The Sun.
London, England, 1847-02-01 00:00:00

DREADFUL COAL-PIT ACCIDENT,

• - SIX LIVES LOST. - )
-
...
(From' tlio She.ffleld Indendent.
It is our painful duty to.record- an accident of a most la-
mentable nature, and attended with the loss of six lives,
which occurred yesterday afternocin at the Darley Main Coal
Company's pits, at. Worsbrough Dale, about two miles from
the town of Barnsley, and ten from Sheffield. The foll Owing
are briefly the facts connected with the occurrence, as far as
we have been able to learn. It appears that oh Friday after-
noon, about two O'clOek,, some men who were. employ.ed in
one part of the-pit, fired a'blast pf gunpowder for the purpose ,
of bringing down a large quantity pf coal. Shortly after the
explosion, an alarm of fire was given from a part of the pit
200 yards from the place where the blast had been. fired.
:The underground steward, George Gomersley, who was at
!dinner at his house,.a short. distance from. the' pit, was sent
for; and as many men as dould be mustered at the time,-went
with him immediately to the, place, from whence the alarm
was given, for•the purpose of endeavouring to extinguish the
flames. A large mass of coil. was 'found on fire; and every
exertion was used to stop tip the driftways, or roads through
which air was -admitted, and to put out the. fire by throwing
water upon it. The men were engaged in this manner
from two o'clock • until four, at• which time, • instead of
having checked the flames, it was found that they were
gaining upon them, and the pit being filled with
smoke rendered it impossible for them to continue
longer. One of the men, named John Elstone, with
several others, turned to go lock to the pit mouth, Elstone
being at the time scarcely able to stand from suffocation.
On his way to the pit mouth, he 'Passed GOmersley and two
or three others, whc; had Mink frank suffocation. Gomersley
said as he passed, " I'm done for."' ' Elstone with great diffi-
culty reached the pit mouth: He was then unable to speak,
and was removed •in a state of insensibility to his house.
Those who were at-the pit • mouth now became alarmed for
the safety of their. 'companions, and a message was imme-,
diately dispatched to the pits of Messrs. Field and Cooper
for assistance. . Some of the other men succeeded ih reaching
the pitmouth in a; state of exhaustion. The manager of the
works went down into the pit, which was then so full of
smoke that he was Obligedio return. Joaepli Beaumont, the
steward at MeSsrs. Field and Cooper's pits, arrived shortly
after four o'clock, and every exertion was then used to reach
the place where the men were known to be, and without
' success. John Elstone, about seven o'clock, recovered so
far as to be able to state where -he left his fellow-work-
men, one of whom was. his brother.. Renewed exertions
were made, and, in a .short .time, the body, of Thomas
Broadhead was ..discovered quite dead. At intervals of
time after this,. the
.bodies of John Gilberf.horpe? John
Jenkinsou, George Brown, Thomas 'Elstone,'' and George
Gomersley were found. The' body'"Of Thanas Blstone,
was nearest thii ' placd - Where' the flit was"burning. . It
was not until twelve O'clock at night that the last of the
bodies (that of George Gomersley, the under-ground
steward) was found, and they were each removed
to their homes. • 'The other men, eight, in number, who had
escaped from suffocation, only with great difficulty, were im
mediately after. being removed, from the pit,.attended by a-
surgeon, who administered sucb,remedies as their cases re-
quired, and though suffering severely there is every reason
to hope that they will recover. John Elstone states that
he did not attempt to return' until he could scarcely draw
his breath, and'his strength had' so far failed that he was
unable to walk: ' The tense of' the accident has not yet been
clearly ascertained, but,. from • the statements • made by the
men who were in the pit at the time (one of them the man
who fired the -blast), - and who escaped, there does not
appear to have been any light near the place where the fire
was discovered, until immediately after the blasting of the
coal. It is supposed that the .hreaking.up of the coal must
have opened a crevice in which sulphurretted hydrogen gas,
or fire-damp, had accumulated, and this 'having ignited,
had set fire to the coal. Thellillowitig are the names of the
six men who have lost their lives :—George Gomersley;
under-ground 'steward;' Worsbro'• Dale, aged 46 ;- Thomas
Elstone, aged '35 ; Thomas Broadhead, aged 50 ; John
Jenkinson, aged 50 ; John Gilberthorpe, aged 20 ; and
George Brown, aged 0. Several of the men were married,
and have left wives and. children to deplore their unfortunate
deaths. . . .

Mr. Badger.(one of the coroners for Yorkshire) has fixed
to open the inquest (this day) Monday, at one o'clock, at the
Mason's Arms Inn, in Worsbrough Dale, when the whole of
the circumstances attending this unfortunate accident will be
fully inquired into.

