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COAL-MINING AT HOME.
The Water Cartridge.
A sErI8s of. experiments have been
made with the improved water ear-.
tridge 'invented by.Mar. Miles Settle in
some of the most fiery mines in the
North Staffordshire 'district. In this
eartridge the charge is said to be com.
pletely surrounded by water, and it is
claimed that the flime is extinguished
immediately after the charge is fired.
The experiments were thoroughly
successful, the shots bringing down the
coal, while not the slightest indication
of flame followed the explosion. Ii the
course of the operations a "blown-out"
shot occurred, an incident which in
such. a mine, and with an ordinary
cartridge, would in all probability have
caused a most destmuctive explosion;
but with the water cartridge theze wat
no appearance of fl~me on the " blow.
ing c u," of the charge. The conclud
ing cxperimenus were the firing of a
water cartridge and of an ordinary
pow~er ca' tridge in bags of coal dust on
the pit bank. Wih the explosion of
the wa'er cartridge the dust was dis
persrd in a cloud, mixed with steam;
while the powder cartridge fired the
dust, which arose in a sheet of flame,
and disappeared in smoke.
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