BLASTIKG ROCKS, 195' 



The firfi experiment I tried was upon a fing ie block of lime- *ifus to ftem- 

 ftone, of about two ton weight. I charged the n^J^e with 1^^"!'^^^°^^^^^ 

 only the common charge of a mufl<et, as at K, over which I of windage, left 

 drove a cork, as at H, leaving one inch, or thereabout, as at P°^V|'^'^' ^^ 

 I, over which I rammed fpar, as at G, up to the furface of 

 the rock. 



I then made a flit in my draw train, as at L, and pafTed The German 

 through it, as through a loop, a cut of the German afli-tree d^u^^s^ Ac^T^' 

 fungus; but not liking that, as endangering the lofs of the and more certain 

 priming powder, I cut the fill in the fungus, as at N, paflT- jj'^y°"i!j" 

 ing the ftraw through the flit, and cutting a fmall notch on ftraw may be 

 one fide of the flraw, as at O. When it was Aid down to^'^''"^ ^^'o^sh 

 il, being elaftic, it clofed there, and filled the notch. fungus, 



This match burns flow but fure, and no wind can extin- —which bums 

 guifli jt. A great advantage, as 1 have frequently witnefled, ceminty" and'is 

 in making the new and beautiful towing path on both fides not blown out 

 ■ the Avon, from Briftol. One iiundred men lofe from ten mi- ^^ ^^^ '''"^' 

 nutes to twenty and more while getting out of the way during 

 the blowing of a mine near the fpot they were levelling, and 

 all owing to the flovy burning ot the touch-wood match, or 

 the wind blowing it afide. 



This German match is^ I fancy, pretty well known; it is Account of the 

 merely the fungus of the ath-tre'-, macerated and hanuiiered ^""^"*' 

 tmtil it becomes as flexible as a piece of buff lealher, and has 

 been called the German match, 1 believe, from its general 

 ufe on the upper Rhine, where, by its mean«, habitual fmokers 

 of tobacco can light their pipes in the open air, whatever may 

 be the vveather; and as a piece which fcarcely weighs faur 

 grains is fuflicient to light without danger, the largell mines, 

 while the article is by no means dear, and always fafe, inex- 

 tingurfliable, and regular in its burning, nothing can be more 

 ufetu! to the practical miner. 



With refpeci to fand (which I fee recommended in a Dublin Stcmrr.ingwith 



,• 1 1 o 1 I-/- ■ /x - \ •. loofe fand will not 



paper Ot only ialt week, as a new diicovery in Itemming), it (jtisthought) 

 will not always fucceed, efpecially in thole great mines of Succeed in mines 

 the Clifton blafters-, where, often 15 or J6lb. of powder are JJ^J"/ '^''^^ 

 uled at a time; but I fliould think if flopped with a fliff clay, 

 it would greatly encreafe the refiftance, efpecially if fufficient 

 windage was left over the powder. 



The experiment I firft tried, as defcribed above, on that The author's 

 plan, tore to pieces, and threw four pieces of my rock to a were fdly fuc- 



great ceisful. 



