Page:Philosophical Transactions - Volume 004.djvu/78

 the Mine, so as to flop up the lower part of this passage, then the damp becomes discoverable, and commonly strong. I procured one to enter it, till his Lamp wear out 4. or 5 times, in the same manner as at Grotto del Cane in July.

Damps are not all of the same force, but some weaker, some stronger; some suffocate in a small space of time, others only render the Workemen faint, with no further hurt, except they continue long in the place. The Miners (who think themselves no Workmen, if they be not able to cure a Damp, or to cure the bad Weather, or make the Weather, as they term it) performe it by perflation by letting the Aire in and out, and causing as 'twere, a Circulation of it. In the Mine at Herrn-groundt they did cure a bad Damp by a great paire of Bellows, which were blown continually for many days. The ordinary remedy is by long Tubes, through which the Air continually passing, they are able to digg streight on for a long way without impediment in breathing. For some Cuniculi are 500. fathoms long; which will not seeme strange to any one that shall see the Mapp of the Copper-mine at Herrn-groundt or the Gold-mine at Chremnitz. And in the Silver-Trinity-mine by Schemnitz, I pass'd quite under a great Hill, and came out on the other side. At Windschach-mine by Schemnitz they show'd me the place. where 5. men and a Gentleman of quality were lost, for which reason they have now plac'd a Tube there. The like they place overall doores, and over all ways, where they digg right on for a great space, and have no passage through. At Chremnitz they told me, that 28. men had been killed at one time in 4. Cuniculi, 7. in each; and in the sinking of Leopold's-pitt, which is 150. fathoms deep, they were much troubled with damps, which they remedied in this manner.

They fixed a Tube to the side of the Schacht or Pitt, from the top to the bottom, and that not prouing sufficient, they forc'd down a broad flat board, which cover'd or stopp'd the Pitt or couched very near the sides of it, on all sides but where the Tube was; and so forc'd out all the Air in the pitt through, the Tube; which work they were forc'd often to repeat. And now they having divers other passages into it, the Air is good and sufficient; and I was drawn up through it without the least trouble in breathing. Rh