470 Scientific IntelUgence. [Ju>£, 



speedily coagulates in the air, and becomes a transparent mass, 

 having the consistence and lustre of wax. The fresh sap has a 

 biiterish and -astringent taste, but produces no change upon tlie 

 solutions of iron. Water dissolves a small portion of the coagu- 

 lated sap. Alcohol at a boilin;: temperature dissolves about a third 

 of it ; but the resinous substance tims dissolved precipitates again as 

 the liquid cools The undissolved portion possesses the properties of 

 caoutchouc. Hence the constituents of this sap are as follows : — 



Caoutchouc. A trace of extnictive, soluble ia 



Re<in, soluble only in boiling water, 



alcohol. Salts. 



4. Platinus Occidentalis (Plane-Tree). 



The bark and wood of these trees when young contain a milky 

 juice. This juice, according to John, contains the following con- 

 stituents : — 



Water. A very small quantity of gummy 

 Resin, soluble in boiling alcohol matter. 



only. Phosphoric acid. 



Caoutchouc. ' Salts. 



XI. Accoimt of a dreadful Accident at Heaton Main Colliery 



near Aeivcastle.* 



This colliery is situated in the bed of coal called the high main. 

 It is of a considerable depth, about 110 fathoms, and the shaft is 

 situated at the lower extremity of the mine. The shaft is divided 

 by boarding all the way down, so that the same opening served for 

 the i/p and down cast shaft. The seam towards the rise had been 

 formerly worked as a colliery, under the name of Heaton Banks, 

 by siiafts distinct from the present working, which shafts, when 

 the colliery was given up, were covered over with boards and earth. 

 In the course of time these old workings had become filled with 

 water ; and the managers of the present colliery being well aware 

 of the danger attending so large an accumulation of water, the 

 workings were proceeded in with the utmost caution. 



The mine was very much subject to what the colliers call the 

 creep, which is a gradual filling up of the horizontal passages. It 

 had been customary for some time past to bore in various directions 

 upon the lines the men were working, in order to ascertain whether 

 any body of water lay concealed in the adjacent cavities. This 

 precaution was about to be put in practice at nine o'clock on Wed- 

 nesday the 3d of May ; but before that time had arrived, (between 

 three and four o'clock in the morning,) a dreadful rush of water 

 came through the roof in the north-west part of the colliery, and 

 continued to flow vvith such rapidity, that only 20 men and boys 

 were enabled to make their escape. In a very short time, the 



* This account is partly drawn up from private information, Jind partly from 

 the Tjne Mercury for May 9, 1613, 



G 



