The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1874-03-07

the frequency and terribleness Of mine ex-
plosions, because she mines more coal than
all the world besides, and raises . great
part of her stores Of coal from seams
which evolve unparalleled volumes of this
nfiammable gas-the demon of the mines.
Her first great explosion, which involved
great loss of life, occurred in the year 1919,
at the Telling colliery, ninety-two lives
were lost IN this disaster, and its occur
renee the means Of the organization
Of society of gentlemen to devise hie"H
for the prevention Of the occurrence ~
dangerous accidents IN coal mines 80,
! -.,7.,r;,,,. .Nrrtions of tins associ"'ii
/ ..,.3 ~. attention of the ceie
| Sir Humphrey Davy, ana io' 90 wy Wis
| every NJ the safety lamp
Tbs Filling disaster occurred IN the |
,,onth III May. and such was the force of |
the explosion that the earth trembled like |
an earthquake shock for nearly ten miles
beyond the workings, and the noise Of the
explosion was heard for distance uf four
miles. The cranes Of the mine, flor Ms yet
cages had not been L.vened) }, were thrown
up out Of the shStt into the air, and the
frame work above the mouth Of the mine
Was blown of, the iron pulley " heels being
dashed to pieces. 4 rescuing party was
soon organized, the GIN used III sinking the
shaft was operated 6y men, while others
descended To grope for the dead and dying
III the darksnme earth every man vieing
| with hls fellow t. render assistance to the
entombed men below
In an hour thirty-two miners we're
brought up alive and dead bodies Of two
small boys. A second expedition went
down consisting of nine persons. who car
ried with them steel mill. to shed light
from It's flying sparks. as a burning flame
dared not he entered IN the explosive
compound la their prugrcss forward they
encountered the " after damp. which they
were able - detect hy the color a the
,ssparAs from the steel mil, which fell M
the mephitic air like drops u blood
They immediately rvtreaJed, and were
able to bear up against the power % the
increasing noXIous Vapor unui they were
all safely drawn up t. day. Il was nov
proposed 70 shut up the mine, ami exclude
the atmospheric AR, L. avoid a renewal II
the explosion, as all hopes % saving the
imprisoned miners we're considered ground
less by the best informed men present
This proposition was sturnly rejected
however, by the wives and mothers and
male relatives Of the unfortunate sufferers
below, who determined To oppose 1t. They
cried out murder. An attempt was mad,
to organize another resculng party but as
the viewers and other practical men deciar-
Ell the workings could not be reached, II
v 5 abandoned, and the shaft mouths were
covered with clay to exclude the pure air
and choke the tre which was raging below
Tn the Sth Of July nearly two months
after the occurrence II the accident. the
mine was re-opened, and nine men were
lowered To the bottom who carried steel
mills to light them forward t. the work
places. As the rsscuers came upon the
dead miners. strange and superstitlnus feel
Ings came over them. and II vas with diff
Guilty that they could induce themselves To-
Int the odies anu convey them "a the bot
tom uf the shaft Nearly all of the dead
miners we're found burned by the explosion;
some ut them had been dashed 10 pieces
by the force II the blast several had their
heads blown of many had arms or legs
carried away and III one place upwards
at twenty bodies We - f,und Ia a promIs-
cuuus heap, scorched by the explosive ele-
ment as dry as burned wood Tn work
II resurrection went on until the 18th of
September, when the . hole of the bodies
were recovered Except one which vas never
found. 80 scoTched ...id mutilated we're
many If them that mothers could not rec
omize sons. wives could not recognize hus-
ia IDS, except BY their shoes ur tobacco
boxes, or by some such MARI Ii was truly
hedrt-rendIug scene, when the bodies had
been sent To the surface. to witness moth
ers and widows examining the putrid dead
for some mark 81 recognition VI their dear
est friends ~ relatives
volume full Of aS ful disasters might
be written "a the coal mine explosions If
Great Britain The folluwIng statement II
the lives lost by disasters u tire-damp will
show the fearful havoc which TINS gas makes
among the brave men Who descend tar down
into the bowels If tie earth, and risk per
sonal safety t. reach the mineral coal, and
Wrest II from It's native ted {" serve the
purposes Il modern Civilization