Hazardous Gallery

19th-century coal mining

19th-century coal mining. Historical artwork of a coal mine worker igniting methane gas in a coal mine. This gas (also called fire-damp) is formed naturally by coal, and accumulated in the tunnels during a day's work. Every night, a worker called the penitent would ignite the gas using a lighted candle on the end of a long pole. He was called a penitent because he looked like a monk doing penance as he crawled along the ground wrapped in protective clothing with a hood and mask. Crawling allowed him to breathe the air under the methane. The penitent was in great danger of being killed by the explosions he ignited. Artwork published in Mines and Miners (L. Simonin, 1868)

© SHEILA TERRY/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

A look at the front end of a Bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas), Bequ Lagoon, Viti Levu, Fiji. This species is known for it's ability to survive in fresh water where it gives birth to its young; Viti Levu, Fiji

© Dave Fleetham / Design Pics

Abundance, Action, Aggression, Aggressive, Animal, Animal Behavior, Animal Behaviour, Animal Photography, Animal Theme, Animal Themes, Animals, Animals In The Wild, Apex, Attraction, Attractions, Beast, Beqa, Bequ Lagoon, Blue, Blue Water, Bull Shark, Bull Sharks, Bullsharks, Carcharhinus, Carcharhinus Leucas, Cartilaginous, Chondrichthyes, Color, Color Image, Colorful, Colors, Colour, Colour Image, Colourful, Colours, Coral, Danger, Dangerous, Deadly, Destination, Destinations, Elasmobranchii, Endangered, Eye Contact, Fauna, Fiji, Fish, Fish Photography, Full Length, Group Of Animals, Harbor, Harbour, Hazardous, Holiday Destination, Holiday Destinations, Horizontal, Hunter, Lagoon, Lamnidae, Large Group Of Animals, Leucas, Levu, Looking At The Camera, Marine Life, Melanesia, Menacing, Motion, Movement, No One, No People, Ocean, Pacific, Pacific Ocean, Place Of Interest, Places Of Interest, Predator, Predators, Predatory, Reef, Reef Scene, Reefs, Requiem Shark, Requiem Sharks, School Of Fish, Schooling, Sea, Sea Life, Shark, Sharks, Surrounded, Teeth, Tourism, Tourist Attraction, Tourist Attractions, Tourist Destination, Tourist Destinations, Travel, Travel Destination, Travel Destinations, Tropical, Tropical Climate, Tropics, Underwater, Underwater Photography, Viti Levu, Vulnerable, Water, Wild Animal, Wild Animals, Wildlife, Wildlife Photography, Without People, Zambezi, Zambi

Fight with Walrus, 1876 (engraving)

939918 Fight with Walrus, 1876 (engraving) by Austrian School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Julius Johannes Ludovicus Ritter von Payer (1841 A- 1915); participated in 2nd German North Polar Expedition on board Germania 1869-70; in 1871 he joined Karl Weyprecht on the Austro Hungarian expedition to Novaya Zemlya and then from 1874-74 he les the Austro-Hungarian North Pole Expedition; Payer was shore Commander and Weyprecht was Commander at Sea: Franz Joseph Land was discovered on this voyage;); The Stapleton Collection; Austrian, out of copyright

© The Stapleton Collection / Bridgeman Images