The national Republican., 1869-06-25
The Latest Coal-mine ExpIesiOn-
Terrible scenes In nn English Pit
Sixty Mon KILLED,

The Latest Conl-nIne Explosion
Terrible Scenes In an English Pit
sixty Mon KILLED,
The London Times OF the l2th Instant
gives full particulars OF the terrible explo-
sion In the Ferndalc collicry, by which sixty
miners were killed
"For day or two previous 10 the explo-
sion tho barometer indicated an increasing
density OF the atmosphere, and on the morn
ing oi the accident II was exceedingly close
In some parts Of the district. The men went
to work at the usual hour, and by 7 o'clock
between five and six hundred had gone down
and distributed themselves through the sew
eral districts, from one hundred and ten to
one hundred and twenty Of them going into
the south or Duflryn division Of the pit. The
aremen had previously reported that all was
right, aud the overman and resident mana
ger had been there according TO custom.
Eycryt hing went we'll until 1920 when there
was loud explosion In the DutIryn work
ings, and In moment all the roadways and
alrways of that district were choked with
clouds OF dust, carried forward by the blast
TO the upcast shaft. In moment those who
had escaped the fire made their way to the
bottom Of the shaft, but, unfortunately, the
violence of the conclusion had driven out
the supports, knocked down tho air-paSsngc,
and caused such enormous fragments of the
roof to fall, that many parts of the workings
were ohectnally cut of from ventilation.
The collicrs pcrishcd In their dreadful prison
suilocated by the cloke-damp.
THE doctors OF the works were promptly
In attendance to aid the Injured; but, un-
fortunately, their services were not required
In many cases, the majority OF those who
came within the area of the explosion hay-
Ing fatal injuries, which placed them be-
yond the resources Of human skill. Iu con-
sequence of the number of falls, the work
Of recovery proceeded very slowly; there
was an abundance of Dir sent down the shait,
but the destruction of the air courses roud-
cred II impossible to distribute II properly In
the Dufiryn district, and the falls had lib.
Grated much fresh explosive gas, so as 10
render the labors Of the searching parties
extremely hazardous to themselves. Be-
sides the risk of an explosion, the place was
iull oil choke-damp, aud one of the volun.
teers narrowly escaped with his life, of foul
air. A few hours afterwards another per.
son of the detachment had to be sent out cx.
hausted from tho same cause.
"Those who were IN the immediate neigh.
borhood Of the explosion were frghtfully
burnt and disngured, having been blown
about with incredible violence, until mems
bodies had lost all resemblance TO those OF
human beings. Those, on the contrary
who escaped the fire but were overtaken by
the afterdamp were little injured, and bore
a placid look. At the bottom of the pit the
bodies were wrapped In canvas before being
sent up, TO conceal the horrible injuries they
had received from the gaze Of the crowds
through which they were carried. In most
Of the cases Of burning 1t was impossible tc
Identify the bodies from the features. The
proportion Of deaths from burning was, how,
ever, very much smaller than at the explo
sion OF 1867. On this occasion the after
damp was the chief cause Of death.
As to the cause Of the accident, at present
oil Is mere speculation; there, are many
statements aaoat which II would be useless
to repeat, but the account that obtains the
most belief is that there had been n heavy
full In the main airway, by which the cur
rent Of ventilation had been cut OIL from The
Interior workings. Gas was then allowed
to accumulate inside the fall, and In clear
Ing the rubbish away the gas flowed out
and, becoming mixed with atmospheric air
suddenly became explosive, and by somC
means at present unaccountable, became ig
nited, with the consequences described above
THE number Of lives LOST will not exceed
! slyty ~