The Express.
London, England, 1847-03-11 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, THURSDAY EVENING, MARCH 11, 1847.

COMMITTEE OF EDUCATION.

The following appears in the form of a letter in
the Leeds I ntelligencer
The authority of this 'nominee of education le limited to the
distribution of the partlementary grant, and M that administration is
regulated by Mae minutes sod orders of council, which are all pre-
sented to parliament Woe their lordships woad to set wpm them.
The ineructions Is the henieetore of reboots desire the mode in
which the duties of Wan errs are performed. The Marro of
Council have Do pawn he ender no their impeders ere eity to
interfere In the discipline, oreprot, or instruers of stools, as
the following erects will sows .-
3- la teriaaralatt the er Oration of the parboswalarg prat ler
pre arra he Gnat Britain, my lords re he view the on.
..ZralllMMlll4 Inesi for the improvement ima errs of
Bless
err% rather made by eilearry asessieres or by
loriber The
eel, by
ef ler KIM IS therefore
= le star this reel, by erre te ths promoters of
schools ma oppertealey of asertandam d the perrel rids of in-
step**, rat herrerents in the rarer med Irma arrange-
ment et err er 'shed mergement sat aleddre, end in the
aletras et her bees mostreet by re rem extend,.
eser‘le *err et id wets sir by his greats is, in this re-
name, • mord rearatto between the govrnment and the eom-
WONG segerrar *rob, by we hkh information IC.
rear dl errishis beiprivianionts may be diffused where're it
mat ; yea =be careful, ut vidts rainspeetir, Mean.
nyder ebb the , or err raker of reran
scored with the morel, oV'Zißtr% reboot omelet*, or, In We
Ammo da alseell armailtece, with the ref rarer, of the err
sad da err he err tint one main object et your obit le to and
then am ardor la di 'ORM for imprommenttnifileh they mg
dolor year or be vet yea are in no read he lortere with the
leetradr, trreassessat, er draw of the rod, we to per apes
them Ay sespros irk Way any be drand to receive.
Adr eat reprehirr dew of dis mire der dyer
dies to at en dr Import ; bat when a gra inepeetko et
slier aided try par ars le Sr the Ike reght Weep&
ark ft het the Mort reemeere diet yea Weld beer tried
tied brersa *ad ':fit es arms et cesseedeg .root,
but d err. reilare; dist Ith mat la he raper as
to des err ethed sire. het hr resureserruda
that I* distelgeds arit he area err sorder
the red serldee ;—the l beeseest r power ryes,
and ad beer lasheetel Is err sny ore, er harsh—, eseeplis
dirs SY rhea.
Tide is there* re of the Meld minor (Ores et rett I
err) The Corr et Orr it, In tree reseatisser seek to
"Orr the versa et rids to raise There Inertions to •
orrlatarrad et drag byre/wry esertrs, sod se a reward
for thre sire, ar eneentipier be esetrall stortloos, they
duo ram per k ef *Mei err, ea they aro with pre-
dicts the rase/ Wok endowity, as estkeeqes to invade
We perm et as teed =rear The *err of Council
mate by Was err pewee le err ihe pre wary to certain
new dada, harry eserril dr We wen beteg et rood (pro-
vide* presiot ere rear fre the desert et pars dr.
rob lot Orr rake as power of of err tam at hierfore
drier. Mareard, this per ass be ha may rharsery,
beteg salad *the amend need tithe
If the prom we piers the series apart Wet the
government del he Mar 10, the ;erred re se flat b pro-
mote the errs et the pear It may b 7 police
—it may ember tarry geomments byreLlesp":7Bthe line—it
mar deer to per are by the areirery d ths kw—but it
net wan noted err, ear :(tall mar eat erected
es that Ihey ms. dr re red the Inr, Ys which
' lams= ana dee reirdee
ysiemment are met le hi reed le rem, be err
Or somtis era=zas. Nepareal& sr Wm irk the
maintain
of rim Mg tin rbk ile prudes
re
Ira Tar tit I. le
anta* ear rift
he moor erre seasemory Se prewar
of par ceder, bet te telbe as seep to to the peer Is braes
the* herbila set reran" err *make err le's Ihr Is he
the role et-War men. Mr et three germ % die en
most premiratbs-dased*Wr ere sa *deaden at toe sits.
to We rare assess, had i.seder aria, se the peer et
this 'der do learers whir Way Myr ft Ilds oder et their
cep err, yet dry rig are the emetic elese et the old
at resount Se IMININO the add tradilitelm nod
seardo of to drop ef the rarberres Ise neer
ararer yet they raaserm by seggeter star
s Is end* erns at the bet Op he on eery ea
=sores hors he prat re Veer st obas ana arse.
they ernes the pry* he erpt on Import, If net eer-
ier einerso, se mart of ray Sr the tolls dress, rather
thsa ri market hirden kr In Err r the tied ef
eiders (la when is as stir her re herd • Comer
sett
bar te err leee pddi, hot le err dr per* Is
Ihrera.
Iles
taw heft ea err ershos then to per; rams of In
yews to ress* eet the re, letwtthstmaitl lmad
cerise et err deer A mere err frog In
term's err the pear, wir arrelasind sew
then is - ribber We
is
et thst err
=at whisk have Orr We bor. It war he
le serve Wet the err re Into rider men
et Terre reed nor friallarent to a essitrovessyuseeraket
mars shells ther but rag dry SEIM 1611
err er red resese W site the salad eddy direr the
err tithe hided dear sr prey he rah they berg.
lay serer le; est as astir restar Irk is pentrar
We tarred dower's et the pest arm et We pods is weft
thethe pre • Ore retreat acorir the rod reed the
pre risk- Is memo is mew to tb• gmalhes of
any seer, herr .I,.pew Ws err et the
forret Ws red belly o: lebeerete mat germ by vim mgr.
ono ow mom mire's of this erp.hr lira se
presser der ma I cancer .1 thet ariesirs=
classes et WM wry there will not ter Ems whams In
so be orassel by the red natural Into d stake, ea to demond
on barer We peer that averment rid lei :fore to procure to
thus Ites iniellbc4CleiNden

