The Sun.
London, England, 1845-08-23 00:00:00

LATE COLLIERY EXPLOSION.

Dformry, FR113411 MORNlNG.—Yesterday afternoon an inquest
was held at the ffcte s►ed Crown Inn in this town, before Mr.
Robinson, Coroner, upon the bodies of James Northwood, John
North wood, Simnel Ilingley, Edmund Erans, William Holmes,
and Edward Fletcher, six of the unfortunate colliers who were
killed by the explosion of fire.damp at the TiYidale works on Mon-
day last. . . .

The works where this disastrous calamity occurred belong to
Messrs. Wagstaff and Skidmore, and are situated at Tividale,
about a mile and a half from Dudley. _ _ .

Before the men descended into the pit it was usual for the
" doggy" to examine the chambers or galleries of the works with
a " Davy lamp," but on Monday morning this duty was trans-
ferred to a young man named Hateley, who enjoyed the perfect con-
fidence of his fellow-workmen. About six o'clock the miners
(24 In number), after one of them had inquired whether or not all
was right, descended the shaft, and, with three exceptions, pro-
ceeded to work. Three other men, one of whom was Hately,
finding that the ground was fully occupied, returncd to the mouth
of the pit, with the intention of taking their turn of duty at night.
The men had not been at work many minutes when three terrific
reports were heard, and a body of flame rushed along the passages,
where the 18 men were at work. Of these 18 men eight are
already dead, and eight not expected to recover. The scene is
described by one or two of the survivors as truly awful.
In the first instance, great blame was thought to attach to the
conduct of Hateley, but the jury acquitted him of any criminal mis-
conduct. It appears, however, to be pretty generally believed, that
he inadvertently forgot to try the chamber over the " boat-hole"
where the explosion took place, else it is scarcely to be believed
that in so short a time after the men commenced work so large a
volume of foul air could have accumulated in that position.

The first witness called was
James Cartwright, who deposed as follows :—I am a miner, and
work in a mine at Tividale, belonging to Messrs. Wagstaff and
Skidmore. I have been in their employ but a few months. I pre.
vioasly worked in Lord Ward's mines. At six o'clock on Monday
morning I went to the pit's mouth and went down with the second
band. James Hateley and some others went down in the first skip.
It was the duty of Hateley to go down every morning and search
the pit for gas with the safety.lamp. On Monday morning, as usual,
David Skidmore, the " bully, " told him to try the work, and he
went down. When I reached the bottom I found Hateley with
the lamp in his baud. I asked him if he had tried all the places.
He said he had; he could find nothing where he had tried. He
then unszrewed the top of the lamp, and I told him to put it on
again, and try a hole in which I was going to work. We
both went in together; he went in with the lamp, while I
sat at the entrance. He returned in a few minutes, and
said he could find nothing. I asked him repeatedly if
he had tried every place. He said he had. He then went up the
shaft. The reason of his leaving the pit was that he had nothing
to do. Only three could work at holeing. The rest of the men
were filling skips about 30 or 40 yards from me. If Hateley had
remained below he would have been idle. I myself had gone
with Hateley near to the part 'where the explosion took place; we
could not find any gas there; this, as near as I can tell, was about
15 minutes before the explosion occurred. When the sulphur went
off I was working a good way from the other men, and 1 think wo
were at work only a few minutes before the explosion was heard.
It made a noise like the roaring and rushing of wind. I saw the
flames coming towards me mixed with smoke and dust. The wind
blew out the candles, and before the flames reached me I threw
myselfd,ewn on my face and escaped with a slight singe of my eye.
I aas insensible for a short time after the flame had passed me,
and lay for a few minutes. When 1 got up I could scarcely
stand, the sulphur was so strong. I groped my way to the bottom of
the drawing shaft and got a little fresh air. When 1 felt recovered
I returned to search for my comrades. The first I found was
James Northwood. He was lying on his face. I asked him to
get up :but he said he could not. I raised him up as well as I
could, and his skin peel:d off in my hands. I staggered out with
him and returned for more. I found Buxton next. He crawled
upon his hands aad knees; he is still alive, thank God. The
others I assisted to get out, but it was a long time before we could
search properly, because the sulphur made us so weak. Three
horses were burnt. I remained, in the pit until the last. I have
been a miner 30 years. lam now 60 years old. I think the usual
means were taken to prevent gas from collecting. James Hateley
was appointed to examine the " works " by the " butty," with the
consent of the pit's company. It is the duty of the" doggy" to do this,
but we had every confidence in Hateley. We all placed our lives in
his hands. I cannot tell how the gas ignited. My opinion is
that such a body of foul air could not collect from the time
Hateley said he had examined the works to the time the ex-
plosion took place. I think he must have forgotten to search one
chamber.
James Jukes, an old man who has been a miner the greater part
' of his life, deposed that he had seen sulphur gather in half an hour.
He was once burnt by an explosion that took place from gas which
had gathered in as short a time. The explosion now inquired
into did not take place until about eight o'clock. Cartwright
'oust be mistaken in saying that it took place a few minutes after
they descended.
The CORONER here remarked that there was one part of the
evidence to him by no means satisfactory. If the men were not
working near the spot where the explosion took place, how did
the gas ignite? It appeared that the men who had been
the principal sufferers were engaged in loading skips at a
considerable distance from the chamber over the "boat-hole,"
and he should like to know how the gas came in contact with
the candles.

