My Great Great grandad worked in the mines with this Davy lamp nearly 100 years ago in Cannock Staffordshire. He told my grandad stories about waht the conditions were like at the coal-face in Cannock mine with only his small Davy lamp to see. some of his fellow miners would use candle light if they had forgotten their lamp.This was really dangerous,as mines would offten fill with dangerous gasses.The only way they knew it was safe was to send a canary bird down first to test the air.Birds were more senstive to posinous gasses tan men and would die first.
ti is difficult for us to undestand now just how difficult it was working in the mine.The owners of the mine had little interrest in saftey and conditions and were just seeking profits.
The Davy lamp is a saftey lamp invented bu sir Humphrey Davy in 1815. It was invented to provent miners from blowing up the mine for as candel light could cause damage to the mine.It fulled with oil or meathane and is protected by the meatl gauze cylinder.
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