it was favor enough for a miner to condescend to allow Nitro-Glycerin to be used in his shift, requests and entreaties for deep holes, and remonstrances that the holes were not drilled deep enough to give this explosive a fair chance, were found fruitless; until, finally, a consultation was held in the time-keeper’s office at the West End, the purport of which was, to notify the writer that no more Nitro-Glycerin was needed, as it did not answer expectations. The superintendent, at the West Shaft, was asked what reason I gave that greater progress was not made with the new explosive. His reply was: “Mowbray says the holes are not drilled deep enough, and, I think (he added) it is but fair his demand for deep holes should be complied with, before you throw up the use of Nitro-Glycerin. He has outlaid some $5,000 for the experiment, and you ought at least to see the effect of deep holes, before you decide.” Agreed; the superintendent then went to the foreman of the shift, and requested deeper holes, ordering six feet holes. “It’s no use,” was the reply; “it’s all nonsense; why, I tell ye, it won’t bottom a hole 30 inches deep; then how is it going to fare with a six foot hole; besides, we can’t drill six feet holes by hand in one shift.” “Then take two shifts to do it, and take three if it is necessary; this Nitro-Glycerin man says he must have deep holes, and he shall for this once, if I drill them myself, and it takes a week to do it.” The deep (only six feet) holes were drilled, and charged; cartridges of same size as those inserted in 30 inch holes, were used, and fired, every hole bottomed, every miner was astonished, and from that day the use of Nitro-Glycerin was a necessity for the heading in the West End. But it was a narrow escape from what would have been deemed a failure. On another occasion, during a drought, the supply of water at the West End, where the Nitro-Glycerin was manufactured, gave out, and, being a necessity in the manufacture, we had to haul it by team. This was troublesome work, and cost money. There had been a change of engineers, and the gentleman now in charge, on the difficulty reaching him, determined first to ascertain whether Nitro-Glycerin was a necessity, before complying with the contract the Commissioners had made, and which involved a supply of compressed air and water, if they used Nitro-Glycerin. And to make no mistake, the holes of what is termed the “cut” in the heading, that is, two series of four holes each, in a parallel line from the roof, about nine feet high, were drilled about five feet apart at the face of the heading, and six feet deep, tending towards each other so that at the bottom of the holes they terminated about three feet apart. After charging and firing, the above gentleman and his assistant inspected the result. A mass of rock eight feet in height, five feet wide in front, and about five feet deep, with the rear end three feet wide, had been blown from its seat,