The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-11-28 00:00:00

THE STOURBRIDGE OBSERVER.

the Atlantic, !Ind hare bet one clams without any dies 211 k ,Cilinff:viTi°cllonnwikaVvinTong ;7khedt, ;it!iaile Tom.N°.
tinction whatever. I doubt this very mach. The
limion worked, were thoroughly explored. In the course
abolition of the intermediate class really causes the of further investigations, the explorers found that at
difference between the other two to stand out in greater the time of the accident the men in No. 1 bet* were
contrast; and, although a uniform class does very well engaged in moving the "chocks "further in to support ,
in a Republican community, it will take a very long the roof, and they also found that there had been a
time here to reconcile a duke to the idea oit riding in fall conclusiono of
rof
. thatTh They
had nio. dttlisciertLiitth en
coming
sitoo. the,,r
the same compartment with an agricultural labourer. curred. There were here proofs that by a sudden fall
In one of the most unpretentious of our streets, of roof a quanntfoufugat was liberated. TlArs men
Fetter-lane, there is a large building with no claims who oundweinre ;'‘ I t_oe twgo beokYs. burnt and
a&orTeut'lVartieght,whe:l
to architectural beauty, but with contents of priceless dropped on his hands and knees, and in that attitude
importance—that is, the Record Office, and within its he was found dead by the volunteers. Jeseph
walls are the state papers of centuries—documents Taylor was still alive, although badly burnt and ins
with the handwriting of kings, and of men in high sensible from the after-damp. One of the party
places, many of which possess great historic interest. t caughtiurtirm .up
and
ties
was taken
rindkenhhommet'enelllewaitthtintee
Now, before a man can be admitted to the reading recovered consciousness, but had no recollection of
room of the British Museum, he moot be recommended I anything that had occurred. The other three men who
by two householders whose names appear in the were injured are recovering. Some of the men who
London Directory, aril if you go to Souseraet House to a .re working in the eastern part of the pit narrowly
es -a-id i tfhr le lives,itehe
sioinirdteherevn
rtror-
edia‘ye they
oh.aed Lti,
I examine a mill, yoa haws to pay a shilling. But at
the Record Office a respectable person can look at any recoveredalready been in two explosioas, and when he heard the
State paper which be Usi to ask ter, without any dull heavy report and experii nced the rush of hot
stipulation whatever. This privilege is highly appre- poisonous air die exclaimed to his companion "She's
elated by literary men, many of whom may be con. Sired ! fly ! ' They immediately started for the engine
stautly seen there, making eatracta from valuable his- rlltanat theye: l'u
had entco° wr
eittreeV sleotturaLlueusd o
they IttlermirteN
torical documenta. The Record Office is constructed to escape and and as often had to retire. "Itey
was hire a
especially to resist the atacke of fire, thick wall," he said, "we could not get through it."
The direct cause of Indian famines being almost in- Fearing, however, that death would overtake them if
they remained where they were they made one more
variably deficiency of water, the Institution of Civil desperate effort and escaped. '
Engineers has directed attention to the importance of
In the course of to-day Mr. Casey, one of the eecres
providing greater facilities for catching and storing tones of the South Yorkshire Miners' Asemiation,
rain in that country. it has been estimated that if accompanied by the treasurer, Mr. Bradhead, arrived
the rainfall averages 40 inches a year, 37 fall in the at Rawalarsh. They brought with them £2OO to dis-
four monsoon months, and only three during the 'other tribute among the widows and fatherless children.
The deceased men were all members of the South
eight, or lesenhan half an inch per month. Now, if
Yorkshire Miners' Association. Their widow' now
the surplus water were properly stored in the monsoon become entitled to 1:6 each "burial fee," Is. a week
months, there need be no lack during the other two- hereafter, and Is. for each child. The inquest was
thirds of the year, when the sun's heat beats down opened this afternoon at the "Star Inn," Rawmarsh,
upon the cracked and thirsty soiL As a matter of by Mr. B. Bagehawe, deputy coroner. No evidence
was taken, but burial certificates were issued, in order
fact, however, in the wet season, an enormous quantity that the bodies most seriously burned might be buried
of water is allowed to run into the sea, which would to-morrow. The inquiry will commence on Monday.
be extremely valuable in the dry time. The fluetua- SUMAS NIGLIT.
tions of rainfall in India are, indeed, extraordinary. Many thousands of people from Sheffield, Bothers
I have just stated that, on an average, three inches ham, Bartudey, and other places have visited the
fall during the eight dry months, whereas at Madras colliery to-day and the greatest contusion has prevailed.
23A inches have been known to fall in 24 hours. The coroner's permission having been obtained, it was
decided to bury 17 of the dead to-day, six at Raw.
Many of the theatres are already preparing for the marsh, six at Swinton, two at Kilahuret, and three
Christmas pantomimes, which will soon be announced at Wath. New-hill, and Upper Haugh. The lire.
with thoae grotesque and extravagant titles with which Pa
rations had to be made late last night and to day for
many of us are so familiar. The youngsters are eager the interments, and some of the coffins and graves
were scarcely ready when the time for being at church
to welcome Clown and Pantaloon, Harlequin and
arrived. Considering the great crowds present, pro.
Columbine, and to laugh consumedly at the robberies ceedings passed off quietly.
of butchers' shops, and at the bonneting of unlucky
policemen. I have often wondered what becomes of
those performers, 60 dear to the young and tender
mind, when the pantomime has had its run, and the
transformation scene has been witnessed for the last
time, when the gorgeous views of fairyland are
no more, and the theatre has returned to the
matter-of-fact affairs of every-day life. Do they make
enough in two months to last them the entire year, or
do they take their share during the other ten months
in an ordinary department of industry? Is Clown a
railway signalman, Pantaloon a crossing sweeper,
Harlequin a barman, and Sprite an apprentice to a
tailor? And does Columbine, when she casts off her

