The Coal Industry

1. The Coal Industry

2. BEFORE THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION • Before 1500 there was little use of coal as a fuel in Britain but in the 16th century some enterprising landowners began to exploit their land by mining • The north east quickly took the lead and the phrase 'carrying coals to Newcastle' (meaning transporting a product from a place of scarcity to a place of surplus) dates from this period. Newcastle's location on the coast was ideal for transport - coal cost much more to transport than to mine. • The domestic market in London grew rapidly.Coal from the North-East was known as “Sea-Coal”

3. Bell Pits and Adit Mines • After the surface seams had been worked the bell pit method was used when there was a fairly thick seam close to the ground, but it was wasteful in the amount of excavation needed for a relatively small amount of coal. • The Pit and adit method involved digging horizontally along a seam of coal, often starting from an outcrop on a hillside, with vertical shafts inserted every so often. Uncut coal pillars acted as supports. • Fires lit at the bottom of each alternate mineshaft (the upcast shaft) improved ventilation. • Deep mining was rare before the Industrial Revolution and there was little demand for coal.

4. Rising demand for Coal • Demand for coal greatly increased as a result of a number of factors:- • Fuel for the boilers of the steam engine, itself used in a variety of roles. Also locomotives and steam ships • As a dye in the textile industry. • Growing domestic use by an increasing population, with peat less available. • Conversion to coke for smelting in the blast furnaces. • Coal gas, a bi-product, was used for street lighting in the 19th century. • In furnaces making pottery, bricks etc

5. Problems of Deep Mining • As more coal was required pits had to go deeper. As a result a number of problems had to be overcome:- • Flooding: Deep pits filled with water. There was no real practical solution to this until the invention of Thomas Newcomen’s Atmospheric Steam Pumping Engine • Pit props were used to prevent cave-ins

6. Ventilation • The problem of “firedamp”, a lethal inflammable mixture of methane and butane was a very serious one. • Another problem was “chokedamp” –poisonous carbon monoxide • One solution was to send down a miner with a naked flame and if he didn't get blown up, then you knew that it was safe • Another was taking down a canary, whose sensitive lungs would lead to it fainting and indicate the existence of chokedamp • Small boys called “trappers” were used to open and close doors to control the circulation of air

7. The Miner’s Safety Lamp 1815 • Sir Humphry Davy, a famous scientist, invented a safe lamp in 1815 • At the same George Stephenson, a semi-literate coal worker from Newcastle also invented a safe lamp – the “Geordie Lamp” • When used properly these inventions stopped the risk of explosions • In 1800 John Buddle devised the Exhaust Fan – this helped to ventilated mines

8. Moving Coal • Moving coal from the seam to the surface was a very serious problem • It was a task performed by women and girls, who dragged and carried the coal

9. Steam Engines and Rails • James Watt’s rotary Steam Engine helped to solve the problem of getting coal and miner’s to the surface • Above and below ground iron railways were introduced to ease the movement of coal • Pit ponies were used above and below ground

10. CONCLUSIONS • British Coal production increased from 2 million tons in 1700 to 216 million tons in 1899 • This was vital in allowing the Industrial Revolution to happen • Coal mining remained a very difficult and dangerous job • In 1842 a government report into coal mining shocked the nation • As a result women and children were banned from working below ground The cartoon “Capital and Labour”, Published in 1842