WHITE MINE

Series

Series Name

Mining Review 9th Year

Issue

Issue No.

7

Date Released

Mar 1956

Stories in this Issue:

1. 1HEARTH AND HOME
2. 2WHITE MINE
3. 3FLIGHT LOADING
4. 4DOWNBEAT

Story

Story No. within this Issue

2 / 4

Summary

BFI synopsis: the mining of gypsum
NCB Commentary - At Robertsbridge in Sussex is an unusual kind of mine.
At first glance coal handling on the surface follows the old established pattern, but look more closely and you’ll see that everything’s in reverse: this coal is headed in towards the mine instead of away.
Manager Gibson’s office is like any colliery manager’s sanctum, but here at Robertsbridge they mine not Coal but Gypsum, the essential raw material for making plaster.
Underground, the first difference that strikes the visitor - apart from the glistening white surroundings - is the lack of supports and the cavernous intersection of old and new workings.
Mining technique’s roughly the same as it would be in a colliery. The Gypsum is won by room and pillar workings. First step is to drill the face preparatory to shot firing. Rotary drills supported by sir-legs follow standard mining practice.
There’s a difference though in the charging and stemming operations. Since this pit doesn’t come under the Coal Mines Act, far more powerful explosives can be used and consequently the face can be advanced much more rapidly. And, remember, there’s no need to worry about bringing up supports and setting props.
The Gypsum seam is 14 ft. thick and at Robertsbridge they work it in 7 ft. slices.
After blasting, over-large chunks of Gypsum are broken down with Pneumatic picks.
There’s no hand loading at Robertsbridge, Slushers, each serving three stalls, scrape out the Gypsum and load it direct on to a face conveyor.
Between the stalls an 8’ pillar is left unworked.
From the face conveyor a trunk conveyor leads to a standard loding point where the Gypsum falls into ordinary tubs.
On the surface, belt pickers sort out unwanted limestone and the Gypsum goes on to the kilns for firing.
Here’s the coal again. It doesn’t go underground; it’s fed into the furnaces on the surface.
2,000 tons a week of plaster comes out of Robertsbridge and some crushed Gypsum goes back underground as stone dust in British Collieries.
Cumberland-bred manager Gibson and his 600 miners draw a rich yield from the Sussex downs.

Researcher Comments

Commentary recorded 6th February 1956.

Keywords

Industry and manufacture; Mining

Written sources

British Film Institute Databases   Used for synopsis
The National Archives COAL 32   /12 Scripts for Mining Review, 1956-1960

Credits:

Production Co.

Documentary Technicians Alliance

Sponsor

National Coal Board