SPORTING IN
LIVERPOOL GRAND NAT]
Handicap Sweepstakes of 20
Weights to be published on
dared on the 17th of February,
Marquisof Waterford's Firefly I Ur. R. J. Moore's St. Ruth
Mr. Oakey's Valeria • • • 'Mr. Fearce's.Jack
Mr. Hall's False Heir • Mr. J. Malloy's Fanny Eisler
Plurarist ... Mr. Wesley's .Gayhnrst
Mr. Lambden's Discount .. Mr. J. Bowers's Saucepan
Mr. Choyce's.Tea-pot , Mr. Vevers' Little Tommy
Mr. Lockwood's Barmaid Mr. D'Arcy'S Culverthorpe
Mr. Watts na. St. Leger Major Rushhrook nd Gazeley
Mr. Robertson's Ballybar Captain Campbell's Railroad
Captain Barnett's Marengo " Mr. Ducill's Jeu d'Esprit
Lord Sefton na. b. g..by (slag-' Mr. Elmore's Young Lottery
cus, dam by Belzoni • - Mr. C. Wicksted na Gog
Lord Craven•na. Blue• Pill • • Mr. 0.. Higgins's Pioneer
Mr. A. Browne's Midnight Mr. Kirkpatrick's Clinkey
Mr. Cohrteney's Matthew Lord Strathmore's Switcher
Mr. T. Morris's Tamworth . Sacrifipe . .
Mr. Bevill's Latitat Sabine
Mr.Mangle's Sam Slick Roarer
Mr. Smith na. CUMberlafid Captain Gatilbier's Avoca
Lassie Mr. Preston's Brunette
Mr. T. Abbott's Proceed • Frederick
Mr. W. Hall's Tramp Mr. Campbell's Christopher
Mr. A. Gordon's Palmerston North
Mr. C. C. Brooke's Eagle Mr. 'Anderson's Grenade
Mr. Moseley's Jerry Mr. Blackburn's Indian Prince
Mr. J. P. Williams's Nimble Mr. G. Robert's The Page
• Hairy Mr. Neale's Red Lancer
Mr. Waters' Cavendish Mr. Liddell's Profligate
Lord Eglinton'a br h by Tom Mr. J. Townley na Teresa
Brown Colonel Taylor na Quicksilver
Mr. Payne na Sparta Mr. L. Standish na Cure All
Sir R. Brownrig na Ragman Mr. J. W.Hammond na Forest
Mr. Craven na Mameluke Boy
CHESTER Cur.—The following horses have been scratched,
in addition to those mentioned in our last :—Hope, Pilgrim,
Burgundy, Lady Sarah, and Roebuck.
HUNTING APPOINTMENTS.

.TELLIGENCE;

lONAL STEEPLE CHASE.
Soya each, and 100 Sovs. added.
the 10th, and acceptances de-

Baron Rothschild's stgbds., Thurs., Hardwick-11.
Sir C. Constable's atghds, Wed., Wyton Toll Bar.
Bedale hds., Wed., Thorp Perrow; Fri., Kipliti-10%.
Berkshire lids., Wed., Cokethorpe ; Fri., Buckland.
Cambridgeshire hds., Fri., Comberton—lost.
Cleveland hds., Thurs., Ormesby—loVg.
Devon hds., Thurs., Ford House, Newton.
Durham County lids, Wed., Kennels; Fri., Embleton—loi.
F. B. lids., Fri., Bishop's IVood-101/2.
Earl Fitzhardinge's hds., Tues., Pewsdown-11.
Haydon hds., Wed., Woodshield ; Sat., Plankey Mill-9.
Hurworth hds., Tues., Northallerton ; Thurs., Over Dins—
cale • Sat., Kennels-104.
dr. S. Lowndes' hds., Sat., Beachampton Grove-11.
Oakley hds., Thurs., Cross, Alban's Wood ; Sat., Kempton
Wood-14 to 11.
Lord Parker's hds., Tues., Kennel; Fri., Harpsden-10/.
Puckeridge hds., vied. Great Hales; Sat., Great Munden
—lOl/2:
Sinnington lids., Tues., Deal Stone Inn (Hambleton) ;
Fri., Hovingham-10.
Mr. Trelawneys hds., Tues., Brent ; Friday, Shaugh Bridge.
Mr. Watson's hds., Tues., Clifton; Thurs., Warkworth ;
Park-10%.
York and Ainsty hds., Tues., Whixley ; Thurs., Pill Moor
(Brafferton) ; Sat., • Heslington-10%.
Mr. Drake's Ms., Tues., Bourton Village ; Thurs., Men-
marsh Guide Post ; Sat., Warden Kennel—lq.

