October 18, 1918. THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN 811 Ft. in. Sandstone and shale.......................40 0 Red Vein coal ............................ 4 6 Shale (for red brick)..................) q n Fireclay, impersistent ...................)y 0 Big Vein coal. ........................... 6 6 Fireclay ................................. 4 0 Shale (for red brick) ... ... ... ... 50 0 Black Vein coal .......................... 4 0 When the Red Vein clay is obtainable it is mixed with the Big Vein clay. A fireclay 8 ft. above the Old coal at Beaufort, near Ebbw Vale. The beds seen in the quarry are: — Ft. in. Yard Vein coal ........................... 7 10 Shale and clay ...........................24 0 Little Vein coal ......................... 1 0 Buff clay ................................ 0 9 Fireclay ...............................6-10 0 Rock ..................................... 8 0 Old Vein coal............................. 4 6 “ Ganister,” a siliceous fireclay ........ 2 0 Clay ........................................ — The shale beneath the Yard coal is used for red bricks, the clay for sanitary pipes. Fireclay from within the Old coal, worked in the Pontnewynydd district, The Old coal usually consists of an upper and lower coal seam separated by the Old coal fireclay, which is 3-4 ft. thick at Llantarnam, 5-8 ft. at Henllys, and 2 ft. at Pontnewynydd. At the last-named place a 6 ft. clay above the Old coal is also worked; the two clays are mixed together. At Henllys the fireclay passes laterally in places into a hard, fine-grained quartz rock. For special purposes the better parts of the bed are selected. The Old coal underclay, a so-called “ganister” (see above) is worked at Trefil, near Ebbw Vale. Here the Old coal fireclay is represented by 18 in. of “clod.” The “ganister” consists of the following- three beds: Top bed, dark fireclay, 9 in.; middle bed, hard, grey siliceous fireclay, 2 ft. 3 in. ; bottom bed, hard, darker siliceous fireclay, 1 ft. A “No. 5 fireclay” (relative position uncertain) is worked at Darren, near Risca. This clay is about 6 ft. thick; the upper half, of “best quality,” is employed for higher grade goods; the lower half is of “second quality.” Other clays on the property are associated with the Brass, Thick, Grey, Red, Ponty- mister and Rock veins. The last is a siliceous clay. Llanelly and Swansea District. In the Llanelly and Swansea district fireclays are raised from the Pennant series as well as from the Lower coal series. In approximate descending order the principal clays exploited are: — In the Pennant Series.—Clays 35 to 40 ft. below the 5 ft. coal at Morriston, near Swansea; these in- clude a “soft blue” for terra-cotta facings, and a “hard blue” for brindled bricks and acid-resisting ware. The Graigola (6 ft. or Fiery) Vein fireclay at Cly- dach, Pontardawe and Gias in the Swansea and Tawe Valley. A black clay that weathers brown, average thickness 3 ft. Fireclay beneath the Golden Vein, worked near Pontardulais and Bynea, is from 3 to 5 ft. thick. A fireclay associated with the Gyscwm Rider coal at Pembrey. Two clays below the Black Rock coal at Pwll and Trefig, Llanelly. The upper is 2 ft. 9 in. thick; the lower, which is blacker and harder, is 5 ft. thick. In the Lower Coal Series.—Shales about 200 ft. below the Red coal at Cwmgors, near Brynamman. These are 40 ft. thick; they are ground for ladles. A clay 30 ft. below the Red coal at Cwmgors. The Pencraig (Little or Lower 4 ft.) Vein has fire- clay and shales below it at Lower Cwmtwrch. The quarry shows : — Ft. Thin coal ................................... 3 Fireclay (for firebricks and steel ladles) ... 9 Blue shale (for steel and spelter works) ... 16 Rock .................................. ... 7 Shale (for steel and spelter works) ... ... 