The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-10-02 00:00:00

SHOCKING QUARRY DISASTER.
SEVERAL PERSONS KILLED.

GLASGOW, Sunday Night.
An accident of an almost unprecedented character,
and unhappily attended;with terrible fatal results, oc-
curred yesterday afternoon at the famous Craroe
Quarries, on Loch Fyne Side, a few miles from
Inyerary. The quarries, which are situated on the
west side of the loch, are by far the largest in Scot-
land, and contain an almost inexhaustible supply of
the best granite adapted for street-paving purposes.
They are the property of Messrs. Win. Sim and Co.,
and have for a considerable time been leased by
Messrs. A. and J. Caill and Co., the well-known

Glasgow contractors. For a number of years there has
been annually a great blast at the quarries, the
quantity of gunpowder exploded increasing from about
three tons at the earliest of these operations to
about six tons, the quantity that has beeu used at each
of them on the more recent occasions. The Corpora-
tion of Glasgow are the largest customers of the les-
sees, and each of the "monster blasts," as these
annual events have come to be termed, has been
attended with more or less ceremony. The

Lord Provost of Glasgow and the Members
of the Corporation were always invited
guests to witness the operation, and many
hundreds of excursionists from all parts of the West
of Scotland made their way to ,the spot to witness the
unique spectacle of upwards of 50,000 tons of rock
being displaced by a single explosion. The event of
yesterday was the most important of the long series
of its kind that have taken place at the quarries, a
special significance being imparted to the occasion
from the fact that it was intended to mark the
jubilee year of the Police and Statute Labour Com-
mittee of the Glasgow Corporation. The charge of
gunpowder was increased to the quantity of seven
tons. As usual, the members of the Corporation were
invited to be present, and many of them, accompanied
by their wives and other members of their families,
and a large number of the general public, left the
city in the morning on board the Clyde steamer Lord
of the Isles, for the quarries. The company num-
bered upwards of 1000, and a splendid sail was
enjoyed down the river, through the famous Kyles of
Bute and up Loch Fyne. The quarries are situate on
the face of a hill, which rises almost perpendiculerly
from the edge of the loch to a height of about 150
feet. The blast is prepared by a chamber being bored
in the face of the rock, at a distance of 30f I. from
the ground, and extending inwards for GOft. with
branch chambers of 201 t. each in length to the left
and right, starting from the innermost point of the
main chamber. These cavities are filled with the
charge, which is exploded by electricity.
The steamer arrived off the quarries shortly after
one o'clock, and was brought up a little within a mile
from the shore. As on former occasions, the signal
for the explosion to take place was given by the
steamer sounding her steam whistle. The charge
was immediately fired, and in less than a minute the
whole face of the quarry heaved outwards, between
60,000 and 70,000 tons of rock being dislodged, and
the operation proving one of the most successful, so
far as the purpose for which it was intended was con-
cerned, that has ever been performed. The smoke
having somewhat cleared away, the steamer was Wien
nearer the shore, and those of the passengers who de-
sired to do so were allowed to land in boats for the
purpose of examining the results of the blast. About
300 persons, many of them being ladies, availed them-
selves of the opportunity, and were duly landed on
the beach. The steamer then continued her run to
Inverary, the arrangement being that she should pick
up those who had gone ashore on the return journey.
When the company assembled on the beach they
immediately proceeded to the quarry, accompanied
by Messrs. Alexander and John Faill, the lessees, and
Mr. Sharpe, the manager, and Mr. Win. Sim, the
proprietor, was also present. These gentlemen ex-
plained to the various groups of ladies and gentle-
men the nature and extent of the operations carried
on at Craroe, and the blasting processes by which the
rock was obtained. In this way the company entered
the quarry, which, it should be explained, has the
shape in the interior of a horseshoe, and there was
nothing so far to indicate that they were running the
smallest risk. Before many minutes had elapsed,
however, members of the party at all points seemed
suddenly, and in the midst of the most animated
conversation, to be overpowered with some invisible
vapour, and fell motionless to the ground among the
stones. The officials, at once realising that the
catastrophe was due to chokedamp, called out to the
people to run, but in the consternation with which
everyone was seized the warning was either not under-
stood by many, or they found themselves powerless
to act upon it. For some minutes the people con-
tinued to fall down, most of them without even utter-
ing so much as a cry, and to lie upon the ground to
all appearance as if they were dead. In this way it is
said that in the course of a few minutes no fewer than
from 80 to 100 persons were prostrated, and, so far as
could be judged from their ghastly faces, they were
stricken beyond hope of recovery. Fortunately, the
whole of those who came off the steamer had not
entered the place before the danger became known,
and when the apalling character of the catastrophe
was in some measure realised, there were not wanting
many willing and brave men eager to render what
assistance they could to their less fortunate corn
nations. Many of the workmen also soon came to the
