The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-08-11
The Last Coi!iery Explosion at Wigan.

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The Last Coiliery Explosion at Wigan.
Wican duly 22) Correspondence Of the London
Times.
Yesterday morning an explosion of fire.
damp, which has resulted in the loss Of
fftv-cicht lives-and the number will pro-
badly be ACKNOWLEDGMENT in the south
west Lanchashirc coalfeld, about eight miles
from Wigan. The scene Of the accident Is
the Queen pit of Messrs. Evans & Co. S col
lieries at Haydock, where but twenty-nine
weeks ago in the same mine an explosion
occurred causing about thirty deaths. Since
that casualty the proprictors haye made al
terations in the mode of working the col
lcry with view of providing the most am
pie means OF ventilation and protecting IN
every possible manner the lives of their work
men. When in ordinary work, the pit is
capable Of accommodating about $50 men.
bat since the last accident, In consequence
of the alterations and other circumstances,
the number has seldom been much above
100. About this number descended the
shaft on Wednesday, from which are worked
two seams--thc siX-fect and the nine-feet
the latter Lying at depth Of 800 yards.
about five minutes past ii o'clock there
were the usua! Indications on the pit bank
that something extraordinary had happened
in the workings. There appeared to be a
momcntary rcycrsion of the ventilation,
and u volume of dust assembled the upcast.
Mr.. Chadwick, the manager of the collie
ries, was Mt once communicated with, and
in very short time lie descended the shaft.
Mr.. Harvic, the secretary to the company,
was also on the spot Immediately, and,
aided by the officials at the coliery, lie pro-
ceeded to organize an exploring party. The
news spread with marvellous rapidity, and
offers of help were proffercd from those who
assembled.
About forty men prepared to enter the
workings, from the state Of which it was
evident that frightful catastrophe had &C.
cured. Stoppings a very short distance
from the shaft had been blown down, the
roalways in many instances were partly
blocked up, and the ventilation was entire
" disorganized. The first lot of the explo-
ring party had scarcely reached the bot
tom before a number Of men arrived at
the shaft from various parts Of the work
ings, nearly every portion of which ap-
peared to have been affected by the casual
ty. Many Of them had with the great
est difficulty struggled through the fire.
damp, and were almost powcrlcss. AS
speedily as possible these were sent home
in carts. Twcntythree vehicles Of all
kinds were brought into service, and in
these about sixty persons were conveyed.
All Of them had either been slightly burned
or were suffering from the effects Of after
damp, and one died on his way home. The
explosion had been so violent that it was
with great difficulty the explorers carried
on their operations. Along the roadways
many bodies were found, the majority
having evidently succumbed to the damp.
In many instances, however, there were
marks of severe burning, and some OF the
remains were fearfully mangled.
Several mining engineers and managers
of the adjacent collieries joined the search
ers during the day, and one of the parties
had very narrow escape. This consisted
of Mr.. Clark, surveyor to Sir r. L. Gerard,
the lessor Of much of the coal in the dis
tlict; Isaac Billinge, the underlooker and
end" OF the workings they came upon a
large body of afterdamp, which soon over
powered one of the party. Then second
succumbed, and shortly both Mr.. Clark
and Mr.. Billinge, exhausted by drag
ging their companions along, also be-
gan to feel the effects of the deleterious
gas. At last Billinge decided to push Oh
for help, leaving Mr.. Clark with the two
PROSTATE men but Mr.. Clark shortly fell
il would be necessary for him to make Q
struggle for life, and he followed Billinge
lie was soon nerved to fresh energy by the
glimmer of lamp, but on reaching the
spot he found Billinge there insensible. Or
again, therefore, he went, and fortunately
he quickly came across another exploring
party, who assisted him out of the pit, ant
also succeeded in rescuing the three whom
lie had left behind.
At half-past 10 o'clock the whole of The
workings had been explored, and the tota
number Of bodies was then found to be
tifty-Six. The winding up the shaft was
then commenced, and it was after midnight
before the cage had made its last disma
journey down the shaft, and the carts haC
conveyed the burned and mutilatcd remain:
OF the victims from the pit bank to the shed
which had been prepared for their reccp,
ton. Here during the remainder of the
night the bodies were washed and decently
laid out preparatory to commencing tho
work Of identiiication--a task on this occa.
sion Of no ordinary difficulty, for compare.
lively few of the dead had escaped burn:
more or less scvere--many were horribly
mutilated, and some had their head.
literally blown to pieces. In fact, tho
condition of the corpses leads to thu
belief that the force OF the explo
sion, though not apparent at the pit
mouth, has been more severe than in any o.
the many similar catastrophes which have
lately occurred in the district. All the dead
had not been claimed when our parcel waf
dispatched, though IL constant stream of ths
relatives and friends Of the deceased had
visited the shed, working their way through
crowd of oilers who peered through the
chinks of the boarding, or glanced through
the door when it was opened. One man
visited the place four times to find his son,
who was known 10 be dead, but he was
never able to identify him. The floor of
the shed Was covered with saWdust and dis