The Sun.
London, England, 1847-06-30 00:00:00

SERIOUS COLLIERY EXPLOSION

AND LOSS OF LIFE.
Yesterday, about one o'clock, an explosion of fire-
damp, fatal in its consequences, we fear, to a number
of persons, took place at the colliery, known some-
times as the Hier Patricroft Colliery, but more pro-
perly as the Kirkless Hall Colliery, near the boundary
line of the townships of Ince and Aspull, on the
banks of the Leeds and Liverpool canal, about two
miles from Wigan. The result of the accident,
as far as we could learn, up to five o'clock yesterday
afternoon, was the death of two persons, the very seri-
ous injury of eight or ten others, and the injury, more
or less, of at least a dozen more. From information
hastily collected on the spot, it appeared that the cause
of the explosion arose from the blowing up a quantity of
coal by one of the men, which set it on fire ; and before
the fire could be blocked up or extinguished, the accident
occurred. We must here state, on the best authority,
that the firing of coals by miners, which is doubt-
less practised to save their own labour, is against the
rule laid down by the proprietors of the colliery, and
on this occasion was practised without their know-
ledge or consent. About half-past eleven in the morn-
ing, one of the men had been having a " blow up," and
the consequence was the setting on fire the coal in that
part of the mine,_which we are• told, is of a highly
bituminous and inflammable nature. The under-
looker, George Evans, on the first alarm being given,
directed all his efforts to extinguish the fire, collected
his best men for the purpose, and sent several out of
the pit for safety. The reports in the neighbourhood
being much exaggerated as to the number of persons
in the pit when the explosion occurred, it may be
well to state that the pit is divided into two sec-
tions, one of which only felt the effects of the acci-
dent. In this section, we believe, thirty-two persons
were the full complement employed, or sent down in
' the morning. Of these, six or eight were sent up, and had
given in their lamps, and the remaining portion were at
the place of the explosion. Alter an ineffectual attempt
to put out the fire, all the efforts of the men appear to
have been directed to the closing or building up that
part where the fire was burning ; and the confinement
of the air, and consequent stopping of the usual current
in that direction, is supposed to have caused the
explosion ; but the underlooker being severely in-
jured, and the other men on the spot knowing little
of it, or being incapable of supplying any in-
formation, no positive facts can be at present stated.
Immediately after the-accident, the efforts of all were
directed to the getting out of the injured parties, and up
to five o'clock twenty-three had been brought to the top
of the. pit ; of these, two or three belonged to 'the other
section of the mine. It was found, however, impracticable
to prosecute the search with safety until the fire had
been effectually blocked up ; but at five o'clock one man
only was said to be missing. The following is, we
believe, a correct list of all those brought up after the
explosion, none of whom, it is said, escaped unhurt:—
John Cartwright—dead.
Joseph Wilkinson, a boy—said to have died on his way
home.
Robert Wilkinson, father of the above—seriously in-
jured.
John Berry—very badly burnt, with no hopes of reco-
very.
Very badly burnt—John Rhodes, George Evans,
underlooker, Henry Rawson, John Riley, Ashmore,
a boy, and Samuel Evans.

More or less injured—William Dainty, John Rol-
croft, John Bolton, James Naylor, Joseph Penman, Eli
Monk, William Jackson, Richard Currie, John Web-
ster, James Belshaw, John Mills, Thomas Laurenson,
Samuel Simkin.

Robert Southern, the only one said to be missing, and
supposed to be dead.—Manchester Guardian of this day.

The
eE CounsellorGEo Lo GI so: S
State, T hEe
rJdournal,des
.D -
thgiaEnts:psaunbtiL9lsh.rs the following letter, dated Odessa, the 1
University norit
Pro-
fessor of Geology at the Imperial twho at this moment is travelling in the soui of It rl3l"' ' lIIS*IB,
f has discovered in a property situated to: the north of
Odessa several skeletons of fossil animals of enormous
dimensions. The skeletons are 83 in nßraber, viz.,
6 elephants, 1 rhinoceros, 2 oxen, 4 stags, / antelope,
61 bears, 2 hyenas, 2 dogs, 3 cats, and a ruminating
animal, species unknown. Those skeletons, together
with the bones, were found under a thick layer of cal-
careous earth. The discovery made by M. Erdmann is
the more remarkable, as hitherto there never has been
any remains of the antediluvian animal reign discovered
in Russia."

The India mail was conveyed from Boulogne to
Dover, yesterday morning, by the General Steam Navi-
gation Company's steam-ship Star; the time occupied
from leaving Boulogne until the mail was landed at
Dover having been 1 hpur 55 minutes only.
ASIIBURTON.-It is with continued pleasure that
we can report most favourably of the growing crops of
potatoes in this part—not the smallest sign of the dis-
ease. The early sown potatoes are being taken from
the ground, and are of an exceedingly tine flavour and
excellent quality.

ACCIDENT BY GUN COTTON.
Monday evening Mr. W. Baker held an inquest at
the London Hospital, on view of the body of If. Redford,
aged thirty-three, who was in employment at the con•
Breve rocket manufactory, of Mr. Q. Forsyth Wade,
West-Ham Abbey-marshes, and who with Michael Gur•
ney and H. Tuft, lost their lives by an explosion of gun
cotton.

J. Brayley, principal of the factory, having described
,he accident,

Mr. Wade said he had the evidence of scientific gen-
tlemen to show that the accident arose from compressed
air, which being overheated ignited the gun cotton.
Mr. Edward Horton Wilmot, assistant lecturer, at the
London Hospital, said that Mr. Wade requested him to
prepare some cotton which would not take fire easily. He
manufactured a quantity which he submitted to the weight
of a 141 b hammer; the blows being repeatedly given.
He believed that the accident arose from the compres-
sion of atmospheric air, which, being overheated, gave
out its caloric, and set fire to the cotton, causing the
explosion. This would ignite at a heat of from 320 to
350 degrees. He believed that every precaution was
used to prevent an accident, both in the preparation of
the gun cotton, which was made not to explode, and in
the care taken to fill the cylinder, and his surprise was
that one did wenn

Mr. P. B. Wall, gunpowder manufacturer, said that
he prepared the cotton, which was made weaker than
usual. He believed the accident arose from compressed
air. He has used the gun-cotton since October last, for
making rockets, and has had only one accident, when a
boy was injured. That occurred while using the
monkey. lie has since used the lever, which gives
a more gradual and regular pressure, and no accident
has since occurred. When the explosion he alluded to
took place, the cylinder or tube was about one foot long
and two inches in diameter, and about ten ounces of
cotton were rammed in the tube. He thought the
gun cotton useful for artillery practice, and it possesses a
far greater range of power.
Dr. Letheby, lecturer on chemistry, said that it was j
Ins oion the accident arose om trictn of he coton
on them
sides of the cylinder.fr
Had itio
takent place by I