THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN

AND

JOURNAL OF THE COAL AND IRON TRADES.

Vol. CXVI.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1918.

No. 3022.

BRITISH CANNEL COAL DEPOSITS.*

By A. STRAHAN, Sc.D., LL.D., F.R.S.

The variety of coal known as cannel, horn, lantern,
drub or stub, pill or peal, jet, splint, stone or parrot,
rattler or rattle jack, plant, and, when impure, as hoo
cannel, is compact, of smooth texture and conchoidal
fracture. It is hard, takes a good polish and does not
soil the fingers, It is confined to lenticular patches,
which thin away or pass into carbonaceous shale or coal
in all directions. Cannels, or the shales into which they
pass, are richer in fish remains than other strata in the
coal measures—a fact which, taken in connection
with their mode of occurrence, suggests their formation
in shallow pools of water.

Cannel has been used in many districts as a source of
gas—for improving the luminosity of gas obtained from
other materials; but its distillation for the production
of oil was an important industry about 40 years ago,
and is the subject of experiment now.

According to the Mineral Statistics for 1865 (Mem.
Geol. Survey), a cannel coal of uncertain quality was
found in North Staffordshire, especially between Hanley
and Harecastle. It was sold at the pit’s mouth at 10s.
the ton, and the quantity raised annually was about
10,000 tons. In Nottinghamshire cannel was worked at
HucknallTorkard for oil-making—the quantity produced
being 46,950 tons. In Derbyshire cannel of fair average
quality was produced at Swanwick Colliery; a little was
worked on the Clay Cross estate—the total production
of the county being 42,225 tons. In Yorkshire the
mines producing cannel were Silkstone Fall, Barnsley;
Adwalton Moor, Leeds; Bruntcliffe, Leeds; Gildersome,
Leeds; College, Birstall, Leeds; Oakwell, Leeds, and
Ardsley Main, Ardsley.

Some of this was an inferior cannel, known locally as
“ drub ” or “ stub,” and a considerable quantity of the
true cannel of the West Riding would not coke. The
quantity raised annually from the Yorkshire district
was about 185,000 tons.

In Lancashire the collieries in the Manchester district
producing cannel coal were :—Bank, Little Hulton;
Blackrod, Chorley; Blackrod, Blackrod; Bridgewater,
Worsley; Hulton, Bolton ; Scot Lane, Blackrod; Stone-
hill, Farnworth ; and Rigby Pit, Anderton Hall; and
the total estimated production was 120,000 tons. The
producing collieries in the Wigan district were :—Haigh,
Haigh and Aspull; Aspule, Haigh and Aspull; Kirk-
less Hall, Kirkless; Standish, Standish; Rose Bridge,
Ince; Douglas Bank, Wigan ; Norley Hall, Pemberton;
Ince Hall, Wigan; Walthew House, Pemberton;
Gidlow Lane, Wigan; Rowenhead, St. Helens; with a
total production of 530,000 tons. In Cheshii e Dukin-
field, Stockport, was the only colliery in the county
producing cannel coal, the yield being 12,000 tons. The
total production of cannel coal in England in 1865 was
therefore 946,175 tons, and at least 50,000 tons of this,
possibly much more, was reserved for the manufacture
of coal and shale oils.

In North Wales the collieries yielding cannel were:—
Leeswood Green, Mold; Leeswood Hill, Mold; Coed
Talon, Mold ; Coppa, Mold; Nerquis, Mold ; and Wern,
Bagillt. The quantity raised was nearly 150,000 tons,
almost the whole of which was consumed in the oil
works of Flintshire. In Scotland, it was estimated
that the following quantity was raised in 1865:—
Lanarkshire, 172,000 tons ; Linlithgowshire, 28,000 tons;
East and Mid-Lothian, 55,000 tons; Fifeshire, 29,000
tons; Ayrshire. 38,000 tons; total, 322,000 tons. At
that time nearly 100,000 tons were used in making oil.

