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

4f> on the light for several seconds, until the flame is diminished and nearly extinguished hy the atmospheric current of air, whose uniform velocity seems satisfactory to the miner’s observation. He then withdraws his hand, and prepares tobe off; the noble earl interposes by saying “What do you mean by that statue-like posture, and earnest looking at the light?” “This, my lord, is a true example of the practical observations of the miner. I have been taking the angle of the flame on the candle as indicated by the current of air, and I know by that process whether there is more or less air in the pit. I am now satisfied that there is no inci- dental obstruction since the last time I took it, therefoi e I can proceed in confidence.” They now travel on the first district of workings, which they enter and proceed on their journey. When at forty yards up they come to an arch, a crossing where the air in returning from the whole working places passes over the in-going current. At this arch also he took the same or similiar observations as he had done before. The reason why he does this is that the air is here devided. from the general volume, although we have not yet seen a door on the road, and by taking this observation from the same indications given, he can tell whether there is more or less air in this district also by the angle formed with the flame of the candle. Being again satisfied, they proceed on until they come to the first work- ing board, which he enters. After observing the air by the candle he walks on cautiously a few yards further towards the face, when, with all the activity imaginable, he is down on one knee, and raising his light up on a horizontal line with the eye, he places his other hand between the light and his own sight, looking with intent earnestness, and gently- raising it up to the roof. He is then satisfied once more, and oft' he goes to the face of the board and repeats the same process. His noble companion asks “ Wliat do you mean by that?” “ By this observation my lord, I can tell what quantity of hydrogen gas is generated in this board. It is shown by the colour and motion of the spire of light you see above the margin of my hand.” As the process is the same in each and every one of the boards, foui-teen in number, that form the sheth, it may per- haps be as well to explain to you at once the principles of ventilation, and the system requisite to inspection. First, you will observe the brattice in every board, as you see in this, and at the end of each brattics is one loose, which, we call a slide, and which is drawn across the tramway to tlie opposite side in a sloping direction, for the purpose of flinging the air up this and each boai'd at nights, when the pit is not working. But if any of the boards should at any time, as they advance up the distance of a pillar, be generating gas in such a quantity as to endanger the safety of the workmen (which is easily discovered by the intelligent practical miner), then there should be immediately a door hung at that board end, to fling the whole cur- rent of air up that board end, so as to sweep away the gas as it generated from the strata, dilute it in its flight, and thus prevent it from accu- mulating into a volume of inflammable gas. On this principle we pro- ceed from board to board, until we arrive at the (say) novthei'iiuiost board. As you have observed deal stoppings in every board as we came