Yet while the circulation of fresh air is thus advanced to the last-made thirling next the foreheads f, h, and m, [fig. 860.], and moves through the thirling which is nearest to the face of every board and room, the emission of fire-damp is frequently so abundant from the coaly strata, that the miners dare not proceed forwards more than a few feet from that aerial circulation, without hazard of being burned by the combustion of the gas at their candles. To guard against this accident, temporary shifting brattices are employed. These are formed of deal, about 3⁄4 of an inch thick, 3 or 4 feet broad, and 10 feet long; and are furnished with cross-bars for binding the deals together, and a few finger loops cut through them, for lifting them more expeditiously, in order to place them in a proper position. Where inflammable air abounds, a store of such brattice deals should be kept ready for emergencies.
The mode of applying these temporary brattices, or deal partitions, is shown in the accompanying figure ([fig. 861.]), which shows how the air circulates freely through the thirling d, d before the brattices are placed. At b and c, we see two heading boards or rooms, which are so full of inflammable air as to be unworkable. Props are now erected near the upper end of the pillar e, betwixt the roof and pavement, about two feet clear of the sides of the next pillar, leaving room for the miner to pass along between the pillar side and the brattice. The brattices are then fastened with nails to the props, the lower edge of the under brattice resting on the pavement, while the upper edge of the upper is in contact with the roof. By this means any variation of the height in the bed of coal is compensated by the overlap of the brattice boards; and as these are advanced, shifting brattices are laid close to, and alongside of, the first set. The miner next sets up additional props in the same parallel line with the former, and slides the brattices forwards, to make the air circulate close to the forehead where he is working; and he regulates the distance betwixt the brattice and the forehead by the disengagement of fire-damp and the velocity of the aerial circulation. The props are shown at d d, and the brattices at f, f. By this arrangement the air is prevented from passing directly through the thirling a, and is forced along the right-hand side of the brattice, and, sweeping over the wall face or forehead, returns by the back of the brattice, and passes through the thirling a. It is prevented, however, from returning in its former direction by the brattice planted in the forehead c, whereby it mounts up and accomplishes its return close to that forehead. Thus headways and boards are ventilated till another thirling is made at the upper part of the pillar. The thirling a is then closed by a brick stopping, and the brattice boards removed forward for a similar operation.
When blowers occur in the roof, and force the strata down, so as to produce a large vaulted excavation, the accumulated gas must be swept away; because, after filling that space, it would descend in an unmixed state under the common roof of the coal. The manner of removing it is represented in [fig. 862.], where a is the bed of coal, b the blower, c the excavation left by the downfall of the roof, d is a passing door, and e a brattice. By this arrangement the aerial current is carried close to the roof, and constantly sweeps off or dilutes the inflammable gas of the blower, as fast as it issues. The arrows show the direction of the current; but for which, the accumulating gas would be mixed in explosive proportions with the atmospheric air, and destroy the miners.
