refer the Share1:01lIe ... to tbe allne .. d Report of Messrs. O. H. Hedber:o and A. A. Butler, two of their number, who made a visit of inspection to the Mines in January last. It IS as follows:-

To the DirtCtorl of the Seymour Coal Mining Compa"ll. Limit,d. GEnLEKXN.

WB have the pleasure to Tt'port, that since one althe undersigned (Mr. O. H. Hedberg) proceeded to the Seymour Coal Mines in October last, the Contractor, Mr. Oldham, has been pwhing on the completion ortbe Pier and Depbt in the North Harbour, and we were deputed to go down to examme the same beraTe tht'y were banded over to the Company.

'We arrived there on the 25th January; and having carried out the instructions of tbe Board of Directors, we hP.g now to present our report.

1. The Pier and tbp, DepOt in tbe North H"rbour are completed j and being in conformity with the agreement, we can only say that the work is done to our satisfaction.

The Pier is 60 feet long. is 8ubstautially built of good sound timber, and during its erection bas stood the trial of several severe gales. Vessels drawing from 10 to 12 feet, when loaded, cau be berthed alongside with safety.

The DepOt is capable of holding from 400 to 500 tons of Coals.

2. From the Iron Railroad, a \Voorlen Tramroad, secured on guod sleepers, is branching off, Ipading to the North DepOt j and lIy this line the Coals can be conveyed from the Pit'g mouth direct into the DepOt at the North Harbour.

The length of thi!l Tramroad is about three-quarters of a Inile, and the work is done to our entire satisfaction.

S. The Iron Railroad is finished from the Pit's mouth to ·the Boat Jetty in the South Harbour, and it already in tll'e for the conveyance of Coals. . ,

,. The Pipr and DepOl in the South Harbour are now in course of erection, and as far as we can judge they will be carried out according to the specification.

5. The Mines in g-eneral have a healthy appearance j the new Shaft, sunk about thirty yards to the westward of the two other Shnfts, the purpose uf which is chiefty to secure a gooc1 ventilation, i!l now finished, and when the demand for Coal increases it will of course be worked.

The opening of tbis Shaft is larger than that of the other two, large enough to employ two Gins; it is well slitbbed. aDd altogfltber finished in a workmanlike manner.

6. We visited and examined the underground work, and also report very favourably about the same.

1. The Store and DWf'lling-house are finished, and are compact and useful buildings.

8. The Engine continues to work well; Engine.room, Boiler·room, and Carpenter's Shop being in one compact building.

9. Since the last Report, Five Dew howes are finished and occupied by Miners, under rental j three more are now in course of ert'ctioD,

10. While formerly tbt> water had to be obtainPd (rom Doctor'!I Creek, "bout three-quarten: ofa mile distant, a 'spring bas beP.n discovered close to the Min .. !; and a well having been !lunk, it produces a plentifuillupply of good wKter, which we considt'r a great acquisition to the Mines.

] 1. In cnncl·tl!lion we ~ay, thllt everythiug appears in ~ood working order; and that as soon as Pien and Dep6ts are ready in both Hurbours, we will be able to execute orders for Coals to any amount.

(Signed) O. H. HEDBERG. A. A. BUTLER.

The Directors cannot clOie this Report without adverting to tbe many satisfactory accounts tbat have reached them relative to tbe vrobable value of the Coals in the Victorian and South Australian markets, in confirmation of which. and alao of their auitability for Steam purpo.... Ihey append the Certificatea of Captain M'Lachlan. of Ihe Sleam.hip (}rMo, M .. , .... M'Meckan. Blackwood. & CQ., and also of the much'to-b.-Iamented ComDlodore W. F. Burnett and the Engineer of the Orpl .... ; and they ma, add, that the Engineer of the Steamer Monarc!' has alao reported ver, favourably of their utility as a Steam fuel, allhougb hi. official report h .. not yel been publiahed •

. ~ -Captain M'Lachlan say.:-

I think it a great era for Tumania if you can Duly get that Coal into this Market: I believe the Coal to be good. and fittod tor Steam purpoiOl .