COAL-PIT EXPLOSION NEAR BARNSLEY.
We mentioned yesterday, that the inquest on
the bodies of the unfortunate men killed by the explo-
sion on the Sth instant, at the Oaks Colliery, at Ardsley,
was commenced on Monday. Before viewing the bodies,
the jury finding that the room in the White Bear Inn, at
Ardsley, wee very inconvesient from its limited dimensions,
mastedto Mr. O. D. Barker, the deputy-coroner pre-
siding, that the further proceedings should be adjourned to
the court-house at Barnsley ; and the suggestion was as
to.
After all the bodies had been viewed and identified, the
inquest was proceeded with at three o'clock, at the court-
house, Barnsley, to which place it had been adjourned. Mr.
Marshall, solicitor, Barnsley, attended on behalf of the
friends of Peter Day, and other friends of the deceased per-
sons, and Mr. Mance appeared for the proprietors of the
colliery.
The coroner briefly addressed the jury, and said he
wished to call their attention to a few points in the inquiry,
which, in his opinion, would most require their particular
notice. The first woo, as to whether the pit was in a proper
working condition, properly ventilated, and wheth ryre-

quisite precaution had been taken to ensure the safety of the
workmen employed in it; secondly, the cause of the accu-
mulation of fool air, and of the explosion; and, thirdly, if
any and what person was culpable, end to what extent
blamable for the calamity which had happened. He soli-
cited their serious attention to the evidence which would be
given, not only for the purpose of arriving at a proper con-
clusion on the ease then before them, but also that their in.
vestigation might operate beneficially in preventing the
occurrence of accidents of so deplorable a nature.
The first witness called was Joseph Northrop, who on
being sworn said lam banksman at the Wks pit in Ards..
ley, and attend to the cones as they come up and go down,
and I see the men employed go down to their wort and
come out. I saw the deceased persons go down into the pit
on Friday morning the bth inst. I was in the pit till about
three o'c:oek en the afternoon, when an explo-
sion took place in the pit. After the explosion I
saw several dead Ludic' taken out of the pit,
which ballet the jury have viewed. The witnese then
identified several of the bodies of the unfortunate sufferers.
The witness in continuation said there are two shafts ; one
is used as a drawing shaft. There was some scaffolding let
down the other shalt about s month or five weeks ago, which
was circular, and nearly the width of the shaft, sad was let
down for men to stead upon to repair the shaft. It was in
the theft at the time of the explosion, and is
there now. Two men were working on the scaffolding
at the time of the explosion, one of whom was killed.
The fireman, Joseph Littlewood, goes into the pit before
the men in the morning. George Armitage so bottom
steward. Mr. George Wilson is manager. I know nothing
of the bottom working, I attend only to the top.
Joseph Littlewood was the next witni as presented. Before
he was sworn the coroner inquired of him the nature of his
duties, and told him that as the result of the inquiry
might affect those persons hating the management
and contra of the pit, he wished to explaiu
to them that they need not give any evidence
that might criminate themselves ; but if they
tendered their evidence after that explanation, he (the 1
c-ironer) would receive it. Shuttleworth having stated that
he wished to be examined, was sworn, and said : I am fire- 1
man at the Oaks pit. My duties are to go down into the
pit first, to see that it Is in working order, and fit for the
men to work in. I usually went down about three o'clock
in the morning. There is then no man in the pit, except a
man who attends the cupola fire in the pit. The
fire is about fifteen or sixteen yards from the air-shaft.
When I get down, I go into the first man's hole nearest the
bottom, and take a safety lamp with me to try if it is safe. I
