VI. — Notes on Some Explosions in Nova Scotia Coal 

 Mines. — By E. Gilpin, Jr., Inspector of Mines. 



The presence of notable amounts of gas in the Nova Scotia 

 <?oal mines seems to have been noticed first in Pictou Co. Here 

 mining- operations were commenced systematically in 1827 in 

 the main seam, from 28 to 35 feet in thickness and dipping at an 

 angle of al:)0ut one in three. The early workings were from 

 shafts up to 150 feet in depth. As deeper shafts were sunk the 

 height of the working places, nine to twelve , feet high, was 

 increased to nearly the full height of the seam. Large quanti- 

 ties of gas were given off, and it was frequently ignited by shots. 

 Numerous explosions took place, until about the year 1870 all 

 these older workings were abandoned and operations in this 

 seam were confined to the Ford Pit shaft about 900 feet deep. 



The last of these fires took place in 1867. The eastern district 

 had been for some time giving off gas which had occasionally 

 been ignited on blasting the coal, but had been easily extinguish- 

 es^!. On this occasion the gas took fire among the coal brought 

 down by a shot, and the efforts made were not successful in 

 pvitting it out. The coal caught fire and the water of the East 

 river was turned into the pit. 



When the Ford pit was sunk to the main seam and the levels 

 were being opened a shot fired gas and ignited tlie coal and the 

 shaft had to be closed for some time. 



There remains but little information about these fires and 

 explosions. Generall}' speaking, the workings were damp, ex- 

 cept in some of the working places in the lowest deeps. The 

 ventilation, b}- furnace, with upcasts of about 300 feet, was 

 not able to sweep the huge chamljers in this thick coal, and 

 large bodies of gas constantly accunuilated. It is proliable 

 that the imperfectness of the ventilation, by allowing vitiated 



(58) 