In the (22) works in Flintshire at which crude petro-
leum was distilled from cannel coal or bituminous shales
or sandstones, the bituminous shales yielded 33 gals,
of crude oil to the ton; the smooth cannel, 36 gals.; the
Curly cannel, 75 gals.; and the Bagillt cannel, 35 gals.
The percentage of produce from the cru de oil was—Spirits,
4’95 per cent.; burning oil, 21'60 ; lubricating oil, 8'84 ;
liquid grease, 4'58: stiff grease, 37'55; loss, 22'48 per
cent. In North Staffordshire the number of retorts at
work in 1865 was 154. Each retort yielded on an
average 30 gals, of crude oil per day of 24 hours;
nearly 10,000 tons of bituminous shales were raised per
annum, selling at the pit’s mouth for 12s. the ton. As
regards Scottish coals, the oil-producing power was:—
Boghead, 128 gals, of oil per ton; Methil, 90 gals.;
Capeldrae, 81 gals.; Lesmahagow, 78 gals.; Rocksoles,
72 gals.

By 1882 the industry had greatly declined, and in
1906 it had become practically defunct in England and
Wales, though in the meantime the annual output of
oil shale from all sources, including Scottish oil shales,
was largely increased. By far the largest yields were
obtained from North Staffordshire, Yorkshire and Flint-
shire. In Flintshire the cannel coal was the only bed
worked for oil, and in the two other counties seams of
cannel were the principal if not the only source.

Cumberland.

The Main Band coal becomes known as the Cannel
Band in part of the Cumberland coalfield from the fact
of its containing a thin band of cannel near the bottom.

* From Special Reports on the Mineral Resources of
Great Britain, Vol. VII., Part I.

The band seldom exceeds 6 in. in thickness but is
recognised at St. Helens Colliery, Ellenborough Colliery,
Dovenby Main and around Dearham.

A thicker and more persistent bed of cannel occurs
from 20 to 49 ft. below the Main Band. At the Duke
Pit of the Whitehaven Colliery there lies, 20 ft. below
the Main Band, a seam consisting of cannel 1 ft. 5 in.,
caum (shale) 6 in., coal 6 in. At the Wellington Pit,
cannel 1 ft. 5 in. thick lies 98 ft. below the Main Band,
and at 214 ft. below the Main Band another seam shows
cannel 1 ft., bad coal 1 ft. 8 in., cannel 11 in., soft metal
7 in., coal 1 ft. 4 in. At the William Pit, cannel 1 ft. 1 in.
thick lies 21 ft. below the Main Band. At Cleator
Moor Colliery the thickness is 1 ft. 10 in. to 2 ft. and the
distance below the Main Band 40 to 43 ft.

In the Harrington Colliery (borehole in No. 7 Pit) a
rattler or cannel coal 1 ft. 5 in. was proved, and in the
Bella Pit, Workington, and in the Clifton Colliery
cannel from 11 in. to 1 ft. 6 in. thick, all at 43 to 49 ft.
below the Main Band. At Flimby the distance below
is about 32 ft., and this holds good in the district of
Dearham and Crosby.

At the Wythemoor Colliery a “ Parrot Coal ” 2 ft. 6 in.
thick was proved in a borehole at 163 ft. depth, 141 ft.
above the Four-foot Coal.

Northumberland and Durham.

At Inkermann Colliery, Butsfield, Durham, a cannel
coal 11 in. thick lies 36 ft. below the Five Quarter seam.
At Redheugh Colliery, Gateshead, Durham, a cannel
coal, 6 in. thick, lies 17 ft. below the Hutton seam and
63 ft. below the Five Quarter. At Seaham Colliery,
Seaham, Durham, a parrot or cannel coal 1 ft. 7 in.
thick, lies 82 ft. below the Hutton seam. At Stella
Grand Lease Colliery, A Pit, Stella, Durham, coal
mixed with bluestone (cannel coal) 3 ft. 6 in. thick has
been observed 1J ft. above the Five Quarter seam. At
Stublick Colliery, Stublick, Northumberland, a cannel
coal, 1 ft. 2 in. thick, lies 36 ft. above the Yard coal, or
125 ft. above the Main coal. At Walbottle Colliery,
Union Pit, Walbottle, Northumberland, the Hodge
Seam or Cannel coal, 1 ft. 8 in. thick, lies 96 ft. above
the Main coal. At Witton Park, No. 2 borehole,
Witton-le-Wear, Durham, a black metal or cannel coal,
4 in., and cannel coal have been recorded at 49 ft.
depth. Three miles south-east of Haltwhistle a cannel
of 2 ft. 10 in. to 3 ft. 2 in. thickness is recorded on the
Geological 6 in. map, Yorkshire, sheet 92. At Ax well
Colliery, No. 2 Pit, Whickham, Durham, the Cannel,
Splint or Hodge seam consists of—Cannel, 1 ft. 8 in.;
brown band, 1 ft. 1 in.; coal, 7 in.; seggar-clay, 2 ft. 1 in.;
coal, 3 in. At Stella and Townley, A Pit, Greenside,
Ry ton Woodside, the Candle Coal seam, 3 ft. 6 in. thick,
lies 80 ft. below the Main coal.

