The Sun.
London, England, 1836-10-04 00:00:00

FATAL COLLIERY EXPLOSION

ELEVEN LIVES LOST.—Yesterday week a most calami
tous accident occurred at Audley, near Neweastle-unLler-
Lyne, Staffordshire, by which the lives of eleven indi-

victuals were sacrificed. The scene of this direful• event

was an extensive colliery called the Bignall-hill
pit, belong-
ing to .John Wedgwood, Esq., of Bignal. On the pre-
ceding Friday, the colliers perceived some foul air in the
pit, but as it was inconsiderable, and they had frequently
observed its appearance to the same extent without any
mischief resulting, they took no notice of it, and on Satur-
day morning, about ten, the men left off work for the week.
On Monday morning, about seven, the colliers again visited
the pit with the intention of resuming their labours, and 18
or 19 men and boys descended. No apprehension of danger
was felt at this time, nor did the miners think it necessary to
use the safety lamps ; but they were proceeding to their work
with naked candles, when, in a moment, destruction came
upon them ; the foul air which had been engendered during
the cessation of labour ignited with a loud explosion, and
11 poor creatures were hurried into eternity. Immediate
exertions were made by the survivors, and other colliers
who hastened to the spot, in order to get the bodies out
of the pit, and, if possible, to restore animation to some
of them ; but, with the exception of two, Rowley and
Riley, all who had proceeded any considerable distance
from the mouth of the pit into the interior of the work
were instantaneously killed. Riley bad a narrow escape.
He was farther in the pit than two of those who perished,
but on perceiving the danger, he exerted himself to get
to the bottom of the shaft, and providentially succeeded.
A father and son also met with deliverance in this peri-
lous moment ; they happened to be near a small detached
place, in which candles were kept, and turning in, they
avoided the deadly current, and thus narrowly escaped de-
struction. Although unceasing efforts, and at great per-
sonal risk, were made to get out the bodies, it was eleven
at night before that object could be effected, in conse-
quence of the prevalence of noxious vapour in the pit,
and at that time the body of Thomas Cartwright had not
been met with. In consequence of being buried under
a quantity of earth and coals which the explosion dis-
lodged, the corpse was not found until Wednesday
morning. This poor fellow was the foremost of those
who ha gone towards the work, and it is supposed that
his candle was the immediate cause of the ignition. When
the bodies were found, some were more or less burnt
and bruised, others had not a mark of violence upon
them. In one case the external injury was very great ;
but it was evident that the deceased had come to their
death by suffocation, and their sufferings, in that case,
would be only of momentary duration. As an instance of
the shock produced by the explosion, it may be mentioned
that " a corfe" (which is made of oak and bound with iron)
that was not far from the bottom of the shaft, was shivered
to atoms.

On Wednesday an inquest was held on the bodies, when
a verdict of " Accidental Death" was returned in each case.
The names of the sufferers are William Riley, Thomas
Lawton,.James Proctor, John Hilditch, Thomas Riley,
Elijah Billington, John Johnson, Charles White, Thomas
Cartwright, George Riley, and John Chambers.
This lamentable catastrophe has so much affected the
proprietor, John Wedgwood, Esq., as to urge him to de-
clare that no similar occurrence shall in future take place,
and he has given orders for the pit's mouth to be closed.
A. subscription has been opened for the wives and families
of the deceased.

The interment of the unfortunate miners took place in
Audley-churchyard on Thursday. The funeral processions.
eleven in number, all united before they reached the church ;
and as the committees of several clubs attended, according
to their custom, as well as the relatives and friends of the
deceased, the procession altogether was not much less than
half-a-mile in length.