t long detas of 1 coilery exp! 5, 1. a sbudder, and a regret the as yet ver ientito i nowledge of the day, no remed, hed tually zaurd ara · means taken i & tou-loup in Lines? } It we do well if such e l'am maco, the publie to the deplor 1 e number of 11i human bei in tu me of ife, is called for annually in our coal-napes, and asse, ne Ishal' presently show, in the generality of cases, pie rendale, Pruses, and of tese no less than 365, or one r data, is oleted un to that dread spirit of destruction, -dong : frith beca positively determined by Mr. Holland aths from this deleterious gas along average one for ry in the y tera of 1831 gave 252,174 males as employed in of these, one in 855 annually meets with death by · Be S t; and during the year 1861, one he was 12 every 109 715 tons of coal from the pt. eq' mast bban, or the indety of this nation w paralyzei. Fet must wo necessarily pay for it . Son of 1641 hale and hearty follows? Ha ieto offer as that shall be effective 1 so dreaded as either fire or ch. 1. Loth a serious and mon entous questa Set, dat as org as miners are ne of any Imd, to illana te toc how..k, serrou ded by a dang which may at any moment be 1 bez ara ne why be exposed a subjected * ag an explos1or; 1 as log se dere is "fidamp THE INTELLECTUAL OBSERVER. FEBRUARY, 1866. LIFE AND DEATH IN OUR MINES. BY JABEZ HOGG, F.L.S., M.R.C.S., ETC. WHо among us, on taking up a newspaper on the morning of the 23rd of December, 1865, could read the harrowing and heartrending details of the colliery explosion at Merthyr Tydvil without a shudder, and a regret that as yet, with all the increasing scientific knowledge of the day, no remedy had been suggested, no means taken to effectually guard against results of fire-damp in mines? Thirty-four human beings killed, and nearly as many more injured, in this one fatal explosion. It would be well if such calamitous incidents secured the attention of the public to the deplorable fact that the sacrifice of the very large number of 1644 human beings, in the full enjoyment of life, is called for annually in our coal-mines, and arises, as I shall presently show, in the generality of cases, from preventible causes, and of these no less than 365, or one per diem, is offered up to that dread spirit of destruction, fire-damp; for it has been positively determined by Mr. Holland that the deaths from this deleterious gas alone average one for each day in the year. It is The census of 1861 gave 282,474 males as employed in coal-mines; of these, one in 355 annually meets with death by accident of some sort; and during the year 1864, one life was lost in raising every 109,715 tons of coal from the pit. true that coal must be had, or the industry of this nation would soon be paralyzed; but must we necessarily pay for it by the annual sacrifice of 1644 hale and hearty fellows? Has science no remedy to offer us that shall be effective in warding off a spirit of evil so dreaded as either fire or choke-damp? This is, indeed, both a serious and momentous question. Before an answer is attempted, we must not lose sight of this important fact, that as long as miners are obliged to employ a lamp, or use a flame of any kind, to illuminate the dark cavern in which they work, surrounded by a dangerous and ever-accumulating gas, which may at any moment be ignited and exploded, so long will they be exposed and subjected to the fearful horrors attending an explosion; and as long as there is "fire-damp VOL. IX.-NO. I. B |