NOVELTY - The system includes a continuous miner (44) having a motor (M) driven rotary cutter head attached to a frame, and a sensor (72) adapted to detect an atmospheric condition mounted to the continuous miner. Two power lines supply power to the motor and sensor respectively. A controller (53) is connected to the motor and first power line for controlling operation of the cutter head at a remote location. A display (90) is coupled to the sensor for detecting the atmospheric condition at a location remote from the sensor.    USE - For use in an underground mine where the continuous miner is positioned in a portion of the mine having an unsupported roof, for use in wing mining and high wall mining applications. E.g. for measuring the presence of methane gas near a mine face during continuous mining operations.    ADVANTAGE - Safely measures gas levels near a mine face without interrupting mining by a continuous miner.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - Preferred Features: The sensor is mounted to a boom to which the cutter is rotatably mounted, the boom being mounted to a frame. The continuous miner includes a minor conveyor in fluid communication with the cutter head for moving along a mine floor. A tramming conveyor (46) made from a number of separately driven sections in communication with the miner conveyor, is coupled to the controller for controlling movement of the tramming conveyor along the mine floor. The sensor intermittently or continuously detects for methane. An exhaust fan is provided on the continuous miner and an air flow sensor (74) is attached to the miner for measuring the exhaust velocity of air. Oxygen and carbon dioxide sensors (76,78) are attached to the continuous miner, all the sensors being coupled to the monitor.    INDEPENDENT CLAIMS are included for: (i) a mining system including the atmospheric detection system; and (ii) a method for detecting an atmosphere near a face of an underground mine during operation of a continuous miner in an unsupported portion of a mining roof involving forcing the rotary cutter into the mine face and extracting mined product, measuring the atmospheric condition near he mine face in the unsupported roof portion of the mine and detecting the measured condition from a remote location in a supported roof portion of the mine or outside of the mine.    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The drawing shows a schematic diagram of the atmospheric detection system for a continuous miner.    tramming conveyor (46)    operator station (48)