The Express.
London, England, 1860-12-03 00:00:00

5 Let me
) excuse I

•

ing. (Immense sp-
a to accept my thanks,
their speaking at this

t:ileing ,
wt thuoseilligeters was Szniregardeditito h r Tit:urn:
t, as indicating what will probably be the
of the inooming administration. He said :--
' Mr. Lincoln, although the candidate of the
republican party, as chief magistrat!, will neither
belong to that nor any other party. When inaugu-
rated he will be the president of the whole country,
and will be as ready to defend and protect the state
in which be has not received a solitary vote against
any encroachment upon its constitutional rights,
as the one in which he has received the largest ma-
jority. The republican party are fortunate that
they have it now in their power to grove that they
-have never intended and do not Intend any en-
croachment upon the rights of any state or
section."

• -
Aeoording to the organs of the Southern party,
perches's of arms and ammunition were being
snide at New York and other places, without any
attempt at concealment.
Mr. Lindsay, previous to leaving New York in
the Persia, made a parting address before the Exe-
've Committee of the Chamber of Commerce,
rehearsing at considerable length the result of him
observations in the United Stites and Canada, as
connected with the various propositions be has been
so zealously urging? looking to a modification of
international maritime law between his own
country and eurs. Mr. Lindsay expressed him-
self highly pleased with the results of his
mission thus far, and, after relating the sub-
stance of his conversations with the President
and his cabinet, he bade the Chamber farewell, in
feeling and appropriate terms—the committee, in
turn, complimenting with the unanimous adoption
of the following resolution :—" Resolved—That the
thanks of this committee are due to W. S. Lindsay,
Esq., for his exertions in bringing to the
attention of our government the proposed changes
in the laws of the two countries affecting important
maritime interests, as well as for the simple and
interesting manner in which he has submitted his
views to the Chamber of Commerce of this city ;
and that the thanks of this committee are accord-
iugly tendered to him, with their best wishes for
his safe return to England."

COMMERCIAL. ENTELLIOENCE.
NEW YORK, Nov. 24, Eveauso.
There is no symptom at relied in the gamey market. Some
banks discounted to-day with unusual liberality, bat oo the
whole the pressure is unabated. Mercantile bills are quoted
100 to 102. The stock geoid closed leftism but closed
week. The &lime* are the lateen quotations : New York
Centeal, 72e to e ; lA% 27e ; Maisie Centaal, 53k=
Flours more active bat berry ; sales reaeh 12,000
Wheat irregular. Own hmizadrieguirar. Cotton irregular
sales to-day, 1,500 bats ; upland, 1110. Providoul
sunken dull and uusettled. and coffee quiet.
Freights unchanged.
QUEENSTOWN, Sugar.
The Royal Mail steamahimauropa arrived here
at 12.30 p.m., embarked and proceeded for
Halifax and Boston at tLe usual hour. AU well.

DREADFUL COLLIERY
EXPLOSION.

YORE THAN THAN 100 PERSONS SUPPOSED TO BF.
KILLED.

(From a supplement k, the Monmouthshire Mertio
&Audio%)
Another of those dread calamities which but to
frequently occur in the mining districts, notwith-
standing the preautiondi taken in every direction
by legislative enactment, and by measures strictly
enforced by the menage:es of collieries, happened
this morning, striking terror and dismay into a
whole community, and instantaneously depriving
of life an appalling number of our fellow-creatures,
hurried prematurely, without a moment's warning,
whether preparedorunprepared--husbands, fathers,
brothers, and sons—into eternity.
The some of this appalling calamity is the Black
Vein Colliery, the property of the Rises Coal Com-
pany, and which has been in work some years,
producing a large yield of steam coal. In meet
veins of a similar description explosive gas to some
extent is generated, and it is stated that means
were adopted to render this pit as little dangerous
as pcesible by careful supentssion ; but alas ! all
has proved futile, and life and property to a vast
extent, scarcely yet to be ascertained with accuracy,
have been destroyed.

