Mr Bald on the Fires that take place in Collieries. 117 



deeomposition of the pyrites. About three months ago the 

 burning became strong, and the manager of the colliery, Mr 

 Dewar, having ascertained where the mass of burning material 

 was, with much promptitude and decision perforated the ma- 

 sonry of an adjoining pit, where he knew there was a sand-bed 

 with much water, and having made wooden pipes, conveyed this 

 water down the shaft to the pit-bottom : from that point he 

 carried the pipes with the water horizontally through the wind- 

 ings and turnings of the mine, and poured the water upon the 

 verge of the burning materials. This very dangerous service 

 he accomplished in the most expeditious manner, and it does 

 credit to his spirit and zeal. He saw, however, that although 

 the water was poured upon the burning mass, night and day, it 

 was impossible to throw it upon the great body of the fire. At 

 this crisis I was sent for, and 1 was able, by keeping close to 

 the fallen roof, to approach within a ?e\w yards of the fire, which I 

 found burning like a furnace, and the superincumbent rock strata 

 red hot. The hot air immediately above our heads floated full 

 of smoke, and was insufferably hot, so that it was dangerous to 

 raise up our heads, and we felt that the roof above us was con- 

 siderably heated. 



After considering all the circumstances of the case, we resol- 

 ved to cut a mine, if possible, around the burning area ; but af- 

 ter considerable exertion, we found this impracticable ; and we 

 saw in the course of this trial, that the roof had fallen to a con- 

 siderable height, and that the fire had communicated itself to an 

 upper bed of coal. The case then became critical and alarm- 

 ing ; every circumstance of the mines was considered, in order to 

 devise the best plan for extinguishing the fire. 



The coal was level free, and the colliery had a drainage 

 through other adjoining collieries ; from this circumstance the 

 discharge of the water could not be stopped by ordinary means. 



The eight feet coal, in which the burning was, is situated 

 eleven fathoms above the splint coal ; and the water of the eight 

 feet coal descended the pits to the splint coal, and there dis- 

 charged itself To this lower coal, five pits communicated. 

 We therefore resolved upon the following process to extinguish 

 the fire. At each of the five pits, and at nine feet below the 

 pavement of the eight feet coal, grooves were cut in the rock, 



