Runcorn and Widnes Examiner. — 1870-07-23 (Runcorn, Cheshire, England)

OUTBURST OF GAS AT: THE OAKS COLLTERY.—On Saturday, the Oaks Colliery, near Barnsley, at which 360 persons lost their lives in December, 1866, was the scene of a very alarming and serious outburst of gas which placed the lives of 340 men and boys in jeopardy About half-past eleven o'clock the men at work in the vicinity of the new engine plane were suddenly overpowered with a large volume of gas. Fortunately for the men and the owners the colliery is entirely worked with the Stephenson or "Geordie' safety lamp or the consequences would have been awful. The gas was so dense that it extinguished all the lumps for a distance of 500 yards. The greatest possible excitement took place • many of the workmen rushed to the pit bottom, half naked, to be drawn out: Those employed in the more remote portions of the workings were apprised of the danger and ordered out of the pit. Mr. Minto, the underground manager, on examining the workings, found that a large outburst of gas had taken place in the bank described. The floor had been rent for a distanCe of 13 yards, and a hole, into which a man's hand might be inserted, was visible. The outburst was exactly similar to those which Mr. Minto described at the inquest in 1866. The first occurred at the northeast part of No. 8 district in 1858, and the second in 1861. At the time the first outburst took place the gas extinguished the whole of the Stephenson's lamps with which it came in contact, but the Davy became red-hot. The pit since that time has been entirely worked with the " Geordie" lamp, and to the excellent management and the efficient repair in which they are kept the 340 mess and boys owe their lives. The outburst was very sudden, but the pit was cleared of gaa very speedily, and was fit for work the same evening.  DAnrxia ESCAPE Or A WOMAN FROM Gam.—About six o'clock on Sunday morning it was discovered by the officials in Newcastle gaol that one of the prisoners, named Mary O'Neil, had escaped. O'Neil, who is 27 years of age, and a married woman, was tried at the late sessions for picking 12s. from the pocket of a woman. She was,found guilty, and, having admitted previous convictions, was sentenced to seven years' penal servitude. On the sentence being pronounced the prisoner shouted "Thank God, that's not for life. I'll come back again and be as bad as ever." On being removed from the dock she created such a disturbance in the temporary cells in the Guildhall that the police had to take her at once in a cab to the borough gaol. There she was confined in a cell situate in the northwest angle of the building. She continued to be refractory in her conduct, and, having threatened to commit suicide, two other female prisoners were placed beside her as a precautionary measure. At ten o'clock on Saturday night O'Neil was visited in her cell by a gaol official, and all was apparently right at that time. On Sunday morning, on the usual rounds being made, it was discovered that the woman was one. The modus operandi had been somewhat as follows. She had in the first place either sawn through, broken, or wrenched out a couple of bars in the window, and by that means made her escape from the cell, and obtained an entrance into the laundry or washhouse. The determined woman had next contrived to get out of another' window and on to the top of the laundry. The roof of the laundry is nearly on a level with the boundary wall of the gaol, and, fgetting on this wall the woman had let herself down and escaped. When search was made, a piece of stout rope, have after A s th de leavingrroo pppe nf 21flOyt hfaeee'ieob:eef. not very long, however, was discovered hanging over the wall, one end of it tied to the roof of the laundry. outside of the bounus.ry wall, the daring gaolbreaker niust holdu lyo so; eicarhyni nd. egiwt phn,e, e thegrc un