Shaft sinking

[ken]

Does anyone know how they seal shafts when going through water bearing strata? The mines on the East coast of Durham all had problems with this. Easington had this problem and used German sinkers using the freezing process to get through the trouble. Once they were through they TUBBED the shaft thereby sealing it. The up cast shaft was always dry probably due to a stable temperature but the downcast would start to leak in the winter and they had several large coke braziers in the winter around the shaft mouth to keep the temperature up. It worked too! The leakage was due to the shaft lining contracting.
The workings inland from the shaft were very dry yet above them was this great water feeder. How the water did not filter through to the workings was a mystery to me.

[John]

Cast iron tubbings were used Ken, the tubbings were made in sections and assembled in the shaft, sealed with lead and tightened together with bolts, there was always a little leakage.
Modern shafts are concrete, where they go through water bearing strata, the concrete walls are thicker.

Steel tubbings have also been used, these were plate steel rolled in sections to the shaft contour, assembled in the shaft and welded together, forming a water tight seal.