SPEDDING AND NEWCOMEN SAVE THE
WHITEHAVEN COALFIELD.
Despite being impressed by what he had heard and seen of the new invention ,Sir James, in a manner typical of his thrifty nature, still requested a report from John Spedding as to the costs of draining the all important two and one half yards thick Prior band of coal which lay below several other lesser seams . Perhaps the fact that this report envisaged annual costs of more than £330 enabled Sir James to make a decision. Arrangements were made for the shipment of the new engine to Whitehaven via Dublin and meantime Carlisle Spedding set about ensuring that all was ready for it's arrival. The Stone pit level had to be finished and a suitable site and building had to be prepared to accommodate the new engine. Consequently a piece of land "25 yards long fronting the way and 18 yards backwards " seems to have been rented from a Mr Parker in the area at the foot of Monkwray Brow and for some time remnants of such a building still stood in that vicinity.
Records indicate that the engine house was ready by the end of October 1716 and had cost £85..9..9.
An artist's impression of a Newcomen engine in situ.
WHETHER OR NOT NEWCOMEN HIMSELF WAS HERE TO SUPERVISE THE WORK OF BUILDING AND INSTALLING THE ENGINE IS NOT CLEAR BUT THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT HIS PARTNER , A MR CALLEY CERTAINLY WAS PRESENT .HE AND CARLISLE SPEDDING WORKED ALONGSIDE EACH OTHER TO DEAL WITH ANY PROBLEMS THAT AROSE AND CHIEF AMONG THESE WERE LEAKY PIPES WHICH THEN WERE MADE FROM TREES. IT WAS NECESSARY AT THAT TIME TO JOIN AND SEAL THESE WITH IRON HOOPS AND CAULKING THEM WITH ROPE THREADS , A TASK WHICH APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN NEVER ENDING. SADLY , WORSE WAS TO COME FOR IN APRIL OF 1717 CARLISLE REPORTED A SERIOUS ROOF FALL.
"THE ROOF STONE WAS ALL BROKEN TO PIECES & ALL THE SLOPE TREES BURIED IN THE ROCKS 7 RUBBISH & YE STONE PIT FILLED UP THE HEIGHT OF THE COAL & THE PIT ITSELF RENT & SHAKEN VERY MUCH."
IN ADDITION PART OF THE INSTALLED EQUIPMENT WAS ALSO BADLY DAMAGED AND SPEDDING MUST HAVE BEEN MORE THAN DISAPPOINTED ...PERHAPS EVEN ON THE POINT OF SURRENDER FOR HE SAID " THIS SAD ACCIDENT HAS DEFEATED ALL OUR HOPES FOR THE PRESENT & PUT US SOME MONTHS BEHIND ."
IT SAYS MUCH FOR THE YOUNG MAN THAT HE PERSEVERED , OVERCAME ALL THE PROBLEMS AND EVENTUALLY THE NEWCOMEN ENGINE AT STONE PIT LIVED UP TO ALL HIS EXPECTATIONS. SO SUCCESSFUL WAS SPEDDING THAT THE NEWCOMEN PROPRIETORS RECOGNISED HIS POTENTIAL AND AWARE THAT " HE UNDERSTANDS THE ENGINE VERY WELL & HAS MADE SOME IMPROVEMENTS UPON IT." THEY TRIED TO HEAD HUNT THE ENGINEER . THE LOWTHERS SOON COUNTERED THE MOVE BY INCREASING HIS WAGES AND HIS RESPONSIBILITIES. WAS THIS THE REASON HE REFUSED THE OFFER? PERHAPS THIS MAN OF COURAGE, AND IMAGINATION WAS ALREADY THINKING AHEAD TO A MORE ADVENTUROUS INSTALLATION OF THE NEW STEAM ENGINE! WAS SALTOM PIT ALREADY IN THAT FERTILE MIND? WHO KNOWS!!!! IS IT POSSIBLE THAT HE STOOD AT THE POINT FROM WHICH THIS PHOTOGRAPH WAS TAKEN AND, LIKE THE ENGINEER HE WAS , WEIGH UP THE POSSIBILITY OF TAPPING INTO THOSE DEEPER AND RICHER COAL SEAMS OUT UNDER THE IRISH SEA? IF SO ,THE KNOWLEDGE THAT IT WOULD BE AN ALMIGHTY TASK MUST HAVE CROSSED HIS MIND .