30 A clay 51 to 54 ft. below the Rocket coal at Ponty- clerc, Ammanford. The bed is 5 ft. 6 in. thick, but only the upper 2 ft. 6 in. is employed. Besides the- fireclays enumerated above there are many that have been worked a little from time to time, and others are recorded in coal mine sections that have never been worked. Some of these clays are briefly mentioned below. Newport District. In connection with one of the several Rock veins a fireclay has been worked in the valley east of Twyn Barllwm. At Darren, near Risca, a 2 ft. siliceous clay lies below the Brass Vein coal, and a similar clay occurs lower down, beneath the Hard Vein (? Old coal of Cwm Bran). The Brass Vein clay of Machen, 4 ft. thick, is reported to have made good firebricks. Some of the conglomeratic quartz grit from above the Rock Vein was mixed with it. These two clays, the Brass and Hard Veins, have been worked also at Rudry. Two fireclays, respectively 2 ft. 3 in. and 5 ft. 6 in. thick, lie between the Big Rock Vein and Big Vein coals at Rudry shaft, probably above the Limog Vein coal. The principal coal seams in this district are, in descending order, the Little Rock Vein, Big Rock Vein, Bowder Vein, Limog Vein, Yard Vein, Red Vein, Big Vein, Black Vein, Fork Vein, Brass Vein, Hard Vein, Sun Vein. The best clays appear to be associated with the Big, Limog and Brass veins; the less good clays accompany the Little Limog and Hard Veins. At the Navigation Collieries, Argoed, at 290 yards, we find beneath the Brithdir coal: Fireclay, 7 ft. ; hard white rock, 8 ft.; fireclay, 3 ft. In the Rhymney Valley, at Bargoed Colliery, the Ras-las, or Black Vein is underlain by fireclay, i2 ft. ; coal, 1 ft.; fireclay, 2 ft.; and at 600 yards in depth we find fireclay, 9 ft.; cleft, 24 ft.; coal, 2 ft. 8 in. ; fire- clay, 3 ft.; coal, 1 ft. (these three forming the “Red Vein”); fireclay, 6 ft. At Groesfaen Pit in the Rhymney Valley is a fire- clay 10 ft. thick above the Brithdir Vein, at 53 yards from the surface. In the Aber Valley, at Windsor Colliery, a fireclay 12 ft. thick occurs 41 yards below the (Rhondda No. 3?) coal. At Llys-pen-twyn Pit, in the Blackwood and Pen- garn basin, is a fireclay 4 ft. thick at 25 yards from the surface, separated by 12 ft. of measures from another fireclay below, that is 9 ft. thick. Near Risca a fireclay 2 ft. 6 in. thick, beneath the Sun Vein in the millstone grit series, was formerly worked along with the accompanying shales. At the Furnace Blwm Brick Works, at the west end of Caerphilly Common, the best clay, 2 ft. 6 in. thick, was said to lie below the Hard Vein. A clay below it, said to be indistinguishable from it at sight, was formerly mixed with it, but was found to be injurious. This lower clay contained only 16 per cent, of silica. The clays of the Brass and Limog veins were also used here for pipes, tiles, bricks, terra-cotta, etc. At the Bryn Coch Brick Works, Taff’s Well, the following clays are met with in descending order: A fireclay suitable for common bricks, 4 ft. thick, above No. 2 coal; a fireclay of good quality, 2 ft. thick, beneath No. 2 coal; an inferior fireclay beneath the Limog coal; a good fireclay beneath the Brass Vein, 5 ft. thick; a good fireclay beneath the Hard Vein, 3 ft. thick. Pontypridd District. On the south crop, in the Bryncethin and Ogwr Valley, a fireclay under the Rock Fawr coal is said to make a good firebrick. A fireclay floor lies under the 9 ft. or South Vein, and another lies under the Cribbwr-Fawr Vein; the latter is rather variable in character. The underclay of No. 2 Rhondda Vein has been worked for bricks at Victoria Works, Gelliwion Wood, near Pontypridd, and thick clays associated with what is probably the same seam have been got in an open pit on Mynydd-Brithwennydd, near Llwyn-y-pia. Firebricks have been made at Ty-Cribbwr, one mile west of Aberkenfig, from beds beneath the Cribbwr- Fawr Vein. At Bryncethin, east of Tondu, common red bricks and buff firebricks have been made on a large scale from beds in the higher part of the Lower coal series. The Graig Vein, at Abercwmboi, rests on a fireclay used for a buff brick. In the Upper coal series there is a red fireclay below No. 1 Llantwit Vein at Ystrad-barwig Colliery. In the Pennant series the Cillydu Vein rests on a good fireclay near Afon-Venfig. The millstone grit conglomerate from Aberkenfig along the top of Pennsylvania Wood is overlain by coals and a fireclay that has been used for bricks. Abergavenny District. A 2 ft. fireclay occurs in the millstone grit of Lam- march Dingle. At Aber-Gwerelech, in the Merthyr