(Catalogue ref: HO 87/53)
The list shows that there have only been two deaths caused by explosions
at mines at Washington, in the county of Durham and at Killington
in Northumberland.
I suggest that improving the ventilation in the mine would stop
the explosions caused by the build up of gases. At the Washington
mine, there are clear signs of bad management because workers were
still allowed to use candles until the explosion took place.
At the Killington mine, poor ventilation resulted in a few small
fires. Therefore, the managers insisted on the use of safety lamps
instead of candles. Here, the explosion resulted from miners not
sticking to the rules.
In both mines it would be possible to double the amount of ventilation.
The air shafts could be improved. Both mines were capable of producing
a ventilating current of nearly 30,000 cubic feet per minute.
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