Year: 1861

In q recent number OF this journal a
workman described the terrors OF water
when bursting its bounds in a mine
Fire is no less appalling enemy, and
in the course Of heightened career as
Inspector Of Mines, il once occurred to
me to be in pit when it was ignited.
However long may live, it is not likely
that the recollection of its horrors will
be dimmed by the lapse Of time.


The pit in question: large one--was
very dangerous in consequence of the
quantity Of gas which the coal contained,
had spent one day in it, and had seen
reason to be extremely dissatisfied with
Ere manner in which it was managed
h1t only was the lifting power at the
sualt feeble aud insufficient, aud of ma
ure to render an accident highly proba-
bic, but the mode OF ventilation was Of
the most unscienlifc character, was
50 impressed with a conviction that a


vadful accident would one day occur, if
preventive measures were not adopted,
that ! had decided on making u special
report on the subject to the owner Of the
mine as soon as had finished my inspec-
ton, which determined, therefore. should
be more than usually minute. On the
second morning | wen, down, insisted
on the manager accompanying me, Tor !
had seen instance. OF neglect ia taking
ordinary precautions on the preceding
day which would, in my opinion, have
made him crimiaally responsible lad
an accident happened, and these |
proposed 20 point out 10 him with the
view Of a remedy being applied. lIay-
ing called lis attention to these, we pro-
ceeded 10 the point where | bad ended
my inspection on the preceding day, and
resumed it.


We must have been in the mine about
four hours, asd were examining part
Of the workings from which large guam
tity OF coal had been dug, when we heard
loud, dull sound, so prolonged by the
manner in which it wa, echoed from point
TO poiut, that neither the manager nor
either Of the overlockers who accompa.
eiel Us could say in what part Of the mine
an explosion had taken place, though that
an explosion had occurred somewhere
they all knew very well. An immediate
move was made in the direction Of the
mouth of the pit, the oyerlooAers going
few yards in advance. Aliat once We
noticed that our lights were getting dim,
aud we were conscious of a difficulty in
breathing still we pushed along as fast
as it was safe to 20, hoping that the gas
was merely a small quantity which had
been driven here through some of the
side openings by the force Of the explo-
sion, and that we should find the way be-
yond it free Our hopes in this respect
we're disappointed for just as we reached
an angle of the works the overoOkers
met US, and directed US to 90 back as fast
as we could, for there was no possibility
of getting to the shaft that way, they hay-
ing been nearly sutfocated before they
could get back to US. We retraced our
steps rapidly to the place we had just
quilted, and which was still free from af-
ter-damp Here "a brief consultation WAS
held, and the result was that an attempt
should be made TO reach the shaft by a
more circuitous route in another direction.
The difficulties we encountered were
frightfuI. In some places the passage
was so low that we had to drag ourselves
through almost on oul bellies; and prob
ably there was not another man in the
pit besides the overlooker, who led the
way, who knew that the shaft could be
teached from this point. Every now and
'hen we passed through places where our
lamps gave us ample evidence of the
presence of an inAamable gas. Stin we
kept on, and seemed to have got so far
that I hoped we had almost reached a
place of safety Presently I fancied
could hear a rushing roaring sound not
quite unknown to me, and it struck me
that the pit was on fire. | suggested as
much, but nobody made any reply, and |
concluded either that | was mistaken, or
that there might be chance Of avoiding
the fire. was not long in doubt, for the
air grew warmer and warmer every in
slant yet it was not until we could see
the flames raging some distance before us
that the man upon whose knowledge we
depended told up that escape by that way
was cut off The horror of our situation
could not well be surpassed. OF the two
ways of leaving the mine, onewas impas-
sable from the amount of carbonic acid
generated by the explosion, and the
other from the presence Of a massof fire.
Oar destruction appeared inevitable, and
!Hr time none of US could speak.