New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-06-10
ENrNcrIoN oF FlREs u MINEs.-A great

EXTINCTION OF FIRES Is MNEs.-A great
success has been achieved IN England by Mr. Colds
worthy Quincy in the extinction Of burning collery
about seven miles from sterling The fire has been
raging for about 30 years an area of % acres
This accident occurs frequently in the coal mines,
and Is OF course immensely destructive TO property.
In the present instance a value OF nearly SlOOOOOO
was endangered. and two years since, $.oo0waS lost
by fire breaking out m a coal-pt IN Ayrshire, which
has not vet been subducd and extends Il acres,
burning and destroying the wood on the surface 1t
Is now undergoing extinction by Mr. GumeyS
process.
In the present case sum Of $4,000 was spent m
surrounding the fire with puddle-wall to prevent it's
extending TO other works This took five years IN
building, and was completed 10 years ago. The pro-
prIetor the Earl of Mnsfedhas expended about goo
a year in Keeping ii up and supporting oycr-lookers.
Men, learned in the matter, have agreed m the utter
impOSSlblity of extnguShng the IRE, until Mr.. Cur
ney preached his theory of pouring IN c1ote damp
Ii was apparently impossible that the idea only
commended itself 10 the most scientific
Mr. Quincy, 40 the invitation OF the Earl of Mans
field. went down and ms PCctCd the mine. The diff
Guilty to be apprehended IN the treatment was that
the vast magazine of heat would continue, and cause
the rc-kndlmg of the mine upon the renirOductlOn
Of the fresh air. But toward the end of March Mr.
Quincy commenced with two assistants. The ma
Chncry for conducting the experiment consisted of
high-preSsure StcambOler about 60 feet of inch gas
pipe and a small cone for the hlghpreSSure steam
let 40 the end of It, which jet placed at the proper
striking distance from cylinder of Sheet-lron one
foot IN diameter and about nine feet long The cyl.
lllCr was the passage between a coke furnace and
the doWncast shaft. through which the AR driven
ht the force of the Steam-Iet. and. by simple con-
triEanCc. they were able 10 blow IN either the AR
passed through the furnace, or fresh, al pleasure.
lLcrc were some obstacles m inc Nhdt' anu Mr.
Gumey's assistants dcso ended, Mr.. Quincy blowing
them IN fresh arr from above, and there they cleared
away TWO old IRON doors INTO the waste, ana knocked
a hole through an old puddC-wdll and then, hearing
good deal of nmblng and rushing, AS II the roof
falling, they thought more prudent to retreat,
as they had effected their object OF opening passage
for The gases into the burning waste
The obstacles having been cleared away and free
passage obtained, he shaft was covered with IRON
plates and cayed over so as to render 1t alright
and the chOkedamp wa turned on. That eXtngulsh-
ing gas was made by passing the atmospheric air
through intense coke FIRE IN brick furnace, which
deprived II OF all It's oxygen, or rather the oxygen
combined with the carbon Of the coke. and formed
carbonic acid which gas, IN mixture with the nitro
gen left. was forced through the furnace along the
IRON cylinder down the shaft and into the burning
waste the quantity of coke consumed beng sufhl-
Gently accurate measure OF the quantity OF dlTpdsSed
After blowing In about s,0OO0OO of cubic feet OF
chOkedamp TAT the rate OF about 1000 cubic feet per
mlnute,) which was calculated TO be about the con-
tents al the waste allowance having been made for
falls of the roof they found the upcast high level
shaft or drf full Of II 10 the mouth flowed over
and ran along the ground, extlngushlng lights fhed
near the surface Of the earth at distance from
the spot They found when they ceased blowing IN
gas that after q time the chOkedamp receded IN the
upcaS and that Whe they blew 1t into the down
cast poured out Of the upcast IN volumes, being thus
perfect measure OF the quantity Of chokedamp IN
the mine, and giving them Il proof that Il had passed
completely through H.
After three weeks of this treatment, they blew IN
chokedamp at lower temperature, and By tins pro-
gradually succeeded IN cooling the atmosphere
Of the mine, that after 4 months operations the
temperature was discovered 10 be about ~.
The expense Of the operation IS not estimated IN
the letter III the Tunes which has furnished with
The facts But It's very great scientific triumph.