412 



Mr. W. Galloway on the 



[Mar. 13, 



coal, and rubbish ; and this, generally in the case of the timber, and 

 always in the case of the coal and rubbish, consists of a coating of 

 coked coal-dust adhering to them superficially, and testifying un- 

 mistakably by its presence that coal-dust has actually been playing 

 the part which is claimed for it by myself and others. 



Following are a few of the details that have become known regard- 

 ing the most recent explosions of importance : — 



Pemberton (11th October, 1877). 36 men killed. Depth 1,005 

 feet. At page 333 of the " Reports of the Inspectors of Mines," it 

 is said : — ' ' The Pemberton Colliery had been held up as a model of 

 engineering, and seemed to be the last place at which a disaster of 

 this kind was likely to happen." At page 332 of the same volume, 

 the following gratuitous explanation of the explosion is given: — "The 

 effect of a shot blowing out, and which appears to have occurred, 

 would be to exhaust the face and sides of Rutter's place and Price's 

 place, and this additional fire-damp rushing out into an atmosphere 

 already heavily charged, would bring the air in this particular dis- 

 trict up to the explosive point." 



Blantyre (22nd October, 1877). 207 men killed. Depth of the 

 workings from 800 to U00 feet. The seam is not very gaseous and 

 the mine was supposed to be well ventilated. It was impossible to 

 say where the explosion began. At page 7 of the official report it is 

 said : — " The explosion extended throughout miles of the workings 

 and was of the most violent kind. The gas in a large portion of the 

 workings had apparently been mixed to a highly explosive state. 

 The noise at the top of No. 2 shaft is described as having been like a 

 shot in a sinking pit, and a great volume of smoke and dust came to 

 the top. On the top of No. 3 shaft the noise was like the bursting of 

 a steam pipe, or shot in a sinking pit, and was as quickly over, flame 

 coming out of the shaft mouth. Flame seems to have extended 

 through nearly all the working places." Again, at page 11 : — " The 

 mine being dry and dusty, and the dust being mixed with highly 

 inflammable splint coal, would help to spread the flame and give force 

 to the explosion." Lastly, at page 206 of the notes of evidence, a 

 witness says : — " I desire to make a suggestion. On one occasion 

 Mr. Watson (the manager) told me that the mine, being a dry one, 

 like a desert, the coal-dust would aggravate an explosion."* 



Unity Brook (12th March, 1878). 43 men killed. Depth of the 

 workings 792 feet. The workings were examined, and found to be 

 safe, half an hour before the explosion. The mine was dry and dusty. 



* It is encouraging to observe that the agency of coal-dust has thus been recog- 

 nized by some persons connected with mining, although it appears to hare entirely 

 escaped the notice of every one except Faraday and Lyell, and some of tlie French 

 mining engineers, until after the appearance of my first paper on this subject in 

 1876. 



