24 
POPULAR SCIENCE REYIEW. 
On the first head, though there is still much to complain of, 
considerable improvement has taken place of late, and the 
establishment of such schools as the College of Physical Science I 
at Newcastle, and the provisions of the Mines Eegulation Act ’ 
of last Session, will doubtless produce before long a still larger 
advance. But much yet remains to be done before those en- 
trusted with the immediate superintendence of our mines can J 
compare with the men holding similar positions in Grermany. j 
Of the recklessness of the men, one or two instances may be I 
given to show that they are not accused without reason. In j 
1866 occurred the most disastrous colliery explosion yet on | 
record — that of the Oaks Colliery, by which more than three . 
hundred men were in a moment laid lifeless ; but even this ! 
warning had no effect, for only a few weeks afterwards some ^ 
colliers in an adjoining colliery, working the same fiery seam, t 
were summoned before the magistrate for using lucifer-matches * 
in the pit to light their pipes with. It is indeed seldom pos- 
sible to bring home to anyone the guilt of having caused an 
explosion, for those most at fault are usually the first victims ; 
but the constant occurrence of lamp-keys and lucifers on the 
persons of the killed tells a story which cannot well be mis- 
read. Totally untrained to reflection, and living face to face 
with danger till they have lost almost the sense of fear, these 
men deliberately risk their own lives, and those of some hun- 
dreds of their fellow-workmen, rather than forego the luxury of ■ 
smoking for an hour or two. Another fact brings out this ^ 
characteristic very forcibly. We have already shown that in 
many cases it is necessary, however perfect the ventilation may 
be, to use safety-lamps, because sudden outbursts of gas may ^ 
any minute occur which will overpower the best ventilation in 
the world : in a word, that here as elsewhere it is good to have 
two strings to your bow. But while fully admitting the truth 
of this, many really intelligent managers are averse to the use 
of safety-lamps because the men cannot be brought to see the j 
force of the old adage, and will insist on trusting to lamps i 
alone, and neglect the ventilation. ; 
Two things it seems to us can alone remedy this disastrous c 
state of things. The rising generation of colliers must have 7 
impressed upon them some sense of moral responsibility, and | 
they must be taught so much science as will enable them to ; 
understand how accidents are caused. Ministers of all religious 
denominations show a most praiseworthy activity after any ; 
colliery disaster, but they seem to dwell mainly on the uncer- 
tainty of life, and the necessity for being prepared for death at ^ 
any moment. Such warnings are not specially applicable to 
miners ; they might, for instance, be addressed with considerable 
propriety to anyone who nowadays has occasion to travel often 