• \ • M ....... M'Meckan. Blackwood, "& Co. say :-

SIB, M,lbt>urne. 4th Febrw.ry.l863.

. WJr; will be bappy to hear 'from you as soon as your arrangements are completed for loading from 60 to 100 toIUI a day • ..l U you could do 10 now, we could take a large qualltity from you. The Coal., according to the report of the Chief ~ngineer ofthe Omeo, all! of very fair quaHty, and we will be glad to ~ .. e them a further trial; in the mean time will you have the goodness in in.truet your Manager at Long PoiDt to glVe our Steamers every despatcb, in the tn'eDt of their caJ.liDg for a .upply of Coal ?

CIUB.LU TOBY, E«twire, &Creta"" to the t>ey"",..,. CO<U Mitabtg eo..pa..y.

We are, Sir, Yonr most obedient Servants,

(Signed) M'MECKAN. BLACKWOOD. & Ce..

And the late Commodore Burnett, of H.M.S. Ship Orpheus, says :-

SIR, . AccoaDI~O to promise, I ~g to enclose for your iofof'D!8tiol! tbe opinion .(ormed of the quality. Ot-the Q~which~.

you were pleum to give me SIX TOM of, for the use of tblS ship for steaming pUrpoaeli. The enclosed, JOD will ?~rve, is writtea by the ED~DHI' !D charg~ of tbe ~Q.ginea on board her. After ha~ng NeD tilt Coal ued, I am mchned to form.. better opinion oC Its comblDed quahuea than the Report oftha Engtneer would lead to. A.ltll' U supplies from time to time for H.M. Steam Vessel. which may viii' Tumaoia, of COQrl8 the price for which fuel can be obtajn~ maat greatly guide us. Should yun pleue to inform me at what price you W'owd deli'nr aloq,nide... n-. S":: ... .!;,;;o ... , loch C()IIIIa as the sample alluded to, I .hall be trIad to have It .upply takea OD bo&td lOme Ib • ..of. War wolch may be in ated. of fuel .t Hobart Town, pro"ided the price is below tbat or Newc .. tJ. AGltraliaa Coel, which I look. upon &I the beet AllItraliaD Coal at preteDt for lu.mlDg purposee.

I am, Sir, Yoar very obedient Senant,

Mr. O. H. H:aDB:BRG, Hobart TOtDn. (Signed) W. F. BURN ETT, CommodOr.:

j. H. Adams, Engineer in charge of H.M.S. Ship Orpheus, states as follows:--... Thi.a Coal seems, from obS("rvatioD at the time of trial, to M little inferior to the average of North Country Coal

in evaporative power ; hut the por.centage of Clir,ker and Ash is very high, and there appea", to bd a quantity of earthy refuse miz:ed up with it, probo.bh owing 10 its being obtained near the !urfacE'. Tbe Clinker is light and friable, and does not adhere to the furnace bars.

The ahove Reports the Directors deem bi~hly satisfactory ; and they have every confidence, when the contemplated arrangements for shipping the Coals are matured, that the undertaking will be crowned with COlD plete success.

The desirability of commencing immediately to dispose of the Shares for the Steamer, tbe Directors leave for this Meeting to decide.

The Accounts have been balanced to 31st December, 1862, and the Auditors' Certificate, as required by the Act, is attached thereto.

The Officers and Offices of the Company remain as last reported; one vacancy has occurred in the Directory .ince last Report, which has beeu filled up by tbe appointment of W. Waterhouse, Esq., in room of Mr. Nicholas, resigned,-which appointment the Directors have much pleasure in recommending for confirmation. Two Directors, 'Viz., Messrs. C. A. Pritchard and O. H. Hedberg, retire from office in conformity with the Articles of Association. Their places will have to be filled up at this Meeting either by re-appointmeut or electing otbe.... Auditors for the enluing year will also have to be appointed.

In conclusion, the Directors may state that an inexhaustible supply of excellent Fire-clay is found to exist beneath tho Coals at Seymour, the quality of which, and also of Bricks manufactured therefrom, .re now under trial by the H. T. Gas Company, and will be reported on in due course .

