ISiS.] 



Accident at Felling Colliery, 



36S 



tarainatedj as to be nearly irrespirable. When they ascended^ 

 their clothes emitted a smell somewhat resembling the waters of 

 Gilsland and Harrowgate, but more particularly allied to that of 

 the turpentine distilled from coal tar. 



The report of these last adventurers partly succeeded in con- 

 vincing the people that there was no possibility of any of their 

 friends being found alive. Some, indeed, went away silent, 

 but not satisfied ; others with pitiable importunity besought 

 that measures to recover their friends might even yet be adopted 

 and persevered in ; and many, as if grief and rage had some 

 necessary connection, went about loading the conductors of the 

 naine with execrations, and threatening revenge. Some were 

 even heard to say they could have borne their loss with fortitude 

 had none of the workmen survived the calamity : they could 

 have been consoled had all their neighbours been rendered as 

 miserable and destitute as themselves ! From such a multitude 

 of distracted women, unanimity of sentiment could not be 

 expected — no scheme of proceedings could be invented fortunate 

 enough to meet with the approbation of them all. In the 

 evening of this day it was, therefore, resolved to exclude the 

 atmospheric air from entering the workings, in order to extin- 

 guish the fire which the explosion had kindled in the mine, and 

 of which the smoke ascending the William Pit was a sure indi- 

 cation. This shaft was accordingly filled with clay about seven 

 feet above the ingate or entrance from the shaft into the drift 5 

 and the John Pit mouth was covered over with loose planks. 



On Thursday the 28th of May, both the pits continued in the 

 state they were left in on the preceding evening ; but early on 

 the morning of the 29th, 20 fothers of additional thickness in 

 clay were thrown into the William Pit, in order to insure its 

 being air tight : and on the same day, a scaffold, at 25 fathoms 

 and a half from the surface, was suspended on six ropes, each 

 six inches in circumference, in the John Pit. Upon this, ten 

 folds of straw were thrown, and 26 fothers of clay ; namely, 15 

 fothers on Friday, 5 on Saturday, and 6 on Sunday ; on which 

 day the scaffold was found sufficiently air tight, by its holding 

 the water poured upon it. 



{To be concluded in our next.) 



Article VI, 



An Account of a Salt composed of Sulphate of Soda, Muriate 

 of Manganese, and Muriate of Lead. By Mr. Daniel 

 Wilson, Dublin. 



For the purpose of making osymuriate of lime, three parts of 

 muriate of soda, and one part of finely ground black oxide of 



