DURHAM AND NORTHUMBERLAND. 1 65

that Gentleman, in speaking of ventilation bymeans of a furnace on the edge of one shaft,whereby to attract a current of air through theworkings proportionate to the heat of the fire,•very properly infers a supply of cool airthrough the mine by means of another shaft.But how shall we find an apology for thoseowners who, in the parsimonious arrange-ments of their works, never sink a secondshaft, but depend upon a collateral division ofone into separate partitions, by boards orbrattices placed vertically down them, andwhich have in many instances proved fatallyabortive : unfortunately we are not without avery recent case in the Sheriff Hill Colliery.*It would strike to the root of all argumentif plans were to be advocated which must failin their execution through the enormity ofexpense. But when this is not the case, onthe contrary when the remedy is easy andsimply applicable, no consideration can justifythe owners in not either adopting them them-selves, or otherwise, as it is a subject ofnational importance, assisting to establish somepermanent and answerable means of manage-ment and official examination.

* See page 103.