Aug: st 14, 1914. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN 373 ON A BORING FOR COAL AT REMINGTON, SOMERSET* By T. C. Cantrill and J. Pringle. Early in 1909 a boring for coal was commenced on a site close to the village of Hemington, 2| miles east- south-east of Radstock; but having failed to prove work- able seams, it was abandoned in the year following. Through the kindness of Mr. J. D. Armstrong, of Vallis Vale, Frome, permission was given to the Geological Survey to visit the borehole, and examine the cores. As the thin cover of jurassic and triassic rocks which every- where more or less conceals the Radstock coal measures had to be passed through, the boring operations pro- mised to be of more than usual interest. Unfortunately, however, much of this was lost through the cores of the jurassic and triassic rocks having suffered severely from the weather before our visits in March and July, 1910. The coal measure cores, especially the earlier ones, were perhaps in an even worse condition. These, owing to lack of shed room, had been piled one upon another, so that their examination was a matter of considerable difficulty. This was particularly unfortunate; for, had they been laid out in single rows, we have reason to believe that the overfolding and overthrusting, known to affect the local coal measures, and. signs of which were seen in the cores, could have been worked out more or less completely. The Geological Survey map (Old Series, Sheet 19), shows that the surface-formation is the upper fullers’ earth, with the fullers’ earth rock cropping out in lower ground a little farther east. With this mapping the results of the boring are in agreement. The map shows also, next below the mesozoic rocks, the outcrop of the pennant grit; but on neither lithological nor palaeontological grounds can any of the rocks in the boring be referred to that part of the coal measures. The following is the section of the borehole :— Boring for Coal, 300 yds. west of Hemington Church, near Radstock, Somerset, 1909-10. Geological Map, Old Series, Sheet 19; 1 in. New Series Ordnance Map, Sheet 281; 6 in., Somerset 29 N.E.—Height of surface above O.D. about 450 ft. About 265 yds. west of Hemington Church the road to Ammerdown makes a southerly bend, at which point a hedge leaves the road and runs westward. The boring was put down close to, and on the south side of, this hedge, at about 35 yds. distance from the bend. Thickness. Depth. Ft. in. Ft. in. Surface soil and clay ............. 6 0 ... 6 0 Fuller's earth— Clay, dark greenish grey, with small Rhynchonellae ................ 26 0 ... 32 0 Limestones, dark grey, earthy, with thick marly partings (fuller's earth rock) ...................................... 15 0 ... 47 0 Clay, dark greenish-grey, with Ostrea acuminata, J. Sow........ 1 6 ... 48 6 Clay, dark grey, with lighter- coloured bands................ 38 6 ... 87 0 Inferior oolite— Rubbly beds— Limestone, brownish, thin and irregular, full of crushed tere- bratulas ...................... 0 1 ... 87 1 Anabacia limstones— Limestone, compact, creamy, full of worm-borings and casts of large oysters......................................... 1 0 ... 88 1 Oolite, creamy-white, with abun- dant Anabacia complanataDefr.... 5 6 ... 93 7 Doubting stone— Limestone, compact, creamy ..... 0 10 ... 94 5 Oolite, cr eamy-white, with Anabacia 13 6 ... 107 11 Limestone, compact, creamy ..... 1 6 ... 109 5 Oolite, creamy-white............. 3 6 ... 112 11 Limestone, compact, creamy ..... 1 6 ... 114 5 Oolite, creamy white............. 4 6 ... 118 11 Limestone, dark, earthy, irregularly oolitic and ironshot. Fossils occur in non-oolitic portions, and appear to have been derived from under- lying bed. From 6 to 9 inches, average________.......................... 0 7 ... 119 6 Upper Trigonia grit— Limestone, grey, earthy, irregu- larly-bedded, with many fossils (Trigonia, &c.), passing down into grey compact limestone with Acanthothyris spinosa (Schloth.)... 6 6 ... 126 0 Lias— Clay, dark bluish................ 25 0 151 0 Limestone, dark grey, ironshot, with Terebratula radstockensis Dav. and ammonites __............... 4 0 ... 155 0 Rhsetic— Limestones, compact, whitish, becoming thinner - bedded and marly below (white lias) ....... 19 0 ... 174 0 Shales, dark, papery (Pteria contort a beds) .......................... 23 0 ... 197 0 Keuper marl— Red marls, bright becoming more sandy towards base............. 139 0 ... 336 0 Coal measures— Purplish-red marl at or near the top, underlain by grey shales with abundant ironstone - nodules; thick, gritty sandstones, fireclays, and thin coals (varying from f in. tolft.).............;........................ 864 0 ...1,200 0 The boring entered the coal measures at a depth of 336 ft., and operations were continued until a depth of 1,200 ft. was reached, when, as no workable beds of coal had been passed through, they were abandoned. The strata met with are summarised in the table, and do not differ from the measures recorded in other parts of the Radstock coalfield. One bed passed through, however, deserves mention, as it determines the horizon of the strata first encountered. This is the thick red purplish marl or shale that was met with at or near the top of the measures, and is known to occur about mid- way between the Radstock and the Farrington coal * From the Summary of Progress, Geol. Survey of Great Britain. groups. Unfortunately, owing to the manner in which the cores had been laid out, it was impossible do ascer- tain its thickness; but elsewhere in the coalfield it had been found to be from 130 to 250 ft.