EXPLOSIONS IN NOVA SCoTIA COAL MINES — GILPIN. 63 



but if opened the air would rush to the upcast, as an exhaust fan 

 is situated on that side and tlius the lower part of mine would be 

 cut off from the air communication which, if allowed for any 

 length of time, would undoubtedly accumulate gas ; from appear- 

 ances I would judge this to have transpired and gas to have been 

 generated in the manner supposed. Gas then having been driven 

 down by the restored action of the air was forced upon Foley's 

 lamp, who was working in a head about 100 feet from sinking- 

 face. He was burned almost to a crisp, whilst two-thirds of 

 the men below him had scarcely a singed head. Whilst sinking, 

 they drive heads east and west from back slopes, at intervals of 

 about 60 feet, at right angles to slopes, which are cut again at 

 the face, coming up the hill with shoots. Heads driven up the 

 hill, off the air current any distance, and left standing, will till 

 with gas. This has been an occurrence before the explosion, 

 and since, which would lead me to believe that the air current 

 must have in some way been tampered with, and the restored 

 action resulted as I have stated. In support of this view I 

 would say that the timbers in the slopes from the head in which 

 Foley worked " downward," that is, toward the sinking face, 

 gave unmistakable evidence that the explosion came from above, 

 whilst the timber above this head gave like evidence that the 

 explosion came from below, until it reached the 1800 feet level, 

 which is some 400 feet above the level ; then it expanded east 

 and west, destroying the check doors on the levels, and showing 

 slight signs of the explosion for a distance of 200 or 300 feet 

 in the levels inside the doors, which were from 70 to 100 feet off 

 the slope. The stoppings between the main slope and back 

 slopes from the level up to the 1300 feet level were blown down. 

 Strange to say, the first check door at 1300 feet level, on west 

 side, was found standing open, whilst the inside door was de- 

 stroyed. At this point there were men employed taking timber 

 from the slope to some point inside of the doors. The explosion 

 had gone in this level a distance of not more than 200 or 300 

 feet. The stoppings from 1300 feet level to mouth of slope were 

 blown down, and timber and debris were strewed in a confused 

 way all through the slope. " 



