FORMATION OF THE SOCIETY : UNPUBLISHED RECORDS. 25 
The Chairman requested Mr. Fourness, of Leeds, to explain to 
the meeting the nature of his invention for ventilating mines. 
Mr. Fourness stated that as the model of his ventilating 
machine was still at Newcastle, he was unable to enter so fully into 
its merits as he could wish. He, however, drew a diagram to show 
the nature of the invention, which consisted of a fan of a certain 
description to be turned by a steam-engine, which would cause it to 
make 600 revolutions a minute. He said he felt fully confident that 
he could ventilate any mine, however fiery, with his machine, in a 
manner that would be perfectly satisfactory to the proprietors. 
Mr. Fourness also entered into calculations, showing the superiority 
of his plan over any other method now employed in the ventilation of 
mines. 
Mr. Morton adverted to the ebbing and flownig of the fire-damp 
in coal mines according to the barometric state of the atmosphere, 
and seemed impressed with the importance of keeping up an unin- 
termittent current of pure air through the workings, in order to 
clear them of this dangerous gas. He thought the construction and 
application of the ventilating machine prevented it from sustaining 
a constant atmospheric current. Every stoppage of the engine 
would necessarily stop the ventilator, and thereby produce a check 
in the air underground, w^hich would soon be dangerously felt in a 
fiery mine. To these objections, the furnaces at present in use are 
not liable ; for, if the furnace only be kept burning, the current of 
air continually moves onward through the workings. In cases of 
emergency, where a mine is full of fire-damp, and when it would be 
dangerous to kindle a furnace, the ventilating machine is highly 
useful for drawing out the inflammable gas without explosion ; but 
as a permanent substitute for a well-constructed furnace, the ven- 
tilator does not seem to be well adapted. He thought the ventilator 
was an old invention, and exhibited a plate and description of the 
the machine in an early edition of Emerson's Mechanics. 
A memorial to the Board of Ordnance, to expedite the publica- 
tion of their Map of the West Riding, was laid on the table,- and 
signed by the members. 
G. B. Greenough, Esq., in returning thanks for having been 
