Hello Rick
Apologies for the delay in replying - Christmas and New year and all that!
You can gather quite a lot about this experimental drilling programme from 
the Beaumont records which are now in the new and recently opened 
Northumberland County Record office at Woodhorn in Northumberland.    The 
boring machine was introduced into the Blackett Level in October 1864, and 
was subject to various modifications over the subsequent few years as they 
struggled to make it work effectively.    They seem to have had difficulty 
drilling at the top or bottom of the forehead, and discovered that the 
drill was not appropriate to all conditions or locations.   if you want a 
more detailed reference, please contact me off-list.
Interestingly in light of the thread about drilling rates, the machine is 
recorded as drilling at the rate of about one and a half to two inches per 
minute - I think in limestone.
Guncotton was introduced about the same time and I was amused by the 
following from December 1865:
"Some very little boys are running about at night with small pieces of 
guncotton which they ignite amongst people causing much alarm."
No ASBO's then!
All the best
Ian



Rick Stewart <[log in to unmask]> 
Sent by: mining-history <[log in to unmask]>
15/12/2006 13:16
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Subject
Re: pneumatic drilling - Wickwar





Ian

Do you have a reference (pref. contemporrary)?

Rick


----- Original Message -----
From: "Ian Forbes" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, December 21, 2006 10:55 AM
Subject: Re: pneumatic drilling - Wickwar


> Rock drills were indeed tried by the Beaumonts (WB Lead) in the North
> Pennines c.1863 - 5.    However the rig was experimental and operated 
only
> in the Blackett Level which was the major Beaumont driveage of the time 
in
> Allendale.   The machine was designed by Westmacott, one of W.G.
> Armstrong's engineers at the Elswick Works in Newcastle.   It was not a
> great success, being heavy and unwieldy and (if my memory serves me 
right)
> there was a problem with the springs which kept breaking.    The miners
> didn't like it and the experiment was abandoned.
> Ian
>