The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1883-10-23 00:00:00

VOLUNTEER SUPPER.

TERRIBLE COLLIERY EXPLOBION.

LOSS Or TWIST! LIVES.

The South InTrits—hi-ra district • few years since had
the unenviable reputation of being the most fiery one
in the kingdom so fax se coal mines were concerned ;
but, blasting with gunpo /der having been done away
with at in at of the c 'Merles sod the use of the
Ilaattunis6silsteadytymfriiox&:tuPsrfea"eonf itiaorr7daniviihmcearreszbuPihreitedi°b:nhrwyaduiroliguengal
wherece
and
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mta s U
beensuchthelle
wy 134 are
bk taken ruttn:4 prevent.efiu them.lyo
o& at da
ki
Till..wrTPalr when
situated
te
dh ever,
case
explo-
sion ttotowko
pm from
place about
aboum ernal t Binidagehyt,
on
nheTre ahurlaeyx.ploro-
very early indeed on Friday morning. Dining
the erdinery working boors there are generally
about 900 persons in the pit, but the night shift
°comprises comparatively few men and btya, who
have to clew the roads and also attend to the
drifting. During Thursday w ,rk went on as
natal, and the day hands came out. The night shift
cominsuoed at 10 o'clock, and consisted of nine coition',
five harriers, an I ten oldinmy workmen and boys, all
being under the charge of • deputy named Button.
Before the night shift commenced work, the deputy,
who had previously examined the workings, roads, &T..,
gave in his report, fixing the time at nine o'clock, when
be stared as follows : • Veutlatiou good. gm.
No falls. Barometer at 9 p.m., 30-20 ; and thew
m0m.... RA " •••••••••••••• mos. a • Ir at C... stisloell.ry
that work was commenced with coati lenses. But It had
been barely carried on for two hours when the neigh-
bourhood was alarmed by a loud explosion, which was
beard for a considerable distance. One of the fint
who recognised its imprrtanne was Polloe-o instable
Ward, who was on duty in the district. He at once
rushed to the pit bank, readily took in tho gravity of
the situation, and raised an alarm. Iu • short time
many miners from the Imality were on the spot. am
well as the principd deputy, Mr. Fisher. No time
wee lost in parleying, for the men at once volunteered
to descend the shaft at all lessor& in the hope that
they would be able to mime those balm. The Inge was
let down, for the bead gearing, globular to say, had not
been seriously injured, and the ropes and slides being
In perfect order, the volunteers set to work most
earnestly, and succeeded in bringing out five of the
men who had not gone so far into the workings as
the others, After they hod done this they endeavoured
to penetrate farther, but their progress was completely
blocked by hundred; of t me of c cal and &brie, so that
it was inapoesible to get any way near the working places.
The volunteers, however, with groat gallantry, ably
led by the deputy, Mr. Fisher, who nearly succumbed
from the effects of the deadly after-damp, brought out
three of the night shift men, and could then go no
farther. Early In the morning, Mr. J. Mitchell, the
consulting engineer, Kr. F N. Wardell, the Govern-
ment Inspector, Mr. Hunter Monk Bretton, Mr.
Kell, Mr. Washington, hi-. Miller, and others were on
the spit. Mr. finnerintendent iitokes and a strong
body of the West Riding pollee form were also plead
mound the colliery, for as the morning advanced the
place was visited by flotsam& of miners, and nearly
the whole of the approaches to the colliery were
crowded. On the bodies of the men being brought
out they were examined by several doctors who were
present. It was found that death melted from sub.
nation by the after-damp, although the bodies were
slightly singed on some parts, as if the blast" had
just touched thorn 64 it melted pmt with Ilgbtaing-
like velocity. One of the deceased brought out was
recognised as William !Weer, • member of the Primi-
tive Methodist body. He leaves a widow and six or
seven children. The engineers bold • Inman In the
morning, and relays of voluotsers were organised, aad
Mr. Wardell, Mr. J. Mitchell, and .4bere went down
the shaft and st 'loped for • comeiderable time, but
they were unable to make much headway, as the
removed.vvast
An o accumulationth er consultation n fallen ""to ial
place mu l
beforeb
tnoon,bhee
and it was determined to ',lmpend operatione for a few
hourseffect
s :Ro: not of f:t
atier. iftaltalheawnietooal. weN:foteorami:figtrehmerregiag
of an opening and the letting in of al,r,:we:ozitrohnaLevneunntiirgi
about four ,i'citick in the afternoon, when, intim I of
going down the orlinery drawing shaft, • party of
explorers descended that known as the Beet Gambier
Shaft, in the expectation of being able to get nearer
to the point when they knew the bodies were or of
finding a more 1100444ibi1l point for pasting through
the debris.

Several bodies were brought to the surface no Satur-
day. They were not so badly burnt as might have
been expected. There was every appearance that the
deaths were principally due to after-damp, which bed
socumulatad la large quantities at the bottom et the
mine after the explosion. The explorers have been
stopped by fire In the pit.

IRELAND.
Two pereonv were killed on Satuday afternoon on
the railway between Omagh and Derry. A WODIlla,
when crosaing the line. was knocked down hy a train
cad decapitated. A man who endeavonred to save her
perished In the attempt.
George Stanhope, Sari of Oheeterlield, died at the
reside, os of Mr. A. Montgomery Stewart, J.P.. Kit-
ko,heagh, near Liff srd. county Donegal, on Friday
evening, after • prolonged illness.

. _
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and 9.91 all Chemist,.
" FOlt ASTONS. RAT TITER, AND C
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EaCicitalUra Ross Soar.—The le-t for the T. .ilet.
" BRIGHT. DISUSE AND Urea COMPLaINT.—The 'Hal-
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"Dry • BOTTLE TO-Day OF PERRY Datil' PAIN KILLER.
—lt instantly relieves and cures savors scalds, borne,
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Pain Killer 1. the treat uousellold medicine, and has it and
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and 1.. 91"
Facrauca's ROM Soar. —Th. beet for the toilet
• BEEF TEA POI INTALlOlL—Delacre's Extract of Beef ie
Its =the beet foe beef tni, *pupa, gravies, stook ivoaribiLend
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Unit and Medical Board of tile &ten* A=.
abalute purity certified by Prof. Attdeld. of the
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Resislie,:set, Lobe