National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1871-10-06
The English Wine Disaster,

ulAhAl'f TOOK pace WIS only commence
last October, with a view Of working
the Wlgan nine-foot seam, or the six
foot seam, as it is called in other part,
of the country.
Although everything that skill and
science could accomplish to render lis
working secure has been done, yet il
must he admitted that the miners 70
down TO work it with their lives literally
in their hands The men, had, however
great confidence in the management.
The ninc-foot seam is worked a. n depth
Of 4SO wards, but the depth of the pit is
about 700 yards. Below the nine-foot,
which travels north and south, is the
camel seam, which is some hundred
yards below, Both these seams are
worked by the dpwncast shaft, and the
owners are extending the upcast work
ings to the Arley seam, which lies TO n
still greater depth, A party of sinkcrs
were ut work at the time in the upcast
shaft. The explosion occurred at II
o'clock in the morning, siXty-thrcc men
am boys being employed in the nine
foot level, fifty in the camel seam, be-
sides six sinkers. Three Of these sink
ers were in the act of descending the
upclst shaft to join their fellows ut the
bottom, when from the downcast shaft
came that terrible sound like the dis
charge of cannon, which told the fear
FIJI tale Of the occurrence of another ex-
plosion. There followed almost inn
mediately fearful discharge of SCOT and
smoke from the upcast, which hung like
j 1 =. a
At the downcast shaft the stage, which
was standing on "A raised platform. was
hurled from its position, and the banks
man had most narrow escape, while
ut the second shaft the gearing suffered
50 complete Il wreck that the brownman,
Oaks, is at Il loss to wv how he escaped
from the wreck with ms life. As il was,
he suffered severe bruises, and had 10
be taken home in a conveyance Parties
of workmcn were quickly set to work.
At the upclst shalt the winding apparn-
tus was repaired, so that the "hoppett'
might he drawn up, which was still
hanging in the Shaft IT took over an
hour to accomplish this work When ut
last the cage was brought to the surface
many anxious eyes were directed toward
it, us "A faint hope was entertained that
the siniers might be still in it. 1t was,
however, empty, and no further doubt
could be entertained of the fate of the
men. \ cap which was found in the
gearing above the shaft was supposed to
have belonged to one of these men.
The "hoppett' was then lowered with
great caution with three men rs far as
the camel seam. After short interval
the cage was raised, and it brought back,
amid the breathless silence of the spec
tators, five golfers, who announced, TO
the relief of some of the anxious re-
latives who crowded the bank, that all
was safe in tie camel seam, but that
the explosion had occurred in the
4" nine-foot" The fifty men who work
ed in the camel Seam were quickly
brought to bank, and every ones ener.
gies were then directed to the establish .
ment of a communication by means of
t re downcast shaft, by which means
alone the "nine-foot' could be reach |
ed. a short distance above the nine /
foot is the four-foot. 1t was believed .
that there were no men in this part of
The collery at the time of the explosion,
nut when the first exploring party de- /
'6a nndeIoolar D n'o f,rm nu mo"'', nni
hr;nlsdttnr Th m mnro , all ,1 itun
al mo "1 ~ oroa son+ w. tl,o az a,,r ,at,oo'
T T "V,I 1 a. oi tho, ho W "a 'iiaGl
,iro ,ant u,I,ar 'll0 4a,,. ;I'''oo ~ we
III" Wana a. r, ne soene was wa,
,1ei',',' ir '.ie ,''i, ~ u 'lle
nDs,o'' az lr"lI'' W n"Ne 'ahph l'lacc'
hn,,t "l'I Vn.'i .L "VtI
80 ;'ut. n'ro ',ii'' 'iiol' l"N 'iie ue"d
n H., n,"Joti " m', .I "eIe inPNv le"r
~, liiu,,'"'.o oN ,lc S.!'rIinS iorcc OF
'ru ult Ia ai,a o,ae n,9iricG ol me
'ioJVo'l.'S Will ~ WIZ lui''u a'on8 the
';..H' 'rN, "e IitIhS were crying
itl'ilN lol "d"I, WHICH, WIN OuIef re-