Miners' Safety Lamps: Keeping Out the (Fire)Damp

[@jrmaxwell4504]

Mine safety lamps similar to this one were still in use in Pennsylvania coal mines in the 1970s. My fading memory is the shift foreman carried one. They had electronic gas monitors too, but the lamp was still required because the electronics weren't yet trusted. The glass cylinder around the flame had 3 lines inscribed around the circumference. At the start of the shift, the flame was adjusted to the center ring. If the flame reached the upper ring, the assumption was there was methane and we shut down. If the flame reached the lower ring, the assumption was there wasn't enough oxygen and again, we shut down. Of course there was some "eyeball calibration" applied to decide if it was really that bad. Good times.

[@niagarawarrior9623]

i just wanted to take a moment to say, i absolutely love your channel your content is exactly what ive been looking for! you explain everything really well, and include historical context around the inventions. i really appreciate you going the extra mile by explaining in depth the various types of 'damp' too. I found your channel two days ago and i see i have a LOT of videos to catch up on! keep up the great work!

[@davidholder3207]

My father worked on the coal face of a North Somerset mine. I remember the Davy safety lamp and the fact it had a locking mechanism on the base requiring a strong magnet to release metal pins allowing it to be opened and refueled with paraffin.

[@richiehoyt8487]

Thank you - Messier kind of skipped over what the actual _fuel_ was!

[@davidcolter]

They are not fuelled by paraffin, but on a much more volatile coal distillate that is basically today's Zippo lighter fluid or Coleman camp fuel. Paraffin residues will gum it all up and also cannot be relit by the flint mechanism inside the lamp (not all lamps had this).

[@richiehoyt8487]

@@davidcolter Ah, I see... 👍 Cheers.

[@MervynPartin]

I'm glad that you mentioned George Stephenson's contribution. Most mainstream publications tend to ignore him in favour of Humphrey Davy, as a result of the bias towards London (being the centre of the Universe as the scientific establishment seems to think)

[@Matt_The_Hugenot]

Curious coincidence both of them were born and grew up the same distance from London, 277 miles.

[@alfretwell428]

Fantastic video good to hear the political infighting that is often associated with such innovations. I worked for many years for the Coal Board in the UK. Safety lamps were used and In fact were required by law to be carried down the mine. My uncles job was in the ‘lamp cabin’ he was responsible for cleaning inspecting and issuing lamps to miners going down the pit. The lamps had a magnetic locking mechanism so they could not be opened other than by the guys in the lamp cabin. The lamp when given to the miners was lit the standard lamp could not be relit other than when it was opened in the lamp cabin. A second type lamp was issued to senior staff ‘Overmen’ this had a striker mechanism allowing it to be relit!

[@TonyM540]

I have one with the magnet, it’s full of safety features. Imagine when they went down the mines with the carbide head torch !

[@51WCDodge]

Saftey lamps wer ealso used in many other confined space applications. Sewers, utilty trunks. I have a small Wolf Saftey lamp (Wm Maurice ) Ltd Sheffeild.

[@Rob-e8w]

Have a look at Graces Guide - the online register of British engineering, where you will find a short biography of William Maurice.@@51WCDodge

[@TheChipmunk2008]

Interesting point, The british GPO (Telephones dept) used these (into the 50s I believe) to detect coal or natural gas seeping into their underground duct work. When lead cables still needed jointing by a plumbing process, that was of course EXTREMELY dangerous

[@51WCDodge]

A Wolf Saftey Lamp (Wm Maurice) ltd Sheffeild by any chance? 😁 Got one! found it on a boot sale stand.

[@jp-um2fr]

England. Funny old world init. It takes a Canadian to inform me about an item that made my country the leaders in the industrial revolution. Well done that man, have a knighthood or three.

[@richmiller9844]

Hilarious that an average American invented it also!😂

[@DK-jt6be]

As many others, I love these videos and the way you present them. Happy I found your channel, but wonder why it took so long. You should be all over youtube!

[@davidgold5961]

I bought this exact lamp in an antique shop for $10.

[@bladder1010]

Just a note about hydrogen sulfide. While it does have a distinctive "rotten egg" smell at lower concentrations, you can no longer smell it above 100 ppm, which makes it particularly dangerous. Generally, anywhere from 500-1000 ppm is instantly fatal.

[@norlockv]

Coal mining trivia: Illinois was the first state to forbid anything but a Davies lamp as a mining lantern. It’s the only one have done that, since the others resisted until the battery lamps became less costly.

