The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-03-03 00:00:00

THE LATE COLLIERY EXPLOSION.

The fear that a larger number of persons than those
whose names have already been published in the official
list, have been killed turns out to be well grounded. On
Sunday three more names were added to the fearful
catalogue ;—those of Major Rooks, gentleman, of
Barnsley, and John Booker, single man ; Darnall,
brother to Henry Darnall, whose name appears in the
published list. The shaft is now partly opened, the
water running into it from the broolmat a rather dimished
rate, in comparison with Friday and Saturday. At two
o'clock on Sunday, the temperature at the bottom of the
shaft was 99 degrees. From this it will be seen that the
water has not yet reached to the height of the burning
coal; this however, it is expected, will be accomplished
early to morrow, when some of the men will descend the
shaft as far as the Abdy (or thin) bed, for the purpose of
stopping the communication between it and the down
cast shaft, and thus prevent any accident from the accu-
mulation of gas in those workings, as well as to afford
greater facilities to those who will have to descend,
either to clear the water or search for the bodies. The
number of persons present was not by any means so
large as on the previous Sunday ; still, it amounted to
many thousands, most of them from a distance. The
trains to Barnsley from Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield,
and the north, brought a great number of visitors ; whilst
from the surrounding colliery district, also, a large
portion cf the male population was present. In the
afternoon, Messrs. Stanley and Jones, of Sheffield, and
R. •Chrimes, of Rotherham, delivered suitable a'ldresses to
the large concourse of persons at the colliery ; after which
a collection, amounting to a large sum, was made in
aid of the fund for the support of the sufferers
Collecting boxes were also carried about, and we are
glad to say with good success. Amongst the sum
collected, the greater portion of which, as might be
expected, was in copper, it was gratifying to see that
even gold and silver found its way into the box,
showing that the donors gave equal to their means, and
without the wish of having their names paraded before
the public eyes. On Sunday, in Barnsley, Durfield
Wombwell, and nearly the whole of the churches and
chapels in the neighbourhood, the explosion formed the
basis of the sermons delivered. The explosion seems
likely to affect the neighbouring collieries in a singular
manner. We have been informed, on the best authority,
that no less than 73 persons, employed in a colliery not
two miles distant from Lundhill, have sent in notices to
leave, being so alarmed at the recent catastrophe. To
those acquainted with the character of miners as a body
it will not be surprising, for the men,generally,are not only
superstitious, but very impulsive, and when once alarmed
or have made up their minds to a certain course, are net
easily turned. It would, therefore, be useless to deny that
the late accident has struck more terror into the colliers
and their families than all the accidents that have
occurred for the last ten years, and as such will be the
means of deterring many from allowing their children
to work in them, as well as causing many new colliers to
seek a change of employment. In expectation that the
bodies will be got out in the course of a few days, orders
were given on Saturday to the sexton of the parish
church at Darfield to prepare a number of graves to
receive the bodies. The number to be interred there will
be at least one hundred and sixty. The graves will
be made sufficiently deep to hold several coffins,
which will be placed one above another, a layer of
bricks being placed between the different tiers. In
the centre will be placed a monument, recording the
names of the men and the cause of their death. At two
o'clock on Saturday, Messrs. Wood, Elliot, Woodhouse,
Day, and Holt, the gentlemen who have undertaken the
opening of the pit, met at the office at the c dliery, and
after remaining in consultation until three o'clock in the
afternoon, Mr. Wood said, as the public were already
in possession of their proceedings up to Thursday last,
and as the resolution then come to had been fully carried
out, it only remained for them to state their future inten-
tions. They were now of opinion that nothing more
could be done until the water bad reached sufficiently
high in the workings to extinguish the fire. They ascer-
tained by experiments that the water now in the pit was
of a much higher temperature than that which was
running in, thus plainly showing that a considerable
quantity of burning matter still remained unex
tinguished. As the water must shortly reach the
part still burning, they purpose to uncover the down-
cast shaft, and at once proceed to get out the water with
all possible expedition. Mr. Charles Morton, gove,nment
inspector, said that he fully concurred in all that had
been, and was about to be done, by the gentlemen who
had undertaken the onerous duty of opening the pit.
He was also of opinion that by the time stated the water
would have risen to such a height as to justify them in
opening the pit. The subscription list, we are gleee to
say, is showing that the public in all parts of the country
deeply sympathise with the unfortunate sufferers by the
catastrophe.