The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-06-15 00:00:00

extent of the colliers working of the Messrs. Evans,
their men are scattered over a wide area, and it was
late in the afternoon before the news reached the
homes of the men whose residences were most distant
from the mine of the disaster. Sergeant Gardener,
the officer in charge of the police station and the
small staff_ef constables he was able to collect together,
had no difficulty in dealing with the small crowd
which in the first few hours gathered on the pit
bank or loitered in the lane leading to it, waiting for
the verdict. A knowledge of the terrible extent of
the catastrophe seemed to ooze out among the by-
standers very gradually, and the truth was not realized
for some time. There was no sign of destruction.
The winding arrangements, so often thrown out of
order by such explosions, were perfect, and there was,
indeed, nothing to suggest such a frightful visitation.
Batches of injured men were brought out, but no dead,
and for hours it was only those underground who were
fully cognizant of the fact that there was no hope for
the 2%0 men who were below. As the news spread
the crowd increased, and there was an evident growth
about the time when the men who were working at
the pit should have reached their homes.
"George Whiby, who was working in the same
seam at the time of the explosion, but on the oppo-
site side of the pit, in the new workings, and
was one of the few who escaped, said shortly after
eleven he heard the explosion of the gas and knew at
once the pit had fired ''he noise almost stunned him,
but he made immediately for the surface, going along
the road he used regularly night and morning. The
afterdamp was upon him before he got ten yards from
the face of the coal, and he was struck down three
times. He turned to go through the shunt, and at
last managed to reach the pit eye. He lost his way
for half an hour, and when he arrived at the shaft
he fell down insensible. Two other men who were
working in this portion of the mine went by the road
lie first took, and both, he believes, are among the
killed. He had worked twenty-two years in collieries,
and never knew the after-damp so strong. This was
the third time he had been in a colliery explosion.
Two minutes more and he was sure he would have
been a dead man. He did not think it possible for
one of the lamps to have been unlocked, and there
was no powder used in that part of the mine where
the explosion happened. Therefore he came to the
conclusion that the explosion was due to a damaged
safety-lamp.
"William Green, hooker-on, who worked at the
bottom of the Downcast Shaft and in the Ravenhead
Mine, .said he was knocked down by the blast, but the
full force was not felt where he was working. All his
lights were blown out, but help was quickly rendered
and he was taken up the shaft. Peter Monaghan gave
a similar version of his escape.
"Edward Edwards, another collier who escaped,
said he was saying his grace previously to taking his
c dinner, when he heard the report of the explosion.
He said to those near him, 'There's been an ex-
plosion ! ' but all had heard it and they rushed
out. They were met by some after-damp on
their way to the pit-eye, but they managed to escape.
He passed one man who was lying on the ground, and
he dragged him along with him and that man was
saved. All the men with him prayed to God to help
them and he prayed too. He never heard such pray-
ing in his life. The force of the blast was terrific, and
without doubt all in the workings must have penis bed.

Writing on Saturday night, the Correspondent of The
Times says :—" The cause of the explosion is a complete
Mystery, nothing whatever having transpired to show
either where the gas came from or how it was ignited.
The total number killed by the explosion will not, it is
hoped, reach more than 200, but the correct number will
not be known until more particulars are obtained as to
those who are missing. Two hundred and fifty-one lamps
were served out on the morning of the accident, and
that number of workmen is supposed to have en-
tered the mine ; 60 of these lamps have been re-
turned, leaving 201 to be accouuted for. A com-
plete list of the day wagemen, or datallers and colliers
employed in the mine is kept at the office, and from this the
names of those who are reported alive are struck off and the
rest put down as among the killed. The drawers, however,
are paid by the colliers themselves, and of these no record
Is kept at the pay offices, so that their names will have to-be
obtained from the underlooker or some other official at
work in this seam. It is computed that about 60 of these
are in the mine."

Many distressing cases are reported, and it is said that in
one street in Earlstown there is not a single house but has
lost one or two members of the family.

