6]2 I'HILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1733. 



the winds and their strengtli, the weather, and (after April 15) of the thermo- 

 meter. 



An Account of the Damp Air in a Coal-Pit, sunk within 20 Yards of the Sea. 

 By Sir James Lmcther, Bart. N° 429, P- lOQ- 

 Sir James Lowther having occasion to sink a pit very near the full sea-mark, 

 for draining one of his principal colleries near Whitehaven, in the county of 

 Cumberland, which it was known would be near 80 fathom in depth to the best 

 seam of coals, which is 3 yards thick ; the work was carried on day and night 

 very successfully, through several beds of hard stone, coal, and other minerals, 

 till the pit was sunk down 42 fathom from the surface, where they came to a 

 bed of black stone, about 6 inches thick, very full of joints, or open cliffs, 

 which divided the stones into pieces of 6 inches square, the sides being all 

 spangled with sulphur, and in colour like gold. Under this black-stone lies a 

 bed of coal 2 feet thick : when the workmen first pricked the black-stone bed, 

 which was on the rise side of the pit, it afforded very little water, contrary to 

 what was expected ; but instead of it, a vast quantity of damp corrupted air. 

 which bubbled through a quantity of water, then spread over that part of the 

 pit, and made a great hissing noise ; at which the workmen being somewhat 

 surprised, held a candle towards it, and it immediately took fire on the surface 

 of the water, and burned very fiercely ; the flame being about half a yard in 

 diameter, and near 2 yards high, which frightened the workmen, so that they 

 took the rope, and went up the pit, having first extinguished the flame, by 

 beating it out with their hats.* The steward of the works being informed of it, 

 went down the pit with one of the men, and holding a candle to the same place, 

 it immediately took fire again, as before, and burnt about the same size ; the 

 flame being blue at the bottom, and more white towards the top. They suf- 

 fered it to burn near half an hour, and no water being drawn in that time, it 

 rose and covered the bottom of the pit near a yard deep, but that very little 

 abated the violence or bulk of the flame, it still continuing to burn on the sur- 

 face of the water. They then extinguished the flame as before, and opened the 

 black-stone bed near two feet broad, that a greater quantity of air might issue 

 forth, and then fired it again ; it burned a full yard in diameter, and about 3 

 yards high, which soon heated the pit to so great a degree, that the men were in 

 danger of being stifled, and so were as expeditious as possible in extinguishing 

 the flame, which was then too strong to be beaten out with their hats ; but 

 with the assistance of a spout of water, of 4 inches diameter, let down from a 

 cistern above, they happily got it extinguished without further harm. After 

 this no candles were suffered to come near it, till the pit was' sunk down quite 



* 'I'liis so called " damp ;iir" was hydrogen gas. 



