Well James.
Coal Balls In Lay mans terms:
WQe localy call them 'bobbers' and are found in the Upper Foot Mine of East
Lancashire (Mine meaning seam in Lancashire) The Upper Foot Mine wasn't
worked on any great comercial scale except forr the fireclay beneath it.
However the Seam joins the Lower Mountain Mine in the North and east of
Burnley and Rossendale to form one seam, the Union Mine and this has been
widley worked.
The bobbers vary in size and if I may be very lay manish they are a similar
shape to a bowle (as in Crown Green bowles). They can be from the size of a
marble to the size of a very big football. Some times they can be found
singularly other times they come in clusters. Needless to say they take the
shine oiff the shearer picks somewhat when one is hit.
We allways thought of them as iron stone noduals, but Peter terms them
different and He should know. However the Upper Foot mine got to be known as
the 'bullion mine' through these noduals.
Bank Hall Colliery closed in 1970 due to the high risk of an explosion from
the presence of these bobbers and a significant percentage of gas in the
general body. There had been a few incedents of 'flash overs' but the last
one when the shearer was stopped as a pocket of gas flashed in the roof all
up the face after bobbers were struck. The Union agreed to close the place on
grounds of saftey as it was only 8 years since the neighbouring Hapton Valley
had exploded killing 19 men. (I did a paper for NMRS in their memiours around
1995 on the subject.
There used to be hundreds of these bobbers strewn around the hill side at
Hill Top Colliery. When we re opened the pit from a new drift along the crop
edge, non were uncovered whilst I was there, but the coal was 1in6 away from
the crop and as we got nearer the basen I dare say we would have found many.
I Don't think I have any photos but I should get one. Next time I am Down
there I shall see if I can find any small ones kicking about.
At Hapton Valley some of the mechanics would turn them down on the laith to
make ash trays. Some 'when you could eventualy crack them open' contained
oil, some fossills whilst others nothing at all.
To my knowledge they are only found in conjunction with the Upper Foot mine
in theis country, whilst I belive they can also be found in Americqa also.
Clive Seal.
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