Scenes And Incidents From The Life Of A Practical Miner
With A Treatise On The Ventilation Of Coal Mines

the wall on each side of extra thickness and stoppings in them. If so, then it would be necessary to course the air through this little southern angle o waste, and when that is done proceed north and east from board to board jU arr*ve ^ie mjddle travelling way again; there you will see f ou )le doors marked red in the wall north, dividing the northern division rom the southern division, which doors must be perfectly air tight with snecks on each. Now, follow the yellow shade through a slide regulator m the northernmost of this sheth of boards, and so on through the waste until you come to a crossing marked red, taking the air over the south cross cut, and over the ingoing air to the west, and away north to another crossing marked red. At £ put in an angular stopping, to take the cur- rent of air over the arch into the north side of the middle travelling way m order to air the lesser goaf and pillar working. This will keep all safe,’ as you will see the air encircles the goaf and returns over a crossing into its original channel westward. It will be necessary to have a small sliding scale or regulator in the angular stopping, as at S, an indicator to show the master wasteman when it is necessary to take this division of air out of that district, which cannot be of long duration, for as these goaves advance on each other the incumbent mass of strata will exercise enormous pressure, imbedding and destroying several walls or standing pillars of coal between them, and which must be lost or only o-ot with great difficulty and danger. This, illustration will at once show you the necessity of observing -Natures laws, inasmuch as all these accumulated difficulties—the dread °? ;lPPl‘oachmg danger, the awful ’ explosion itself and its sad effects, destruction of property, loss of human life and sufferings—all originate in breaking into the upper strata, and forming this upper goaf in the , centre of this great angle of pillars. Such a plan is wrong, and false in principle. Ihe proper course would have been to work the pillars of le large goaf from north to south, by which means the goaf and pillar workings coiild have been ventilated with perfect safety, as additional returns could have been provided, ready to use when wanted, leaving a ooso side open and free beyond the oblique pressure from the goaf of limited extent. ® . ) ou will see that this principle of ventilation, which I recommend, is simp!e, safe, and easy m its application, and certain in its effects. It may be that from the imperfect state of this plan you may feel some incon- venience m the arrangement and coursing of the air, but, I hone by attending to the instructions, and following the shades as directed, you will discover the principle which I advocate, and you will see that no <1001 or stopping, can be injured so as to endanger the safety of the wor men m any part of the mine. Some may say, look at the expense oi tne board-end stoppings every time they advance—but the cost is not so gre.i w icn the plan is duly examined, especially when you consider ia vciy p an ensures safety, while under the other system, the mine, and the workmen in it, are always in jeopardy. We w ill now quit Burradon, and take our course southwards, as far as letton Colliery, where there was an explosion in 18G0, of a somewhat mysterious description. This colliery is under the care of one of the best