On January 9, 1816, Humphry Davy first publicly tested his revolutionary new lamp. It was designed specifically for use in mines, where the gases escaping from bituminous coal would build up and catch fire in the presence of open flame. With fire the only option for portable light at the time, this meant that any mines that became too gaseous had to be abandoned, a costly move for coal mining operations. Davy’s lamp elegantly solved the issue, but ultimately made mining even more hazardous.
It was a basic, but largely effective design. Essentially, Davy discovered that a flame housed in a fine mesh cage would receive the air it needed to burn, but restrict the flame from catching a larger fire. When in the presence of firedamp, the collection of methane and other flammable gases present in coal mines, the flame in the Davy lamp would burn brighter and blue, but not ignite and explode. This meant it was also useful as a firedamp detector, which could help crews identify locations that required better ventilation. For his efforts, Davy received numerous accolades and awards.
In the end, things didn’t work as well as expected. Firstly, emboldened by their ability to operate in previously closed off spaces, miners began working in more hazardous areas. Additionally, the mesh screens that prevented ignition were rendered entirely ineffective with so much as one rung out of place, or even with a spot of rust. With miners now in firedamp-rich areas and using easily faulty equipment, the number of accidents actually increased following the introduction of the Davy Lamp, proof that new technology almost has unintended, and sometime disastrous, effects.