hold the lamp before me. If ft fires, it is not safe; if it does
' not fire, as an additional teat, I take the top of the lamp off,
which exposes the air in the hole openly to the flame of the
lamp. I can tell from the flame if any foul air is in the
hole. There might be foul air in the hole to show an appear
apes when in contact with the naked flame, although it would
not fire, and although no erpearanee of foul air might show
through the gauze of a safety lamp. I found, on rpplying
these two tests on Friday morning last, no appearance of
foul air in the first hole. I tried every hole in the pit in the
same way. I found no foul air where the men were is
11 work. I found foul air in the old workings, and in which
men are not now employed. The depth of the seam of coals
is:about eight feet two inches, and the break or hole
when the coal is gut will be about the same depth,
twenty to thirty y ards wide, and from seven hun-
dred to one hundred yards in length. The break*
are propped with props, puncheons, and packs.
I found foul air in some of the breaks on Friday morning
last. I went down at twenty minutes past three, and ex-
amined the men's working holes, as I have stated. I make
this examination every morning, and have examined the pit
in the way mentioned every morning for about a year and •
half. There has always been foul air in the breaks where
the coal has been go.. The reason there is foul air in the
breaks which have been worked, and not in those which are
being worked it., that in the breaks which have been
worked the roof has fallen, and the air cannot
get thoroughly into them; the props and puncheons in the
old breaks are " borrowed," that is, taken away as the
workings proceed. When they are borrowed, the roof left
will fall in. When the roof lolls, it will have the effect of
driving any foul air in the break.; out into the pit. When
the men working in the new breaks want proper packs, they
are sent down from the top. There is a bye-man at the
bottom of the pie, his name is William Charlesworth, who is
burnt and bruised by the explosion, but is alive. His
duty is to do any work he may be required
to do by George Armitage, the bottom steward,
and myself. He has to get the " chocks" out of the
old breaks. The colliers get the puncheons. The bye-man
is not • collier but s labourer. A puncheon is made of wood
and goes from the floor to the roof. The " chocks" are
pieces of wood used as wedges; one is put on the other en the
coal is got. The puncheons are left when the coal is got, and
the chocks are carried forward. The roof will not fall
until the puncheon, are removed. When the colliers
working in the pit want puncheons they get from the old
breaks and take them to those In which they are
working. If they cannot get those (tom the old breaks,
they can get them from the top, but they must try to get
those in the old breaks first. After I had been round the
pit last Friday morning, I considered it safe, and I gave the
signal to the top, and the men began to come down to their
work. I staid in the pit until a quarter before three in
the afternoon. My duty, after I have been round in the
morning, is to go round the pit, and see that all is safe and
right. I go to the most dangerous places. I go about
from one to the other to see that all ie safe.
The depth of the shaft is about 280 yards.
There is an air shaft about the same depth, which is about
nine feet from the drawing shaft. The sir shaft has • cupola,
in which a fire is constantly kept whilst the pit is working.
There are no other means of ventilation than the air shaft I
have mentioned. The furthest part of the workings are
about half a mile from the shafts. The shaft is unusually
deep. Find air will accumulate very look in breaks of the
depth of eight feet, and the roof is more likely to fall after
the coal es got than in • smaller scam. The men have
worked in this pit both with candles and safety
lamps. I have told the men to work with can-
