The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1861-06-18 00:00:00

LIFE.

Th. neighbourhood of Chesterfield and Derby was
Stied with oonsternation, at an early hour on Wednesday
(rows rumour circulated that • serious madame had
occurred, and that • great number of lives were qo
the extensive Clay-moss works. twenty miles from
on the north branch of the Midland Railway,
Proprietors of which are Mr. W. Jackass, M.P ,Ste
Moton Pato, M.P., and others. Mr. Chalet Sinna.is the
manager of the works, which have long been looked
upon as the most admirable for organisation and
management that probably exist in the Midland mention,
and have been carried on from the time of old George
Stephenson, who was the founder of the company, with
great ability and success. On mei:eliding° the weeks
we found that awl accident had occurred in consequence
of the sudden eruption of water break* throngha
portion of an old pit into that of a new one, w
upwards of la) men were at work getting coaL
accident occurred between 4 and 5 o'clock 00 rr
afternoon, and although the water rushed Into the
with extraordinary velocity, the majority of the men
were enabled to retreat to the mouth of the abaft, an
were drawn up to the surface in safety ; but we „woe
to say that no less than twenty-one men still muds to
be ...punted for ; and as it was upwards of two hours
before the top of the level at the bottom of the pit woe
Ailed with water, it appears unaccountable how h wee
these poor fellows did not escape with their fellow-
workmen. The water on Wednesday evening stood at
seven yards above the bottom of the pit, the pampa,
• of which are at the lowed part of the workimm sad
• faint hope ia still expressed that if the men in Ilis
pit
have been enabled to obtain sufficient air some of the.
may be found alive. The scene at the pit mouth, sites
the news of the accident had spread through ihe town,
was one of the most harrowing description. The
parents, wives, and children of thos, who were left in
the mine, congregated ro nd the shaft, and their piteous
cries rent the air, althou:h some of them were willing
to hope that some of the unfortunate sufferers might be
found alive. Mr. Binna, who has been manager of
the winery for the pest twenty-three years, was Os the
spot shortly after the accident, and remained rt the
pit during the whole of Tuesday evening, and •P° the
Ume we write, using every exertion that it was Josslibie
to suggest. Mr. Hedley, government inspector mines,
reached (lay-cross between eight and eine o'closk Oft
Tuesday evening, having received • telegram at Derby,
and be la also in attendance up to the present thee,
ambling as far as be can, in getting the alas filo of
the water. Messrs. Woodhouse and Jerome, of Derby,
the mithaent mining engineers, and Mr. Markham, of ehil
Midland Railway, were also telegraphed for, and maw
the works at an early boar on Wednesday oboisiag ;
but, notwlthetanding the exertions hong ma=
den will probably Amu before the works are
=Masotti to remover the bodies. There,weee between
fifty and si horses in the pit at the thee the academe
occurred, anion doubt they have all bees grooved.
Them works, whichsriayse the Looks market la •
greet inessure with bays bees ...Aid en with
peat enema. and of exposes. and we NO It
to say that this is the int serious sosideat Mist
ossorred. The amount of mai pronged at tie Move
woks ie gest 300,000 tau pot mow

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