PROCEEDINGS 
OF THE 
GEOLOGICAL & POLYTECHNIC SOCIETY 
<®f tiie 3H!l?st*3£U9tng of Horftsi&fw, 
AT THE FORTY-FIRST MEETING, HELD IN THE COURT-HOUSE, 
BARNSLEY, ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29TH, 1850. 
The Right Hon. Earl Fitzwilliam, F.R.S., President, 
in the Chair. The annexed statement of the accounts for 
the past year was submitted by the Secretary : — 
STATEMENT OE THE RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURE, 
From 1st January, 1850, to 29th October, 1850. 
DR. 
£. 
d. 
CR. 
£. 
s. 
d. 
To Balance in Treasurer’s hands 
.. 49 12 
7s 
By Printing Reports, &c 
.. 18 
3 
0 
To Subscriptions from — 
„ Advertising Meetings 
9 
10 
1 Member for 1843 at 13s. .. 
.. 0 13 
0 
„ Lithographing Plates 
0 
1 ,, 1844 „ .. 
.. 0 13 
0 
„ Expenses of Meetings 
.. 1 
13 
0 
1 „ 1845 „ 
.. 0 13 
0 
„ Collecting Subscriptions .... 
.. 1 
2 
3 
1 „ 1846 „ 
.. 0 13 
0 
„ Postage Stamps and Postages 
.. 1 
19 
4 
2 Members for 1847 „ 
.. 1 6 
0 
„ Books and Stationery 
.. 1 
7 
0 
4 „ 1848 „ 
.. 2 12 
0 
„ Rent of Museum Room, &c.. 
.. 20 
0 
0 
19 „ 1849 „ 
.. 12 7 
0 
„ Salary of Assistant Secretary 
.. 50 
0 
0 
65 „ 1850 „ 
.. 42 5 
0 
„ Sundry Small Expenses .. .. 
.. 0 
18 
1 
1 „ 1850 at 10s. 6d. 
.. 0 10 
6 
„ Balance in Treasurer’s hands 
.. 9 14 
Donation from J. W. Child, Esq. 2 0 
0 
£113 5 
n 
£113 
5 
Assets about 
.£98 17 
6 
Liabilities about 
£20 19 
6 
After a few preliminary observations, his Lordship called 
upon Mr. West to read the first Paper, entitled : — 
COMPARATIVE VIEW OF CIRCUMSTANCES ATTENDING SOME 
OF THE EXPLOSIONS IN COAL MINES. BY WILLIAM 
WEST, ESQ., F.R.S., ASSOC. CIV. ENG. 
I am not about to deliver, on this occasion, a lecture on the 
ventilation of coal mines ; although I think that it would be 
highly useful to viewers and other superintendents, if, without 
expecting to arrive thereby at any nostrum or secret, they 
listened occasionally to a plain statement of the most impor- 
