Star. — London, England, 1819-07-31 00:00:00

~' :' ~~ ~~ Iv - - , DREADFUL ACCIDENT AT THE SHERIFF HILL COLLIERY. FURTHER INTERESTING PARTICULARS. NEWCASTLE, JULY 24.—0 n Monday evening last, a terrible accident occurred at Sheriff Hill Colliery, near Gates-head. After the hewers had left-work, an explosion of fire-damp took place, which unfor tunately proved fatal to every person (to the number of 35, two men and 33 boys) who happened to be in that part of the mine. This event occurred only half an hour before the pit was to have finished its day's work, otherwise the loss of lives would, in all probability, have been more extensive. The follow ing is the substance of the information on this sub ject, as stated in the depositions of those examined before Adam Askew, Esq. one of his Majesty's Jus tices of the Peace for the county of Durham, who at tended in consequence of the office of Coroner for Chester Ward being at this time vacant :—The King pit, 'wherein this most lamentable event took place, has always been subject to a considerable discharge of inflammable air from the coal in the face of the workings, which rendered it necessary at all times to have a powerful and well-regulated ventilation; this had been found fully adequate to its object in keep ing the pit in a safe working state ; but, at the same time, it could not be withdrawn from the smallest branches of the workings, without their speedily be coming charged with inflammable air. On this account all the galleries of the mine were bratticed so as to dash a powerful current of atmospherical air against the face of the coal in their extremities, for the purpose of di luting the inflammable air as it issued from the fis sures of the coal. This was the more necessary, for, as it was requisite that the workmen should blast the coal with gunpowder, the use of the Davy lamp was rendered unavailable. That division of the workings iu which this accident happened was of limited extent, as it only contained 17 boards or working galleries ; and the ventilation was so arranged, that two sheth• 'doors, which, for the sake of making them as complete as possible, were constructed and fitted up in. the same manner as main or frame doors, had the effect of ventilating twelve out of the seventeen boards. Two hours previous to the accident, it is ascertained that the pit was in a safe working state, and was then under the care of Mr. John Isley, the back overman. At eleven o'clock in the forenoon, when Mr. Patten, the chief overman, was relieved by Mr. Isley, he declares that he never saw the workings in a safer state, nor ever left them with greater salisfaction— The catastrophe which occurred was therefore totally unexpected, and every person w:io knew the state of the workings, was at a loss to account for it. Mr. Appleby, the viewer, with all the over-men, waste-1 men, &c. flew to the spot the moment they heard of the accident ; and en gaining access to that division of the workings where it happened, they found the two sheth doors before mentioned removed from their place, but did not observe any traces of the boys whose duty it was to keep them. In the course of their search for the sufferers, they found the bodies of these boys at a distance of 210 yards from their doors, in a situation where it was not possible they could have been carried by the force of the explosion. And, as on examining the workings, nothing could be discovered to lead to the supposition that any sud den and overpowering discharge of inflammable air had taken place, the only way in which the cause of this accident can be accounted for, is, that the boys had left their doors open, by which the current of air had been withdrawn for such a length of time from the first twelve boards of the district in question, as to al low them to be charged with inflammable air to the firing point. This opinion is in a great measure con firmed from the circumstance of the body of John I,Ny, the overman, being found uninjured by the fire, in die fifteenth board, which is beyond the point where the derangement of die ventillation arising from the neglect of the two sheth doors, extended ; and if he had been engaged there for some length of time, which is most probable, he could not be at all con scious that any thing was wrong. A further confir mation of this opinion is, that the greatest force of the fire had evidently been in the boards, the ventilation of which depended on those two