A proposal for destroying the fire and choak-damps of coal-mines : and their production explained on the principles of modern chemistry addressed to the owners and agents of coal-works, &c / by Thomas Trotter.

  • Trotter, Thomas, 1760-1832.
Date:
1805
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A proposal for destroying the fire and choak-damps of coal-mines : and their production explained on the principles of modern chemistry addressed to the owners and agents of coal-works, &c / by Thomas Trotter. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    ftronger attraction for oxygen, than oxygen has for hydrogen; they therefore caufe a fepa- ration of them, which is the decompofition of moiflure. Water is preferved fluid by caloric, or the matter of heat with which it is com- bined, and when this heat is given out it freezes. Water in a pure ftate, as when it is diftilled, if put into glafs veflels, or others not capable of aCting on it, and clofed by hoppers, or her- metically sealed, would remain fvveet as long as the veflels lafted. In this manner it was fhown by a profefior to his pupils, after being kept 50 years. But if you put water into a wooden veflel or calk, particularly a new one, it foon fpoils, and yields fire-damp, which gives it a difagreeable tafte, and the fmell of rotten eggs. The new chemiftry fuggefled to me, in the fummer of 1792, that cafks might be fealoned, fo as to keep water fweet for long voyages; and, after many trials, I found that