272 Progress in Science. (April, 
attempts to recover the boring-tools, which had unfortunately fallen to the 
bottom of the deep hole—came to the bold conclusion that the old bore should 
be abandoned, and that a new one should be commenced by the Diamond 
Rock-Boring Company. The original boring had reached a depth of upwards 
of 1000 feet, and was advancing well in the Oxford Clay, but it was found on 
survey to be slightly out of the perpendicular, and the recovery of the lost 
tools seemed altogether hopeless. Under these unfortunate circumstances 
the Diamond Company generously undertook to put down a 1ooo-foot bore, 
with lining, at the cost of only £600. After a good deal of discussion as to 
the selection of the new site, it was agreed that the second boring should be 
close to the first, and accordingly the Netherfield bore-hole No. 2 was com- 
menced on February 11th. A 6-inch crown is employed, and cores of almost 
this size are now being extracted. 
Since the Sub-Wealden boring has attained to a considerable depth, atten- 
tion has been directed to other deep borings, and to the difficulties experienced 
in such undertakings. Perhaps the most interesting of these deep bore-holes 
is that which was sunk a few years ago at Sperenberg, about 25 miles south 
of Berlin. The rock at the surface was gypsum, but this passed down into an 
enormously thick deposit of rock-salt. The boring was commenced on the 
25th of April, 1867, and on reaching a depth of 9844 feet (956 Prussian feet), 
in July, 1868, it was stopped, in order that steam-power might be substituted 
for hand-labour. After the arrangements for introducing steam were com- 
pleted, the boring was resumed, and continued uninterruptedly from January, 
1869, to September, 1871, when the hole had reached the extraordinary depth 
of 4172} feet (4051°6 Prussian feet). 
The ‘Colliery Guardian,” in its issue for the rst of January, published 
some interesting statistical tables, giving a complete record of the lives lost 
by colliery accidents during the thirteen years which ended on December 31st, 
1873. Without analysing these figures, we may state that the grand totals 
show that the aggregate number of deaths during this period amounted to 
13,756. Of this number, 2790, or only little more than one-fifth, were due to 
explosions. The improved condition of our mines is seen by the fac that in 
1861 one life was sacrificed for every 91,240 tons of coal raised, whereas in 
1873 one life was lost for every 133,677 tons of fuel. 
It would be wrong to conclude this Chronicle of Mining without mentioning 
that the Murchison Medal has this year been awarded, by the Geological 
Society, to Mr. W. Jory Henwood, of Penzance, as a well-merited recognition 
of his labours in mining-geology. Mr. Henwood’s valuable observations on 
mines in almost every part of the globe will be found in the fifth and eighth 
volumes of the ‘“‘ Transactions of the Geological Society of Cornwall,” two 
volumes of which are entirely devoted to his papers, and are an enduring 
proof of the success with which he has brought a sound scientific knowledge 
to bear upon the miner’s art. 
METALLURGY. 
Remarkably little progress appears to have been made during the past 
quarter, either in the development of any branch of our metal industries or in 
the publication of papers bearing upon the scientific aspecé of metallurgy. 
Our report is consequently somewhat meagre. 
With respe& to the metallurgy of iron, we may mention that certain im- 
provements in puddling have been patented by Sir J. G. Alleyne, of the 
Butterly Iron Works. He provides his furnaces with four regenerative cham- 
bers ; two for gas, and two for air. The rabble used consists of iron bars or 
tubes, bent to a loop or crank form, and made to revolve on a horizontal axis, 
so that the loop or crank can sweep through the metal in the basin of the 
furnace. 
An improved rotary puddling furnace has been devised by M. Ehrenwerth. 
This furnace has a revolving sole, moved by a system of geared wheels. As 
the charge of pig-iron melts, the sole is put in motion, and the metal is worked 
