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Ordinary Meeting, December 15th, 1868. 
E. W. Binney, F.R.S., F.G.S., Vice-President, in the 
Chair. 
Mr. Spencer H. Bickham, Jun., was elected an Ordinary 
Member of the Society. 
Mr. W. Brockbank, F.G.S., exhibited some fine specimens 
of kidney-shaped nodules of ironstone from the hematite 
deposits at Cleator Moor. 
The Chairman said that fatalities in collieries caused by 
the explosion of fire damp have for the last thirty years 
been supposed to be more frequent with a falling barometer 
and a rising thermometer, the wind blowing from the 
south-east or south. Besides, they have been more 
common in thick, heavy, and foggy weather, and from 
October to March, both inclusive. At the inquiry now 
taking place on the terrible catastrophe near Hindley, a 
practical colliery manager is reported to have said, “ I am 
surprised to see so much in the newspapers about the 
barometer. Philosophers appear to think that the manage- 
ment of a mine and the taking of precautions might be 
worked as it were by a thumb screw.” Of course, the 
writer of a letter in a newspaper by no means makes a man 
a philospher. One thing however is pretty certain, that 
the so-called practical men, and even philosophers, have a 
great deal to learn about explosions of fire damp, and there 
is little doubt but that sometimes collieries are managed on 
the “rule of thumb” principle. For some reason or other 
Proceedings — Lit. & Phil. Society. — Yol. YIII. No, 6 — Session 1868 - 9 . 
