The Sun.
London, England, 1866-12-15 00:00:00

THE OAKS COLLIERY EXPLOSION.

It was mentioned in The Sun of yesterday that
two sets of men, numbering altogether upwards of
20 persons, who had gallantly volunteered to make
search for the sufferers in the Oaks Colliery at
Ardsley, near Barnsley, had perished by two fresh
explosions, which occurred in that pit on Thursday.
The total loss of life by the first great explosion
on Wednesday and the subsequent ones on Thurs-
day is believed to be rather over than under 400.
The Yorkshire Post says
44 A fact which tends to corroborate previous
statements as to the number of men in the pit at
the time of the explosion came to light during the
investigations, and strengthens the assertions as to
the almost incredible amount of human life engulfed
in this immense living tomb. We are informed, on
creditable authority, that 430 lamps had been issued
on Wednesday morning, and as only some two or
three had been returned, the fearful estimate of the
loss of life which we gave on Thursday is not likely
to be overstated. During the day the Lord-Lieu-
tenant of the West Riding was on the ground, and
made a careful inquiry into the nature of the sad
occurrence, at the same time viewing with deep and
sympathising interest the spot where the accident
happened. Major Waterhouse, M.P. for Ponte-
fract, in company with the ex-Mayor for the same
borough (Mr. Jefferson), also paid a visit to the
scene, and was minute in his inquiries as to the
causes and results of the event. As to the cause
little or nothing is known beyond what has been
already stated, and the surmise is that some one of
the unhappy victims has, by reason of his negligence
of, or non-compliance with, the regulations set
down for the use of the safety lamp, been instru-
mental in producing these fearful consequences.
Among the 19 persons who were brought up alive
some have since expired, and obtained, we believe,
a happy relief from their intense sufferings."
The Leeds Mel cury says :

" The manner in which the pit was worked was a
fruitful subject for discussion among the crowd, and
it was stated by several well acquainted with the
colliery that although the only lights used in the
workings were the safety lamps the engine place
and the main thoroughfares of the mine were lighted
by gas. This was natural gas accumulated in the
pit by placing pipes to the principal fissures from
which gas oozed, and conducting it into a gasometer,
whence it was drawn as required in the usual way.
Some of the men who had worked in the mine and
considered it safe were inclined to attribute the ex-
plosion to some accident resulting in an escape of
accumulated gas. It appears, also, that powder
was used for blasting in the getting of coal—a prac-
tice probably attended with far greater risk than
the burning of naked lights in the main roads ; and
some conjectures point to this practice as the pro-
bable cause of the dreadful disaster. For the in-
spection of the mine three deputies were regularly
employed by day and three by night. The duty of
these men was to visit all the working and other
dangerous parts of the pit every shift, before the
men began to work, to see that they were safe. This
duty was, we understand, duly performed, without
the discovery of anything to create alarm. It
seems, however, that complaints have been made
for some time of the unusual heat in the pit. It is
even alleged that some of the men objected to work
in it. The heat of the atmosphere in the pit is
attributed to the long distance the air had to travel

"The Queen desires to make inquiry as to the
probable extent of the explosion, and whether the
loss of life is as serious as reported."
This message arrived by telegram about half-past
o'clock on Thursday night, and was at once trans-
mitted to the gentleman for whom it was intended.
Her Majesty's feelings on being informed of the said
truthfulness of her information will be easily con-
ceived.

BARNSLEY, Friday.

One of the volunteers supposed to have been
killed has happily been rescued under almost mira-
culous circumstances.

