Compression of the Air. 41 



shaft, which fell upon the hut of the other shaft, that still remained 

 standing. The hats of those who were within the mine, were found 

 at the distance of twenty paces without, from the mouth of the shaft, 

 as also two iron hooks with which the ladder had been fastened, 

 were picked up near the shaft, one of them broken short, the other 

 torn out of the timber and tv/isted. Upon examining the shaft, it 

 was found that by the powerful dislodgement of the ladder, the tim- 

 ber of the shaft had been much damaged. 



This is a very strange and singular accident of its kind, which 

 could arise only from the violent compression of the air in the cavity 

 of the tummel, at the moment when it was filled by the simultaneous 

 fall of the materials of the arch. The great strength of the strata, 

 combined with the circumstances, that there was, directly over the 

 pit, a very firm clayey roof, was the cause of there being given to 

 the tummel (though it was very ill judged,) uncommonly large di- 

 mensions ; for by the report of the coal cutters, it was twelve fath- 

 oms in diameter, and four and a half in height. To increase the 

 force of the rush of air, another circumstance greatly contributed. 

 In lately fitting up the mine, two apertures only were retained, the 

 wind shaft and the passage for conveyance. As the tummel fell, the 

 whole mass of air was forced out of one passage only, the pressure 

 being directed to this, because during the cold weather, the wind 

 shaft had been stopped at its mouth. 



When we consider the amazing force with which the ladder was 

 carried out of the shaft, and the other circumstances testified by the 

 workmen, it is most probable that Weber, who was on the ladder as 

 the tummel fell in, and wore a long linen fi-ock, was Kfted up by it so 

 high, that the distance of the fall caused his death. 



The medical examination of the corpse of Weber, discovered nu- 

 merous fractures. The fourth, fifth, and sixth ribs of the left side, 

 and the heads of others were broken, and driven into the cavity of 

 the chest. The pericardium on the left side from above downwards 

 was ruptured, as was also the right cavity of the breast. The left 

 lobe of the lungs exhibited several lacerations, and was crushed into 

 a confused mass. 



Vol. XVII.—No. 1. 