dles in the breaks, where I have found it safe, in my
opinion, so to work, from tryieg the place with the safety-
lamp, with the gauze on, and also with the top off. I have
told them to work in the breaks near the old breaks with
lamps. I told them this, because I found the air in breaks
they were to work in fired at a safety-lamp with the gauze
on. They might go a little into the breaks where the lamp
fired with the gauze on, but not too far. If they went too
6r, from the frequent firing of the light the gauze
would get red hot, or burst and ignite the foul sir.
The lamps are cleaned by the colliers themselves at home
After their work. They are not locked. When the men go
down the pit in the morning they bring the lamps back with
them. The lamps are found by the proprietors. They are
not examined when the men go into the pit to see that they
are clean. Thin is left to themselves. The lamps burn with
oil. If there was say oil in the gauze of a lamp, and a man
took that lamp into a break such as I have mentioned, to
work where the air fired, the oil would take
fire and cause an explosion. If the lamp was
not clear from oil an explosion would take place
where the men had been in the habit of working.
There would he about one hundred hands in the pit at the
time of the explosion last Friday. They were in different parts
of it, and I only know one of the number who has escaped
without some injury. The explosion has extended through.
outthe whole of the workings. I think all the foul air in I
the pit has not exploded. I went down the pit between
four and five o'clock the same evening the explosion
happened. I found the wail or partition between the
drawing pit and the air-shaft blown down. The
safety lamps used by the men are not got out; they are
covered by what has been blown down by the explosion in
the breaks. There is a scaffolding in the air shaft for the
purpose of repair. I don't know how long it has been in.
I should say the space between the scaffolding and the sides
of the shaft is about two feet. The shaft is about nine feet
wide, end is circular. Before I come out, George Armitage,
the bottom steward, came out. There was no person in
authority down when I left the pit on Friday
last, nor when the explosion took place. I can-
not account for the explosion. When I find foul
air in a break where the men are to work I lay
a shovel across it to signify this. They know then they
are to take lamps in and not needles. The men ought to go
into the breaks with lamps first, and if they see no shovel
they may take candles. When the men work with lamps the
burners do ; they hurry with candles where the men work
with candles. The harriers have in some places to pass the
old breaks where the foul air is whether they are working with
lamp. or candles. I laid shovels es usual on Friday morning
last in seven or eight breaks in which the men were to work
that morning. When a fresh man canes to work, he is told
this signal. It is possible • man might wise to work and I
not know. He would not know the signal until he was told.
He might work awhile before I saw him, and he, not know.
ingS the signal might walk over a shovel with a lighted
anal° in his h;nd. The repairs to the shaft might have
ben done at night when the men were out of the pit ; and
the scaffolding might have been taken out in the day time.
The shaft which is now used as an air-shaft, has
been originally used as a drawing shaft. The shaft is
level with the ground, and there is no chimney or other
brickwork above the ground. If there was a chimney or
brick-work above the level of the ground, the draft would
be greater. A proper air shaft is one sunk down to the coal
and walled up from it with a chimney, and made for the
purpoee.
At the request of Mr. Hence, some questions were put to
the witness, who added: The men are cautioned not to go
into the old breaks either with or without lamps. The air
shaft, I should say, is nine feet across at the top ; it widens
towardstbe bottom. _

