The Sun.
London, England, 1846-10-06 00:00:00

NUMEROUS AND FATAL ACCI-

DENTS.

Yesterday several accidents occurred, which, from the
serious nature of the injuries sustained, will, in all pro-
bability, terminate in loss Of life. The first occurred to
a man named William Smith, aged twenty-nine years,
residing at No. 28, Upper Marsh, Lambeth, and a youth,
named John Wood, aged sixteen years, living in the
same neighbourhood. They were employed in painting
the front of a mansion at Balham-hill, Surrey, and whilst
so engaged the man Smith, who was standing on the top
of a ladder, missed his footing, and fell to the ground
with great violence, and in his descent some portion of
the scaffolding fell upon the youth. The former was
raised up, and was found to have received a fracture of
the right leg and severe internal injury, together with
fractured ribs. The other person was likewise most se-
riously injured, several ribs were fractured, and his body
much contused. They were removed to St. Thomas's
Hospital.—Another accident happened to a man named
John Trassall, aged forty-six, of Cherry-garden-street,
Rotherhithe. He was ostler at the Golden Ball Inn,
Bermondsey New-road, and while carrying a pail of
water from the yard to the front part of the house, he
slipped and fell down a flight of steps, whereby he sus-
tained a compound fracture of the left leg.—The third
accident occurred to William Frost, aged forty years, of
Friday-street, Cheapside. He was a carpenter, and
while engaged with several men in altering a shop front
in Watling-street, he fell off the cross planks placed.be-
tween two ladders into the carriage way. When raised
from the ground he was found to have received a frac-
ture of the left leg and contusions. He was carried to
Guy's Hospital.—Another accident took place to a young
man named Frederick Belcher, aged twenty years. He
was in the employ of Mr. iones, tallow-melter,
Kent-street, Borough, and while turning the handle of a
crane, it slipped from his grasp, and inflicted a frightful
wound on the scalp of great length. He was conveyed
to Guy's Hospital.—lnto the same hospital was carried
a man named John Whitehead, aged thirty-five years, of
Green Dragon-court, Tooley-street. He was assisting
in one of the hop warehouses in St. Saviour's Dock,
when one of the pockets fell from one of the loop-holes
and severely injured the spinal cord and other parts of
his body.—About seven o'clock last evening a boy named
Edward Cooper, aged ten years, whose parents reside in
Isabella-street, Waterloo-road, was crossing the carriage
way facing St. George's Church, Southwark, when he
was knocked down by a cab, and before the driver had
time to stop the horse, the near wheel passed over his
body. He was taken to St. Thomas's Hospital, where
it was ascertained that he had received serious internal
injury.

DREADFUL MINE EXPLOSION.
THREE LIVES LOST.
On the morning of Saturday last the inhabitants of
West Bromwich were thrown into a state of great excite-
ment by the report that an explosion of sulphur had taken
place in one of the coal-pits of the late Mr. Horton, at
Lyttleton Hall. Great crowds of persons immediately
proceeded to the mouth of the pit, which is situated
about half a mile from West Bromwich, on the Oldbury
road. On arriving at the spot, it was found that the
rumour was but too well founded. The most intense
anxiety was entertained by the friends and relatives of
the miners in the pit, a great many of whom had de-
scended but a few minutes previously, aggravated by the
circumstance of the rush of air consequent on the ex-
plosion having forced two hats belonging to some of the
unfortunate men up the shaft of the pit, and to several
hundred yards' distance. Their fears for the safety of
the miners were unfortunately realised; and the whole
circumstances connected with the melancholy catastrophe
were speedily ascertained. It appears that Mr. John
Baylis, the " doggy," or manager of the pit, had gone
down, as usual, with the miners, to the number of
twenty-four men and boys, As was customary, be
tried the workings with the safety lamp; and in the first
side of the work he discovered an accumulation of sul-
phur. He set the colliers to disperse it, and shortly after
went to the other side of the work to ascertain whether
any sulphur had been forced into it out of the first. In
about ten minutes after the explosion took place. It is
impossible to tell how it occurred; but the probability is,
that it was through the carelessness or negligence of
some of the colliers, who are always anxious to get to
work as soon as the sulphur is dispersed, taking a lighted
candle into the workings—the reckless individual pro-
bably paying the penalty of his imprudence with his life.
Its effects were very afflicting. Seven of the unfortunate
men who were engaged dispersing the sulphur were
dreadfully berried, their bodies in some parts being
literally roasted by the flame and blackened by the
clouds of vapour. Suspended in the skip, about eighty
yards down the shaft, which ,is sunk to the depth of
three hundred yards, were John Robinson, the engineer,
and William Hadley, a workman engaged in repairing
the shaft when the explosion took place. The hot air,
which rushed up the shaft with irresistable violence,
carried the skip and the men for some distance upward,
when it became unhooked from the rope to which it was
attached, and these two unfortunate persons were pre-
cipitated to the bottom of the pit, a depth of nearly 800
feet.. They were awfully mutilated; and, in their blackened,
shattered, and mangled remains, it would have been diffi-
cult even to trace the outline of humanity. Their remains,
as soon as possible, were gathered up and removed ;
and the sufferers by the burning were conveyed home.
A lad named Joshua Cash, about seventeen years of
age, was dreadfully scorched. He had been at the
bottom of the pit at the time, and was completely en-
veloped in flames. Mr. Baylis fortunately observed his
condition, ran to his assistance, and succeeded in extin-
guishing the burning clothing, which hung about his body.
He was carried home, but his injuries were of such a
nature as to preclude all hope of recovery, and after
enduring intense agony, death terminated his sufferings
on Tuesday forenoon. The other men were also at-
tended to with the least possible delay. Their names
are John Watson, John Smith, Peter Brown, Levi
Fletcher, John Wilkinson, and James Wallett. With
the exception of Watson, who lies in a very dangerous
state, hopes are entertained of their ultimate recovery.
What adds to the poignancy of the infliction, is the cir-
cumstance that, with the exception of Wallett, they are
all married men, having families. On Monday an in-
quest was held at the Star and Garter, West Bromwich,
before George Hinchliffe, Esq., on the bodies of Hadley
and Robinson. All the evidence went to show that there
was no criminal negligence on the part of the managers
of the pit, and that the dreadful occurrence which had
deprived these men of life had been purely the result of
accident. A verdict to that effect was accordingly re.
turned. An inquest was also held on the body of Cash
at the Rising Sun, West Bromwich, before Mr. Hinch•
liffe, when a precisely similar verdict was returned.—
Birmingham Journal.