On Saturday the following telegram was received by Mr.
Hedley, from Mr. Cross, Home Secretary :
•

"At once make every effort to save survivors, if any, at
any coat. I await particulars with deep anxiety. Express
deep 83 mpathy from me. You will, of course, communicate
with me fully"

At a meeting of the Newton Bench the magistrates them-
selves subscribed £125, and additional was given in
Court. Colonel M'Corquodale and Mr. Campbetl have
waited upon Lord Derby at Knowsley to ask him to preside
at a meeting for the purpose of forming a Relief Committee
to raise subscriptions for the widows and children left des-
titute. Lord Derby willingly complied with the request, and
it was arranged that a meeting should be held in Liverpool
on Wednesday.

Writing from Wigan on Monday night, the Corre-
spondent of The Times says
"The hope that the number of lives lost by the explosion
would be only about 180 will, it is feared, prove groundless,
and present information leads the management to conclude
that the death-roll will contain the names of over 200 men
and boys. Today the relatives of the sufferers have been
receiving the usual general allowance-210 for a full member
and 2.5 for a half member of the Colliery Sick and Burial
Fund, and from the particulars furnished by them it has
been found that there were in the mine at the time of the
accident many more poor fellows than was supposed yester-
day. This is accounted for by the fact that some of the
colliers employ their own drawers or assistants.
"The work of exploring the mine has been continued with-
out interruption since the accident occurred, but, consider-
ing the large number of men at work, only slow progress
has been made, showing the task has been both difficult and
dangerous. Much gas has been met with during the inspec-
tion and the moving of this has given much trouble, and, in
addition, large falls of wed blocked the road.
"One of the workmen, named James Callaghan, engaged
in the exploration died last night from injuries which he
received. He was removing the rubbish from the upbrow
when a fall of root occurred, burying him under it. When
rescued it was found that his thigh was fractured and his
body much hurt, and his injuries have caused his death, as
stated. Eighteen more bodies were brought to the bank
this morning and afterwards removed to the shed where the
other bodies were lying. Thirty-nine of the recovered bodies
have identified.

"Nothing has as yet been discovered which gives any clue
to the cause of the disaster. Without doubt, a large quan-
tity of gas must have found its way into the workings, and it
Is supposed by some that this gas has come from the
Wigan six-feet mine, or what is known in this district as
the fiery nine feet, which is met in almost a direct line
on the opposite side of the fault by the Florida seam,
the one in which the explosion occurred. As show-
ing the force of the blast, it may be stated that a train
of empty waggons which was running down the tun-
nel at the time of the explosion was driven up against the
roof with such violence as not only to smash them into
pieces, but also to force them through the brick archway
forming the tunnel Probably this impeded the blast and
saved the shaft and other portions of the workings. Beyond
this point in the mine not a single soul has been brought out
alive, and it is believed that all in the workings from this
spot must have been killed in an instant by the terrible
explosion."

The following telegram was received from the Rome
Office by Mr. hall, the Government inspector of the dis-
trict :—" Her Majesty has, through the Home Secretary,
made inquiries and expressed her deep sympathy with the
sufferers by the calamity."

WlGley, Tuesday Night.

Contrary to expectation, the explorers at the Wood Pit,
Haydock, made no progress during last night and to-day-
At about eight o'clock on Monday night they found that
despite the efforts which had been made to secure proper
ventilation, the quantity of gas in the workings had in-
creased considerably. This rendered the poeition of the
explorers dangerous. They could not make any advance-
ment, as it appeared probable that the gas would con-
tinue to increase. It was reluctantly decided that the
work for a time should be abandoned. The party there-
fore left the pit, leaving only two or three men behind to
watch the movements of the gas, and to report any altera-
tion which might occur in the state of the mine. This
morning the position of affairs was the same, and prepa-
rations were made for an attempt to overcome the gas and
secure safe ventilation More steam jets were brought
into operation, and a fan was used to increase the drift.

, -
The number of bodies recovered up to last night was
forty-fonr, and four more were recovered this afternoon.
Almost all have been identified. Up to this afternoon the
funeral claims of 163 members of the sick and burial fund
have been paid at the colliery offices. To-day several of the
deceased have been interred, each being buried in the
churchyard of the place of worship with which he was con-
nected.
- -

Strenuous efforts are being made in Manchester, Liver-
pool, and other towns to raise funds for the relief of the
sufferers by the accident. It is computed that 93 widows
and 280 children will have to be provided for.