Epitome of evidence taken before the Commissioners appointed to enquire into the condition of all mines in Great Britain to which the provisions of the Act 23 & 24 Vict. cap. 155 do not apply, with reference to the health and safety of persons employed in such mines / presented to both houses of Paliament by command of Her Majesty.

  • Great Britain. Royal Commission on Mines
Date:
1864
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Epitome of evidence taken before the Commissioners appointed to enquire into the condition of all mines in Great Britain to which the provisions of the Act 23 & 24 Vict. cap. 155 do not apply, with reference to the health and safety of persons employed in such mines / presented to both houses of Paliament by command of Her Majesty. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

    69/302 (page 69)
    (O—VENTILATION. in a close place where there are men breathing and caudles burning, there is such a consumption of the atmosphere that you cannot have it so pure with regard to the oxygen as hj natural ventilation. ■1126. Have you had any experience in mining in addition to your medical experience?—Yes. 4127. But only as a shareholder ?—Iso, ■il28. Do you often go i^nderground ?—No ; I have not been underground for years past. 4129. Do you believe that in all cases, the close ends are ventilated artiticially ?—I speak from ray own ex- perience here in the mines, and I know that that is the case, that means are alwaj s adopted where they can be to do that, perha]3s a little more attention might be necessary, for they know the means, and they have it in their power to adopt them if they ])lease, and if the men complain much I think the agents would be sure to do it. Mr. Feaxcis Bakratt. 4607. {Mr. Auntin. Bruce.) If you had an up-cast shaft, with an air pumping engine at its luouth, you would have secured a current of air which would enaljlc the men to go down at any time, would it not F—I think it would be an advantage to have an engine to exhaust the air. 4603. But in that case it would be necessary so to conduct the ventilation that it should not return indis- criniinately to every shaft, would it not ?—Yes ; I think that would be an advantage. 4609. Do you see any reason why that could not be done ?—A column of pipes could be put down, and the air could be exhausted by an engine above ; but I would rather force the air into the mine. 4610. If you forced the air into the mine you would not kee-p a distinct up-cast and down-cast in the man- ner I have suggested, would you?—You could force the air into the down-cast and it would come up the up-cast. 4611. If you forced the air down the down-cast, might not a portion of the return air return up the very same shaft ?—It is possible. 4C12. Is not that a thing to be avoided?—Why so, as long as you supply the bottom of the mine with good air ? 4613. Is not the object to secure a sufficient quantity of good air to all the workings ?—Yes. 4614. And to make the bad air, that is, the air already breathed, pass to the outer air without returning through ■ the workings through which it has already passed ?— You could drive the air to the extremity of the mine by an engine forcing in air only, and continne your pipes. I would have branches to the bottom to let out the air. 4615. If you had a regular down-cast shaft, and a regular up-cast shaft, you would not require any pipes in the down-cast ?—Iso, if you can make sure of your up-cast and down-cast. 4711. {3Ir. Kendall.) Save and except in the mines which have been mentioned, would it be worth the cost, or would it be any particular service, to employ the exhaustin engines which have been referred to ; would it pay ?—I prefer the forcing engines. 4712. Would it pay to employ them ?—I think it would pa} for deep mines. 4713. Your view is that in a very deep mine it would be better to employ a forcing engine ?—Yes ; it would lessen the temperature in the first place, and increase the volume of the air. 4714. And it would also, I suppose, save time with regard to clearing away the powder smoke ?—-Yes ; no doubt of it. I would not let that air remain at the very bottom of the shaft; but have apertures in the pipe, so as to send it through and through and every- where. 471-5. It is a mere matter of opinion as to whether you should exhaust or force in ; your opinion is that it would be not only useful to the men, but also econo- mical for the adventurers, if they were, either by ex- hausting or by force pumps, to suj^jjly a cm-rent of air, not only in the main shaft, but throughout all the levels?—We tried the exhausting jirinciple at East Crinnis for some years ; we were advised to do so by the principal manager, and we found that we could not di'ive our levels very far, and we then changed and introduced the forcing principle, and we found that Ave could drive a considerable way further. 4716. As I understand you, all you require is this : j^j^ Modes that by some means enough air shall find its way into of providing every end, and you would then let nature take its own Ventilation. course and let the air find its way out ?—I do not care where it goes. 4717. [Chairman.) You would send the air down with one pipe, and with branches from that to the different ends ?—I would. 4718 Would that be a very expensive process —1 think not. 4719. What pipes would you use ?—That would de- pend upon the extent of the mine, a foot diameter would carry a large volume of air ; it is no new idea of mine ; I have turned it over in my mind for years and years, and the result is that I would throw air to the bottom of a mine ; I would not exhaust it. I would throw fresh air from the surface. Capt. John Webb. 5323. (Chalrinan.) A fan worked by a boy ?—Yes; or sometimes we work it with little water wheels if it is not more than two feet high, as well as by a boy. 5324. Will that introduce fresh air ?—Yes ; especially if we have metallic pipes through which we can deliver the air as good as we receive it, but if we have wooden pipes, wood is a consumer of air. 6325. In a dry mine, if the v/ood is dry, do you think that the air is injured by passing through wood ?—Yes; I have observed wood in dry places throw forth a sort of moss or fungus, as it were, more than it does in wet places ; when drj rot takes timber it is more offensive than it is when it is wet. 5326. Is it the case in mines that there is dry rot ?— Yes ; and it throws forth very poisonous vapours. 5327. Therefore you think that the air should not be introduced by means of wood ?—ISTo, unless it was well pitched over within; I suppose that that would be a sort of remedy, but that is not done generally. 5328. But if it was pitched over so that it could not decay, do you see any objection to the use of wood ?—I think that that would be an improvement. 5329. It would be much less expensive than pipes ? —■ It would be a little less expensive than metallic pipes. 5330. What kind of pipes would you recommend ?— Zinc or galvanised iron would do very well, 5443. (Mr. Kendall.) With regard to your mines, do you principally use fans or water-falls ?—The fans are the most direct and easy to be applied where we cannot have water-falls. We cannot have water-falls in one place out of ten. 5444. Wliere you have a water-fall, can you apply that waterfall to rises as well as to ends ?—If you have, say a 10-fathoms fall, there is no better or cheaper means that you can apply than a water-fall. 5445. If you have a supply of water, you can direct that water-fall not only in your drifts, but in the backs and where the tribute Avorkers are, and so on ?—Yes ; anywhere. 5446. Have you not an imiDroved Avater-fall by Mr. Williams in your mine ?—I have worked one in West Par for a long piece of ground. We were sinking 90 fathoms from the shaft, and we did it by a water jet; but there is not one case in ten Avhere you can apply that. We must have a column of AA'^ater in the shaft and pressure. 5447. It is not Mr. Williams's patent, but is an im- provement upon the old plan, is it not ?—Is o, I do not think that it is any improA^ement. It Avas suggested by some person up in the northern part of England, Avho came doAvn here and suggested it. 5448. How long ago?-—I should think four or five years ago. 5449. But a water-fall was used many years agoi'— Yes ; but this water-jet and a water-fall are tAvo differ- ent things. A water-jet AA'ill do with a great deal less fall than a Avater-fall. With the water-jet you may take in a small stream of water, and it will give a pressure. Mr. WiiLiAM Pethebick. 5633. (Mr. Austin Bruce.) You do not think it worth Avhile to imitate the coal mines ?—I do not think it Avould be ; I do not think it could be carried out. 5634. (Mr. Kendall.) I suppose it could not be carried out because there are so many shafts ?—Yes you are always altering.