•

L

( IS)

BALANCE SHEET of the SEYMOUR CoAL MINING COMPANY LIMITED, mad, up to 31st December, 1862.

CAPITAL AND LIABILITIES. CAPITAL.

£ 6. d. Amount received from Shareholders

in Cuh and Promil8Ory N O\e8.. 5975 0 0 Promiuory Notes not yet received. . 2lj 0 0 Being pnvmmt in full for 1200 ---­

,haru at£5 ~h.

DBBTS AND LIABILITIES.

Promiuory Note of Directors to tbe Commercial Bank •••••..•••.•

Bilk Payable •••.•••••••....•••.• Amounta due to lundry Tradesmen Amount. due for Salaries .•• .•••• Amount due to Colonial Treasurer •• Amount due to Mt!III'I. Allport,

300 0 0 284 16 11 317 10 7

46 12 8 307 8 6

Roberti, ok Allport ••..•.•....• 34 19 4

CONTu/GENT LIABILITIES.

Amount due to Petn' Oldham, being balance of eontraet to erect two Coal Depata and Piers ••••...•

Balance, being the net valne of the Uletlaod propertyoftbeCompany, as .. lued. by the Directors. above the capItal and liabilities, on the 311t December~ 1862 .•••.•••• '"

£ 6. d.

6000 0 0

1361 8 0

000 0 0

188 16 1

£8446 4 1

(SIgned) O. II. HEDBERG, 1 W. WATERHOUSE, A. A. BUTLER, . JNO. lIILWARD, Director •. C. A. PRITCHARD, J E. MARWEDEL,

CHARLES. TOBY, Secretary.

PROPERTY AND ASSETS. PJtopzaTT.

£6.d. £.6.d. The CompanY'lIproperty,oomprising .. . _ ...-.

294 acres of land at Seymour, jn the County of Glamorgan, with coal pits and earthworka, also ltores, Superintendent's quarte11l, dwelling· bouse, 13 cottages,stable, blacksmith', shop, engine·house, and other buUdingi thereon erected j abo, one mile of iron railway laid doWD, ODe wooden tramroad from north to IOUth aide of Long Point (about three· quarters of a mile), ODe .team-engine, chains and anebon for moorings, hortel, bulloeb, wag· gooa, drays, weighbridg6, boatl, &eo, &:e., valued by the Directors OD the 31st December, 1@62 • ••• SOOO 0 0

Dep6ta and Piers in course of ereetion 1100 0 0 Co&lt, 446 toDI, aock on band on the

3lat December, 1862, at Ill. ~ ... 245 6 0 Stores, stock 00 hand at eofi, Slat

December, 1862 ...•.••• •••••• 102 16 10 Oftice Furniture at eOlJt •••••••••• 11 11 6

369 13 4 AXOUlCT8 DUE 1'0 THE COKP'&'1fT.

Amounts owing by 8undry persoDl . • 216 0 11 Amount, due by Minen, Labourert,

&.co, for stores •••...• .••.•••• 130 13 1 Promileory Note. ofSharcholdert •• 168.5 0 0

CASH.

Balance in Commercial Bank, Hobart ToW"D, on 3l1t December, 1862 ••

1937 3 0

43 7 9

£.8446 4 1

WE certify tbat we haTe examined the foregolug F'lDI.Dclat RetllJ'Dl and Balance Sheet, and com(llJ"ed them with the aeveral Vouchers and Book. of the Company, and colllider that they coutain a true Itatement of the Capita1 and Liabilities. u al80 of the Propert.y aud Atietl of the Company, as valued by tbe Directol'f, and balanced to 311t December, 1862.

H. J. PETERS, I ... >,. H. S. BARRETT, n..u.uor ••

THE Report baving been read, and tbe Financial Return. explained by the Chairman, tbe following Reso­lutions were passed :-

I.-Moved by Mr. Walker, seconded by Mr. Fletcher,-ttThat the Report and Balance Sheet be received and adopted." Carried unanimously.

2.-Move:l by Mr. Fletcher, seconded by Mr. MarwedeI,-uTbat the two retiring Directors,-viz., MesATS. C. A. Pritchard and O. H. Hedberg,-be re-appointed." Carried unanimously.

a.-Moved by Mr. Marwedel, seconded by Mr. Hedberg,-"Tbat Measrs. H. S. Barrett and H. 1. Chapman be appointed Auditon." Carried unanimoUAly.

