The Sun.
London, England, 1860-12-05 00:00:00

TILE TERRIBL.
.110101OUTHSHIRE.

COLLIE_

EXPLOSION IN

XEWPORT, TUESDAY.
The coroner's inquest into the deaths of the
unfortunate men who were killed by the explosion
of the Black 'Vein Coal Mine, Monmouthshire, on
Saturday last, was fornially commenced this morn-
ing before Mr. W. H. Brewer, deputy coroner, end
a jury of fifteen, consisting of residents in the im-
mediate locality of Pontymister and Risca, of whom
Mr. George * H. Banker of Poutymister, was the
foreman. As might have been expected, however,
the proceedings before the:coroner were, purely
formal, and consr,sted, in fact, of the swearing in of
the jury, and visiting some of the dead bodies.
Mr. Brough, the government inspector of mines,
was on the spot at an early hour of the morning,
and descended into the pit, where he has been for
several hours. Mr. Thos. Phillpotts, the manager
of the Risca Coal and Iron Company, has given up
his authority over the mine to Mr. Brough, under
whose orders "shifts" of men are actively engaged
in searching for the men beneath. The following
represents the actual state of things when the
explosion took place, and the return of deaths up
to Tuesday.

a
The number of nit n on the day shift on Saturday
morning when the accident took place was 199.
Of these there were 64 saved. 80 dead bodies have
been taken out, and there are still missing and
under ground 55. Supposing all of those at pre•
sent in the pit to be dead, and that sepia the gene-
ral impression, the number of deaths would amount
to 135, Every exertion is being made to find the
bodies that still remain under ground. Re-
lays of from 15 to 20 men, led by an experienced
fireman, descend alternately; but as the whole
ventilation of the mine has been blown to pieces,
the work of exploration is necessarily very slow.
Only eight bodies were recovered on Sunday, six
on Monday. It appears that a descent into the
mine is still attended with great danger, and none
but steady and experienced men are admitted in.
It is not expected that all the bodies will be out
for another fortnight, and it is doubtful whether
the mine will not continue *he " living tomb' for
a good many, as the desolation and debris cuustal
by the explosion is reported to be most extensive. -
As to the cause of the explosion it would be
premature to Irizard an opinion. That will be
best ascertained by the result of the inquest. I
may mention, however, that very contradictory.
statements are given as to the cause. Mr. null-
potts, the general manager, was In London at
the time of the accident, but he asserts that the
state of the mine was, as far as it could be
ascertained, excellent, that the 'ventilation was
very good, and that the Black Vein Coal and
Iron Company went to a good deal of cxpense in
improving it. On the other hand, some of the men.
have declared that the mine was in a very bati
condition for some time, and that there was art
apprehension amongst the men that some calamity
would take place.. Conflicting rumours are of
course always rife after an occurrence of this kind,
but it is perhaps as well to give them. The friends
of those who have relatives still underground are
in the most anxious state of expectation, and their
misery is even greater than that of these who have
the certainty of death brought hone to them. In
many instances this has been realised in multiplied
form. One of the persons whom I met with this
morning was a young man named West, who
escaped from the mine by a back way when the
explosion took place. His three brothers, however,
were not so fortunate, for they were brought up
dead. This is not a solitary instance: other famine-3
have quite as sad a tale to tell. The drawn blinds
of numerous cottages around reveal how extensive
has been the calamity, and for some miles around,
the minors' houses have their corpse or corpses.
The coroner's jury was to have been sworn at.
half-past eleven, but it was nearly an hour later
before the coroner and jury assembled.
They were then sworn to inquire into the deaths
of Henry Edwards, David Jenkins, and the other
deceased persons, amounting to eighty, who lest
their lives.
Mr. Owen, solicitor, of Newport, appeared for
some of the deceased ; Mr. Morgan Lleavellin
appeared on behala: of the Black Vein Iron and Coal
Company. Mr. Phiilpotts, manager, was also
present, as well as the Rev. Dr. Williams, chancellor
of the diocese.
Mr. Owen hoped that no person connected with
the works should be on the jury.
The Coroner said lie had given instructions that
no person connected with the works should be on
the jury, and he did not believe that any person se
connected was on the jury. The jurymen, as their
names were called, could answer for themselves.
The policeman who issued the summonses said
that he summoned the jury under the instructions
he received. He got a list of names from Inspector
Towier, but he set aside some of the names given
to him by the inspector. lie did SO of his own
authority.
Mr. Owen then applied to have two experienced
persons on the part of the men to inspect the
present state of the mine.
Mr. Phillpetts said that he had no objection on
the part of the company ; but he would advise
that it should not be done, as it was certainly
dangerous to do so. Any person going down
should do so with the sanction of Mr. Brough,
the Government inspector, who was then in the
mine. _ _

