The Sun.
London, England, 1852-12-24 00:00:00

DREADFUL COLLIERY EXPLOSION AND LOSS

OF LIFE.

ELSECAR, WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON.—This afternoon
one of the most fearful explosions from fire-damp that
has ever occurred in this part of the country took place
at Elsecar, near Barnsley, in one of the coal mines be-
longing to the Right Hon. Earl Fitzwilliam. Elsecar
and its neighbourhood is a rich and fertile coal mining
district, and from it are forwarded daily thousands of
tons of coal for the metropolitan market. The village
itself is situated about two miles from the Wath station,
and about six miles from Barnsley, on the South York-
shire Railway, and is almost wholly inhabited by col-
liers employed by the noble earl. A single branch line
of rails, about two miles in extent, communicates from
the pits to the South Yorkshire trunk line. The place
where the awful and fatal calamity occurred is called the
" Elsecar Low Pit." It was in fine working condition,
and was considered the best in his lordship's possession.
The men had been working as usual up to the time of
the explosion. Shortly after dinner they were alarmed
by a sudden and dreadful explosion, resembling a terrific
clap of thunder, rand they were mementarily en-
tombed beneath a heavy mass of coals. The sound
was so loud as to be heard for miles distant, and it
caused the greatest consternation and amazement in the
whole village, the deafening sound carrying with it its
own awful forebodings, as the greater part of the inha-
bitants soon formed a ready conjecture of what had
taken place • consequently, crowds of people rushed to
the spot, and found their predictions were too painfully
realised. The pit is 157 yards deep. There were 142
men working in it at the time of the accident. It appears
that at twelve o'clock, the colliers, as was their usual
custom, partook of dinner in the pit, but one of them,
before doing so, brought a corve of coals from what is
called a broad 'gate (a long subterranean passage), with
the intention of placing it at the bottom of the pit prior
to others being drawn up by the banksmen. In the pit
there are what are called broad-gate doors that commu-
nicate from one passage to another, and keep the current
of pure air in one continual course throughout the pit.
The door was left open during the dinner hour, which
destroyed the current of pure air, and allowed the hydro-
gen gas to accumulate. The door was not perceived
open until the men were returning from their dinners,
when one of them, knowing that it was wrong for the
doors to be open, shut it, which forced the pure air along
the passage, in which the foul air had been accumulating,
into the south level of the pit. The ventitation was
thereby restored, and the foul air, which had been accu-
mulating beyond that point, was driven forward into the
banks on the north side of the broad-gate, where ten
men were at work getting - coal. There ought to have
bee& no explosion, as each miner had a safety-lamy. It
appears, however, that, for the purpose of having a better
light, one or more of them had divested his lamp of the
gauze covering which is the protector against the flame.
The consequence was an immediate explosion. On search
being made, six of the men were found at the places
where they worked, but quite dead. The pit is divided
into what may be termed two compartments—the south
and north level ; and although the explosion took place
in the former, none of the men who were working in
the latter were at all injured ; but it must be remem-
that they are at a distance of 300 yards apart. The pit
has always been considered remarkable for the excel-
lence of the plans for its ventilation ; for if the north
level had not been perfectly ventilated, the destruc-
tion of the lives of the men that were in that part
of it must have been inevitable. Only a few hours
before the accident occurred, some of the men were
complaining that the current of pure air was so strong
that they could not work in the pit without their upper
clothes on. The explosion blew out the stoppings and
forced a quantity of materials to the top of the pit, which
for a time assumed a luried blaze. The damage done to
the works is very considerable, but it has not yet been
ascertained to what amount. The engine fan which
assists the circulation of pure air was broken, and it was
considered necessary to pump a great quantity of water
down the shaft to drive the foul air out of the pit. Every
assistance was rendered to extricate the poor sufferers,
and messages were immediately dispatched for the fol-
lowing surgeons :—Mr. Stones, sen. ; Mr. Stones, jun.,
Wentworth ; Messrs. Abbott, Adamson, and Booth,
Hoyland. Telegraphic dispatches were also sent to
Lord Fitzwilliam, who was in London ; and to Mr. Brian,
the engineer. All the men have been extricated ; none
are missing. The following is a list of persons killed :
Jonathan Walker, 47, widower ; left a family of seven
' young children • had worked at the pits from a youth.
Thomas Hirst, 42, wife and four children.
William Dickinson, 43, wife and four children.
George Mallinder, wife and' two children.
John Mallinder, 17 years.
Henry Addy, 17 ; parents work at the pits.
Benjamin Fletcher, 28, wife and two children.
Joseph Stenton, 30, wife and three children.
Joseph Jowitt, 14.

LIST OF WOUNDED.
The following persons are more or less seriously in-
jured :—John Rigby, 20, Isaac Waller, George Lindley,
James Moultain, John Bullison, John Guest, Thomas
Hutchinson, R. Mares.
Several of the injured are not expected to recover, but
the majority are considered out of danger. Nearly the
whole of the wounded resided, as did also the killed, in
the surrounding villages of Elsecar, Hemingfield, and
Jump, and they were carefully conveyed in carts to
their respective homes, on being drawn up from the
mine. A judicial inquiry on the bodies of the deceased
is expected to be opened to-day (Friday), before Thomas
Badger, Esq., coroner.

How TO EAT GRAPES.—Few people know how to eat
grapes. Some swallow pulp, seeds, and skin ; others
swallow only the pulp, rejecting both seeds and skin.
In conversing with Dr. Underhill on this subject, he
advised to observe the following rules :—When in
health swallow only the pulp; when the bowels are
costive, and you wish to relax them, swallow the seeds
with the pulp, ejecting the skins ; when you wish to
check a too relaxed state of the bowels, swallow the
pulp with the skins, ejecting the seeds. Thus may the
grape be used as a medicine, while at the same time it
serves as a relaxity unsurpassed by any other cultivated
fruit. An adult may eat from three to four pounds per
day with benefit. It is well to take them with or im-
mediately after your regular meals.
[ADVERTISEMENT.] HOLLOWAY'S OINTMENT AND
PILLS FOR THE CURE OF WOUNDS IN THE LEG.—EX-
tract of a letter from Mrs. Simpson, of Bramley, near
Leeds, dated October 16, 1852.—" To Professor Hobo-
way,—Sir,—l was afflicted for 18 months with a very
bad leg, in which there were three deep wounds. I tried
all kinds of remedies, and was under the care of differ-
ent surgeons here, and at Leeds, but derived no benefit
from their treatment. I was at last advised to resort to
your ointment and pills, and I am happy to say, that by
the use of these valuable medicines, my leg is completely
cured and as sound as ever it was."—Sold by all drug-
gists, and at Professor Holloway's establishment, 244,
Strand, L9ndon.