[@aftbit]

There is really no difference between "trail and error" and "proper scientific methods".

[@scrambledmandible]

The difference between science and fucking around is writing it down

[@JimTheZombieHunter]

@2:20 .. CO2 asphyxiation is not asymptomatic, It's likely terrifying, triggering both gasp and panic reflexes. Like holding one's breath under water for too long. I think you're mistakenly referring to CO (carbon monoxide). Indeed the autonomic gasp response is not due to a lack of oxygen, but the build up of CO2. Other gasses, from noble to (Say) SF6 (Sulfur hexafluoride).. well . there was no reason to evolve around exposure .. so you just go to sleep. Forever.

[@behindthespotlight7983]

British Author Ken Follet (Pillars of the Earth, Eye of the Needle, Lion on the Desert) wrote an excellent historical fiction about coal miners in England. It’s rich with many of these details. Regrettably I cannot recall the title as I read it 20-25 years ago. When we examine blue collar working man’s jobs in the 19th and pre-WW2 20th Centuries there’s no shortage of extremely dangerous jobs. But descending into the pitch black earth with an open flame on my head rates near the top (beneath only Mohican Wind Walkers and sailors tying main sails 140 feet off the deck standing on hemp rope in bare feet.

[@stevebailey325]

I'll say it again, I have no idea why ypu don't have 100k+ subs. Great channel!!

[@rdhunkins]

How interesting! I've got one of these lamps. It's got a label saying "Weems & Plath Yacht Lamp Annapolis Maryland" and a serial number. I had no idea it was a miner's safety lamp until I saw this video. I use it during power outages. The only complaint I have with it is that the hook at the top gets so hot you can't carry it around without protecton on your hand. Thanks for the interestng video!

[@markfisher7962]

Yes, Weems and Plath needs to explain the reasoning behind the design. As designers of yachting instruments, few of their customers have coal mining experience.

[@RegularGuy-j4l]

Your Weems & Plath is using the same reasoning as the miner's lamp. If the cabin area becomes unsafe (a galley stove emitting too much carbon monoxide, for instance) the lamp will diminish so you can safely exit the space and ventilate it.

[@rdhunkins]

@@RegularGuy-j4l I read in a Patrick O'Brian novel the following passage that gives a feel for those kinds of conditions: "Forward of the bitt-pins stretched a curving, triangular space, whitened, barred with iron across its after end, and lit with three dim lanterns. Underfoot lay a mass of straw, floating a foot deep in bilge and liquid filth that heaved with the heaving of the ship, and all about it lay men in the various attitudes of extreme prostration; some few squatted against the step of the foremast; many were still uttering the hoarse sounds of seasickness; all were beyond caring where they lay or crouched; and all were wearing irons. The stench was appalling, and the air so foul that when Jack lowered his lantern the flame guttered, burning faint and blue." - Desolation Island, Chapter 3

[@chinablue1699]

There is still one improvement in the lamp although not a safety measure but insanely benificial to the operator of said lamp and that is the current usage of glass wicks that never burn out and never need to be replaced. All the oil lamps I have do have glass wicks and I strongly advise anyone who likes oil lamps to ditch the one time use cotton wicks for perminant glass ones.

[@chistinelane]

Wow! Thanks for that tip!

[@jasonwhite2028]

Neat i was unaware glass wicks even existed, sounds interesting to look into thanks for the infl

[@markfisher7962]

I tried one of these in the 1960's. I had NO IDEA of why it was designed that way. Thinking that the chimney was to improve the light somehow, I was very disappointed in the feeble flame. I wish I'd known of its history then.

[@hoopoo3721]

32 years ago the bar in front of my house in Pennsylvania, now gone 10 years ago had a rod for miners to hang there safety lamps on after work. Safety lamps and carbide lamps were past down from father to son or keep in the family.

[@agranero6]

12:58 DO miners really used ties or some of those were dressed this way because of the picture?

[@loucololosse]

Gilles Messier? Are you french canadian?

[@Matt_The_Hugenot]

There wasn't a class conflict between Davy and Stephenson, Davy himself was the son of a woodcarver in a 'town' with a population of about 2000 people. The only advantage Davy had was that he showed early promise and his godfather paid for him to attend the local school whereas Stephenson had to wait until he was in his teens to get an education. A curious fact is that both were born 277 miles from London.

