The Express.
London, England, 1859-09-10 00:00:00

COAL-PIT ON FIVE-DOT/8 LIVER LOST.

'About three o'eloelc on Thursday afternoon a
donee weeks was observed laming from the nicest abaft of
the Moab*? Your Colliery, Derbyshire. A number of per-
sons quickly assembled, and measures were taken as quickly
ea
possible to rescue the unfortunate sufferers, bat st the out-
set very serious clißlonl.ies had to be enc•untared. Toe up-
mat abaft, through which the hands are drawn up, amid
not be used as means of exit, as It was full of smoke and
Etas hrs. The downoast or pumping shaft, which
ebid7for purposes of drainage, and is much smaller
than the other, had therefore to be resorted to in this
meergeocy. The depth of this theft is 160 feet, and
the purge was considerably obstrueted by the piping
mad gear of the pumps need to draw up the water. A
gin end pulley were promptly brought.into requisition, and
several men at the risk of their own lives vohmteered to de-
spised lam the pit to search for sad rescue thou) who were
imprisoned below. It Was stout six o'cloCk before thd f set
am wee brought ho the selefase, sad therefore before any-
thing definite could be eseerteheed es td the canoe of the die-
s Mer, or as to the stale of those who Were In the pit.
The means adopted to wee the colliers below were as
I follows: Owing to the theft belag very narrow, bathed of
thing what Is celled a °hair, and which is the usual vehicle
of smog or dement for the men, it was found' necessary to
the What is brown as a hares," and whisk Is a plain
twat, to which the men secure themselves by a strap
whits they are being drawn up. In order to expedite the
recovery of the men two of three " homer were in the Brat
listens, made toes of, instead of one. About forty yuds
below the surface in the downcast shaft there is •
at upon which • man named James Travis was let &Int,
mat where be remained is order to motet is drawing up the
own. About sixty yard' lower down there is soother
eimilar stage, and upon this • men names John Blackburn
was stationed f the same object. The work them pro-
ceeded. bat with coneidersble d.fficulty, as the draught and
ventilation for tome hoer. ware exceedingly unfavourable;
but et ten o'clock at night the wind charged, disabling the
velateteers to pursue their operations more saint/retiredly.
Up to half-peat ten on Thuriclay night about fourteen
persons had been drawn up.
During this process • stacking accident recurred, by which
the life of • lad named Kirby wee lost. The lad was being
drawn up, and when he bad reached the point where John
Blackburn was stationed, sr already notioed-60 feet from
the bottom sod 100 feet from the top—he tended that he bad
arrived at the surface, end thereupon he began to disengage
filmed from the "horse" to order to effect a landing. He
some way became entrusted, aid fell to the bottom of the
shaft. Yesterday his body and that of s youth named Kid,
were brought up dead. When our report was despatched
yeateiday evening two boys r mused in the pit. and it was
supposed thst they had unkind ; all hopes of their being got
up alive ware abandoned. though exertions were being will
made for that purpose. The fire was still racist, and will
probably continue some llenelanger.