The following notes record some of the features of interest seen by visitors to collieries, works, etc., which were, by kind permission of the owners, open for inspection during the course of the Newcastle-upon-Tyne meeting on September 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th, 1902:—

Hylton Colliery is situated on the site of the Wear steel-works, on the northern side of the river Wear, about 2 miles above Sunderland.

Shafts. — There are three shafts: the east and west pits, each 20 feet in diameter, are used for coal-drawing, and the south pit, 15 feet in diameter, is the upcast and fan-shaft.

The east and south pits are sunk to the Hutton seam, with an average section of 4½ feet of clean coal, at a depth of 1,580 feet. The west pit has been sunk to the Maudlin seam, 5 feet 9 inches thick, at a depth of 1,440 feet. All three shafts are lined throughout with brick-walling.

Winding-engines. — The winding-engines at the east and west. pits are in every way similar. They have 2 cylinders, 34 inches in diameter by 6 feet stroke, and are fitted with double-beat valves and automatic cut-off gear. The working steam-pressure is 120 pounds per square inch. The winding-drums are 20 feet in diameter on the cleading, which is of oak, 7 inches thick, fixed on steel lagging-plates; they are fitted with strap-brakes worked by a foot-lever, in addition to powerful steam-brakes.

Winding-ropes, Pulleys and Cages. — The winding-ropes are of mild steel, 5¼ inches in circumference. The pulleys, carried on frames of steel lattice-work, are 20 feet in diameter; they are of German manufacture, the rim being built in segments and carried on the boss by tapered fiat-steel spokes. The small cages, at present in use, will shortly be replaced by double-decked cages, carrying 4 tubs on each deck. An endless rope hung from the cage-bottoms counterbalances the winding-rope.

Heapstead and Banking-out Arrangements. — The heapstead is built on brickwork arches, the floor is of steel girders and concrete laid with a gradient, which allows the tubs on leaving the cage to gravitate to the tipplers, and, after being emptied, to run to the creepers at the back of the shafts, whence they are raised to a level from which they run automatically back to the banksmen.

The output of the colliery has, up to the present, been disposed of as unscreened gas-coal, and the jigging-screens which have been erected are not as yet in use as screens. All the coal is, however, passed over the picking-belts.

Ventilating Fan. — A Waddle fan, 25 feet in diameter at the blade-tips, is in course of erection, it will be driven by a tandem compound engine with cylinders, 18 and 30 inches in diameter by 24 inches stroke. This fan will replace a small furnace, which, up to the present, has produced ample ventilation; it is placed in the east pit at a depth of 940 feet, and, though only raising the temperature to a mean to 66° Fahr., it is producing a current of 80,000 cubic feet of air per minute.

Haulage. — It is intended to introduce an endless-rope system of main haulage; and secondary engines, placed inbye, having two cylinders 10 inches in diameter by 16 inches stroke, and driven by compressed air, will haul to the landings from the flats; some of these engines are already in use.

Air-compressors. — There are two Ingersoll-Sergeant two-stage air-compressors, one is already in use and the second is in course of erection. The steam-cylinders are 18 and 30 inches in diameter, the water-jacketted air-cylinders are 25¼ and 16¼ inches in diameter by 24 inches stroke. The air leaves the low-pressure cylinder at 38 pounds, and passes through the intercooler to the high-pressure cylinder, where the pressure is increased to 100 pounds per square inch.

Lighting. — The whole of the surface and the shaft-bottoms are electrically lighted, the current being supplied from a Tyne dynamo driven by a 50 horsepower Robey engine. The output of the dynamo is 400 amperes at 110 volts at 600 revolutions per minute, being equivalent to 750 lamps of 16 candlepower.

Boilers. — One battery of 6 Lancashire boilers, 30 feet long by 8½ feet in diameter, is already seated, though only 4 are in use, supplying steam at a pressure of 120 pounds per square inch. A similar battery will be put down shortly to replace the old boilers of the steel-works, as they cannot safely be pressed beyond 75 pounds.