The Sun.
London, England, 1862-12-11 00:00:00

711 E FATAL COLLIERY EXPLOSION
SEAR BARNSLEY.

WORSBOROUGH, -WEDNESDAY MORNING.
A long day spent at the scene of the explosion
has enabled us to add some interesting particulars
to those which appeared in The Sun of yesterday.
The dreadful calamity occupies the whole attention
of the population of the district. Throughout the
day the roads leading to the colliery were thronged
by crowds on their way to ascertain the fate of rela-
tives and friends. Among the persons connected
with the mine the greatest uncertainty existed as to
the number of killed, but up to 9 o'clock last night
it had been ascertained that 55 persons were dead
and 17 or 18 injured.
The investigations we made yesterday elucidated
more clearly the cause and nature of the explosion,
and, as will be seen, open some serious questions
for the consideration of the coroner's jury. The
explosion was caused by a fire in the seam, origi-
nating in the firing of a "shot" or a charge of
powder used in blasting.
According to the statements made by several in-
telligent miners with whom we conversed, the con-
dition of this part of the workings was peculiarly
dangerous in consequence of the incessant emission
of gas, and it certainly seems unaccountable why
blasting operations were allowed to be carried on
there. The men who were at work in the board-
gate, where the shot was fired, did all in their power
to extinguish the flames and restore the ventilation ;
but they were unsuccessful, although at first the fire
spread very slowly, and there were hopes enter-
tained that it would be extinguished before it became
necessary to alarm the workmen. There were 238
men and boys at work; a fire had broken out in one
part of the mine, and the means of ventilation were
becoming seriously impaired. It was clear, there-
fore, that the persons in authority were bound to
make the men acquainted with the extent and
imminence of the danger, and have the pit cleared
as speedily as possible. Had this been done, it
is u❑doubtedly the case that there was sufficient
time to have enabled every one of the work-
men to reach the pit bank before the explosion
at 11 took place. Statements vary upon the ques-
tion as to whether any warning at all was given
to the mes. Some of the miners, who were work-
ing near the scene of the fire, were made acquainted
with the ominous fact by their " hurriers," and se-
veral of them proceeded at once to the pit bottom
and were drawn to bane. But many others, who
were working at a great distance from the fire,
complain that they were never warned of the dan-
ger, and that they made their escape with great
difficulty, from the spreading of the deadly gas.
They affirm that the men who were engaged in the
attempt to put out the fire were desirous of " doing
a clever thing" by putting out the flames without
causing the men to leave their work. Where the
responsibility rests it is not foi us to say; we con-
fine ourselves to a simple statement of the facts of
the case. The report of the " blast," when it took
place at last, was very violent, and was heard at a
considerable distance. Immediately all was alarm
and excitement at the pit bank and in the neigh-
bouring villages, where the fatal signal had been
heard. A large crowd speedily collected on the
bank, and among them was a number of women
whose husbands or sons were below, and who were
frantically calling out for assistance to their friends.
Down in the workings the shock of the explosion
was felt by the greater number of the miners, and
they at once began to rush to the shafts. The
deadly gas which follows an explosion was spread-
ing through the mine, and several of the fugitives
stumbled over the dead and the dying in their flight.
The cages in the two shafts were put in operation,
and the men were drawn up as quickly as possible,
though there was considerable confusion at one
time, owing to the efforts of a number of men to
obtain places in the already crowded cage. Un-
happily, it soon became apparent that all would
not be rescued.
The following is a complete list of the victims of
the calamity :
George Firth, Worsborough-dale, married, two children
James Ewins, Barnsley, married, five children
Richard -Runt, Worsborough-common, single
Charles -Wildsmith, Worsborongh-common, married,
eight children
Matthew Bates, Worsborough-dale, married, three chil-
dren.
Thomas Gawthorpe, Worsborough-dale, married, five
children.
William Rigby, Barnsley, single.
George Columbine, boy, Worsborough-common.
Thomas Wroe (otherwise Mitchell), Worsborough-com-
mon, single.
Thomas Oxterberry, Barnsley, married, two children.
George Galloway, Worsborough-common, single.
Henry Palfreyman, Barnsley, married, six children.
George Ogley, Worsborough-oommon, single.
William Ogley, Worsborough-common, married, two
children.
William Sharrock, Worsborongh-common, married, two
children.
John Shaw, Barnsley, single.
James B.atcliff, Worsborough-dale, married, one child.
Ratcliff's hurrier (name unknown).
William Parkinson, Worsborough-common, married, two
children.
Peter Blacker, Worsborough-dale, married.
George Wroe, Worsborough-common, single.
Edward Leech (otherwise Philipps), Worsborough-dale,
married, leaves five children.
Two of Leech's sons, who worked with him, were killed ;
five children survive.
John Hitchin, Worsborough-dale, married, one child.
George Baker, Worsborough-dale, single.
John Schofield, Worsborough-dale, married, one child.
Joseph Walker, Worsborough-common, married, two
children.
Joseph Hawley, Worsborough-dale, married, one child•
Patrick M'Court, Barnsley, single.
George Lawton, bottom steward, Woi sborough-dale, wife
and one child survive.
Henry Lawton, his eldest son, deputy steward, single.
-Benjamin Holyland, Worsborough-dale, married, one

