1815.J Scientific Intelligence.- 153 
36 — 12 ff — 48 
— 48 
576 — 12 / — 48 
648 + Y% — 172800 
: F P b 
In irreducible equations, ¢* is always greater than ~~, therefore . 
é oe ° 
J — # would be a contradiction, When the equations are re- 
ducible, ¢ isimaginary, and consequently has no magnitude. 
lam, Sir, your obedient servant, fe, 
Field Head, June 8, 1815. James LockHarr. 
IX. Another Explosion in a Coal-Mine near Newcastle. 
Weare sorry it should so soon again be our painful duty to have 
to record another of those melancholy accidents which have so fre- 
quently of late occurred in our coal-mines. On the morning of the 
27th ult. an explosion of inflammable air took place in the Isabe'la 
pit, at Sheriff-hill colliery, by which Mr. Fogget, viewer, Robert 
Fogget, underviewer, Geo. Fogget, deputy overman, John Scott, 
overman, Wm. Wind, Nich. Codling. Geo. Richardson, and Jas. 
Young, deputy overman; also Geo. Wind and Hugh Barker, boys, 
were unfortunately killed. During the night of the 26th, a fall of 
the roof, accompanied by a feeder of water, took place ; the water 
passing into the dip workings, filled them up so as to obstruct the 
eurrent of air, and an accumulation of the inflammable gas ensued. 
When Mr. Scott, the overman, went down the following morning, 
he observed that the ventilation of the mine was nearly susvended, 
and immediately stopped the pit’s crew from going in to work until 
he could investigate the cause of the stagnation. This he effected: 
in a short time, and restored the ventilation partially. He then 
sent to Mr. Fogget for his advice and assistance, who went down ° 
the pit without loss of time, accompanied by his two brothers, the 
parties above-named, and John Ledger, a boy, Had Mr. Scott 
not acted with this caution and judgment, it is more than likely 
that the lives of the whole of the crew would have been lost. — Mr. 
Fogget, accompanied by John Scott and the other parties, then 
proceeded into the workings, to make such a change in the ventila- 
tion as would restore the pit to a safe working state agaiga. While 
