376 
ftream of air 1s perceived to.iffue. I pre- 
fented a candle at leaft fx inches above 
‘the opening, and it took fire immediately. 
The flame is bluetth, and like that which 
rifes frum fpirits of wine. It is very ex- 
traordinary, that the fire dces not com- 
municate by this tube, with the body of 
foul air in the mine; into which it would 
be the height of imprudence to go with a 
beht. 
Not long ago, there was a fimilar tube 
above the mines at Whitehaven; but at 
prefent, all thefe works are open, and 
there is a complete circulation in th 
mine. director at that time pro- 
pofed to the magiftrates, to conduét from 
the mine different tubes into every ftreet 
ef the town, and by this means to light 
the ftreets during the night. 
When the explofion of foul air fets fire 
to the mine, which dees not often hap- 
pea, the moft certain expedient is to ftop 
the fire engine, and to fuffer the waters 
tu rife to the place where the fire is. 
‘There are many conduits [ or air cour/es | 
made with boards, and many doors in the 
mines, at Whitehaven, to introduce and 
renew the air in many works. Thefe 
produce a very good effe&i ; and ferve as 
new proofs of the theory, which I have 
eftabliihed in the 15th memoir, and of 
the application which I have given of it. 
A perion need not be a very deep natural 
philofopher. to fee that by means of the 
principles which I have eftablithed, it is 
not very eafy to expel the bad air from 
dangerous mines. Accidents happen only 
Decaufe the airisnot renewed, and becauie 
it is rarefied by an inflammable, bitumi- 
mous, and very fubtile matter, which con- 
tinually evaporates from the bed of coal. 
What proves this ts, that, after an ex- 
plofion, the people may work for many 
days in the fame place without danger. 
Thave gone through many places in thefe 
mines, where workmen have formerly 
been killed, but where, at prefent, there 
is not the leaft danger, becaufe a com- 
plete circulation of air has been intro- 
duced intethem. The mines at White- 
haven are very convenient by their fitu- 
ation, for facilitating the renewal of the 
air; fince the mouths of fome of the pits 
are much more elevated than thofe of 
others. This is net the cafe at Work- 
ington, where the pit mouths are nearly 
upon a level: but by help of a conduit, 
ef no great width, one of the extremities 
ef which fhould be continued along the 
mine, mm proportion as the works are ad- 
vanced, while the ether fhould terminate 
am the.furnace of the fire engine, they 
ha 
siv 
Coal [hines at Whitehaven, &c. 
“into very gocd malleable iron. 
[June 
might eftablifh a current of air, fully fuf. 
ficient to fecure the fafety of the workmen, 
It is reckoned, that the coal mines 
in the neighbourhood of Whitehaven, 
Workington, Harrington and Maryport, 
produce daily a thoufand ton of coal, 
each of which weighs 14 cwt*®. Mott of 
this ceal is exported to Ireland, and {fells 
on board the veffel at 3s. 4d. the above 
meafure. The duty on coals exported, is 
reckoned about a fhilling a Newcaftle 
chaldron [ for three _fuch tons}. 
The coal taken at the mines, for the 
confumption of the country, is fold at 
twopence a ton lefs, but then the {malier 
coal only is fold in this way. It appeared 
to me, that the coal they burned in the 
town was very ftony. 
_ They have waggons and waggon ways, 
as at Newcaftle. The coal is of the fame 
fpecies as that of Newcaftle; but its 
quality is reckoned not quite fo good. — 
Tron ForGE, NEAR WORKINGTON. 
Near Workington, a {mall river falls 
into the fea, on which an iron forge 
has lately been eftablifhed, at about halfa 
mile from the town. By all appearances, 
it will become confiderable. There is 
already one high furnace at work ; and 
another is building. That which is at 
work, is fupplied only with charcoal from 
Scotland. The fame fpecies of minerals 
are employed, as at Clifton furnace and 
Carron. The principal one is a kind of 
‘éte witrée, gilafskopf of the Germans, 
which in England is called éduey-ore. 
The mine of this (from which alfo Car- 
ron is fupplied) is three or four miles 
from the torge. Another kind is brought 
out of Lancafhire ; befides which, dif- 
ferent kinds of iron frone are extracted 
near the forge, 
The pig-iron which proceeds from this 
charcoal-furnace, is refined upon the {pot 
: The fur. 
nace which theyare building, 1s intended 
to fmelt the ore with coaks, for the pur- 
pofe of making only caft-metal goods, 
trom the pigs thus obtained. 4 : 
The waggon-way from the mine te 
the thips, paffes direétly by the foundry. 
They are at prefent building a flitting 
mill, and forming feveral other eftablith- 
ments for the forging of anchors, and all 
ijorts of iron goods. 
Ls 


Whitehaven goo tons 
; 2 Harrington 300 ,, 
* In 1794 Workington 350 
Mary port 300 © 
18500 
OF - 
