The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1878-09-17 00:00:00

TERRIBLE COLLIERY EXPLOSION.

14MS OF NEARLY 30D LIVES.
The most ea I unit me explosion that has ever occurred in
Monmouthshire, and probably in the Principelite=
*de Wednesday, shortly after noon, at the old A
Colliery. The colliery, whitth is one of the largest in the
district, belongs to the Elibw Vale Iron Company, The
seam of coal which is being worked is the beet quality of
dmos p.a. and is precisely the dam dame of opal as that
worked at the Bina Bide Vein Pit, What\ a frightful
explodon, accompanied by serious loss of life, occurred
about eighteen years ago. Owing, however, to skilful
management, and the adoption to the colliery of all
approved appliances, together with the absolute use of
locked safety lamps, the colliery has hitherto escaped any
earious disasters, and, in fact, Ems been eial'ree
from accidents. Notwithstanding all care and fre ht
on the part of the officials, Wedissedav Produced a oslainity
the fatal result. of which are of the most terrible and
heartrending character. Intelligence of the fad disaster
having reached me shortly alter four o'clock I repaired to
Abercern to ascertain the fullest and most authentic mirth
calm, which could be gleaned, but little was known of the
explosion in the district leading from Newport to Risen
but after passing this locality there were more than
etitinn indication, that an awful calamity had befallen
e hbourbood. Occasionally a female wee met
weeping as she went ; then a knot of three or four persons
might be wen discussing ...milting which bare indica-
tion' of awful import; hand, were thrown pusionetely
into the air, and when brought down again were wrung
together with an aennising grup. Every step one went
some additional confirmation of the terrible diameter win
afforded. Nothing accurate could be gleaned, until •
corpse wrapped in flannel was seen in • cart in :large of
two or three oolliers, who were in the tenderest posilble
manner conveying it to the house of the widow and
orphans. They were near Chapel Bridge. Here the reed.
way was lined with persons, which very speedily grew
Into • crowd, wending their way to the oserut possible
approaching to the mouth of the pit, where the bodW wed
be slowly raised Ito the surface, ffkiramencing an
inquiry. it was little! could learn as to the real feet of the
ad fete of the colliers who at six o'clock this
of mooning
descended the Prince Wake pit to follow their
avocation. There was muck defend even among an
ordinary crowd ; that is to say, there was mesh running
to and fro, and very little information afforded to
inquirers. many Maths= exhibited the Intstimest griefs. to
the probable Ices of husband, father, brother, or son. The
works are extensive, and had been carried oa for • long
eeriea of years, so far bock as IBM. The ventilation wee
deemed by engineers to be imperfect sad inadequate
to the working, of so Large a colliery, consequently to
improve the ventilation a fresh shaft was sunk, and
on the day of the marriage of his Royal Highness
the Prince of Wales the seam of coal now being
worked was struck in the shaft The name of the pit was
In honour of the maniac, of the Prince of Wales, as weu
is that of the eveut which proved so advantageoui to the
colliery company. A down-cast shaft was subsequently
converted into an umeast shaft for the purposes of ven-
tilation, and from that time to the present the workings
have been singularly free from any accumulation of ed
By competent engineers the ventilation was regarded as
complete, and in every way adequate to the requirements
of the working,, which are computed VI extend over an
area of 15 miles. By the terrible explosion this theory
has been changed, albeit the cause of the harrowing
disaster at present seems unfathomable. Pushing through
the crowd I was admitted to the enclosure, which was
guarded by • strong body of police. My attention was
then directed to the list of the names of the men who had
been rescued alive, to the number of eft Next I was con-
ducted to • shed at some distance from the pit's mouth,
where the bodies were conveyed for identification. It
was towards this building ?lad the greeter pressure of
the crowd was to he felt, but by means of a rope they
were kept back front in any way interfering with the
operations of the rescuer+. On boards nailed together,
and carefully wrapped in flannel, where the bodies of four
colliers out of seven that had been brought up from the
pit who remained unrecognised. 'three who were ideal.
