The Express.
London, England, 1850-07-27 00:00:00

THE EXPLOSION AIM LOSS OF LIFE AT

AIRDRIE.

The North British Nail has the following further
SZtlees of the casualty brie ay alluded to in Thursday's
p...N ewe, as haviag sepearred at a coal-pit is the immediate
?Wait, et the tows of Siset•le. The pit belor gs to Yeah.
David and James Sneddon, sad is situated at Commoshead,
to the north es the town, sad contiguous to the Glasgow
and Airdrie Railway.
Free the information we have been 'tabled to obtaia at
the seise of this dreadful colsmity, it sppeers that the pit
bed set been wooled Disco Saturday las% and that ea
Tuesday me:arise the 'stain assembled for their work as
anal, cad at a my few salaam past six o'clock they went
dews the pit I. oommence their operations. Weis Willi-
am, the eiverman, according to hie ordinary imam, pro.
arida to ',anise the state of the workings, in order I.
Tern to the miners whetter they wore in a fit state fur
twice mitered with safety or not. He had scarcely left
hie compesions ea kis mission, when • a Mae :plosion
took plant. The force of the explosion has destroyed a
pest portico et the cool workince—• large pre of the mid-
wall of the shaft, and, more lamentable still, of th. entire
party of mnm who went uown to their labour a few soi-
lge before, only ono marl escaped to tell the fate of bit
fellow workm, n. Ti. map, of this person, who is a bro-
ther of the Domain, was almost miraculous; and he was
the first to give the alarm hoe the bottom of the shaft,
when be was drawn up, comparatively unhurt. It is set
correctly ascertained how MILLy Ilift in the pit at the time,
but it is *apposed there were nincie n or twenty persons.
Several unsuccessful attempts were at first made to go
down the pit; and it was nut till about halt•put ten o'clock
is the forenoon that they succeeded in reaching the bottom
of th. shaft. From that period till about lour &clock in W.
aftersoon. the people employed wrought incessantly, and
succeeded at iatervals in recovering bodies to ths number of
fourteen. _

On Wednesday two more bullies were brought up.
The bodies have all been claimed with the exception
N that of one man, who is • stranger. Several of the
ant or taut* individuals had roe down the pit that
shy for the first time. Most of them have left families or
aetkidves who were entirely dependent on their exertions.
On new nun Grunt bed • wife and four children,
brides the boy who perished with him ; another, M'Luekie,
Ina the sole support of ea aged father; aid one (Million)
bad his father anti mother dependent on his caution
It is believed that two bodies, at least, are still in the
pit ; and pupa/mins are still going on to recoostruct the
mid-wall and to drew U. water, which has at to
• considerable depth, oat of the pit, so that it may be in-
tern with safety.
We understand that the Proeuator Fiscal has instituted
a moot thorough and marching investigation into the whole
affair.

JUN'S Walborn, the only survivor, can give very little la.
formation concerning the occurrence. He sajs he had just
gene down the pit when be felt the shock. He than made
to get out of the pit, end for that purpose hurried to the but-
ton of the shaft, where he scrambled, be does not know
how, to the top of the cage, and got it unattached from the
chains by clutching the spri, or which It cks it, with hie teeth,
and beLding it together. After Le detached the cage from
the chains, he filed • piece of wood in•o the rope, by which,
after giving the signal to draw him up, he hung on till he
reached the top.

SPORTING.