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	Louis Frost Sydney	Dominion No. 1A		New Victoria Mine	Dominion No. 1B

The Louis Frost Notes 1685 to 1962 Dominion No. 1A Colliery Phalen Seam This colliery was opened in 1893 in the Town of Dominion to work the Phalen Seam and prior to its closure in 1927 had produced 13,202,419 long tons. The worked over area totaled 2,415 acres. The colliery was entered by three shafts 154 feet deep, sunk in 1893. The coal shaft was 24' x l0'6" and the material shaft 22' x 16'. The air shaft was circular 11 ft. in diameter. The area developed by this mine was one-third submarine. The system was room and pillar and in the land area the pillars were drawn. The Phalen Seam in this location was 7 feet thick, dipping at 9 percent. The seam was clean and suitable for metallurgical use. The roof and floor of the seam consisted of a strong shale. During its operation the make of water in the mine was 550 gallons per minute and the water was acid. The motive power underground was compressed air and the main haulage system endless rope. Prior to closure the main deep had reached a distance of 3-3/4 miles from the shaft bottom. The bankhead of this colliery was of steel and wood construction and the equipment designed to handle 250 tons per hour. The ventilating unit was Walker type fan 24 ft. diameter by 6 ft. wide, with a capacity of 130,000 c.f.m. against a 3-inch water gauge. The surface plant was steam driven and the rated boiler capacity 1800 horsepower. A fire occurred in this colliery in 1903, necessitating the flooding of the colliery. Operations were suspended on this account for about fifteen months. The fire occurred on March 19th, 1903 in a crosscut between the Main and Back North Deeps near No. 3 Landing, about 1200 feet from the pit bottom and 147 feet below sea level. It was assumed that the fire was caused by a workman carelessly throwing away a lighted wick. The fire gained headway and it became necessary to flood the mine. An estimated 576,000,000 gallons of water was required to bring the water level above the fire area and as the maximum drainage available from the surface only amounted to 1350 gallons per minute, it was decided to flood the mine from the ocean. This was accomplished by driving a tunnel 119 feet long x 6 feet high and 6 feet wide from the shore, at a point below high tide to strike the nearest room. The tunnel was driven in four days, an average of 30 feet per day. This mine has been replaced by Dominion No. 1-B Colliery, which has since worked out all the remaining coal tributary to No. 1-A Colliery.

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Last Modified: 98-01-05

Authored by: Louis Frost

IMPORTANT
The information contained on this site is not provided for the purpose of factual
representation. Instead, it is provided in an historical context. Every effort has
been made to ensure that this information represents the actual content of the
original document authored by Louis Frost for the Dominion Coal Company
on or around 1962. Nevertheless, no warranties are provided in any respect.

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