The Sun.
London, England, 1857-08-04 00:00:00

THE FATAL COLLIERY EXPLOSION.

ASHTON, Monday.—The inquest upon the bodies
of the 31 men killed by the explosion at Messrs.
Kenwoithy's pit was held this morning before Mr.
Rutter, coroner for the county. The jury assem-
bled at the New Inn, a shorfl distance from the pit,
and after the bodies had been viewed, evidence as
to their identification was given, and orders were
made by the coroner for their interment. The
coroner then proceeded to the residence ('f Edward
Elliott, the engineer at the bottom of the pit, who
was severely burnt, and who lay in a dangerous
condition. He was in a d'eadful state, bait he
made his deposition in a very clear and straight-
forward manner.

Edward Elliott said—We stooped for dinner,
as usual, about half-past twelve o'clock on Friday
the day of the explosion. William Nolan, th• man
who used to take the tubs up the brow, came to
me at that time, and, according to our usual cus-
tom, we began winding up some tubs. While we
were doing so, we noticed that the cod had fallen
out of one of them, and we fancied that there was
something wrong, We thou determieed that he
should go down the brow before we wound up any
more tubs, in order to see whether there was any-
thing wrong. We arranged that he should keep
going down until he got to the bottom of the brow,
if there was anything w: ono. He went down
about one o'clock ; and I never saw orheard anything
of him afterwards. I went to see if the boilers were
all right, and finding that they were, I went into the
engine-house to wait for Nol .11 t o give me the signal
for him to be drawn up. Before I received any sig-
nal the explosion took place. The first thiug I no-
ticed was flames rushing from the top of the engine-
house. I did not perceive anything before the
flames, but immediately afterwards there was aloud
report, like that of a cannon. There was no gas
used in the engine-house, but there was a naptha
lamp at the top of the engine brow, and there was
ajar holding a few quarts of iriptha in the engine-
house. I can form no sure opinion as to where
the flames came from. Nolan took an open oil
lamp when he went down the brow, which is 460
yards long, and very steep. As soon as I heard
the report of the explosion I dropped down cn the
back side of one of the di urns in order to
escape the flames. I got fast there, and. could
not move myself. if the gas had been lighted
in the engine brow, the flame% would have gone
downwards, as the draught of air was downwards. 1
had not perceived any smell of sulphur, and it was
always considered that there was a first-rate draught
of air. I think the mine is generally considered to
make a moderately largo quantity of gas. There
would be no gas, however, down the brow where
Nolan was going. We used to work in the
engine brow with open lamps, but no further.
If the gas had been fired by Nolan, the flames
would have come up the air brow, and; not up
the engine brow. When I stopped work fur
dinner on Friday, I opened the fires do, ri ;
there were two fires, and they ere kept brisk.
We have not had a furnace lately. We gave up
using the furnace about thr‘e mouths
were making alteration to put in better ;flues for
1144),,- while we
ventilation. The airthathad p issed through. themine
ctashatnpita
was carried through the fir. s ; but gas wk,_ ex-
tracted from it before it arrived at the fires. Theri
" wheeze," that might escape through the sides of
the door.
wtoastnhoe "split"fires. oTfhferreeshwaaisr firloomthittLTm(l7rrne
and after it had been read over to him it was duly
This was the whole of the witness's statement,
signed.
There are still eight or nine more bodies in the
mine, but it is probable that they will be recovered
in a 'day or two ; and the inquest was accordingly
adjourned. In the meantime a thorough examina-
tion of the mine will be made by the government
inspector, Mr. Dickinson..
The following are the nam s of the unfortunate
sufferers :—George Thompson, 26 years of age,
married, leaving a widow and six children. ; Robert
Thompson, son of the above ; Joseph Brookshaw,
26, married but no family ; Jvhn Braun:l:tall, 18 ;
Joseph Green, 12 ; Thomas Goiling, 26, has left a
widow and two children ; William Preece, 12
William Knowlan, 30, widow and time children
Benjamin Greenwood (of Bng-dl), 25, ed_ ciw_oannad.
two children ; W. Webb, 23, unmarrierd..,J
h arlea t2b2a,nnWnmebabrr,ield3,;brjeothseeprhofstchieloatibeoldN:.;lV:; Cat'ow,c•
Mottershead, 11; Samuel WNalkrkr, 8
3,0, widow and
ilt.)e'ri 17 - Richard
22;70:1,w1-,:iii.llowTeatniodwth2rete.
fiveß eonrjasmixin G
childrenreenw;o Greenwood (oorfg e
Go
; .amuel Saxon,
children ; Samuel Hopw ,
Barraclough, married, three childr( n ; ohri Barra-
-26, widow and
clough (brother ofotvhoe
tichildren
anti tree ;
henry Holland, 50, widow and five
Ousey, 12 ;
childrenave
Philip
children ; Abraham Holland, 18 ; Will;ain Healey,
John Foster, 38, widow
20 ; Henry Braithwaite, 20 ; J(liti Underwood,
27, widow and three children ; Thomas Davis, 22 ;
John Peat, 19.

The specie receipts yesterday have amounted to
663,0001. Of this total, 434,0001. (trclucling 327,0004
of silver) is from the West Indicp, 22 ,0 00 /, from Now
York, and 4,0001. from the