The Sun.
London, England, 1845-01-24 00:00:00

ALARMING EXPLOSION AND
DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.

On Thursday morning an explosion of a fearful
character, and which resulted in a great destruction of
property, took place in the oil and colour stores in the
occupation of Mr. Bayliss, colourman, No. 149, White-
chapel-road, immediately facing the London Hospital.
From inquiries made upon the spot, it appears that two
lads in the employ of Mr. Bayliss were engaged between
eight and nine o'clock in drawing off a quantity of
naptha from a churn-shaped vessel. Whilst they were
so employed the light they held communicated with the
inflammable fluid. In an instant, and almost before the
lads could escape, the body of naptha took fire, and the
house from the bottom to the top was one mass of blaze.
One of the conductors of a Bow omnibus hastened to
Mr. Crookland, at the Jeffery-square station, and the
engine from that station, followed by others of the
brigade, was very speedily at the scene. By the
excrtionsof Mr. Braidwood, and his men the flames were
confined to the building in which they originated,
but the work of extinguishing the fire was one of no
ordinary difficulty, the limbs and lives of the firemen
being in constant jeopardy from the frequent explosions
which took place among the ruins, supposed to arise
from a quantity of gunpowder among the stock. Co-
pious supplies of water being furnished to the engines at
work, the ruins were cooled by half-past ten o'clock, but
every particle of property is destroyed, and the house,
which is completely burned through, and in a very tot-
tering state, must be taken down. One of the lads was
rather severely burned about the hands and face, but
having had his injuries dressed at the London Hospital,
he recovered so far as to be able to engage in business
again. Both the house and its contents are insured. The
adjoining premises, occupied severally by Mr. G. Was-
tropp, baker, and Mr. Sewin, corn-chandler, are par-
tially injured by fire and water.

ENORMOUS FALL OF EARTH IN
A MINE.

Yesterday an inquest was held at the Coseley Ta-
vern, at Coseley, on the body of Benjamin Smith,
a miner, whose death, with that of two other men,
was caused by an enormous fall of earth in a mine in
which they were working. The accompanying state-
ment, given before the coroner by one of the sur-
vivors, will be perused with deep interest :
Joseph Parkes said—l live at Cosely, in this parish,
and am a miner. On Friday last I was at work with
the deceased Benjamin Smith (who was about thirty-
two years old, and a miner, living at Cosely), in a
coal-pit at the Fox Yards, in the parish of Tipton, in
this county, and while we were at work there,
about half-past nine o'clock that morning, a quan
tity of clod and earth fell in, to the amount of
more than a thousand tons, and almost every man
in the pit was stopped up. Some few of the men
were a distance off, and got clear away ; but the de-
ceased, myself, and four others, were stopped up in
one of the hollows. Great exertions were made to
get us out ; there was plenty of help, and nearly all
the miners from the adjoining collieries came to their
assistance. Several tons of stuff were soon removed,
and in about an hour one of the six men was got out
very badly hurt, but he is still alive. Another was
got out soon after without much injury. As fast as
the miners got the stuff away more fell in, but in the
course of the day all the remaining men, except my-
self, were got out, but I was not got out till about ten
o'clock that night. I was not at all hurt, but was very
w.eak through the damp and confinement, and being
without food. I had not had anything to eat from the
previous night, so that I was more than
twenty•four hours without tasting it. I was quite
sensible all the time, and conversed with all the men.
I talked with Smith as long as he lived, which was
about an hour and a half, as near as I can guess, after
the stuff fell in. Two other men were killed. One of
them lived about an hour, and the other about an hour
and a half. I could hear the miners working to get
us out. I believe everything was done that could be
done. I was afraid to stir, although I saw my suf-
fering companions close to me nearly buried in the
earth. It was light a part of the time from a candle,
but after it went out we were in darkness all the
time. Some of the men had their arms wedged
down, and asked me to remove the clods from their
mouths to allow them to breathe, and I did :o several
times, although it endangered my own life, as the
guff continued falling. The butty was one of
those stopped up, and he died. While he was con-
fined his arms were crushed against his body, and
his head was kept bent down. lie could scarcely
breathe, and when I removed the clod from his mouth
he breathed so hard that the candle went out, and we
gave ourselves up for lost. I have been a miner from
my childhood, and have worked at the pit in question
about six weeks, and speaking from my expe-
rience I think the occurrence was accidental, and
could not be prevented. I did not think there
was any danger, or I would not have worked at the
pit. There is plenty of timber, and every precaution
is taken to ensure the safety of the men. After
the deceased was got out, his body was, I b.lieve,
taken to his house. It is now lying there. The two
others who were killed were removed to Dudley. I
think the accident took place through there being a
hollow above the one where we worked, and the stuff
between the two dropping down. Ido not think any
one is to blame with reference to it.

Other corroborative evidence was given, and the
jury returned a verdict of " Accidental death."—
Wolverhampton Chronicle of Wednesday.

We understand that the tenantry of Sir Henry
Durrant, Bart., of Scotto, have received his sanction not
only to sport on their several occupations, but also to
invite their friends. This is a novel circumstance in the
county of Norfolk, and speaks well not only for the good
feeling which exists between this gentleman and the
tenants, but exhibits on the part of the Hon. Baronet a
high confidence in the character of those whom he has
thus trusted. We hope, nay we feel assured, that this
permission will in no degree be abused, and that Sir
Henry will always find as ample sport on his domain
under the care of his tenantry, as he has done at any
previous time.—Norwich Mercury.