Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-01-22
4 Perfeet.Safety Lamp.

The series of experiments with the Dea-
mining apparatus, which we no.
ticed, last week. had been arranged to
take place in the Wigan coalfield, were
made on Monday at the Barley Brook col
liery, near Wigan, owned by Messrs. Pear
son 4 Knowles. Mr.. j. Dickinson. Her
Majesty's Inspector of Mines for Northeast
Lancashire, was present. and the expert
ments were witnessed by representatives
from all the principal collieries in the neigh
borhood. Mr.. Applegrath, the agent in
England of the inventor. was quite willing
that the experiments should be made in
the workings of the mine. but in the way
Of this there stood the difficulty that it
would involve breach of the mines regu
lation act to allow any working 10 be so
charged with gas as to permit a really
practical test being made as to the utility
of the apparatus. 1t therefore became
necessary that the trials should take place
above ground under such conditions as
would ensure aS severe 4 test a> the cir
cumstances would possibly allow The
first experiment was a test rs to the c;ipl-
bilitieS of the DeanayrOuge lamp for burn
ing brightly and safely in the midst of i'll
tiammable gases. For this purpose the
lamp, supplied with air through a regula-
tor from a tank of compressed air and lit,
was placed under a glass shade, which
was afterwards charged with ordinary gas,
which, however, neither resulted in an ex-
plosiOn, nor had any very material effect
upon the light Next followed the more
important experiments for testing the eff
cheney Of the apparatus for enabling min
ers to work in. or engineers to survey col
lierv workings filled with choke-damp.
As these experiments We're not possible in
the actual workings of the mines. a small
wooden shed on the surface was filled with
gas created by burning sulphur and char
coal, and, when it had become of sufficient
density, Mr.. Applegrath, furnished with a
regulator nose piece TO prevent the inspi-
ration of gas through the noStrils. a pair of
lunettes to protect the eyes, and carrying
with him lamp, entered the room, a young
cat being also put in at the same time.
Through Il side window the operations in
side the room could be distinctly seen.
Mr.. Applegrath, whose lamp was burning
brightly, apparently unaffected in the least
by the deadly gases surrounding him, was
vigorously handling hammer and saw.
The eat, however, although, with the ad-
vantage of being on the floor where the
air was purest. soon exhibited symptoms
of uneasness. At the end of ten minutes
blood was oozing through its nostrils and
mouth. and it was evidently dying; at the
end of twenty minutes. when Mr.. Apple
grath. having constructed a rough deal
box, left the room, apparently none the
worse for his exposure TO the gas. the cat
was on the point Of death, and died imme-
diately upon being removed to the open
air. Mr.. Pickard, the agent of the miners
in the Wigan district, himself afterwards
personally tested the apparatus, and ex-
pressed his satisfaction with its efficiency
The general opinion amongst those pres
ent was that the arrophore had success
fully complied with the predictions of the
inventor, and the only draw back which ap-
peared to present itself was the limited
applicability of which the apparatus ap-
peared capable.-Iron and Coal Trades
RcCietC. December 10.