A gentleman In the room here handed a note to the Coroner,
who then said that the information he had just received in some
measure removed the difficulty. The note stated that he (the
writer) had that morning waited upon Buxton,one of the sufferers,
and found him lying in great agony. The surgeon had just told
him to prepare for death, and with this prospect before him, he
said that John Northwood and several of the other men went from
the skips to the chamber, where the explosion took place, to put in
a shot. They had just stuck the candles in some loose coil when
the sulphur caught, and he was struck down. He said something
also implying censure on Hateley.
The CORONER Now observed that if the jury thought any more
light could be thrown en the matter by an adjournment, he would
willingly concur in that arrangement.
The jury intimated that they were satisfied with the evidence
adduced, and returned a verdict of Accidental Death.
The CORONER impressively cautioned Hateley as to his future
conduct.

The bodies of the other men lie in another parish and county,
and will consequently come within the jurisdiction cf another

coroner.

DREADFUL COLLIERY EXPLOSION.

SoUTII SIIII LDS, FRIDAY MoaNisu.—Yesterday evening in-
formation reached this town that an explosion had taken place at
an early hour in the colliery at Jarrow, a small milling village on
the river Tyne, and about two miles from South Shields. It was
reported that about one hundred men were down the pit at the
time of the explosion, and that these, with the exception of some
men who were at work in the Ilensham Scam, had perished. This
report naturally caused the greatest sensation throughout the
district.

Owing to the confusion and excitement which prevails it is ex.
tremely difficult to ascertain minute particulars. The accident
took place about two o'clock yesterday afternoon, at which time
ninety men and boys were at work. The explosion commenced in
the low seam, and its cause it is as yet impossible to ascertain.
The Davy lamp and candles were used by the miners. The brat-
tice having been blown down by the explosion, the current of air
was destroyed, and upwards of forty individuals perished from the
after-damp. The greatest efforts have been made to bring the
bodies to bank, but up to this period (e ght o'clock) only four have
been brought out. The pitmen made almost superhuman exertions
to rescue their fellow-men, and one noble-minded fellow, an over-
man, named Jacob Deity, lost his life from the after-damp, in at.
tempting to save the lives, or to extricate the bodies of his com-
rades. A great number of men are now employed in restoring the
brattice, and it is expected that during the day all the bodies will
be brought out of the pit.
This colliery has been in operation since 1804, and is under the
superintendence of Mr. Joplin. Drewitt Brown, Esq., who re.
sides in the neighbourhood, is the proprietor.
(swam a COSRESPONDENT.)
NawcASTLl•oN.Tti'Nu, AUGUST 22.—1 t is again our painful
duty to record another of those dreadful calamities which so fre-
quently take place in the coal mines of this neighbourhood. The
direful catastrophe occurred at Jarrow Colliery, near South Shields,
on Thursday afternoon, at about two o'clock, and having just re.
turned from the spot, the best account of the number who have
perished by the explosion, as far as It could at that time be ascer-
tained, is about forty mess and boys, six of whom had been got
from the pit, and four of them dead. The rest cannot as yet be
brought out, seeing that the blast had broken down the brattice or
wooden partition that divides the shaft into two compartments. It
appears that two seams of coal are being worked by one shaft, viz.
—the Bensham seam and the low main—and from the best informa-
tion I could gather, the explosion must bare taken place in the
low main; but not being very well assured of the manner in which
it did occur, I refrain from stating anything hypothetically, but
shall not fail to make due enquiries, and forward them accordingly.
The bodies of the other unfortunate sufferers will not be got out
before to-night or to-morrow morning.

DISTRESSING ACCIDENT.
TEN MEN DROWNED.
(From the Caledonian Mercury.)
DUNBAR.—A mod distressing catastrophe occurred here yester.
day (Wednesday), by which ten individuals have been drowned.
The Red Rover dating boat, of Buckhaven, with a crew of six
men, William Thomson master, in taking the old harbour, about
mid-day, was driven among the rocks and totally wrecked. Three
of the crew were instantly drowned. The master got on to a rock
and was saved. His brother reached a small rock, near the iron
pole, which is surrounded by deep water, and covered at full tide,
against which the sea was fearfully breaking. Many fruitless at.
tempts were made to rescue him. As a last attempt, Lieutenant
Wylde, of the Preventive service ; Mr. Lucas,' chief boatman,
with four seafaring men belong to the town, whose names
were David Darg, Peter Darg, William Miller, and Wil.
Liam Clement, volunteered their services, and, in a fishing
boat, boldly ventured out. They had nearly reached the rock
when the poor man was washed off, but be kept up for a short time,
and neared the boat. The crew had almost succeeded in catching
his band, when a sea struck the boat and drove it among the rocks
behind the pier, where, melancholy to mention, it was dashed to
pieces, and the whole- crew drowned. The object of their solici-
tude was carried to sea, and met the same fate. It is distressing
to think of the extent of affliction which this fearful even: has
occasioned. Lieutenant Wylde, Mr. Lucas, Peter Darg, and Wil.
Ham Clement, were married men, and all of them except Mr.
Lucas, have left families. The two former were excellent seamen,
and much respected in Dunbar. The state of excitement and
gloom which this melancholy occurrence has occasioned among all
classes is very great. It is not known what caused the Red Rover
to attempt Dunbar with such a fearful swell in shore. She had
not been fishing there for some days, and not more than six boats
belonging to the station had ventured to the fishing ground on the
preceding evening. It is thought that she was well fished, and
from the circumstance of few Dunbar boats being out, expected a
more ready market for her cargo.