The Coroner for the Southern Division of the West
Riding, Mr. Deasy Wightman, held an inquiry at the
"Star Inn," Rawmarsh, on Monday, on the bodies of
23 men and boys who lost their lives in the Rawmarsh
Colliery, on Friday morning. In consequent of the
terribly mutilated state of some of the bodies, orders
had been given for the burial of all except five, which
were preserved for identification at the inquest. These
were the bodies of George Taylor, George Skelton,
Samuel Skelton, William Cooper, and Thomas
Roberts.
Mr. Taylor, grocer and draper, had been selected as
foreman of the jury, and he pointed out that it would
be a great injustice to the majority of the miners if
the jury had not a practical man at its head, and sug-
gested that Mr. Joshua Carr, who was a practical
man, should be sworn as foreman. The advice was
followed, and the Coroner then said he proposed to
identify the bodies and afterwards adjourn the inquest
until the 2nd of December. In the meantime Mr.
Wardle, the Government Inspector of Mines for the
district, and Mr. Evans, Government Inspector of Mines
for Derbyshire, would make a thorough investigation of
the whole pit, and would, he hoped, come prepared
at the re-opening of the invest with some satisfactory
evidence as to the cause or probable cause of the ex•
plosion. Witnesses were called to identify the dead,
and the inquest was adjourned until the day men-
tioned.

.....
light and tastefully-made drapery, return to her place
behind a shop counter, and content herself with such
things as tape and haberdashery? I know not, but I
can tell you as an incontrovertible fact that the kings
and queens in miniature, together with the !wets of
fairies who look so gorgeous amid the glare and
glitter of the footlights, are very poor indeed, and to
their parents the payment made for the services of
their little ones in this way is extremely welcome, and
enables them to place upon the table at Christmas
time many a nicety which must otherwise be dune
without.

