52 J. H. MAIDEN. 



surviving relations of Mrs. Elizabeth Cook, the great circum- 

 navigator's widow. This cannot be looked upon, however, as a 

 publication in the strict sense of the word, you are, therefore, as 

 egards all but the first paragraph dealing with new matter. — R.E. 



NOTES on ANALYSES op AIR from COAL MINES. 



By F. B. Guthrie, p.i.c, f.c s., and A. A. Atkinson, Chief 

 Inspector of Coal Mines. 



[Read before the Royal Society of N. S. Wales, August 7, 1901'] 



As there are very few analyses of the atmosphere of coal mines to 

 be found in mining literature, the authors have thought that the 

 matter is one of sufficient interest to the members of the Society 

 to give the analyses of a few samples obtained from collieries in 

 the State, briefly explaining the circumstances under which they 

 were collected. 



Samples of Air from Return Airway, Wallsend Colliery. 



The management of this colliery requested the miners to travel 

 along the return airway to and from their work — this being much 

 the safer plan — in order to keep them off the engine road • but it 

 was alleged that by so doing the first general rule of the Coal 

 Mines Act 1896 was infringed. The rule is as follows : — 



"An adequate amount of ventilation shall be constantly pro- 

 duced in every mine to dilute and render harmless noxious gases 

 to such an extent that the working places of the shafts, levels, 

 stables, workings of the mine, and the travelling roads to and 

 from those working places, shall be in a fit state for working and 

 passing therein. The ventilation so produced shall be the supply 

 of pure air in quantity not less than 100 cubic feet per minute 

 for each man, boy and horse employed in the mine, which air (in 



