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104-502: Croesor quarry is a large underground slate mine in North Wales which was served by Croesor Tramway . Small scale quarrying began in the 1846, and by 1861, there were two companies in operation. They amalgamated in 1865, a year after the quarry was connected to the newly opened Croesor Tramway . Much money was invested in development work, but volumes of useful slate produced were small, amounting to just 226 tons in 1868. Access to

208-582: A shareholders' liquidation or members' liquidation , although some voluntary liquidations are controlled by the creditors). The term "liquidation" is also sometimes used informally to describe a company seeking to divest of some of its assets. For instance, a retail chain may wish to close some of its stores. For efficiency's sake, it will often sell these at a discount to a company specializing in real estate liquidation instead of becoming involved in an area it may lack sufficient expertise in to operate with maximum profitability. A company may also operate in

312-451: A "receivership-like" state but calmly sell its assets, for example to prevent its portfolio being written off in the event of an actual compulsory liquidation. The parties which are entitled by law to petition for the compulsory liquidation of a company vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, but generally, a petition may be lodged with the court for the compulsory liquidation of a company by: The grounds upon which an entity can apply to

416-574: A 375 hp pelton wheel impulse turbine . A separate 25 hp impulse turbine supplied the exciter circuit , providing good voltage regulation, and it provided enough spare power to light and heat his house. Power was generated at just below 3000 volts, and transformed down to 220 volts between phases at the point of use. The quarry was lit by electricity, using 2000- candlepower arc lamps, and he installed reversible winches, which were driven by 10 hp (7.5 kW) motors. They could raise 3-ton blocks, when they were being loaded onto trucks, and had

520-475: A 7.5-foot (2.3 m) hole in under two minutes, instead of the ten hours required when a hand-drill was used. At the time, percussive drills powered by compressed air were being introduced in many quarries, but Kellow disliked them because they were very noisy, created clouds of dust, and were uncomfortable to the men who had to use them for long periods. His drill was basically a twist drill , similar to those used to drill wood or metal. In order to hold it against

624-554: A Guibal fan, housed in a fan-house near the entrance to the adit. Peak output under Kellow's direction was between 5,000 and 6,000 tons per year, though it declined in the later years, until the quarry closed in 1930. The chambers were used by Cookes Explosives to store propellants from the late 1940s until the early 1970s. This ceased when the Central Electricity Generating Board became aware of it, and feared that an underground explosion would damage

728-404: A discretion for a period of time after dissolution to declare the dissolution void to enable the completion of any unfinished business. In some jurisdictions, the company may elect to simply be struck off the companies register as a cheaper alternative to a formal winding-up and dissolution. In such cases an application is made to the registrar of companies, who may strike off the company if there

832-836: A harbour on the Glaslyn Estuary . In 1865, the Croesor Tramway was built which connected various quarries in the Cwm Croesor (including the Croesor quarry) to Portmadoc, making transport easier. Slate industry Slate mines are found around the world. 90% of Europe's natural slate used for roofing originates from the Slate Industry in Spain . The major slate mining region in the United Kingdom

936-497: A high speed mode, which was used when the blocks were dragged across the floor. For the haulage of trucks along the main adit, he introduced a 30 hp (22 kW) mining locomotive, the first electric locomotive to work in Wales. It was a 4-wheel design, picking up power from an overhead wire, and is thought to have been built in the quarry workshops. The Pelton wheels were supplied by Gilbert Gilkes and Company Ltd of Kendal , as were

1040-661: A huge chamber in which the roof has collapsed, most of the accessible mine is in reasonable condition. Below the adit level, the mine is flooded and inaccessible. In spite of a series of collapses, particularly in the Rhosydd quarry, an underground journey from Croesor to Rhosydd is still possible and is considered to be a classic trip for mine explorers. It is known as the Croesor–;Rhosydd Through Trip. Fixed ropes, home-made suspension bridges, zip wires, and inflatable boats have been installed which make it possible to complete

1144-477: A low water absorption index of less than 0.4%, making it very resistant to frost damage and breakage due to freezing. Tiles produced from Spanish slate are usually hung using a unique hook fixing method, which reduces the appearance of weak points on the tile since no holes are drilled, and allows narrower tiles to be used to create roofing features such as valleys and domes. Hook fixing is especially prevalent in areas subject to severe climatic conditions, since there

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1248-508: A low-level adit, and work began on it, using the new air drills. A section of incline was built, to be used to counterbalance the trucks removing the spoil, but the adit was not completed. The water wheels were supplemented by Pelton wheels , and Kellow, writing in 1911, described four high-pressure turbines, producing 500 hp (370 kW). Water to supply the turbines was obtained from two reservoirs, one located at 1,460 feet (450 m) above sea level and covering 12 acres (4.9 ha), and

