578 
guard against the sudden coming of so invisible, intangible, 
and subtle an enemy as light carburetted hydrogen gas ; nay, 
in some instances, shall not be able to detect its presence by 
any of his senses unless he has a light present. People who 
do not understand the nature and properties of this gas often 
talk about the reckless conduct of poor ignorant miners as if 
the latter rushed into it, just as a lot of boys jump into a pool 
of water, for mere mischief. The smell of gas used for the 
purposes of artificial illumination gives clear evidence of its 
presence by a smell resembling that of garlic, but this is cer- 
tainly not the case with some of the most explosive mixtures 
of light carburetted hydrogen gas, which can be scarcely de- 
tected by the smell, even by experienced miners who have 
worked for years in fiery mines. Nothing shows the indefi- 
nite ideas that the men have of this gas as the names they 
call it by, as sulphur, wild-fire, fire-damp, &c. To say 
nothing about common colliers, speaking for myself, I should 
be sorry to trust any experienced underlooker or fireman ? s 
mere senses as to the presence of gas. I certainly once did 
so, and very narrowly escaped being burnt for my credulity. 
It has been stated that every collier ought to be able to 
examine his own place before he commences his work. Would 
that he were so. So far as my knowledge extends, it will be 
a long time before he will possess such an amount of informa- 
tion as to gas. Another circumstance which shows how 
ignorant really clever practical men were of the nature of the 
enemy they have to deal with, was the fearful system of trying 
a place for gas by a naked candle, and as the flame tapered 
up cut it off with their hands. This, it is to be hoped, is not 
now in use. Although some men, doubtless, were very clever 
in escaping being burnt in their investigation, their skill must 
be considered as that of thoroughly reckless men, just as 
reckless as if they were in a building full of casks containing 
an immense heap of black powder, and a zig-zag train of the 
