Home Industry and Commerce Mining A “Load” Of Manvers Main Coal in One Lump!

A “Load” Of Manvers Main Coal in One Lump!

February 1940

Mexborough & Swinton Times, February 24, 1940

A “Load” Of Manvers Main Coal in One Lump!

This outsize lump of coal brought out of Manvers Main No. 1 Pit last Friday seems to give the lie to all talk of a coal shortage, temporary though it may have been! Weighing approximately 25 cwts. it is 5ft. 9ins. long, 3ft. high, and 3ft. wide and, as far as memory can recall, is about the biggest single lump of coal ever brought out of Manvers Main. Probably it is one of the biggest lumps to be brought out of any local colliery.

And when taken from the seam it was even bigger. It had to be trimmed down to get it into the cage. The winning of this monster lump entailed an intricate and interesting operation.

It was quarried from the Melton Field Seam, which is only about  3ft. 10ins. thick. This operation, quite out of the ordinary run of mining, involved undercutting the lump (really a small section of the seam), sliding a trolley underneath and then cutting round the mass and blasting away the rock above it until it was eased down on to the trolley. It was then triumphantly wheeled to the pit bottom (another fairly tricky job), where it had to be reduced to fit into the cage.

It is excellent house coal, and the piece is more than equal to one average domestic “load.” Consumers who want their coal delivered all in one piece are not likely to have their wishes gratified. however. It takes too much time and care to bring out lumps like this!