means excluded, the
fire was extinguished, the people were saved from death, and the mine was
preserved.

This anecdote of Stephenson was related to the writer, near the
pit-mouth, by one of the men who had been present and helped to build up
the brick wall by which the fire was stayed, though several workmen were
suffocated. He related that, when down the pit some days after, seeking
out the dead bodies, the cause of the accident was the subject of
conversation, and Stephenson was asked, "Can nothing be done to prevent
such awful occurrences?" His reply was that he thought something might
be done. "Then," said the other, "the sooner you start the better; for
the price of coal-mining now is _pitmen's lives_."

Fifty years since, many of the best pits were so full of the inflammable
gas given forth by the coal, that they could not be worked without the
greatest danger; and for this reason some were altogether abandoned, The
rudest possible methods were adopted of producing light sufficient to
enable the pitmen to work by. The phosphorescence of decayed fish-skins
was tried; but this, though safe, was very inefficient. The most common
method employed was what was called a steel mill, the notched wheel of
which, being made to revolve against a flint, struck a succession of
sparks, which scarcely served to do more than make the darkness visible.
A boy carried the apparatus after the miner, working the wheel, and by
the imperfect light thus given forth he plied his dangerous trade.
Candles were only used in those parts of the pit where gas was not
abundant. Under this rude system not more than one-third of the coal
could be worked; and two-thirds were left.

What the workmen, not less than the coal-owners, eagerly desired was, a
lamp that should give forth sufficient light, without communicating flame
to the inflammable gas which accumulated in certain parts of the pit.
Something had already been attempted towards the invention of such a lamp
by Dr. Clanny, of Sunderland, who, in 1813, contrived an apparatus to
which he gave air from the mine through water, by means of bellows. This
lamp went out of itself in inflammable gas. It was found, however, too
unwieldy to be used by the miners for the purposes of their work, and did
not come into general use. A committee of gentlemen was formed to
investigate the causes of the explosions, and to devise, if possible,
some means of preventing them. At the invitation of tha