'.-Moved by Mr. ManvedeJ, seconded by Mr. Walker,-I' That the matter of purch8.ling • Steam Collier be deterred UDtil the Report be received from London." Carried unanimously.

6.-Moved by Mr. Walker, 8t'conded by Mr. Marwedel,-uThat, in the opinion of this Meeting, the Press is entitled to tl:e cordial thanka of the Shareholde~ {or the nry handsome manner in which the .several Reports on the :progreu of the Company'l operatioDs and the nJue of the Coals have been made public through its columns."

• Carried unanimoully. 6.-Moved"by Mr. F1etclter, leronded by Mr. Hedberg,-:-uThat a vote of thanks be recorded to Mr. Watcr­

hOUM u Chairman." Carried unanimouaJy.

(Signed) W. WATERHOUSE, Chairman.

\

) ) ) J

COpy of the Result of Experiment. made with COLONIAL FUEL on board the" Monarch" Steamer from January 9th to April 211t, 1863.

• Quantity uaed Quantity ueed Average

when Steamer fa Preuure oC Date oC Name ot Mine) or where th_

in getting up Quantity uaed in under way going Total of Coall Total Aabea and Sturn per RBMARKS. Bteam 10 Town Trial. Coall came (rom. nd New Norfolk. bacldor Ul) Flrea. to New Norfolk uoed. Clinker. Square Inch

aud b8ck. bl 0auge.

18 ••• ton •• cwt. qn.lba. 1on •• cwt. qn. It.. 1011'. cwt. ql'l. lIN. t01l'. ewt. qn. Jbt. tOll'. ewt. lin. 11K. , ... JaD. 9. SYDNBY • • ••••••••• • •• • 0 8 2 0 0 4 0 0 I 16 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 7 2 14 II Vny Jittlfl clinker j a good command of steam.

TASMANIA..

12. Jerusalem .••••.. • ... . .. o 12 0 0 0 4 0 0 2 2 0 0 2 18 0 0 I 6 0 0 81 Great dQ&l of clinker; Ii,... full of dirt in three hour.' rUD; h"rd work to keep !Iteam towar4. end of .un; too much luoour with them for aea~goin~ veueill.

18. Hamilton ...•••. • •• . . •. o 12 0 0 0 2 0 0 I 18 2 0 2 12 2 0 o 18 0 0 10 Not much clinker; fires rather d ly at the end of fluff houn' run; might do for river ,teamera or land eogin~ wi~ • little exira labour. -

16. Adventure Bay ... . .... o 12 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 4 2 0 2 18 2 0 I 9 0 0 6 Gre"t deal of son clinker; tumacee full of dirt ia two boon' run; very hard to get Iteam j had to USA • cn wood to keep tha engines in Iteem.

22. Port Arthur •.•••.•.••.. o 12 0 0 0 4 0 0 I 14 0 0 2 10 0 0 I 7 I 0 41 Gre .. t deal of soft clinker; fum.eeI (un of dir,t in 2t houn' run; very h"rd to get Iteam j hAd to we • cwL wood to kee~ tbe engines in stea.m.

26. Seymour . . •.••.•...•••. 011 0 0 0 4 0 0 2 0 0 0 2 16 0 0 014 014 II Very ittlf' clinker; moat of tibet (,II throu{l:h fire ben by uBing tbe llriCK-for j a Rood command oftte .. m j will do for sea-going vestWl. with a little adra I.bour.

Feb. 6. Fing.l .............. .. o 12 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 6 0 0 3 0 0 0 o 17 0 0 101 Good deal of soft clinker; fires rather dirty in three houn' rUII; might do for river .teamera or land engines with • little extra labour.

.Apr.21. River Don •...•.••••••. 011 0 0 0 4 0 0 2 7 0 0 3 2 0 0 o 12 o 14 II Not much clinker; moat o( ab. fall through Bre ban by' uling the pricker j • good commend. of Iteam j "ill do (or tea-going vessell with 'little utnJabour.