By the Foreman—There was no fine fora man working
in the pit with a candle where he ought to nee a lamp.
About a year ago I found a man named Walton, and who is
now amongst the killed, working with a candle when he
should have been using a lamp. He was then threatened to
be turned off, but was not. The gauze of some lamps is
finer than others. They are both equally safe. I use coarse
gauze, because I can see the foul air sooner.
It being now between eight and nine o'clock at night, and
as the coroner thought it desirable that time should be given
for further inquiry, the inquest was adjourned until Tuesday
next, the 16th instant, at nine o'clock in the morning. Just
as the coroner and jury were leaving the court-house, intelli-
gence was given to them that four more bodice had bean
taken from the pit. The coroner they announced his in-
tention of remaining all night, awl requested the jury to
meet him at Ardaley, on the following morning, at nine
o'clock, in order that the bodice might be viewed, and in-
terred without delay.
ARO/SLIT, TO/MOAT, MAara 9.—The coroner and jury
assembled this morning at the White Bear public-house,
where the bodies of the four sufferers mentioned above were
lying. Three of the four stood in the relationship of father
and sons, the latter two fine youths, aged 18 and 16
years. rho names of the tour deceased are James
Whiteley, Wm. Whiteley, George Whiteley, and John Riley.
After the jury had viewed the bodies, this inquest was also
adjourned to the lame tithe sad ;thee me the last. The

