Miscellanies. 387 



56. Explosions in American Coal Mines. — Those distressing events for- 

 merly so frequent in England, are beginning to happen in this country. 



It is desirable that the memory of them should not pass away, but 

 produce a strong impression on the public mind, which may lead to all 

 possible caution and to the use of every available protection, for as our 

 numerous mines are wrought deeper, such casualties will become more 

 frequent. We have heard of several explosions in our mines, but cannot 

 present the details. We are assured even that our anthracite mines are 

 not exempt from them. We should hardly have looked for their occur- 

 rence in them, although we have proved* that a large quantity of inflam- 

 mable gas is extricated by heat from these coals. The following account 

 is from the Richmond Compiler of April, 1839. 



Explosion of Gas in the Black Fleath Coal Bline. — The Black Heath 

 Mine, worked by the " Black Heath Coal Company," is one of the 

 richest and most extensive in this country. It is twelve miles from Rich- 

 mond, in nearly a western direction, and is situated in the midst of bitu- 

 minous coal fields of unknown extent. The shaft from which the explo- 

 sion recently took place, has not been long sunk, and we believe is 

 the deepest in the Union : being more than 700 feet to its bottom. Up- 

 wards of 10,000,000 bushels of coal had been obtained in the pit reachied 

 by it ; and none can conjecture how much more a further exploration 

 would discover. 



The steam engines and apparatus for hoisting coal from the shaft were 

 excellent ; and the system and facility with which the hoisting process 

 was conducted, produced an average of about 2,500 bushels of coal per day. 

 It is to be regretted that these operations — adding so much to our pro- 

 ductive capital and commercial strength, have been interrupted — and 

 this regret is increased by an afflicting catastrophe. 



The explosion was most violent, but its origin is uncertain, although it 

 is beyond all doubt that it occurred from neglect or disregard of the pos- 

 itive orders and regulations of the pit. The drifts and "air coasts," (pas- 

 sages for the air from chamber to chamber,) were so arranged as to keep 

 up constant ventilation. It is the general opinion that one of the doors 

 of the air coasts must have been closed, and that thus the " Inflamma- 

 ble gas" accumulated on Sunday to such an extent as to produce the ex- 

 plosion soon after the laborers entered the pit, on Monday morning. Sir 

 Humphry Davy's safety lamp was regularly used in the mine, and 

 no doubt is entertained but that it was used on Monday morning. It 

 was commonly carried forward to test the presence of the gas. It may 

 have been out of order ; a slight rent in the wire gauze covering, would 

 readily ignite the gas. Other lamps were used; and one of these may 

 have been taken into a chamber or drift where the safety lamp had not 



* This Journal, vii, pp. 78 to 100. 



