A.—sa

Goal-mines.

lamps, and shall immediately withdraw any that he may find unsafe. The underviewer or his deputy shall see that the roof and the sides in all working-places are properly secured by the persons working in them, and that the roof and sides of every travelling-road be made and kept secure. The underviewer or his deputy shall visit every working-place as often as is practicable during each shift. 15. The underviewer shall not make nor allow any change to be made in the direction of the ventilation of the mine when any person is in the mine beyond the place where such change is proposed; and he shall, where practicable, cause the stables to be ventilated into the return air from the mine. 16. The underviewer or his deputy shall inspect daily the doors in the main airways, and see that they are checked or doubled. No door must be propped or fastened back whilst on its hinges. The underviewer must appoint doorkeepers whenever necessary. Doors only used occasionally by the underviewer or his deputy must be kept securely locked, and only opened by properly authorised persons. All doors must be kept in good repair, and hung so that they will close automatically. 17. The underviewer or his deputy shall see that the airways and air-crossings are kept properly opened, and shall travel through the airways at least once a week ; and shall see that the regulators, tight-stoppings, doors, sheets, brattices, and danger-signals are immediately put where required. He shall see that the ventilating-furnaces and other ventilating-apparatus are properly attended to. The underviewer or his deputy must remain underground until the day's work is finished, and see that the doors and sheets are closed, and all the workmen are out of the mine. 18. The underviewer, acting under the direction of the manager, shall see that all places not in actual use are properly fenced across the whole width, so as to prevent persons inadvertently entering the same. 19. The underviewer shall see that all the provisions contained in the Coalmines Acts and in these special rules relating to the use of gunpowder and other explosive substances used in the mine are strictly enforced. 20. The underviewer or his deputy shall see that proper manholes and signals which are made or provided are kept in good order, according to the provisions of the Coal-mines Acts. 21. The underviewer shall withdraw workmen from working-places which are in any way unsafe, and shall report the same. PIEEMEN AND DEPUTIES. 22. The manager shall appoint one or more competent persons to act as firemen or deputies of the mine. 23. In making the examinations provided for by the foregoing rules, the fireman shall mark with chalk the day of the month upon the face of each workingplace, as 1, 5, 10, 25, or other numbers, as the case may be. He shall pay particular attention to the edges of the goaves and the gate-end lips. He shall be careful to ascertain that every part of the mine and roadways so to be examined are free from firedamp, chokedamp, or other impurities, and are safe for workmen to enter and work therein ; and in case firedamp or other impure air is discovered in any working-place, road, or level, the fireman shall, in the first instance, thoroughly clear the same of such impurity, if that can be done easily, and shall thereupon report to the miners and other workmen that the same are safe; but if the impurity cannot be readily or at once cleared out, the workmen shall not be permitted to enter such working-places, roads, or levels until the impure air has been, by further appliances, entirely dispelled. He shall prevent workmen entering the roads or working-places until a report has been made that they are safe, and shall see that proper caution-boards are put up when necessary. If no firedamp, chokedamp, or other impurity shall be discovered or suspected to remain after such inspection, the fireman shall so report to the workmen, and allow them to proceed to work, and shall thereupon without delay enter such report in the mine reportbook. 24. If from any cause the operations of the mine have been discontinued for an unusual length of time and thereafter resumed, no workmen shall be allowed to enter the mine until the manager or fireman has first entered and reported on the state of the workings ; and in discharging this duty the manager or fireman must proceed with great caution, and shall not go further into the workings than he, from his own experience, deems safe; and in case there are reasonable grounds for apprehending the presence of impure air, he shall return to the mine-mouth and

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