doors. Upwards of 20 men and boys were in other parts of the mine when the accident happened, but fortunately escaped, a few only being slightly injured by the concussion and after damp. Thursday evening one of the Paddington stages, endeavouring to overtake another which was running along . the New Road, drove furiously against it, 'and, singular to relate, not only overturned the coach, .., , dbut also a brewer's dray, which was on the Other side of it. The coach overturned was completely de stroyed, and one of the horses belonging to it was killed on the spot : we are sorry to add, that an out side passenger had an arm broken, that two ethers svere severely bruised and wounded, and that the un fortunate dray man had his leg and knee dreadfully shattered. Yesterday morning, Mr. MARTIN, M. P. for the county of Galway, attended at Hatton-Garden Police Office, and stated that as he was riding along the liew-road on a very spirited Persian poney, of which the PRINCE REGENT had made a present to him, fol lowed by his gr oom, two stage coaches drove along at a most furious rate, racing against each other.— On their arrival near him, he was caught between both coaches, and in fact he and his groom were nearly killed. He wished to know how the driver might be brought to justice for the public safety.— Mr. DYER, the Magistrate, told him, that the Act of! Parliament was inefficient to punish the coachmen who drove the coaches, as the parties connected with them generally acted with such cunning as to evade the ends of justice, unless the coach and coachman `were well known.—Mr. MARTIN said it was a shame ' 'fill thing that such measures should be suffered. He thought there should be.a Solicitor to each Office to • keep them in order, and he would certainly make it his business to speak to Lord SIDMOUTII on the sub ject.—Mr. DYER said, that it certainly was a subject worthy of attention, and he was happy to understand that the parish oflMary-la-Bonne were using every exertion, and had 'employed certain officers to repress dangerous practices, which he himself had the witnessing every day. the late Shropshire Agricultural Meeting, a me premium was awarded to a day labourer, ing brought up a family of thirteen children the least assistance from the parish. WHITEHAVEY, JULY 24. A very heavy rain came on here some time in the morning of Sunday, the 18th inst. which continued with little intermission the whole of the day, and in cessantly on Monday and Monday night—the whole of its duration being not less than 60 hours ; causing such an inundation in this part of the country as has not been known for 50 years past ; and we are sorry to add, that numerous individuals have, in its conse quence, sustained considerable damage. Vast quanti ties of hay have been swept away—the growing wheat, in several places, sanded up and wasted—the soil washed off and scattered from the ground prepared for wheat, kc.—quantities of potatoes washed up and lost—several hedges broken down and demolished — and bridges over brooks and rivulets, in various parts of the country, have either been destroyed, or other wise greatly injured. In many situations, the houses were inundated, and the inhabitants compelled to retreat for safety to their upper apartments. At Braystones, near Egremont, the house occupied by, and still in the occupation of Mr. Smeddle, was in a manner deluged for one day and two nights! In all the apartments on the ground floor, the water was generally from two to two feet and a half in height. The house is seated by the bank of the Eden, and the wood bridge, which led from the front of the man sion-house, across the river, to the very perfect re mains of the Druid's Temple, was injured so far as to render it impassable; whilst all the farm buildings which are at the rear of the main building, were so flooded as to threaten them and their contents, amongst which were several young calves, with immediate de struction. In the village of Braystones, an out-house belonging to Mr. W. Smith, of Beckermont, but te nanted by James Little, was undermined by the de luge of water which for a long time poured upon it in a torrent, supposed to have been not less than three feet above the surface of the adjoining ground, till at length one of the ga!):21 ends and the side wall connected with it tumbled down. The flood in this quarter is supposed to haVe been at the height about seven o . cl , ck. on Monday night; but the alarm created by