1352-480: A new underground pipeline from the reservoir, and underground cables to connect it to the national grid. It is capable of generating 500 kW, and the work was carried out as part of the government's renewable energy programme. The power station was formally opened by local MP Elfyn Llwyd on 26 November 1999. In the early 1970s the quarry was purchased by the Ffestiniog Slate Company with

1456-491: A person for the appointment of a liquidator and possibly of a supervisory liquidation committee. The person appointed by the holder of a floating charge debenture over a company’s assets to collect in and realise the assets of that company and to repay the indebtedness to the debenture holder. Administrative receivers can no longer be appointed by floating charge holders with the exception of floating charges created prior to 15 September 2003. Voluntary liquidation occurs when

1560-477: A second covering 5 acres (2.0 ha) at 1,650 feet (500 m). Water was also taken from a 6-acre (2.4 ha) natural lake at 1,750 feet (530 m). After initial experiments with electricity in the late 1890s, Kellow planned the electrification of the quarry in 1901. By utilising the reservoir in the Cwm Foel valley, located at 1,460 feet (450 m) above sea level, and siting the generating station near

1664-822: A small scale at Croesor from around 1840, and the Croicer Valley & Portmadoc Freehold Slate Company Ltd was set up soon afterwards, but did not last for long. Two companies were working the slate by 1861, the Croesor Fawr Slate Quarrying Company Ltd, and the Upper Croesor Slate Quarry Company Ltd. There was close cooperation between them, as in 1865, the Upper company allowed the Fawr company to tip slate waste on their land, and they amalgamated in

1768-420: A town called Granville in the state of New York is one of the places in the world where colored slate (i.e. slate which is not grey or blue) is obtained. (A fuller account is given in the article Slate : section Slate extraction.) Ninety percent of Europe's natural slate used for roofing originates from the slate industry in Spain, with the region of Galicia being the primary production source. In Galicia,

1872-425: A two-man team working underground, which enabled the mill to operate more efficiently. Following trials with air drills , he decided instead to electrify the mill, building a large hydro-electric station, which generated three-phase alternating current , rather than the direct current recommended by British manufacturers. He obtained motors from Prague, which were used to drive winches and an electric locomotive,

1976-462: A view to reopening it as a working slate mine. Planning permission for this was not granted and in the later 1970s most of the remaining mine infrastructure was removed for use in the Oakeley Quarry , also owned by the Ffestiniog Slate Company. Croesor is connected to the nearby Rhosydd quarry by a tunnel that was built to aid surveying and settle boundary disputes. Apart from Chamber 1 East,

2080-465: A voluntary winding-up of a company has begun, a compulsory liquidation order is still possible, but the petitioning contributory would need to satisfy the court that a voluntary liquidation would prejudice the contributors. The liquidator will normally have a duty to ascertain whether any misconduct has been conducted by those in control of the company which has caused prejudice to the general body of creditors. In some legal systems, in appropriate cases,

2184-477: A week. In 1877 they received about 7 shillings a ton for this. After paying wages for the manager, clerks and 'trammers' the company could make a clear profit of twice this amount. This system was not finally abolished until after the Second World War. Early workings tended to be in surface pits, but as the work progressed downwards, it became necessary to work underground. This was often accompanied by

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2288-698: Is a greater resistance to wind uplift as the lower edge of the slate is secured. Slate has been quarried in north Wales for almost two millennia with the Segontium Roman fort at Caernarfon being roofed by local slate in the late second century. Export of slate has been carried out for several centuries, which was recently confirmed by the discovery in the Menai Strait of the wreck of a 16th-century wooden ship carrying finished slates. Large-scale commercial slate mining in North Wales began with

2392-417: Is brought to an end. The assets and property of the business are redistributed. When a firm has been liquidated, it is sometimes referred to as wound-up or dissolved , although dissolution technically refers to the last stage of liquidation. The process of liquidation also arises when customs , an authority or agency in a country responsible for collecting and safeguarding customs duties , determines

2496-445: Is held by the company on trust for third parties will not form part of the company's assets available to pay creditors. Before the claims are met, secured creditors are entitled to enforce their claims against the assets of the company to the extent that they are subject to a valid security interest . In most legal systems, only fixed security takes precedence over all claims; security by way of floating charge may be postponed to

2600-688: Is known to have been carried out from the late mediaeval period and there was a considerable export trade from some of the quarries near the coasts in the 19th century. Slate has also been quarried at Swithland in Leicestershire. There are considerable workings in Cumbria . During the last 500 years, much slate extraction has taken place in the Lake District at both surface quarries and underground mines. The major workings are: Slate

2704-408: Is made by a board resolution, but instigated by the director(s). 75 percent of the company's shareholders must agree to liquidate for liquidation proceedings to advance. If a limited company’s liabilities outweigh its assets, or the company cannot pay its bills when they fall due, the company becomes insolvent. If the company is solvent , and the members have made a statutory declaration of solvency,