Tydfil district, the following clays may be noted in the Lower coal series: Good fireclay, 5 ft. 6 in.; fireclay, 4 ft.; measures, with Three Pins Mines; good fireclay, 4 ft.; measures; Blowers coak; fireclay, 3 ft.; measures; fire- clay, 2 ft. Ammanford District. At the Newadd Colliery, beneath the Trigloin Vein, there are 5 ft. of very soft clay succeeded by 4 ft. of hard fireclay. At Pontyclerc the fireclays underlying two thin coals have been used. The Lower Fireclay Vein is probably the Upper Triquart or Gras-isaf Vein. A fireclay between the Big Vein and Charcoal Vein was employed for firebricks at the Old Goss-goch Colliery. Carmarthen District. . The underclay of the Upper Felen or Yellow Vein was formerly worked in drifts about the northern or Afon-Hafren dingle or Ynys-Hafren. The section shown was : Rock, 4 ft.; cliff, 4 ft.; Upper Felen coal, 1 ft. 8 in; fireclay, 3 ft.; shale. The Low Vein (here only a smut) overlies fireclay visible in the brook 100 yards east of Cae’r-clovers, Pont-Henny. At Cwm-tach Colliery, near Pont-Yates, a 7 ft. fire- clay occurs below the Rhas-fach Vein. The upper half has been worked for bricks and for lining furnaces. A fireclay underlies a coal above the Carway-fawr Vein at Gelli-gelynog; it is 8 ft. 6 in. thick, with balls of ironstone in the lower part. The Green or Wyrdd Vein, worked at Trimsaran, has a fireclay floor. In the Pennant Series the Brondini Vein underclay has been used, together with the shales above, for brick making. Swansea District. In the Pennant series a 6 ft. fireclay occurs between the Hard Vein and the Granway Vein at Gnoll Col- liery. The Wernffrenth coal is split by a 3 ft. 6 in. fireclay in the Primrose shaft, and lower down in the same a 6 ft. bed overlies 20 ft. of rock on top of the Graigola seam. West of the Tawe, at Gueret’s Colliery, the Graigola seam has a 3-5 ft. fireclay beneath it. At Saints’ Pit both the 3 ft. vein and 2 ft. vein rest upon fireclays, each about 3 ft. thick. Between the 2 ft. and the Jenkin veins there is a great body of shale, in which, below the former vein, there is a bed of red and mottled fireclay, worked for fire- brick at Bon-y-maen, Morriston and elsewhere. At Morlais Colliery, Llangennech, a 9 ft. fireclay occurs beneath the Llangennech 4 ft. (Swansea 5 ft.) Vein. West Gower and Pembrey District. The Little Pwll or Clay Vein is worked near Stradey Lodge; both clay and coal are extracted; the fireclay is about 3 ft. thick. At Cwm Capel Colliery the clay pit showed 20 to 30 ft. of shale over a coal with 10 ft. of underclay. These short notes can do little more than indicate that we have in South Wales a great number and variety of clays; there are scores of others to be found in the mine records that have not been men- tioned above. Yet in spite of this seeming abundance, how little do we know of the great bulk of the material. Much of it may be unusable, some may be too difficult of access, but there may be one or two which may be invaluable. It should be one of the first duties of the Refractory Section to give encouragement to any good working scheme for the collection, formation and distribution of exact data relating to as many as possible of the raw clays. Dolomite. In connection with changes in the steel industry the question of the supply of dolomite has recently acquired importance. A word or two on the possibility of meeting a demand for this material in South Wales may not be out of place here. Dolomitic limestone occurs fairly abundantly in the carboniferous limestone series of South Wales. This series constitutes the lowest member of the car- boniferous system; it appears therefore cropping as the outermost rim of the basin, beneath the millstone grits and shales. Though with the exception of a few breaks the lime- stone crop is continuous on the north, east and south, it is only in certain portions that the amount and quality of the dolomitised portions are sufficient to merit consideration as a source of “basic” material. • On the north crop dolomite is well developed only about Clydach, near Abergavenny, where it occurs, much of it very pure, in association with the faulting of the strata. In the south-eastern part of