The Sun.
London, England, 1850-02-11 00:00:00

FEARFUL COLLIERY EXPLOSION
STOURBRIDGE, SATURDAY.—A shocking colliery
explosion, attended with the loss of four lives, has
happened this week at the Dudley-wood coalpit, at
the Five Way?, near this town, belonging to Messrs.
1 Pargeter and Darby, in reference to which an
inquiry vs as commenced on Friday before the
coroner. The circumstances of the explosion
are somewhat singular, and may be attributed
to the effects of the hurricane of Tuesday night.
The pit is 120 yards deep, and below the coal is an
iron mine, one engine working both mines, there
being a separate shaft for each, though they are
connected with each other below the surface. A
skip was descending the coal shaft at the time of the
explosion, and was hurled out to an extraordinary
height in the air by the explosion, some portions
of it falling at a distance of one ' hundred yards
from the mouth of the pit. In consequence of
the rush of the foul air from the pit itwas some
time before any person could descend into the
mine. It should be explained that the two mines
are ventilated in connexion, an opening being made
between them by which the fresh air was passed
from the coal mine into the iron mine, and then
passed outward. The explosion had by some un-
accountable process of nature reversed these cur-
rents of air, and this being discovered, an intrepid
fellow, named John Webb, descended the iron
shaft, and climbing into the coal mine, with a
safety lamp in his hand, was the instrument of
saving several unfortunate miners who were in a
state of exhaustion in the pit. Others followed
Webb, and the miners were got out before midnight,
though tour of them—named Joseph Warwick, $
youth named Griffiths (son of the superintendent,
who was also in the mine, and was blown some dis-
tance), and two brothers named Webster—were
killed. Most of the men (fourteen in number)
who survived were burnt ; Griffith?, the superm•
tendent, has received some very serious injuries,
and is in a precarious state. The cause of the acci-
dent can only be surmised, though it is pretty clearly
traceable to the effect of the high south-west wind of
Tuesday evening. The workings of the mine extend
in a southerly direction from the shaft, and it is
thought that the fire commenced about midway be-
tween the shaft and the head of the workings,
near a " bolt hole" leading to an old working
now dammed off, where an inequality in the
roof of the mine would allow of some little
accumulation of the vapour undetected. The pit is
occasionally liable to be charged with sulphur ; some
four or five years ago eleven men were killed in it by
a similar explosion. It appears that when the wind
is in a southerly direction, or shortly before a fall of
rain, sulphur accumulates in the pit, and then safety
lamps are used, though at other times the miners
work with naked lights, and this was the case when
the explosion took place. It is supposed that the high
wind disturbed the foul air from some branches of old
workings, supposed to be securely dammed up, and
thus escaping to the place were the men were at
work with naked candles the explosion took place.

BALLOONS FOR THE CONVEY-
ANCE OF INTNLLIGZNCE.
TO THE EDITOR OF 711 E SUN.

SlR,—Can you furnish such of your readers in-
terested in the recent balloon experiments with some
particulars as to the size of the balloons, the material
of which they were made, and kind of varnish used ;
the weight of a balloon in its flaccid state, and its
available buoyancy when inflated ; the means of in-
flation, and weight of gas : also the means of infla-
den proposed to be adopted in the Arctic regions, the
sort of slow match used, its weight per yard, and rate
of burning ?
Would it not be well to set the balloona free from
an open field, and under a condition of a strong breeze
of a velocity of at least fif.een miles per hour ? The
balloons in a flaccid state could be taken to a conve-
nient station and there be inflated under the lee cf a
canvass screen; the gas for their inflation could be
conveyed in a gas-holder, a large bag of some two
hundred cubic feet, rendered air tight by a suitable
varnish (perhaps gutta percha would be found to
answer well); the gas can be condensed, so that
a large quantity may be conveyed in a compact form
I am, Sir, &c.
NAUTICUS.

February 9, 1850.

DIAMOND DUST.
(From Eliza Cook's Journal.)
Good newspapers are the only paper currency that is
worth more than gold or silver.
Nowhere—a place where no one ever has been, nor
ever will be.

Instruct your son well, or others will instruct him ill.
No child goes altogether untaught. Send him to the
school of wisdom, or he will go himself to tl.• rival
academy, kept by the lady with the cap and bells. There
is always teaching going on of some sort, just as in fields
—vegetation is never idle.

There aro more fools than knaves in the world, else
the knaves would not have enough to live upon.
To live is a gift; to die is a deft.
It is a sign of wisdom to be willing to receive instruc-
tion: the most intelligent sometimes stand in need of it.
Ho who is reckless of tho Future must have had a
desperate Past.