1

\ -, \.:l<:i::>

F. A.NALYSIS oj Coalfrom TAr .. Hut Point. (Communicated.)

YOUR readers may recollect that lOme time ago tbe fact w .. brought under the notice of the public, that owing to the fault of either Dr. Milligan, who unpacked the cases at the Exhibition, or of the Commis8ioners bere who failed to mark and number them properly, the various samples of our Coals coulcl not be identified, to tbe great disappointment of several exhibitors," neither the Coals conld be identified nor the localities from wbich tbe varioussam,)I .. came. When Mr. James Yonl made known this fact, a sample of the Coal from Three Hut Point w .. fo".arded to him by ,the mail, through Dr. Ollicer, the Chairman of the Coal Commission; and Mr. Youl, at, ",me con.i<lcrable .xpense to hilllJleif. has had tbe specimen anaIY"ed by Dr. Price, an analytical chemist of considerable reputation. It was important to have this specimen of Coal tested, as ?trr. Gonhl pronounced the seam at Three Hut Point to be, in his opinion, identical with the one at Adventure Bay, wbich .... pronounced to be the best of all the specimens of Coal sent for analy.istoSir H. De la Beehe hy Sir W. Deni.on in 1850.

The following is th.letter from Dr. Price to Mr. Yonl:­(Copy.)

My DEAR SIa, 26 Great G~org~'treet, We,tmimter, S. W., 211t March, 1863.

THE following is the composition of Coal which you lIubmitted to me for anlllysia:-

Carbon.. .. .... 83'93 Hydrogen •..• 3"20 Oxygen . . . ••.. ]'70 Nitrogen. . •• . • 0'71 Sulphur....... 1']5 Ash .......... NO Water ]'85

100'00

Calculated ezclUlit:e oj Sulphur, Water,

amI .AlA .•

93'68 8'57 1'80 0'S6

100'00

..d.dtltnture Bay Cool.

80''lO 3'05 4'82 1 '3~ 1'90 8'67

Water not given.

The above is Sir R. De la Beche's analysis.

When heated in a cImr:e vessel it does not yit'ld a coke, and i" of the kind known as anthracite. For the sake of comparison with the best kllown anthracites of tbis country, I append the analysis of two samples from South Wales, the 6rst~ tbat use.d in tbe blast f~rnaees at the Y~Uced\VY'!le I,ron .'Vo~ks, Roll tbe ot~er tron! a Di~tr,ict not 6tated. You will perceive that, except 10 the aDlount ot ash, whIch lj high ID the Tasmanian specimen, It IS very similar to them in com position.

Tannanian.-Carbon, 83'03; Hydrogen, 3'20; Oxygen, ]'70 ; Nitrogen, 0'71 j Sulphur, 1'16; Asb, 7'40; Water,I'S:;,

YnUcedwyne, Glamorgan,-Cnrbon, 92'50; Hydrogen, 3'33 j Oxygen, 2'53, Nitrogen, ?; Sulphur,! j Ash, 1'58 , \Vater,1,

South Wale" spec,-Carbon, 90'39; Hydrogen, 3'28; Oxygen, 2'07 j Nitrogen, 0'83; Sulphur, 0'90; Asb, l *OU j W ute, 2'00.

Exclusive of Ash, &C.

Tamaanian.-Carbon, 93'68; Hydrogen, 3'S7; Oxygen, 1'89,

Y71Uctd1O!fnt,-CarLon, 94-05; Hydrogen, 3'38; Oxygen, 2'57.

