The Sun.
London, England, 1854-02-20 00:00:00

AWFUL COLLIT,BY EXPLOSION AT

WIGAN.

-
On Saturday afternoon an explosion of firedamp oc-
curred in the Arley mine of the Ince-hall Coal Company,
near Wigan, attended by an appalling loss of life.
In the morning about 240 men and boys bad descended
the coalpit, and all went on well until about three
o'clock, when two reports were heard in quick succession
by those at the mouth of the pit, and soon after the
signal was given by colliers below to be drawn up the
shaft.

About 30 men were taken out after this signal from
the south working, who reported an explosion in the
north levels, which they said were on fire near the eye
of the shaft, so as to cut off the retreat of the workmen
there.

Mr. Darlington, the manager, was sent for, but some
hours elapsed before the fire could be extinguished, so as
to enable him and a body of searchers to enter the north
levels for the purpose of recovering the colliers who
might be still alive.
When they did get into the levels they had an appall-
ing task. They encountered heaps of dead. During
the afternoon and night not fewer than 60 dead bodies
were taken out of the pit, and, in the course of yester-
day, about 24 others were recovered, making a total of
86 persons dead.
Only a few, and those much exhausted, have been
taken out alive. Some of the colliers had escaped by
another pit, so that the exact number killed is not
known ; but there is every reason to, believe that at
eight o'clock last night there were still 40 persons in the
levels, under or beyond a large portion of roofing which
had fallen in, and as none of the colliers discovered since
Saturday night were alive, it is feared the number killed
is not less than 120. Of course, so appalling an acci-
dent has caused great excitement, and the mouth of the
pit was surrounded on Saturday and yesterday by many
thousand people, including wifes, sisters, and mothers of
the deceased, almost distracted with grief.
It is the same mine in which about 60 lives were lost
in March last by a similar explosion.

THE ARCTIC EXPEDITIONS.—With all the attention
that is paid to fitting out the fleets and the army at
Deptford and Gosport, the supplies to Sir E. Belcher's
Arctic searching expedition are being prepared for
shipping in the Talbot, old 26, now being fitted at Dept-
ford. At the Clarence establishment there are manu-
facturing 6 tons of pemmican for the Arctic squadron.
AGRICULTURAL RETURNS OF IRELAND FOR 1853.—The
census commissioners have issued a return, showing the ex-
tent of land under crops for each county and province in Ire-
land in 1582-3. We give the total for Dublin of acres :-
1853, 86,552 acres; 1852, 84,442 acres. Total for Lein-
ster, under crops-1852, 1,747,632 ; 1853, 1,683,600 acres;
total decrease, 64,032. Total for Munster, under crops-
-1852,1,440,758 acres ; 1853,1,431,082 acres ; total decrease,
9,676. Total for Ulster, under crops-1852, 1,842,844 acres;
1853, 1,846,246 acres; total increase, 3,402. Total for Con-
naught, under crops-1852, 707,930 acres ; 1853, 734,419
acres; total increase, 26,439. Total decrease under crops
in Ireland 43,867 acres. Total of acres under crops in
Ireland-1852, 5,739,214; 1853, 5,695,347. The decrease
of cereal crops was 143,661 acres on meadow and clover,
404. Increase on green crops of all kinds, 62,783 acres ;
on flax, 37,415. Potatoes iu 1852, 876,532 acres ; 1853,
E 97,774 saes.