According to Mr. T. D. Crondace, cannel appears
more particularly in Durham in the Hutton seam. In
some places there is no cannel in the seam; but in
others, seven miles away, there is 6 in. to 9 in. of cannel.
In the Adelaide Colliery, Jane Pit, coal or jet (pre-
sumably cannel) 2 ft. 2 in. thick occurs at 153 ft. depth,
and at 194 ft. depth a seam shows—black jet, 4 ft.;
ironstone-girdle, 2in.; black jet, 1ft. 4in. In the South
Durham Colliery, Winning, coal (jet) 3 ft. thick occurs
at 106 ft. depth.

Yorkshire.

The coal seams which contain or are associated with
bands of cannel are mentioned below in descending
order. Many other bands, not associated with recog-
nised seams of coal, appear sporadically in other parts of
Yorkshire.

Middle Coal Measures.—In the Manton Colliery (No. 2
Pit), Worksop, a seam consisting of coal 9 in. overlying
“Jacks ” (hoo or inferior cannel), 3 ft. 3 in. thick, occurs
458 yards above the Barnsley Top Hard seam.* In the
Maltby Main Colliery (No. 2 Pit) the Abdy seam, which
occurs 140 yards above the Top Hard seam, consists
of—Bastard cannel, 1ft. Ilin.; cannel, 3ft. 7Jin.; coal,
4| in. The Top Beamshaw seam, 10 yds. lower down,
is overlain by 4 ft. of bastard cannel. The Aston
common coal is represented at Tinsley Park Colliery by
1 ft. of rough cannel. At St. John’s Colliery, Newlands,
the Wakefield Muck coal appears to reach its maximum.
It includes cannel, 1 ft. 2 in.; bind, 3 ft. 6 in.; cannel,
1 ft. 6 in.; bind, 3 ft. 9 in.; stone coal, 1 ft. 2 in. In the
Brodsworth Main Colliery a cannel 2 ft. thick lies
130 yds. above the Top Hard seam, and at the Bullcroft
Colliery, Carcroft, a cannel 2 ft. thick lies about 123 yds.
above the Top Hard seam. At Bentley Colliery the
cannel coal, 3 ft. 8 in. thick, lies 133 yds. above the
Barnsley Bed (Top Hard). Fifteen yards higher up
again there is a cannel 10 in. thick, associated with a
few inches of coal and batt. The Beck Bottom stone
coal appears as a cannel on the upcast side of the
Fenton Dam Fault in the district of Soothill and
Kirkham Gate.

The Flock ton Thick coal, near Flockton, contains
cannel in its upper part, and to the north of the village

* “ Sections of Strata of the Coal Measures of Yorkshire.”
Published by the Midland Inst. Min., Civil and Meeh. Eng.,
1914,

passes into the Adwalton stone coal. At Briestfield a
portion of the upper seam is replaced by cannel coal,
and from this point northwards the cannel is continuous
throughout the whole area on which the coal has been
proved, and only disappears in the extreme north-
eastern corner of the coal field, where, indeed, the entire
seam thins away shortly afterwards. Between Briest-
field and Thornhill the cannel forms the upper half of
the thickness of the top coal, and is from 10 in. to 1 ft.
thick. At Batley and Howley Park the seam goes by
the name of the Adwalton Stone Coal. From Morley
eastwards the thickness of the stone coal is only 3 in.
to 6 in.

Over the country north of Flockton the cannel is very
pure, unlaminated, and has a sharp clean conchoidal
fracture. It is generally of a very good quality, and in
some instances, as at Batley . and Howley Park, it is
especially good—yielding a supply of excellent gas coal,
for which purpose it has been very largely worked. It
has also been used, together with a band of black shale
which overlies it, as an oil-producing shale; but it only
yields from 20 to 24 gals, to the ton, and although the
oil is a light one, the success of the experiment has not
been great.

In the Rockingham Gallery, Hogland Nether, cannel
1 ft. J in. thick, forms the upper part of the Flockton
Thick seam.

