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

26 gent mind, must necessarily become an adept in twenty years service. And to tell over what lie himself lias seen and done, must be the most prudent way to illustrate the principle he advocates, and to devolope the system he upholds as the best and safest. In the principle that I adhere to for the ventilation of coal mines there is nothing artificial. The more it is examined in tlie light of science, the more clearly will it seem to be in uni- son with the inimitable laws of nature. Let the practical miner adhei’e to the important lessons held up to his view by the daily indications of the mine, whose variations are subject to, and under the influence of our common atmosphere, when he too, will in candour admit that these remai’ks might suffice for the purpose of instructing others in the matter of ven- tilation without entering into a system of geology. My object is, to present as clearly as I can, those doctrines which, to my conviction, stand upon solid ground of proof; but which may have the appearance of being controverted by some. Considering the specially interesting character of the subject, 1 may be excused for briefly describing some of the actual facts which have been brought to light by practice and experi- ence, without being considered an egotist, or one hazarding a tale by guess. All the explosions of serious importance that I myself have seen, were the result of negligence. All I have read about, however far dis- tant or near at hand, I discover in the examination and depositions of the witnesses to have also originated in negligence or defect of management. Why should such errors of judgment continue to prevail in the coal trade; or why should the country be imposed on as it is, and the miner be placed in jeopardy daily, when the mines can and ought to be ventil- ated effectually with health and safety to all? As is the duty of every man, my earnest desire is, and always was, to do all the good I can. I am aware that some one who knew me in practice, perhaps now may say, “Woll, the pit once fired on him, and two young men were burnt so that they died; why did lie not then prevent the sad accident and avert calamities he so much denounces'?” I will therefore embrace this opportunity to vindicate my own practice, and show that such an accident never could have occurred under ordinary circumstances, apart from negligence. I will demonstrate by truth and proof, that this occur- rence too stands prominent on the list of many cases of wilful negligence. I recommend your attention to the sectional plan of the workings in the district where the explosion took place, almost immediately after the miners’ strike in 1844. First observe the red dotted line from the south is the horseway up to two stentings within the double headways ; there the crane stood, when the putters brought the coals out of the working places, as the red dotted lines indicate by 4 pillars east and 13 walls to north, and the darts show the course of the air. Now, observe the fourth board north of the mothersgate or common going board, and northernmost shaded blue, to east. This board previous to the strike was driven in ad- vance of the otliei’s, guarded with a bore hole kept ten yards in front, to protect the workmen and prove the thickness of coal between the old goaf to east and the working places. The man that bored this hole was pro- vided with clay, and a wooden plug suitable to tlie hole; so that when he holed into the goaf, his instructions were to draw out the rods, fill the