South Walu, srec.-Carbon, 91'87 j Hydrogen, 3'34; Oxygen, 3'0'2,

I remain, l 'l y dent Sir,

Yours very faitbfully, J . A, Your., Elquire. DAVID J. PRICE, M.D'

This analysis of a Tagmanian Coal by Dr. Price may be considered as most important to the iDtere~ts of this Colony. It estahli:ihes the fact that we have a Coal adapted for steam and ~melting purposes, comparing favorably with two of the m 'lst valuable smelting Coals known in Great Britain; and only inferior to them in possessin'! a (J'l'eater proportion of ash,-having only 6 per Ct:ot. more of ash th2.n those Coals; whereas the Fingal and Mount Nicholas Coal, according to Sir Henry De la Bec..:he's analysis, cuntained 27 and 29 per cent. of ash respectively. But it is more than probable, &'1

the sample of Coal sent to England was taken from the crop on the beach at Three Hut Poin t, that tbe quality "ill improve "ben Lhe Coal is wo"ked; in other woro., that tbe Cod will theu be found

J

to contain more cal bon, or more "olatile matter and less ash. On this subject Sir Henry De 1a Becbe remarks in hi. published Report upon our Coal. :~" It mRy be desirable to add, .. regards information to be derived t~rom the analysis of the 'pecimenf' of Coal ohtained durin!? the first exploring of.a coun~, thnt snch lpectmen. are usually of .. or .. o quality than the bed. whence they baye been denyed, w~en the.:e beds are worker! at !ufficient df>plhs from the surface of land to secure them from the deatructlve action of atmospheric influent'e." "

Dr. Price states, H The Coal does not yield a Coke:' He menDS in lhe general acceptation of that word; and in confirmation of the statement, we give the followin~ extract from the Ediltbwrgla ,Bn,U70, JHnoary 30,1860, pR.g-e 9'2:-" But our chief interest at present 18 in the 'h'alll Coal of South Wales. Highly bituminonR Coal not only produces a !'mall per Cf'ntage of Coke, on account uf the large p~portion of volatile matter which it conhunI', but its qualit, i8 much 'inferior to that produced from kinds less bitnminoll8, Being also srec1tic.:ally JiO'ht and sponiy and much honeycombed, it i8 eoft, ~a.ily crQmbl~, and therefore greutly wastes. The

0 Coal n8ml'd aemi~bituminous, however, is verr valuable, and IS

suitable for almost every purpose, except tbe mak.inrr of ga". Sufficiently bitummoWl to be ealily ~ndled, it mak~s 8 bri~ht cheerin~ fire, and ~iv~ out 0. great hpat ,:,itb very litlle smok~. It il • • 1110

lmportant to nollce that lta smok", tnltead of beiDH' black and dense, In large volumes all In the highly bitumiDous <":oal, is incon8id~rable in quantity, i:"'broWD in colour, and productive of little .oot. Th.e anthracite of South Wales hurna without emitting Hame or ,moke, and does not bind or cake, or lOll when handled, and has a general metallic lustrf'. Its. 8sh is of a light rink and ~ometimes of a dark grey colour. Properly lpeaking, it does not form a Coke in the genera acceptation of that t~r~; ,for t-he water and hydrogen are expelled in small qunntities durin,:r the distillation, and a slight ~lmmutlon ot bulk takes pla.ce, yet no new arrangement Btl il ul'ual in the transititl~ of Coal inlo Coke 18 forme~ : the fracture remaIna the 8IlJlle, and there is not that cellular structure which everyone may obterve m common Coke."

In Taylor's Statistics of CosI, psge 650, i. given an analytical table of all the Coal·fielJs of India, showing tha.t no Coal has ,et been discovered there yielding more than 60 per cent. of corbon i-not anyt therefore, of it is adapted tor smelting purposes, or approaches in quality to the Welsh antbracite Coals for steam purposes. It is believed that no anthracites, without which our iron OTt'S couH not be perfectly smelted, have yet been discovered in the neighbouring coloniet, of which description of fuel 8 br 9 millions of toni are annually consnmed in the-iron works of Great Britain; and in jusLice to Mr. James Youl, who bal been fit 10 much trouble and expense in assisting' in the good work remitted to our Coal Commisl'ioners, an extract is now given from the letter written by him to Mr. John Abbott, which accompanit!d Dr. Price's report of the samples of Cool .. nt home for analysis. "I believe a good Coal mine on the bonks of the Derwent would be infinitely a more I .. ting benefit to tbe Colony tban a gold-field."-Hobart Town Ad .... ti..,., May 18th, 1863.

