Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1856-08-16
r. F. HoUsEwoRTH, Sec'y

~ From the European News.
Great Colliery Exploslen In Enslaud-One Hundred
and Ten Lives Lost.
An explosion occurred on Tuesday, the 18th
inst in the collieries of Messrs. Inslee Co., at
Cymmer, situate in the Rhoudda Valley, about IA
miles above Cardiff, which has produced conse-
quences hitherto unparalleled in the melancholy
history of colliery accidents in South Wales.
1t appears that on Tuesday morning Il6 or lis
men and boys went down into the Cymmer pit,
little anticipating the horrible catastrophe about
to occur. The two 6remen, whose duty it was to
examine the pit to ascertain if there was any foul
air or gas in it, re-ascended at about six O'Clock,
pronouncing tho pit safe. In less than an hour
after-indeed, before some had stripped off their
clothes to commence work-the terrible gas ex-
ploded, and the affrighted people ran hither and
thither for a few moments, Then one fell in the
dark, and others staggering along stumbled on
their dead companion and fell also. Here some
were struggling amid the tortures of the FIRE.
There tram full of boys, all dead; and in other
places, in sidings or inches in the level, men had
sat down to await their fearful doom, and had
died with their elbows resting on their knees and
their faces buried in their hands. Some had strug-
gled forward, no doubt hoping to reach the air
ways and possibly escape.
When the report of the explosion was heard on
the surface. it was too well unprecedented what had
occurred. Rumor says, that for day or too pre-
viously, indications had been given of what was
about to occur. " Blowers" or casual explosions
of gas had taken place. Two doorways had been
blown down only on the previous day, and there
were too many reasons to believe, from the guam
tity of electricity with which the air had been
charged, that an explosion of more extensive
nature might take place. This was too fully veri-
fed; and of the 200 golfers who worked in the
Cymmer Colliery, more than one half were at q
moments notice swept into eternity. One hum
bred and sixteen human beings went down into
the pit of death that morning, and of that host
only six returned alive.
The screams of the wives and mothers at the
mouth of the pit-those women congregated there
to await and recognize the dead-as during the
long interval that ensued between the period when
the first intelligence of the explosion spread, on
Tuesday morning, till the last body was brought
out on the morning of Wednesday, were fright
fully distressing. All day long the brave fellows
who ventured down, almost in the face of death.
to bring up the dead, sent up the bodies of the
unfortunate men and boys who had persisted, and
when these were brought to the surface the recog-
milton of Q beloved husband or o darling child,
awoke narrowing criee.
On Wednesday morning the one hundred and
tenth body was brought out, and it was left to
conjecture whether any still lay in the pit of
death. It was supposed, however, that all who
had persisted were now brought up.
Workmen were Immediately put on to supply
collins for the dead. There they were, working
hastily with the saw and plane, to construct rude
shells in which to deposite the unfortunate dead
in their untimely graves, amid the crowd Of eager
people still waiting to see the last Of the dreadful
catastrophe. e