Fire-damp. 469 



tested by the signatures of Holmes, Esq. tliesuperintendants 



and experienced miners present. In a P.S. Dr. C. assigns a 

 cause for the occasional extinction of his lump, from the irregu- 

 larity of throwing in th.e necessary supply of air ; but he has also 

 improved tlie machinery for blowing the bellows, which can now 

 be wound up to act above tliirty hours. 



Dec. 9. — A m.athematical paper by Mr. Herschel was laid 

 before the Society, but it was of a nature not to be read. On 

 tiiis evening, and on 



Dec. 21, — Part of a paper by Dr. Brewster was read, de- 

 tailing a series of experiments on the effects of heat on transpa- 

 rent bodies, and their consequent production of pencils of 

 colours. These experiments are deemed interesting to the 

 chemist, mineralogist, and persons who amuse themselves with 

 experiments in natural philosophy. The results of these expe- 

 riments were detailed in propositions. The first proposition 

 •stated, that by heati^ plates of glass in water, they"yielded, ac- 

 cording to their thickness, all the series of colours described by 

 Newton, one falling short of another so as to give the regular 

 series. Glass was crystallized into paralleiopipedons by heating 

 pn iron bars, and the^e crystals gave coloured fringes. The 

 reading was postponed till a future meeS;ing, and the Society 

 adjourned tin Jan. 11, ISiG. 



LXXXIX. Intelligence and MisccUuneoiis Articles. 



FIRE-DAMP. 



X HE friends of humanity will rejoice tliat means have at length 

 been devised, which promise effectual security against the recur- 

 rence of those dreadful explosions of fire-damp in coal-mines,' 

 vv'hich have occurred so often within these few years. 



In a recent volume of the Ph.ilosopbical Transactions an ac- 

 count is given of Dr. Clanny's lamp contrived for this purpose. 

 We need not here repeat the natnre'of the construction. It is 

 but justice to say, that it was very itJgenious, and with proncr 

 care and management seemed calculated to answer the desired 

 end: nor could we allow the objections that have been urged 

 against it, on the score of complexity, to have such force as to 

 prevent its adoption — if more simple and ecpiaily eflicacious 

 means had not since been devised. 



At a late meeting of the Literary and Philosoi)hicaI Society 



at Newcastle, a i)aper was read, descrihing a new lamp 



invented by Dr. Murray of Edinburgh, intended to prevent 



explosions. It is described as a close lanii> furnished vvitii a 



G g 3 flexible 



