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occurred in this or perhaps any other country, testifies the 
truth, that much remains to be done, which humanity and 
patriotism alike demand, as well for the protection of that 
laborious class who toil in the grim recesses of our mines, as 
for the social and public interests, which suffer in common, 
the consequences of disaster occurring to them. If anything 
were requisite to give force to this declaration, and press 
home its claims upon a society like the present, it would 
surely be found in the combined horrors of this last sad 
calamity. Not enough that 334 poor fellows are swept 
off the stage of human existence, without a moment's 
warning beyond that which told them alike of calamity and 
death, but heroism and philanthrophy are made to contribute 
to the melancholy sacrifice, and grief unparalleled in the 
history of explosions, arises from the common 'ruin which 
overtakes the rescuers and the lost. The future annals of 
our mining history will preserve with sacred lustre the noble- 
hearted bravery of Parkin Jeffcock and his companions, 
whose mortal remains are only just now being recovered 
from the grim sepulchre in which they have been entombed 
since the 13th December last.* But the loss of so many 
lives, valuable and promising to the cause of colliery enter- 
prise, in this neighbourhood especially, must ever keep alive 
the duty of improving its details, so long as ventilation and 
disaster remain in such intimate and unavoidable relation to 
each other. 
In our previous observations we ventured to allege, that 
the systems of coal working, generally in practice, were to a 
great extent, if not altogether, established upon principles of 
expediency, rather than upon any well-regulated application 
* This paper would indeed be barren if it did not embrace its tribute, how- 
ever humble, to the self-devotion and heroic philanthropy which, especially in 
the case of Mr. Jeffcock, will be held in highest honour and admiration of all 
parties. 
