110 TRIAL OF THE FIRST SAFETY-LAMP. CHAP. VII. 



town. This lamp was received from the makers on the 

 21st of October, and was taken to Killingworth for the 

 purpose of immediate experiment. 



" I remember that evening as distinctly as if it had 

 been but yesterday," said Robert Stephenson, describing 

 the circumstances to the author in 1857. " Moodie 

 came to our cottage about dusk, and asked, ' if father 

 had got back yet with the lamp ? ' ' No.' ' Then I'll 

 wait till he comes,' said Moodie, 6 he can't be long now.' 

 In about half-an-hour, in came my father, his face all 

 radiant. He had the lamp with him ! It was at once 

 uncovered and shown to Moodie. Then it was filled 

 with oil, trimmed, and lighted. All was ready, only 

 the head viewer hadn't arrived. ' Run over to Benton 

 for Nichol, Robert,' said my father to me, ' and ask him 

 to come directly ; say we're going down the pit to try 

 the lamp.' By this time it was quite dark ; and off I 

 ran to bring Nicholas Wood. His house was at Benton, 

 about a mile off. There was a short cut through Benton 

 Churchyard, but just as I was about to pass the wicket, 

 I saw what I thought was a white figure moving about 

 amongst the grave-stones. I took it for a ghost ! 

 My heart fluttered, and I was in a great fright, but to 

 Nichol' s house I must get, so I made the circuit of the 

 Churchyard ; and when I got round to the other side I 

 looked, and lo ! the figure was still there. But what do 

 you think it was ? Only the grave-digger, plying his 

 work at that late hour by the light of his lanthorn set 

 upon one of the gravestones ! I found Wood at home, 

 and in a few minutes he was mounted and off to my 

 father's. When I got back, I was told they had just 

 left it was then about eleven and gone down the 

 shaft to try the lamp in one of the most dangerous parts 

 of the mine." 



Arrived at the bottom of the shaft with the lamp, the 

 party directed their steps towards one of the foulest 

 galleries in the pit, where the explosive gas was issuing 