[@mungomunro1]

Ha ha. Yeah, that is curious, and I didn't know that. It was worth reading all the other comments just for that alone. Nice one!

[@ronchappel4812]

No matter how much the science makes sense,i still struggle to believe some basic mesh can stop flame😅

[@denisewildfortune4058]

Brilliant episode! I love gadgets and it appears I've come to the right place. Smiling broadly!

[@zeldazackman]

I love these videos, it's always interesting to see something that folks of yester-year used and in ingenious ways to solve issues using what they had at the time.

[@maxpayne2574]

People need to be aware the work force in those days included allot of young boys and girls.

[@SpinStar1956]

We wanted to see it work!!! 😢

[@ritaloy8338]

Another thing that should have been brought up is the fuel used in the mine safety lamp. The fuel used would be used to determine if there was enough oxygen in the mine. Benzene was used as the flame would out at an oxygen level that is still survival for the miners.

[@darrensmith6999]

Great Video Thank you. After Damp sounds like a perfume! (:

[@hi-tech-guy-1823]

The safety lamps also micro exploded (and Contained the micro Explosion within ) If Enough Gas Made it into the lamp and no one watching it Giving a Audio warning You hear them POP Also Small birds Were Still used beside the lamp for Extra sensitise to Carbon Monoxide (CO) + Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S)

[@jasonwhite2028]

This is why this is such a great channel, i learn so much about history, technology, science and so much more from a video about some item i have never seen before. The punch card video was particularly mind blowing and rabbit hole opening for me (was basically completely unaware of analog computing technology that was once the peak of efficiency for industry, truly incredible stuff) but every video is absolutely wonderful and so full of knowledge.

[@Perktube1]

I wonder if calcium carbide could have been incorporated into this lamp.

[@nat7278]

How cool! I don’t think I have even heard of these, although it makes perfect sense why they would be developed. A couple thing that would have made this even more compelling is to describe how the lamps work in in comparison to the carbide lamps everyone probably knows about. Where the safety lamps fueled with lamp oil?

[@davidlewis5281]

Excellent summary of the development of the safety lamp.

[@TheCaptnHammer]

I have two of the brass mining lanterns in excellent shape. I use them when camping and for emergencies. They are awesome!

[@TonyM540]

Excellent video and history, thanks for sharing.

[@numismatric]

Spark up the lamp mate... ¿?

[@wascalywabbit]

Speaking of metal mesh, how come nobody ever made a metal mesh mantel to go into like an aladdin lamp

[@stevecastro1325]

Thanks for bringing light to this topic!

[@easaspace]

I would love it if you would include more info on practical use of the lamp. Like demonstrate how much light it gives of, and maybe show whAt happens when gas is introduced as well. How to light it, how to refuel etc. And also some info on actually burntime etc. Love your videos. Keep up the good work.

[@coalhearted4823]

Modern lamps, not in use since the 1990s, had markings on the glass, there was more than one globe, when in the presence of methane, the flame would grow up to and over the top mark, if the O2 level dropped below safe levels, the flame would shrink below the mark for normal use, they had an ignitor similar to a cigarette lighter, this from a twenty year coal miner in the U.S.

[@Milkmans_Son]

About the same amount as a cigarette lighter. They are a metering tool, not a light source.

[@SkyCharter]

Great info. Thanks.

[@MazulRazul]

Does anyone have aprice for thes

[@vinquinn]

These are also used to safely carry a flame on an airplane. For instance carrying the Olympic flame from place to place or the Holy flame from Jerusalem at Easter.

[@ToTa-mh6re]

I live in Australia and I ordered almost a dozen of miner' s lamps ( protector's) on UK eBay only a few got through the UK custom the rest were intercepted claimed "potential restricted item"!

[@christopherchisholm564]

The videos are fantastic. I'm mechanically inclined and to find out how devices from the past worked is really the icing on the cake for understanding who made them.

[@binarydinosaurs]

Interesting stuff. Not only did I spend the first 30 years of my life just a hop, skip and jump from the mine featured at the beginning of this (Felling) but everything I learned at school about the Davy Lamp was largely wrong. Yay. I can still remember my drawings of a 'davy lamp' being just like the one you have in the video.

[@jacquesdubord6844]

You bring very interesting subjects and describe them clearly. Thanks

[@rogerbarnstead7194]

what was it fueled with?

[@AIM54A]

Lamp oil or Kerosene

[@thomaswilliams2273]

I would have guessed kerosene/paraffin, but other commenters have said benzene or white gas or cigarette lighter fluid.

