The Express.
London, England, 1868-11-28 00:00:00

THE FEARFUL COLLIERY EXPLOSION

N 142 WlOll4

WIGAN, FIIEDAT APIII/10011.

The few particulars which were telegraphed
yesterday of the awful expiation of fire-damp at the
colliery of Mesas. J. Seoworoft and Co., Hindley-green,
tell nearly the whole of the facts of the calamity itself
which will be learnt previous to the coroner's inquiry; but
even at the time of writing it is impossible to speak with
certainty of the exact number of lives which have been
lost. The explosion was one of the most terrible that has
ever visited the district. It was in 1863 that fifty-eight
lives were lost at the works of the Lace run Coal and
Cannon Company, and in the following year eighty-
seven poor fellows were goldenly ushered into
eternity ; and now to these, and to the long list of
minor explosions which have ince been recorded, has to be
added the present catastrophe, which already rivals, and
bids fair to east into the shade, the Ant-mentioned
in the ghastly simplicity of its details, and in the length
of the list of killed and wounded. Like the Ince Hall
calamities, too, the present accident has taken place in the
well-known seam, the Arley, Doted for its " fiery" or
" gaseous" character, and, so fax as can be at present
ascertained, the disaster appears to have occurred in spite
of all those precautions which are taken by • first-claes
management.
On the current of air which is sent be= the shaft
for ventilation reaching the pit eye it is separated into
two streams, one of which proceeds in an easterly and
the other in a westerly direction. On the west side over
150 persons were employed • on the test there were about
70. It was in the second and mealier district that the gas
was ignited, and this division of the air current happily
prevented the effects of the explosion from reaching the
large body on the other aide of the pit. Indeed, many of
the colliers in this district worked en for • couple of hours
unconscious of the catastrophe that had occurred; and
one was only made aware of it when he brought his lamp,
which bad gone out, to the pit eye to be re-lighted It
pa was, es has been stated, about half- eight that a
cloud of dust, and • report in the winding told those
on the pit bank that an expiation had erred. The
bankmaan rushed away at onee for the anagor, Mr.
Southworth, while the underlooker, Ellis D:innan, jump-
ing upon • :age of full tubs just starting from the bottom
was quickly brought to the surface. The hooker-on also
tried to get on the cage, but he missed his hold, and falling
back into the "dib hole," or " sumph," was drowned. A
pony driver named Yates, 12 years of age, was approach-
ing the pit eye at the time, and be too, with his pony, was
blown into the "dib," and met the same fate as the
hooker-on. The effect of the explosion was so to reverse
the ventilation as to drive the flames of the furnace
at the foot of the upeast shaft along the workings,
and the first men who were brought to bank were
a number who, working near this spot, had
been severely burned. An exploring party was organized
as quickly as possible, the underlooker and Yr. South-
worth, the manager, having the control of arrangement...
Volunteers were to be had in abundance, and the parties
as they proceeded were joined by a number of gentlemen ,I
from the adjacent collieries and about noon by the
government inspector, Mr. Peter lligson. and his son. It
was about seven hours of er the explosion that the last
body was reached, and the explorers then, dusty and tired,
returned to the surface. There were then 34 bodice in
the outhouses at the colliery ; it was stated that two of
the dead had been taken home, and one of the burned
was reported dead. These three cases, on inquiry, re-
solved themselves into one, so that the total number of
dead at the surface was then .55. The =mph
bole was then examined, and the bulk of the
water having been pumped out the bodies of Shannon
and Yates were recovered, and sent to the surface about
nine o'clock. The bodies as they were recovered were
taken to a workshop, where a platform of loose boards
had been hastily constructed. This was soon filled. and
then the remainder of the dead were placed in an adoin-
ing smithy. Large crowds gathered round the place,
and many harrowing scenes were witnessed. Many
are reported missing, and three more bodies are
rlieTes dto be in the shaft. An exploring party has been
down all the morning, but their report had not been re-
ceived when our parcel was despatched. The construc-
tion of the coffins is proceeding rapidly at the workshop,
and the greatest excitement prevails in the district.
Around the colliery the blinds are down to denote a death
in the family at nearly every house. Workmen are
labouring bard to restore the ventilation.

