San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1877-11-24

were found 10 be lmprtcticaoio' fo"'
men then streve to enter No. 2 pit, but
were unable to proceed along the splint
seam from the damp, and after per-
severing at the imminent risk OF their
lives, were brought up in a fainting con-
dition to the surface, one of them,
named Thomas Laidlaw, being, it is
feared, very seriously injured. Not
withstanding this, however,
ANOTHER RELIEF GANG
was Immediately formed, and the new
party of volunteers, after advancing a
short way from the foot of the shaft,
found the bodies of six men, dreadfully
charred and disfgured, which were at
once drawn up to the bank. Although
a constant stream of water was poured
down the shaft that the reserve party
might be in measure relieved from the
noxious effects of the damp, the new re-
lief gang were finally forced to desist
from their perilous mission, and so Sc
riously were several of them affected
by the deadly atmosphere which they
had been inhaling that they had, on re-
turning to the surface, to be covered
with earth to free them from the influ-
ence Of the choke-damp. Fresh bands
of volunteers at once took up the task
of exploring the workings, and several
other bodies, mostly mutilated beyond
recognition, were recovered. The cloud
of smoke which at first foated over the
scene of the catastrophe cleared away,
and as the news of the disaster spread
like wildfire through the surrounding
districts vast concourse gathered
round the pit-heads, the wives and chill
dren of the men who were in the pits
exhibiting heartrending emotion. Very
faint hopes are entertained that any of
the men in the pits have escaped, and
the choke-damp was at first so strong
that it is feared that all the 1888 men
who descended the shafts in the morn
ing must have persisted.
ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS.
Further details respecting the explo-
sion at Blantyre make it only too sadly
evident that the disaster is by far the
most terrible that has ever occurred in
the annals of Scotch mining, and has
been scarcely less fatal to human life
than the worst catastrophes of that kind
that have happened in England. The
colliery which was the scene of the ex-
plosion is situated not far from the left
bank of the Clyde, about three miles
from Hamilton, and perhaps ten from
Glasgow. The mine has been regarded
in the district as one of the best venti-
lated and safest, and it is only dine to its
owners to state that the unsolicited tes-
timony of golfers who have worked in
the pit from the time it was sunk is that
no scientific appliance for securing
thorough ventilation and general good
working condition has been omitted.
ACCIDENTS FROM FIRE-DAMP
have zen extremely rare and trivial in
the Hamilton coal-feld, and SO great
has been the confidence engendered by
this state of matters that naked lights
as well as Davy lamps have been in reg
ular use in this as in other collieries in
the neighbcrhood. At present, since
therG can only be conjecture concerning
the cause of the fearful disaster of this
it is impossible to say whether
it has been brought about by the pres
ence of naked lights in the workings.
In accordance with the usual practice
at coal mines it has been customary to
send man down the High Blantyre
Colliery before work is commenced
every morning in order to see that all is
safe, and there is no doubt that the in
spection was made as usual this morning
by the foreman, and he returned with
the report that every thing was in good
order. The miners accordingly de-
scended to their work about a. m, los
men and boys going down by No. 2
shaft and 12S by No. 3. Work was be-
ing chiefly carried on in the southwest
portion of the mine in the vicinity of
No. 3 shaft. At that point the miners
were working backward" as it is
termed, in the splint coal seam, and
taking out the "stoops" as they adj
vanced. All went on rs usual till about
O'Clock, when those who were about
the mouths of the shaft were startled
by hearing rumbling sounds, as OF thun-
der, below, and almost Immediately af-
VOLUME OF FLAME
L Al 4