106 Mr Bald on the Fires that take place in Collieries, 



intense, that, in figurative language, it may be felt. This singular 

 feeling is quite familiar to those who traverse mines. In this 

 case there is no alternative but to choke the fire, by sealing up, 

 as it were, the shafts or pits. This is no easy matter, for the 

 shaft, in many cases, dare not be entered by any living creature, 

 without almost instant death, and to cover the mouth of the pit 

 would be quite ineffectual ; the plan, therefore, is to lower a 

 strong wooden scaffold, by cables or chains, to a considerable 

 depth down the shaft, and then to throw many tons of plastic 

 clay down upon it at random, which in the fall makes a solid 

 puddle ; but if there is water in the shaft, a precaution is neces- 

 sary, otherwise the water accumulated above the scaffold would 

 in all probability break the chains or cables. To obviate this, a 

 long pipe requires to be put through the scaffold, recurved like 

 a shepherd's crook at the top, in order to allow the water to 

 descend, without the admission of air. 



In other cases, where the fire is in the coal-dust of the roads, 

 and flaming, and no hydrogen gas is apprehended to exist near 

 the fire, small extinguishing engines, fitted for the mines, are 

 used, and frequently with good effect ; but when the engines 

 cannot be applied, the flame has been in some instances extin- 

 guished by the power of sudden concussion, produced by the 

 firing of cannon as close to the flames as possible. This effect 

 is well known, and this method has been again and again propo- 

 sed for extinguishing fires in buildings. 



Such is a very brief account of the plans pursued for extinguish- 

 ing fires in coal-mines, — a subject of deep interest to the proprie- 

 tors of mines, and, in particular to the mining engineer, who is 

 often called, in such cases, upon duty, has to risk his life, and the 

 lives of his assistants, and to use every means which science and 

 practice can suggest, to extinguish the fire. This subject is not 

 only very interesting to the inhabitants of Great Britain, but to 

 the world at large ; for, in such trying situations, men meet on 

 common ground, and, with kindred feelings, are ready to afford 

 every aid in their power, as in the storm and the shipwreck, 

 when national distinction ceases to exist. 



Of the fires wliich have existed in the coal-mines of Scotland, 

 the chief are, those of Kilkerran in Ayrshire, the property of 

 Sir James Ferguson, Baronet ; Johnstone colliery, near Paisley, 



