South Yorkshire Times, January 19th, 1934
Beauty In Industry
Flood-Lighting of Houghton Main
A Striking Spectacle
A frieze of dazzling brightness is being flung across the night sky at South Yorkshire. It is something of an “aurora” with its centre midway between Darfield and Cudworth. It was first observed by startled passengers on the L.M.S. Motorists and pedestrians on the high road above Darfield also paused to admire it. The phenomenon was the flood-lighting of Houghton Main Colliery.
A ”Times” reporter went out one night this week to view the spectacle. The work of decorative art is not completed yet, but the effect already is one of striking beauty. It is outstanding as a monument of the mechanical when seen against a moonless sky – a silver jewel in an ebony setting.
The spectacle is seen to advantage from the main road at Highfields, Darfield, or better still from Edderthorpe. In the centre of a sea of lesser lights rises the headgear shaft like a silver sentinel. Flares of bronze and orange rise from different parts of the pitstead and by-product plant, but the moonbeam shades predominate.
To heighten the effect the headgears have been painted aluminium, which shines like quicksilver. There is nothing in the background to disturb the calm splendour of the picture save when a passing train draws a thin white trail of smoke across the screen.
The Houghton Main Colliery Company are proud of the smart and clean appearance of their pitstead and have adopted this method of “showing it up.” It is a purely voluntary contribution toward identifying the nocturnal landscape. From another angle it is an effective method of putting the Yorkshire coal trade “in the limelight.”
Mr. F. S. Brass, agent at the colliery, under whose supervision the work has been carried out told a “Times” reporter; that quite a number of people have commended the idea and they propose to extend the range, using their own power. The maximum beam power of the concealed lights employed is 80,000 candle-power.
“It was our own idea,” said Mr. Brass “and so far as we know we are the first to adopt it. We were fortunate in that the headgears and surface plant present a suitable angle to the road and railway. It has proved very effective and we shall certainly extend it.
Among the greatest admirers of the scheme are the miners who work at Houghton Main, especially the surface workers. Those who walk from Stairfoot and Barnsley in the evening have an excellent view.