its violent and rapid en croachments on the land, and the subsequent confu •ion it occasioned among the inhabitants, who beheld the produce of the season (the fruits of their indus try) borne away from them by the force of the un controullable element—these might well prevent any accurate observation on the height or extent of this great and unexpected overflow. Besides the occurrences in the immediate vicinity of this town (the adjoining meadows being for some time under water, and the like havoc being made amongst the hay, &c. as already noticed?, we have similar acconats of its effects from E , remont, Calder- Bridge, of on all the road to ',footle, Whitbeck, Whicnam, &c. &c. Its ravage. were severely felt on the low grounds about Cock.n-niouth, Basseathwaithe, Braithwaite, Keswick, Bridgefoo:—and, is short, throughout the whole country. The loss ahoge:her, it i, presumed, must amount to st meshing very considerable. On the waters subsitlin, , , the fields, in many places pre sented an appearance such as has seldom been seen in this pact of the kingdom, and of which it would be futile to. attempt a description. At Carlisle, the Eden overflowed all the low lands in its vicinity, and swept away considerable quantities of hay, and damaged the corn, grass, potatoes, &c. Both the utility and strength of the newly-formed bank from the Bridge to the Castle-walk were put to the test, and the result is most satisfactory. At Kendal, the rain, raised the rivers Kent and Lune to an unusual height, and many of the adjacent meadows were inundated with the floods. On Mon day morning a considerable quantity of hay passed down the Kent; two sheep, which had probably been surrounded and swept away by the flood, were also observed to float down the river. Many of the far mers in the neighbourhood had completed their hay harvest previous to the fall of rain ; and a great part of the hay which was exposed to the rain on Sunday and the two succeeding days, was stacked on Thurs day evening. Sunday, the neighbourhood of Moffat was visited with a dreadful thunder storm, and the rain accom panying it fell for a short time in such torrents, that between Dinwoodie Green and nine miles N. W. of Moffat, four bridges were carried away, and one much damaged ; in co ssequence of which the Lon don mail arrived two h - Airs later than usual at Glas gow, the bags having had to be conveyed on horse back to meet the coach from Glasgow at the next stage. Much injury has been done to the crops on the sides of the hills in that quarter, and the lime laid down on the fields for manure, has been almost completely washed away. Some individuals have experienced damage to the amount of £lOO. On Monday morning about two o'clock, at Glasgow, there were loud thunder and heavy rain. In Gal'low gate-street, notwithstanding the common sewers, the lower shops were inundated and some damage done. Tuesday se'nnight, as a fine boy, ten years old, son of Mr. Speight, of the Stannp•Office, Dublin, who resides at Chapelizod, was taking some exercise in the Phcenix Park, near the I libernian Military School, he was struck by a ball from the musket of one of a party of the military, who were firing at a target, near the Butt. It entered the left arm a little above the elbow, and being partly spent, (he was nearly half a mile from the party), was turned by the bone to the fleshy part. The child, though alone, had the pre . sence of mind to proceed immediately to the 'Military School, and apply to Surgeon M'Auley, who, with the utmost skill and promptitude, extracted the ball, and part of the shirt and coat, which it had driven ' before it. The young sufferer underwent the opera ' tion with astonishing fortitude, and is in a fair way of doing well. Friday se'nnight, GEORGE BaowsnAr., weaver, of Paisley, while bathing in the river Cart, near the Aqueduct Bridge, was drowned. Colonza's Inounses.—An Inquest was held yesterday at the Ashby Castle, Northampton-square, Clerkenwell, on the body of Mr. Peter Menton, a respectable master baker of Spencer street, in that neighbourhood, in the act of attending his business in his bakehouse about four o'clock on Tuesday morning, sud denly fell down and aspired. Verdict—Died by the visitation of Gon.