The Express.
London, England, 1861-11-02 00:00:00

DREADFUL COLLIERY EXPLOSION NEAR

WIGAN.

TEN PERSONS KILLED AND FIVE MITRED.
The long dark catalogue of fatal colliery accidents
has received • most melancholy addition. A colliery en-
plosion, causing the deaths of no less than ten persons, and
the serious and probably fatal injury of five others, took
place yesterday morning, at the Prince Albert pit, Shoving-
ton, belonging to Masers. J. Tayleure and Co., a colliery
situated about four miles from Wipe, and at which
the Arley mine is worked. The pit is about 260 yards
deep, and on the south aide of the workings twenty men
were employed. At half-past nine yesterday morning the
poor fellows were startled by a loud explosion of fire-damp,
which seemed to take place nearer the shaft than where
most of them were working. Many were severely scorched,
buts Wee number succeeded in escaping the fire, and pushed
on to the pit eye. In this effort many were successful, but
ten others, some without • burn upon them, and others
with faces scorched beyond recognition, were met by the
after-damp, which struck theindown one hyose. Information
of the explosion was soon conveyed above ground, and whilst
the struggle for life was taking place below, Mr. Makinsec,
the manager, and Mr. Close, the fireman, were descending
the shaft and making the necessary preparations for ono ,
minim the workings. At the bead of • searching party,
the two men we have mentioned were shortly pushing their
way up the south side of the mine. About one half of the
men were met as the party proceeded, some few unscathed
but others frightfully disfigured. All who were alive were
got 'out and provided with medical assistance, and the
search for those who, it was feared, were now beyond
human aid, wee continued with vigour. Soon the bodies
of four were discovered; but the choke-damp prevented the
remainder being reached till half-past three in tho afternoon.
Not one of the dead men was found in his working pls..
All were making their way oat when struck down, and
two, • father and his son, had evidently mistaken the rood.
The spot where the gas WY ignited would be about 300
yards from the pit shaft, and the furthest bodies would be
about 400 yards away.
The scene aa the bodies were brought to the surface WAS
most heartrending. The low moaning in which the grief
of bereaved mothers and wine found vent was sufficient to
melt the stoutest heart, seconded, as it wee, by the sorrow
too deep for words of many a strong man in the throve
near the pit. The bodies themselves presented a most
appalling spectacle—identification now being, in some
instances, almost impossible. The gas is said to have
ignited at the open lamp of the under-fireman, Riding.
Riding, Howcroft, and Ellison, three men who were on the
spot at the time, are all living. The damp appears to hive
come from a goof, and to have entered the drawing road,
where it exploded by a hole in the roof. Another circum-
stance which has tended to deepen the gloom hanging over
the neighbourhood, is the death of Ann Reed, wife of
Thomas Reed, who is stated to be burnt. She bad been to
Wigan to market, and hail left home in the morning beiges
the accident. On her return she is said to have died •kW
minutes after the information was conveyed to her.
Mr. Tayleure was at the colliery during the greater Toll
of the day, and Mr. Dagliah, of Wi,-„-au, attended to the
sufferers.

A WOMAN OF EIGHTY WALKING MOM LONDON TO
CORNWALL.--Oa Mooday, an old womae, mimed Puce, of
Penzance, applied to the mayor, at the Ouiidlall, Exeter,
for &mistime,. Mr. Superintendent Steel stated that she
was eighty years old, and bad lived for sums time with her
daughter, who had a large family in London, hut as her
daughter could not maintain her, the old lady evolved to
re-visit the home of her youth—Penzance, and set off ea
this long journey, on foot, in the second week of the present
month. After fourteen days' walk she arrived at Exeter,
and Dow made her application to the mayor for a trifle to
help her on the road to Plymouth. She is short and does
but bears her head bravely. In answer to the mayor, she
said that she was 80 on the 18th of last month. Th.
ma exclaimed, "Well done, you bear it nobly." In
y to further questions, she said that she had bees •
se 15 yews. The mayor directed that a half-cromt
should be given to this Cornish prodigy, and the n1i11044
nuttniecl saying that she bad received " great frit:ol.lo
in Muter.— Iffestern Timm