“I remember that evening as distinctly as if it had been but yesterday,” said Robert Stephenson, describing the circumstances to the author in 1857: “Moodie came to our cottage about dusk, and asked, ‘if father had got back yet with the lamp?’ ‘No.’ ‘Then I’ll wait till he comes,’ said Moodie, ‘he can’t be long now.’ In about half-an-hour, in came my father, his face all radiant. He had the lamp with him! It was at once uncovered, and shown to Moodie. Then it was filled with oil, trimmed, and lighted. All was ready, only the head viewer hadn’t arrived. ‘Run over to Benton for Nichol, Robert,’ said my father to me, ‘and ask him to come directly; say we’re going down the pit to try the lamp.’ By this time it was quite dark; and off I ran to bring Nicholas Wood. His house was at Benton, about a mile off. There was a short cut through the Churchyard, but just as I was about to pass the wicket, I saw what I thought was a white figure moving about amongst the grave-stones. I took it for a ghost! My heart fluttered, and I was in a great fright, but to Wood’s house I must get, so I made the circuit of the Churchyard; and when I got round to the other side I looked, and lo! the figure was still there. But what do you think it was? Only the grave-digger, plying his work at that late hour by the light of his lanthorn set upon one of the gravestones! I found Wood at home, and in a few minutes he was mounted and off to my father’s. When I got back, I was told they had just left—it was then about eleven—and gone down the shaft to try the lamp in one of the most dangerous parts of the mine.” Arrived at the bottom of the shaft with the lamp, the party directed their steps towards one of the foulest galleries in the pit, where the explosive gas was issuing through a blower in the roof of the mine with a loud hissing noise. By erecting some deal boarding round that part of the gallery into which the gas was escaping, the air was made more foul for the purpose of the experiment. After waiting about an hour, Moodie, whose practical experience of fire-damp in pits was greater than that of either Stephenson or Wood, was requested to go into the place which had thus been made foul; and, having done so, he returned, and told them that the smell of the air was such, that if a lighted candle were now introduced, an explosion must inevitably take place. He cautioned Stephenson as to the danger both to themselves and to the pit, if the gas took fire. But Stephenson declared his confidence in the safety of his lamp, and, having lit the wick, he boldly proceeded with it towards the explosive air. The others, more timid and doubtful, hung back when they came within hearing of the blower; and apprehensive of the danger, they retired into a safe place, out of sight of the lamp, which gradually disappeared with its bearer in the recesses of the mine. {95}