LEAPING OFF A TRAIN.—A case was beard before
the magistrates on Saturday of much importance to all
travellers on railways. On the 17th ult. a passenger
bot.ked from Allonby to Dalston, on the Maryport and
Carlisle line, but instead of alighting at that station, re-
mained upon the step of the carriage until the train
reached the holme near Cummersdale, when, while it
was in motion, leaped off ! The engine was stopped, and
the young man picked up insensible, but he soon reco-
vered, and was found to have escaped with a scratch on
the face and a " shake." The train was delayed, in con-
sequence of the foolhardy "lark," and Mr. T. C. Hey-
sham, one of the directors of the company, hearing of
the circumstance, determined upon making an example
of the offender. The law awards a penalty not exceed-
ing 20s. to any one who shall ride in a railway carriage
without paying the usual fare, or without procuring a
ticket, and the passenger, not having booked at Dalston,
rendered himself liable to conviction under this clause.
He pleaded guilty, and on the recommendation of the
directors, who wished to bring the case forward as a
caution to the public, the magistrates fined him ls. and
costs.

DESTITUTION IN THE HIGHLANDS.—At Inverary,
on Wednesday last, the 30th ult., a meeting was held of
the county of Argyll, to take into consideration the pre-
sent critical state of the poor and labouring population,
in consequence of the failure of the potato crop. The
Marquis of Breadalbane was called to the chair. His
Lordship, after alluding to the bleak prospects before
the poorer classes, stated as his opinion that the proprie-
tors of land must in a great measure provide for the
exigency which had arisen; and .until each of them in
the county had done his utmost to meet the urgency of
the case, they would only go to Government with little
chance of success. The preseat was, therefore, empha•
tically the time to commence improvements on their
property, and thus afford employment to the poor. The
Marquis of Lorne said the proprietors of Argyll would
not shirk the obligations which lay on them to attend to
the welfare of those on their estates. At the same time,
considering that the pressure would not fall equally on
all the proprietors,_ he did think they had grounds to call
the attention of Government to the question, with the

view of asking its assistance towards two or three im-
portant objects. Two of these were emigration and the
encouragement of the fisheries; and, as to the third, he
thought the attention of the Executive should be espe-
cially called to it. This was the providing a supply of
food for those who were able and willing to purchase it,
thereby affording the same justice and favour to the
people of the Highlands of Scotland—who, although less
unruly, were suffering as much from destitution—as to
the people of Ireland. A committee was then appointed
to draw out resolutions to meet the case; when, after a
brief delay, a string of resolutions was unanimously
agreed to, and a committee appointed to carrythem into
effect. The meeting then broke up.
DAVIS' STRAITS FISIIERY.—Advices have been
received by the cod-fishing vessel Diligence, Captain
Straiton, from Captain Harrison, of the Lady Jane
whaler, belonging to Newcastle, dated August 14, stating
that the fishery has been an unsuccessful one, and giving
the following account of the ships :—Newcastle—Lady
Jane, 3 fish. Hull—Abram, 3 fish ; Truelove, 2 ditto ;
Princess of Wales, 2 ditto ; Lord Gambier, 1 ditto.
`, Bo'ness—Alfred, fish. Kirkcaldy—Chieftain, 2 fish ;
Caledonia, 2 ditto ; Regalia, clean. Dundee—Horn,
6 fish ; Princess Charlotte, 4 ditto ; Advice, 4 ditto ;
Alexander, 3 ditto. Aberdeen—St. Andrew, 3 fish ;
Pacific, 3 ditto. Peterhead—Traveller, 1 fish ; Joseph
Green, 1 ditto ; Resolution, clean ; Superior, ditto.
Captain Harrison states that he never before saw so
much ice in the Fishery ; that he had been north as far
as lat. 74 10., and south to lat. 65 50., and could see no
prospect of a passage to the westward. The floes of ice
were exceedingly large and heavy. He had just got at
liberty from being beset in lat. 69 40., and was proceed-
ing to the south to make another attempt to get through
the ice. When last down, on the 23d of July, in lat.
66, there were 130 miles of ice, and he could not ap-
proach the west land. There had been some strong
gales of wind, which it was hoped might open a passage
to the laud. At the date of this letter the 19 ships had
only 43 fish.—Aberdeen Herald.
TIIE SALT MoNoroLY.7—As illustrative of the
operations of the salt m.nopcilv. it may he stated that
the cost of a cargo of salt in Liverpool is fifteen shil-
lings per ton. On this small suns the impost levied
by the East India Company
8/. 3s. Gd.—Liverpool
Albion.