ART OF BLASTING ROCKS. 173 



difperfes pieces of the Mattered rock in various directions, his 

 lite is in the utmoft danger, and his fituation is truly terrible 

 to contemplate. 



Mr. Fither's improvement is to obviate this danger; and Mr. F.'s expe- 

 confifls in the ufe of a copper rod, or pricker, for making ^ade "fro"^ 

 the hole that receives the priming-ftraw, inftead of one ofwhichisnot 

 iron, which before was every where employed in this part of h ^J° fire the 

 the kingdom. 



In our converfation Mr. F. obferved, that fome years ago, 

 three explofions happened on drawing the pricker, in the 

 courfeof a fortnight, at his quarry in Kirkby Ireleth, and that 

 one man being killed and two wounded, feveral of the work- 

 men were fo intimidated, that they refolved to abandon a 

 place which they confidered as deftined to daily misfor- 

 tunes. It therefore became highly requifite, on feveral ac- 

 counts, to attempt fome innovation for the fecurity and en- 

 couragement of the workmen. 



In meditating on the caufe of thefe accidents, it appeared 

 moft rational to attribute them to the iron pricker giving fire- 

 by its friction againft the rock, which was a hard blue rag, or 

 w.hin(ione : and from this view of the caufe it was inferred, 

 that fafety would accrue from the ufe of prickers conftrucled 

 of thofemetals which are leaf! difpofed to give fire with ftone. 

 Mr. Fifher, therefore, determined to make trial of copper, 

 and having procured fome implements of this kind, found 

 them to anfwer the purpofe completely. It is now upwards Ample.experl- 

 of three years fince this improvement was adopted, and as no f nce h * s proved 

 explofxon has happened at the end of ftemming in that period, 

 at an extenfive work where accidents were frequent before, 

 Mr. F. considers the means as alraofl infallible ; and is happy 

 to think that many fad misfortunes have been thereby pre- 

 yentedw ' 



There are eleven flate quarries in Kirkby Ireleth, at feveral 

 of which copper rods are now ufed ; but at others they are 

 not. At one of thefe a fatal accident happened a few months 

 ago, from an explofion upon drawing a rod of iron. 



Prickers, fuch as ufed by Mr. Fifher, are eanly eonftrueled : 

 A piece of copper being forged to the proper length, ftiape, 

 and thicknefs for the body of the tool, is rivetted to an iron 

 head or loop fimilar to that of the common pricker. Thefe 

 implements, when carefully ufed, are nearly as durable a* 

 thofe of iron. 



5 Sand 