the crop between the Taff Valley, near Cardiff and Pontypool, a great deal of the limestone is dolomitic. At Taff’s Well, for instance, the lower half of the main limestone, 300 to 400 ft. thick, is dolomitised, some of it to a high degree. At Machen nearly all the visible limestone is dolomitic, and at Risca, where it is 675 ft. thick, it is almost wholly dolomitic. On the south-western portion of the outcrop, in the Gower peninsula, dolomite is fairly abundant in the cliffs between Pwlldu and Mumbles Head, and again in Langland and Caswell Bays, also between Rhosili and Worm’s Head and near Port Eynon. It is also found in several places near Pembroke Dock. The difficulty in South Wales is not to find dolomite, but to find it in places where transport facilities are favourable, and where it can be quarried in a straight- forward way. The liability of beds of dolomitised limestone to change rather rapidly from point to point in composition, and especially in silica content, makes it absolutely necessary to carry out a chemical survey of the beds in a probable quarry site before launching out into extensive operations. When good beds occur mixed irregularly with poor beds quarrying is likely to be troublesome. THE AMERICAN COAL TRADE. A cablegram from Washington states that the coal output during the past six months has beaten ail previous records in American history. Bituminous tonnage, according to the revised figures made public by the Fuel Administration, was 311,216,000, an in- crease of 33,418,000, or 12 per cent, over the previous highest figures reached last year. The Coal Age (September 19) reports that the bitu- minous coal output is now approximately 17,000,- net tons behind schedule, and production for the rest of the coal year must be maintained at the rate of 2,041,000.net tons a day if the deficit is to be made up. The car supply is now excellent, and the bitu- minous mines have everything in their favour for a drive on greater output. Anthracite production for the coal year to date is estimated at 45,645,597 net tons, which is an increase of 1,084,000 net tons over the same period of last year. Market conditions present no radical changes. The Fuel Administration has the distribution and allot- ment of all grades of coal well under control. Dealers have many unfilled orders on their books, but the total quantity of coal delivered to domestic consumers to date is far greater than at this time last year. Conservation, diligently practised, will be necessary, however, to avert a shortage this year. Diminished receipts are noticeable at Boston. There are more ships than coal cargoes at Hampton Roads. More and more of the modern type of collier, self- trimming and of fair speed, will be taken from over- sea work as the season advances and requirements for supply service are increased. The Inter-Allied Ship- ping Board is watching this situation carefully. Colliers, in tonnage amounting to approximately 90,000 tons, have been released from the trade and are now being made ready for general cargo use to France. Most of these were ships not well adapted to coal carrying, although some were built for this trade. Issue has been taken with Director-General McAdoo as a result of some of his statements on the supply of cars for coal mines, made in his report to the Presi- dent. Among those challenging the purport of his report is the National Coal Association. Production of beehive coke in the United States during the week ended September 7 is estimated at 616,000 net tons, as against 608,000 net tons during the week preceding, or an increase of approximately 2 per cent. Rationing Anthracite Duff.—Relative to the inclusion of anthracite duff in the coal rationing scheme, a Press representative was informed by the Coal Controller’s De- partment that anthracite duff can be procured under the rationing scheme in the proportion of three tons of duff to one ton of coal. Imports of Pit Props.—The table below shows the quan- tity and value of pit props or pit wood imported in September :— September. Jan.-Sept. ^917. 1918. ' 1917. 1918? ' Loads .... 72,540... 49,811.. 806,466... 585,801 Value....... <£423,301...£159,018... £3,212,900... £2,601,99$