The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-01-03

parish of Take, about a mile from the
Hardcastle Station; it belongs to the
North Staffordshire Coal and Iron Com
Pany, Limited, and has been worked
about eighteen months. The coal which
II produces is known as Ranbury coal.
From the mouth of the shafts-two in
number-to the bottom of the pit is u
depth of three hundred and fifty yards,
and the workings extend about five
hundred yards in various directions.
The number of men and boys employ
ed was about one hundred and fifty.
THE EXPLOSION.
The miners descended the pit at five
O'Clock in the morning, and engaged in
their hazardous occupation till eleven
O'Clock, About that hour smothered
report was heard by those standing on
the pit band. Flames rushed furiously
from the mouth of the pit, and an in
slant afterwards the surface of the
country for a great extent on all sides
was covered with thick SCOT. The shock
caused by the explosion was felt at the
distance of half mile. Mr.. G. John
son; the company's manager, got the
pit bank cleared as soon as possible,
and the cages We're lowered into the
mine. In short time about fifty terri
hed men and lads were brought ito the
surface by way of No. 2 shaft. The
efforts of No. shaft were not so sue
cessful, several men who were raised at
that point being burned more or less
severely.
THE DEAD.
The exploration n rendered the search
ers almost unconscious, and as each
one came to the surface every means
were taken to revive him. Some of
them remained for II long time half.
insensible, while others, on whom
brandy and chloroform had a more
salutary effect, soon came round, and
We're ready for another descent. The
bodies brought up from time to time
were examined by the surgeons, and
were, with few exceptions, pronounced
dead. The fatal word was sadly heard
by the men of the pit bank. AT this
time women and children had been
prohibited from approaching the shaft,
ana thus many painful demonstrations
were prevented.
Tho scene in the pit is described as
trightful. Bodies and limbs Law apart.
and several headless trunks were sent
up. The total number found in an in
jured state up to eight o'clock at night
was thirteen. The dead bodies num-
bered forty three; after damp was the
cause of death. Deducting the unin-
Jured, the burned and the dead, there
must then have remained in the pit
between forty and fifty men, and as
none of those brought up toward the
end of the day were alive, it is but
reasonable to suppose that these, too,
have perished. r#- N
oAUSE OF THE DISASTER.
The force of the explosion, as evil
deneed by the appearance of the pits
workings, must have been intense, the
batticing on all sides having been blown
away, the plank scattered in all direc-
uons, and the roadways, for the most
part, consequently blocked up. Moth
ing was perceived by the miners prior
to the accident to cause them to suspect
the approach of danger, the explosion.
II is said, coming on them with all the
suddenness of a gunshot. Nor can any
cause be yet fixed upon, except what
may be inferred from the fact that on
the persons of several of the deceased
duplicate lamp keys were found. The
possession OF these keys is in opposition
70 the orders contained in the Mines
Regulation act, which requires that the
locking and unlocking of the safety
lamps shall be solely performed by
appointed officers. The seam which
was being worked was called the Ban
bury seam. The coal was very gaseous,
ana the exercise of utmost care was en-
joined on the workmen. ANY such de-
parture from the rule as that suggested
must therefore have been doubly cul-
pable. But beyond the finding of the
duplicate keys, there is nothing to sub
stautiate the supposition, most of the
lamps having been shivered into the
minutest atoms. The safety lamps in
lamps.
INCIDENTS.
Isaac Bolton, a collier at the Talk o.
the Hill pit, said that about eleven p,
NJ. he felt wind blowing through the
niue. He concluded that something
had happened, and he did his best to
leave. On his way to the bottom of the
shaft he camo across Il man who had
fallen. He took him in hand for some
distance, but eventually was obliged to
leave him. Witness got to the foot of
the shaft, but he and others could not,
at hrst get the rope lowered. In a short
time the cage was let down, and he and |
others were extricated. AS soon as he !
got above ground he ran home. (Mr, |
WSane. the Government Inspector of |
mines for the district, explained that it |
was usual in such cases for those who |
were saved TO make for home as quick |
~ as they could, in order to set at rest
the minds of their tamilies.)
Some of the bereaved are in a most |
pltiable plight. A widow named |
Booth has lost two sons, who were her |
only support. Another woman has
lost her husband, son and an adopted
child, and is left with four young girls.
Several families have been deprived of |
father and son. In another case six
-.
whose mother died only a few weeks
ago, have now become orphans. In
one row of four houses every window
blind is drawn down.
The colliery was worked day and |
night by two shifts OF men. Had the
explosion occurred little more than
nalf an hour later most of the colliers
would have been away at dinner and
thus the loss of life would have been
less. As It is, theuuunber
killed will, it is thought, be under
eighty; for of those believed on. Thurs
day night to be still under ground.
many, IL appears. contrived to escape
by No. 2 shaft. The number of horses
buried was fourteen.
PREVIOUS DISASTERS.
The following is list of the pripci-
pal colherv disasters that have occurred
70, ITO no.,,....,, 49,. Killed.
LsOs. June %, East-Ardsley, near Wake
1925. January Il, GoSfSri6 Coal Mine NJ 10
Middleton, near Leeds-......I q |
lsl- Eoyember p, Mount Osborne Pit,
1876 March 5, o1Fs. oaks 6oiiiery, harms.
lsG7. May Z. Beeston Main CoIIIery, Leeds
isiS. January ., Darley Main, near Barns
1851 DsceInoer =, Warren Vale Pit. Raw. %
marsh, near Rotterdam. ..... ..,,., 5l +,
lSSI- February 10, LuruhiIl, Barnsley-....Is9l
$50. Ee2ruary l5' Htghsm Colliery, near
lSs2. December 8, Edmondis Main, near
81
Tetal..,............,........... .............527
Adding the number of the dead al BarnsIey
md Hanley ti5OO this aggregate Is now in