* Where first entered in the boring, the red shales are said by Mr. Armstrong to have had a dip of 15 degs. Between the depths of 800-1,000 ft. the beds exhibited various dips, and appear to have undergone consider- able crushing. So far as the order of the cores was determinable, there is reason to suspect that the distur- bance was accompanied by overfolding. A bed of dark carbonaceous shale containing fragments of plants and shells (Anthracomya) • noted between 580-600 ft. was apparently passed through three times, for a similar bed, characterised by the same fossils and bearing the same relation to a group of gritty sandstones, was seen at 900 ft. and at 1,050 ft. At the first-mentioned depth the bed occurred below the sandstones; at 900 ft. it was above them; while at 1,050 ft. it was again below. The position of this shale band, therefore, affords a clue to the movements that affected the measures. Such “ slide ” faults are a common feature in this coalfield, and are numerous in the Radstock district. Mr. McMurtrie has already described several that affect the seams of that neighbourhood. The failure to find the seams of the Farrington series may be due to the overthrusting and overfolding which we had reason to suspect from our examination of the cores. The movement appears to have resulted in the duplication of the measures, so that the boring was abandoned at a horizon not far below that first encoun- tered after the cover of jurassic rocks was pierced. The plants collected from the cores corroborate this view. Dr. Kidston, to whom the fossils were submitted for examination (the horizon given him being “ ? Farring- ton series ”), says in a letter : “ As far as the species indicate, the rocks from which they come might be equally referred to the Radstock. The whole of the plants contained in the collection are common to both the divisions of the Radstockian series, viz., Radstock and Farrington groups. They are typically upper coal measures.” We conclude, therefore, that the first coal measures entered by the boring are the red shales known to occupy an intermediate position between the Radstock and the Farrington seams, and that the lowest beds reached lie between the red shales and the Farrington coals; that this latter group of coals was not reached at the depth expected, because the overlying grey measures had been abnormally thickened by overfold- ing and overthrusting; and that the boring ended at a horizon far above the pennant grit, which must conse- quently crop out, under the mesozoic rocks, well to the south-east of the position assigned to it upon the map. * J. McMurtrie, “ The Geological Features of the Somer- set and Bristol Coalfield, with Special Reference to the Physical Geology of the Somerset Basin.” Trans. Inst. Min. Eng., vol. xx., 1901, p. 306. _______________________________________________ THE WELSH COAL AND IRON TRADES. Thursday, August 13. _______________________________________________ North Wales. Wrexham. COAL. The coal trade in this locality during the past week has been |practically demoralised, and all the collieries have been compelled to work short time, through lack of empties ; and the output, even then, has been materially reduced owing to a very large number of men having gone to the colours. In regard to house coal, there is no lack of orders. People are trying to lay in their winter stock much earlier this year in view of existing circumstances, but the difficulty is that wagons are delayed en route to the collieries, and now that the Government have taken over the railways the exceptional amount of military traffic which is now prevailing makes matters worse. In the case of gas coal, things are fairly normal, gasworks are asking for their full contract quantity, and, as far as possible, the colliery companies are giving them the same, and the business of fixing up new contracts is practically now com- pleted. The position of steam coal is entirely different. While it is true that the railway companies are taking good quantities, the demand from manufacturing firms has very much declined. Several works, notably ironworks at Shotton and Ellesmere Port, have closed down indefinitely, owing to the bulk of their trade being export, which is now non-existent. This has had a material effect on the coal business. Then, again, the shipping trade in North Wales coal is practically dead. While some collieries have con- tracts which will enable them to ship a small quantity, the bulk of the trade in this department at the Mersey ports is a dead letter. Prices are unaltered. _______ _______ Monmouthshire, South Wales, &c. Newport. COAL. So far, no actual business can be reported from the coal market, where conditions rule unstable all round. The great uncertainty of the course of events which now prevails has, up to now, prevented business, but there certainly does now appear a better attempt to open up matters, and discussions on probable transactions are more numerous and in greater earnest. Naturally the existing restrictions, notably the treble value bond, are very much against a return to normal conditions, and it is to be feared that these will not be attained until greater relaxation by the authorities is shown. Much doubt exists at the moment as to what exactly the Customs authorities mean by the expression “best Welsh steam" used in their latest instruction. Until this is definitely settled, the trade will be quite uncertain amongst the large variety of high-grade coals what they may or may not be allowed to export. In general, the values of large coals remain undecided, but plenty of smalls can be had at prices varying between 7s. and 9s. Pitwood supplies continue very limited in quantity, while those who have good wood are asking anything from 32s. 6d. to 35s., or even 36s. for it. In the outward freight market more activity is being shown. Quite a number of fixtures have been made, the rates exacted being consider- ably in advance of ante-bellum values, and are understood