ANOTHER EXPLOSION, WITH A LOSS OF SEVENTY LIVES.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2498, 10 April 1882, Page 3

ANOTHER EXPLOSION, WITH A LOSS OF SEVENTY LIVES.

On February 16th a colliery explosion of very serious magnitude took place at the Trimdon colliery, midway between Durham and West Hartlepool, accompanied, it is believed, by dreadful lose of life. The first intimation of the awful occurrence was notified by a loud rumbling noise and a shower of smoke and dust from the upcast shaft of tho Harvey ream. At the time of the explosion about 100 men and boys were in tho pit, which is the property of Mr Walter Scott, of Newcastle. It was found that the low main shaft had been blocked about 100 ft from the bottom, by the jambing of the cage. This necessitated resource being had with the “kibble,” by which means the officials efieoted a descent. About thirty men and boys were found alive and brought np. A singular result of the explosion was that some of the foul gas was forced through to Eelloe, on East Hetton colliery, a couple of miles distant, causing the death of six persons. There i is an underground connection between tho I East Hetton and Trimdon Grange pits. The ) foico of the explosion appears to have taken I its devastating course into tho workings, instead of flying up the shaft, and this was the means of blowing open the separating doors between Trindon Grange and Kelloe workings, and the loss of the lives of the underviewer and of five workmen in the latter place. There were over thirty men in the Low Main seam at the time of the explosion, and a curious circumstance exists in the fact that whilst the sound of the explosion was heard over a mile away from the pit shaft head, not a sound of it was heard in tho Low Main seam, which is on a higher level than the Harvey, and connected with the latter. The seat of tho explosion appeared to have been either in or close to the shaft of the Harvey seam. The explorers reached the Harvey seam by the low main shaft, and about four o’clock they effected a communication through the staps in the high main. As soon as possible some men were brought to the bank alive, but suffering more or less severely from afterdamp. A medical man was soon on the spot, and under his superintendence the poor fellows were removed to their homes. After this the work of rescuing the sufferers proceeded only slowly, owing to the debris encountered by the exploring party. The timbering was broken down, and for a great distance largo falls of roofs stopped their progress. The first two bodies brought to the bank np the Low Main seam shaft were fearfully burnt and divested of arms and every vestige of clothing. Soon afterwards the Harvey scam shaft was reported clear, and immediately after that a signal was given that a body was on its way to the bank. It was identified as that of a boy, the lad’s father making tho recognition. The poor lad was burnt about the arms and chest, but his face was untouched by fire. Immediately afterwards several other bodies were brought up fearfully disfigured. These were lying nearest the shaft, and were thus easiest of recovery. As the exploring parties attempted to push into the workings the vitiated atmosphere made itself strongly felt, and every man was more or less “ gassed.” On Fob. 17th the work of exploration was continued, many of tho neighboring managers lending their services. The explorers found in the vicinity of the explosion quantities of afterdamp, which over-mastered the currents of air sent through the workings, and defied all appliances for saving life, and it was feared that all remaining in the pit were dead, and should such prove to be tho case the number killed will reach about eighty. Ooe of tho men rescued alive says he travelled n distance of a quarter of a mile and passed from fifteen to twenty dead bodies. Among the rescued miners one gave the following account: —" I was working _ in Harvey seam when I felt a whiff of wind, which I knew at once was caused by an explosion. At the same time, and all together, I heard four or five heavy falls. I made my way as fast as I could to the shaft, and on the way I trampled on one or two men, hut could not distinguish who they were. After going some distance I was caught by the clothes by some boys, who were crying, and the next moment after-damp was upon us, and I fell insensible. I remember no more until I was rescued by tho exploring party.” Many sad episodes are connected with the explosion. One poor womaa lamented tho loss of her throe sons and sole support, and she asserted that she had strongly opposed (tor some unexplained reason) the going to work of her sous on the morning of that day. One man sorrowed over the loss of his two sons, both young men. No incident was, however, so sad as the death of Mr Shier, the under-viewer. This gentleman was the son of an old-established merchant in Newcastle, and was some twenty-three years of age. He was one of the first to arrive at Trimdon Grange, and with his chief at Kelloe, Mr William Ottersen Wood, at onco volunteered to go down in search of the sufferers. Before this offer could be occepted, the sad nows was received that an exploring party had come to grief in the Kelloe workings, and Mr Wood at once despatched Mr Shier to ascertain the extent of the mischief. On reaching Kelloe colliery, Mr Shier descended into the mine, and was making his way into the workings, when he met the choke damp from the recent explosion, and shared the fata of four poor fellows who had succumbed previously. Down to the latest accounts thirty-two lives had been saved, the number of dead being about seventy.