The Sun.
London, England, 1857-02-21 00:00:00

EAST LANCASHIRE.

The acconnts of this company for the half-year ending
31st Dec., 1856, shows that the ordinary stock of the
company amounts to 2,221,300/., and this balance gives
a dividend on that stock for the past half-year, at the
rate of 5 per cent. Fon- annum, and leaves 1,8931. 2s. 84d.
to the credit of the reserved fund.

DR FADFUL COLLIERY EXPLOSION

NEAR BARNSLEY.

ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY MEN STIFLED OR

BURNED TO DEATII.

LATEST PARTICULARS.

LUND HILL, FRIDAY AFTERgOON,

1 Later inquiries confirm and amplify the horrible details
already given. In some instances the whole of the male
members of a family have been swept away—father and two
or three sons. There is scarcely a household in the neigh-
bourhood which has not been made desolate.
The brave men who risked their lives to rescue those who
had escaped death in the pit, were Mr. Coe (underground
steward in the pit), John Warhurst (foreman), William
Bevors, Mr. Webster (manager of the Hoyland and Elsecar
Colliery), Mr. Maddison, John Hoyland (foreman of Raw-
marsh Colliery), Benjamin Hoyland (foreman of barley Main
Colliery), John and James Ellis,--Wilcock, \Villiam Duck-
worth (of Wombwell), James Cookson (of Hoyland Col-
liery), and James Warris. Although the explosion occurred
soon aft er noon the descent was not possible till four. The
gearing used for the descent had been destroyed by the explo-
sion ; and though the most strenuous exertions were made to
put it right, they dill not succeed till the time mentioned,
when Mr. Coe' Warhurat, and Bevors, got into a " corf," and
proceeded on their Perilous journey into the pit. Before
they had gone far they heard the noise of a slight explosion
in the pit ; but they proceeded till they found that the lining
of the shaft had been so discomposed by the explosion that
further progress was impossible. They returned to the mouth
of the pit, and the efforts of all were now directed to getting
the lining in order. In about 20 minutes everything was
ready to descend, and they went down again, and arrived in
safety at the bottom, followed by the other men. These
brave fellows spent nearly an hour in exploring the pit ; and
they did not quit their task till they saw indications of immi-
nent danger. They explored the pit to within about forty
yards of the extremity of the northern level—a distance of
about 400 yards. They also traversed about 20 or 30 yards
of the southern level ; but at this point they wore stopped
bytbe fire which had broken out as one of the results of the
explosion. They went far enough, however, to ascertain
that a bed of coal, comprising an area of fifty or sixty yards,
was in flames.
They discovered, however, that nineteen human beings
were still alive, all near the working shaft. These were
immediately taken to the mouth of the pit, and conveyed to
their homes. It is believed that none of them are fatally
injured.
The explorers found ten corpses on the northern side of
the pit. These were blackened by the explosion, and fear-
fully mutilated, evidently having been driven with great
violence against the displaced masses of coal. Soveu of these
bodies were brought to the bottom of the working shaft,
but the explorers had not time to remove any of the others
before they found it necessary to quit the pit.
The decision that was come to by the proprietors to stop
up the pit while so many persons remained in it was not ar-
rived at without the most anxious and prolonged delibera-
tion. Had it been delayed longer, there was danger of the
fire spreading and burning with such intensity as to cause
the fall of the bed of coal and superincumbent earth, and the
consequent falling in of the shafts. Had this been allowed,
probably none of the bodies would ever have been recovered,
but as it is, the fire havinz been checked in time, a large
number of the bodies will be got out nnburnt. It is hardly
necessary to add that there was not the slightest possibility
of any of those iu the pit being alive when the stopping up
was decided on.
In the meantime the fire is still raging in the interior of
the pit. The stopping it up and preventing the access of
air will of course check, and probably in time extinguish,
the conflagration. For the
present nothing can be done but
to wait the result of the experiment.
At a meeting of practical men connected with mines, held
this morning, those present expressed their unanimous
opinion that the stopping up of the pit last night was the
most judicious course under the circumstances.

Sporting Intelligence.

BETTING AT MANCHESTER-FRIDAY.

LIVERPOOL STEEPLECHASE.
Bto 1 agst Minos (taken)
10 to 1 agst Emigrant (taken)
12 to 1 agst Omer Pasha (taken freely)
12 to 1 aget Hopeless Star (taken)
100 to 7 agst Teddesley (taken)
100 to 4 aget Weathercock (taken)
20 to 1 agst Any of Henderson's lot (offered)
LIVERPOOL SPRING CUP.
7to 1 agst Bashi Bazouk (take 100 to 15)
Bto 1 agst Sima (offered)
NORTHAMPTONSHIRE STAKES.
7 to 1 agq Skirmisher (taken)
Bto 1 agst Adaenas (taken)
100 to 8 agst Any other.
CHESTER CUP.
11. to 1 agst Leamington (offered)
50 to 1 agst Early Bird (offered to take)
Two THOUSAND GUINEAS STASES.
11. to 2 Offered on the Field.
Dzurnr.
500 to 30 agst Blink Bonny (offered)