fled were registered on a list, and then handed over to
their friends to he conveyed to their homes. It was one
of tbi. number that I had previously met before reaching
the Abercarne pit The police guarded the entrance, but
admitted one by one ant who desired to enter for the
purposes of identification. The lodise, as far as could be
seen, presented • blackened and charred appearance, and
showed that the fire as well as choke damp had done its
deadly work. A. I returned from this improvised charnel.
house I ascertained that the exploring party had been
compelled to give up the search. To prosecute it further
was utterly hopeled The interior of the colliery proved
to be a perfect chad Fells had been caused by the
explosion to such an extent that to proceed into the
working would be dangerous in the extreme; In addition
to which the workings proved to be on fire, and hence
danger surrounded the sufferer, on every hand, the lire
rendering the possibility of further explosion at any
instant. There remained no alternative but to
all hope of rescuing bodies in the pit having
thus been absndoned. Consequently there remains
in the pit according to put calculation, the bodies of MI
men unaccounted for. Seven only of the dead were
brought up, but 92 were recovered alive. It is asserted
that out of the 373 who took lamps in the morning, 23 had
returned, and this give. the total of colliers comprising
the "shift" who enteted the workings in the morning at
6 a.m. to complete the teem at 2 p.m. Amongst the
number believed to hive been killed are Mr. Bothell, the
underground manager of the colliery : Mr. Rees, the over.
tune ; and Mr. Way, the fireman. The great majority of
the workmen have been in the regular employ of the eon,.
piny for some years, and had established homes in
Ahercarn and the neighbourhood. The distress and
segnish which everywhere characterised the female
portiond the crowd was heartrending, and in the majority
of capes have been succeeded by despair as it became
whispered that the explorer, had returned, and nothing
more could be done. There they lingered, however,
howsoing losses which were irreparable. Malty mule+
men connected with other neighbouring collieries
volunteered and went down the pit, bat • look of despair
was given when the onndition of the workings wee
reported. The theory aeared to be that the pit being on
fire within about 400 yards from the bettor' of the theft,
no effort could avert suffocation of any of those in the pit,
even supposing any where by any possibility alive, the
altontselee would be to abut off the air and thus prevent
the fire from spreading, and, if necessary, to flood else
wood.g, with water. At seven o'clock the search party
had been withdrawn from the pit, and further operations
for the time were abandoned. This was said to be the
result of a consultation with the Gderreeent inneectors
and the collieryengineers wbo wars on the spot, oiyeo
op foe lost appeared to be the conclusion to which the
arrived, DO far as the incarcerated men were
Beside the sacrifice of human life, the destruction of
property is said to be enormous. No leas thee 60 homes
were in the pit, and of them only three are said to have
The workings are staked in such • 1111.1101, as to
completely obstruct progress. The are has extended to the
811;We-house. Fears are entertained that under these con.
ditions further explosions may take Place at any moment,
and hence the desirability of organising dm* well-con.
(wrier' plan whereby further Ina, of life may be averted.
At the time of concluding our despatch. operands under-
ground were practiealle abandoned, dly three or four
men remaining at the bottom of the shaft to watch and
report upon the condition of things, and as fares pcssible
levies means for suppressing the fire in the pit A spoona
explosion is feared, if It has not already taken place,
dense cloud of smoke having [UM The explorers were
ordered up. Junes Games (married), John Lewis, of
Pontoraiss, and Rees (*boy) are at the bottom of ont.h.
mil pit ready to come up Several other bodies have
been found. The people, who again flocking to the Jet,
have been warned of for fear of f water explogione It is
reported that a Kra. Eyed who had • ed entPlzsett
the pit, dropped down dead on hearing the ex
The scene is heartrending to the extreme. The poor
women are inconsolesible in their grief. AU seem to ha some friend miming Amon; the 260 persons suphonod vito
be still la the pt. It was about to tw 1 o'clock when the inhabitants of Use five minutes e:
by the reverberation of three distinct valley were searto explode's. booed
oeff°rf Itisevie,:Ft.P.l"...;dliwteertriset"irtee:nii44Tb.ffiedthes.lhaWit tVl:silighaservllibadpressewithilliFa!