Robert Farrington, miner, residence unknown.
William Porter, bricklayer, Worsbozough-dale, married;
five children survive.
William James Porter, his son, 12 years.
John Hartley, sen., Worsborough-common, widower, one
child survives.
John Hartley and Walter Hartley, his sons, single
James Ellis, Worsborough-bridge, single
John Ellis, Worsborough-bridge, married, two children

survive
Walter Ellis, his son, single
Charles Frobisher, Worsborough-dale, married, three
children
Robert Oldffeld, Worsbcrough-dale, married, three
children
Richard Cottle, Worsborough-dale, married, five children

living
Nicholas Cottle, his son
The son -in-law of R. Cottle (name not ascertained), mar-
ried
Richard Watson, Worsborough-dale, married, three
children
Richard Hough, Worsborough- common, hurrier, mar-
ried, two children
Thomas Margeryson, Worsborough- common, a boy
d_hn.Parkin, Worsborough-dale, married, one child
v'allara Fielding, Barnsley, single
James Eastwood, Kitroyll, married, two children
'William Davy (who died soon after being brought out of
the mine), IN orsbt'
rough-common, married, one child
Geo:ge Pickering,
Dailey Houses, married
.....
Rose,
Iv
ersborronev JIIRED MEN.
„..gor-aeommon, slightly injured
George Barrett,
"
head and back borough-common, contusions of
Charles Taylor, Pautre
Y, Worsborough-dale, slightly
row,worabod ankle
injured
M'Court, Wilson's-piece, Barnsley,
commono,ucgohn-tusdailoen; solfighhetaldy,
Wm. Hellingworth, Pantry brai slightly injured
Samuel Sowersby,Berry-
injured
rid ward Hunt, Woreborough-
Barnsley, slightly ' • a
dale, severinejb
fractured fingers, and contused ankle
Armitage, Joseph-street,
11. Swift, Gooseholes, Worsborou burn
nd
et
face and hands
f
Rose, Spedding's- o.'d , Barnsley, suffering from the
effects of chokedamp.
sin , .
Cottages, severe burns
Wm. Morrison, Edmonds -m
of the hands and face.
ow NVorsborough-dale, slightly
Samuel Tyas, Berry-r ,
mon, contusion of the leg
John Davy, Worshorough-const
klightly
Roden, Worsborough-connon,
le
suffering from
Joseph Walter, Baker-street, Barns y,
inhalation of carbonic acid gas
that
the cal
There were
has made 29 widows and 77 orphas.
the killed,
15 single men and one widower amon g
e peculiarly
and eight boys. • Some of the cases ar
distressing. The widow of Charles Frobisher had,
when she married him, a family of three children
by her first husband, who was killed at the great