2808-399: Is more beneficial to start again by creating a new company, often referred to as a phoenix company . In business terms this will mean liquidating a company as the only option and then resuming under a different name with the same customers, clients and suppliers. In some circumstances it may appear ideal for the directors; however, if they trade under a name which is the same or substantially

2912-487: Is perhaps the first thing to strike someone visiting the old regions nowadays. The men had to pay for their ropes and chains, for tools and for services such as sharpening and repairing. Subs (advances) were paid every week, everything being settled up on the "Day of the Big Pay". If conditions had not been good, the men could end up owing the management money. At Moel Fferna a team could produce up to 35 tons of finished slate

3016-445: Is reasonable cause to believe that the company is not carrying on business or has been wound-up and, after enquiry, no case is shown why the company should not be struck off. However, in such cases the company may be restored to the register if it is just and equitable so to do (for example, if the rights of any creditors or members have been prejudiced). In the event the company does not file an annual return or annual accounts, and

3120-589: Is the Lake district, with Honister slate mine being the last working slate mine, the only producers of the world famous Westmorland greenslate. In the remainder of Continental Europe and the Americas , Portugal , Italy , Germany , Brazil , the east coast of Newfoundland , the Slate Valley of Vermont , New York , Pennsylvania , and Virginia are important producing regions. The Slate Valley area, centering on

3224-414: Is to collect its assets, determine the outstanding claims against the company, and satisfy those claims in the manner and order prescribed by law. The liquidator must determine the company's title to property in its possession. Property which is in the possession of the company, but which was supplied under a valid retention of title clause will generally have to be returned to the supplier. Property which

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3328-599: The Ffestiniog Railway . In order to improve the journey, a long straight road, which now forms part of the A4085, was built south from Garreg by the quarry company. When the Croesor Tramway opened in 1864, a long incline was built from the quarry to the valley floor, and carriage by railway reduced transport costs from 7s 10.5d (39p) per ton to 2s 6.5d (12.5p). The mill was constructed in the early 1860s, and

3432-402: The preferential creditors . Claimants with non-monetary claims against the company may be able to enforce their rights against the company. For example, a party who had a valid contract for the purchase of land against the company may be able to obtain an order for specific performance , and compel the liquidator to transfer title to the land to them, upon tender of the purchase price. After

3536-514: The "Bargain Letter" when a price for a certain area of rock was agreed. Adjustments were made according to the quality of the slate and the proportion of "bad" rock. The first Monday of every month was "Bargain Letting Day" when these agreements were made between men and management. Half the partners worked the quarry face and the others were in the dressing sheds producing the finished slates. In

3640-787: The 1860s onwards. A small scale quarrying and dressing operation continues in Monson into the 21st century. Slate is also found in the Arctic and was used by the Inuit to make the blades for ulus . 95% of the slate extraction in Brazil comes from Minas Gerais . Slate from this region is formed differently from traditional slate areas such as Galicia. Such products are sedimentary rocks that have split along their original bedding plane, whereas true slate has been subjected to metamorphism and does not split along bedding, but rather along planes associated with

3744-463: The Glyndyfrdwy mines at Moel Fferna each bargain worked a horizontal stretch of 10 by 15 yards. Duchesses, Marchionesses, Countesses, Viscountesses, Ladies, Small Ladies, Doubles and Randoms were all sizes of slates produced. Rubblers helped to keep the chambers free from waste: one ton of saleable slate could produce up to 30 tons of waste. It is the mountainous heaps of this very same waste that

3848-552: The Slateford Water Gap area the first verified quarry started some time around 1808 . The industry in this region of Pennsylvania spread across the northern edges of both Lehigh and Northampton counties which contain between them the remains of approximately 400 individual quarries. The origins of quarrying in the Lehigh Valley are obscured by conflicting evidence, although it is safest to say that it started near

3952-493: The UK, are not entitled to bear the CE mark . Because such Brazilian products display higher water absorption indexes than those from other areas such as Galicia, this makes them less suitable for use as roofing tiles since the study showed a significant loss of strength when subject to thawing and freezing. Liquidation Liquidation is the process in accounting by which a company

4056-409: The United Kingdom. Blaencwm power station continued in operation after the quarry closed, supplying electricity to the national grid until the 1950s, when it was closed. The dam on Llyn Cwm-y-foel was breached, much of the pipeline was removed, and the building became an outdoor pursuits centre. In 1999, National Power Hydro refurbished it as part of a £1 million project, which included the provision of