—Another Inquest was held at the same time and place on the body of Mr. Samuel Hill, who for many years held a very responsible situation in the Stamp-Office, Somerset-House, when it appeared that on his return to dinner at bis usual time, on Tuesday afternoon, he complained of being unwell, sent for some medicine, and laid" down, and in a short time he was found by his wife lifeless. Verdict—Died by the visitation of Gov. such dal • pain of At th bandson 'for havii without 1 1 t ; c 4 i N' POLICE. Mattstog-Houst.—Yesterday a person of gentle manlycruelliuees st ed againstth e Chief . ch Magistr a a p t p e e ' Magistrates a s s n i c e stance and u n a d d e d r r d e ffi s he had been long contending. The object was to ob tain charity, or the means of working against star vation, which the petitioner said was rapidly pressing upon him. The applicant, who appeared to be 35 1 or 36 years old, had, by his own statement, entered his Majesty's service at a very early age, as Ensign in the 27th, or Enniskillen Regiment of the line. He had served in Egypt in every campaign, particu larly in that engagement in which Sir Ralph Aber- 1 cromby lost his life, and he obtained the rank of l Lieutenant in the field, and was pres ented b y the Grand Seignior with a gold medal, counterparts of which were conferred upon the Officers of that army as tokens of gratitude for their services. In the war that followed the Treaty of Amiens, he served in the 28th Regiment of the line in the North of Germany, where efforts were made by the British army under the orders of General Lord Cathcart, to rescue the continental dominions from the power of the enemy. Subsequently the Lieutenant was obliged, from the pressure of a domestic calamity, to dispose of his commission. A combination of unfortunate circum li stances, unforeseen and inevitable, compelled him to enter the service in a situation but little adapted to, his habits, education, or choice. He entered the 24th 1 , Regiment of Foot as a private soldier, and in that humble and laborious capacity served in the whole Peninsular, war, up to the period of the ratification, of the Treaty at Paris in 1814. In the course of the campaigns this poor wanderer served in the follow ing battles and sieges :—Vimeira and Roleia, Tala vera, Busaco, Almeida, Salamanca, Vittoria, Pyren.- nees, Echalla, Orthies, Thoulouse, Elvas, Ciudad' Rodrigo, Badajos, Burgos, Pampeluna. Upon the termination of hostilities, his regiment, which was a 2d battalion, and a mere skeleton, fiom the iigour and variety of its services, was disbanded, and he was dis charged. Thus thrown upon the world, without pen sion or remuneration of any kind for what he had done for his country, he endeavoured to obtain the precarious subsistence afforded by attending schools as an assistant. In his search lately for a situation of that kind, he had unfortunately failed, in conse quence of the great multitude of applicants who were, perhaps, as needy as and mote eligible than he was, but who could not be more zealous in attending the duties of any situation by which the means of an honest livelihood could be obtained. Under all these circumstances he had presumed to wait upon the LORD MAYOR, in the hope that, as his Lordship was Ithe friend of those who detested idleness and depen dence, some opportunity might be afforded to prove that an unfortunate soldier was actuated by an honest and manly principle.—The LORD MAYOR expressed some surprise at the great extent of those unrequited services, took peculiar interest in the poor soldier's case, and assured him that if he procured testimo nials of his conduct from those under whom he had I served, a supporting arm should not be wanting to him in the hour of adversity.—The applicant was ex tremely grateful. He was ready to procure testimo nials from Sir E. Paget, Colonel of the 28th, and' from Sir J. May, of the Royal Horse Artillery. He would embrace the most menial employment by which honest bread could be earned; was conscious of his inability, from early habits, to fill a laborious situation as well as many others ; but his assiduity should compensate for other deficiencies.—The LORD MAYOR gave him the means of present support, and re-assured his hope, lsy stating that the case should be laid before Lord Palmerston. Bow-srazzr.