The Sun.
London, England, 1847-06-08 00:00:00

MEN KILLED

(Abridged from the Liverpool Journal of Saturday.)
. We are sorry to record that, on Wednesday morning,
an explosion of fire-damp took pace at Gerard's
Bridge Colliery, St. Helen's, belonging to Messrs.
Speakman, Caldwell, and Co. There was at the time
about fifty men employed under the ground, and thir-
teen ponies. Most of them were got out in a few
hours, very little injured ; but eight of the number were
found dead.
The inquest was held yesterday, at two o'clock in the
afternoon, at St. Helen's, before John Hayes, Esq., co-
roner for the district. . .

Mr. Taylor, agent for the proprietors of the mines,
appeared to watch the proceedings on their behalf ; and
Mr. W. P. Roberts, of Manchester, the miners'
" attorney-general," was present, as the representative
of the Colliers' Union. _

The first witness called was Thomas Winn, who said
he was employed as a collier in the Cowley-hill
Mine when the accident happened. All the persons
who were killed worked in the same mine, but in
a higher level to the one :in which he was em-
ployed. About five o'clock in the morning he
went down into the mine, but having a long way to
go from the bottom of the shaft it would be six o'clock
before he got to work. It was between seven and
eight o'clock when the explosion took place, there
being upwards of 50 persons in different parts of the
mine at the time. Witness worked in the place where
the fire occurred, accompanied by a man named Marsh,
who worked a little higher up than himself. Marsh,
who Ras hacking with his pick against the side of the
mine, said to witness that he thought he was going
through, or there was a " bit of a slip, or a shoot."
Witness said to him, if that was the case he must put
his candle out. They then put both their candles out,
and witness said, " Let's be going." Marsh, at the same
time, observed, " Aye, Lord, it has fired!" They im-
mediately made their escape, and sat down in the next
opening. They both began to be alarmed lest they
should be suffocated, and witness exclaimed, " Oh dear
me, we are all done." He then put his hand to the
mouth of the upper level, and the strong foul all forced
it back again. They then both got into the bottom
level, and ran down the main road towards the pit mouth,
a distance of 400 or 500 yards from where they had been
working. Witness kept shouting to the men to put
their lights out. He never saw a breath of foul air
in the mine before, and could not account for it in
the present instance. Witneis did not ask Marsh to
pick through, but said that if he did he must put
his light out.
In reply to a juror, witness admitted that he feared
an explosion from the pick going through the old
working.
By Mr. Taylor—Was aware that it was a rule of the
colliery to provide lamps for the men.
By Mr. Roberts—He was not aware that there had
been any conversation amongst the men that there was
foul air where he was working. He never heard of
any. He had never used a lamp in that part of the
mine, nor ever saw any one else use any. It is usual
to have candles in preference, as they give a better
light.
Thomas Marsh, a collier, employed with the last wit-
ness, corroborated the whole of his testimony.
After some further evidence,
The jury, after about a quarter of an hour's delibera-
tion, returned a verdict of " Accidental Death, caused by
gases arising from the combustion of coal, which was set
on fire during an explosion."
The names of the persons killed are John Matthew,
collier, aged 45 ; Peter Matthew, collier, his son,
aged 22 ; John Matthew, aged 17 ; David Matthew,
15 ; and Joseph Matthew, aged 10—all his sons, all
drawers ; be has left a wife and several young children.
Joseph Worral, collier, aged 50, left a wife and five
children ; John Lea drawer, 17 ; and James Morris,
drawer, 12.