PROCEEDINGS 
OF THE 
GEOLOGICAL & POLYTECHNIC SOCIETY 
m tyt a&t*t«Hfflfttg of gorfcgfKre, 
AT THE FORTY-FIRST MEETING, HELD IN THE COURT-HOUSE, 
BARNSLEY, ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29TH, 1850. 
The Right Hon. Earl Fitzwilliam, F.R.S., President, 
in the Chair. The annexed statement of the accounts for 
the past year was submitted by the Secretary : — 
STATEMENT OF THE RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURE, 
From 1st January, 1850, to 29th October, 1850. 
DR. 
£. s. 
d. 
CR. 
£. 
s. 
d. 
To Balance in Treasurer's hands.. 
49 12 
18 
3 
0 
To Subscriptions from — 
3 
9 
10 
1 Member for 1843 at 13s 
0 13 
0 
4 
18 
0 
1 » 1844 
0 13 
0 
1 
13 
0 
1 „ 1845 , 
0 13 
0 
1 
2 
3 
1 „ 1846 , 
0 13 
0 
„ Postage Stamps and Postages.. 
1 
19 
4 
2 Members for 1847 „ .... 
1 6 
0 
1 
7 
0 
4 „ 1848 „ 
2 12 
0 
„ Rent of Museum Room, &c... 
20 
0 
0 
19 „ 1849 „ 
12 7 
0 
,, Salary of Assistant Secretary.. 
50 
0 
0 
65 „ 1850 „ 
42 5 
0 
0 18 
1 
1 „ 1850 at 10s. 6d... 
0 10 
6 
„ Balance in Treasurer's hands . . 
9 
14 
74 
Donation from J. W. Child, Esq. 
2 0 
0 
£113 5 
n 
£113 
5 
1| 
98 17 
6 
£20 
19 
6 
After a few preliminary observations, his Lordship called 
upon Mr. West to read the first Paper, entitled : — 
COMPARATIVE VIEW OF CIRCUMSTANCES ATTENDING SOME 
OF THE EXPLOSIONS IN COAL MINES. BY WILLIAM 
WEST, ESQ., F.R.S., ASSOC. CIV. ENG. 
I am not about to deliver, on this occasion, a lecture on the 
ventilation of coal mines ; although I think that it would be 
highly useful to viewers and other superintendents, if, without 
expecting to arrive thereby at any nostrum or secret, they 
listened occasionally to a plain statement of the most impor- 
