The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1878-06-11 00:00:00

THZ DREADFUL OOLLIERY
EXPLOSION AT RAYDOOK.

LOSS OF 240

A terribla ex;.lotion occurr. 4 .n Fruity ninnling in tl.a
Wood Pit at H iy.loir, neer Newton-le Wollner% and
n 0... nliha from Wad, tio • proprietors a which,ace
Messrs. Hielbird Evans and Cuoopyny. an.. It is feared
that the number of men killed is shoat J. The tirna
employ several thousand hands, and their chief °dices are
is Hie centre at a thickly-populated village •ttuated •
short distance from Karbotown Junction, on the Manchester
sod Livorpal traction of the L didn't soul North-Westem
Railway. Snifter...l over tie village are probably a dead,
pits which fortu tbe Ilayolect f7olt It war at ono ..f
these, called e 1.., Woo t Pit, that lice diroder of ?rid :y
°crimp .1 T...• el :mg. .if the. ex...neive
, 111,- I. a I. .! 11r. t7h lek, a grctien,a,,
of wide c• 1.1 doee in wham:, aLW Lad his 14.4
'several cert.h....t.•d In di own. and who loos bad for mail
y..js the of lsch.g of tile most acedowli.lo
min," iio ti... do.l Preeiou• I. Prig the
colleriea were re•oark day free from ac..oleot ; i„tt ~, to,
and the 1..11-•.• ir.g year they, al do, itb ninny out, ra
which hart ,aren eelrbrute4 t,,r ti;. • to • •-I tb••ir
manageniebt so•••i.o..1 • terrible vo•it•ti n. Ti,, series
of colliery moral. ate W• • Lancaal rc chich nonieneed
with that at Wadley Greet, on and did no: dole
Gala that rif It-. Pit.. in Pra, tO.t v.... be forgotten
ia site di.t. jet ;an4 it sill rrtuein'ered tit at two of
than dimatera welt it the or.. by of Herws. VAL, Huth
occurred at tic.' 41', • t. 1'.!.; the Ord in the month of
logs. en., ~ a ee. lieu, and the tee mod ii•
July, Ma. telt 57 ..t.! host. Sine.- -that period to
the time of flat Pend...rbos accident, in last Me...ober, the
coalfield which centre. on the Icrougb ~g h..,
happily liteti Ir., fecal any great cat•••rophe
The pita are under the charge of No, John TUreaa cer•
titrated than,."'. bid, cci 40raa ler the oUpteint.
once of Mn. Chadwick. Shortly alt e eleven o'clock Mr.
Turton came up the shaft, after inspecting the workings,
and was walking away front the pit brow when be was
startled be duet cadre up, both the ,lowne.ast awl uncut
shafts. Fearing It at *Me Muster had occurred, he
immediately de:petaled ummemvea for help, and without
delay himaelf gave the signal to the entitle man, and ism
Miaowed into tie pit. He at once eel to work to put he
ventilating doors at the handle in order, an.l proceeded
as he could into the workinga He helped what few men
there were into the leech sir, and 1...1.0 .140 acre lying on
their f wee be turned on to their lack, in order to enable
them to breathe the pure atmosphere.
Without doubt wine ci those wh., e.clped owe their
lives to the bravery and couraxe of Tort ao in dewending
ihn mine Do promptly. In • short hue.. Torton was joined
by Mr. C. Pilkingtor„ one of the a•sistaut surveyors. and
other official% and third promoted with the explorations.
Mr. Chadwick shortly afterwards arrived on the 0.n.0e
and he immediately dew:waded the shaft. and took charze.
of the underground otwrationr, which were carried on by
a large staff of willing Lando The work was one howevei,
of great datieulty ; for, owing to the terrible force of the
blast, the roadways were fearfully damaged. Iva only slow
could be made into the workings, notwithrtegrhoe
Cif neatly 100 men ...re emphoved in the work. The
roads were blocked aRh large falls of roof% tubs were
mattered and blown to piece% and norms lay dead across
Wm roads_
111311.

