Thomas Young Hall
Crawcrook was at the centre of the coal mining industry at that time and other eminent pupils included Sir George Elliot, Nicholas Wood, J.
This period, which coincided with the early years of the Stockton and Darlington Railway, introduced him to the importance of costing the transport of coal to the nearest ports.
Having taken her cargo on board, she proceeded to sea amid the ringing of bells, the firing of cannon, and the acclamation of those who had assembled to witness the ceremony."
Adding to the difficulties was the common practice amongst miners of hanging to the ropes or lifting chain to ascend and descend the 1500 ft or more of the pit shaft.
To prevent the cage fouling the sides of the shaft, he developed an idea proposed initially by a Mr. Curr of Sheffield and fitted guide rods to constrain it.
[7] As his principal interest was the development of the Stella staithes, land was sub-leased to a range of industrial users including an acid and white lead factory.
In the late 1830s, the Blackheath Colliery, Etna and Mid-Lothian pits in Cleveland County, Virginia, were devastated by fire and explosion, resulting in what the NEIMME reported as "sacrifice of life in negro workmen".
Wood,[9] it was agreed that Hall should receive " normal Viewers' customary perquisites" and be allowed to pursue private work for three months in the year.
The Agreement for the formation of the Chesterfield Coal & Iron Mining Company dated 30 April 1840,[10] lists John Heth (Virginia), Charles Scarrisbrick (Lancaster) George Morten (Old Bond St.), Thos Wood (Castle Eden) and Samuel Amory (Throgmorton St.) amongst the directors.
Welford notes that having an English company holding assets in America caused constitutional issues, requiring negotiations with the American Government.
During his time in America, Hall took an interest in mining in Russia, including the publication of a letter in the New York Herald in 1840 arguing the case for a railway from St.Petersberg to Moscow.
In addition to his lucrative mining and property holdings, he is listed as a shareholder in the Old Hartlepool Docks and Railway Company, Newcastle, Shields and Sunderland Union Banking Co., Scotswood Bridge Co., and J.S.Challoners, Scotswood Rd...[11] Additionally, he had an interest in the Ovingham Bleachery, George Hartford & John Reed and the Middlesbrough Sail Cloth Co.
[14] This coincided with the formation of the North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers and over the following years he contributed a number of leading papers to their Proceedings, drawing on his extensive knowledge of the coal industry internationally.
[16] Hall defended vigorously the position of the Tyne, possibly because of his vested interests, but also made a strong case for the development of Redcar as a 40 ft. deep water port to transport iron ore to Tyneside for smelting.
His 1856 paper on the potential of the United States[19]) was informed by his years in Virginia, where the short rail links to the James River were a particular attraction.
He was also the first in the region to use pit gas for underground lighting[8] In 1853, Hall was attracted to a prize offered by the Belgian government for rescue systems from mines filled with dangerous gases.
[25] In the mid-1860s, Hall prepared a report on the Coalbrook and Broadoak Collieries at Loughor, Glamorgan,[24] The intended business model appears similar to the earlier American activity, with the key investors being Sir William Milman, Messrs Manning and O'Donoghue.
Abbreviations: NEIMME: North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers DCRO: Durham County Records Office
