The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1855-03-21
Inchr ~S.MranI


30 BADLY BunNKD THAT BUT FEW ~ THEM CAN
nnooyrn---A terrific explosion occurred = the
Mjdlothfan Coal Piss In Chesterfield couoty, shout
thirteen miles south Of this city. on Monday eve
were instantly killed, and number Of others 20
badly burned that ttie or no hopes are entertained
Of their recovery. % to tbs very moment OF The
accident, the superintendent and employees In the
pits ielt perfectly sati-ed that there was not par
tcle Of foul air sioat around them, and MT. John
Atkins. the agent looked upon the pits ~ being %
entirely free from danger, that he declared 10 us
that he would not have hesitated 10 take his family
into them 10 remain Even now, the cause OF the ex
plosion IL entirely hid In mystery, and must ever
continue So though Mr. Atkins inclnes 10 the opius
ION thar In making blast, an nd shaft sink was &C.
sidantally preached, from which poured forth
volume Of gas, that became ignited, and swept as
a besom of destruction through the various ave-
nues dealing death with an unsparng hand, on oil
that came within It's course.
The explosion, when It took place. caused the
EARTH for miles around the pits, TO wave and rock
as twig in the wind. One gentleman, who was
crossing the railroad, about mile from the pits a.
the Time said he felt the rails reel under him and
another, who was passing the road on horse back
declared that his beast staggered and trembled, as
II suddeply shocked by tremendous galvanic bats
terry. The centre boards around the shafts were
blown eff, as If they had been paper, and at IT, 70
western shaft, two large cable chains were broken
10 two as easily If they had been pipe stems. At
the time of the explosion there were three carpen-
thirty.fve feet above the ground One of them
was so badly frightened that he leaped to the
ground without mourning any injury, but " old
Squire" and the other one held on to the beams
until the shock was over, and then came down.
The Midlothian Pits have always been looked
upon as free from danger, couse quentlythe comPU-
ny found no difficulty In EMP Dying as many steady
white miners they desired and Ii the explosion
had taken place between the hours of 6and IL
O'Clock, we have no hesitation In saying that the
loss of life would have been trebled, and the
number oil widows and orphans thereby created i've
times great as that caused by the accident at the
English Pits in May last but fortunately, the men
were not allowed to make over work, the supply OF
coal raised being greater than the demand, conse
quently, most of the white men had left the pits at
IL o'clock, and the reby savedtheir lives.
AS soon as the explosion was heard, all the work
men above ground, from the Midlothian and Frs
gish pits, hastened to the scene, and prepared TO
descend the Western shalt, to rescue those who
might still be alive Mr.. Job Atkins, the agent for
the English Pits, In company with number OF no.
Bile hearted volunteer descended the Eastern shaft
as soon as they could do so, and the two parties i'm
mediately set about in search ofsuch of the miners
as they might find alive. They succeeded in res
cuing sixteen persons, more or less burned, four
whites and twelve blacks, and took them TO their
houses and the hospitals where they were ialmedi-
ately placed under medical treatment They then
discovered about thirty dead men, some of whom
they removed, aud others they were preparing
to remove when we left tho pits at half past three
O'CLOCK Yesterday 6ttGTuOOu. AtklUS U62criDeS
the scene as heart rending in the extreme Some
of the dead men, the nesh charred on their bones
held their shoves In their hands, others were hold
ing to their picks and drills; and Samuel Hunt, a
small boy, who had been deprived of reason for the
time, by ihs concussion was calling loudly to the
mule he had been driving to go along. Those who
who were not dead, &c soon as they heard the
voices of their friends, begged earnestly not to be
left and then prayed loudly for few drops of cold
water to quench their burning thirst.
In one of the avenues, several tons of stone and
dirt had been thrown down, beneath which was
discovered the bodies of two of MIR. Woodridges
servants.
We visited the hospitals, and of all the horrid
spectacles our eyes ever beheld the there pre-.
sented to our view was the worst Some seven or
eight negro men lay there, the skin burned from
their faces eyes, hands, arms and bodies, as 1t they
had been roasted and the groans that escaped from
these who were conscious of their suierings could
not fail to pierce the hardest heart.
Out of fifty persons in the pits at the time of the
accident, but three escaped serious Injury, and
these were colsred persons, though there can be
very little doubt that many of them were sufocated
by the latter damp, rather than killed by the eX-
plosion.
Five valuable mules employed In the pits which
are ITO feet Deep were killed by the explosion.
We give below list OF the killed and wounded,
as far as 1t could be ascertained.
WHITE PERSONS KILLED.
Thomas Dunn, an Englishman.
John Evans,
Samuel Gouldin, who leaves a wife and three
small children to mourn his loss. Mr.. Gouldin was
an overseer in the pits, and had dream on Sunday
night that weighed heavily on his mind. Before
starting to work on Monday morning, he con versed
freely with his wife, aud instructed her how to act
IT he should meet with any accident that day After
starting to work, he returned three times to kiss
his little children and bid them good bye.
John Lester leaves wife to whom he had been
married bnt short time.
Jonathan Jewett, lad, thirteen years OF age
One of his brothers killed ia the English pits,
by an explosion last May.
Joseph Howe, young NAV about Is years Of
WHITE PERSONS BURNED.
John Howe, Gather OF Joseph Howe, who was
killed0 badly burned. His recovery hoped for.
Samuel Hunt, boy, IA years OF age. Face, head,
breast, arms, and eyes dreadfully burned But lit
tie hopes Of his recovery. This lads father fell in
these pits four months ago and was killed
Nicholas Ham, married but two weeks since,)
badly burned about the face head and eyes, and his
breast completely roasted. His recovery will be al.
Thomas Ksnsdley, lad IA years of age. severely
burned about the face and breasts but hopes are en-
''''''A u NEGROES BURNED TO DEATH
Armstead Richie, Richd Hancock, William HsT-
rod, Wilson Mills, Charles Wilson, Edwin Carter,
Isaac Gault, Lewis Jackson, Patrick Witcheow, Pa.
trick Mills, Jordan aopds. Isaac johnson. HeIrod
Stepney Burton Bob Burton: Oran Lantern. Bob
Adams, David Dsgp. Philip Res:er F end Riley,
Woodbridge Wood and Archer woodbridge.
NEGROES INJURED.
Dick Smith, slightly burned; Israel Walker, badly
burned Joel w hite, slightly Frank Mills, danger
ously Jasper Forsey, badly; Fred jones' bad, but
not dangerous; Anthony Jones, slightiy; Lewis
bot, slightly; Isaac Minor, badly Dick Dipp, danger
susly burned
A large number of the above servants were owned
by the Midlothian Company, and very few of them
were insured
The injury to the pits is serious and it will cost
considerable outlay to get them fairly under way
again Mr.. John Atkins, the agent, 10 said to be one
of the bert miners in this country, and In twenty
years management has never met with sccident
of the kind before.
when Mr.. Job Atkins entered the pits, he imme.
diatsly proceeded TO exnguish ell of fire. ar
thereby sacceedad. in all probability, in preventing
a second explosion.
This accident has thrown deep gloom over the
neighboThood 10 which il occurred and will be the
means, NO doubt, Of driving many persons to seek
other employ emit than that of mining.
MECHANICS HALL.-The Va Mechanics
Institute can never succeed as 1t deserves to- and as
the interest of Richmond require 1t should until 1t
has hall of its own In which to bold its fairs, meet
Ing and lectures. We are Satisfied that II the ne W
Board Of Managers, to be elected on the second
Monday In April, viii take the subject In hand,
and go to work with determination worthy OF
success, they win find but little difficulty In raising
the means necessary to erect suitable building for