—Thursday afternoon, a little before five o'clock, after the examination of the numerous prisoners before Sir NATHANIEL CONANT and Mr. BRERETON, two Gentlemen arrived at the Office to see the 'prisoners who were in custody, to ascertain, if possible, if any of them were the men who at tacked them and a friend of theirs at West-End Fair. They described their friend to be still in a dangerous way, the attack upon him being most cruel and bar barous. He had been so severely wounded, and felt such exhaustion in consequence, that it was at first feared he was dead. In that state he was carried by his. fiiends to the house of a medical Gentleman in Hampstead. There he still remained, it not being thought safe to remove him in the present critical state of his health. Yesterday, the men who were examined before Mr. BIRNIE on Tuesday; were re-examined before the same Magistrate. Richard Harris and Samuel Dickenson were ad mitted to bail, they giving a satisfactory account of themselves, and respectable bail being offered for them. On Walter Ellis was - found the skirts of two good blue coats, and which no doubt had been torn off different coats, being both from the right side, and differently lined. No person who had been rob bed and ill-treated attended to identify them. Ellis was, therefore, committed for trial, on a charge of stealing the two skirts, the property of some person or persons unknown. He will be brought to the office again to give those persons who have been robbed and ill-treated at the Fair, or in the neighbourhood of it, an opportunity of seeing him. MATRIMONY !—A poor old woman was brought be fore Mr. Br RNIE, together with a very handsome floor carpet. The officers stated, that they had found her near Temple Bar on the preceding night, between ten and eleven o'clock, with the carpet in her posses sion, when she either could not, or would not, state satisfactorily how she came by it , " but," added the officer, " we have since discovered that it belongs to Mr. Coates, who is now present, together with Mrs. Coates, and your Worship will hear all about it"— Mrs. Coates immediately came forward ; she was a kind of " strapping Amazonian," of strong mascu line features, and amazing em lion point, and she told the Magistrate that the carpet was her property ; she had delivered it to Mrs. Jones (the old woman at the bar) to sell for her, and she had been a good deal inconvenienced by the officious interference of the officers.—Mr. Butrag—" Oh ! I understand all about it : Pray is Mr. Coates present ?"—" Yes, hi re I am, (said a little spare old man, at the same time coming forward to the table), and I came on purpose to ask your Worship's advice as to what I had better do with this wife of mine ?" She was, he said, a terrible wo man, and would doubtless be his ruin. She swallowed more liquor in one week than he could afford to al low her in a twelvemonth. • All the funds which he furnished for housekeeping found their way to the dram-shop, and when they were expended she d rank upon tick; and he had frequently large biii to ny V " for pure gin !" when the dratn-liop j lj x 1 .; longer trust her, it was her constant practice tt se-4 away any piece of furniture, and sell it, eve t fourth of its value, in order to procure more rre, ; , es , I to spend in drinking; and when he veitture4 te monstrate with her, she made no mom 'l6 1. 1 threw any thing at his head which came e' o ,. knives, plates, bottles, or even chairs ; nothire tare amiss to her ; and he often was ()Wiped to lea -c ais own house in consequence, and take rclege his neighbours ;in short, he was absolutely f, 4 ° of death at her hands. Mr. BtaNtE told him he heard his story before, and was really very sorr fur him ; but reminded him that he h::d taken her better for worse ! "—" Very true, Sir, (rerlie! Coates), but she has all the worse, and net a the better !' and I think it is a dreadful thing t ! : - st should have to go in fear of my life !"—" If I recti• lect right, (said Mr. DinsiE), I advised you hefore t o make some agreement with the Overseers of 1•o% parish, and place her under their care ; lteve ve t done so ?"--" Aye, Sir, I tried t!aat ; !Le di:. cansolate husband), but it would'nt do—ne, titeO st . seers sent her home again, worse than ever. and 1 hid to pay upwards of twenty pounds for gin and bqr which she had drank on trust at the different houses in the neighbourhood of the Workhouse!' ..