251

Sr. Iohn Louther conceiud there was a difference between this
and other subterraneall vapours in colemines because these flasht
like lightning whereas those of the ditch continued burning
Sr. Io: Hoskins mentiond that there was a sort of earth
neer Grenoble which being scraped & straw couerd wth it would
fire the straw. Dr. Allen added that there was also at the same
place such another burning fountaine -
Sr. Iohn Lowther mentiond a fire in the new castle
pitts, that in the space of 40 years had burnt vnderground
about a mile in Length and a quarter of a mile in
Bredth -
The same related the manner of working in cole pitts
soe as to support the earth ouer head was which was tha^/t/
they placed wooden props on each side in a row as they
proceeded, bu And that often times they would take vp one as
soon as they had planted another Leauing the co mine only
of such a bredth as they had found by Experience would
susteine the earth ouer head wthout falling in, and that
for the better keeping vp of the earth ouerhead they
usually Left about half a yard's thicknesse of the cole
vntoucht. the Bredth of the space they could thus trust
wth.out wooden props in the newcastle cole was not more
then 3 yards or 9 feet, but the Scotch cole being a stronger
and greater cole will support at 7 yards width. And those
places also proued supported only vpon small Pillers of 1 1/2 foot
square of the same sor cole.

He further noted that newcastle cole will decay and Dissolue
wth. the air & raine and loose much of its strength in
Burning.
He was of opinion that It were much for the interest
of the newcastle men if they would all joyne together &
and work only one mine at a time for that it would
be sufficient to serue all england, and that the same -
charge would serue for Dreyning that mine which was to
serue all /. . ./ as it doth now . that is now expended vpon the sa
same now it serueth but a sixth part

mr Henshaw obserued that perles were calld vniones from their
likenesse [to an] onion and that was calld vnio from the single growing

Ref: CELL/RS/HF_253  © Centre for Editing Lives and Letters