Mr. Owen asked if the coroner would give ax
order for the two men to go down.
The Coroner said if they went down they must
do so on their own responsibility. He would give
no order of the kind.
Mr. Owen then asked if the jury were in any
way interested in the company or the works.
• The jurymen replied that they were not.
The Coroner then, addressing the jury, said that
they were called together to inquire into one of the
most painful and fatal explosions on record, by'
which so many human beings had perished. He
impressed on them the necessity of giving an im-
partial verdict, of not being biassed by anything
they might have heard outside, but to return their
verdict according to the evidence adduced before
them. He should do everything in his power to
bring satisfactory evidence before them, and he
trusted they would give it a patient and attentive
hearing. All that they could do that day was to
view some of the bodies. He proposed that they
should view them all, and as this would occupy
some days, and as the bodies in the pit would not
be found for some considerable time, he proposed to
postpone the taking of evidence till the 18th of
December.
Mr. Llewellen said that he appeared for , the
Risca Coal and Iron Company, in whose works the
calamity, unprecedented in its results in that
county, had occurred. As to the causes of the
accident it would be premature to speculate. They
would best be discovered by the inquiry ; but the
company felt it incumbent on them to give every
assistance in their power to promote the inquiry.
The jury and coroner then proceeded, in the
midst of a drizzling rain and paths thick with mud,
to view the dead bodies, which lie scattered all
about the district. In this work probably two or
three days will be consumed.
It was understood that Lord Tredegar, the lord
of the soil, had given a piece of land for the burial
of the unfortunate men, and that Chancellor Wil-
liamsnecessity stated, on the part of the bishop of the dio-
isslien should take
dio-
cese, that he would dispense for the present with
thareey obliged to lisle, and decom-
tthhaetcothneseebrtant.iiaoln.ofltsotaemaolfa.ettleyhrienobgf
opidnreiets
ipnl
whichc ef o r t ht
hnei quick
position has set in.
No bodies were taken out of
when the
to-day
aiunp
by
20 minutes past 3 o'clock, the l
which information could be conveyed to London
lef'.
The following are the names of the •
George H. Bat-Ikea, Pontynaister, forejmurayn:;—Da.vi.d
Nurse, manager of the PontymisterWerks;
_
Davies, engineer, ditto ;
John Duffield, maltster ;WWmaitMeratßthosewsefrris,
Walter Rosser, fa ,mbaultsildteerr:
jollnE;Tans, sh farmer ; Wm. J. Jacob, farmer ;
okeeper ; Vincent Allen,shop-
keeper
David
Norris, Jarvis Johnson, Samuel Bateman.
Wm. Giles farmer; Thos. Banks,

HOLTROOD ABBEY.—David King of Scotland,
who appears to have been as devout a prince as his great
namesake, the Israelitish poet-king, was out hunting one
day, when he was suddenly attacked by the infuriated stag
he was pursuing. He would probably have perished but
for the ready aid that monarchs appear always able to
command. A Knight rushed to the rescue, and King
David lived to found an abbey upon the site of his perilous
adventure. This pretty tradition, redolent as with in-
cense from the censers of gratitude and piety, is borne
out by the armorial device of the abbey and adjoining burgh
of Canongate—a cross between
tithe
ereantlers ofversion of t a stag—
although there is not wanting Fhe
story, which ascribes the escape to miraculous agency. The
monastery thus founded was called Holy Rood Abbey. on
account of the incident having occurred ou the festival day
of the Holy Cross, and was held especially sanctified by
virtue of the possession of a small black fragment of the
; true cross—a legacy bequeathed by Margaret, the grand-
. niece of Edward the Confessor, to her son, King David.
We read in the old Scottish records, that the good Prince
sent to Flanders and Franco for "the rich crafty masons'
under whose hands the structure arose, and that the marshes
aroand were subsequently drained and the cemetery walled
by the "pleasant, devout, affable" Abbot Elias.—Builder.
AMERICAN FASHIONS.—Four-storey shirt collars
are all the rage. We saw one the other day with a steeple
to it. The increase in building has proved very profitable
to the linen and starch trade. Short•neeked people, in
order to keep pace with the spirit of improvement, should
get their ears moved up a little higher,—.4merica:z Paper.