4160-803: The United States has existed in several locations in the country including areas in the western states, however the majority of slate has come from three principal regions along the Great Valley of the Appalachian Mountains. Of those regions, the Taconic Mountains region of Vermont and New York , as well as Lancaster , Lehigh and Northampton counties in Pennsylvania all still have active quarries. The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission states that in

4264-540: The amalgamation was made so that rather than supplying the ridging with slates from other quarries, he could supply it with slates from his own quarry. Kellow was known as a "fearless innovator", and set about modernising the quarry operation. The first problem that he faced was that the quarry below the level of the main adit had filled with water in the 17 years that it had been closed. Twelve chambers were submerged, and there were two sumps each holding some 4.5 million imperial gallons (20 Ml) of water. Local opinion

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4368-462: The application, the court may either dismiss the petition or make the order for winding-up. The court may dismiss the application if the petitioner unreasonably refrains from an alternative course of action. The court may appoint an official receiver, and one or more liquidators , and has general powers to enable rights and liabilities of claimants and contributories to be settled. Separate meetings of creditors and contributories may decide to nominate

4472-422: The bedding plane, and over 330 feet (100 m) horizontally. The main adit was relatively large, and ran for 440 yards (400 m) to reach an underground marshalling area. A vertical shaft, cut downwards through the rock above, enters the adit part way along its length. The quarry was worked on seven floors, designated as D Up, C Up, B Up, A, B Down, C Down and D Down, working from top to bottom, with floor A at

4576-464: The company's affairs, the liquidator must call a final meeting of the members (if it is a members' voluntary winding-up), creditors (if it is a compulsory winding-up) or both (if it is a creditors' voluntary winding-up). The liquidator is then usually required to send final accounts to the Registrar and to notify the court. The company is then dissolved. However, in common jurisdictions, the court has

4680-440: The company's file remains inactive, in due course, the registrar will strike the company off the register. Under the corporate insolvency laws of a number of common law jurisdictions, where a company has been engaged in misconduct or where the assets of the company are thought to be in jeopardy, it is sometimes possible to put a company into provisional liquidation , whereby a liquidator is appointed on an interim basis to safeguard

4784-402: The complexity of the hose, the unions which held lengths together were watertight under 900 psi (62 bar). The new design was also much quieter than the old. Next he redesigned the bit, which used a replaceable D-shaped cutter, making it much easier to manufacture than a twist-bit, and this was covered by a patent obtained in 1910. Some water was fed through the drill to lubricate and cool

4888-399: The court for an order of compulsory liquidation also vary between jurisdictions , but normally include: In practice, the vast majority of compulsory winding-up applications are made under one of the last two grounds. An order will not generally be made if the purpose of the application is to enforce payment of a debt which is bona fide disputed. A "just and equitable" winding-up enables

4992-421: The cutting surfaces. Two further patents from 1914 covered an improved gearbox and a redesigned two-stage reaction turbine, and another in 1915 covered an improved feed cylinder. This supplied the forward thrust to the drill bit, typically 2 to 3 tons for drilling slate, although trials on granite had used up to 20 tons. No data is available for earlier drills, but for the later ones, the turbine ran at 5,000 rpm and

5096-461: The dams of the Ffestiniog pumped storage power station . Both lakes were drained until the explosives had been removed. The quarry was worked on seven levels, but the three below the adit level are now flooded. There was an underground link to the nearby Rhosydd quarry , and the "Croesor Rhosydd Through Trip" is a well known, if somewhat dangerous, route for mine explorers. Slate was quarried on

5200-702: The date of disposal of the third is unknown. Several buildings were constructed in the marshalling area at the far end of the adit, and a massive haulage winch partially blocked access to the incline to the levels above. In 1971, the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB), operators of the Ffestiniog pumped storage power station , became aware of this use, and calculated that if there was an explosion underground, either of their two dams could be damaged. They therefore drained both reservoirs, and Cookes began removing about 250 tons of explosives per week, which were taken to Penrhyndeudraeth or by rail from Blaenau Ffestiniog railway station to various other ICI Nobel works in

5304-406: The drill at 250 rpm. The Kellow Rock Drill Syndicate converted the original slate mill, dating from 1861, into a workshop called Keldril Works, where the drills were made. It was about 55 by 45 feet (17 by 14 m), but burnt down between 1910 and 1912. The insurance company wrote off the machinery, as the roof had fallen onto it, but all of it was subsequently rescued from the wreckage. Some of it

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5408-467: The driving of one or more adits to gain direct access to a Level. In some rare instances, such as Moel Fferna, there is no trace of surface workings and the workings were entirely underground. Chambers were usually driven from the bottom, by means of a "roofing shaft" which was then continued across the width of the chamber: the chamber would then be worked downwards. Slate was freed from the rockface by blasting in shot holes hammered (and later drilled) into

