DURHAM AND NORTHUMBERLAND. 191

CHAPTER XVII.

Experiments of Sir H. Davy on the Inflam-mable Air of Mines.—^His Lamp. — Obser-vations thereon, and on a Paper in theEdinburgh Review.

Sir HUMPHRY DAVY being on a visit

to the North of England was invited by theRev. Dr. Gray, of Bishop-Wearmouth, anactive member of the society before-mentioned,to visit the collieries, and endeavour to discoversome preventive against the accidents whichoccurred in them. He did not, however, de-scend the mines, but made several experimentsfrom the information communicated to him bygentlemen practically employed.

These experiments were not satisfactory;but Sir Humphry Davy was determined toattain some certain and conclusive point. Forthis purpose he had considerable quantities of gasforwarded to London, in order on his return toproceed in his experiments; and though manyof the results contained in his paper to theRoyal Society have been long known amongst5