- " Pray, Sir, (said Mr. BIRNIO, did you ever firth. horsewhip?" Mr. Coates looked up at Isis giga4. l wife, and then at the Magist:ate, and shook hi, lea! sadly ; as who should say, " If I had tried the hne whip, no doubt I would have got the wort: cad of it also r At length Mr. Coates wa tld they e3 , :tl do nothing for him, unless he chose to proceed agi 3 t her criminally for robbing him ; but he did not std inclined to proceed to this extremity ; and aftcr s tee further conversation he left the Odit.e with the dee. mination, as he said, of selling all he had, and lt.a. ng the country and his spou,e together. Yesterday morning between tw3 and three 6;14 the house of Mr. WW lIITTING/lASI, grocer, oppodte St. James's Church, was broke open and robbed toa great amount. tae family reined to rest a, a 1,2 hour, after having carefully fastened all the do and windows. On the robbery being discoveie4 Pepper, the constable of St. Jamcs%, was sent flr, who, on examination, found that the thicve, had in't a passage for the admission of ahoy, near the kilcin *window, and r: ho Inuit have entei - ed and admired the thieves by unbolting the doors, which wcp; it found ope.n. They robbed the till of all the and attempted to break open a safe containin7 jr. party to the amount of C5OO, but fortunately in their attempt ; they, however, made their with a handsome booty. A watchman's box is es.ictir opposite the house. NENVGATE ♦No LE 4 1DENH (By the Beef ss 8d to 4s 5.1 Mutton 4s Od to 4s 8.1 I Lamb, 5* 4 :NI ARK ETS,JULYa enrcist . . _ Veal .. 4d to :St Act 1 Fork id to (is Ctl. 'RAW YESTERDAY. WMITICHAYFI. PRICES or lIAY atm S' ST. JA Hay 41 105 Od to 61 145 Od Straw 41 Its Od to 2 05 Od Clover 01 00s Od to 01 Os Od PRICE yew lIAGb. Kent ...... 51 os to 61 O. Sussex 4l 10s t• 51 12s Essex Foreign PRICE or TALLOW, Town Tallow 6ss 6d Yellow Russia 6ss Od White ditto Soap ditto Melting Stuff s4s Od hay... 31 :ts to 61 6t Si New do.ol Os to 01 Os of *Straw 31 Os to 31 6s 01 Clover 71 7s to 81 s. Oi IF HOPS. 141 M POrXI7% Kent Sussex' 5l 5s to 61 II Essex Farnham 7l Os to 81 5 SOAP, ttc. per p2th. Ditto rough ........... Yellow Soap to Mottled Curd ;ft Palm PRICE OF LEATIIEIt. Butts, 50" ti 5616 s each lBd to 214 perk Ditto, 56 to 661bs each 234 to 24d . Dressing Ili des lsd to rd Fine Coach nides 174 to 19d Crop Hides, 35 to 40Ibs for cutting 15d to 111 Ditto 45 to 50Ibs 18d to kUi Calf Skins, 30 to 401bs 20d to 26d Ditto SO to 701bs 7.0 d to 36d Ditto 70 to 801bs 264 to 33d Small Seals (Greenland) 0 04 to 23d Large ditto per dozen 60s to 801 Tanned Horse Hides l6d to 184 Spanish Horse Hides led to 214 COAL MARKET, JVLY 30. Ships at Market. Ships Sold. Price. 64 Newcastle 61 30f Od to 401 of fti Sunderland 17 .Z.ls 6d to 40s 3,1 COUNTRY MARKETS. Oiroito, Juts 29.—The price of a Bushel of Wheat The Half-peck Loaf, Wheaten, Is. 100.—Hoitsehos0, BANICRY, JULY 29.—WE•rat Bs. 6d. to 9s. 6d.—Beans, 601 811 od—Vetches, Os Od per bushel.—Barley, 36s to 44,—01s 28s Od to 36. Od per quarter—Bread, is 9d half peck---For 58s per sack. Usaaroca, JILT 29.—Wheat, per load, £l7 Os to Xt.? Barley, per quarter, 36$ to 421—Oats 26s to 3.55-1 W 50s to 56s—Peas, 00s to 004—Rye, ON to 00s. Newsway, Brisa.s, Juew 29.—Wheat, 411 to 866—1 V. 36e to 42s—Oats, 24s to 3ls—Beans, 47s to 38*--I'euu to 58s .—)?r ead, is 7d to Is 9d. per Gallos. COURSE OF Amsterdam ll 15 C.F. Ditto at sight 11 12 Rotterdam... ll 16 2U. Antwerp, ex-me 11 111 Hainburgh 15 8 2U. Altona 35 9 2U. Paris,3 day's date 9.5 0 U. Ditto 0 5 30 2U. Bourdeaux do. 25 30 Frankfurt on the Maine l4O el-010. Madrid, effective 36] Cadiz effect 37 Barcelona 35( Bllboa, effective 34 EXCHANGE. Seville 361 Gibraltar . ..... Leghorn Genoa 43 Venice Ital. Liv 26 0 Malta Naples Palermo .. 1I id pet* Lisbon.— ....... 54 _ Oporto sl Rio Janciro 5S j Dublin l5 Cork ....... 15 Agio of the Bank ea 11, , land t LD AND SILVErt. oz. •... ........ £3 18 t, 0 o 0 • • • • • ........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 PRICES OF GO, Portugal Gold in Coin, per Foreign Gold in Oars New Doubloons New Dollars Silver, in bars, standard.— MAILS This DAY.—Alli: DM ass. '' Dublin 0 1 I Lisbon J Waterford 1 I France Guernsey and Jersey I 0 liamburgh u ') Holland 0 0 Gottenbo r g h r Flanders 0 0 I Malta 0 HIGH-WliAng .TERat ------ LONDON BILIDGF. TO-MOO:01 5 minutes afar 9 Afternoon - - 45 ----- LONDON ; Printed and published by Lam lima, V Place, Temple-13as• :4 'e. . ; Si' :Ig for irst 'lr tt I to• e to O'dt yel re : . bttr • • • thz lair: 4 • ( ex , rf s‘x•ra s • • podte to a .1 en a L•cle4 ac!:3 !pd • 141 N =_: lh Li a 3s Ad 6s 01 6s el os oi 6s el n. of • 71 6 61 6 61 6 810 1. 8 er d per 11. • •••• id Ds id id tot 0 -r 406 g • at 9;.:11 ,15.61- t ans, 61.* 4i--0 134 A-14 Xe 2 —UK -Pratt' I d pts s' esl da 110 1 • it; ve • I' l 18 0 0 0 0 U GR. P ' 6. tr. A 0 )1z 0 1 fitter 9 9