5512-471: The entire quarry in around a week. His innovation also covered working practices. Traditionally, Welsh slate mines were worked by teams of four men, consisting of two rockmen, who worked in a chamber below ground, and two mill men, who processed the slate blocks produced by the rockmen. Kellow introduced a new system, in which two-man teams of rockmen supplied slabs to the mill, where independent two-man teams worked, who were allocated slabs by ballot. This enabled

5616-479: The final computation or ascertainment of the duties or drawback accruing on an entry. Liquidation may either be compulsory (sometimes referred to as a creditors' liquidation or receivership following bankruptcy , which may result in the court creating a "liquidation trust"; or sometimes a court can mandate the appointment of a liquidator e.g. wind-up order in Australia) or voluntary (sometimes referred to as

5720-453: The first to work in Wales. The water wheels were supplemented by Pelton wheels, supplied by Gilbert Gilkes of Kendal . His greatest innovation was the Kellow drill, a hydraulic drill for which he obtained six patents between 1898 and 1915. It could drill a 7.5-foot (2.3 m) hole in the slate in under two minutes, much less than the day required using hand drills. The mine was ventilated by

5824-512: The following year. At the same time, the Croesor United Slate Company Ltd was set up, with a working capital of £160,000, and a lease to look for slate on Croesor Fawr farm. They also took over the lease held by the Upper company. Hugh Beaver Roberts was in charge of the new company, while Hugh Unsworth McKie was in charge of the Upper company. Both men were directors of the Croesor & Port Madoc Railway, effectively

5928-436: The foot of the incline up to the quarry, he obtained a head of 860 feet (260 m) to drive his large hydro-electric turbines. Standard British practice at the time was to use 550-volt direct current for such work, but Kellow thought this was too high for distribution underground, and the cost of cabling for a lower voltage system was prohibitive. He found references to a new system of three-phase alternating current , but

6032-407: The grounds to subject the strict legal rights of the shareholders to equitable considerations. It can take account of personal relationships of mutual trust and confidence in small parties, particularly, for example, where there is a breach of an understanding that all of the members may participate in the business, or of an implied obligation to participate in management. An order might be made where

6136-596: The hillside above the Rhosydd workings has many pits where the roofs of the chambers below have collapsed. The most significant non-Welsh British slate industry is that of Cornwall and Devon where the Delabole Quarry is thought to be the largest single quarry in the island. Many of these are no longer worked owing to lower costs of extraction in the larger British workings. The quarrying of slate in Cornwall

6240-726: The journey in comfort although not necessarily in safety. The Ffestiniog region contains five major slate veins, which are on top of a thick layer of feldspathic porphyry , called the "Glanypwll Trap". The veins are the New or Deep Vein, the Old Vein, the Small Vein, the Back Vein and the North Vein. At Croesor, the Old Vein is accessible, and dips downwards at about 27 degrees. It is around 120 feet (37 m) wide, at right angles to

6344-625: The larger slate production companies are concentrated in Valdeorras in Ourense , with other important sites being situated in Quiroga , Ortigueira and Mondoñedo . The slate deposits in this region of northern Spain are over 500 million years old, having formed during the Palaeozoic period. The colour and texture of the slate produced is largely dependent upon the tectonic environment,

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6448-420: The largest producer of school slates and chalkboards in the country. The Slatington Slate Trade report for January 4 of 1880 showed that quarries in the town of Slatington alone had shipped 81,402 squares of roofing slates (over 8 million square feet) as well as 40,486 cases of school slates and 243 cases of blackboards. The Slate Valley (the district of Granville, New York ) is well known for its slate. Slate

6552-446: The liquidation will proceed as a members' voluntary liquidation (MVL). In that case, the general meeting will appoint the liquidator(s). If not, the liquidation will proceed as a creditors' voluntary liquidation, and a meeting of creditors will be called, to which the directors must report on the company's affairs. Where a voluntary liquidation proceeds as a creditors' voluntary liquidation, a liquidation committee may be appointed. Where

6656-407: The liquidator may be able to bring an action against errant directors or shadow directors for either wrongful trading or fraudulent trading . The liquidator may also have to determine whether any payments made by the company or transactions entered into may be voidable as a transaction at an undervalue or an unfair preference . The main purpose of a liquidation where the company is insolvent

6760-494: The lower section of the Croesor Tramway below the incline at Carreg-hylldrem. The Managing Director of the new company was James Wyatt, formerly the agent for the Penrhyn quarry , near Bethesda . After 30 June 1867, the chairman was T H Wyatt, and McKie became the manager and secretary. Between 1868 and 1869, Beaumont, Appleby & Ashwell, a company from London , worked on a contract to cut shafts and tunnels. The rock found

6864-406: The majority shareholders deprive the minority of their right to appoint and remove their own director. Once liquidation commences (which depends upon applicable law, but will generally be when the petition was originally presented, and not when the court makes the order), dispositions of the company's generally void , and litigation involving the company is generally restrained. Upon hearing

