The Herald of Wales. — 1887-06-04 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

AWFUL EXPLOSION IN SCOTLAND.  4 fearful explosion occurred in Ildaton Colliery, High Blantyre, Lanarkshire, on Saturday morning. The shaft is completely blocked up, and two hundred men are in the pit. The greatest excitement prevails in the neighbourhood, and the pit is besieged with distracted people looking for their friends. It is impossible at presenito say what the position of the entombed men if but hopes are entertained that all, or at least the majority, will ultimately be rrscued. Operations to relieve them will begin at once. In the confusion which at present rages, it is almost impossible to get definite particulars, beyond that the shaft is utterly bawled, and 200 men imprisoned. The explosion which occurred at the T.Ydson Oelli 7 on Saturday morning has turned out even auwe disastrous than was at first anticipated. The sxplosian occurred at half past nine in the morning. Immediately afterwards a volume V flame band forth from No. 2 Pit, and then Iran around all the district anguish -stricken wives, mothers and children ran to the pit-head sages for the safety or those deer to them. The colliery has four shafts, an up-cast and down-east shaft to each of the two pits. Three el the shafts were blocked after the explosion, the cages becoming jammed; but in he upeast No 2 shaft, three mm were engaged in examining the shaft, and when the alarm was given, they commenced to draw up the cage. On their reaching the surface, one of the three, a lad named Mo'Gourlay, was found to have his neck broken. A rescue party was at mice organised. The sage was safely lowered to the first part of the workings, 118 fathoms from the surface, and here all the men, 41 in number were found alive Mough much overcome. There the explorers distinctly heard calls for help coming from the middle seam some of the boys imprisoned sobbing bitterly. At length the seam was at length reached where 37 men were found alive and fo ir dead. On Sunday afternoon 30 beclies in an unrecognisable condition were brought to the surface. The terrible character of the explosion is shown by the fact that some of thebodiss have the arms and lege blown away. The loss of life altogether is set down at 70 ; and the scene presented by their distracted relatives WIN heartrending.  A Glasgow telegram, on Monday morning, says: Up till now, sixty-two bodies have been reoovered from the fatal mine. Ten of thole were got out before midnight, and twelve this morning. There remain ten of the dead in the mine, but the fallen roof renders the bodies meanwhile Inaccessible. Heroic efforts are being made to elear the workings. The bodies recovered are mutilated almost beyond recognition. The scenes at the pit head to-day are still heartrending.  A later telegram says :—Forty-four men have been rescued from 'Aston colliery, and one oorpe haa been recovered. Shouts are heard from the men entombed in the middle seam, but 7$ men in the lower seam are believed to be "  It must take the explorers 8001.3 time to reach the lowest seam, as the mine is foul, and every precaution is necessary to prevent the volunteers falling victims to the after damp. The excite. , ment round the pit's mouth is intense, and large ' crowds are gathering from all the surrounding ! neighbourhood. The work of restoring the ventilation of I7dstone Colliery proceeded throughout Monday night, but the lower seam has not yet been penetrated. Two bodies were found among the debris at the bottom of No. two shaft, viz., Andrew Watson, 55, and Alex. Toney, 2t. The latter was the eon of the underground manager, who was in the nags in the shaft when the explosion oecurred. He was studying for colliery manager. A report, on Tuesday forenoon, from the Udstose Colliery, states that seven explorers have examined the entire mine. The tm undiscovered bodies are buried under fallen roofs or lying in the sump at the bottom of the shaft. Men are clearing and repairing sump. They afterwards will ventilate the mine preparatory to repairing the roofs. Somebodies will not be reachable for several days. A fund has been started for the bereaved. Moreover, the trustees of the Old Blantyre fund, amount. tug to £32,000, are willing to assist.  The naval authorities at Sheerness are investi. gating the circumstances attending the sudden disappearance of Mr. Henry Montgomery, aasistant paymaster of her Majesty's ship Duncan. Several hundreds of pounds have been missed from the ship's safe. A fire broke out early on Thursday morning in the arches of the Great Eastern Railway at Bowoommon, East London, which resulted in completely gutting the premises of ?LAMM Medina, mattress makers, who occupy two of the arches, and in greatly damaging two others. Communicating with the arches was an adjoining woolyard and several seeds. It was past noon before the firemen had sutdued the flames. The damage, it i. stated, ie very large Messrs. Medina are not insured. In the Probitte Division of the High Court of , Justice, on Pr.day, the Paw of Young.. Holloway cline before Ju.vtice Butt. The wil! et the late Theresa Holloway, patent medicine ver.der, • ••• ...rtll three million pounds sterling, is dispute:, by Lie sister, Mtn. Csroline Young, on grounds of want of testamentary vivacity and undue influence. The SolicitorGoneral supported the wiU, and denied the slightist foundation for the opposition. The attesting witnesses and medical attendant stated positively that the testator was perfectly compettnt when the will was signed. A stringy experience betel an engine driver (G.W.R.) who was lodging for the night in a refreshment house in Penzance. About one o'clock in the morning he was awakened by what appeared to be somebody kicking him. The light from the lamp in the street revealed to his astonished gaze the body of a man suspended by a rope immediately above him. The engine driver seized a knife and severed the rope, and the would-be suicide turned out to be a fellow her named Joseph Henry ',pie, • f Rodruth, wao, in his dying ..ruggl... kick • -lorpar. Lucky kiok mat; it root thito'.