. The pictorial sketch-book of Pennsylvania, or, Its scenery, internal improvements, resources, and agriculture, populary described . those mines below water-level,called Slopes, are contradistinguished from those above water-level,called Drifts. Engines erected for the purpose of hoisting the coalup the Slope, and pumping the water out of the mine, are usually ofthe capacity of from forty, fifty, and sixty horse-power, nearly all16* Y 186 OFF-HAND SKETCHES. horizontal high-pressure, and working with a slide-valve. They aregenerally built in a very neat, simj^le, as well as a strong and effici
. The pictorial sketch-book of Pennsylvania, or, Its scenery, internal improvements, resources, and agriculture, populary described . those mines below water-level,called Slopes, are contradistinguished from those above water-level,called Drifts. Engines erected for the purpose of hoisting the coalup the Slope, and pumping the water out of the mine, are usually ofthe capacity of from forty, fifty, and sixty horse-power, nearly all16* Y 186 OFF-HAND SKETCHES. horizontal high-pressure, and working with a slide-valve. They aregenerally built in a very neat, simj^le, as well as a strong and efficientmanner, and invariably by the mechanics of the coal region. The location of the engine being determined upon, a slope, or in-clined plane, must be driven down in the vein, and consequently atthe same angle of inclination. The thickness of the vein is usuallyexcavated, and the slope must be sufficiently wide to admit of tworailway tracks, from thirty-six to forty inches wide each, to be laiddown ; with room, also, for the pumps on one side, (and sometimesboth sides) and travelling road on the other side (or sometimes between. FIG. 53.—GROUND-PLAN OF A COAL MINE. the two railway tracks) for the miners and laborers—the whole widthof the slope being usually from eighteen to twenty-two feet. Theslope is driven down about two hundred feet for the Jirst level, at thebottom of which the gangicays are commenced, running at right-angles from the slope, east and west in the vein, and are continued at ANTHRACITE COAL FORMATION. 187 distances discretionary with the operator, or to the extremity of hismining limits. The slope and gangways form a capital T. The gang-ways are frequently driven one, two, or three miles, with turnouts atintervals for trains to pass each other. They are made about sevenfeet high, and sufficiently wide to admit a railroad track to be laiddown, on which a well loaded car, having from one to two tons of coal,may pass freely. (Fig. 53. The gangways are indicat
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade, booksubjectminesandmineralresources