6968-401: The members of a company resolve to voluntarily wind up its affairs and dissolve. Voluntary liquidation begins when the company passes the resolution, and the company will generally cease to carry on business at that time (if it has not done so already). A creditors’ voluntary liquidation (CVL) is a process designed to allow an insolvent company to close voluntarily. The decision to liquidate

7072-428: The mill to be run at full capacity most of the time, with productivity rising by 25 per cent in the first month after it was introduced. Initial resistance from the quarrymen was overcome as they saw their wages rising significantly. Kellow introduced compressed air drills , which were fed by a small water-powered compressor located near the foot of the incline to the nearby Rhosydd quarry . He also decided to construct

7176-645: The oldest quarries in America continues to quarry slate in Buckingham County, Virginia . Their trademark Buckingham Slate has been continually quarried since the 18th century and has a distinct, unfading blue/black color and Mica sheen. Buckingham Slate is used on many Federal buildings in the Washington, D.C. area. Large scale slate quarrying also took place around the town of Monson, Maine where an extensive series of quarries flourished from

7280-524: The ones which supplemented the water wheels. Other innovations included a new type of planing machine which he invented, which worked between six and ten times faster than traditional designs. Removal of water form the mine was improved by the installation of centrifugal pumps , capable of pumping 400 imperial gallons (1,800 L) per minute. Productivity was improved by the replacement of hand-drills with another of Kellow's inventions. His Kellow drill used high pressure water, produced no dust, and could drill

7384-676: The opening of the Cae Braich y Cafn quarry, later to become the Penrhyn Quarry near Bethesda in the Ogwen Valley in 1782. Welsh output was far ahead of other areas and by 1882, 92% of Britain's production was from Wales (451,000 t): the quarries at Penrhyn and Dinorwic produced half of this between them. The men worked the slate in partnerships of four, six or eight and these were known as "Bargain Gangs". "Bargains" were let by

7488-402: The position of the company pending the hearing of the full winding-up petition. The duty of the provisional liquidator is to safeguard the assets of the company and maintain the status quo pending the hearing of the petition; the provisional liquidator does not assess claims against the company or try to distribute the company's assets to creditors. In the UK, many companies in debt decide it

7592-498: The quarry. The drills were still noisy, and discharged the spent water into the quarry, typically 400 imperial gallons (1,800 L) in the 90 seconds it took to drill a hole. Kellow later collaborated with Gilbert Gilkes on improved designs for his drills, and Gilkes later became a director of the Kellow Rock Drill Syndicate Ltd, set up in 1908, but they parted company because Gilkes thought that Kellow

7696-554: The realignment of minerals during metamorphism. This realignment, known as ‘schistosity’, bears no relationship to the original horizontal bedding planes . The independent Fundación Centro Tecnológico de la Pizarra’s report into the ’Technical properties of Bambui Slate from the State of Minas Gerais (Brazil) to ascertain its compliance with the Standard EN12326’ describes how certain products originating from Brazil on sale in

7800-573: The removal of a massive amount of rock to gain access to the slate. The larger mines in the Ffestiniog area include: There were also a number of slate mines in the Llangollen area which produced a much darker "black" slate: Another cluster of mines were found in mid Wales centered on Corris . These all worked a pair of slate veins that ran across the Cambrian mountain range from Tywyn in

7904-409: The removal of all assets which are subject to retention of title arrangements, fixed security, or are otherwise subject to proprietary claims of others, the liquidator will pay the claims against the company's assets. Generally, the priority of claims on the company's assets will be determined in the following order: Unclaimed assets will usually vest in the state as bona vacantia . Having wound-up

8008-402: The rock face, two small holes were drilled to a depth of 2.5 inches (6.4 cm), into which two rods on the drill were inserted, and jacked apart to secure it. The drill was powered by a small Pelton wheel, supplied with water at 500 psi (34 bar), equivalent to a head of 1,100 feet (340 m). He obtained a patent for the design in 1898, the year in which he introduced the drills to

8112-506: The rock mined was discarded. No chemical processes awerere used in the production, and the waste was disposed at dumps. In North Gwynedd , the large slate producing quarries were usually confined to open-cast workings, sometimes with an adit to gain access to the bottom of the pit: In the Blaenau Ffestiniog area, most of the workings were underground as the slate veins are steeply angled and open cast workings would require

8216-399: The rock. Slate mines were usually worked in chambers which followed the slate vein, connected via a series of horizontal "Floors" (or "Levels"). The chambers varied in size between mines and were divided by "pillars" or walls which supported the roof. The floors were connected by underground "Inclines" which used wedge-shaped trolleys to move trucks between levels. In some mines, where slate

