SAFETY-LAMPS. 209 



are they, that the miner often perforates the gauze with a 

 sharpened wire to snuff his wick the more effectually. More- 

 over, oil, and the fuliginous result of its combustion, rapidly 

 foul the gauze, and necessitate its removal ; in effecting which 

 damage is often done. 



It is a subject of painful contemplation, that, since the 

 discovery and application of safety-lamps, accidents from fire- 

 damp explosions have become more frequent and more grave. 

 True, coal-mines are deeper than they were, and seams of 

 extreme danger have been wrought under safety-lamp pro- 

 tection, which could not have been wrought by naked can- 

 dle-light. Still the painful fact remains, that the terrors of 

 fire-damp are greater than of yore. The monster is not yet 

 conquered, as Mr. Buddie fondly supposed ; and what is worse, 

 there seems no promise of conquering him by improvements 

 on the safety-lamp. Better ventilation will accomplish much 

 in the way of safety, and care in the use of safety-lamps now 

 existing will accomplish more ; but I fear holocausts offered 

 up to the grim demon of fire-damp will be, as they have been, 

 frequent concomitants of coal-mine explorations. 