The Flockton Thin seam lies about 30 yds. lower
down, and consists of cannel 1ft. 8 in. thick in its upper
part. In the Stafford Colliery, Dodworth, this cannel is
1 ft. 7 in thick, and in the Barrow Colliery 11 in. thick.
In the Hoyland Silkstone Colliery bastard cannel
1 ft. 10 in. thick forms the lower part of the Flockton
Thin seam. This seam lies about 230 yds. below the
Barnsley Top Hard seam. Six yards below the
Flockton Thin seam, in the Old Oaks (Barnsley Main)
Colliery, Ardsley, there occurs a seam consisting of
cannel, 7i in.; dirt, 8 in.; cannel, 2J in.; dirt, 4 in., and
of cannel, 5J in. thick. Twenty-six yards below the
Flockton Thin seam, in the Wharncliffe Silkstone
Colliery, Tankersley, the Fenton coal shows—Cannel,
1 ft. 2 in.; fireclay, 2 ft.; coal (soft), 2 ft. 4 in. thick.

A seam lying 7 yds. below the Old Hards Coal, near
Flockton, consists in the lower part of cannel. The
New Hards seam at College Colliery, Birstall, and Birk
Hill, Birkenshaw, is . composed of cannel 1 ft. 9 in. to

1	ft. thick. At Fleece Colliery, Birkenshaw, and Sykes
Colliery, Drighlington, the middle part consists of
cannel, and at Victoria Pit, Great Preston, Kippax, a
part is cannel. As is always the case, cannel is limited
and irregular in occurrence. The seam appears to have
been at its thickest in the Silkstone Fall Colliery, where
it consisted of hard coal 4 ft., underlain by cannel
1ft. 8 in. thick. The Old Hards and New Hards seams
lie 31 yds. and 82 yds. respectively below the Flockton
Thin seam in the Denby Grange Colliery, Middlestown.
Here the cannel beneath the Old Hards was 8 in. thick,
and the New Hards contained no cannel.

Lower Coal Measures :—A cannel which lies 63 yds.
below the Blocking Bed or Silkstone Coal has been
worked near Clifton. The term “ trub ” is applied to a
variety of stone coal more nearly allied to a black shale
than to true cannel. Good cannel, 3 to 10 in. thick, is
locally associated with the trub coal. The seam has
been at one time worked at Shelf. In the valley of
Royds Hall Beck it consists of 2 to 3J in. of cannel
between bands of blackshale, and in another section it
shows 1 ft. 10 in. of shaly cannel with blackshale above.
A cannel which burns well in the retort is associated
with the Black Bed coal seam at Dewsbury Moor and
Mirfield. The coal is 2 ft. 4 in. thick and is underlain
by 2 to 5 in. of cannel.

Nottinghamshire.

The cannel (1 ft. 10 in. thick) worked at Hucknall
Torkard, in Nottinghamshire, was associated with the
Top Hard seam. In the Rufford Colliery, a cannel,

2	ft. 2J in. thick, lies 17 yds. below the Dunsil coal.
This band has been recognised also in borings to the
east and north-east. In the Owthorpe boring, coal
7 in., underlain by cannel 1 ft. thick, was traversed at a
depth of 1,757 ft. In the Clipston boring “cannel,
black shale and coal ” 4£ ft. thick, are recorded at
1,348 ft. At Moorgreen, a cannel, 3 ft. 10 in. thick,
occurs 7 ft. above the Waterloo coal. This coal is
associated with cannel in parts of Derbyshire also. In
the Wollaton No. 1 Pit, cannel 10 in. thick forms the
floor of the deep hard coal.

Derbyshire.

Cannel has been worked at Clay Cross, but appears
to be limited to an area of about one square mile,
attaining a maximum thickness of 22 in., and tapering
away in all directions. It is said to continue as far
north as the Grassmoor Collieries. It is described as*
being very irregular, and as lying either at the top, in
the middle or at the bottom of the Top Hard coal. In
the Bolsover Colliery, the cannel or “ branch ” forms a
band 7 in. thick at the bottom of the coal. Of the
cannel used in Nottinghamshire for the production of
gas and oil, a considerable part is derived from Pleasley
Colliery and Welbeck Colliery. The Clay Cross cannel
was used for gas-making. In the Markham No. 2 Pit,
Chesterfield, cannel, 2 ft. 2 in., with inferior cannel,
7 in. thick, occurs 78 yds. below the Top Hard seam’
In the Kilburn Pit, Shipley, a cannel, 2 ft. thick, lies
18 yds. above the Waterloo coal, and in the same pit a