8320-420: The same level as the main adit. Floors B Up to D Up were connected by an incline that ascended from level A. A second incline descended to floors B Down and C Down, with a separate incline connecting floors C and D Down. Since closure, the chambers below level A, for which there is no natural drainage, have gradually flooded, and the water level has reached the level of the main adit. When the chambers were used for

8424-454: The slate wharves at Porthmadog . They had a working capital of £45,000, but despite the expertise of Thomas Williams, the new manager who has previously managed the Penrhyn quarry, the company failed. The date is uncertain, as Boyd quotes December 1882, while Richards quotes 1878. Prior to the opening of the Croesor Tramway, slate was carried by horse and cart to Penrhyndeudraeth station on

8528-402: The source of the sedimentary material from which the slate is comprised, and the chemical and physical conditions prevalent during the sedimentation process. The region has been subjected to periods of volcanism and magmatic activity, leading to a unique geological development. An important use of Spanish slate is as a roofing material . It is particularly suitable for this purpose as it has

8632-491: The storage of explosives, a large amount of masonry was installed to house a haulage winch, and this makes it difficult to access the incline to the upper floors. Croesor is notable amongst Welsh slate quarries for being almost entirely underground, with no significant surface workings. It was rare in its extensive use of forced air ventilation instead of the more common natural ventilation used in most slate mines. It also generated relatively small external waste tips compared with

8736-478: The town of Slateford in the early Nineteenth Century and moved toward Bangor over a fifty-year period. By 1929, the value of slate production in Pennsylvania was approximately 5 million dollars, accounting for almost half of the 11 million dollar value of slate production for the entire United States. Quarries in this region of the country remained active throughout the first quarter of the 20th century producing roofing slate, slate for electrical uses, as well as being

8840-425: The underground workings was by a single adit, and the surface mill was powered by two water wheels . A change of ownership in 1875 did little to improve the profitability of the quarry, and it closed in 1878 or 1882. In 1895, the quarry reopened under the direction of Moses Kellow, a fearless innovator who set about modernising working practices and methods. The two-man teams working in the mill were no longer tied to

8944-487: The undertaking was not economic. In 1868, the cost of producing slates was nine times greater than at Penrhyn Quarry, and whereas they produced 9,000 tons a month, Croesor only produced 226 tons. In December 1875, the Croesor New Slate Company Ltd took over the workings, eight cottages for the quarrymen, the workshops, and the incline which connected the quarry to the Croesor Tramway, and hence to

9048-408: The volume of finished slates produced; this was largely achieved by back-filling underground chambers with waste once they were exhausted. Output in the early years was quite low, but following Kellow's innovations, was between 5,000 and 6,000 tons per year but then declined until the quarry closed. At its peak, around 300 men were employed there, of whom some 70 stayed in barracks. Forced ventilation

9152-622: The west through Corris and Aberllefenni in the Dulas Valley to the mines around Dinas Mawddwy in the east. Slate was also mined in Pembrokeshire in places like Maenclochog . Most underground slate mines in north Wales were closed by the 1960s although some open-cast quarries have remained open, including the Penrhyn Quarry and the untopping work at Oakeley in Blaenau Ffestiniog . Work also continues at Berwyn near Llangollen . The final large-scale underground working to close

9256-669: Was Maenofferen Quarry (which is owned by the Llechwedd tourist mine) in 1999 although opencast quarrying continues at this location. Many of the mines are now in a state of considerable decay and those that are accessible should not be entered as they are on private property and contain many hidden dangers. Historical and adventurous underground tours are provided at several mines including Rhiwbach (by Go Below ), Llechwedd ( Zip World and Llechwedd/Quarry Tours Ltd ) and Cwmorthin (Go Below). The lower levels of many mines are now flooded and collapses are commonplace; for example,

9360-637: Was also quarried in Scotland. Slate was first quarried in the United States as early as 1734 along the Pennsylvania Maryland border; however, it was not until 1785 that the first commercial slate quarry was opened in the United States, by William Docher in Peach Bottom Township, Pennsylvania. Production was limited to that which could be consumed in local markets until the middle of the nineteenth century. The slate industry in

9464-493: Was arranged by Moses Kellow, whose uncle, Joseph Kellow, had briefly been the agent and quarry engineer for the Conglog quarry in the 1870s. The quarry had been managed by Thomas Williams of Bryn, Croesor for many years, and Kellow had married Williams' daughter Nell in 1892. Williams died around 1895, and Kellow took over the management of the quarry, having had plans to reopen it for some years. Parc Quarry made slate ridging, and

9568-436: Was done by hand for many centuries using a chisel held at a specific angle to achieve a clean split while maintaining the material's integrity. Finally, the corners of each piece were bevelled to allow water to flow over the slate once in place on the roof. A final inspection and sorting took place before they were packaged for transport. The process of slate quarrying generates vast amounts of waste rock - often more than 90% of

