132 THE NEW PHYSIOLOGY. 



(as unfortunately they had), would understand how to 

 short-circuit the smoke and gather the other men into 

 a place of safety till the fire could be dealt with. It 

 was found quite impossible, however, to get to the 

 fire, the roaring and crackling of which could be heard 

 at the top of the shaft. A band of Yorkshiremen had 

 meanwhile hurried to the mine with rescue apparatus 

 for penetrating poisonous air. Again and again they, 

 as well as the manager, went down the other shaft 

 through the smoke, and two of them got half a mile 

 into the workings in the hope of finding and helping 

 any men who were alive. But one of the two, John 

 Welsby, was overcome by heat on the way back after 

 a fruitless quest, and his oxygen cylinder became ex- 

 hausted. His companion just managed to reach the 

 shaft and stagger into the cage. A determined attempt 

 was at once made by two of his comrades to reach 

 Welsby, but failed, as the smoke on the road was now 

 so thick that they could hardly even see the light of 

 their electric lamps a foot away. The air in the fan- 

 drift had also become so poisonous that there was soon 

 no hope of Welsby being still alive. I well remember 

 the general despair, and the helpless, aimless crowd 

 of men round the pit-head. 



We went back to the colliery office to consider what 

 more could be done, and after an anxious consultation 

 it was decided to reverse the ventilation as soon as 

 possible, so as to carry the poisonous smoke straight up 

 the ordinary downcast shaft and draw fresh air down 

 the other shaft and through the workings. It was 

 about one in the morning, and immediately the decision 

 was come to the under-manager went out to arrange 



