The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1878-06-14
oye, 4tco Hundred Dead.
MINERS BLOWN INTO SHAPELEss FRAG-
MENTs IN A LANCASHIRE COAL-PIT-
EIGHT IMPRISONED ALIVE.

EIGHT IMPRISONED ALIVE.
LoNDoN, June This afternoons Echo
saws: "a fearful colliery explosion has
occurred in Evans's collieiies, at Haydock,
near St. Helen's, in lancashire. lnIee
hundred persons are reported killed"
LONDON g p. M.-The co!liery explosion
referred TO by the Echo was in Evans
Wood Pit Cullery at Haydock, six miles
south of Wigan. The number of men in
the pit at the time is various'y estimated at
from 200 to 25O. Many of them have been
brought up badly injured. The laIeerpro-
portion are believed to be killed, but il is
impossible to explore the mine in couse-
quence of fire damp.
LATER. The explosion in the coal pit at
Haydock to-day-shOOk the earth for miles
around. The first explorer descended the
shaft five minutes after the explosion, and
others followed. Ten men were rescued
alive and were sent TO The surface, when
one died almost Immediately and the others
suffered much from after damp. Eight
other men are alive and have taken refuge
IN working of the mine. Two hundred
and thi.ry-txo men are dead. The explor-
ers state that theyfOund bodies decapitated,
reduced 20 shapeless masses, and some OF
them blown to- pieces. It is expected that
the corpses will be brought mp by midnight.
a large crowd of men, women and children
surround the mouth OF the pit. The cause
of the explosion is unknown, as blasting
with naked lights is prohibited.
STILL LATER.
LONDON, June S.-The explosion in
Evans coal mines at Haydock yesterday
occurred at IL O'Clock i'm the morning.
The Wood Pit cOlliery consists of two
mines-the RavenShead and the Flor ida.
The explosion was confined to the last
named mine. The men went TO work at
O'Clock n. m. The condition of the niue
had been examined as usual, and ten
minutes before The disaster it was 10 all
appearances safe.
There were $50 men in the Wood Pit
co.iery-eighteeu in the Ravenshead and
the remainder in the Florida mine. The
men in the Ravenshead were got out inn
mediate!y. One man died The others
were much affected by tine after damp.
The two mines aIe connected by fun
mel, and it was in the workings of the Flor
ida mine beyond the tunnel the explosion
occurred. 1t is the general opinion that
every man in that part of the mine is dead.
The explorers found the dead bodies OF men
and horses on every side, fearfully bruised
and mutilated, giving evidence Of the dread
full force OF the explosion.
4 great fall OF coal occurred. The men
engaged in exploring the mine are wolk-
ing day aud night endeavo}ing to reach
lilS DldCfs HuGlG u4OAS VI ltiS ODN It's hAb
supposed to lie.
Great bodies Of men, women and chill
dren have assembled in the vicinity Of the
pin and general grief prevails, nearly every
family in the village having suffered a loss
OF one or more of its members.
As no power was used in the mine no
reason can be assigned for the disaster.
The manager of the mine went down the
shaft five minutes after the explosion, and
GnIipor ,F ut D hot L.
ing on their faces, opened the ventilatiug
doors and thus saved the lives Of the eigh-
teen men in the RavenShead mine.
The bodies that have already been found
are all much diSfigured. 1t will probably
be days before all the bodies are recovered.
The explorers have suffered greatly and
have had to be constantly relieved, large
staff Of doctors being constantly in attend
ance. Crowds of women have surrounded
the pit ever since 5he explosion, weeping
and begging for news from the explorers
but on the whole the people have been
very quiet and orderly.
SOME PREVIOUS EXPLOSIONS.
The list Of colliery explosions in England
during the last forty years, says the y. \.
World, is a frightfully long one, almost
every accident being attended by great loss
Of life. The following are some of the
most notable
October 2i. Is3S.-John PIT, near whitehaven;
81 men killed. Two were blown to pieces while
descending the shaft, a third was hurled in
to the air and fell upon bank outside
June 2s. Is3g-St. IIHda. near South Shields:
a miner carried lighted candle iptO a foul
killed.
september 2S. Is44-HawscIl. near Durham
Only OF IO1 men escaped. being sheltered from
the explosive blast ny Il train of wagons.
August 81, lSf5.-JarTO~, near South Shields,
sixth explosion since 1917 Thirty-nine men
killed. including 4 TgSEiIpT. DEITY. who
trated too recSlesSly into the choke damp.
March >, iS4I--The Oaks, near ,rHsicy. Sew
January "a. isio-D DarnIey Main, near BARNS
ley. Seventy-fve lives lost.
June II. lS49.- GIetty Sheukiu COllicry, Aber-
dare. Fifty-twO lives lost.
March -, ISL NitshilI, near Paisley. or Ga
ia the pit only two escaped.
December 20, ISL Rawmarsh. near Rother-
ham 81 men blown 10 pieces in the pit ana >
I rescued to die of their iDiuJies.
May 10, iS52-- Dufryn Pit. \ Aherdare "a lives
lost, the men. in trying to escape, falling over
each other, so as TO bltck the shafts and De suf-
February Is. IS54.-ArIey Mine. near wirup =.
50 lives los'. only a few men being saved by
July I5, IS56.-Cymmer Colliery, near Pontv-
pIidd-l4 hives lost. The inquest showed, as
plain provisions of the nct were ,lisreyor,1,t
and that the common way OF telling a beading,
supposed to be dangerous was by placing a
FEBRUARY 10, Is57.-Lunahiu CulIiery. near
Barnslcy-is9 men out Of 200 lost. brook had
to run Eor three weeks to extinguish the tirt,
The bodies were boiled and burned So as to he
unrecOguiZubir when recovered.
# February |. lS5S--Bardslcy, near y Asbton- n
der Lyne-52 lives lost.
March ?, lS50--BurradOn Collierv, near XII
linEworth, NcwCaStle-16 men killed throu. n
2 using lighted candles.
3 December ]. ISfG.-Risca CO!liCrv. NewOorf-
3 l42 men killed through reckless miner uucov-
/ e!ing his lamp TO light his pipe.
. DecemborS, s, lSG2.-Edmund' s Main. Barnslcy-
&c meu and searchers killed. Fire only extin-
/ guIshei by turning a stream into the nit.
! June "a, lS66.-Dukinfi.ld near A AShlev-ST m en-
in
first sinking in 1851
December -, lSG6.--Tbe Oaks, near Barnslcv
J (see March >, lSt7.s $40 men killed. Including
! Coy second explosion 2S scarchcrs. Two da -
/ after, samuel Brown, one of the searchers-
came to the shaft after wandering all thai time
5 IN daTknkss and over hundreds of mangled bo-
dies.
December II, I9S5.-TaIk 9th Hill Nor,b
i ffOTdshire-EiEh hty-five lives lost through
careleSsnes6 iu working with exposed lights
November g, 1867 Fvrndaie CulIiery South
( Waies-Of about 10 men and boys only 3 Cs-
capped
/ Novcm Der 2G. lS6s.-H Hindlay G reen PIT, wfgan
. -t9f 20 men only escaped.
June 10. Is69.-Ferndale Coliiery see NOyeu-
ber s, lS67)-5O 6: l20 men killed.
June Il, IS69-Qucen's Pit, Wigan. where ex-
plOsiOn had previously taken place-5S men
killed.
December 6, IS75-Swart he Main Yorkshire