But the most instantaneous and catastrophic loss of life was caused by explosions due to miner’s lamps igniting methane gas. 20th c. Canvas Mining Cap & Lamp Bracket Before 1850, miners would use ...

In 1815, after many miners were killed in several explosions in north-east England, Humphry Davy was asked if he could make a light for miners ... His prototype lamp is shown above.

The hook on the side of the lamp was used to put it onto a jacket, hat or piece of wood underground. It would not have provided much light to miners, but at that time, was about the only method of ...

Prior to the 1920s, miners wore a soft cap made of cloth or canvas with a leather brim and lamp bracket to hold their light. But in 1919, Edward D. Bullard of San Francisco, California developed the ...