154
Class 1.—MINING- AND MINERAL PRODUCTS.South Side—Areas S. 1 to S. 27.
[United
The number of furnaces now in blast is 143, averagingabout 100 tons of iron each per week: or a gross annualproduction of 700,000 tons, and requiring 2,000,000 tonsof ironstone, principally furnished from this coal-field.The annual production of coal is estimated at from 5 to6,000,000 tons.
In 1796, the annual production of iron in South Waleswas 34,011 tons, and in 1823, 182,325 tons; since whichtime the production has been nearly trebled.
In the eastern part of the district the coals are bitu-minous ; as they approach the west they gradually becomesemi-anthracitic; and in the western district all the coalsare anthracitic.
From the great area of this coal-field, and the greatvariety in character, both of its beds of coal, and itsmeasures of ironstone and blackband, it will, in all pro-bability, long remain the most important iron-makingdistrict in the world.
General
No. of
Blast
No.
Senes.
Furnaces.
Principal Works :—
In
Out
Rhuabon ....
Brymbo ....
2
1
1
i
5 Furnaces . . .
3
2
Strata.
Ft.
In.
Three Yard Coal
9
0
Brassey Coal . .
2
3
127—130
1
Upper yard Ironstone, Rhuabon - Four ir-
regular courses (No. 1 to No. 4), averaging about. 7 inches.
Upner Yard Coal
2
6
131-133
2
Red Coal Ironstone Bulls, Rhuabon.
Red Coal . . .
1
6
134-137
3
Stone Coal Ironstime, Rhuabon. — Four
courses (No 6 to No. 9).
S'one Coal .
2
9
Half-yard Coal
1
6
138
4
Two Yard Coal Ironstone, Rhuabon.
139
5
Lower Yard Coal Ironstone , Rhuabon.
Lower Yard Coal
3
0
140—145
6
Wall and Bench Ironstones, Rhuabon .—6
courses = 12£ inches (No. 12 to No. 17),lying in about 7 feet of ground.
Wall and Bench Coals
3
0
14G—ICO
7
L-wynemion Ironstones, Rhuabon. —15
courses (No. 18 to No 32), averaging 30inches, all worked with the coal in threelifts. Will yield 8,000 to 9,000 tons per
acre.
Llwynemion Coal ,
1
6
The production of iron in this district is very limited:the coals are principally thin, but good in quality: and theironstones, although lean, furnish very good iron. Theonly important works now in blast are the Rhuabon andthe Brymbo. The Brymbo series appear by themselves.
General
No. of
Blast
No.
Series .
—
Furnaces.
Principal Works:—
In
Out
Madeley Wood
3
Made-ey Court
2
1
The Castle .
1
1
Light Moor .
2
Horse-hay
2
1
Hawley
1
Hinkshay
2
Stirchley
4
Dark Lane .
2
New Lodge .
1
1
Donnington .
3
,
Sneds Hill .
2
I^angley
1
1
Ketley
1
1
33 Furnaces
.
23
10
General
No. of
No.
Series.
—
Strata.
Ft.
In.
161
1
Chance Pennystone, Donnington Wood.
Fungous Coal . . .
3
0
162, 163
2
B'ackslone, Donnington Wood.
164,165
3
Brick Measure, D mnington Hood,
166, 167
4
Bullstone, Donnington Wood.
Top Coal . . .
5
6
Three Quarters Coal . .
2
0
Double Coal . . .
5
10
168, 169
5
Yellow Stone, Donnington Wood.
Yard Coal . .
3
0
170, 171
6
Blue Flats, Donning on Wood. ‘
172
7
White Fiats, Donnington Wood.
173—175
8
Main Pennystone, Donnington Wood
( No. I), Madeley Court (No. 2).
Sulphur Coal . . .
7
0
Clunch Coal . . •
3
0
Two Feet Coal . . .
2
0
Clod Coal . . .
2
4
Little Flint Coal . .
2
0
176
9
Crawstone, Madeley Wood.
177
10
Black P,ats (position not given).
Annual production of iron about 90,000 tons. Thisfield was one of the first important iron-making dis-tricts of the kingdom; but from its limited extent, theproduction of iron in it has remained, for a considerableperiod, nearly stationary. The quality which it producesis very good. The coal measures of Shropshire wereprobably once connected with those of South Stafford-shire—indeed, of the identity of some of the measures inthe two districts there can be little doubt. This isespecially evident in the Whitestone and Cakes of the one,and the Pennystone of the other; and a great resemblancebetween all the measures of the two fields may also betraced, the difference in their thickness, &c., not beinggreater than might be expected at such distant pointsjudging from actual changes that are known to occur insome of the South Staffordshire beds, over comparativelya small space of ground.'
SOUTH STAFFORDSHIRE.
General
No. of
Blast
No.
Series.
—
Furnaces.
In
Out
148 Furnaces .
105
43
Strata.—Dudley District.
Ft.
In.
Brooch Coal . . •
2
6
178—179
1
Brooch Ironstone, Dudley.
Little Coal (not worked.’)
180, 181
. 2
Pins Ironstone, hnd.eif.
182, 183
3
Penny Earth Ironstone , Dudley.
184
4
Ten Foot titune, Dudley.
Thick Coal .
185—187
5
Grains Ironstone, Dud,eg.
6
Gubbin Ironstone , Dudley.
188
Gubiin,
189
Cannock.
190
Rubble.
191
Brown Stone.
Heathen Coal . . .
3
0
Bottom Heathen Coal. .
2
6
192, 193
7
White Ironstone BindDudley.
194,195
8
White Ironstone, Du iley■
196, 197
White Ironstone, Brue/tmonr.
198, 199
9
Sulphur Coal .
4
6
New Mine Coal .
2
6
Fire Clay Coal
2
6
200, 201
10
Bottom Coal ....
2
0
The Dudley Division of the South Staffordshire andWorcestershire coal-field is principally celebrated forthe Ten Yard, or Thick Coal, so named from its being 30feet thick, and which may well be termed, par excellence ," The Thick Coal.” This is the largest and most im-portant bed of coal in the kingdom, and is of excellent