Sheffield Daily Telegraph – Saturday 21 January 1893
Coal Reached at Cadeby
Cutting Through the Barnsley bed
Yesterday the work of sinking at Cadeby, which has now been progressing for nearly four years, was completed, as, during the afternoon, the sinkers cut through the Barnsley bed, which they have been seeking, at a depth of 750 yards from the surface.
The bed was found to be ten feet in thickness, and of equal quality and thickness to the seam now being worked at Denaby Main. Yesterday’s discovery ensures the success of the great venture upon which the Denaby Main Colliery Company embarked at the commencement of the sinking, and which they have made the greater since by the acquisition of of 4,000 acres of the coalfield to the North and East of the Cadeby shaft.
It was known that there would be a considerable depth to go below that at which the bed is found at Denaby because there is a fault in the strata which cuts the seam off. At first it was anticipated that something over a hundred yards more would reveal it, but the sinking shows that it lies 300 yards lower.
On the call being brought up in the tubs yesterday, Mr. W.H. Chambers the Denaby Main Company’s manager expressed his satisfaction with the quality. It has one advantage over the Denaby seam at there is not so much “dirt” in it. The work of making roads into the bed will be immediately proceeded with, in order that the miners may start work directly the air shaft is completed.
At this shaft is now at a depth of 640 yards, 10 weeks longer is expected to suffice to bring it to the bed. At the pit – top preparations for the miners operations are well advanced. The permanent headstocks are ready set over the shaft now cut. The headstocks are of steel, and have been manufactured at the extensive workshops erected by the colliery company on the ground.
In the machine room is a pair of 42-inch engines, with 7ft stroke and they conical drum from 18 feet to 33 feet in diameter, calculated to be able to lift four tons of coal a time in 45 seconds. The company are laid down in 2000 lamp electric plant, this most modern light been the sole illuminant to be used at the colliery. Cadeby, when properly developed, will be double the size of the Denaby Main Colliery, and will give employment to 2000 miners.
The plan provides an output of 5000 tons per day, probably the largest of any single colliery in England. The Company possess 3600 trucks, a number which is to be added to and the sidings at Cadeby, several acres of ground contiguous to the M.S.and L.railway. This railway runs panel with it on the south side, while on the north side it will be hemmed in by the Sales Yorkshire Junction Railway, a mineral line now in course of construction, the object of which is to provide an easy outlet via Wrangbrook, and the Hull and Barnsley Railway for the heavy traffic anticipated at Cadeby for Hull
This railway will be completed in about 18 months time, and we will be managed by the whole and Barnsley Company. As showing the ambitious nature of the new colliery scheme it may be mentioned that the Denaby Main Company promised the
an annual coal traffic of at least 310,000 tons. The actual traffic will, in all probability, exceed this.
The whole of the works at Cadeby have been carried out under the able direction of Mr W.H.Chambers, was a capable engineer as well as a colliery manager. The difficulties encountered in sinking were most exceptional. From the surface down a great mass of loose boulder clay was met with, which are to be secured by piling, and 80 yards had been sunk before a wedging crib could be laid in each shaft. On this cast iron tubbing was built to the surface. Down to 120 yards heavy feeders of water poured out from fissured sandstone and each shaft had to be tubbed down to a depth of 135 yards. From 80 to 120 yards the outflow of water amounted to over 8000 gallons per minute, and to lift this volume 8 pumping engines were in constant operation, four in each shaft.
After this difficulty was overcome the sinkers went rapidly on with their work, and the last 600 yards of been sunk in 14 months. The development of the mine will have the same effect of more than doubling the population of Denaby Main, where, on the Conisbrough side, some hundreds of new cottage houses were erected in June last year, and many more are being built. It is considered likely that in the construction of the south Yorkshire Junction Railway shafts may be some to the east of Sprotbrough, the effect of which will be converted a now pretty agricultural district into busy colliery district.