January 20. 1898] 



NATURE 



277 



w 



MINE ACCIDENTS IN 1897. 

 ITH commendable celerity the Home Office has 

 issued, in the form of an advance proof, the tables 

 of accidents and deaths at the Mines and Quarries of the 

 United Kingdom last year. Six foolscap pages closely 

 printed with figures are not likely to attract the ordinary 

 reader ; but if they are carefully scanned, several im- 

 portant facts come to light. The Diamond Jubilee year 

 is remarkable for its small death-roll from explosions of 

 fire-damp, as there were but twelve fatal accidents and 

 only nineteen deaths. Probably such a happy result has 

 not been known this century ; at all events since 1851, 

 when official statistics first began to be kept, the number 

 of explosions has been gradually diminishing in the most 

 satisfactory manner, and though several great disasters, 

 each involving a loss of more than a hundred lives, have 

 happened of late years, the total number of deaths from 

 explosions has decreased, in spite of the enormous rise in 

 the output of coal. According to the official statistics, 

 the annual number of victims by explosions of fire-damp 

 and coal-dust for the last forty-seven years has only 

 in 'seven cases been fewer than 100, and in no case 

 less than 49 until last year. Far less satisfactory is the 

 death-roll from falls of ground ; this shows no signs of 

 diminution ; on the contrary, we find 485 deaths against 

 439 in the previous year. How long is this state of 

 things to continue ? Why do falls happen ? The reply 

 is " From want of supports," and the self-evident remedy 

 which suggests itself is " systematic timbering." The 

 German Government has taken the matter in hand by 

 appointing a special Commission to report upon means 

 of preventing accidents from falls of ground. Are we 

 to wait until this Report is issued before grappling with 

 the question ? The dangers of fire-damp and coal-dust 

 have now been dealt with by Statutes ; and the worst 

 death-trap in the mine should also receive in its turn 

 some special legislative attention .'' 



Shaft accidents are diminishing in number in a way 

 that makes the shaft nowadays almost the safest place in 

 the mine. The miscellaneous accidents, most of which 

 are put down to haulage, are still numerous. It is 

 curious to note, while dealing with fatalities from miscel- 

 laneous causes, that the worst mining disaster in the 

 British Isles last year happened at a lead mine and not 

 at a colliery, for an underground fire claimed twenty 

 victims. On the whole, there were 972 persons killed by 

 accidents at mines in this country last year, compared 

 with 1065 in 1896. This is a decrease of ninety-three 

 deaths. How far this is a real improvement cannot be 

 stated until the statistics of persons employed have been 

 collected, so as to enable the death-rate to be calculated. 



The final tables tell us that 123 persons were killed at 

 the quarries of the United Kingdom which are included 

 by the Quarries Act, from being more than 20 feet deep. 

 There is a decrease of one death compared with 1896. 



The statistical matter has been set up this year in 

 an improved and far more convenient fashion, for the 

 figures can now be read without twisting round the 

 pages sideways. 



THE PROPOSED MIDLAND UNIVERSITY. 



"pDUCATIONAL authorities throughout the country 

 -^-^ cannot but rejoice in the important speech which 

 Mr. Chamberlain made in Birmingham on Thursday 

 last. A recent Act of Parliament has been passed 

 whereby the Mason College has been made a University 

 College, governed by a representative court of governors, 

 and it was in his new capacity of President of the Mason 

 University College that Mr. Chamberlain took the 

 opportunity of formally launching the scheme for the 

 creation of a great University of the Midlands. The 

 idea of a Midland University has been under considera- 



tion for several years past, and with the strong support 

 now promised by Mr. Chamberlain, Birmingham may 

 confidently look forward to shortly becoming the proud 

 possessor of what London has been struggling in vain so 

 many years to obtain — a great teaching University de- 

 pendmg for its position and authority not on traditions, 

 but founded in harmony with modern requirements, in 

 sympathy with the scientific and educational needs and 

 aspirations of the day. 



Prof MahafFy, a few weeks ago, humorously represented 

 some of the objections which have been raised to the estab- 

 lishment of a new University in Birmingham by remark- 

 ing, " Oxford I know, Cambridge I know ; but who are 

 ye ? " Mr. Chamberlain, however, has met and anticipated 

 such and similar flimsy protests by at once, in his 

 characteristic manner, going to the root of the matter. 

 "The new University cannot in any sense be a 

 competitor with the old Universities of Oxford and 

 Cambridge . . . they offered associations, traditions, 

 and conditions which it could not, under any circum- 

 stances, attempt or hope to emulate. Therefore, whilst 

 they could not imitate Oxford and Cambridge if they 

 would, he would say also that they luould not if they could 

 . . . because when they came to create new Universities 

 in this modern time, and under modern conditions, it was 

 something rather different they had in view." It cannot 

 be sufficiently recognised that whilst traditions may be, 

 and often are, a power for good, a slavish and blind 

 adherence to them may also work incalculable mischief 

 in society. It is not too much to say that the great 

 University Colleges which have grown up in all parts of 

 the country during the latter half of the present century, 

 have been not a little hampered in their work, not a little 

 shorn of the recognition due to them by being, in some 

 respects, overshadowed by the older Universities. The 

 splendid scientific work, however, which has emanated 

 from these too frequently derided and belittled Provmcial 

 Colleges is gradually bringing about a change in public 

 opinion. The munificent support which has recently 

 been accorded to the Owens College, Manchester, and the 

 attitude which so distinguished, a statesman as Mr. 

 Chamberlain has taken up with regard to the proposed 

 Midland University, are auguries that a new era is com- 

 mencing, when the public are beginning to realise what 

 has been and still remains to be done by modern Uni- 

 versities unhampered by local traditions, in touch with 

 the time, and animated with enthusiasm not only for the 

 communication of knowledge, but for the advancement of 

 learning by the prosecution of original researches. There 

 is one point to which we venture to hope those entrusted 

 with the great task of building up this new University 

 will give due weight, and that is the study of modern 

 languages. We as a nation are far behind Germany, for 

 example, in the importance which we attach to the acquire- 

 ment of foreign tongues, and our trade, we have often 

 been told, suffers in consequence. Let Birmingham set 

 the example, and m addition to thoroughly equipping its 

 faculties of science, art and medicine, let it have the 

 honour of establishing a great school of modern lan- 

 guages. Educationists in this country, who for years 

 have been vainly endeavouring to obtain an effectual 

 hearing for the need of harmonising modern scientific 

 education not only with the requirements of the time, but 

 with the advance in science, owe Mr. Chamberlain a debt 

 of gratitude for his address, of which we give the 

 following abstract from the Times report : — 



The new governing body of the College were entertained at 

 luncheon in the Council-house by the Lord Mayor (Mr. C. G. 

 Beale), who proposed the toast of " Mason University College," 

 which was coupled with the name of the president, Mr. 

 Chamberlain. 



Mr. Chamberlain, in reply, said that day's proceedings 

 marked a stage in the history of the College. He did net 

 dwell upon the service rendered by the College to the city and 



NO. T473. VOL. 57] 