Our reporter lw just returned from the spot,
after witnessing a scene of horror which baffles de-
scription, and which, could it be faithfully depicted,
would barrow the feelings of the reader to a degree
painful in the extreme.
Amid the alarm and confusion prevalent in the
neighbourhood of the catastrophe, the information
obtainable must necessarily be of a rather meagre
character ; but the following may, we think, be
regarded iu the main as correct, procured as it has
been from a reliable source, :
It is customary for the workmen at the Black
Vein pit to oommanoe their labours at an earlier
hour on Saturday morning than on other days of '
the week, as they leave work soon after dinner.
This ride was pursued to-day. The workings
having been previously examined, about 5 o'clock
nearly three hundred men descended to their
dangerous, and, as it proved to many, fatal avoca-
tion. For some time nothing occurred to induce a
supposition that anything unusual had taken place,
neither in reality had there ; but about 9 o'clock,
or shortly after that hour, a report was beard,
ominous in character; from the mouth of the—,
pit, creating instant alarm and intense anxiety
,upon all hands. Too well was such a dread
signal understood; and means were adopted with
the utmost promptitude to ascertain the extent
of the calamity. Those of our readers at all
acquainted with such matters know too well
the difficulty and danger which are always pre-
sented, and with what caution it is necessary
to proceed to prevent a still further sacrifice of life.
All was, however, done that was passible. Num-
bers of men wire told off to descend the pit, and
ascertain, if possible, the cause and extent of the
accident. As soon as the state of air would allow
of their proceeding with safety, it was found that
at some distance from the mouth of the pit an ex-
plosion had taken place, and search was at once
made for the unhappy individuals known to be in
various parts of the workings.
Some idea was them formed of the fearful conse-
quences of what had occurred. The works them-
selves, however, were found not to have been
damaged to the extent supposed, or to the degree
afterwards reported. But harrowing, indeed, were
the diastase:fen made of the destruction of human
life. Here and there, by the glimmer of the miner's
lamp, was to be seen stretched in the arms of
death a full-grown man or stalwart youth, struck
down while in the full enjoyment of health. Theta
again they stumbled upon horse and driver, both
dead, and their laden tram beside them, a proof
of the instantaneous nature of the blow which had
fallen upon them. Some of the poor fellows were
brought to the surface immediately upon being
found, and the assistance of medical gentlemen,
who were summoned to the spot as soon as prac-
ticable after the explosion, was promptly and skit-
fully rendered. Death, however, had done his
work toe surely—human aid was ofi little avail.
Up to twelve o'clock eleven bodies were brought
to the top of the_ pit, and taken to the abodes of ,
their relatives. Measures of this description were
then suspended for a time ; and the corpses, as
discovered in the workings, were deposited at the
bottom of the pit. At 4 °Week our reporter was
informed that no lees than thirty-nine lay there.
At that time, too, five carts with straw were .
drawn up outside the works, and a number of men
were observed clan their way to the spot with hastily-
constructed biers, to convey away the bodies, which
it was expected were then to be drawn up.
All the horses in the pit, comprising seven or
eight and twenty, were ascertained to have been
,killed. Four others were let down in the course
of the afternoon.
When our reporter left, between 4 and 5 o'clock,
search was still being made in the workings by the
bodies of men before mentioned. To remain in the
pit for any length of time was, however, a matter
of impossibility. Many poor fellows appeared
almost prostrated when they reached the surface.
All looked dejected, anxious, careworn. At the
time named, between sixty and seventy persona
remained unaccounted for. None dared venture
even a hope for them ; too awful had been the
discoveries already made. The search was to be
continued until it had been ascertained if any had
survived the dreadful shock ; but as to the death
of all little doubt was entertained. If all have
fallen victims, the bodies brought up, with those
still in the pit, found, and yet miming, will make
the frightful total of above one hundred and twenty
fellow-creatures who have thus violently met their
deaths.
Of the precise cause of the accident, beyond the
circumstance of its having arisen from fire damp,
'it is quite impossible to speak with any degree of
certainty :it has not yet been discovered. At the
inquest only can that be determined, if, indeed, it
be ever satisfactorily ascertained.
This evening the place presents a sad and sicken-
ing scene. The deep mist overshadowing the hill
surrounding the pit, the heavy rain, the flitting
of the miners' lamps in going to and from the pit,
the glare of the immense fire burning at the pit's
mouth and reflected on the pale and anxious coun-
tenances of men, and of weeping and moaning ,
women, all gathered together at the scene of desola-
tion, oontribute to form a picture of the deepest
solemnity,i and most painful interest.