The Sun.
London, England, 1863-01-13 00:00:00

The Colliery Accident in Shropshire.

The adjourned inquest upon the bodies of the
twelve men and boys who were recently killed by
being precipitated down the shaft of a pit belong-
ing t..) the Lilleshall Company, at Prior's Lee,
Shropshire, was held yesterday at Okengates, a
small town a short distance away from the scene of
the accident. The first witness now called was
Mr. John Lloyd, who stated that since the com-
mencement of the inquest the broken side of the
spring-box having been tested by an hydraulic press
had been fonnd capable of bearing a strain of 30
tons. A letter had also been received from the
maker, in which it was asserted that the iron of
which the box was constructed was of the Low
Moor description, which had been always considered
as the quality of metal calculated to bear the greatest
strain. Witness knew that there were in existence
several contrivances for securing a cage, even in the
event of a breakage of the spring-box. Inasmuch
as such contrivances were usually complicated and
and easily liable to derangement, no one of them
was in use at this pit. Had one been employed on
the present occasion, and had it been in perfect re-
pair, there was every probability that the accident
would have been preventad. He could assign no
reason for the breakage of the iron in this instance.
John Marrion again stated that a careful ex-
amination of the drawing apparatus had been made
about a fortnight before the occurrence of the acci-
dent. No fracture of any part was visible. Sup-
posing that the cage had on any occasion been
overdrawn, it was probable that a fracture of the
spring-box would have been the result. Nothing
of this kind had, however, occurred at the pit in
question. Unless by a sudden jerk, no reason was
apparent for the fracture by which the accident was
caused.

Mr. Wynn, the district inspector of mines, de-
posed that by one of the colliery rules the banksman
was prohibited from sending down the shaft of a
pit more than eight persons at a time. Respecting
the cause of the fracture of the box he could give no
positive information. As an opinion, he thought
the reason might possibly be found in a sudden
snatch of the cage from the bottom of the shaft,
through injudicious hurry on the part of the engi-
neer on the surface. The safety contrivance before
alluded to should, he thought, be applied in all
cases. He had known many instances in which its
use had prevented an accident, and had such a pre-
caution been taken at this pit there could be no
question but that the lives of the deceased would
have been saved.

A verdict of accidental death was ultimately de-
livered, accompanied by an expression of opinion
that sufficient attention had not been paid to the
examination of the box and other apparatus in use
at the mouth of the pit.

COUNTRY MARKETS.

~~..__.

COLCHESTER-JAN. 10.

Best samples of wheat may be quoted the turn in favour
of the seller. Fine barley was again scarce, and is over
last week's rates. Beans and peas v!iere not plentiful, and
sold slowly at last week's rates
Wheat, white. 46s 5Zs Beans, Mazagan..3os 33s
red 428 48s middle & small.3ss 42s
Barley 4os 42s
*
Oats white
. . .
gray 358 388
. .•
30
s s
23 96 s Peas, s