From fire on the one hand, we pass, on the other, to the danger which awaits miners from a sudden inrush of water. During the great coal strike of 1893, certain mines became unworkable in consequence of the quantity of water which flooded the mines, and which, continually passing along the natural fractures in the earth's crust, is always ready to find a storage reservoir in the workings of a coal-mine. This is a difficulty which is always experienced in the sinking of shafts, and the shutting off of water engages the best efforts of mining engineers. Added to these various dangers which exist in the coal-mine, we must not omit to notice those accidents that are continually being caused by the falling-in of roofs or of walls, from the falling of insecure timber, or of what are known as "coal-pipes" or "bell-moulds." Then, again, every man that enters the mine trusts his life to the cage by which he descends to his labour, and shaft accidents are not infrequent. The following table shows the number of deaths from colliery accidents for a period of ten years, compiled by a Government inspector, and from this it will be seen that those resulting from falling roofs number considerably more than one-third of the whole. ------------------------------------------------------------------- | Causes of Death. | No. of | Proportion | | | Deaths. | per cent. | ------------------------------------------------------------------- | Deaths resulting from fire-damp | | | | explosions | 2019 | 20.36 | | | | | | Deaths resulting from falling | | | | roofs and coals | 3953 | 39.87 | | | | | | Deaths resulting from shaft | | | | accidents | 1710 | 17.24 | | | | | | Deaths resulting from miscellaneous | | | | causes and above ground | 2234 | 22.53 | | |------------|------------| | | 9916 | 100.00 | ------------------------------------------------------------------| Every reader of the daily papers is familiar with the harrowing accounts which are there given of coal-mine explosions. This kind of accident is one, which is, above all, associated in the public mind with the dangers of the coal-pit. Yet the accidents arising from this cause number but 20 per cent. of those recorded, and granted there be proper inspection, and the use of naked lights be absolutely abolished, this low percentage might still be considerably reduced.