The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-08-28
Another Dreadful Colliery Expio-
sion In England--Forty Lives Lost.
The Manchester papers of August s. contain the
following - tA sea Hs

Inc Wahcnestcr papers OF August 3. contain the
| following y stA ea
Shortly after o'clock, on Friday afternoon, an
explosion took place ia a coalpit, near Ashton BY
which it was once apprehended that more than
thirty persons must have lost their lives aud there
no longer exists any hope that the estimate was
| an exaggeration. This deplorable accident OCCUR
red at the Heyes Collery, within half a mile Of
Ashton Town Hall. There are five seams in the
| colliery, but only two OF them lately have been
worked, and these are distinguished as ''the two
feet mine," aud ''new NINE" There are three
shafts, one upcast and two down-cast. At O'Clock
in the morning, about fifteen men descended to
work in the twofeet mine, which is about los yards
down. and another party, whose number was be-
tween 30 and ~, descended the No. down-cast
shaft to work in the new mine, which is 225 ya.ds
down. There appears to have been not the least
alarm until, at the time stated the neighborhood
was thrown into CONSERVATION by the noise of an
explosion in the No l down-cast shaft, which
shook tile houses near the pit, and was heard for
very considerable distance around. Almost at the
same instant, an immense quality of smoke and
dust was shot up with such force as to break the
iron plating at the mouth of the pit.
+ The men who had been working in the two-feet
mine ascended by the No. down-cast shaft as soon
as they heard the noise. Great numbers of the
people were Immediately attracted to the spot and
amongst them were a number of men from the
neghboring collieries of the Farbottom Company
and OF Messrs. Lees, who at once proposed to de-
scend the No. down-cast shaft to the new mine
in which it was feared that all the workmen had
perished. Under the superintendent of Mr.
Pearce, tbs manager, and Mr. Garside, the under
locker, preparations were promptly made for stop
ping mp the various openings and restoring the air
currents. AS soon possible, Mr. Garside descend
ed with party of volunteers, including several Of
those who had escaped from the two-feet mime
They were supplied with materials for stopping up
the openings of the workings. which the explosion
had deranged At the top of the incline they found
the engineer, still living, hut severely burnt, and
he was conveyed home. 1t was found impossible
fn naaln nl..
but about nine O'clock at night the under-looker
and his assistants had penetrated about $50 yards
searching the!workngs as they proceeded, aud had
found the bodies of five men. Further advance was
suspended for several hours, by the necessity
which became apparent, of carefully retracing the
ground already passed Over-to take additional pre-
cautions against the escape of the after-damp
through the openings About halfpast O'Clock,
Mr. Dickinson, inspector of mines for the Nanches-
ter district arrived at the pit. and remained there
during the night. expressing himself satisfied with
what had been done TO recover the bodies.
The difficulty of clearing passage further
very great, but the number of volunteers aug
mented, and the most energetic exertions have
been made the result of which was that seven
teen bodies had been recovered by nine clock on
saturday evening. Elliott, the engineer, is still
alive, but it is doubtful whether he will recover
Another man is reported to have been hurt severe
ly. but not fatally. Ever since the moment of the
explosion the ground near the pit has been throng
Ell hy hundreds of people. There have been sad
aoe'pi"Scs Vi diiAIous inuulTeIs ana OF mourning
relatives and the scene has been of distressing
excitement Nothing yet is mentioned to give
clue TO the cause of the explosion. number Of
lamps have been found, but all of them were un-
opened. The shaft was sunk in 1923, but the mine
had then been worked for thirty years from one of
the other shafts. BY o'clock on. Sunday after
noon ii bodies had been recovered from the pit.
AMI ts eight persons still missing the estima-
ted number of lives lost is now increased to 39.-
There are still 40 men constantly engaged in ex-
ploring the mine, and it is thought probable that
the whole of the bodies may be recovered during
the night. The greatest precautions are necessary
to avid the after damp, but there is otherwise
much obstruction.