The body of John Holcroft was found this
morning badly burned. It was not brought to
the surface before this evening. This makes the number
of dead fifty-eight, and at least one more is believed to be
iu the pit. All have now been identified but one. Work-
men are engaged in the pit repairing the stopping' which
have been blown down right and left for yanft. The
only suggestion offered as to the cause of the explosion is
that there waa • sudden outburst of gee, and pro-
bably some breach of the rules by • workman.

MARKET&
SUGAR.— n 1111,101.. Nov. Y7.—There good domed for most
descriptions of sugar, iusfl full prim aro readily obtaiaable.

TALLOW.—Firmer Er mitso.—The iallow market has ti“.n
again vet iitrlhis week. A con, iderable sale for March delivery
tarty post of tlw weck, put the price dironto Od. for that inthe
prnid ; from thin there was a reaction to bee. 31., whidi Mesmer,
hao sot been maintained, and the market i•loses quiet CU. even-
ing—Opot, 61. ; Daisabar. SOL W. to bin. ; .
January to March,
' bin. &I. • Mark,h, ; April to June, bls. W. • October to De-
eauber.49a. Delivery tobtot evening, ttlB ; arrivals, 4,691. Town
tallow, 406. al, net rash ; ;mulch fat, 4.. M. At the ItletiollS,
of 1,!1.17 radio offered (chitty old Y.C.) MO make sold. Old Y.C.
'ought in at M. rid. Australian abeam, 60s. to Ws. Od. ; mixed,
nla. to 490. &l.: beet Ws. to 4W. &I. ; low and greasy down to
435.: _ Mouth Arnerivon, blo. that pipea.Omuanut oil quiet. : COthn•
00.1. ed. to Ma. ; Oeylon, 40s. 611. to 603.; Sydney, 4.04. to 494.,
good to line • 41:1. to 471. inftwior. Palm oil steady; 44a. Od.
to 4bo. fine' Togroo; 495. Accts.—From the eireubir of Meows.
O. Smith mid Charles.) Market Ave rages.--Town tallow, M..
3d.; fat, by ditto, Is. 64d. yellow, Ituraian, 665., ltd.; melted
• 36a. • rough ditto, Ns. W. ; greavoi, 100. good dregs.
Impotio for the week, 4,080 casks.

COTTON.—Liv moot, Nov. V.--Cotton has bean in exteserive
demand, Aire, from the trade, throughout the week, with •
gradual advance In pr
and, Omagh the market yestenhy
was comparatively suit I, the quotations cloned id. to 0. per lb.
above the rak. at last Thursday. lien Island It 111 b cited
requeet, but nominally unchanged in value. Anuriosn
commands an advance of ea. per lb., having brooms e
man on e. Brazil rustiness as good request and priors here arvainue
Id. to Jp. per lb. For Egyptian there tun been a good demand
and the enema qualities ane Id. dearer. Pa 4 and low qualities
are extremely 0r511.6, all the new whoa so tar being at
grade.. The miss at Nest India have been very
e:imsivv, caperially to our own esweraina, and prior are gene-
rally advanced Jd. per lb. egneulatare have taken dluring the
week 12,010 bales ; exporters. Kam Wm: and the lade.
74,510 bars. We have had a demand to-day, the market
Ambit ideady at yedredare The In ars 12,000
at which 3,000 we ter =pat and epesaligien.
COTTON GOWN, hLacnesraa Nov. n.—The market for
whipsaw tame bee base iviet, and but little burial= has been
dam is thaw grm however, maintain their
quota-
tior, and are ad disponi to make any sonemitia. Wlss et
hose trade tame have aloe isainisined Tawas^ peen. bat
weitatastwere appear Is have been !Widened sheet
sad only a small .meant et butane hem hem done.
dare was • We mend irriekry tarty ia the week sad maw new