The Express.
London, England, 1860-09-07 00:00:00

TEE FATAL COAL•FIT ACCIDENT IN
DEILETEBIES.

An inquest was held on Tuesday on the bodies of
the four youths who met a terrible and instantaneous death
Is • coal pit at Kilburn, in Derbyekina u reported in our
columns esterday.
Mr. T Shaw, landlord of the White Lion, said he
knew all the damaged. Their names were John Annahle,
aged 20; John IMykin, 17 ; John Bamford, 14 ; and Wil-
liam Shaw, 14. He identified ell the bodies.
William Crofts was then 1111110111, and rid—l am over on the bank, and was so employed on Monday mim-
ing, near to the pit mouth. I had counted all the
number in each cage, and the four deceased with two
othere went down after seven cagefuls had been sent down
all safe. There is a man employed at the bottom of the
pit to see that the caps are all right. He is called the
hanger on, and his name is Joseph Brown. His duty was
to see that the INN were in their proper places. 1
cannot form any opinion as to how a cage could get out of
the slides when once properly fixed in them. 1 did not
think that the cage was oat till I heard the noise ; there
was nothing to tell me where it might have got out. The
up cage was not inc bad state when it came up. I cannot
my whether it was on the slides when it reached the top.
The cage in which the men were going down came up first,
and it was doubled up so as to keep Hartley and Hickin-
bottom from falling down the shaft. I heard no signal
from the bottom. Ido not know that the lads had any
tools with them. If the cage at the bottom was off the
conductors it might not make a noise at first, as it might
travel some distance without banging against the side of the
pit. The cages have never got out of the slides nor aught
each other at meeting. The cage that was coming up has
been used the longest We have sot always run the ropes
up and down before letting the men down in a morning.
We have done it sometimes.
Mr. Medley, the government inspector, read the ads
fixing the responsibility of twice running the cages up and
down the shaft upon the head bankstnan, and asked the
witness if that was done on Monday.
Witness., -Not that I know of. I cannot say whether
the bottom cage was in the slides when it started upwards.
If the cage was placed properly in the slides before starting
it ought not to get out. It has never done 13 that I em
aware of without • Cause.
. .

--.1011;iv;;;ii;;,151e engine driver, was called to prove
that he obeyed the signal of Crofts, and that he was at his
engine all the time. 'He had seen the rule for running the
loaded cages up and down the shaft, but he did not com-
ply with it.
By a Juryman—The cages have never met before since I
have been engmeman. Ido not know that it is possible for
the cages to get out after they have been properly fixed in.
I think the boxes are sufficiently strong to keep the sign,
in the conductors.

Richard Oldknow, collier, said—l was in the pit on Mon-
day morning, and went down with the third lot. The shaft
was then aU right and safe. I found Joseph Brown at the
bottom. Whilst I was getting the clay I heard a row in
the shaft, and I shouted to Brown to give the signal to stop
the engine, and as moo as I shouted the cages met., and I
heard the four deceased fall on the bottom. I went to them
and they were all four dead. Annablo lay across a middle
beam on which the cages alight, on his lack. Inykin lay in
in a similar position, both his thighs and his left leg beiag
broken. Beresford had one leg broken and was bruised aU
over. Shaw had fallen with his head on the place and his
skull was crushed. There was no time for anything to b
done between the time I shouted, to Brown and the crash.
Brown gave no signs/. The row I heard was like a joggle
Zsthe conductor. The cage does juggle sometimes when
start with it empty. The deceased were got out as soon
its partible.
Jai* Wheatley, bailiff of the colliery, proved that the
easel could not get out of the slides without violence, and
be produced a "aping" which Amiable took down with
him, and at the end of this was a mark clearly showing that
he must have struck the side of the pit. It was also proved
that by • colliery ride boys and men were prohibited from
taking any bulky materials or " sprain " down the pit with
them.

Mr. Medley was of opinion, after carefully examining the
shaft and hearing the evidence, that the occurrence bad
been caused by the dislodgment of the down cage, which
might have been done by the " Ring " alluded to.
The Coroner briefly summed up the evidence, and the
jury returned a verdict of " Accidental Death," and ex-
pressed their opinion that the rules for the government of
the colliery had not been properly attended to.