coroner and jury took this opportunity of risking the pit, and
viewing th: position of the shafts, die., a maser which
appeared of the greatest importance in the inquiry in which
they were engaged.
The bodies of three men are known to be still in the pit,
and it i■ more than doubtful that oue of them will never be
recovered, such a vast quantity of the works having
been blown down upon the pleas where he was employed.
All the men in the pit were either kited or injured, and
amongst the latter we regret to say are same of whose reco-
veghveefrz,,alrigah,t
ate tees I.,rae, entertained.
tael Ltfainye d
■beady ;toted, took place on
Monday. The train of coffins and mourners of those buried
in Barnsley extruded nearly a mile. The lamentations ap-
peared to be universal. All busbies' was suspended, sod
grief and sorrow were seen in ors ry direction.

IRELAND.

DUBLIN, MAr.cn 9.

The Right Rev. the Roman Catholic Bishop of
Meath. Dr. Cantwell, has addressed a letter to the
Chief Secretary for Ireland, upon the subject of Lord
John Russell's amendments in the Poor Law Bill for
this country. Dr. Cantwell complains of Lord John's
altered determination as regards the landlords, and
he warns the noble lord that his concessions to their
demands a ill be unpopular with the country. Ile says
the unequal system of rating will be very unjust to-
wards the towns, and very encouraging to landlords,
to " clear" their estates, and the augmenta-
tion of the e.r-offieio guardians he pronounces
to be a handing over of the people to
the mercy of a set of men who have never mani-
fested pity or humanity, either now or at any former
time, towards the poor. He instances the relief com-
mittee of his own neighbourhood, where the magis-
trates appointed on it refused to subscribe a shilling
while the people subscribed 6801. Dr. Cantwell
praises the Labour Rate Act—notices that the land-
lords are not proceeding with reproductive works;'
eulogises tie exertions of the clergy of all denomi
nations as edifying to the public and beneficial to the
poor," but warns Lord John that his amended poor-
, law, if passed, " will be the heaviest curse a united
parliament ever inflicted upon Ireland."
Government for some time have been collecting
stores in that part of Leitrim adjoining the Shannon,
to distribute to the relief committees when the hopes
of supply from other quarters had diminished. The
season has at length arrived, and the government stores
at Carrick-on-Shannon have been just opened, from
which oatmeal is now sold to the poor at 3s. per stone.
The local paper is loud in its applause. of the conduct
of the authorities.
It appears a third school of design is likely to be
established in Ireland, in addition to those of Dublin
and Belfast. Mr. Labonchere's reply to the Cork
Mechanics Institute, that the formation of such
institutions was under the consideration of the
President of the Board of Trade, does not fully re-
cognise the claim; but ea the Cork Examiner, with
becoming pride in the reputation of the native artists
I remarks, " It would indeed be strange if the second
city in the empire—a city which has produced a
Barry, a Hogan, a Maclise, and a host qf others, cull- I
rent in the arts, should be passed over."
The Cork workhouse is far the most fatal one in the
kingdom—the causes are referable to other than the
usual elements which accelerate mortality, and are
more clearly pointed out in the reports of the local
physicians. The number of deaths for the week end-
ing Sunday the 7th, was 143 ; and for a single day,
Sunday,3l; an immense mortality beyond all question.
The number of interior and exterior patients was 1,178.
Total in workhouse, 5,681. Outside the workhouse
very great distress prevails, of which the government
ie not unmindful. The treasurer of the district relief
committee received on Friday 1,9001. from Commis-
sary-general Hewetson, a donation in aid of the local
subscriptions.

Nzotgor or TILLAGE.—Two letters in a Dublin morn.
ing paper of to-day, confirm the fact that in Mayo all tillage
is neglected, In the neighbourhood of Castlebar, one writer,
• Roman Catholic clergyman, states that there is no more
tillage in his district, or preparation for it, than if it were
" the middle of winter, and not the middle of spring."
Another writer states that, in his locality, Louisburgh, the
property of the Marquis of Sligo, there is every probability
that neat year there will be famine also. The cork
Examiner represents the state of things in that county
as not much more cheering. Little progress appears
to have been made in sowing the crops, and the
small farmers are represented as " more intent on realising
their available means and hastening to the seaports." The
landlords are said to be perfectly " bewildered ;" but, it is
added, that neither for that class, or for the large farmers,
can be offered any excuse for their neglect, while the jour-
nalist contends, that as regards the former the government
ought to " compel them " to attend to so obvious a duty.
I was assured yesterday by a gentleman in,the employment
of the Board of Works that he passed on Saturday from
Encistymon to Ennis, and did not see one dozen men em-
ployed on spring business ; it is utterly neglected there, and
the misery is extreme.

Mlt. SHELL AND RELIEF AT DUNI/ AETON.—SiF,—Haviog
seen it repeated twice in the Expres2 that the suffering
inhabitants of Bungee/on were much indebted to the lion.
R. L. Sheil for a supply of free farinaceous food, accom-
panied by an insinuation that his political and ministerial
influence had been exercised on the occasion, we beg to
state that the only vessel announced to have arrived at that
destination in the Mary Reynolds schooner, which was
loaded here at the expense of the relief committee, and con-
veyed about 200 tons of flour,•bitcuit, pee-meal, &c.; and
that it was despatched to that locality at the suggestion of
the British Association, which we are convinced would not,
more than our own committee, have been influenced by any
political hiasin the distribution of funds most liberally raised
in the spirit of Christian charity.—JOHN Mitts and V.
HELLMAN, Ron. Secretaries, Committee-room, Council-
house, Bristol, March 9, 1847.