The Sun.
London, England, 1864-09-09 00:00:00

Dreadful Colliery Explosion.

SHIELDS, Thursday Morning.

A fearful explosion took place last night in Seghill col-
liery, about 8 miles from this town. The colliery is
situated in the heart of the steam coalfield and has exten-
sive workings. About 11 o'clock the night shiftmen were
down the pit, and 18 hewers and timber leaders and rolley
lads wore employed at the workings in a remote part of the
pit known as Far California, when the gas appears to have
fired at some of their lights, the explosion tearing down the
main rolley way, but fortunately meeting with a volume
of fresh air at the cross cut it expended itself there without
doing any more serious mischief. The pitmen employed
felt the shock of the explosion in other parts of the pit and
flocked to the bottom of the shaft-, where, as far as can be
ascertained, they were got to bank in a short time in safety.
The intelligence that the pit had fired soon spread through
the extensive village, and hundreds of persons flocked to
the pit mouth in wild excitement. Mr Kettering, the
head viewer, Mr Sanderson, the under viewer, and other
officials, gathered together and descended the mine,
and relays of men were set on to clear away the rubbish oc-
casioned by heavy falls from the roof in the main rolley
way, which blocks up the passage to where the 18 men and
lads are lying; but the pit at that part has been found to be
very foul with chokedamp, several of the men so employed
in clearing away the obstruction having been brought to
bank ill. At the time our despatch left the working partie
had not reached the lost men and lads, and they are all sup-
posed to be dead. Mr T. E. Foster, the consulting viewer
to the coal trade, had arrived when our report was coming
away, and the men were being sent to bank from Burrodon
pit, which is connected with Seghill by a door, and when
they are all to bank it will bo opened. The explosion has
taken place in the low seam. The men were mostly employed
in the " broken," and that part of the colliery where the
explosion took place was considered somewhat fiery. The
air was close in the early part of last night, and afterwards
there were high winds. Some suppose that these atmos-
pheric conditions have had something to do with explosion.

There is no doubt but that all the men who were working
when the explosion occurred are dead. A father and son,
named Mills, George Jackson, Robert Rutherford, Thomas
Weatherburn, and a man named Dodds are among the lost.
LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

Eleven men and lads have been got out of the pit alive.
The following were killed :—Richardson, Robinson, John
Nayland, Henry Whitehouse, Thomas Heaps, IV. Taylor,
John Miller, and G. Jackson. The bodies have all been re-
covered this afternoon.

MARKETS—This Day.

MARK-LANE.

The arrivals of home-grown wheat fresh up to our mar-
ket to-day were but moderate. The demand for all qualities,
however, ruled inactive, yet no change took place in prices
compared with Monday's. With foreign wheat the market
was well supplied. In most descriptions only a moderate
business was transacted at previous quotations. Floating
cargoes of grain moves off slowly at late rates. The supply
of barley on sale was moderate. On the whole the trade was
steady at about stationary pricer.

In malt about an average business was transacted, at late

The supply of oats on sale was lame. The trade for
most descriptions was rather quiet, yot prices ruled tolerably
firm.

Beans and peas were in limited supply, and Monday's
quotations were well supported.
In sour there was a moderate sale, on former terms.
ARRIVALS THIS wieEK.
Wheat. Barley. Malt, Oats, Flour.
English .. 1,110 1,090 BSO
220 420

Mai —
Foreign

- 3,800
- 23,620

3SO brie.

NEWGATE AND LEADENHALL.
The supply of meat on sale is moderate, and the trade
rules heavy, as follows :
Per 81b. by the carcase.
sdsd
Inferior beef 3 0 3 4
Middling do. ..
3 6 3 10
Prime large do. 4 0 4 2
Do. small do. .. 4 2 4 4
Large pork 3 6 4 2
Inferior mutton. 3 8 4 0

!idea
Middlingmutton 4 2 4 6
Prime do 4 6 4 8
Veal 3 8 4 6
Small pork 4 4 4 8
Lamb

BOROUGH HOP.

Our market is now fairly supplied with new English
hops, and the trade for all qualities rules heavy, at reduced
prices. Yearling, old and foreign hops are dull, at barely
late rates. New foreign hope have sold at £5 per cwt.
Mid and East lients L 5 lOs to S 8 Os per cwt.
Weald of Kents b Os to 6 10s „
Sussex
Yearlings 5 lOs to 6 lOs „
Older hops .. 0 158 to 4 4 „