Kingdom.]
Class 1.—MINING- AND MINERAL PRODUCTS.South Side—Areas S. 1 to S. 27.
151
the number and variety of the measures of argillaceous andblack-band ironstones which alternate with the beds ofcoal in almost all its coal-fields; and in consequence ofwhich, the same localities, and, in many instances, thesame mineral workings, frequently furnish both the oreand the fuel required to smelt it.
So extensive are the ironstone beds of the coal mea-sures, that they furnish in themselves the greater part ofthe iron produced in Great Britain; but the iron-makingresources of the kingdom are by no means confined tothem. The carboniferous, or mountain limestones ofLancashire, Cumberland, Durham, the Forest of Dean ,Derbyshire, Somersetshire, and South Wales , all furnishimportant beds and veins of haematite ; those of Ulver-ston, Whitehaven, and the Forest of Dean are the mostextensively worked, and seem to be almost exhaustless.The brown haematites and white carbonates of AlstonMoor and Weardale also exist in such large masses thatthey must ultimately become of great importance. Inthe older rocks of Devon and Cornwall are found manyimportant veins of black haematite, and in the granite ofDartmoor numerous veins of magnetic oxide and speculariron ore. The new red sandstone furnishes in its lowestmeasures beds of haematitic conglomerate. In the liasand oolites are important beds of argillaceous ironstones,now becoming extensively worked; and the iron ores ofthe greensand of Sussex, once the seat of a considerablemanufacture of iron, will, in all probability, again soonbecome available, by means of the facilities of railwaycommunication.
In the following classification, the number of the blastfurnaces in each district is given, and the ironstones ofthe coal measures are arranged in the definite order inwhich they occur in the different coal-fields; so that theirposition, in reference to the beds of coal alternating withthem, is at once seen. The more important of the coal-fields are also subdivided into districts, showing thechanges which occur in each, and thus giving a conciseview of their general character. The other iron ores arearranged according to the geological formations in whichthey occur.
The produce of the manufacture of iron in Great Bri-tain in 1750 was only about 30,0 )0 tons ; in 1800, it hadincreased to 180,000 tons; in 1825, to 600,000 tons; inthe following year the duties upon the introduction offoreign iron were either removed or rendered nominal,since which the production of iron has nearly quadrupleditself, being now about 2,250,000 tons.
SOUTH WALES.—(Eastern Outcrop.)
General
IVo. of
Blast
N v .
Series.
—
Furnaces.
Strata.
In
Out
Principal Works :—
Cwm Bran . . . •
1
Pontvpool
2
1
Abersvchan ....
2
4
Pentwyn ....
3
Varteg ....
2
Gelvnos ....
3
Blaenavon ....
3
*2
23 Furnaces . . .
12
11
Strata.
1
1
Soap Vein Mine, Blaenavon.
Ft.
In.
Soap Fein Coal
6
C ud (not named)
2
6
2
B tick Pins, Blcanavon.
4
0
Droidig Coal, or Big Vein
4
0
Red Vein Coal.
3
3
3
Three Quarter BaIs. Blaenavon.
22,oft Vein , or Three Quarter
Coal ....
8
0
Yard Vein Coal . .
2
a
4
4
Meadow Vein Mine , or Pw /oca, Blaenavon
M adnw Vein Coal . .
8
10
Old Coal . •
5
6
5
5
Spotted Vein Mine , Blaenavon.
6
Bottom Vein Mine, Blaenavon .
SOUTH WALES.—(North Eastern Outcrop.)
General
No. of
Blast
No.
Series.
—
Furnaces.
Principal Works :—
In
Clydach . • .
4
Nant-y-glo ....
7
1
Coalbrook Vale . . .
2
3
Blaina ....
2
1
Cwm Celyn ....
2
1
Beau fort ....
7
Ebbw Vale ....
4
Victoria . . . •
2
2
Sirhowey . . • •
5
Tredegar . . ...
7
50 Furnaces . •
42
8
Strata.
Ft.
In.
13,14
1
Soap Vein Mine, Coalbrook Vale. — Four
courses, ='.• inches. Average yield about2,00 ’ tons per acre.
15
o
Black Band, Coalbrook Vole. —One course,
not very generally worked : only verylocal.
1
3
16 to 18
3
Black Pins, Coalbrook Vale. —Ten irregular
courses of nodules in about 15 feet ofground, Yield about 4,500, tons per acre.
3
4
Big Vein Coal . .
5
6
19, 80
4
Three-quarter Balls, Coalbrook Vale. —
Worked with three-quarter coal: threecourses (two irregular). Yield per acre
very variable,averaging about 1,200 tons
Three-quarter Coal . .
3
Bwdellog Coal . .
2
10
Engine Vein Coal
3
2
Yard Coal . .
3
8
2!, 22
5
Blaekband , Nnnt-y-glo.— Worked with theOld Coal over w hich it lies, very local inextent, but of very good quality, and
forming an important measure at Beau-fort and Nant-v-glo.
Old C al
5
6
23, 24
6
Spotted Pin, Coa lrook Vale. —Two courses
= 4i inches in 4 feet ground. Yield peracre, about 1,200 tons.
25, 26
7
Little Pins, Nant-y-gto. —Two courses =:
5 inches in 3 feet ground. Yield peracre, about 1,400 tons.
27 to 29
8
Red Vein, Coatbro k Vale. —Three courses= <q inches. Yield per acre 1,8< 0 tons.Big Vein, Nant-y-glo. —Worked with but-
30
9
tom coal. Two courses = 6 inches.Yield per acre, about 1,700 tons.
Bottom Coal . .
1
8
The beds of coal in this division of the coal-fieldare all bituminous. The principal coals only are given inthis section. The ironstones are principally argillaceous,although some important beds of blaekband or car-bonaceous ironstone exist locally. The total thickness ofthe coal measures, in this series, from the Soap VeinMine to the bottom coal is about 150 yards.
SOUTH WALES.—(Northern Outcrop.)
Gene-rid
m. „r
Blast
No.
Scries.
—
Furnaces.
Principal Works :—
In
Out
llhymney ....
8
2
Dowlais ...»
11
3
Ivor . . . . «
3
1
Penydarren .
5
Cvtharfa ...»
Ilirwain . . • •
4
DufiYvu and Furnace Ycha
8
Ynvsfach . . • *
»
6
Aberammon • •
2
1
Gadlvs .
3
•
70 Furnaces •
60
10
Strata .
Ft.
In.
32
1
Gwrid Mine , Dowlais
33, 34
2