to be fixed to cover all war risks. IRON. Owing to the war conditions the local iron and steel trades are almost at a standstill. Very few works continue in actual operation, and these only partially. With no German supplies coming to hand, and only small shipments from Belgium, there is little doing in the market, and business is extremely difficult. A fair enquiry is coming along from the Staffordshire district. It is difficult to accurately indicate prices, but it may be taken that values of pig iron and tinplates show a slight improvement, otherwise no alteration is to be noted. Cardiff. COAL. The Cardiff Coal Exchange has been a hive of industry during the past week or ten days, and even on Sunday business was in full swing. Transactions, however, have been practically all on Admiralty account, and there has been the heartiest co-operation on all sides to ensure adequate supplies for naval requirements. In order to prevent large coal getting into the hands of foreign con- sumers with whom we are at variance, the Government exacted a bond with sureties of triple value of the coal shipped, and this had the effect of putting an end to foreign exports. Efforts have since been made to modify the conditions, especially to Norway, Portugal and Italy, and it is not improbable that the terms of the bond will not be insisted upon except in cases where an attempt has been made to supply an enemy. At the time of writing, the Admiralty had suspended chartering for the moment, but they were still open to receive offers of tonnage for future loading. One satisfactory feature has been the willingness of the miners to assist the Government. During the holiday week they took their three days' holiday, but since that time they have consented to waive the provisions of the Eight Hours Act, in order to provide against any possible shortage of best quality coal for the Navy. With regard to general business there is practically no market, and quotations have been suspended. A cargo of Monmouthshire western-valley coal is reported to have changed hands at 17s. f.o.b. Newport, and best quality bunker coal is offering at 10s. Small coal is plentiful, and has been done at 6s. 6d. for second grades and 4s. 6d. to 5s. 6d. for cargo sorts. There is nothing doing in either patent fuel or coke. The Custom House returns of coal shipped coastwise shows a total during June from the Bristol Channel ports of 260,702 tons, compared with 265,644 tons in the corresponding month of last year. From Cardiff there were shipped 183,286 tons, of which Southampton took 59,664 tons, Liverpool 45,890 tons, London 31,357 tons, and Bristol 17,870 tons. Newport despatched 54,351 tons, of which Dublin received 12,335 tons, Swansea shipments were 25,635 tons, of which 10,764 tons went to London, and from Port Talbot there were shipped 12,068 tons, Briton Ferry 10,631 tons, and Llanelly 6,925 tons. According to a table published by the Cardiff “ Journal of Commerce,” the following were the average declared prices of coal during the month of June from the Bristol Channel ports:— Cardiff. Newport. Port Talbot, s. d. Swansea. s. d. s. d. s. d. Large steam ... 17 Il . .. 16 8 .. . 16 11 ... 15 11 Through-and-through 14 3 . .. 12 3 .. . 12 4 . ... 10 9 Small ... 9 7 . .. 10 11 .. . 8 10 . ... 9 11 Large anthracite ... ... 18 6 . .. 23 8 .. — ... 17 2 Household ... 16 10 . . 13 2: In June 1913 the figures were :— Cardiff. Newport. Port Talbot. Swansea. Large steam ... 17 11 ... 16 6 .. . 15 6 ... 16 7 Through-and-through 13 10 ... 15 5 .. . 11 8 ... 11 4 Small ... 10 1 ... 12 5 .. . 9 5 ... 10 0 Large anthracite ... ... 24 5 ... 26 4 .. . 17 1 ... 17 6 Household — IRON. Shipments of tinplates last week only amounted to 36,262 boxes, and since the declaration of war they have been practically nil. Receipts from works were 59,339 boxes, thus leaving 249,320 boxes in docks, warehouses, and vans, compared with 226,243 boxes the previous week, and 334,227 boxes at the corresponding date of last year. There is no new business doing, and most of the mills have remained closed throughout the week. Bessemer standard cokes are quoted at 13s., and oil sizes at 13s. 3d. and 18s. 9d. respectively. Owing to lack of orders the Dowlais works were closed during the whole of last week, and there have also been stoppages at Messrs. Lysaght’s works at Newport, and at Blaenavon. The galvanised sheet trade is also at a standstill, and nothing can be done until safety at sea is assured. One firm alone has <£20,000 worth of sheets stopped at the various ports. Prices of 24 gauge corrugateds are nominally <£11, but there is no official quotation. As imports of foreign bars, billets, and blooms are now suspended, it is probable that the local makers will benefit, but until there is an outlet for the manufactured article there is not likely to be much work done of any description. According to the Board of Trade returns for July, shipments of tinplates amounted to 47,237 tons compared with 43,166 tons in the corresponding month of last year. For the seven months the exports were 302,497 tons against 298,185 tons in the corresponding period. Galvanised sheets showed a decrease for the month, the total being 58,623 tons compared with 61,844 tons last year. For the seven months there is also a slight decrease, the aggregate being 438,362 tons as against 440,472 tons in the first seven months of 1913. Swansea. COAL. With the declaration of war the control of the docks practically passed into the hands of the Government. This, and the effect of the holidays and closure of the banks, brought operations last week almost to a standstill. The amount of coal shipped was 20,753 tons, but there were no shipments of patent fuel. Business continued at a stand- still on both the anthracite and steam coal markets to-day,