SUICIDE OF A Courourou.—Yesterday morning,
about half-past ten o'clock, a man named John Walker,
a compositor, who for some time past has been lodging
at the Angel Crown, Haddon-street, Regent-street,
committed a most determined act of suicide by cutting
his throat with a razor. It appears that the deceased
was separated from his wife, and latterly had given way
to drinking. Yesterday, while labouring under delirium
tremens, he seized hold of a razor, and before Mr. Davis,
the landlord of the house, could prevent him, drew it
across his throat from ear to ear, inflicting a frightful
gasb. Assistance was immediately procured, and the
unfortunate man was conveyed to the Middlesex Hospi-
tal, where he died shortly after his admission.
NoRTII-WESTERN HAILIVAL—The directors of
this company have just issued their half-yearly re-
port, which will be ambmitted to the shareholders
at the general half-yearly meeting, at Skipton, on
Wednesday next. This document states that thirty-
nine miles of the line are now open for traffic, and
that the directors have every reason to believe that the en-
tire line from Skipton to Lancaster will be opened in the
first week in Juue next. The ern ars on calls have
teen :reduced since the last half-yearly meeting Ly
16,000/. The 'surplus land of the company is to be
offered for sale at the earliest opportunity. The
traffic on this line being in a great measure dependent
on two trunk limo., punctuality and certainty in the
working are moat essential, and to ensure this the
directors strongly recommend the laying down of
a double line of rails from Skipton to Clapham, at a
further outlay of 45,0001. It is proposed to borrow this
amount, the di! ec,.zors being prepared to do so on their
own personal security, provided the shareholders will
empower them to make further calls on the old shares,
should it 1.0?.01100 necessary to do so, in order to repay
their loans. Only 8,446 shares of the preference stock
have been taken, and as the directors hope to borrow
money at a lower rate, it is now proposed to restrict the
issue to this number of preference sharer. The capital
account shows an expenditure, up to the 31st December,
1849, of 760,910. 18s. ld. The traffic returns show the
receipts for the half-year ending 31st December, 1849, to
have been 5,8781.45. 5d , which, with the receipts for a part
of the year, up toJuee3o,lB49, amounting to 1,4854105.
10(1., makes a total of 7,3631. 15r. 3d. The expenses for the
3.tme periods ale stated to be, up to June 30, 1849, 6581.
14s. oid., and for the half-year ending December last,
4,0191.16 18e.tof
51. 2
total,s. d.,
41,16784a1p4incbOaldie,, wleaveinpgreasuhmsilea, to
fro 6
dividend.—Lceds Mercury.
The Eight Hon. the Speaker of the House of
Commons gave his first Parliamentary full dress enter-
tainment for the present session on Saturday evening,
at his residence in Eaton-square. The guests, as usual
at the first entertainment, consisted of the leading mem-
bers of the Government having teats in the lower House.
The party comprised the Right Hon. Lord John Russell,
Viscount Palmerston, Sir George Grey, Sir John
Hobhouse, the Right Hon. H. Labouchere, the Right
lion. Fox Maule, Lord Marcus Hill, the Right Hon. Sir
Francis Baring, Admiral Deans Dundas, Hon. W.
Cowper, Mr. John Parker, Sir William Somerville, the
Right Hon. the Attorney-General, the Solicitor-General,
Mr. Tufnell, Mr. G. C. Lewis, Mr. Gibson Craig, Mr.
H. Rich, Mr. R. M. Bellew, Mr. Hawes, the IligLt lion.
W. G. Hay ter, Lord Edward Fitzslan Howard, Col. the
Hon. G. Anson, Lord Clarence Paget, Lord Alfred
Paget, and the Right lion. E. Ellice. The Chancellor of
thethe JEuxdcghoe qAudeyr ,onAa
tdem.
Gi roa
n! a
ral
tßerkeley,he the
Right
Hon.Lor R. Atv
so chaotic,
join-
ing thet
hHon.e party, and
S a.
nd. Ltahsecesll
was necessarily absent, oelsi ct were
or G eprevent
nera e fdo rf r Somc o tlandowing to- his promotion to a
nemreenlatiodnfosraL7r.daTyhnoexSt.peaker will
give judgeship. .
e ano th
ire
willre ba
eu authorised
presented
o n statea
ftehwa that theays
by report
the onG inter-
mentsena
Board of Health; and that the Bill fur the Prevention
erCerteerrtsai7
of Intramural Interments, prepared by them, will imme-
diately follow.
EXTRAORDINARY CHANGE OF FORTUNE.--Within
the past week an authentic legal announcement has been
made to Thomas Strickland, carpet-weaver, living in
Caroline-street, Kendal, that he is heir-at-law to the
estates of Miss Burns, of Cringlemire, near Booth, who
died recently at Cheltenham. The valu I of the real
estate is stated at 14,0001. The fortunate successor to
this property has hitherto been in poor e" ITOUM:tances.
Westmordand Gazette.

ABERDARE.— Crawahay Bayley's co!liers, seeing
that the strike was not unanimous, wisely returned to
their work. Hopes are entertained of the others coming
to a settlement soon.—Cambrian.
The America, Captain Leitch, sailed from Liver-
pool on Saturday, for Halifax and Bo,ton.
THE LATE ME. WILLIAM PATERSON.—We regret
to have to record the de a.h, at the ago of 65, of Mr.
William Paterson, silk dyer, which took place at Her-
mitagc -place, Stockbridge, on the 31st ult. Mr. Pater-
son was a worthy citizen, and several times held the
office of Deacon and Convener et' the Trades, and in
that caracity, in troublous times, rendered good service
to the cause of Ruform. He took art active interest in
public affairs, and the promaidn of liberal views in
politics; end some c f our readers nay remember his
appearance in support of the la'e Lord Jeffrey at the
election bt ft re the passing of the Reform Bill, when the
then Mr. Jtffrey stood in oppc.)sitivn to Mr. Duadae.—
t SccL man.