Yesterday evening, between 10 and 11 o'clock,
one of the shafts of the mine took fire, and the
flames issued from the pit's mouth. Seeing these
the crowd around the pit moved off, as another ex-
plosion was feared. It was thought necessary to
send for the fire-brigade from Barnsley, but the
flames abated soon after the arrival of the engines.
The firemen thought they could hear some one in
the pit bottom. Others also listened, and heart
some faint cries, showing that some one was still
alive in the fatal mine. The excitement was in-
tense. A messenger was despatched for the engi-
neers, and at about 5 o'clock a.m. they arrived, and
being satisfied that some one was alive, let down a
bottle of brandy, which was received at the pit
bottom. Active steps were at once taken to extri-
cate those who had thus given signs of life. A pul-
ley was erected, and two brave fellows volunteered
to go down the shaft. They were lowered slowly
and cautiously, signalling repeatedly to those at the
top, as they found they were able to proceed ; and
at last they heard a voice which they found to
come from one of the explorers who descended the
mine on Thursday to bring up the dead bodies or
rescue the survivors from the first explosion. His
name is Samuel Brown, of Barnsley. He was at
once placed in the cage, and the signal for drawing
up was given. As the three occupants of the cage
neared the bank all eyes were directed to the poor
fellow, whose life had thus been almost miraculously
preserved. He was conveyed to a fire, and restora-
tives were given. From the first, however, he
was perfectly conscious, and spoke with distinct- I
ness. lie states that when the first explosion
took place during the search for which he
had volunteered, he was caught by, the after-blast,
and became unconscious for some time. Afterwards
he revived, and wandered about the north incline,
falling over mangled corpses in the road, and found
his way to the pit mouth, where he pulled the sig-
nal bell. He thinks there was no other living being
in the pit, for after his consciousness returned he
never heard any voices or moaning, or any other in-
dication of life. The recovery of this man, however,
is causing great excitement, and the people begin to
protest against the pit being closed. The inquest
was formally opened this afternoon by Mr. T. Tay-
lor, coroner, at the house of Mrs. Ridsdale, White
Bear, Hoyle-mill.
After the bodies had been viewed and idelir7ifie ,
Mr. Chas. Morton, Government Inspector, told the
coroner and jury that a meeting of the most emi-
nent mining engineers in the kingdom had been
held that day. He concurred in their unanimous
opinion that the workings were probably on fire,
and it was not at all likely that any one in the mine
was alive. He was of opinion that a three days' in-
terval should take place before any further descent
was attempted. As he recommended that the inquest
should be adjourned, it was adjourned accordingly,
to Thursday next.
The bodies viewed by the jury were those of Wm.
Bates, Thomas Band, of Hoyle-mill ; Henry Win-
ter (22), hurrier, Merrses-fold, Blucher-street,
Barnsley ; Matthew Allen (13), Back Cannon-
street, horsedriver ; John Jackson (16), Silver-
street, hurrier ; Henry Jackson (25), Silver-street,
miner ; William Wright (30), 44, New-street,
hurrier ; William Abbot (25), 35, New-street,
miner ; Joseph Senior (12), Back Burley-street,
bottom man ; John Sloane (25), Wilk:on-street,
miner ; Thomas Hardcastle (39), Bar-bones, pit
bottom man ; and John Robson (37), Ash-road.
The wife of John Robson deposed that her hus-
band, who was extricated from the pit dreadfully
burnt, died this morning at 4 o'clock. Before his
death he told her that on Thursday while at the
bottom of the shaft he saw the blaze of fire and
cloud of dust, which knocked him down, and after