Thi CROPS IN 8017111 NOTTIN011•101EIRR.
In our last report we dated that up to Wednesday, no
wheat, or bat little, bad been cut in the district. Wednes-
day, however, wee a fine day, upon the whole, and to all
eppearance the weather appeared to be more settled. On
Thursday morning, however, at about 3 o'clock, the rain
began to descend, and about sit came down in torrents.
At 6 o'clock it cleared tip and a very boisterous wind set in
from the south west, increasing in strength until it become a
furious gale. The clouds were swept away, and in a few
home the real., which had been literal water COMM, wen
white with dust. On Thursday wheat was cut, and on Fri-
day wheat cutting became general in the district. That day
was penally fine although there were a few slight shower,.
The night was frosty, and Saturday was a splendid day with
a gradually rising barometer. Some of the farmers are cut-
ting the wheat very green. One Aoki that we were paining
on Thursday, we were calculating that it would be ready for
the scythe or sickle in about a fortnight, when to our sur-
prise the next morning about twenty men were mowing
it down as feat as they could. At IC inoulton a considerable
deal of wheat has been cut very green. At Owthorpe, they
commenced on Monday. At the Cropwells a great deal
has been cut, as well as at Ootgrave, Normanton-on-
the•Wolds, Garrido°, Buingfield, Straggiethorpe, and
indeed all over this side of the county, with the exception
of Clipetone and Cotgrave wolda, where there are fields of
wheat which to all a ranee will not be ready. at present.
The ground, y in the stiff clayey dieted* is very
roll and wet, and the process of ripening is rather slow,
b.,t the weather, up to the time we write, is all that can be
desired. Should the weather continue fine, the earn, most
of it, if ant all, will be gathered is by the end of the month.
Corn was carried at Basingrield, Adbolton, and Gamatoll,
on Friday sad Saturday, and on the wed aide of this part
of the county, about Widmerpool, Bunny, Bradmore, Rue!.
ilington, he., they are in a more forward state. There is no
doubt that with favourable weather the grain will be excel.
lent in quality. Beane were never better. The whole of
the hay has been get in this week ; but such is the condition
of, we might say, nearly half the hay in this district, that
it is a great question whether the cattle will be made to eat
it in any form. °cod hay must be very high in price. The
rope of maegold and turnips are not what they should be,
the ground is so wet and cold the bulb cannot develop itself.
—Natiftyltant Journal.
NORTHERN UNION or MECHANICS' trenerereuree.
—The annual meeting of this association will be held this
year at Blyth, and Wednesday, the "26th ind., has been
fixed for the day. Sir Si. . Ridley, Bart., M.P., Presi-
dent, will take the chair, and a number of friends of educa-
tion in the district will be present. A proposition will be
made at the meeting to appoint a regular paid agent and
lecturer to the Union. It is expected that the meeting this
year will be altogether of a most interesting and useful
ebendon—Nernastie Chronicle.

140U61 BOW ANDTliiitznizammeNT Am. —A
meeting of a few of the committee of the Coffee and Feting.
housekeepers' Association, held by solicitation of some of
the trade, took place the other evening, to consider the
be means of getting relief from the unjust and unlawful
tax that is imposed on the trade by being charged ninepence
in the pound when all other trades Sr. only charged sixpence. ,
A few years ago the tax was resisted by a few of the triode
but, being unsuccessful, the tax has ever since been paid. ,
The new Refreshment Act now emir in force has raised
a stir in the tomb, and they consider, If now obliged to take
• license to carry on their trade, they are certainly exempt
from paying the extra threepence in the pound on the house
duty, the act of parliainent expressly saying—where any
in trade exposes to sale goods, worse, or merchandise,
pares
shop or warehouse, and on the ground or basement
thereof. Now, ease sad eating-house keepers do
expose their goods fur sale, and mere on their trade
oe the ground floor or basement thereof. A letter
was read by one of the members present, which
he bad received from the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer, in answer to one he sent, that unless a wine
license was taken the coffee and eating-home keepers were
still liable to the ninepeoce in the pound. This meeting
oeing merely a preliminary one to con wider the matter, it
was the unanimous opinion that the whole trade should in
• short time be called together. Amonpt those present
were Mr. H.. Lockyer, Mr. Hay, vice.preudent ; Mr. Slier-
wod, treasurer ; Mr. Roger, secretary ; Meesn. Eldred,
Lwow, and Hardin- past idents ; Mews. Villa, Pitt,
Mayell, Beenham, BankiHamann, Luirston, ita
Tax ANTRIOAN Casson. —A New York corm-
spoodeut of the Nottingham Journal mites :—" home of the
results of the census recently taken begin to appear in the
newspapers. The New England states will exhibit bat •
very small increase in pnpulation and possibly one or two
of them a decrease. Thu also is behoved to hive decreased
in total population, notwithstanding the rapid growth of
Cincinnati end some other principal towns. The north-
western states will exhibit the greatest proportion of
L-
evees, am'. will hereafter have a much larger than in the
representation ; the new appointment, however, will not be
made until after the coming elections. As it regards the
sties, the results are not made out exactly ; ISevrark le
New Jens), has now • peculation of about seventy-five
thousand, bevies doubled since the last census. Ulna the
present century mine of age, Newark was • quiet little
country town of five or six thousand inhabitants ; in the
last forty yews it has been nearly doubliog its population
every ten seam in consequence of becoming • manufactur-
ing town, with numerous failures. The immense value of
real estate, admire; from the papermoney system, is Om-
stantly driving away business th.it requires room, frog the
confined limits of hew York. With the growth of Newark
one unhappy fact is connected, it furnishes • great part of
the Amer's.° portion of the abandoued women who infest
the streets of New York."

REVItRaION 01 TIM 1311112:116AD Does ESTATIL.—
At the meeting of the Mersey &Joni yesterday the chair-
man said that the sogedriees with the corporation as to
re side of the reversion would he hoped speedily result in a
settlement of the question.
&Tali HOIMOTAI7IIO 000 DA. ChiliCioll6
sneak sratsfsl smootluissa and liortssiattan czrastrertz
•nrsd leo gored adoptive as a breakfast
Mentlll. paetela M. Falb., the prhtelpal green.
"Jaws ilea. MU ~NO {e. aim --Ad
religgier.