186 TfiE FIKE-DAMFS FAMILY CIRCLE. 



pole; which candle he would thrust into all the nooks and 

 corners where the fire-damp might be reasonably supposed to 

 exist, and in this manner exploding it by instalments. The 

 records of a case of this sort are now before me., and are so 

 curious that they must not be passed over without notice. 



It appears that, about the year 1640, excavations were 

 begun for coal at Mostyn in Flintshire, and that the mines 

 continued to be worked without much inconvenience from 

 fire-damp for about twenty years. As the pit deepened lower, 

 the miners' troubles began. In 1667, whilst they were en- 

 gaged in driving an adit to carry off water, they met with the 

 fire-damp, ' which did by little and little begin to breed, and 

 to appear in crevices and slits of the coal, with a small bluish 

 flame working and moving continually. The workmen made 

 sport of it at first, and so neglected it, until it had gotten 

 some strength ; and then upon a morning, the first collier that 

 went clown going forwards into the witchet (adit) with candle 

 in hand, the damp presently darted out violently at his can- 

 dle, struck the man clean down, singed all his hair and clothes, 

 and disabled him from working a while after. Some other 

 warnings it gave them, inasmuch as they resolved to employ 

 a man of purpose that was more resolute than the rest, to go 

 down awhile every morning to chase it from place to place, 

 and so to weaken it. His usual manner was to dress him- 

 self in the worst rags he had, and to wet them well in water ; 

 and as soon as he came within danger of it, then he fell gro- 

 velling down on his belly, and went so forward, holding in one 

 hand a long wand or pole, at the end whereof he tied candles 

 burning, and reached them by diving towards it ; then the 

 damp would fly at them, and if it missed of putting them out, 

 it would quench itself with a blast, and leave an .ill-scented 

 smoke behind it.' 



This was indeed bearding the enemy in his own dominions. 

 The temerity of the practice needs no comment. It appears, 

 however, to have been for a time effectual. Under the cover 



