Abstract
LONDON Royal Society, January 27.—The following papers were read: “Observations on the temperature of the strata taken during the sinking of the Rose Bridge Colliery, Wigan, Lancashire, 1868–69.” By Edward Hull, M.A., F.R.S., Director of the Geological Survey of Ireland. The manager of the Rose Bridge Colliery, Mr. Bryham, sensible of the value of observations of the temperature of the strata in what is probably the deepest colliery in the world, certainly in Britain, made a series of observations with as much care as the circumstances of the sinking of the shaft would admit, and entrusted them to Mr, Hull for publication. The mode of taking the observations was as follows:—On a favourable stratum, such as shale, or even coal, having been reached, a hole was drilled with water in the solid strata to a depth of one yard from the bottom of the pit. A thermometer was then inserted for the space of thirty minutes, the hole having been sealed and made air-tight with clay. At the expiration of the half-hour the thermometer was taken up and the reading noted. While the temperatures of the strata were being measured, observations were carried on pari passu on those of the open pit during the descent. These are given in the Table annexed. By a comparison of the results in the two columns, it will be observed that, as the depth increased, the differences between the corresponding temperatures in the pit and the strata tended to augment; in other words, the temperature of the strata was found to augment more rapidly than that of the open pit. The effects of the high temperature and pressure on the strata at the depth of 2,425 feet are making themselves felt, and cause an increase in the expense both of labour and timber for props. This colliery, in fact, will be in a position to put to the test our views and speculations on the effects of high temperature and pressure on mining operations. In order to obtain the average rate of increase of heat, as shown by the experiments at Rose Bridge Colliery, we may assume (in the absence of direct observation) the position and temperature of the invariable stratum to be 50 feet from the surface and 50° F., which is probably nearly the mean temperature of the place. With these data, the increase is 1° F. for every 54.57 feet, which approximates to that obtained by Professor Phillips at Monkwearmouth of 1° F. for about every 60 feet. If, on the other hand, for the purpose of comparison, the measurements for the invariable stratum as obtained at Dukenfield be adopted, the rate of increase is found to be 1° F. for every 47.2 feet as against 1° F. for every 83.2 feet in the case of Dukenfield itself. So great a discordance in the results is remarkable, and is not, in the opinion of the author, attributable to inaccuracy of observation in making the experiments. On the other hand, he suggests that it is due, at least in some measure, to dissimilarity in the position and inclination of the strata in each case.
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Societies and Academies . Nature 1, 365–370 (1870). https://doi.org/10.1038/001365b0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/001365b0