ENFIELD AND EDMONTON RAIL-

WAY:

The first general half-yearly meeting of the proprietors of
this line was held on Saturday, at the London Tavern;
Captain Owen in the chair.
The directors presented a report and submitted the ac-
counts to the meeting, by which it appeared that a balance
of 7511. 6s. 4d. remained in the hands of the treasurer.
Ground has been purchased at Enfield for the erection of a
station, and terms have been come to with the Northern and
Eastern Connties Company for a junction with their line. A
contract has also been entered into with Mr. H. Earle for the
construction of the works for 20,5001., the line to be com-
pleted within five months after possession of the land has
been obtained.
The report on the motion of Captain BosANQUET, seconded
by Dr. A§TLEY Holm, was unanimously adopted.
Thanks were voted to the chairman, and the meeting was
dissolved.

DEATH OF SIR WILLIAM CHAYTOR, BART.—We
deeply regret to record the death of Sir William Chaytor,
Bart., which took place on Thursday last, at his residence,
Clervaux .Castle, near Darlington. The deceased Baronet
was highly respected, and his loss will be severely felt and
deeply lamented. In " Dodd's Peerage, Baronetage, and
Knightage of Great Britain," we find the following:—" Sir
William Chaytor, first Baronet, created 1831, son of William
Chaytor, Esq., by his marriage with Miss Jane Lee. Born
1771. Married, 1803, the yoilpgest daughter and co-heir of

John Carter, Esq., of Tun-stall and Richmond, Yorkshire_
The late Sir William Chaytor was Lieut.-Colonel Com-
mandant of the Yorkshire Militia (North Riding), and a
deputy lieutenant of the county of Durham. He repre-
sented Sunderland in Parliament, in 1833 and 1834, but has
latterly retired into private life. The deceased was in the
76th year of his age, and is succeeded in his title and estates
by his son, William Richard Chaytor, who was born in 1805,
and married, in 1836, a daughter of Mr. Laoy, of Easingwold,
but she died in 1837. The present Baronet represented the
city__ Durham from 1831 to 1834. York Herald.
DEATH OF LIEUT.-GENERAL SIR EDWARD GIBBS,
K.C.8., LATE LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR. OF JEesny.—This
distinguished officer, whose terms of service as Lieutenant-
Governor of Jersey ceased a fortnight since, expired on Ibe
24th ult., at the: residence of one of his friends in that
island, in the seventieth year of his age, though for some
time suffering from an attack of gout. Sir Edward was
carried off somewhat suddenly. Having given up possession
of the Governor's house he proceeded on a visit to a friend in
the interior of the island, and while there sustained an attack
of paralysis, which baffled all medical aid, and termiiated
fatally on the above-mentioned day. A few days before the
melancholy event, the gallant officer received the meat flat-
tering testimonials of approbation from her Majesty through
Sir George Grey, and addresses were presented to him fro
and
m
all classes of the inhabitants, comprising English, French,
native, congratulating him on the successful termination of
his eight years' service as Lieutenant-Gdvernor and CoT-
mander-in-Chief, and complimenting him on the impartial
manner in which he had ever discharged his duties. SlEdward Gibbs entered the army in 1798, and hi- .t
missions are thus dated : lieutenant, Novemb: • ,
lieu-
captain, February 24, 1803 ; major, Febru.
1825;
tenant-colonel, February 6, 18121; !. • ,To
major-general, January 10, 1837 I`. , vem_
ber 9, 1846. Sir Edward• was the •,n el Gibbs,
Esq., of Housley Park-, Essex, 1,31 the '
r- of 'Admiral
Sir William Rowley, and was brotheibte t eglite Sir Samuel
Gibbs, who ell at New Orleans in 1815.,
-SUDDEN DEATIL OF CAPTAIN. FRANCIS FREAD,
R.N.—We regret to record the death a Captain
,F. Fread,
R.N., which took place at his residence, Nightingale Vale,
Woolwich, yesterday (Sunday). The deceased officer, who
was of a full habit of body, was seated at breakfast with his
family, when he was suddenly seized with aSit of apoplexy
and expired before medical assistance could be procured.
Captain Fread was a Justice of the Peace for the County of
Kent, and was one of those officers who accepted the retire-
ment a few weeks since. He was brother of Colonel Fread,
late of the Grenadier Guards. He has left a large family to
mourn his sudden decease, and a general feeling of regret has
been felt in Woolwich, where as a magistrate and private
gentleman he was highly esteemed.
OPENING OF THE PORTS.--The locks have ITeen
taken.off.the bonded warehouses in this port during the pre-
sent week, but there was not much grain to release. The ex-
ports from Gloucester to Ireland are now very considerable;
and the purchases of grain here for that destination—some
sayonbehchrone
alf of
.Government—daily become larger.—Glou-
cestershirel (4.