DURHAM AND NORTHUMBERLAND.

55

of fire-damp, which, coming in contact withthe candles of the miners, immediately ex-ploded, and communicated through the wholeregion. What further proof can be necessarythat many lives would be saved if the lightswere secured from such contacts; and as themeans of such security is discovered, societyought not to rest until they are adopted.

Imagination, when unassisted by scenery,cannot sufficiently impress upon the mind theeffect of these occurrences. I will, therefore,repeat the description .of this explosion, asgiven by a lady who took an airing in the vi-cinity of the mine shortly after it took place.

Having proceeded within about a mile anda half of the mine, she alighted from her car-riage and walked the remaining distance : in ashort time the painful scence of wretchednesspresented itself, and on approaching nearer shebeheld several houses having their doors openand filled with mourners but just returnedfrom following some poor sufferer to thegrave. They appeared neatly clad in thesable tributaries of death, and were sittingaround their tables silently cherishing the an-guish of their hearts. Being at a loss to findthe mine, she anxiously sought some habita-tion which misery had not altogether occupied,