No. 204. — Joseph Cadwell.

Going to 15. Puts as a half-marrow. Has been down pits, Heworth, Spital Tongues, and Urpeth pits, for 5 years. Kept a door for a year at first. Has been here 2 months since last binding. Gets up at 4 o'clock and goes down the pit at a quarter past 4 and conies up at night at 5 o'clock. Was bad at Heworth Pit with the dust and was off two or three days at different times. Is putting in an easy place, a good way in by, perhaps a mile. Can read only very easy words. Cannot write. Goes to Sunday-school and to chapel sometimes. [Looks pale and very unhealthy].

No. 205. — William Kirley.

Aged 19. Has been in these pits fur 10 years. Goes down at a quarter past 4, and start work at 5, and rides at about 4 generally, sometimes later. Puts a tram by himself. Has been putting 4 years by himself. Is putting in a place that is not hard. Is putting from the broken. Has been doing so for 3 months. Once wrenched his back when he was first potting, and was off a fortnight. Has wrought 30 hour shifts about six or seven times, but had not hard work at the time, and went along with master [the under-viewer] with the compass and was serving out the candles. Reads [fairly]. Writes his name. Goes to night-school. Often goes to meeting on Sundays. Some little lads go to night-school, but very few big lads. Witness is learning algebra now and is just started.

No. 206. — Thomas Beiles.

Aged 18. Puts a tram by himself Has been down pits 9 years. Was at West Moor [or Killingworth] Pits till this last binding. The places in the Seghill Pit are the most level for putting. Has been putting 3 years, in different ways. Once got his leg broke, about 4 years ago, in West Moor Pit, and was off 4 months. Had his collar bone broken there 3 years a go and was off a month. In both cases the rolleys ran over him and he was driving then. Has stood four times for shifts of 36 hours each, from some boys being off work. Has known some old men short of breath. Can read [very fairly]. Writes his name. Goes to no school or chapel regularly now. Was at night-school for a year.

No. 207. — John Young.

Aged 18. Puts a tram by himself. Has been down pits 5 years. Came here last binding. Was at Thornley Pit 2 years and one at Kelloe. Thornley is very bad air and heavy putting in some places. Kelloe was the heaviest putting. Thornley is a bad roof and the air could not get gone, for the place was all stopped up with stone, &c, in the waste. Has been very bad sometimes but does not know from what. Once stood a 36 hour shift at Thornley. The men at Thornley are more blackguard men than at other collieries. Can read [well] Writes his name. Goes to no school now.

No. 208. — William Reay.

Aged 17. Has been in pits 10 years. Wideopen 5 years. One year in Gosforth and 4 years here. Gosforth was the heaviest putting. Is laying the way here. Works 8 hours. Never was hurt by the pit. Is the nephew of the under-viewer. Gets 3s. a-day. Reads very [fairly]. Writes his name. Goes to no school now, and very seldom to chapel.

No. 209. — George Charlton.

Aged 18. Has been down pits 8 years. Three years at Cramlington. Is now putting a tram by himself. Has been short of breath since he went down, but is not troubled with it much now. Some boys are hurt by the pit. Putters are far overlong at work. They could work just as much work in 10 hours as they now do in 12. It might be better to shorten the hours. All putters, he is sure, would like shorter hours. Has stooden 24-hour shifts three or four times. Was once wrenched in his hip two years since by putting and was off about three weeks. A good part of boys has been strained by putting and has been off work. It is nearly level putting here and it is middling good air. There is part broken at the crane he is at. Reads [well.] Writes his name. Goes to no school now. Seldom goes to chapel. Was at night-school for 2 years.

No. 210. — James Reid.

Aged about 18. Has been down pits about 9 years. Down Cowpen pit about 6 yeas and has been about 3 years down this pit. Cowpen was worse air than this. Both we rather light putting. Is now putting a tram by himself There is not much hard putting here. Is part in the broken. Whiles he stood two shifts, of 24 hours, down Cowpen Pit. That is a wet pit and very bad air. They do not wear any back-skins here. Some trappers lie idle in their turns here. Would wish for shorter hours. Could put as much in 10 hours. if kept going, as he now does in 12 hours. Generally puts about 2 score or 2½ score in a day. Is paid 1s. 7d. a score now. Puts 80 yards for 1s. 3d., and 1d. for every 20 yards more. There are tubs and corves here. Is in the corf pit. Corves hold 20 pecks. The tubs [iron] hold 20 pecks. There are very few helpers-up here and not much used as at some places. Some men swear down the pit. Can read [fairly]. Writes his name. Goes to no school or chapel now. Went about a year to night-school. Never has worked in a night shift here, but there was always two shifts at Cowpen.