iaLMILS

As soon as the gni news lwratue known in die adjoining
villages crowd, of women. cow with babes at their
hreara, and hunie.i• of relative, and others thronged to
the pm brow and it. approach... It • sreat • destruction
of human life in a small 'Mare like Heydock cannot
paably In otherwise than affect almost every h . Of
coune allot of the name, of the dead cannot yet be WM'
taped. but the arence of the collier from his home shows
pretty plainly that there a very little chance of his twins
alive. Is. 0110 house alone no Its, than neer peewits,
Including father. trek and rive moat perish...l. The
heed of this family. &Olt by name, wale roost esemplary
a.. 'tering been frugal and industriou.. and Oa. the
owner .4 neve& cottaree. la another case three brothers
are Milling.
nanaarnuts OF TEI PJLACCED.
George Whaley. who we. one of the few who reaped,
rid that sifortly after eleven he heard the explosion of
the vs, and knew at one.. that the pit had find. The
ores almost stunned if‘of, but he made immediately foe
the harmer. going along tb.. road he used regularly night
and aornicg. The inft.•nlesiip wan up.n lon. before he
had got ten pod. fr su the are 4 the enl, and he wa.
struck down the.' o time.. H. tus gel to go through
ahe sheet, end ei Is,, managed to tench the pit eye.
He lost his way for half.aa hour, and when he arrived at
the .halt he fell down an.ne:ble. Two other tuet who
were working in thin potion .4th. mills went the round
he ant started, and both he believe*, amongst the
killed. He had worked H years in collier.; and never
knew the after-damp so 'drops. This was the thn.Z.4 tiT•
he had been in rout. my explosion having been in
drat Barnsley explrion and the Iseeswood Millen' Deal'
Mold. Two minute. more and he err sure he wouln have
been a dead man. Ile 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 fety lamp.
WRAF TIM WWI 011 IA Law.
As the explorer. prorended in their work below, they
came across the dead riles of twelve drawers, all of which
were frightfully mutilated. Ons boy's head wa found SO
away from his body, which waa wedged in by the
yards
of the explosion between a number of prop.. Noe.
et them had a stitch of clothing on, all having been blown
cd. saes were armless, others headless, and all were
dreedfully burned about the face. They also came arves
the earcame of fire horses., with their hides *combed of.
Some time elapsed before they were aide to penetrate a• ny
distance in the "whines. their Pewees being impeded by
eke pumps being blocked up, and by the step. which they
bad to tate to Provir Unfurl.., with ventilation. An
ft we,. the alter-damp was so nteang that several of the
implodes party succumbed to its effect., and UHT hod to
be seat to the surface as quickly a4l possible. Two of the
jest exPloron. named Magnin and Evans, were so
sertesely affected by the choke-damp that it wee for some
lime Weed their Hem were in danger.
William Green, booker-on at the bottom of the down-
shaft, and In the Ravenalisad Mina said he was
knoolud gown by the blest, but the fall force was not felt
where he wee working. All his lights were blown out.
but help we. quickly rendered, and he wee taboo up the
abaft
Peter Monaghan, another hooker on. gave • Mmiler
seemion of his escape
/Award Edwards, another collier who mewed add b.
vs. me= ha ye.. previous to eating his dinner when
be based the report of the explosion. He rid to Mes
sear hieel.:rdCbaps, there been an explosion r but all
Alive had and Met rushed out net Were met
by some alter-demo On their leaV to the pit-eye, but they
saasasiod to
He passed one man who was ring on
46, pound. :ITC dragged him along with 61m, and that
awn we. asp& All the men with him prayed to God to
He never beard meth
help them, and be "Fed t°°'
blast was terrific,
in his life. The force of tit*
no• bad no doubt that all In the working, mom have
pedellai