cmthllteeree:ethsalyvidteheifswentitnghweAutishrdhaft:anftbtle.!'d:Niuoe:neerteleeeowterfnfibarel"tho :iletkOeSe.ofilauntosieLmalivfare"m•
had
leading to
tordlwsoithireirhetpiectheenw..peeeprn.peelrereeldida.iplptheerecirir::::pw.edtb.e.:teraech
occurred. In a remarkably short space of Unite the
fi—egearewiiewesrwh'ierdinchot:selessedte lerereeter"mthankthwebemautindhrtliiersnreetilisYlrtheCio wer'nfethaateu. Ththi
so.itcsbrcondi+.l4,7trilErtre,eitzeiepeiwoedeithreonewthat,ithreel
,dledtied:uwairseryyy,thr7o:erefzernieiryer.soo_nneeto-i-.
first consisted of Mr. Christopher l'ond, th
Edwin Jallllnt, underground utantger, ai:drahrr'.l/471mse. Mr.
manager at the Cel.!.-rn colliery, situated a short da.-4.--Tces
fault; leZliteeelo tar to tiethme ebou tetoemte.redlltubte werat aiicsuwerern
there presented to their gem The melancholy fact wee immediately brought home to thorn that the pit - fire dead bodies lay in beam on the roads& Wla
" I shapeless, charred mead., which a abort tiros rk
dark'
moving about animated with life. Here a ago
nd the - were
he clearly seen the terrible meuls. of the explosion, re could
bratticers, of course, had been blown into ost.
turned tram. were strewn &taut. ad
of the safety Lamps could lv wwn intortohighdmcwit thlighthets
dead bodice end horses who, along with the poen:ollMM had
such as to convince them t a very small aumber of wee
er.tlipsaiueefearfnuteetouleeditsudfartgel,:e
they
go,
.4
g.
re.at
:El collier, who had entered tbe lliery ells, and well in
the nt„ening would ever come foretell alive. The difficult!
of the eituation, though comprehended by those who es
them how to deal with
were V.l poor fellow. entombed, but how oould
llemth'imrehlise.:ThsgingellotUP:do.nug:::.°4rerfpimii.thmwer"
the
resume proceed to relieve them from their position If
they cut off the ventilation the men would be suff
while U this was not done the air would fan the °rated'
and increase the condagrntion. matt them
waa
another
flaine
r...—the Are as it roiled along. the worlds'. might
come in contact with thee accumulations of mu, and thus
the work of exploration was attended with absolute
danger. The first exploring party remained down for •
long time, and I am happy to say that in the interval • portion of the miners were enabled to made their escape
Eighty-two of the poor fellow. were crowded together at
the bottom of the shaft, struggling with each other to get
fearful firultookSewmheichefhtleuZahoweuret Miner Lofty bureedas the' e;iriwthome
drawn up the shaft to the open air again will, peril",
never be forgotten,
In documeula carefully compiled andase tin dizestion ol

the mason at the colliery the met amble of perms
kg lathe Elise is given at . Of theme 131 were married
men, 67 were single men. 55 went boys widlor 15 rram
aine, and 4 were widowers As approximate Het et parsons
=t4t upon times who are lost shows 131 widows, 363
,18_parents, and 17 brothers, making • total of 519
persona Irstimsting the coat of subistance at the
moderato rate oft,, per head per week, the weekly sum
required for their maintenance would be £lll9 15e. or
£6,747 per annum In the opinion of experienced men
two or three months must elapse before the mine can be
sufficiently restored to admit of the recovery of the bodies.
The oat of these operations to the company will, it amid,
not be less than £4),(65L Lady Llanover is the owner oil
the greatest eStent of the landed propertysot the district
A message has been received from the Queen at
BalnioraL It reads as follows :—" From Sir T. IL
Biditulph to the Rev. J. Griffiths, the vicar at
Is'tf)rer,:tiydtilocked to bear of theNeacMett, and waits fac The Queen ie
more particulars of the loss of life."
One more death from the explosion is reported. =Was
the total DX