A NOVELTY IN MINING.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VI, Issue 264, 20 February 1873, Page 7

A NOVELTY IN MINING.

A NEW USE FOR KEROSENE. A discoyery ha.s been, made by Mr. D. R. Crichton (manager of Bathurst Gold Mining Company, at Trunkoy), the simplicity, inexpensiveness, and undoubted success of which render it sp. important to the mining community that it should widely be made known. During the late close and sultjry weather, producing a heavy and stagnant s.tate of th© atmosphere, great difficulty was experienced in ventilating the mine, and the men in the deep workings were frequently compelled to camp to the snrfsice through the accumulation of foul, air below ; and at last the deep. shafts had to be abandoned, since none of, the usual, methoda for restoring a current of air proved of any avail. This state of things went on for three days, when Mr. Crichton determined to try a fresh experiment. He had noticed, th.it the flame of the kerosene lamp lived much longer than, that of the candles, and as he would not ask another to do what he was afraid to attempt himself, he determined to put the design into execution by descending H shafc alone. He took an ordinary frying-pan, and emptied into it about a quart of keroaene, and placed in. the liquid a handful of cotton waste, and setting light to it, word was given to descend. One man plied the fan and another lowered the hose, to keep pace with the whim-i-ope, and, a considerable suspense was felt by the workmen, round the shaft as their plucky manager disappeared from sight beneath the underlay. The appearance of the up-bucket, a minute or two after, announced the completion of the descent, and thjen came a period of- some anxiety to, tbpse wjip. were waiting above. Of a sudden came a swarm of flies, that had been noticed ciinging on the slabs of the shaft by the workmen ; but still no signal from the manager. There was a dead silence as minute after minute passed away — then a perceptible current of air was felt comin-g from the shaft, followed a minute or so after by the ringing out, in vigorous tones upon the bell, the preconcerted signal to send the miners down to their work, complete ventilation being established. Mr. Crichton says that on reaching the bottom, of the shaft the kerosene blazed lazily for a while, just as, spirits of wine would do, and then, the flume gradually; shot up higher and higher till it reached the height of two or three, feet, and a strong current, 0f.5 air was established. The success of the experiment was complete, and now whenever the candles give warning of foul air. the captain of the shafc sots light to soniß. Qotton, waste steeped in kerosene, thrusting it on a shovel through the centre slabs towards the other half of the shaft,^ securing perfect ventilation, in a, few seconds at a cost of about sixpence. We were curious, to tesr the state of the mine on Tuesday last, and descending the shaft found, the. air as., pure below as it was on-, the siu'face. Mr. Chrich tore's discovery is. therefore^ we (".Bathurst Times ")- think, one of great value to gold-miners, and cannot be made known too .widely.

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