The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-06-27 00:00:00

THE CLIFTON HALL COLLIERY

EXPLOSION.

The full measure of this dreadful calamity, which
occurred at the pit at Pendlebury, about three miles
from Manchester, towards the close of last week, is
now known. Up to Saturday mommy the operations
carried on at the pits resulted in 110 bodies being
brought to the surface. Adding to these seven who
died at their homes and in hospital, there was a total
of 117 dead, up to the latest returns of Sunday.
Other bodies were then to be recovered. The sacrifice
of life was frightful, and in this class of catastrophe
finds no parallel except in that of the ever-memorable
Oaks Colliery. Two hundred and eight miners have
happily escaped, a result which is entirely attri-
butable to the fact that the deep seam of the
Clifton Hall Mine, in which the explosion took
place, had communication with another mine,
about a mile off. Through this the living and the
dead were brought to the surface. The particulars,
in this instance, are just of the usual stereotyped
character. At the appointed time the men and boys
go down into the pits, the air, the machinery,
the shaft-gear, and everything connected with
the workings being apparently safe, and in good
order. The men are finding the coal for three or four
hours, when when without warning, or known cause,
an explosion takes place, with the usual awful conse-
quences. Then follow the heroic efforts of the gangs
who, at the risk of their own lives, undertake to force
their way into the poisonous atmosphere nf
the pits, and the heartrending scenes at the
banks as the mutilated bodies are brought
up. Who that has once heard the piercing
wail of the bereaved wife and orphans
can ever forget it, as, at dreaded intervals, it rises in
the air, and loads it with a cold terror? In imagi-
nation we can see these groups, swaying frantically
at the pit's mouth, the difficulty in most cases being
to keep them from precipitating themselves into it,
as they watch with straining eyes, pallid faces, and
frames palpitating in every fibre, for the arrival of
the cages to bank. Human suffering, in its most
extreme form, presents no spectacle more harrowing
—more awful, than that which the mouth of a
mine reveals after an explosion. Here is
an agony that, in its intenseness, simply
appals you: a grief that in its forms of abandon-
ment as nearly approaches maniacism as any-
thing can. The scene is terrible ; the ex-
perience fastens on and shrouds you as a perma-
nent terror for months. All this was experienced
in the Clifton Hall case, but, as usual, there is no ex-
planation as to why or how the disaster was brought
about. An inquest was opened on Saturday, and the
identification of the bodies formed the entire busi-
ness.
The Mayor of Manchester, promptly inter-
preting the feelings of the public, has taken means to
raise a public subscription for the widows and orphans
of the victims of the catastrophe. The Lord Mayor
of London has proffered his powerful co-operation,
and so far as material assistance can alleviate suffer-
ing there can be no question but that it will be
generously and promptly afforded. The lot of the
English miner, says a contemporary, in commenting
on the occurrence, at best, is a hard one. Perhaps
among free and civilised nations there is no form of
labour so slavish, repulsive, or dangerous. That men
shouldbe found toaccept such hard conditions of exist-
ence 's a wonderful evidence of the sacrifices that the
industrial spirit enables them to make. Burrowing
deep down in the earth, cramped and stifled, is one
of the most abject forms of human life, and out of
England it is only led by slaves. Whether mechani-
cal science will ever find coal for us after a certain
depth is reached, remains to be proved. It certainly
is a matter to which both science and authority should
direct their attention. But while we have the present
condition of things to deal with we must alleviate it
as far as we can. In presence of this last visitation
we have a double duty to perform—the causes of the
explosion must be sifted to the bottom, and the widows
and orphans be well taken care of."
The whole of Tuesday was spent in endeavouring
to reach the remaining bodies in the workings, but no
more were recovered. It is believed that all have
been brought out except the body of the furnaceman
and three others, and the number of the dead is 175.
During the day two more deaths occurred amonstst
the injured who were recovered on the day of the
explosion. The chief object to which the energies of
sympathisers is turned is the raising of funds to
relieve the distressed, and help is coming in from
many quarters. At a town meeting in Salford,
which was largely attended, Mr. Agnew, II.?.,
speaking to a resolution recognising the courage
of the explorers, observed that there was no
doubt whatever that ample funds would be placed
at the disposal of the committee. He ven-
tured to suggest to the committee that those
who risked their lives so nobly in the work of explora-
tion should not be forgotten. Mr. William Mather
said he did not believe that the slishtest blame could
be laid on the shoulders of the proprietors of the col-
liery. He was told that everything that science and
sympathy between employers and employed could
suggest had been carried out in the working of the
colliery. A statement was made to the meeting
showing, on behalf of the relief committee, there were
75 widows to provide for, and the number of children
was 279. There were, in addition, 36 other persons
dependent on those who had been killed. The total
number, therefore, of those thrown helpless
on the world by this terrible catastrophe
was nea•ly 400. In addition, the neighbour-
hood, which was a poor one, was the poorer
by the loss of the £225 of weekly wages
received by those who had been killed.
Through the club fund in connection with the colliery,
the represent dives of every dead man were entitled
to £6 10s. at once, and the widow to ss. a week for
two years, and 2s. 6d. a week for each child till it
reached the age of 10 years. These sums were not
large, though enough at present to keep the wolf
from the door. The suggestion had been made to
the Bell. f Committee that the ss. per week should be
made into 10s., or even 155., for two years, and the
age up to which the children should be helped should
be raised from 10 to 13 years. (Cheers.) To do
this about £15,000 would be required; there would
be other necessities to be met, and it was estimated
that a total sum of between £15,000 and £20,000
would be needed. The Lord Mayor, M.P., has
received £lOO from Messrs. Baring Brothers, £lOO
from Messrs. Rothschild and Sons, £5O from the Earl
of Radnor, £5O from Messrs. J. Stuttard and Sons,
£2O from the Misses Bonhote, and £25 from Lord
Vernon, towards the fund being raised at the Mansion
House for the relief of the sufferers by the recent
colliery accident near Manchester.