The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-12-26 00:00:00

ROWLEY REGIS SCHOOL BOARD.

'rho first meeting of the newly-elected Board was
held on Tuesday evening in the Board Rooms, Old
dill, Rowley Regis. The members present were
Nlessrs. C. J. Cooper, T. Standish, G. Allen, G.
Wood, G. Green, Whitley, S. Cave, and Hadley.
Mr. L. Allen, the returning officer at the recent
election, having reportA the result, Mr, Whitley
A'cli appointed Chairman pro tern.
Mr. Hadley moved tint Mr. George Green be
al etod Chairman of the Board for the tnet.ing
three yours.
Mr. Wood seconded tne resolution, which was
carri,d unanimously.
Mr." Whitley rtinark;.l that he was sure Mr.
Gruen would perfoina the duties of chairman with
that ,ourteey which had chnructerisod him in the
!he Cl, ail man thanked the Board for the honour
they hal again tonf,r.ed upon him, aud said he
should do ids Ibm to conduct the business in a
manner agr.•eable to all the other members and
satisfacory o the ratep...iyera—(hear, hear).
On the notion of the CLairmnn, seconded by Mr.
Cave, Mr. Whitle; was elected vice-chairrnan.

The Attendance Officer reported that the per
k:entage of attendance at the varjuus schools Wds
32 0

The Clerk reported that the Returning Officer's
oxpense at the recent election amounted to .£1153
17e 2d.

HALESOWEN.

TuErr or MEAT.—At the Police Court on Tues.
lay. before Messrs Job Garratt and Edward Gem
(magistrates), a married woman named Mary Adams
was sentenced to one month's impriboument with
bard labour for stealing a lalge quantity of meat,
the property of William Hinson, butchPr, Birm—
ingham &net, and also for stealing a number of
glasses, the property of Henry Powderhill.
EXTENSION or BOURS.—The magistrates decided
to grant an extension of hours at the licensed
houses in the country districts during the Christmas
'noldiays.

£100,000,000 IN TIM COURT CO CHAPICIIRT I-
00X dc:Co., 41, Southampton Buildings, Holborn, Lon-
don, W.C., have just published a list of the heirs to
this wealth. Reader, send a postal order for 18.6 d., and
they wil. forward you this valuable list, and if you find
b7is that you ars outdid to &AY mousy oria27
**Muni Qs oOh Ow is

APPALLING COLLIERY DISASTER IN
SOUTH WALES, .
ellemagi
SUPPOSED LOSS OF 200 LWES,

A Pontypridd correspondent telegraphs
to the Post of Thursday :---Just before
three o'clock yesterday afternoon, a terrible
disaster occurred at the No. 2 Colliery,
Mardy, near this place. 'The colliery is
owned by a number of gentlemen, chiefly
resident in London, and is under the tiirect
management of Mr. William Thomas, of
Brynawel, who had only just r:come up from
the pit when the sad occurrence tool, place.
Everything science could invent had been
adopted to ensure thorough ventilation, and
on Tuesday evening the works were exam-
ined by the men appointed by the colliers,
who reported that as far as a supply of fresh
air was concerned everything was in a
Isatisfactory state. The depression in trade I
had not affected this pit, as it had some parts I
of the district, and consequently there was
a full complement of men engaged. Near
No. 2 pit is the upcast shaft, up which the
men who have escaped are being slowly
drawn to the bank. Upon hearing the re-
port of an explosion the pit's mouth was
soon besieged with women and children,
and many affectiv scenes took place. It is
in the No, 2 Rhondda division of the work-
ing a that the explosion took place. Its ef-
fects above ground were most disastrous.
The guides of the pit were broken, so that
communication with the bottom is impos-
sible. The men from the district towards
Aberdare have, it is thought, all escaped;
but it is feared that many lives have been
lost in the other portion of the working.
The damage done to the pit is very great,
and owing to the fall it is not yet possible
to reach 'Dthe entombed men. Out of the
773 persons employed, or to whom ]amp
were given yesterday, 520 work in No. 2
pit, and a large proportion of these work in
the fatal division. Up to the time of tele-
gaaphing five have been rescued with burns
and taken to their homes, where Dr. Parry
and a medical staff are in constant attend-
ance. With the exception of one case the
burns are not considered to be severe. How
many lives have been lost is at present im-
possible to say. The energies of the ex-
plorers are directed towards getting out of
the pit those who have escaped uninjured.
There are at present:thousands round the
month of the pit, and from the number of
lighted lamps seen on the mountains on
either side, it is shown that a great number
are wending their way to the scene of the
catastrophe from the adjoining villages. It
is feared that nearly 200 lives have been
lost. All the men are in the Permanent
Fund.