580 
would be worse than useless if the responsibility as to the 
state of a mine were transferred from the owner and officers 
to the inspector. Coroner's inquests, through the agency of 
the press, may bring the particulars of explosions before the 
public and find verdicts of " Accidental death " or " Man- 
slaughter," the latter of which are generally snuffed out when 
they come before the grand jury and judges at the assizes ; 
but depend upon it that year by year the explosions in coal 
mines will go on gradually increasing as the mines go deeper 
and the workings become more extensive, unless you have a 
more highly educated, thoroughly intelligent, and well paid 
staff of officers, and a body of educated, steady, and disci- 
plined miners. 
A SKETCH OF BARNSLEY, ITS MINERAL AND MANUFAC- 
TURING PRODUCTS, AND NATURAL HISTORY. BY MR. 
THOMAS LISTER, OF BARNSLEY. 
This paper, which is only intended as a sketch of Barnsley 
and the surrounding district, necessarily involves a glance at 
its natural and manufactured products, its trading capa- 
bilities, and the general progress which has marked their 
development and wide extension. How marvellous the 
change a century has witnessed, since. William and John 
Wilson, members of the Society of Friends, commenced in 
so humble a way as to send linen yarn over the moors to be 
woven near Mottram. The first bleach works were situated 
at the Old Mill; the canal, which was cut subsequently, 
dividing the upper part in Honeywell Field, which was 
purchased by Joseph Beckett, from the lower part, long 
tenanted by John Naylor, and now by Robert Craik. The 
bleach works at Beaver Hall were established about a century 
ago ; a large shop for weaving custom work was constructed 
