VENTILATION OF MINES.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VI, Issue 273, 24 April 1873, Page 6

VENTILATION OF MINES.

("Bathurst Times.")

A discovery has been made by Mr. D. E. Crichton (manager of Bathurst Gold Mining Company, at Trunkey), the simplicity, inexpensiveness, and undoubted success of which render it so important to the mining community that it should be widely known. During the late close and sultry weather, producing a heavy and stagnant state of the atmosphere, great difficulty was experienced in ventilating the mine, and the men iii the deep workings were frequently compelled to come to the surface through the accumulation of foul air below; and at last the deep shafts had to be abandoned, since none of the usual methods 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 that the flame of the kerosene lamp lived much longer than that of the candles, and as he would not ask another to do what be was afraid to attempt himself, he determined to put the design into execution by descending the shaft alone. He took an ordinary frying-pan and emptied into it about a

quart of kerosene, 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-rope. Considerable suspense was felt by the workmen' round the shaft as their plucky manager disappeared from sight beneath the underlay. The appearance of the upbucket,a minute or two after, announced the completion of the descent, and then came a period of some anxiety to those who were waiting above. Of a sudden came a swarm of flies that had been noticed clinging on to 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 coming 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 flame gradually shot up higher and higher till it reached the height of two or three feet, and a strong current of air was established. The success of the experiment was complete, and now, whenever the candles give warning of foul air, the captain of the shaft sets fire to some cotton 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 test the state of the mine, and on descending the shaft found the air as pure below as it was on the surface. Mr. Crichtou's discovery is therefore, we think, one of great valuo to gold miners, and cannot be made known too widely.