The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-08-31
For The DISPATCH.
Etrc.Dmanp Explosion i'm Sa&Ony.

Ftrc-Dunnp Explosion i'm Sa&ony.
Translated from LA lloullc y newspaper PARIS
OF August 10, lSCp.
4 frightful catastrophe occurred Oh Mon
day morning, August I'd, in colliery OF
the Plancn district, near Dresden, belong
ing to Baron Burght-an explosion OF
fre-damp, the terrible effects Of which de-
Btroycd the lives of more than three hum
dred miners. The following are the details
as furnished US by our correspondent:
At 5 o'clock on the morning of August
I'd the whole shift, composed of 326 miners,
had descended two shafts, with communi
cations between them, called Sege1- G0HeS
>chach (banleiue of KleinaundorG and
Neue Hotuung (banlciue Of Hanrichen).
The miners had already GOT into the gale
.ies and drifts, where they were employed,
when, at little before II quarter-past )
o'clock, frightful explosion was heard,
and a thick column of smoke appeared
above the surface, coming from the SegcH-
GOHeS shaft.
In few hours after the explosion it was
impossible TO enter the works either 10y way
of the shafts or by footrOad which conf
municatcs with both. 1t was o'clock be-
fore circulation of air was restored through
the Segcn- GOHeS shaft, and ut about 9
O'Clock it was practicable to enter the gale
lies.
From the first shaft the bodies Of the
senior master miner and two master miners
were recovered-they having been doubt
less caught while holding consultation on
the DAYS work. On advancing further, the
force of the explosion was made evident by
the ruins of coal cars, six of which formed
one mass OF rubbish, twisted and torn into
splinters. 4 side gallery OF massive arched
masonry, 126 toises from the surface, was
found practicable, its smooth surfaces hav-
ing offered but little resistance to the cur
rent; but the galleries entering it were
crushed in, and three more bodies were
found at the entrance Of one of them.
Meantime endeavors were made to force
IN entrance into the liQtuung Schacht by
the foot-road leading from the surface, but
the current of foul air drove the life-party
back and only at about o'clock p. M.
the body Of one master miner was brought
OUT while two other c0rpses in sight had TO
be abandoned.
At present there is no doubt that all of
the three hundred and twenty-six miners
who went down into the mine have per-
ished-either by the direct action of the ex-
plogion or by sudden asphixia by the car
bonic acid gas formed by the burning of the
gas.
The labors, which were Immediately or
dcred, and have been pushed vigorously,
are carried on with the main object of
clearing the wrecks, and already some
Of the workings have been cleaned out, but
the same ruin appears beyond there. The
search for and recovery of the corpses will
require at least ten days or two weeks.
AS 10 the cause Of the explosion, all are
agreed upon one point-viz., that by reason
OF the recent excessive heat and the weight
Oh The atmosphere the noxious gases had
accumulated ut the ends of the galleries,
ana especially inthe old, abandoned work
lngs, the usual receptacles OF iire-damp but
the immediate cause OF the inflammation of
the gas is unknown, and WILL doubtless.
ever remain 30.
Was the diminution Of atmospheric pres
sure in this case, AZ in that Of the last