THE RAWMARSH COLLIERY
EXPLOSION.
The Correspondent of The Times, writing from Sheffield on
Saturday night, says:—
Twenty-three persons have been killed and four
seriously injured through the terrible explosion at
Hammen& Colliery yesterday. Since the explosion in
the Oaks Pit in 1866, when 368 lives were lost, the
South Yorkshire coalfield has not been the scene of so
shocking a catastrophe. The Itawmarsh Colliery,
which consists of several pits, belongs to Messrs. J. and
J. Charlesworth, who bear a high reputation in the
district for the way in which their colliery is worked.
The workings of the various pits are more or less con-
nected, and awes in one of them—the Warren Vale—in
1851, that an explosion occurred and 52 lives were
sacrificed. The scene of the present disaster, the Victoria
Pit, has hitherto been singularly free from accidents
of every description. Until Friday only one life had
been lost in it, and that by the fall of a stone from the
roof. Its ventilation was considered to be almost
perfect, and so great was the confidence of the miners
in its safety that they habitually used naked lights. It
is believed that the explosion is directly traceable to
this latter circumstance, for it is probable that if safety
lamps had been used, instead of naked lights, the ex-
plosion would never have occurred. Some time since
the proprietors and officials of the colliery ereleavonred
to make the general use of safety lamps compulsory, tut
to this the miners were stoutly opposed, and the well-
intentioned effort on the part of Messrs. Charleswart
ended in a compromise. It was insisted that safety
lamps only should be used in the opening up of
" banks," but that when the princess was finished
naked lights should be permitted. The" banks "where
the explosion occurred have only recently been opened
up, and it is said that naked lights hail not been used
in that part of the pit for more than a week or ten days.
Terrible as were the results of the explosion, they
would undoubtedly have been much greater had not
the ventilation been so good. Fortunately, too, the
explosion occurred at a part of the mine where the
current of air is very strong, and to this circumstance
must be attributed the fact that, although the ventila-
tion was subsequently very much disturbed, the air
current was not reversed. It has been ascertained that
the explosion occurred in a bank about 1,500 yards in
an easterly direction from the pit shaft, in a part of
the workings which runs under the village of Swinton.
At the time of the explosion nearly 170 men and
boys were in the mine. These all belonged to the day
shift. Previous to their descending, at five o'clock,
the workings were examined. This was again done
only half an hour before the accident, and the "fire
trier" pronounced them to be safe. At seventeen
minutes past eight o'clock the miners in the eastern
workings were startled by a report like the explosion
of a small caneon. Immediately afterwards came the
"sucking" sound which always follows an explosion,
and instantly the workings became more or lees charged
with after-damp. A rush was made for the pit bot-
tom, but some sere overtaken by the deadly gas and
dropped powerless to the ground; while others, nearer
the pit bottom, crawled upon their hands and knees
until, gasping and almost unconscious, they came to
where the air was purer and the after-damp leas
deadly in its effects. But very few of the deceased
men died from after damp, probably not more than
three or four. The bodies of the remaining 19 or
20 bear abundant evidence that they were killed by the
explosion, for they are all scorched and burnt, and some
are not easily to be identified, The noise of the explo-
sion was not heard at the pit bank, but it was noticed
that something unusual had happened from the fact
of some dust coming from the up-cast shaft. One of
the managers, Mr. Sellars, telegraphed down to in-
qnire what had happened, and the simple word
" Plenty" was the reply which he received. Soon
afterwards the miners from the various workings
came flocking to the pit mouth and were drawn up
with the utmost despatch. Exploring parties were
then formed,meslical men were sent for, the managers
and engineers of neighbouring collieries were com-
municated with, and tidings of the accident were for-
warded to Mr. F. N. Wardell, Government Inspector
of the district. 'line latter arrived at the colliery in
the course of the morning. As soon as it was deemed
safe to commence the workof exploration, the exploring
parties went down and made their way in the direc-
tion of the east workings. They soon learnt there
had been a terrible explosion, for the bratticing was
torn down, corves were overturned, and the roadway
was strewn with wreck. The ventilation, too, was
much disturbed. The men found in the pit were sent
to the pit bottom with the utmost despatch, were at-
tended to by the meslical men, and then taken to their
homes in carts. Up to two o'clock in the afternoon
only eleven bodies had been found, the extreme eastern
workings not having been explored on account of the
state of the air in the pit. A conSultation was then
held between Mr. Wardell and a number of mining
engineers as to the best course to be pursued. All
hopes of finding any of the remaining men alive were
given up, but it was deemed advisable that they should
be reached as soon as possible, and in order to improve
the ventilation of the pit, the ventilating furnace,
which had been purposely extinguished far fear of its
sus ing, a second explosion, was re-lighted. The
atmesphere of the pit soon became much purer, and
several explorers then went down in the expectation
that they would then be able to reach the workings in
which they believed the explosion occurred. On their
way, however, a cry of " Fire " was raised, and explor-
ing operations were again suspended. It seemed
that on their way the explorers discovered that some
" chocks"—the woodwork which supports the roof—
which had been smouldering from the explosion had
been fanned into a flame by the improved ventilation.
Thinking that the coal, too, was on fire, and that a
second explosien was imminent, they all rushed to the
pit bottom and were drawn to the surface. At this
time it was believed the pit would have to be closed,
and the excitement on the pit bank became intense.
However, the fire was found not to be serious and to be
easily extinguishable. The explorers consequently
again resumed their labours, and by five in the even-
ins it was known that 23 had been killed and four
seriously injured. Thousands of spectators were by
this time on the pit bank, for tidings of the accident
had spread far and near; and heartrending scenes were
witnessed in the adjoining villages as the carts arrived
bringing home the dead.
This morning Mr. Kell, engineer of the colliery;
Mr. W. Hargreaves, of Bothwell Haigh Colliery, near
Wakefield ; Mr. Hargreaves, the manager of the
Idasisinarsh Colliery ; Mr. Embleton. engineer, Mr.
Sellars, deputy manager, and other officials met on the
pit bank, and went down to make their examination.
They found that during the night the ventilation had
very much improved, and that the air in the workings
was comparatively pure. The pit rims due north about
1,700 yards, and in this part no one was injured and no
damage done. The men there at work heard a dull
heavy sound and experienced a deafening sensation.
They were not slow in concluding that there was
something the matter somewhere in the pit, and they
hastened to the shaft bottom. Eastward the pit runs
nearly the same distance, and in the extreme part of
these workings the calamity occurred. The low
south level was reached, and No, 1 beck, in which