G. GO;I1PARATIVE ANALYSIS , s"owing the component Part .• of the Adventure Bay and

Three Hut Point Goah; and tlws. of two of the best Goah· (Welsh) on the Admiralty Lists, extracted from Sir HENRY DE LA BECHE'S Report on the Goals suited to the British Navy, Memoirs, \\"c., Vol. 2, Part 2, Page 550.

Nam4 of Coal. Carbo". HydrorJen. Oxygm. NitrtJgm. Sulphur. ..4.lIh. Watotr. .Authority.

--Dt:ffryn SteaDI, (the best in

Wale.) .................. 88'!l0 4'06 0'00 1'45 1'77 3'26 \'13 Sir H. nela Beehe.

Adventure Buy Coal ..••..••.• 80'!lO 3'0.; "'82 1'36 1'00 8'67 .. Sir H. nel. Beehe.

Three Hut Point C081 •••..••• 83'03 3'20 ]'70 0'77 1'15 7'40 I'SS Dr. Price.

l\fean of 37 vnrieties of Welsh Stenm Coo.:s ..••••.•••••• 83'78 4'79 4'15 0'98 1'43 4'91 .. Sir H. De 10. Beche.

ResolveD CODL ••••••••••••••. 70'33 4'75 includetl 1'38 S'07 0'41 .. Sil' H. De 10. Beche. in the ash

Bedw85 Coal ........ ........ SO'61 6'01 1'50 1'44 3'50 6'94 .. Sir H. De In Beebe.

• The Betlwll3 and Resolven Coals.

N.B.-TLe Duffryn CollI is shipped at Cardiff, 22 miles from thu mines .

. . The two last Coals ar~ sp~k(>n very hi~hly of in ~ir .Henry Do 10. Beche's Rellort of the Conls suitE'ri to Ihe Drttlsh Navy .. The h~st ~OnllS 10 ~ '!lil~s trnm the Sllll'pm .... Port, anrllhe seom only 2 feet 8 inchps thick. The finest R~lven IS 9 miles from the ::shipPing Port, north, nn~ is only 2 feet 6 inches in the seam. The Adnntllre nay Cool is 2 feet.

1-

•

COAL MARKET. FRIDAY. MAY 30. [Ti ..... M"II20. 186 •• J

(Price!! of Coale per ton at tbe close of the market.)

Bell'~ Primrose .. ................. . Byass's Ret'laide'Veet Hartley .. 0 •••

Guy'. West Hartley ............. . Hutmgs, Hartley ................. . Holywell .............••..•...•..• North Pelton Gas ............ ..... . South Pt'tIreth ..........• •........ Tanfield Moor .............. . ... . TanfieJd Moor Bute& .. ........... . . . "raJker Primrose ................. . ~Iam .: ..•...................... , en AlaIn .................. ..... .

" 'allSf>nd-uosford ....•••••.•..•••.•..••.• Harton ......................... . BraddyII', Hetton ........•......• Haswell ....................... . Hetton............ .. . .... . ... .

•. d. 12 6 15 3 a 9 16 3 15 6 13 0 12 0 18 0 13 0 II 9

. 16 0 14 9

14 3 14 3 15 3 16 3 10 3

Kppier Grnnge ....... ........... . South Hetton ..... . . . .. . ......... . StP.wart' •...... ................... Tunstall ......................... . Cusup ........................... . ClI.radoc ......................... . H artlf>lJ()nl . ..................... . Heugh Han ...•••..•...••••..•••.•. Kelloe .........••....••.•.•...•..• ShincIifl'e ...................... . South Hartlepool ••..........•... . • South Kenoe ......•... . .•..••.••. Thorpe ••.........•••.•..•...•...• 'frimdun Hartlepool . .............. . Whitworth ....................... . C"rway and Duffryn Anthncite· ... . Car"'.Y and DufFryn MHlting ....... .

• D.aWryn Steam Coalaell. hlgbelt.

