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March 17, 18 GO. j ¦¦ ''/ r he Leaderand...
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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The Causes And Prevention Of Coal-Pit Ex...
Tft extended practice , however , the case is more complicated and more difficult of popular- description . Not only have the rhaifiways of the pit to be ventilated , hut also nil the sideways , Every mihii in the mine must have a certain quantity of pure ait- brought ta liie : working- place , and every passage or gallery of 1 he vast excavation must be swept by . the air current in order that it may be visited by human beings . There must be air to -breathe ,-air-to dilute the noxious gases , and air enough to sweep all mat is foti ! hist ; md Inr away from the human beings . --. A-popular illustration may make this plainer . Suppose all that portion of our metropolis known as th < 3 Strandtogether with its side streets , to be covered over and
, made dark , and , naturally , almost airless . 1 hen it im-ght represent the bottom of a large coal-pit , the Strand itself being the mam way , and its side streets the side passages or galleries of the mine . Suppose , now , that a current of-air were let in at . Charing-cross , and a furnace were kindled at St . demerit ' Danes . ' church .- . The furnace heat would draw in and along all the . air to itself , and the current would escape up the shaft presumed to be represented by the tower of-the church . That , however , would be too little . Men are -working at the bottom of Graven Street , .-it the bottom of Essex-Street , and at the top of Southampton and _ Catherine Streets . These men have more iieed of air than their friends in the Strand ,
because the remoter the post the more noxious the air , and the less of it . How is the . current of air , which- would make the best and speediest of its war along the Strand , to be turned down the side streets and brought back to the Strand ? , This is only possible by a system of ¦ -mechanical-. contrivances ,, which is simple enough in construction , and which , in fact , consist of obstructions to the short run of the air current . These obstructions , whether of brick or board , can be so placed across a street as to stop the current , or along a street as to divide it . The current can thereby be cut short and turned , or cut in two and split : Tiiis latter operation is
the most ingenious part of the Northern systems of ventilation , and the most effective . By splitting a current , of pure air , it can be made to multiply its value in simultaneous services . One entire current could only go one way at one time ; but if the same current be halved or split into three currents , dearly it can perform double or treble duty . Besides , it is evident that such subdivisions can be made at anytime or . place , and just according to the necessities of time and place ; and , in this manner , there is no part of the pit to which the restorative purity of the atmosphere cannot be conducted . . to
This plan is systematise ^ such a . degree , that any given amount of air within moderate limits can'be sent down into and tlrrough a mine , from one thousand to ten thousand cubic feet of air per minute . Every tori- < J the best Newcastle coal has had some such airing before it came to the surface , and every workman iu the mine has inhaled some portion of such air before he returned again to the pure and free air of the upper world . Such is the furnace system of compound ventilation in the most popular - form in which it can be represented in a . brief space . The multitude of minor particulars connected with it we cannot so much as touch upon at present . Enough has been said to show its principal aim , and the outline of what it accomplishes ; and to enable the reader to understand that if the system were really
perfect , and were perfectly applicable , the pit and the woi-lcmen would be aired , the noxious giises diluted , and explosions rendered very " uncommon . Because it is not perfect , and not properly applied , the Davy Lamp , or miner ' s safety light , becomes necessary . . By means of this a lighted oil lump cim be carried into a pit , even where lire damp abounds . Tiro line wire griuze which surrounds and overenps the flange of the lamp , protects the miner from . nn explosion outside the wire cylinder , though little explosions may proceed within it . In brief , Jlamc cannot . piiss through wire gauze bo fine that four hundred and eighty orifices make up the square inch of its surface . The gas may pass through , and enlarge the interior Hame , and causo it to burn blue and ominous in the in infer s grasp , but unless the intervening wire gauze be meltod by the Uame , it will prove a thin yet invaluable protection to tho volume of
wandering miner . We could make tip a goodly disputes and queries and doubts , about the infallibility or not of tho I ) . v . vY lamp , but one or two rernarlcn must conclude our passing notice of it . Jt is generally agreed tlmt it ia a good and -serviceable friend to the miner : that under ordinary circumstances , if it wore ¦ universally employed , there would bo far Cower , perhaps very few explosions ; but it is not so generally admitted that it is n . ttnfuty lamp under all or under extraordinary circumstances . P . ismbly a powerful blower ' would not only fill tho lump , but , if accompanied with much impulsive force , or any strong- current of nir , might propol the flame of tho' interior so strongly ngaiiiHt tho wire network as to injure it or ^ mss tho flame itsel f . This latter i « tho opinion of several gentlemen who are not connected with pits , but u reliance upon tho improved form of tho safety lamp characterises those who jivn mnnnirora of mines . Kvorv lamp , however , must be locked , and
only delivered to tho miner when locked j for , alas ! tho careless -colliers have sometimes exposed tho lamp merely to light \ x pipe , and sometimes to got more light . A little more light , or tho idndHng of tobacco , haa more thnn once launched a whole pit-lull or xvorlcpeople into the other world I , By means of improved safety lamps and imprpvod ventilation , the Oolliors ought to luvyo nir to breathe and l . tyht to work by , and enough of botli , and to neutralize tho two mining 1 evils of darkoons and foulness of air . Moreover , tho country has to pay some . £ 12 , 000 a year to a number of inspectors of conl-minoa , whose duty it is to aoo that air enough and light enough nro afforded , or , rather , thnt every thing- bo done to prevent explosions . Kvory body knows tlmfc , in
past times , explosions have been numerous-and fearfully destructive Some pits , like Wallsend aiid Ja ' rrow , have obtained a most ; ' unenviable notoriety for sudden mortality . Hundreds of deaths are chargeable upon each . We ourselves found sufficient- . records' ( fhoug-h Jione were systematic ) years ago to prove that the mortality in collieries was greater than any one had supposed . Even now , with improvements , with advancing education , and with well-paid inspectors ^ - mpre than one thousand ( some would say fifteen hundred )^ -iives are lost every year by explosions in coal-mines , exclusive of oilier accidents in and around them , terminating fatally . We may fairly say that , despite . of every thousand pounds annually paid to coal-mine inspectors , one hundred lives are lost , or , in other words , that the remedy fails to that extent . The most humiliating result of all arises from the comparison of our eoal-inining mortality with that of other countries , as made known by the late Mr . I \ 1 agk ^ vortit .
