The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1858-10-19 00:00:00

ANOTHER AWFUL COLLIERY ACCIDENT,

Soaresly have six weeks elapsed sine° our columns re-
corded • fearful colliery explosion in the Cyfing•pit,
Ystalyfera' dwansea•valley, whereby six poor fellows
lost their lives and three or four others were seriously
injured. It is now our painful duty to detail the par.
tieulars of another and still more merioum colliery acci-
dent, in the name dietriot, and within three or four
idles of the Cyfing-pit, and by which no less than 14
fellow beings have been suddenly hurried into eternity.
The pit in which tide accident bee now occurred ie
known as the Primrose Colliery, worked by a company
known am the Primrose Coal Company, of which Messrs.
Morgan and Level. are principal owners. It is situated
near Pontardawe, Swansea-valley, about nine miles from
Swansea' lieu been for many years worked, and is one of
the most extensive pit, in the valley, there being about
200 men engaged therein on the morning when the
fatal accident which we now relate occurred.
On Wednesday morning last the whole of the colliers
proceeded to work at the usual hour—viz., about 0
o'clock in the morning, and about half-past eight one of
the men came running up from the pit stating that the
whole place was full of sulphur, and that all the men
were killed. This dreadful intelligence created the
greatest alarm, and spread rapidly through the small
surrounding villages, and it being known that some 200
men were engaged in the pit that morning, the none
which occurred was heart-rending in the extreme.
Within about half-an-hour at least 300 people, chiefly
wives and mothers, were congregated arcund the pit,
whose agonizing shrieks and lamentations could be heard
for at least a mile. Fortunately, it was soon ascertained
that, although there were 2110 men in the pit at the
time, the catastrophe had ooeurred in a distinct heading
or working known as the Old Machine Level, and in
which particular working only thirty men were then en-
gaged, It was at one time thought that the whole of these
must have lost their lives, but the result proved that
many had been miraculously saved.
Within a very short time after the accident there were
found some colliers heroic enough to risk their lives in
endeavours to Bare their fellow-workmen. Two brave
fellows (one named William Lewis, 60 years of age, a
married man with tumoral children, and Griffith Gibbs,
aged 18 years), who were thus laudably engaged, fell a
sacrifice thereto, being Nuffocated by the fatal choke
damp. David Thomm, the overman also descended
within a very short time after the accident, and nearly
*scribed his life by so doing ; he was rendered inseneible,
end was afterwarde tionveyed out of the pit very much
echeuoted. The exertion* of Thomas Morgan alio de.
carve to he mentioned ; he, too, rieked Iris life for that
of his fellows, and Is now {moaned to hie bed in coon-
anomie of his imertione made cad the powerful influence
of the after damp.
When the foul air had suffielently cleared off for a
descent several of the millers inetantly volunteered their
services, and within a few minute,' the Melees bodice of
14 workmen were brought up and laid side by aide near
' the pit's mouth. The agony of the wives and mothers
when reoognising the inanimate forms of their busbando
and sons may perhapo be imagined, but it bailee all
attompte at doweription,
The mimeo of those who have lost their IiVON iii eons..
Tunes of_this awful vielletion aro as follow''—
, David Mean.' aged ad, mended, with Ave children.
John 0111 w, aged IC ntarried, with two children.
Devitt Hoggine, aged all, 'carried, with one child,
Urillth Junco, aged Rh ohmic.
tiltit Llewellyn Roes aged 2fl,
Thomas fltillthe, aged Id, Angle,
Henry Williams, aged 18, single,
Napkin grans, Red 15, Angle,
William Thelliail aged ill single,
John Davis, led 12, single.
Iwo baits ( ooriv , aged 11 or 12,
William bowie, a 11l a wife arid children (the
latter of whom are married), who hit hie life Ili at.
tempting Move ethos.
Norden egad DI, single,
001111 aged 101 (brother of John (Mho), and
who also Ind his life In going to the recoils of other'',
The origin or eaten of this dreadful calamity is at pre.
sent shrouded in the ingot profound myelery, bet eh
Inopeetlon of the lilt after the arteldent by praetleal then
loathes It entirely to the ripening of a door Axed to pre.
vent the ale from the boiler 'Lakin going Into the worko,
Dertoin It is there was no explosion of arty bind, the
death', being teamed by the fatal eitoke-dantp, the bodiee,
when brought up, beteg undiatortod, and having the
appetirottee ri ahem, arid come kind and offestionate
mother would not for teeny a long hour believe Writ her
MAI wen Ignited in the last %Indira°e of death,
It appears that shout a week or ten day, ago a large
engine had been placed underground to tales the emit
front the deep. The air which supplied the boiler Are
was the return air from the colliery, and It was then
conveyed through en old level a distant* of mime ME or
000 yards, and then up the up-oast pit. A wooden door
wee fixed to prevent the air from the boiler going Into
the works again, and it is eonfidently asserted that title
door was fastened up a few days since by means of a
NUM'. This door was, however found open after the
aoeldent, and the air instead of going up the pit returned
into the level where the men were at work and killed
19 ; the other two lot their livem In their efibrts to save
their comrade'', as already stated. How this door he.
came opened, if tenoned, as positively alleged, is the
point for the coroner's jury to unravel.
What renders this accident the more remarkable Is the
foot that the pit has always been noted for the large our.
rent of air which has always been found to pervade the
whole of the workinp, and It is no uncommon ooeur•
refine for the lights of the workmen to be blown out by
the current of elr. The management of the pit ii under
Mr. Thomas Morgan, who is also part owner, and who is
known all a gentleman of great experience, and one who
ham always studied the safety of his men.
Mr. T. Evans, the Government Inspector of Coal
Mines for the South Wales District, was on the spot
within a few hours of the accident, and made an imps°.
tbui of the pit in order to acquaint himself with the
various 'immunise, tee., and other scientific details
neoeuary for the inquest, which was opened on Thum
day, before Mr. Alexander Cuthbertson, coroner for the
Neath district. Nu further particulars, however, than
them already given transpired.
It is hardly necessary to say that so serious an mai.
dent has spread a gloom over the whole of the Swansea'
valley.

SPROUL °HURON SHIsYICIs POI THI WORKING
CLASSIC —Arrangements have been made, under the
direction of the Bishop of London, for • wife of church
services fur the working classes of the metropolis, which
will be commenced at the close of the present month,
and continued at stated intervals in various churches of
the metropolis. Several clergymen of distinction have
offered to conduct these services, and they will in ell
probability be continued throughout the whole of the
winter. Similar arrangements are In progress in Lam.
both and Southwmic and those other portions of the
(Boom of Winchester which olosely abet upon the
metropolis. Last year these service, were attended by
large misses of working people, most of whom Pre.
*elated themselves, In compliant:le with invitations to that
'Beck in their working clothes, Sucrose has induced
the bishop and those who are sating with him in this
matter greatly to exten4 their operations this year, end
to continence the eerytere it in earlier period than
natal; '

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