No. 211. — William Morton.

Aged 18. Puts a tram by himself. Has been down pits 6 years. Was one year Cramlington, and one at Thornley. Has been here 4 years. He strained his feet when he was first putting. Did not like Thornley Pit. Once stood double shift at Cramlington, an once here, going with deputies and greasing rolleys. Now he makes about 3s. a-day. Reads [fairly]. Writes his name. Goes to no school or place of worship now.

No. 212. — John Alexander.

Aged 15. Leads the wood. Makes 2s. a-day. Works from 1 o'clock in the morning to 1 in the afternoon every night. Sometimes goes in on Sunday night. Works 6 shifts a-week always. Has been down here 2 years. Was working at bank at other pits. Is often bad with a dizziness at times, mostly when down the pit; and sometimes throws up his victual when he is in bed. Has stooden 24 shifts now and then. Reads [fairly]. Writes his name. Goes to night-school now and then, and to chapel sometimes.

No. 213. — John Rutledge.

Aged 15. Is putting as a half-marrow and has been 2 years down this pit. Worked a bank for 3 years before he went down the pit. Likes the pit best because he gets more money. Gives his money to his parents. Would like to be some trade. Would like to work shorter hours for less wages. Would make as much in 10 as they do in 12 hours. Now they lie about the pit whiles, because the hewers do not work hard enough; and whiles they do not go hard enough at bank. Can read [fairly]. Writes his name. Goes to night-school sometimes and to chapel sometimes.

No. 214. — William Turner.

Aged 15. Minds a flat; chalks on the corves; puts in the staples into the tubs, &c. Has been down 6 years. Was at the King Pit at Wreckingon. There he found himself short of breath from the dust. Was often dizzy about a year or two back. Has whiles stooden 24-hour shifts and once 36 hours here. Writes his name. Goes to night-school now and then. Goes to chapel often.

No. 215. — William Wood.

Aged 13. Has been down pits 4 years. Is a driver. Has been lamed thrice in his leg. At the worst was off a fortnight. Once or twice has stood 24-hour shifts.

No. 216. — Thomas Hedley.

Aged 13. Puts as a half-marrow. Has been down 6 years this pit. Was once off with sickness. Once he had his arm broken from the rolleys running over him. Once stood double shift of 24 hours. It is an easy place where he puts now.

No. 217 In this Pit there are in use self-acting trap-doors, on which the Viewer, Charles Carr, Esq., remarks:

In regard to our self-acting trapdoors, there is little difference in the size and the shape is slightly altered from that of the ordinary trapdoor, being a little wider at the bottom than the top.

The height of these doors is 4ft 0in.

Breadth at the top 4 0

bottom 4 4

They are made to open either way and shut again, without the assistance of a trapper-boy. This is done by placing the door-cheek or post on which the door is hung a little out of the perpendicular line towards the centre of the door. In my opinion this description of door answers the purpose very well and renders the use of boys almost unnecessary; although there are certain localities in mines where the current of air can only be changed in its direction by the means of trap-doors, where it is of so much importance that trapper-boys must be employed to open and shut them. In case a new mine was commenced on a proper plan and there were a sufficient number of downcast shaft, I think it is quite possible to ventilate without the aid of trapper-boys; but where mines have been extensively worked, and a series of difficulties to contend against, it is impossible. These self-acting doors are now in use at other 5 collieries on the Tyne.

Of the Library at this Colliery Mr. Carr gives the following account:

The library at this colliery was established by the owners in the year 1834 and has been of considerable use: it now consists of 900 volumes of useful reading. Two magazines are taken in, but no novels are allowed. There is a librarian and secretary, with a committee of twelve, elected annually from amongst the members; and two days in the week books are received and given out to the different members. I know instances where members cannot read, but employ one of their children to do so. This is a great source of amusement to them, and is the cause of parents exerting themselves as much as possible in giving their offspring as good an education as possible, which I am proud to say is frequently the case in our little colliery village.