[@Dilbert-o5k]

John Davis of Derby England, made a lot of those mining lamps for the UK market. They moved onto producing other instrumentation and controls for hazardous stmospheres, such as mines and refineries. They ate still in business today despite the downturn in UK coal mining. They also produced the hydrogen detector in your video about balloons.

[@dwmac2010]

Thank you for this video. My grandfather was a miner in Western Pennsylvania and survived a coal mine explosion around 1930. I've always been interested in this kind of content to get an understanding of his life's work underground.

[@Kemulnitestryker]

In the late 70's and into the early 80's the US Navy used something similar called a Flame Safety Lamp.

[@alastairchestnutt6416]

Fabulous talk. I though I knew a little about the Miners safety lamp but this was an excellent presentation. Thanks.

[@BinManSays87]

Technically I live in the northest of the south of England but I ain't never seen one of them shonky mesh lamps, I worked on a quarry for 8 years too and there used to be lots of cole mines around here as Sheffield is the next town memorial day always shows off our local heritage #whiterose

[@cogentdynamics]

I truly enjoy your videos, enlightening and entertaining. Thank you.

[@jas20per]

Just another version of the lamp is one with two wicks giving a larger light output though not Very common mostly issued to rescue miners in the event of an explosion or other fatality events. A number of these of these lamps where also used in the men transport lift cages. The one I have come from Trentham Colliery before it was shut down.

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

@CanadianMacGyver >>> Great video...👍

[@assassinlexx1993]

Where is the fine copper screen? To control the amount of air getting to the flame. It waste flaring of the flame that identify the present of coal gas.

[@51WCDodge]

Point of intrest: The pillars from the base to the top of the glass. Always an odd number. If it was an even number , then anything across the bars could hit the glass and crack or breack it.

[@davidcolter]

I'm not seeing why that would be. If five pillars were sufficient to protect the glass, then six pillars would also protect it although four would not.

[@andycap6786]

Maybe five pillars would be the minimum number (and therefore cheaper than six) to protect the glass?@@davidcolter

[@melody3741]

Holy shit. My literal first idea was a water trap.

[@jonathanmarsh5955]

Thanks for this! My paternal Grandfather was an Electrical Engineer (Mining), mainly in the Cynon Valley which is part of the 'Heads of the Valleys'/Pen Cymoedd area of South Wales. It is 'next door' to the more famous Rhondda but actually has a longer history of both drift and deep mining. Bit of background history: The presence of Iron Ore as well as coal at Hirwaun, in addition to the fast moving rivers - one is literally called 'lightning' or 'Mellte' in Welsh! - coming down off the Bannau Brycheiniog/Brecon Beacons nearby encouraging early major industrial development, as well as the not unknown (!) concomitant industrial/class conflicts, eg the Merthyr (mainly in Hirwaun!) Rising of 1831 and the Chartists fighting the regular Army in Newport in 1839 to name but two, that affected so many. In fact, my Grandfather left Aberdare Boys Intermediate School (later the Aberdare Boys Grammar where my Dad went!) to begin his career just in the run-up to the Colliers' Strike that expanded into the General Strike in May 1926. His last pit was Tower Colliery, now a Zip-line attraction!, in Rhigos and Hirwaun, and I can remember going into the Lamp Room there with him not long before he retired in the late 1960s. I have inherited his very battered and pitted safety lamp, made by - who else?! - E.Thomas and Williams Ltd of Aberdare, and am very pleased and proud to have it. The Brass Carbide Lamp that also used to reside in my grandparents house has disappeared somewhere over the years. And not because of the rigorous polishing it got off my Grandmother(MamGu), either!😂❤

[@flybobbie1449]

I think these were still used up to recent times. There are modern pictures with miners with these lamps.

[@CharlesWiiliamson]

Well done. I really enjoyed the video.

[@dougwalker4944]

what is the opening music? i know i've heard it before.

[@krax]

Mussorgsky - Pictures at an Exhibition

[@TrapperAaron]

U can hate on all the British people u want, I'll join u, BUT leave The angel of chemistry out of this! We love u Davy!

[@kidmohair8151]

Davy was a snob of the first order, even though he, himself was the son of a woodcarver. (dare I say humble woodcarver. doesn't matter. I did.) he also *seems* to have been a progenitor of the Edison method of invention in his later life. get someone else to do the work, refine it a little, and then take the credit.

[@Tadesan]

You pronounce capillary improperly.