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XXVIII. Method of Ventilating Mines or Hospitals, hj 

 extiaeting the foul Air from them. By Mr. John 

 Taylor, of Holu ell- House ^ near Tavistock *. 



Sir, J- SEND you lierewith a drav\ing and description of a 

 machine of my invention for the ventilation of mines, with 

 a view to their being laid before the Society for the Encou- 

 ragement of Arts, &:c. and hope they will meet with their 

 apjjrobation. 



I am, sir, 



Your obedient servant, 



H. Iwell, April 9, 1810. JohN TaYLOR. 



To C. ToTjlor, M.D. Sec: 



On the Ventilation of Alines, with the Description of a new 

 Machine for that Purpose. See PI. IV. Fig. 3. 



Next in importance to the means employed for draining 

 underground works from water, may be reckoned those 

 which are intended to aflord a supply of pure air, sufficient 

 to enable the workmen to continue their operations with 

 ease and safety to themselves, and to keep up, undiminish- 

 ed, the artificial light upon which they depend. If is well 

 known, indeed, to all who are practically ensraged in con- 

 cerns of this kind, that n)en are frequently obliged to per^ 

 severe in their labour, where a candle wdl scarcely burn, 

 and where not only their own health materially suffers in 

 the end, but iheir employers are put to considerable addi- 

 tional cx])en5e by the unavoidable hindrance and the waste 

 of candles and other materials. 



I mean lo confine the following remarks to such mines 

 as are worked upon iTietalliferous veins, according to the 

 practice of this district, and that of the great seat of mining 

 in the neighbouring county of Cornwall, from which ni- 

 deed ours is borrowed. We find then that a sinffle shaft, 

 not communicating by levels to another, can hardly be sunk 

 to any considerable depth, nor can a level (or, as the foreign 

 miners call it, a gallery) be driven horizontally to any great 

 distance, without some contrivance beiiio- had recourse to 

 for procuring currents of air to make up the deficiency of 

 oxygen, which is so rapidly consumed by respiration and 

 combustion in situations like these, where otherwise the 

 whole remain.^ in nearly a stagnant condition. 



* From Transactions nftke Sod el;/ for the Encnumnement of /iris, Mnvvfac- 



lures, and i'ommerre, for 18 iC The Society's silver medal was voted to 



Mr. John Taylor for this commuzjication. 



We 



