The Sun.
London, England, 1863-10-19 00:00:00

We believe we are correct in stating that two fatal acci,

dents, though of minor extent, have occurred in this pit
within the past eight or nine years—one some eight years
ago, when 16 lives were lost, and the second about three
years ago, when four workmen were killed, These acci-
dents naturally led to the most earnest desire on the part of
the proprietors to prevent a recurrence, and Mr. Vivian has
been known on more than one occasion to tell his general
manager to spare no expense in providing against acci-
dents, The colliery is ventilated by means of a furnace.
There are two shafts, the up and the down shaft, and in
order to add still greater security the colliery was worked
entirely with locked safety lamps. At the time when the
accident occurred there were about 400 workmen in the
colliery. The immediate scene of the explosion is the west
side of the nine-foot seam, which is about 500 yards from the
bottom of the shaft. There were 43 men and boys working
in this heading at the time of the explosion. In a few mo-
ments after it occurred it became painfully known that a
serious accident had happened in the pit. Unfortunately
the inhabitants of the district of South Wales are too much
accustomed to the peculiar noise or shock of explosions to
be easily mistaken. Long before any of the workmen were
able to ascend to the surface a large crowd of anxious rela-
tives and friends had assembled around the mouth of the
pit, and when it became known that a serious accident had,
in reality, happened, the most painful anxiety was mani-
fested, many of the women having husbands and two or
three eons in the pit at the time. Our correspondent was
on the spot in about two hours after the accident, and saw
the bodies brought up at intervals of ten minutes or a quarter
of an hour. It was not long before the great majority of
those in the pit were able to make their escape. The other
parts of the pit seem to have been but slightly, if at all, in-
jured by the explosion, but the old nine-foot vein has been
much destroyed—doors and airways blown down, while
there are such extensive falls of roof and rubbish as to ren-
der it exceedingly difficult to reach the bodies of those thus
buried—in fact, the whole of the timber in this heading
had to be reset before the bodies could be got at.

The foul gases or chokedamp having been partially cleared
off a number of workmen volunteered to go down the pit to
render what assistance they could to their comrades. A gang
of colliers from the Cwmavon Colliery deserve especial
mention for their courage. They in one or two instances
risked their lives to rescue the nearly expiring sufferers, and
happily their exertions were crowned with success. One poor
old man named Stephens was in an almost frantic state en
hearing Df the explosion. He had a little boy, 12 or 14 years
of age in the heading where the explosion occurred. Three
times did the father descend the pit in the hope of ren-
dering aid to his child, and twice was he driven back by
the firedamp. He descended a third time and reached the
scene, but only to find his son dead. The body was brought
up in a sack, the father helping to carry it. He could not
cry, but his whole frame was visibly working under the
strongest emotions, and as he silently carried the corpse
along it was evident he was suffering the deepest anguish.
Another case was that of a man named Williams, who was
working in the old 9-foot seam in company with his son at
the time of the accident. The son was completely over-
powered and fell, but the father caught up the body in his
arms, and although weak and much exhausted himself car-
ried it a considerable distance, He, however, was soon com-
pelled to drop his boy in the roadway and hurry on to the
bottom of the shaft to save his own life. Happily both were
brought out alive, but we are informed the son has since
expired.
While our reporter was standing at the mouth of the pit
seven men were brought out alive, but in the most ex-
hausted and critical state ; one died within a few moments
of being brought up, and another subsequently. At the time
when our reporter left 12 bodies had been recovered, and
there were then 24 more bodies in the pit. The roof has
so completely blocked up the heading that'only one body can
be dragged through the aperture at a time, and that with
the greatest difficulty, in consequence of the suffocating state
of the atmosphere.
The following bodies had been brought up dead; or known
to have expired, at 5 o'clock in the afternoon : —l, Hum-
phrey Jenkins, of Taibach—he was dreadfully burnt and
much disfigured, and was brought out alive, but expired
shortly dor ; 2, Michael Crawley, of Taibach, aged about
40, married ; 3, Henry Wilkins, of Taibach ; 4, William
Evans, of Taibach ; 5, David Matthews ; 6, Thos. Lodwig,
married; 7, Henry Griffiths, married; 8, Rees Williams
day fireman; 9, Thomas Williams, son of the above, le,
Peter Stephens, door boy; 11, Herbert Griffiths, married,
with a large family; 12, a corpse so disfigured as to be un-
recognised.
With two exceptions the above met with their death from
the chokedamp, and when brought to the mouth of the pit
were stiff and rigid. Mr. William Grey, the manager, was
in the heading when the explosion occurred. He was ren-
dered insensible by the gas, but in a few moments reco-
laboured to bring some of the
vered consciousness, and
workmen to a place of safety, and ono or two were unques-
tionably saved through his instrumentality. It was only by
being forcibly carried out of the heading that Mr. Grey
could be compelled to give up his work, and when brought
out of the pit he was scarcely able to walk. The workmen
received every assistance which could be rendered them,
both by Dr. Pritchard, surgeon of the works, and Dr. Rus-
sell, of Cwmavon. The
dead were placed on hastily con-
structed biers and conveyed home with all decent speed.
Mr, Thomas Evans, the Government Inspector of South
Wales, was on the spot within a few hours of the explosion,
and instantly descended the pit and rendered valuable aid.
Of course, in the midst of such excitement as that now
prevalent no cause can be possibly assigned for the amident,
but front the most careful inquiries we are sorry to be ob-
liged to say that there is every reason to believe it arose from
the criminal act of one of the workmen in picking his lamp
for the purpose of getting a light.
Although nothing
can compensate for the sudden bereave-
ment, it is somewhat consolatory to find that there is a good
money club in connection with the works, but the sympa-
thies of the public will doubtless be appealed to on behalf of
so many widows and destitute children.

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