Nelson Provincial Gazette – 1868 – No. 20

Page 84

✨ Report on coal and railway



(a.) From Grange\'s Point, on the Bullor.

£ s. d.
Getting and other charges 0 5 0
Carriage, 121 miles, at 1 1/2d. 0 14 1 1/2
Profit on coal 0 4 0
Total... £1 3 1 1/2

(b.) From Mount Rochfort, on the Buller.

£ s. d.
Getting, &c. 0 5 0
Carriage, 142 miles, at 1 1/2d. 0 16 8
Profit on coal 0 4 0
Total... £1 5 8

(c.) From Brunner Mines, on the Grey.

£ s. d.
Getting, &c. 0 5 0
Carriage, 172 miles, at 1 1/2d. 0 19 7
Profit on coal 0 4 0
Total... £1 8 7

  1. The first of these coals is of a fair quality for household purposes; the second and the third are very superior coals, exceedingly well adapted for ocean-going steamers.

  2. If a supply of coal could be depended upon at Cobden and Westport, and put on board at even 12s. per ton, I have no doubt but that 50,000 tons per annum would be shipped at each of these ports, and as the consumption of coal in Nelson for local purposes at the present time is nearly 13,000 tons, the profit on the sale of coal, exclusive of that arising from its carriage, would realise £22,600 per annum.

84

  1. It is scarcely necessary for me to point out to your Honor that, if I am right in estimating very superior coals as capable of being delivered at the port of Nelson at £1 5s. 8d. per ton, the consumption for steam purposes for ocean-going steamers would at once become very large. A trade in coal would be created, on a large scale, that does not now exist. In that instance, with a moderate expenditure on the harbor, there is no reason to doubt but that the Panama Steam Company\'s steamers would all coal at Nelson. That company now uses at Wellington 35,000 tons of coal per annum, costing them £1 12s. 6d. per ton, while coal, worth for steam purposes at least 4s. per ton more, may be delivered at £1 5s. 8d., making a difference of very nearly 12s., but say 10s. a ton, for the coal used by the company at Wellington, saying nothing of their coaling station at Opara.

  2. The practical effect of this would be a saving of £17,500 per annum to the Panama Company, and a further income to the railway company of £7000 per annum.

  3. Regarding the quality of the coals procured from the Brunner mine and Mount Rochfort, there can be no question. The tests made at Woolwich Dockyard in 1865 put their superior value over North of England and Welsh coal beyond doubt.

  4. An important report from such a responsible officer as the Chief Engineer of Woolwich Dockyard, is of such importance that I venture to embody Mr. Trickett\'s tests in this report, as best calculated to shew clearly the relative value of the Grey and Buller coals.

I attach also tables prepared by Mr. Burnett, Mining Surveyor, showing the relative value for steam purposes of North of England, Welsh, New South Wales, and the Grey and Buller coals, calculated on the basis given by trials of these coals at Woolwich Dockyard.

[For Table see next Page.]



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✨ LLM interpretation of page content

🏗️ Report upon the best line for a railway between Nelson and Cobden (continued from previous page)

🏗️ Infrastructure & Public Works
Coal, Railway, Nelson, Cobden, Westport, Brunner Mines, Mount Rochfort, Panama Steam Company, Woolwich Dockyard
  • Mr. Trickett, Chief Engineer of Woolwich Dockyard
  • Mr. Burnett, Mining Surveyor