Volume Twelve - Pre-Victorian to the Present Day - further aspects - Trials of Welsh and Mixed Coals . . .

At same time experiments were made on board the African, to which we have already alluded, and now merely add a portion of the report omitted by the Newcastle Chronicle, All the mixtures show a loss both as respects economy and efficiency, by the operation of the furnace door ventilation mitigating the nuisance of smoke.

The question was not, however, settled to the satisfaction of the Northern coal interest, which, believing in the proverb that half a loaf is better than no bread, went further and would gladly accept one-third rather than none of the Admiralty orders.

The character of many of the Welsh coals still further suffering through mixture with inferior seams in 1864 the North Country people again began to agitate, and obtained trials of mixture at the Keyham dockyard. Each party-applied for a representative to be present to try their respective coals. This was agreed to, and special directions drawn up to regulate the trials.

On the completion of the experiments, which resulted clearly in favour of Welsh being superior to the Hartley coal or any mixture, the engineer for the Welsh proprietors, Mr. Tomlinson, left the dockyard and came home, being given to understand by Mr. Miller, chief engineer, that the trials were over, but strange to say, after Mr. Tomlinson had left, Mr. Miller and the North Country engineer made two subsequent trials, giving his decision in favour of a mixture.

The Cardiff Times presented its readers with an analysis of the Government return at the time, showing that the conclusions were not borne out by the figures, and calling upon the trade to take a lesson from the Northern coal trade, who had had the report translated into foreign languages and circulated throughout Europe.

Some time however elapsed before the apathy of our colliery proprietors was overcome, but in the event a numerous and influential deputation waited upon the Admiralty to present a statement of objections, requesting that if the Admiralty were decided upon taking one-third North Country and two-thirds Welsh that the officers of the several men-of-war might be instructed to send home from time to time reports upon the mixed coals supplied to them. This the Admiralty undertook to do.