Explo&iojis ifi Coal Mines. 33 



filled with such air, a large and sound bladder, or gas-bag, 

 were screwed on to the syringe, it could then easily be filled 

 with other portions of air drawn from the same place. The 

 bag being carried away to a safe part of the mine, could 

 easily have the character of its contents examined into, either 

 by a Davy lamp, or by a candle placed in a glass cylinder, as, 

 for instance, the chimney of an Argand lamp, the air from the 

 bag being then passed in from beneath. Specimens of the air 

 from the goaf might be obtained in a still simpler way, by 

 having a tin, copper, or other close vessel, of the capacity of 

 three or four quarts, with a stop-cock at the top and another 

 at the bottom, filling it with water, attaching it to the lower 

 end of the small copper pipe proceeding up into the goaf, and 

 then opening the cocks until the water had run out. On 

 shutting the cocks, the vessel would be filled with, and would 

 retain a specimen of, the air of the goaf. 



Supposing that such a ventilating arrangement as that pro- 

 posed were established, miother place for examination would 

 be at the exit end of the goaf ventilation pipe. Ordinarily, 

 we trust, but little gas would be found there, because of the 

 effect of the continued drainage by the arrangement. But 

 this examination, like all others, should be made with every 

 care, lest upon any sudden evolution of gas, or fall of the ba- 

 rometer, an explosive mixture should be issuing forth, and 

 this by a naked light, if such were used for the examination, 

 communicate combustion to the goaf gas through the pipe 

 itself. 



Both in the mines and at the inquest, our attention was 

 called to the stoppi7igs and doors in the workings, upon which 

 the course of the general ventilation depends. When these 

 are blown away by an explosion the ventilation is altered, and 

 at times, as in the Haswell Pit accident, entirely withdrawn. 

 Mr. Buddie proposed to have dam doors so arranged, that 

 when the stoppings were thrown down, these should come into 

 action. We do not think that it would be impossible, or even 

 very difficult, to carry such a plan into effect in some of the 

 permanent ways of the mine ; but, considering that if the stop- 

 pings were not blown down, the probable effects after an ex- 

 plosion would be the firing of the mine, and also.that Mr. Bud- 

 die did not himself work out his own proposition in the many 

 mines where he had power, we are not prepared to say that it 

 is a matter that can be brought into practice, and ought to be 

 enforced ; or to give any opinion on the subject. 



We perhaps ought to apologise for this lengthened state- 

 ment, especially as we have no right to assume that we have 

 that kind of knowledge that can be gained only by practical 



PhiL Mag. S. 3. Vol. 26. No. 170. Jan. 1845. T> 



