1 873-1 Mining. 131 



From the official reports of the Inspectors of Coal Mines for 1871, we learn 

 that 826 fatal accidents occurred in connection with our collieries during the 

 year. It is true that this number is slightly less than the corresponding 

 figures for the previous year; but whilst the 830 accidents of 1870 resulted in 

 the loss of 991 lives, the 826 accidents of 1871 represent unhappily not fewer 

 than 1075 lives. It appears that of every 345 colliers employed in 1871, one 

 man perished by these accidents; or, to put the figures in another light, it may 

 be said that one miner's life was sacrificed for every 109,246 tons of coal raised 

 in that year. On analysing the list of fatal accidents, we find that 52 of them 

 occurred through explosions of fire-damp, and resulted in 26g deaths; whilst 

 426 may be referred to falls of the coal, ironstone, or roof — a class of accidents 

 which caused the loss of 435 lives. The remaining deaths were due to casual- 

 ties in the shafts, and to miscellaneous accidents, both underground and at the 

 surface. Let us hope that the working of the new Act may diminish each 

 year this grim catalogue of colliery accidents. 



Many of the Government inspectors introduce into their reports highly valu- 

 able suggestions, which merit the studious attention of all who are practically 

 interested in our mining industries, and especially those who have the lives of 

 our coal-miners in their charge. It is pleasing to mark the spirit in which some 

 of the inspectors refer to the benefits which must accrue to mining officers 

 from a scientific education, and to the influence which such training must 

 needs exert on the intelligent discharge of their responsible duties. The means 

 of acquiring such training are, however, not yet sufficiently extensive. Thus, 

 Mr. Lionel Brough, after alluding with satisfaction to the establishment of the 

 College of Physical Science at Newcastle-on-Tyne, maintains that "every 

 centre should by right possess one of those most valuable educational estab- 

 lishments. The underground operations of Great Britain exceed those of any 

 other nation in the world ; therefore educational means should be provided 

 proportionate to its immense mining industry." 



As colliery explosions are often the indirect result of diminished atmo- 

 spheric pressure, Mr. J. A. R. Newlands has suggested, with the view of pre- 

 venting such calamities, that the air in coal mines should be maintained at a 

 constant pressure by artificial means. To this end he proposes to cover the 

 mouths of both the upcast and downcast shafts by air-tight chambeis, suffi- 

 ciently large to allow all the surface-work at the pit's mouth to be carried on 

 within their walls. These chambers should be put in connection with power- 

 ful air-pumps, worked by steam-power, and a current of fresh air thus forced 

 through the workings. This current could be so regulated that any desired 

 degree of ventilation might be attained, while the air, if necessary, might be 

 cooled, before passing into the pits, by compression in cylinders surrounded 

 with cold water. When fire-damp makes it appearance, air should be drawn 

 out of the mine, and the pressure in the workings thus diminished, so as to 

 release, in the absence of the miners, any imprisoned gas. It is believed that 

 in many collieries, dangerous accumulations of fire-damp might be prevented 

 by the simpler plan of partially exhausting the air periodically, and then 

 forcing a current of fresh air into the pit, so. as to sweep through the entire 

 system of workings. Instead, therefore, of erecting air-tight chambers, it 

 would in such cases be merely necessary to cover the mouth of each shaft 

 with an iron plate, having an aperture by which it could be put into communi- 

 cation with the pump for either exhausting or forcing-in the air. 



We had occasion last quarter to mention that the Committee appointed by 

 the War Office to report upon lithofracteur had come to the conclusion that 

 this explosive is not perfectly safe under certain conditions. It is only fair, 

 therefore, that we should now call attention to the fact that a different view 

 has been taken by the Belgian Government, and that a concession has recently 

 been granted for the transport and storage of lithofracteur in Belgium. A 

 series of important experiments has been satisfactorily performed, on a large 

 scale, with this substance before some of the chief mining and engineering 

 authorities in that State. These experiments were made in some quarries of 

 greenstone at Quenast, about 18 miles from Brussels, where a hard compact 