ONE ONLY HAS TO VIEW THE REMNANTS OF THE PIT FROM THE SEA TO FULLY APPRECIATE THE
ENORMITY OF SPEDDING'S TASK.
FORTUNATELY , DETAILED RECORDS RELATING TO THE SALTOM PIT SINKING HAVE SURVIVED AND THEY MAKE FASCINATING READING. THESE REVEAL THE PRECISE DATE OF COMMENCEMENT, THE TYPES OF CRAFTSMEN INVOLVED, THE VARIETY OF MATERIALS NEEDED, THE PROBLEMS FACED , THE COSTS OF SINKING AND THE ALE SUPPED TO CELEBRATE VARIOUS LANDMARKS IN THE SINKING.
FINALLY IN 1731 THE TASK WAS COMPLETED AND THE SINKERS EARNED A BONUS OF £6.. SPEDDING AND HIS TEAM HAD SUNK THE FIRST REAL UNDER SEA PIT IN THE KINGDOM AND HE HIMSELF HAD ALSO INTRODUCED SEVERAL NEW IDEAS WHICH BENEFITED COAL MINING IN GENERAL. WITH AN EXCELLENT SAFETY RECORD THE PIT PRODUCED COAL UNTIL 1848. THIS SURVEY UNDERTAKEN IN 1864 REVEALS MANY DETAILS WHICH HAVE LONG DISAPPEARED FROM THE SITE...THE SEA WALL..THE GIN RUN..THE TRAMWAY ENTRANCE..THE COTTAGES..
THIS PHOTOGRAPH ,TAKEN FROM THE SOUTH BRINGS SOME OF THE PLAN'S DETAILS TO LIFE.
SEE WHAT YOU CAN SPOT!!
THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO TIDY UP THE SITE AND AT LEAST ONE WAS CAPTURED BY THE "NEWS ". THIS IMAGE REVEALS THE DISTINCTIVE SHAPE OF SPEDDINGS SHAFT .
UNFORTUNATELY ,THERE HAS BEEN NO POSITIVE ATTEMPTS TO RESTORE OR PRESERVE THE RUINED PIT ( UNTIL NOW!!) AND IT HAS BEEN ROBBED OF ITS STONE, PULVERISED BY THE WEATHER AND LEFT TO DECAY. THE NEGLECT BECAME SO BAD THAT IN RECENT YEARS IT BECAME DANGEROUS TO EVEN TRY TO VISIT THE SITE.
AT ONE POINT AN INFORMATION PLAQUE WAS SITED AT THE CLIFF TOP FOR ANY VISITORS BUT SADLY ,
THE VANDALS SOON SAW THAT OFF.
HOWEVER, ALL IS NOT LOST SINCE THE NATIONAL TRUST IS WORKING ON THE SITE. RESTORATION WORK IS UNDERWAY AND HOPEFULLY WE WILL ALL SOON BE ABLE TO WALK DOWN THERE AGAIN AND ADMIRE THE ENORMOUS ACHIEVEMENT OF CARLISLE SPEDDING...OUR FORGOTTEN ENGINEER WHO SAVED THE COAL FIELD FROM DROWNING .
I KEEP AN EYE ON THE TRUST'S PROGRESS FROM THE CLIFFS AND THIS WAS THE SCENE ON NOVEMBER 25. THE APPROACH ROAD IS SAFER THOUGH NOT YET COMPLETE..THE SEA WALL HAS CLEARLY BEEN REPAIRED , THE SITE IS FENCED OFF AND SEVERAL HARD HATS ARE STANDING CLOSE TO THE FORMER ENTRANCE WHERE THE TRAMWAY LED TO THE BOTTOM OF RAVENHILL PIT.
