616 
remained in this state for several days, and further attempts 
were made to get rid of the gas, but still without the 
desired effect. The completion of the pumps now became 
urgent, and therefore, the removal of the noxious gas 
indispensable. 
After careful examination of what had been done, and 
finding it all practically correct, and such as had before 
been found sufficient for the purpose in most ordinary cases 
of a similar nature, the writer determined upon trying the 
effect of a jet of steam, the application of which happened 
to be exceedingly favourable ; and the result was the most 
complete success; the men were enabled to descend the 
shaft immediately, and from that time the repairs proceeded, 
and were completed without the slightest delay or incon- 
venience from imperfect ventilation. The powerful draft 
produced in so simple a manner caused the most 
experienced workmen to regard the steam jet as some- 
thing extraordinary, and to say the least of it, it was 
indeed found to be a very useful and efficacious expe- 
dient. The writer was previously aware that steam had been 
employed for the ventilation of mines, many years ago, but 
he had no knowledge of its ever having been used in the way 
he applied it in this instance, though he has been subsequently 
informed of prior and somewhat similar applications attended 
with equal success. Such applications, however, are by no 
means common in this district, though there are frequent 
instances where they may be found exceedingly useful, and 
this can only be accounted for by the fact that very few 
of our operative miners are sufficiently acquainted with the 
capabilities and simplicity of the steam jet ventilator. 
It was the writer's intention, after receiving an invitation, 
to submit to your Society a paper on this subject, but 
subsequent experiments, made on a small scale, with a view 
of ascertaining its comparative economy, having convinced 
