The Sun.
London, England, 1837-12-13 00:00:00

(From the Newcastle Journal.)
We have the painful duty of recording the particulars of a
melancholy catastrophe from an explosion of foul air at Spring-
well Colliery, near Wreckingtou, four miles from Newcastls.
The pit is the property of tl.e Right Hon. Lord Ravensworth
and partners. The catastrophe occurred between nine and t-n
o'clock on the morning of Wednesday last, when. of 29 m .n
and boys at that part of the Hutton seam of coal where Vie
blast took place, 27 unfortunately perished, viz., 15 men a d
12 boys. Many of the men have left wives and large famili.s.
On Thursday an inquest was held before Mr. Michael Hall
(Coroner for Chester Ward), and a respectable jury, at tl,e
house of Mr. Thomas Maugham, the Springwell Inn, on
the bodies of James Henderson and Thomas Mason. The
witnesses examined were, Mr. Nicholas Wood, colliery-viewer,
and general manager to Lord Ravensworth and partners for
their several works; Mr. George Southern, resident viewer
to the Springwell colliery ; Mr. C. Steel, overman to the
colliery, and several pitmen who have worked in the mine
both recently and formerly. From the testimony adduced,
we learn that the depth of the pit to the Hutton-seam is 128
fathoms, and that the dip of the seam of coal is the east, at a
decline of one foot in sixteen. After the accident in 1832,
every available means were adopted to improve the ventila-
tion of the mine, the most expensive and effective of which
was the formation of a communication from the Spring-
well Pit to ar.other shaft on the Black Fell, the former being
the downcast, the latter the upcast, so as to secure, as nearly
as the nature of such works will, admit, a free current of
air. The pit nith these improvements, was not considered
by the pitmen to be at all " fiery," to use their own ex-
pressive langusge, but, on the contrary, they deemed it to be
quite safe: It appeared, also, that the state of the working
parts had been vigilantly attended to; indeed, owing to their
strict attention to duty, the resident viewer and the over-
man, narrowly essaped destruction, as they• had just left
the part where the explosion occurred, and were blown
down by the after-curient. In similar calamities the imme-
diate cause of the accident remains shrouded in mystery,
but in the present case a discovery has been made which
leads to the strongest inference that the accident was so purely
accidental, that, it could not have been prevented by any fore-
sight or prudence. The workings of the pit were in two dif-
ferent 'parts, called "districts." One of these districts, about
a mile from the shaft, and where sixty-one men and boys are
at work, was not affected by the blast. In the district where
the accident happened, about a mile from the shaft, the
operation of working what is called " the whole coal," and
" the broken" were going on. To our distant readers we
mayexplain, that " whole coal," in mining phrase, means the
seam in its imbedded, unbroken state. In operating upon this
the pitmen worked out stated portions, leaving pillars" of coal
to support the roof of their subterranean workshop. Eventually
these pillars are removed, the roof being temporarily sustained
in the meantime by props of wood, and this is called " workingthe broken." This " broken" part of the workings of coal-
mines is always considered the most dangerous, from its greater
liability to the generation of foul air, and in removing the
pillars safety lamps were exclusively used in Springwell Pit.
The custom is, however, when working the unbroken seam,
to blast it with gunpowder, and in this operation the men
used candles. It is in the pillar workings, however, where,
notwithstanding- the employment of the safety-lamp and the
still further precaution adopted of supplying the men with
locked lamps as they went down to their work, that the
fatal accident is supposed to have occurred. There remain
traces of the fire in the " broken" workings, particularly the
scorching of the pit props. Near there, also, has been found
the safety-lamp of Edward Price, in such a position as to
lead to an inference that it had fallen across the rolley-way,
and been accidentally run ever and broken. Thomas M'Nay,
waggon-way wright, John Todd and William Potts, pitmen,
spoke to finding the broken lamp, and tracing the explosion
from the northern extremity, where the lamp was found, V)
the south end, and from thence westeard to the whole coal
working north to the shaft. The gauze wire and glass of the
lamp were broken, and otherwise much bulged in, and the
body of Edward Price was found not far from it. The lamp
was identified, from the number on it, as being the one the
unfortunate man used ; and the breaking of it, in the opinion
of the witnesses above named, was the cause of the fire. The
jury, after a few minutes' conversation, returned a verdict of
" Accidental death." Three horses, as well as the unfortunate
men, were killed by the explosion. The workings of the pit
were less injured than might have been anticipated.

