EXPLOSION OF FIRE DAMP IN

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1834, 8 June 1874, Page 3

EXPLOSION OF FIRE DAMP IN

THE CROWN PRINCE MINE. An explosion of fire damp in a quartz mine is an occurrence which few would expect. Tliis gas, generated from carbon or decayed vegetable matter, is frequent enough in coal mines, where provision is made to prevent loss of life by explosions, by the use of safety lamps and other approved means, but an actual explosion of fire damp ooourred in the Crown Prince mine on Friday night, which seemed at one time likely'to cause great destruction and loss of life. It appoars that the sea--ward drive on the No. 1 reef has been carried up to a slide (probably the continuation of the Bright Smile slide), and the stopes have also approached the same change of country. To prevent any accident to the mine from water breaking in, the face has been puddled up and boarded, but at about 8 o'clock on Friday night a strong leakage of water was observed coming out of the stopes. Mr Beeche, brother of the mine manager, went up into the stopes and found that the leakage was from an aperture in the timber about 12 feet above the level. He was about to stop it up with clay, and not apprehending any danger he brought his lighted candle close to the aperture, when with a suppressed roar it burst into flames which blazed fiercely through the stopes for ten minutes, and finally died out. Its appearance at this time was terribly beautiful. 'Sometimes the flames would almost die out to a slight flicker near the opening, when suddenly there wonld be a fresh accession of gas, and the flames, would again roar through the stopes. Altogether it only lasted for aoout 10 minutes, and did no damage. Mr Beeche saved himself by dropping down to the level as soon as the fire broke out, and he was thus in perfect safety, being the fire and removed from its influence. The water, however, continued to pour in, and there is no doubt this continually brought with it fresh supplies of the fire damp, besides which there was reason to fear that the mine would be' flooded. On Saturday morning another attempt was made to stop up the'hole by one of the workmen, but his candle again set the fire damp in ajflame, which burst out in his face and scorched his shirt and clothes considerably. It is difficulty to account for the existence of this gas. Several theories have been started, one is that there must be a seam of ooal in the vicinity, but that seems improbable. The theory which is most reasonable is that in driving to seaward the lode has been followed to what was onoethe surface of the bed rock, and that the slide, as it is called, is lying on the top of this rook. It is quite reasonable to suppose that there has been a quantity of vegetable matter lying on the rock, which has decayed, and that the gas generated from this matter has been confined until the water made an aperture for it into the Crown Prince workings. Or perhaps the vegetable matter is in the slide. This is by no means improbable, for in the, slide in the Bright Smile mine, at a depth of 220 feet, charcoal was found, and in the Moanataiari slide at .the Kuranui Hill tunnel level, at a depth of 200 feet from the surface, a portion of the trunk of a large tree was found some time ago. These slides must have been immense chasms at one time, which in course of time became filled up with all sorts • of stuff whioh washed into ; them. However, now that it is known that danger is lto be apprehended from this source, it will be necessary for the managers.of those . mines on the flat where the workings are being carried seaward to exercise proper precautions, and prevent accidents. It is the first .occurrence of the kind that has happenelon the L'hames, or in any other .quartz mine, so far as we, are aware. We are glad to find that the drainage of water has decreased, and there need be no danger to the mine apprehended from this source. •