The Sun.
London, England, 1862-02-21 00:00:00

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ANOTHER FEARFUL COLLIERY

ACCIDENT.

LOSS OF FIFTY LIVES.

As briefly announced by telegram in our evening
edition of yesterday, an awful explosion occurred
on Wednesday, at about 12 o'clock, at the Cethin
Coal Pit, Merthyr-Tydfil, by which 50 lives have
been sacrificed.

Cethin, or Gethin pit, the property of Mr.
Crawshay, the extensive iron-master of Cyfartha, is
the largest in the district, employing upwards of
200 men, and is about equi-distant between Mer-
thyr-Tydfil and Troedyrhiw.

At noon on Wednesday, the over-looker at the
pit's mouth had noticed that something unusual had
occurred in the pit, which was soon followed by
information that an explosion of gas had taken
place. Means were at once adopted to render
assistance and to ascertain the extent of the cala-
mity, which, unfortunately, has proved to be the
most direful that ever happened in that valley. Up
to yesterday morning 44 persons were brought up
dead, and three alive, but so severely burnt that
one has since expired, and the other two are not
expected to survive. About half of the number
were severely burnt, but the rest had not a hair
singed, having been suffocated by the choke-damp.
The explosion must have been most sudden, for
five men were found as if at their dinner, and
one of the number had actually a piece of bread in
his mouth when brought up to the upper earth.
Some had evidently received warning of the coming
storm of fire, for one was found with his little dog
under his arm—both dead—and he wa3 no doubt
endeavouring to escape.

The recognition scene was most agonising. The
young wife kneeling in speechless anguish beside
the corpse of him she so fondly loved ; the
daughter, on beholding all that was mortal of s
beloved father, setting up a wail that would arouse
the sympathy of a misanthrope.
At Troedyrhiw was seen, as if in placid sleep,
the body of a young man who was the sole support
if his aged mother. We witnessed her agony and
heard her mournful cry as she uttered in the sono-
rous. vernacular of the country, " My son, my son,
would God I had died for thee." This poor bereaved
woman was called upon to play the part of chief
mourner—but not for the first time—she had acted
that part before, for she was a widow.

As to the arigin of the accident it is as yet a
mystery, none have lived to tell the awful tale, and
two more have to be brought out who are known ta
have perished, and for whom active search is being
made. The explosion took place in the four-feet
seam, and those engaged in the three foot vein
escaped unhurt, the seam branching off in a con-
trary direction to the one in which the casualty
occurred. The scene of the catastrophe has been
visited by thousands, and all day yesterday there
were hundreds at the pit's mouth awaiting the re-
covery of the last two bodies. The gloom pervad-
ing the place is of the deepest; the countenances of
the men, women, and even children, wear an
aspect of woe.

MERTHYR TYDFIL, THURSDAY ETENING.
Forty-nine bodies have already been brought up.
One is still missing. The cause of the accident is
still a mystery. Intense excitement prevails.

THE BUDGET,--it will be seen by our Parlia-
mentary report that the Chancellor of the Exchequer has
announced his intention of submitting his financial state-
ment to the house before Easter, I which falls this year ort
the 20th of April.

THE REVISED CODE.—Mr. Walpole has given
notice that on the 11th of March he shall move that on a
day to be then named, the House of Commons resolve itself
into a committee of the whole house to consider the best
mode of distributing the Parliamentary grant for education
now distributed by the Committee of Council on Education.
He added that he would, upon going into such committee,
introduce certain resolutions as amendments to the revised
code.

EXTRAORDINARY OUTRAGE.—The Sheffield Equi'
table and Industrial Co-operative Society carry on their
business at the shop 127, Devonshire-street, and the rooni
over the shop is used as the society's office. About nine
o'clock on Tuesday night the finance committee of the
society were met together in the office for the purpose of
paying the town accounts, and were suddenly alarmed 11
the report of a pistol, the smashing of one of the panes of
glass in the window, and the entrance of a bullet. The
window blind was down at the time, but persons in the
street could see the shadows of those in the room. Irtsid°
the window are a number of iron bars, as a security against
thieves, and in all probability their presence has been the
means of preserving the life of the secretary of the above
society. He was standing near the window when the shot
was fired, and his shadow could be distinctly seen en the
blind. Fortunately, the bullet struck one of the iron bars,
and the concussion was so great that the missile WftS hrOkent
and its direction consequently changed. Strange to sat,
though Devonshire-street is a great thoroughfare, there
Were no persons near at the time the shot was fir0d.....-
04104 Doily Telegraph.