The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1852-05-25 00:00:00

DISTRICT NEWS.
WARRINGTON.
A COVERED MARKET-PLACE iS to be erected at War-
rington, at a cost of £2,000.

BOARD OF GUARDIANS.—The weekly meeting took
place on Wednesday, at the workhouse. Thirteen guar-
dians were present. Mr. Hodgson, the chairman of the
board. presided. Out Relief to Persons and Cost during
Past Week : District No. 1, 1068, £5O lls. 10d. ; Dis-
trict No. 2, 242, £l2 3s. 03. ; District No. 3, 409,
£22 33. 93. ;—total, 1719 persons ; cost £B4 183. 7d.--
Number of inmates in the workhouse, 121 ; and the num-
ber of vagrants lodged and relieved, 189. Compared with
the corresponding period of last year, these returns show
en increase of 128 in the number relieved, a decrease of
£7 13.3. 11d, in the cost of relief, of 11 in the number of
inmates, and of 82 in the number of vagrants. Balance
in treasurer's hands, £379 12s. 4d.

RURAL DF:ANERY.-IMPORTANT MEETING OF CLERGY,
CHURCHWARDENS, AND SIDESMEN.—On Wednesday,
pursuant to special invitation from the Hon. and Rev.
Horace Powys, rector of Warrington and the newly-ap-
pointed Rural Dean of the Manchester district, upwards
of fifty clergymen, churchwardens, and sidesmen sat down
to a homely repast at the St. Elfins Institution, the Hon.
and Rev. Host in the chair. After the cloth was removed
the Rural Dean rose, and, in a speech of considerable
length, stated the object of their meeting together. His
only aim was, that the clergy, churchwardens, and laity
might be brought into closer community, and thus ex-
change sentiments both as to rubrical and doctrinal mat-
ters, including the subjects of rites and ceremonies ; that
there might be no disunion or distrust throughout his
deanery ; that one common system of conducting church
services might be agreed to and acted upon ; that there
might exist the closest union between the wardens and
sidesmen, and their several pastors, both as related to the
collection and distribution of all alms and charity funds,
and in regard to parish pews and other property. On every
subject ought they to be agreed and unanimous. He
would not, in the present temper of the times, leave off old
modes of ,:onducting the present service to commence
fresh ones, except with the unanimous and full consent of
all the parishioners, however strict in accordance with the
rubric; ho would be ready and willing to give his best ad.
vice to all parties desiring it. and such a meeting annually
(for he intended to continue it) would, he hoped, end in
their common good, the glory of God, and set at rest any
feeling tending to make the laity believe that the object of
the clergy was not to raise the estimation of our true and
holy church, or to pass down those religious principles
handed to us by our ancestors at the glorious Reformation.
He entered at great length into the various topics con-
nected with the church, schools, clubs, &c. ; and, after
thanking them, resumed his seat amidst considerable ap.
plause. We understand Archdeacon Brooks has sum-
monep all his rural deans to meet him in Liverpool this
(Tuesday) morning.

AWFUL COLLIERY EXPLOSION NEAR
WIGAN.

On Thursday morning, one of the most frightful colliery
accidents that has occurred for some years past in Lanca-
shire, took place at the Arley coal mine, at Aspsll, a
district which is " studded" with coal shafts. The pit in
which the accident occurred is situated about a mile and
a half from Chorley, and is leased from Mrs. Freeman by
Mr. John Hargreaves. The colliery is under the manage-
ment of Mr. John Ellis, who, during the past week, in
consequence of similar catastrophes, had received instruc-
tions from Mr. Hargreaves, that in case of the slightest
appearance of danger, the works should be stopped. This
caution was communicated to the firemen. Thomas Smith
and John Watmouth, whose duty it was to examine the
mine every morning previous to the commencement of
work ; the former taking the southern portion, in which
the explosion occurred, and the latter taking the northern
part, more particularly to regulate the current of pure air,
there being comparatively little gas formed in that direc-
tion. Altogether nearly 200 men were employed in the
colliery; and of these about 50 or 60 went down this
morning, about six o'clock, to commence work. An hour
and a half before that time the two firemen had descended,
and proceeded to their several departments, to ascertain
whether or not there was any dangerous accumulation
of gas. On making his rounds, Smith, whose duty it
was, as already stated, to examine the southern workings,
found the air in the three bottom pillars to be in a
very dangerous condition, upon which he returned to
one of the main air-doors, a little below the pit-
eyes, where the men were waiting for admission, until
he had concluded his examination ; and, explaining
the position of the dangerous place, he told the colliers
that none were to go down that "shunt" with a naked
light, but they were allowed to go into the top workings
on the " brow," where there was no cause for apprehen-
sion. Leaving his son at that door to warn any one who
might subsequently come down, Smith proceeded in a
northerly direction towards the "Old Coppul Pits," in
order to procure by ventilation a current of pure air, and
to displace the noxious vapour which had accumulated
dining the night. No sooner, however, bad he left the
men, than one of them, named Thomas Gregson, with the
recklessness of consequences peculiar to his class, passed
through the air-door with a naked candle, and was fol-
lowed by four or five others ; and after they bad proceeded
some distance down the brow, many of their comrades,
encouraged by their assurance, imitated their fool-hardy
example. One of the workmen, more cautious than the
rest, remonstrated with them on the peril they were incur-
ring ; but, being disregarded, he went to the pit shaft,
and informed John Ellis, jun., (who acted as superinten-
dent in the absence of his father,) of what was taking
place, upon which he immediately hurried down the
brow, where he overtook a number of the men, whom he
ordered to return, remarking that every man who had
disobeyed the fireman's orders would be fined ss. Pass-
ing them, he followed those who bad gone first, and
whilst the former were retracing their steps to the pit
mouth a tremendous explosion was heard, followed by
two others of less violence, which instantly diffused the
greatest consternation throughout the mine. Those who
had been commencing work in the side levels hurried on
their clothes and rushed precipitately into the main road
)r down the brow ; but on reaching it they were almost
Tocated by the clouds of dust and slack which had been
sedby the explosion, in consequence of the dryness of
-1 the darkness and subsequent confusion
and instead of Coin,

e direction, and were met by the after-damp, whici
overpowered them. Nor did those who hat
ction fare better than their comps.

ent pressed on th

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