The viewers to-day presented the following report
at the meeting of engineers :—" The first explosion
took place at ten minutes past 1 o'clock on the
afternoon of Wednesday, the 12th of December.
The winding engine was injured, and the cage in
No. 2 shaft was blown away, and one of the coup.
, Hugs was snapped. At No. 1 pit the cage was
broken and disconnected from the rope. Smoke
from the downcast continued for about five minutes,
and then suddenly ceased, and fresh air began to
drive down the shaft. As soon as this was seen
to be the case the No. 2 pit rope was taken
off the drum, and No. 1 pit rope was wound
up to the top and examined, and found in-
jured about twenty yards from the coupling. The
broken cage was taken off and a new one put on,
and about 2 o'clock Mr. Dymond, the managing
partner, Mr. David Tewart, the underground
viewer, and Christopher Siddons, one of the deputies,
descended the mine, and found many men lying at
the bottom, all much burnt ; they were drawn to
the bank as quickly as possible, a new rope was put
on, and every exertion made for an exploration of
the mine to recover the men. The explorers saw the
dreadful effects of the explosion in the workings,
and undoubted evidence of the existence of fire.
Searches were vigorously made during the whole of
Wednesday afternoon by Messrs. Dymond, Potter,
Brown, Jeffcock, Smith, Platt (viewer, of Mas-
borough), Maddison, and other viewers and depu-
ties, aided by 70 or 80 men. They succeeded in
bringing to bank about 80 of the sufferers, 19 of
whom are alive. At 9 a.m. on Thursday there was
a second violent explosion at the downcast shafts.
No. 1 cage was blown to the head par and broken.
Two vertical columns of smoke extended over every-
thing for about theee minutes. Mr. Jeffcock, Mr.
Smith of Lundhill, Mr. Tewart, and 25 men, were
down the pit the time of these two explosions. No
change was noticed at the pit's mouth until 740
p.m. on Thursday, and then a dense white smoke
issued from No. 2 pit, succeeded by a great current
of wind, and then smoke, accompanied by volumes
of flame. At this time the furnace shafts became
downcast. The pumping engines were now stopped,
and the fires and lights extinguished near the top of
the pit. At about 1 a.m. on Friday the sparks
nearly disappeared, and the current of air con-
tinued. About a quarter to five on the same morn-
ing Mr. Mammatt and several others who were at
the pit mouth heard the signal bell ring. He im-
mediately got some men together and they decided
upon descending. For that purpose they removed
an eight-inch rope from the furnace opposite, and
rigged it up to go down the pit, using the sawmill
engines. Mr. Mammatt and Mr. .Embleton de-
scended, and near the bottom of the pit they found
Samuel Brown alive. They brought him to bank,
and sought and looked about the bottom of the pit,
but could not see or hear or find any one. They
saw a large fire still burning, and it would appear
that the corbel of coal are on fire." A meeting of
the most eminent and experienced coal viewers,
attended by Mr. Morton, the Government Inspector,
was held, and, after hearing the experience of those
viewers and deputies who had descended and ex-
plored the mine, the meeting was unanimously of
opinion as to the probable existence of standing fires
in the pit, and that any descent or attempt to ex-
amine it at present would be attended with certain
risk of life.

The meeting then adjourned till Monday. At
the engineers' meeting were Mr. Morton, Govern-
ment Inspector of Mines, mining engineers Messrs.
J. T. Woodhouse, J. E. Mainmatt, T. E. Forster,
George Elliott, E. Potter, W. Armstrong, G. W.
Southern, J. Smith, North of England ; G. Gilroy,
Wigan; T. W. Embleton, J. Brown, W. A. Potter,
W. P. Maddison, Philip Cooper, Holmes ; W. D.
Gainsford, Sheffield ; L. Pease, James Beaumont ;
Mr. Embleton, jun., and the resident underground
managers of most of the principal collieries in the
district.
Sir T. Biddulph telegraphed this evening as fol-
lows
"WINDSOR CASTLE.

41 The Queen learns with deep regret the extent
of this frightful calamity, and desires that, if a sub-
scription be entered into, her name shall be put down
for £2OO for the relief of the families of the unfor-
tunate sufferers."

The barristers at the Leeds winter assizes to-day
made a subscription for the same object. There are
divided opinions as to the number of men in the
pit. The local Miners' Union estimate it at from
320 to 350. Mr. Normansell, secretary to that
Union, gives the following numbers of the deceased
colliers belonging to that society :—Miners, 115 ;
tramplers and daymen, 100 ; and boys, 48, making
a total of 263. This is exclusive of men killed who
do not belong to that association. At 10 this even-
ing (Friday) there are RO external symptoms of
fire. Thousands visited the scene of the calamity
a s Ehmait
yesterday and to-day. Mr. Mamm tt and Alr.
bleton, two mining engineers, descended the
to-day, but found no signs of human life in any of
the workings, which they were able to visit. The
man Brown, so miraculously saved out of such a
multitude of victims, happily found refuge in a lamp
house at the bottom of the pit. Could others have
found their way thither, too, doubtless the number
of victims would not have been so astounding.