The Sun.
London, England, 1851-12-22 00:00:00

It appears that about ten minutes before six this
morning Mr. Silvester, the underground steward,
went into the pit as usual to examine the state of
the workings. One or two men went down with him,
and he was followed shortly afterwards by the whole
body of miners employed there. In what state he
found the pit is not known, for he has not been seen
again, and it is believed is among those who have pe-
rished. It appears, however, that he did not find the
pit in such a condition as to induce him to stop the
working, for the men and boys had generally gone
down, and everything appeared to be proceeding in
the usual mode. The precise number of men in the
pit has not been ascertained. It is believed to be not
less than 73. The number of men directly employed
by Messrs. Charlesworth was 32, but nearly all these
had men and boys employed under them.
To outward appearance everything went on as
usual, until a few minutes before seven o'clock. At
that time not only those near the pit, but the whole
neighbourhood around, was astounded and horrified
by an irruption like that of a volcano. Smoke and
flames burst out of the mouth of the pit in an ap-
palling volume. Two carves which were being
drawn out of the pit were projected upwards with
volcanic force, and lodged in the gearing over the
shaft. A quantity of coals, stones, and other matters
which had been carried high into the air, descended
all around the pit in a terrible shower. So fearful
and perilous was it, that the persons employed near
the pit mouth were compelled to take shelter under
the platform of the tipplers for loading the carts , and
it was only by this precaution that they escaped fatal
injuries. The country all round the pit was blackened
to a distance of three quarters of a mile by the descent
of the dust and smoke, So great was this, that a
man who was standing at his cottage door, two fields
from the pit, found his face blackened as if he had
been working in the pit itself. The report of the
explosion was heard a distance of three miles.
The whole country round was filled with conster-
nation, and crowds of persons hastened to the place.
As soon as it was possible the damaged gearing of
the shaft was repaired, so as to enable men to descend
the pit, which is 127 yards deep.
By half-past nine fourteen persons had been got
out alive, but all more or less injured. These had
been enabled, after the explosion, to make their way
to the bottom of the shaft and avail themselves of the
first opportunity of ascending.
Up to half-past three there had been extricated 24
persons alive, and 15 dead bodies. Of the living 15
had happily escaped sufficiently well to be able to
render assistance and information. Nine were so
severely injured that it is feared several of them can-
not recover, as they have not only been dreadfully
burned, but sustained fractures and other injuries of
a dangerous character. Three of the injured men
have been sent to the Sheffield Infirmary. Of those
who are killed some of the bodies present a most
shocking spectacle, being so dreadfully mutilated as
to make identification almost impossible.
Of the killed the following have been identified :
James Purselove, aged 14 ; Henry Purselove, aged
12 ; John Hartley, John Walton, William Froggatt,
John Whyke, alias Barstow, Abraham Thompson,
George Sellars, John Hartley, Siddons, and Wil-
liam Barnes.

Among the dangerously hurt are—Joseph Bownes,
of Rawmarsh ; —Bo wnes, of ditto; Timothy Tins-
ley, of ditto ; John Harrison, of ditto ; Jonathan Sel-
lars, of ditto; Abraham Auty, of ditto ; James Oates,
of ditto; Eli Barker, of Rose-hill; and George Lin-
ley, of Upper Haugh.
The number still in the pit, thero is too much
reason to believe, is from 30 to 40, and the terrible
conviction prevails that they cannot possibly have
survived.

At four o'clock in the afternoon measures were
being taken, under the direction of Mr. Goodison,
the viewer of Earl Fitzwilliam, Mr. Sellars, the
manager, Mr. Cooper, underground steward of Earl
Fitz williarn, and other experienced persons, to throw
into the pit a current of fresh air, so as to make it
possible further to explore the workings and search
the places where the bodies of the unfortunate miners
are believed to be.

The scene in the neighbourhood is of the most
heartrending description. " Mourning, lamentation,
and woe " prevail among those who can give no help;
while those who can give aid labour with a degree of
zeal and self-devotion which merit far greater praise
than words can convey. Men, who come out of the
pit, sinking from exhaustion, the combined effect of
the labour and the foul air, are eager, as soon as they
are in some degree restored, again to descend, at the
peril of their lives, to aid the less fortunate.
The injured men have been conveyed to their own
homes or more convenient places. The dead bodies
have generally been conveyed to the neighbouring
public-houses. At the Star Inn, no less than nine
dead bodies lie.

Tke supposed cause of the accident is the fall of a
portion of the roof of the pit, stopping the initial cur-
rent of ventilation, liberating a large quantity of foul
air, and forcing it into the parts were the miners were
working with candles. It appears that this is a new
pit, which has not been worked more than twelve
months.