The Sun.
London, England, 1835-03-12 00:00:00

EXPLOSION OF FIRE DAMP.

WIGAN, MARCII 9.—This morning the neighbourhood of
Standish, about two miles from this town, was thrown into a
state of great alarm by the explosion of fire-damp in one of the
coal-pits. The following are the particulars of this melan-
choly catastrophe, which has resulted in the death of four in-
dividuals :—The pit belonged to Mr. Eltarns, of Standish, and
six persons were busily at work about nine o'clock this morn-
ing. The pit they were working in was one out of which
nearly all the coal had been got. Another small shaft had
been sunk adjoining this, but about six yards deeper, in order
to get out the remainder cf the coal from some part of the
mine. This small pit had always contained a great quantity
of inflammable air, called by the miners black or fire-damp,
owing to which a piece of cloth had been placed at the bottom
of the pit to conduct fresh air, to ventilate the mine, so as to
render it in working order. Unfortunately, the cloth had not
been left in its proper place the preceding Saturday. This
morning, on one of the workmen, named Peter Tabernier,
going into the colliery with at naked candle lighted, when
he had reached a distant part of the mine, he perceived
such symptoms of an approaching explosion, as are well
known to miners, and being apprehensive that the fire-
damp had caught fire, he immediately hastened back, in
order to get out of the pit, and, at the same time, called
on the others to follow his example, but either from fear,
the suffocating nature of the air, or some other cause, they
did not, except a man named Parr. Almost immediately
a most dreadful explosion took place, which buried three
women and one man under a mass of earth, &c., threw the
other two at a distance of 15 or 20 yards, and dreadfully burnt
them. The four unfortunate' persons were immediately
searched for, but it was upwards of eight hours before the
bodies were got out. They were in a dreadfully mutilated
condition, and of course quite dead. Parr and Tabernier still
survive, but are in a very precarious condition, indeed the
former is searcel3 expected to recover. The three females
are sisters, named Hoghton—their ages are nineteen, seven-
teen, and fourteen. The name of the man who was killed is
Darbyshire, and has left a wife far advanced in pregnancy and
three small children to lament his loss and the means of their
sustenance. Mr. Chadwick, surgeon, of Wigan, was speedily
on the spot, and exhibited great skill in his treatment of the
survivors, but his skill was unavailing towards those who had
been nearest the place when the explosion commenced. Had
Tabernier taken the precaution of using Davy's safety lamp,
instead of approaching with an unguarZed light, which, as
soon as it approached, set fire to the explosive fluid, this
melancholy accident in all probability would not have hap-
pened. The poor man had one of the lamps at home, but it
is out of repair, and through the extreme poverty to which he
was reduced, he could not afford to get it repaired. He had
been in the army, and had deserted his regiment about eight
years ago, since which time he has kept out of his native
county until about three months ago, in )rder to evade punish-.
ment, had put himself to every shiftin order to purchase
his discharge, which he has at length accomplished by
paying 17/.

ADAMS'S LECTURES ON ASTRONOMY.—The
first lecture for the season on astronomy was given on Friday
night by Mr. Adams at the King's Theatre, and was very nu-
merously attended, although, from the immense space of the
house, it cannot be said the audience were crowded. Mr.
Adams explained with great clearness, and without the unne-
cessary use of technical terms, the outlines of the science, the
speculations of the ancients as to the shape of the earth, the
motion of the planets, &c., and illustrated his lecture by the
introduction of machinery, and several very splendid transpa-
rencies. The apparatus used by the lecturer in explaining
some of the details of the solar system and the changes of the
moon were extremely simple in their contrivance, but conveyed
a clearer notion to the audience than more elaborate contri
vances. The whole lecture was delivered in a manner calcu-
lated to excite curiosity and convey instruction, and the com-
pany appeared to be highly gratified with what they saw and
heard. During the necessary pauses which intervened between
the different portions of the lecture Mr. Cruse performed some
appropriate pieces of music on the Royal Scraphine, an in-
strument which combines to a certain extent the powers of the
organ and the piano-forte. His performance was several times
interrupted by some person who had found his way to a seat
not intended for him, and who, by the assistance of some kind
of metallic mouthpiece, produced a most unmusical and discor-
dant noise. Mr. Adams expostulated upon his interruption,
and the unphilosophical ignoramus became at length ashamed
of himself and was silent.

TETBURY.—Considerable excitement prevailed in
this town last week, in consequence of R. Butler having taken
a considerable quantity of laudanum. Every effort was made
to counteract its effect, but without success. He died that
night. An inquest was held before G. H. Ball, Esq., coro-
ner. Verdict, Felo de se.--The unfortunate man was buried
between nine and twelve o'clock in the night of Friday, pur-
suant to the directions of the recent Act. He has left a widow
and four infant children.

We give the following singular series of accidents
from a French Paper.—About fifteen years ago, a girl was
placed at a school in the village of Semur : she was the de-
light of her instructors, and the pride of her parents. She
was no ordinary girl. Mentally as well as personally, the
was superior to all her cotemporaries. Another pupil in
the same school took up in jest a pistol which unfortunately
had been loaded, and aimed at her beautiful friend—the
charge took effect, but not fatally. Ten years after this
accident, epilepsy first showed itself in occasional attacks,
the result, it is supposed, of the fright just mentioned. This,
however, did not prevent a young man who loved her with singu-
lar devotion from marrying her. She became a wife and a mother.
A few days ago, this young and interesting lady, whilst sitting
with her infant at her breast, convulsively fell into the fire with
her helpless offspring. On the husband's return, he found his
wife and child actually on the burning coals—the mother dead,
yet still holding in her grasp the infant alive, though dreadfully
burned. The head and breast of the mother were literally
consumed by the fire, and exhibited an appalling and singular
spectacle of mutilated humanity. The infant died in- few
hours after, and the next day one grave contained the mother
and her infant. The whole faubourg attended the funeral.
The town of Caylus has been made the theatre of
an event of unparalleled horror. An inhabitant received an
injury of the bead. Doctor Prestat was called in, when it
was found necessary to perform the operation of trepanning,
and it was accordingly performed, as his friends affirm,
with equal skill and success. A day or two afterwards the
young surgeon called upon his patient, who no sooner saw him
than he seized a knife which he had, it is ascertained, pre-
viously sharpened for the purpose, rushed furiously at him,
plunged the knife in his body, and savagely ripped up his ab-
domen. The doctor died on the spot. Whether this murder
arose from delirium, occasioned by the excessive pain under
which the patient was suffering, or from some other cause, is
yet undetermined. It seems, howeref, that the crime was pre-
meditated ; from several knives he selected the sharpest,
which he carefully concealed under his pillow until the doc-
tor's arrival.—French Paper.