9672-459: Was hampered by water flowing into the mine faster than it could be pumped out, and in 1873 the shareholders declined to advance any more money. The Directors decided to wind up the company, and create The Croesor Slate Company, to take over. However, the machinery was removed, and attempts were made to sell the quarry in April and July 1875. With so much development work, and little good quality rock,

9776-669: Was later sold to the Coedmadoc Slate Company of Nantlle . Details of the next period are sketchy, although Boyd states that the quarry was bought by S Pope of Llanbedr on 7 July 1883, and became part of the Parc & Croesor Slate Quarries Company Ltd, which was formed on 21 August 1895. The amalgamation with the Park Quarry, which was located near the Garreg Hylldrem inclines further down the Croesor valley,

9880-665: Was moved to the old fitting shop, and some to the Blaencwm power station, where it continued to be used until the quarry closed in 1930. Following the end of the Second World War , the quarry was operated by Cookes Explosive, a local firm based at Penrhyndeudraeth , who used its underground chambers to store explosives, mainly propellants. The adit was worked by three Ruston & Hornsby 4-wheeled diesel mechanical locomotives, originally built in 1939 and 1941, and obtained second-hand. Two had been scrapped or sold by 1955, and

9984-643: Was of poor quality, but hopeful that a slate vein of "paying quality" might yet be found, the directors issued debentures to raise additional money to fund the 110 men who were engaged on the development work. Progress below ground was slow, as a band of hard chert was encountered. Beaumont, Appleby & Ashwell were replaced by the Machine Tunnelling Company, and in June 1872, by the Diamond Rock-boring Company. The work

10088-410: Was powered by a 28-foot (8.5 m) diameter water wheel which drove about 12 slate saws. In 1866, the mill was extended, to provide another 12 or 14 saws. Power came from another water wheel, constructed underground, and fed by the tailrace of the first wheel. It was 39 feet (12 m) in diameter, and backup power was provided by a 13 hp (9.7 kW) steam engine. The shafting for the machinery

10192-406: Was quarried in 1839 at Fair Haven , Vermont. An influx of immigrants from the North Wales slate quarrying communities saw a boom in slate production that peaked in the latter half of the 19th century. The slate of the region comes in a variety of colors, notably green, gray, black and red. Some production continued in 2003 with 23 operating full-time mines employing 348 people. Additionally, one of

10296-444: Was that a new tunnel, at the level of the lowest chamber, would need to be cut, and a London-based engineer had calculated that pulsometer pumps could empty it in about six months. As the rails on the main incline to the lower chambers were still in place, Kellow mounted a large centrifugal pump on a platform, which he lowered down the rails as water levels fell. It could pump 340,000 imperial gallons (1.5 Ml) per hour, and he drained

10400-404: Was too much of a perfectionist, unwilling to listen to advice from an expert in the field of turbines. Kellow's next patent, obtained in 1906, included recycling of the water, which was fed through a 3-inch (7.6 cm) inner flexible pipe, running through the middle of a 5-inch (13 cm) outer pipe, through which the spent water was returned to the sump from which the drill was supplied. Despite

10504-404: Was unable to find British manufacturers who thought it was sensible, or who would make equipment to work with it. He produced a full specification for a three-phase plant in 1902, and toured Europe, talking to electrical manufacturers, who he found more supportive of his plans. He bought the equipment from Kolben and Company of Prague . It consisted of a 250kVa alternator, which he would couple to

10608-422: Was under the floor, as was a tramway for trucks to remove the cutting waste. A sale notice dating from 1874 indicated that in addition to sawing tables, there were also planing tables, slate dressing machines, two 12 hp (8.9 kW) steam locomotives and stables. The locomotives were 0-4-0 VB vertical-boilered tank engines with vertical cylinders, manufactured by De Winton of Caernarfon . One of them

10712-671: Was used, and a large fan house was constructed near the entrance to the adit. It housed a Guibal fan, although described by Richards as a Guiblas fan, and experiments were also carried out with water blast ventilation, using a vertical shaft between the chambers and the hillside. The Guibal fan was patented in Belgium by Guibal in 1862, and its spiral case which surrounded the fan blades made it much superior to previous open-fan designs. Such fans were used extensively for mine ventilation throughout Britain. The quarry's produce were distributed from Porthmadog (sometimes anglisised as Portmadoc ),

10816-457: Was worked away below the main haulage floor, the route was maintained through the construction of a wooden bridge across the chamber, often supported from chains attached to the roof above. These bridges could be as much as 100 feet/30 m above the floor below. Large slab of rock were removed from the chamber, typically on railway wagons , and taken to the mill. The slabs were first sawn to the required size, then split to specific thicknesses - this

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