DINNER TO GEORGE BYNG, ESQ., M.P.—Yes-
terday evening the independent electors of Middlesex enter.
tained their old and valued representative, George Byng,'Esq.,
M.P., at a public dinner at Staines. The dinner took place
at the Bush and Clarence Hotel in that town. The chair was
occupied on this occasion by S. C. Whitbread, Esq.
Mr. Sharp, of Northampton, the celebrated lecturer
on cooking by gas, gave a lecture in the Town Hall, Oxford,
last week, while the following bill of fare was undergoing the
culinary process in his apparatus, In the large roaster, a fine
leg of mutton • above it, a rabbit-pie ;in the steamer, three
fowls, a cod's flead, two puddings, and a quantity of potatoes;
and in a smaller roaster, a pork griskin and an apple tart. At
the conclusion of the lecture, the dinner being ready, it was
served up in the Council-room to Mr. Sherp and about 30 of
his auditors. Among other facts, Mr. Sharp stated that the
dripping produced upon the occasion more than paid the whole
cost of the fire.
PUBLISHING.—My advice as to publishing has
often been asked by young poets, who suppose that experience
has qualified rae to give it, and who have not yet learnt bow
se!dom advice is taken, and how little therefore it is worth.
As a general rule it may be said that one who is not deceived
in the estimate which he has formed of his own powers can
neither write too much in his youth nor publish too little. It
cannot, however, bo needful to caution the present race of
poetical adventurers against hurrying with their productionsto
the press, for there are obstacles enough in the way of publi-
cation. Looking back upon my own career, and acknowledg-
ing my imprudence in this respect, I have, nevertheless, no
cause to wish that I had pursued a different course. In this,
as in other circumstauccs of my life, I have reason to be thank-
ful to that merciful Providence which shaped the ends that I
bad roughly hewn for my self. —Southey.
A Court of Aldermen was held yesterday at Guild-
hall, for general business. The Sheriffs presented Reports of
the state of the several City gaols. The Lord Mayor laid
before the Court a Report from the Water Bailiff, respecting
the expenses incurred in the endeavour to raise the collier
brig William, which was sunk some months back, opposite
Gravesend, amounting to about 270/, and for the Court's
directions whether any further expense should be incurred in
efforts to remove that vessel. The Court decided, if the ex-
periment about to be tried this day was unsuccessful, that
the Water Bailiff should take proper means for removing the
vessel by gunpowder. A petition from Mr. Bradfield, set-
ting forth sundry complaints of abuses in the coal trade, and
the impediments in the river by the number of colliers de-
tained for weighters, and praying the Court to make by-laws
for the Coal-market, was referred to the Police Committee.
The Gaol Committee presented a report on having prepared
the annual returns to Parliament respecting the several City
prisons, which was agreed to, and the Town Clerk directed
to transmit the same, with the plans shewing the alterations
and improvements effected at Newgate, to the Secretary of
State. Commissioners of the Court of Requests, for January
next, were appointed. Two aged people were elected into the
Rogers' almshouses. Several reports from Committees were
agreed to. The Remembrancer reported that a Bill had been
brought into Parliament for the consolidation of the Boards
of First Fruits, Tenths, and Queen Anne's Bounty. A de-
putation from the Common Council Committee, respecting
the Municipal Institutions of the Corporation, attended, with
a resolution requesting a conference with the Court of Alder-
men on the subject, when the Court appointed a deputation
for that purpose. Several persons were sworn, and others
allowed to be admitted brokers. Bills and accounts were or-
dered for payment.
EXTRAORDINARY SURGICAL CASE.—In the
current number of the Lancet, Dr. Burnes. of the Royal
Navy, has placed upon record a case, which equals in interest
the celebrated Copenhagen needle case, which attracted the
attention of the scientific world a few years since. Robert
Syms, aged 23, of her Majesty's ship Belvidera, was placed on
the sick list in the month of June, 1831, with a boil on the
right side of his back, rather below the shoulder. This was
opened, and a black shining substance discovered at the bot-
tom of the wound. The opening was made larger, and it was
found to be a piece of steel, about the size of a ramrod, too
firmly bedded to be easily removed. The usual treatment
was pursued until early in August, when a free incision was
made, and, to the surprise of all present, a two-pronged
kitchen fork, broken short at the handle, and minus the loner
part of one of the prongs, was extracted. The man declared
himself to be totally unable to account for its presence, and
there was only a very slight mark on his back, rather re-
sembling a vaccination spot than the scar of a wound. In the
course of November of the present year he again came under
Dr. Burnes's notice, when the remaining portion of the prong
was found on the left side of the neck, having worked itself a
passage from the right side of the back. It was easily re-
moved, and the man soon recovered.
HERRING FISHERY.—On Thursday last there
was the largest catch of herrings ever taken in one day at
Poulton-le-sands, several boats taking upwards of 30,000 each,
and it is supposed not less than 700,000 were caught. The
quality of the herrings caught at this late period of the sea-
son is much inferior to that of the commencement. The
season commences in September, and does not usually finish
until February.—Lancaster Guardian.
FIRE.—We regret to state that another fire, there
is too much reason to fear the work of an incendiary, has oc-
curred at Halstead. About twelve o'clock on the 4th instant
a fire was discovered on the farm called Stones Farm, belong-
ing to Mr. Bentall, and a large double barn, cart-lodge, bul-
lock-shed, and cow-house, were burnt to the ground. Thee
house, which was six rods from the fire, was not damaged..
About 15 quarters of wheat, and 10 quarters of barley, with
15 turkeys, were consumed. The turkeys were intended as
Christmas presents, and were eaten by the people
sistcd in extingui.hing the flames. The whole was insured in.
wh hate a-
the .Essex Equitable.—Essex Mercury.
AN APT ILLUSTRATION.—A person asking haw
it happened that many beautiful ladies took up with indifferent
husbands after many fine offers, was thus aptly answered by .
mounuin maiden :—A young friend of 'bets requested her to
once e b raa ko
going
ga ntdh
rteutg nlslitticouhtattiudrsnoimnge s. t r eschde. w She,era
(lust(r° i into
eat ict'
and coming out, brought him quite a mean reed. When ho
asked her was that the handsomest she saw; " Oh no," replied
she, s' I saw many finer as I went along, but I kept or. in
hopes of one much better, until I got nearly through, and_
dice I was obliged to take up with any one I could fiud—anl
got a crooked one at last."

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