H. \

•. d. 15 0 16 3 16 0 If 6 It:l 3 16 6 16 6 14 9 16 6 16 0 16 0 16 3 14 0 16 0 14 6 21 0 ~3 0

ABSTRA CT of R'port and Letter. rtceived frollt Ma. ZEPH. "WILLIAM •• giDi"!l an Account of hU Prue«ding. at tit. St. puur. River. SI.CtJRIta. and Prouer', Plai7l8. 1862.·

M", William •• at Ibe Red Rock. on Ihe nortb lide of St. Paur. Ri.er. found tbe Fingal .. am of Coal 10 feet 4 inch .. in tbickn .... and rei""'" that he lu"k through it, but found tbe Coal much perisbed; and it • oample is required from that locality •• dri.e mu.t be cut from the sbafts some lillIe distlln.. into the Coa!.

Mr. Williaml next lunk througb Ihe Coal at Lewi.·. Hill. on tbe lOuth side of St. Poul·. Ri.er. and found the Coal there divided into ... en Iayert by Ibale. Tbe total thickn ... of the seam w .. 9 feet 10 inch ... of wbich 6 feet 6 inch .... as Coal and 3 feet 4 inch ... hale. The four bottom layers of Coal are of good quality, but all divided by hands of shale each I inch thick.

IIIr. William. then _ .. hed the Swan River and Creeks toward. Swan ..... and foond Itrong indica­tion. of Coal. and tbe Fingal eeam cropping ont at various placeo; but reports it coold only be .unk into at conaid.,..ble expen... At between 12 to 13 mil .. north east 01 S"a"eea he loo"d two inferior eeam. of Coal, the ODe 3 reet, tbe otber 4 feet. in thickn.... He aIon tnlCed the Fi"gal seam to within 16 tnil .. of Swan, .. : he found most favourable indicatioDs and the crop of Coal in all the hills iacing S",allsea, and the main seam (the hoot and thick .. t I lying at 80 altitude of from 400 to 000 leet abo.e the .... A. this .eam between Swansea and the hill i. throwD down by a gnoat fault, he iJ of opinion, on account of the strata he saw in the hi!)., and afterwartls on the fiat, that there il a probAbility of Coal being found at ont! to three milea from Swansea at a depth of 100 to 100 feet below tbe lurfBee.

Mr. William" on bi. visil to Spring Bay and Proeser', Plain •• fnund the seam of Coal be w .. requested to examine cropping out at the Back River; but that it was only 9 iucbea think, pilcbPd at an angle of W, and in a moot impracticable pIa .. to work into. He afte,,,ard. proceeded down the ri.,., and found Coal cropping out at 1"anoul placeB, and lying nearly horizontaJ~ He alfo found 81TOug ituliC8tionl within about tbree miles of Proeser'. Bay. and round Buokland in .... ral places. He reports that at Spring Bay the main (best) ..... of Coal i. fouod bigh on the bill at the hack of th. Townsbip. and the pill th.re aunk on the flat are in the lower seams.J which in general are inferior and seldom exceed two tr.et 10 thickness.

•

JtrtU4U ... , lOtio &pttm1Jw,1862. SIR,

YOUR favour of yesterday I have ju,t received, and, in reply, I deem it incnmbent to inform you of the otate of the Coal I am in'tructed to gel 10 ton. from. Th. seam is altogether three feet thick; but it will \ Icarce produce two feet of clean Coal. I never was more deceived than to-day; for on cntting into the seam I found it full of hard stone and of iron pyrites distributed throughout, which in ... lily mBkes it good for nothing except for kitchen purposes, as it is quite impossible, without breaking the Coal to piecet, to clean it. This is the Coal there has been so much writing in praise of: the most wortbless seam of Coal I ever law. It i. so bad lhat I don't think it ad visable to go to the expen,e of. cuttin$ out ten tollJl of it; notwithstanding it contains some good Coal. Ho\vever, I shall contmue worktng It till 1 hear from you. In coD&equence ot' 80 much stone and iron pyrites scattered through it, it is very expensive getting, and we can scarcely get tools to stand the cutting: in fact it is a ,eam that never will be worked for any purpose. Waiting your anower with the utmost impatience, .

I remain, Sir, Your very obedient Servant, ,

ZEPH. WILLIAMS . . w. R. FALCONER, Esquire.

JI.llEA DARSJ.RD. QOyItRN'M"JH'fT rruNTEB, TJ.811U;H.L