The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1877-03-08
TERRIBLE COLLIERY DISASTER.
Eighteen Dead Wodtcs Recavered---A Heart



rcndtna Scene.
A correspondent Of the London 7FpcS
writes from Bolton: In the course ot
their exploration Messrs. Dickinson and
Martin came across the whole Of the
eighteen bodies oG those killed hv the
terrible coljery Disaster fifteen OF them
were huddled together IN group some
were mec|ng ON the ground with their
hands claspoj rs if in prayer; others
were seated on the wagon way, and
had apparently awaited death with COM
posurc. while others AGAIN were lying on
their faces. with their fingers deeply lm-
bod1ej In The earth, tCSt}iyiug 90 the des-
pcratc efforts thoy had made 90 crawl out
OF the sUilocatjng smoke. Mr. nickeu-
son states that If these poor follows could
only have managed % hattie their way
for forty Yards further they would have
been safe Two others were found within
twenty-five Naris Of working that vas
clear from smoke, while the eighteenth
was discovered within nineteen yayls of
what would have been haven ot safety,
The flow of water into the PIT was stop
ped. and about seven o'clock the whole
of the bodies were conveyed 90 the PIT
eve, and nlaCci I'm tubs. and CoVCrod
with sheets ready for removal The
rumor thar the bottles hai been found
spread rapidly through the district, aal
some thousands ot persons soon couSr'-
gated around the pit bank. n order q
allay the eNc.temout which prrvas,cd the
police adopted a very pap3onAb.e rUSt,
and informed the crowd that thc dccoas-
Ell would NOS be brought ta the surface
till uiybt-a hint which had the e,goct
Of considerably thinning the numbers ot
those present. The winding up ot the
dead bodies coulmcucrd no ought O'Clock.
They were brought out oi the pJ in
couples aud propelled along a trmway
INTO the co,uerv Nard, where they We're
placed CA s,rctcbers and carried INTO the
ioiner'S Shop. One OF the tirst % he depos-
lted on the harc grouui vas Daniel
Walker. thetherosc ireman. He Was i'm
a partly nude state, with his hands folded
over his breast, and his features As calm
and peaceful Is though ne had ht'en
sleeping, The faces al the majority ot
the dead were not much swollen. while IN
not a few instances blood ooEel from their
ewes, nose and ears. All died from
asphyxia. There WAS not the slightest
sign ot burn on any one. One poor
fellow had been stricken down while IN
the aC. Of putting ON his shirt. tie hal
one arm through the sleeve. bat the 9TH
er portion Was stiu ON his head when he
fell, apparently lic.esS, to the gromd.
The poor hoy ShurrochS, who was found
in his fathers arms, had apparently
passed into eternity without paug of
pain. Judging from the happy expression
on his features. He was fine looking
lad. even in death, and when he was
lifted ou; 4 the tub and placed on the
ground with his safety lamp beside hin,
there was a universal expression of SYM
pathv. BY nine o'clock the whole OF the
deceased had been placed in the work
shop. and number Of women were Al
once introduced into the place for the
purpose of making the necessary prepar-
ations prior 10 the bodies being placed in
collins. Tie faces and feet of all the uu-
fortunate men we're washed, after
which . few Of their bereayed friends
were admitted IN order - testify rs 10
their identification. The scene was most
heTtrendiEg, sufficient TO Try the nerves
Of the stroLgest present