It is as follows : — - Proportion Killed . . In Prussia ' ..... 1 " 89 per 1000 persons , per annum . In Belgium 2 ' 8 ,, ,, In England 7 ' 5 ,, i > In Staffordshire .. , 7 ' 3 ,, „ If the reader were to converse . with a eoalowiier or viewer of large experience , and average intelligence upon this topic , and inquire whether ' further steps could be taken towards the prevention of ' explosions , he would most probably ( wo might say certainly , from our own knowledge ) be informed that all is . no . done , tlmt can be done , that nothing- more of a . remedial nature can be adopted ¦;' that carburetted hydrogen in some pits cannot be further opposed than it is ; and that , in slibrt , neither the visits ' of men of science nor of inspectors can do much niwe than
keep up attention to established routine . Now , of the Tsewcaslle district , to which alone our attention is at present directed , we are willing to affirm that it is by far the best managed of all t lid British districts , and that higher , intelligence is there at work in supervision than in many others , and perhaps we might admit any other . But after saying thus much we are bound to stale our-houcst- doubts as to the infallibility of the . northern colliery viewers . Though , we have little sympathy with the outside propositions sometimes niade to the practical men of the North , we must confess we do not think them perfect , nor do we agree with their tone of remark , jusfc quoted . It is our conviction from personal observation that very -much yet remains . £ o be done , and that some things might speedily be done , to ensure-a ' greater degree of safety in the pits . Tliis also Is the conviction and expression . of the miners themselves , and it is that which they-cim support by proofs underground .
We cannot enter into detail , but will conclude by pointing out the line of direction improvement should take . First of all , the underviuwers and their subordinates must , be educated up to their position , and for this purpose the undcrviewer should be better paid . The head viewers obtain largo incomes by divided services—the underviewers are but poorly remunerated for undivided services . True , tliis is the common lot of professions , but the ru-h cmilownerf ? can prevent this , One hundred a year more to an underviower , or one hundred and fifty , would be wisely expended . Secondly , the owners must be made to suffer pecuniarily the results of their illjud <> -ed parsimony ; and they must bo made to understand that the servantsfor
' public hold them responsible , as well as tlieir , every proved neglect . Thirdly , tho voices of the miners themselves w « 6 ^ be heard in the way of respectful remonstrance and suggestion , not through demagogues and "the . pitmen ' s attorney , " or any . such person ; but through the inspectors themselves , and through them , to . the Government . At present , it is a complaint of tho pitinen that they are not heard , or not .. sufficientl y hoard ,-or' not privately heard , und that they cannot so prefer their complaint ' s as to escape being- marked men . Fourthly , the science of ventilation and tho pit g-a «« s ( carbonic , acid as well as carburetted hydrogen ) imi . it hethoroughly cultivated '; not merely once observed now and then , but . regularly and systematically studied . The prases should bo experimented upon , lectured upon , and investigated , with all tho aids and all the resources of modern chemistry . Lnstly , and certainly not
least , tho system of sclenting . and appointing coal niino inspectors must bo revised , \ Ve happen to bo acquainted with thu course ol proceedin ' f ? wlum tlie lftst ljtttou of inspectors was appointed , aiijl wo m . ustsay that the whole eoursoof prticeduro tended moist muloubtcdly to throw all the interest and all thu bins of inspection into the wi \ U of tho Northern coal owner * . Wo do not exactly blame the then Home Secretary ; ho was anxious ' to do well ; but thu truth is , he , and almost every Homo Secretary , aro too roady to how to tho appeals of tho Northern coal owners and viewers , who have pent local and piirliiimontnvY interest—and tho country ou ^ ht to know that tlio original intontion of huhyendonl inspectorn is comploteiy neutralized by tho ingenious representations and provisions ol thu verv mon who manago tho inspected jnines . It in laipofHibli ) list iiiiIuhh ho coiiiom
thut any hwpoutov can conio into tho in through and out of tho very men connected willi tho lnnnuiruniont of ininos . All nocins My lit IIrut HjKlit ; but ; _ wo liave conversed for hours together with tho . su who woro nitimak'ly acquainted with every » tgp taken , mid who assured us that under tho proBont arnm & eniontH a thorough and nulopondeut ; oourrio of coal-pit examination could not by cxpeuteri . 11 I ihh jnUof « so hnppcncd , that somo of the inspectors have proved to '" « l » lu , J » servieoublo men , and aro much esteemed . ) Jut this ih not nil . J lio . \ should he foarlf » 8 , though urbane , totally rofcfimUuHH «»< l ''» ' 10 " 1 W ll oqiiI owners and viowerrf , and totnllv nnpi ^ udicd as o hjhtonm and modes of working- tho mi » ofl . T « l < o thu o .. « o « l tho « »« otoi f «) V tho very dintrict wlioro tho Into explowou han liapponeU
March 17, 18 Go. J ¦¦ ''/ R He Leaderand...
March 17 , 18 GO . j ¦¦ ' '/ he Leaderand' Satw"day ' Analyst . 253
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), March 17, 1860, page 9, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_17031860/page/9/
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