The Sun. — 1869-04-06 (London, England)

THE WIGAN COLLIERY EXPLOSION.  ANOTHER COLLIERY ACCIDENT. About twelve o'clock on Friday evening a pit in one Lady Carnarvon's colleries was suddenly inundated, ar four men lost their lives. The pit is situated t Skegby, about three miles from Mansfield. The me, worked in shifts, and seven men descended the shaft 0] Friday evening. All appears to have gone on as u,ual uj to within a few minutes to twelve o'clock, when three of the seven men were startled by a loud roaring noise, and immediately volumes of water came rushing on to them. They had no time to give their unfortunate companions the alarm, but at once hastened to the bottom of the shaft. Here the poor fellows were obliged to remain in the utmost peril for an hour and a half before they were extricated, there being no means by which they could give an alarm. At the time they were rescued they were standing up to their chins in water. The chance of saving the other four men was quite hopeless, as the pit at the end where they were working dips considerably below the level. The depth of the pit is ninety-five yards, and at three o'clock on Saturday morning the water had risen to within forty yards of the pit's mouth. The pit is completely surrounded with old shafts, and it is thought that one or more of these gave way, and so caused the inundation. Besides the four men, there are five horses and seven asses drowned. One of the rescued men, on being brought to the pit's bank, stated that such was the force of the water pouring into the pit that the horses were carried before it with great velocity. As soon as possible the pumping engine was set to work, and a vessel, capable of holding a ton, was also sent down the shaft. It is expected it will take three weeks to clear the pit so as to.. be able to get to the dead bodies.  BUDGET OF PERSONAL ITEMs.--The President has appointed Robert M. Douglas as his private Secretary. He is a son of the late Senator Douglas. Colonel W. T. Foster was appointed by the Secretary of the Interior Pension Agent for Philadelphia on the 14th March. Marcus Eldridge, a prominent citizen of Troy, N.Y., has committed suicide by cutting his throat. Capt. M. E. Lonaid was assaulted and robbed in Milwaukee on March 13. He is not expected to recover. Allison Smith was killed at Spencerport, N.Y., on Sunday, March 14, while entering a church at the head of a funeral ; the wind blew a belfry down upon him.—An American paper announces that Jefferson Davis denies that he has heart disease, and says that he was never better ; but we are sorry to hear, from a gentleman who knew him well in former times, and who had an interview with him recently in London, that he is far from looking well.—General Ames, Commander of the Fourth Southern Military District, has been instructed to act as Provisional Governor of Mississippi until Congress reconstructs the State.—Four women are returned as "ship_ builders" in the Vermont census.— William Morgan, one of Commodore Perry's crew in the battle of Lake Erie during the war of 1812, died recently at Boston. —AttorneyGeneral Hoar is a first cousin of the late Attorney-General Everts.— General Longatreet is a relative of Mrs. Grant.— David Crockett's son has d ed in Kentucky.—Tho lion. Onelow Stearns, Governor elect of New Hampshire, is at the Fifth-avenue Hotel. The British Government has done away with the Colonel of Artillery maintained at a heavy expense at New York for many years to look after its interests in the trial of a case in the New York Courts for a breach of contract on the part of an American manufacturer for a supply of arms.—Frank Eastman is to bs Postmaster at Chicago.