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

38 into the northern, workings of these pits. 1 wish it to be understood that I do not vouch for the accuracy of distance, or of direction, as I produce this plan solely from memory, but merely to illustrate my state- ment, and show the formation of the arch, and construction of the dam. There is always a diversity of opinion with men in jeopardy, but under such, circumstances I’eason. admits of no comment; as for instance, sup- posing in this case we again darn’d back the water, it would have been several days, perhaps weeks, before such a volume could have been re- duced below the arch, and in the interim, suppose a change of atmospheic were to occur, and the vacuity to be tilled with carbonic acid gas, the consequence would be inevitable death. On these considerations, I enforced my views with this arrangement, that if I succeeded in getting through, I would “jowl” back to them, but if I failed in the attempt, they were to make the best of themselves they could. Having come to this conclusion, I prepared myself for a resolute dive, with, a determination to be through; off I set, and succeeded, but with nothing to spare. Let me here remark, to those unacquainted with diving, &c., that if you can retain, your breath no longer and open your mouth under the hope of respiring, the pressure of the water forces back the collected volume, when, from this adverse stroke of nature, you drop, your strength fails you, and your struggling will soon be over, if there be none at hand to assist you. Well, as soon as 1 got the water wiped from my face, 1 jowled back to the men, one of them immediately made the start, but fell before lie got through, I sprang in to his assistance and got him out. I again jowled, and oft came another, who succeeded cleverly, as did also the last one, so that we all got safe through, and I. hope the others are all living to this-day, to corroborate my tale. As it was, we had released the engines at the colliery of the water, by what we had done, and it was many months before we went back to make our work perfect, but at length it was done, and I am not aware whether it ever troubled them any more at the colliery or not. We had previously opened the drift properly between the Blakelaw and Granary Pit, and partially abandoned the former, with the exception of occasionally going down it to ascertain whether the water was getting away to the Tyne, or if it rose any at this part of the drift. On this occasion, after an absence of near three years, I had to go down it for that purpose; our mode of descent was a jack roll, seven inches diameter, and a small rope above 100 yards long, with two men to work it. The roll was fixed ready for the day of favourable weather, and I ordered these men to be at the pit at eight o’clock, and took one of the wastemen with me. On arriving at the pit, I first got them to run the lantern and two candles in it down, dreading the sty the, or carbonic acid gas at the bottom of the shaft. The candles were extinguished, but we satisfied ourselves that they were put out with the water, as we could see it dis- tinctly at the bottom; consequently I ordei-ed them to bring the rope to bank, and I would go down. By this time we had got all in readiness, and for better security I had provided a portion of rope to tie us in the loop, i.e., the rope was put round out body, below the arms, and safely fastened to the chain. All being now right, and the men ready, I launched myaelf off into the shaft, and told those at the roll to lower