APPALLING MINE DISASTER.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1882, 16 October 1913, Page 7

APPALLING MINE DISASTER.

PIT FIRED BY TERRIFIC

EXPLOSION.

WORST CATASTROPHE IN BRITISH ANNALS.

511 SAVED: OVER 400 STILL ENTOMBED. By Telegraph—Preea Association—Copyright London, October 14. A terrible disaster has been caused bj an explosion which occurred at tho Universal Colliery at Senghonydd, Cardiff Tho machinery at tho pit mouth was destroyed, and a man wlio was standing twenty yards away had his head blown off. Two banksmen were blown 10 pieces by the explosion, and a third was killed by tho flying machinery, which was smashed to atoms, the cage being sent sky high. Five hundred and eleven men have been rescued out of a total of 900 odd. Thero is little chance of rescuing the entombed men until tho fire has been extinguished. Tho roscuers only penetrated fifty yards into tho west side, whore the firo is raging. . Tho entombed men are two miles farthor in, aud thero is only the faintest hopes of their safety. One woman has a husband, four sons, and three brothers entombed.

Tho explosion, which occurred at 7 a.m., shortly after the day shift had descended, shook the neighbourhood, and tho noise was heard for a long distance. The full horror of the occurrence was only realised at noon, when tbo fire broke out.

An urgent demand for fire-fighters was made in all parts- of the district. Tho Cardiff Post Office sent fifty by special train. Rescue brigades, doctors, and policemen hurried to tho scono.

A party with Mr. E. Shaw, the manager, descended an adjoining shaft, but wero unable to get near tho vicinity of the explosion, owing to doadly fumes. Thoro wero many heavy falls. The rescuers discovered a number of terribly mutilated, bodies. !

Thero wero heartrending scenes at the nit-head, among. tho women and children especially, when tho officials exclaimed: "There is no liopo; tho position couldn't bo worso."

Other rescue parties descended later, and found hundreds of men huddled together where tho ventilation was still good. Tho rescuers,conducted them to ti'o bottom of tho shaft, where the machinery was repaired and unwound so expeditiously that of thoso entombed H27 reached tho surfaco by cloven o'clock.

. The rescue work was conducted without panio. The men quietly left tho pit in batches of eighteen. Many wero unaware of what was happening nearby. Others rescued wero m a pitiable condition, suffering from burns and shock of tho after-damp. Tho first man rescuod wns so excited and delighted that ho was unablo to givo a coherent account of his exporicnco. '■

Tho fire is now raging in tho west pit

Thoro aro thousands of spectators on tho mountains, watching tho scenes. , The explosion at the Universal Colliery in 1901 killed eighty-bno persons.