The Life of Sir Humphry Davy, Bart. LL.D., Volume 2 (of 2)Paris, John Ayrton
History
The Life of Sir Humphry Davy, Bart. LL.D., Volume 2 (of 2)
Paris, John Ayrton
Chemists -- England -- Biography; Davy, Humphry, Sir, 1778-1829
This was the case in Jarrow Colliery, at the time the late
accident happened. As the use of gunpowder was indispensable,
naked lights were generally used, and the accident was
occasioned by a '_bag_' of inflammable air forcing out a large
block of coal, in the face of a drift, from a fissure in which
it had been pent up, perhaps from the Creation, and firing at
the first naked light with which it came in contact, after
having been diluted down to the combustible point by a due
admixture of atmospheric air.
As to the number of old collieries and old workings which
have been renovated, and as to the quantity of coal which has
been, and will be saved to the public by the invention of the
"_Davy_," it is scarcely possible to give an account, or to
form an estimate.
In this part of the country, 'Walker's Colliery,' after having
been completely worked out, according to the former system,
with candles and steel-mills, and after having been abandoned
in 1811, was reopened in 1818 by the aid of the "_Davy_" and
has been worked on an extensive scale ever since, and may
continue to be worked for an almost indefinite period.
Great part of the formerly relinquished workings of Wall's-end,
Willington, Percy-main, Hebburn, Jarrow, Elswick, Benwell,
&c. &c., as well as several collieries on the Wear, have been
recovered, and are continued in work by the invention of the
"_Davy_."
If I had only what you know perfectly well I have not--TIME, I
could write a volume on this subject.
I shall shortly, through the medium of a friend, get an
important paper on the subject of the "_Davy_," put into Dr.
Paris's hands.
Believe me, my dear Sir Cuthbert,
To remain yours very faithfully,
JOHN BUDDLE.
The Bishop of Bristol has placed at my disposal a communication
from Mr. Fenwick, a gentleman of much practical ability, which
affords additional evidence of the utility of the lamp; from which
the following is an extract.
"Sir H. Davy's safety-lamp has afforded much security in the
general working of mines, particularly by enabling the coal-owner
to work, in several situations, the pillars of coal formerly left
therein, which, under the system of working by candles, or open
flame, was deemed hazardous and impracticable; and, in consequence,
one-sixth part more of coal may be estimated as obtainable from
those mines which are subject to hydrogen gas. Also in the working
of the pillars of coal, (commonly called the second working,) great
advantages and securities, as well as saving of expenses, have
resulted from the use of this lamp, not only to the lessees of
collieries, inasmuch as more coal is obtained from a given space
than before, (particularly in collieries subject to fire-damp,) but
also to the lessor of such mines, by their being more productive,
and of course more durable than heretofore.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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