rescue, and these, with many of the gentlemen of the
party, risked their lives in rushing into the enclosure
and carrying out into the open air those who had
been overpowered by the deadly fumes.
Notwithstanding the terrible panic which prevailed,
the work was done in an almost incredibly short time.
It was at once ascertained that six gentlemen were
al eady dead, and from 20 to 30 other persons, in-
cl ding women and young people, were in an
eminently critical condition. From 40 to 50 others
were more or less affected, but these speedily gave
signs oi returning consciousness on being brought
down to the beach. The scene at the small pier,
whither the victims were carried, was sad and lament-
able in the last degree. The relatives of the dead and
injured were thrown into a state of the wildest excite-
ment. Ladies became hysterical, and even the strongest
men in the company seemed to lose control over them-
selves, so awful in its suddenness had been the disaster.
There were several medical men on board the
steamer, but only three or four had landed, and these
exerted themselves heroically to restore the victims
to consciousness. Councillor Dr. Wilson more than
once risked his own life in attending to the prostrate
people within the quarry, while everything that
medical skill could suggest was done with the appli-
ances at band. The return of the steamer from
Inierary was anxiously awaited, in order to have the
injured persons removed to Grenock, the nearest hos-
pital to Loch Fyne. About three o'clock the steamer
arrived, and scenes of the most painful description
followed when some of those on board had to be in-
formed of the calamity that had overtaken relatives
whom they had left so shortly before in the highest
holiday spirit.
A long time was occupied in getting the injured and
the dead transferred to the steamer, but the melan-
choly task having been performed, the vessel started
for Greenock, and, being one of the fastest racers on
the Clyde, the journey was performed with marvel-
lous rapidity. With the increased medical staff now
available greater attention was given to the more
serious cases, but many of them still gave no hope of
recovery. Others again revived with the fresh breeze
from the loch, and by the time Greenock was reached
quite a number of victims had got into a hopeful state.
Greenock was reached between seven and eight o'clock.
The authorities having been communicated with by
telegraph, a number of ambulance waggons were in
waiting at the pier. The worst cases were conveyed
to the infirmary, where some of them still remain un-
conscious. Shortly after being admitted to the in-
stitution Councillor Young, of Glasgow, who was one
of the most seriously affected, succumbed. Among
those who died instantaneously in the quarry were
Councillor Thomas Duncan and Mr. Matthew Waddel,
of the City Restaurant, a gentleman well known in
Glasgow and elsewhere through his connection with
temperance and various other societies of a kindred
character.
Various theories are given as to the cause of the
disaster. Among those best competent to form an
opinion the theory is held that the action of the choke-
damp was precisely similar to that experienced in
mining operations. After the explosion took place the
heavy gases lying in the crevices among the disrupted
rocks flowed out. They were caught up by the wind,
and, the heavy atmosphere preventing them from
rising, those who were in the current suffered most.
One gentleman, a mining engineer, states that he had
seen in other cases people who ventured top soon into
a quarry turn sick, but he had not previously known any-
one being overpowered. Mr. William Sim, the owner of
the quarry, who has had most extensive experience of
such operations, states that the only result at all ap-
proaching the present took place about 20 years ago.
At a quarry closely adjoining Crarae, about a dozen
boys mein immediately after an explosion, and were all
overpowered with the after-fumes, but, being instantly
rescued, they all recovered. A gentleman who wit-
nessed the explosion from the steamer, states that
after the blast took place he saw a heavy white vapour
rising from among the falling rocks. The cause of
the disaster may be briefly stated as follows: The
enormous size of the blast, the confined nature of the
quarry, the heavy atmosphere, and the almost entire
absence of wind to clear the air of the after-fumes.
Last night the receipt of the news of the accident
created intense excitement in Glasgow. Many greatly
exaggerated versions of the affair were abroad, and
the meagre intelligence that could be received tended
to increase the alarm. Until long past midnight the
newspaper offices were besieged by crowds of persons
eager to learn the latest information of the disaster.
The following is a list of the killed: Councillor John
Young, Glasgow; Councillor Thomas Duncan, Glas-
gow; Mr. Matthew Waddell, City Restaurants,
Glasgow; Mr. Steel, jeweller and electro-plater, Ann-
street, Belfast; Mr. Peter Stevenson, optician, Forest-
road, Edinburgh; Mr. James Shaw, 17 years of age,
son of Councillor Shaw, Glasgow; Mr. Small, 70
years of age, Dairy, Ayrshire.
The following is a list of those injured: Councillor
J. H. Martin, Glasgow; Mr. Alexander Macdonald,
Mastet of Works Office, Glasgow; Mr. John. Harvey,
reporter, Scotsman office, Glasgow; Mr. Christopher
C. Young, reporter, Scottish Nitos Office, Glasgow;
Councillor M‘Lenan, St. Andrew-square; Counoillor
Cumming; Councillor Brechin, Grafton-street; left
leg injured by severe fall; Bailie Crawford; Councillor
Calweller, Argylleatreet ; Mr. J. J. Long. watch
manufacturer; Baillie inonipson ; Bane hi'Laren ;