ENGLISH AND FOREIGN ITEMS

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 14, Issue 730, 28 October 1869, Page 3

ENGLISH AND FOREIGN ITEMS

FATAL COLLIERY EXPLOSION. LOSS OF FIFTY-EIGHT LIVES.

'On Wednesday, 28th July, an explosion of fire damp, which has resulted in the loss of fifty-eight lives—and the number will probably be increased ■—took place in the south-west Lan cashire coal field, about eight miles from Wigan. The scene of the acci dent is the Queen Pit of Messrs. Evans and Co.'s colliers at Haydock where but twenty-nine weeks ago, in the same mine, an explosion occurred causing about thirty deaths. Since that casualty the proprietors have made alterations in the mode of working the colliery, with a view of providing most ample means of ventilation, and protecting in every possible manner the lives of their workmen. When in ordinary work, the pit is capable of accommodating about 350 men; but siuce the last accident, in consequence of the alterations and other circumstances, the number has seldom been much above 100. Ahout this number descended the shaft on Wednesday, from which are worked two seams—the G feet and the 9 feet, the latter

lying at a depth of 320 yards. About five minutes past 11 o'clock there were the usual indications on the pit bank that something extraordinary had taken place in the workings. There appeared to be a momentary reversion uf the ventilation, and a volume of dust ascended the upcast. Mr Chadwick, the manager of the collieries, was at once communicated with, and in a very short time he descended the shaft. Mr Harvis, the secretary to the company, was also on the spot immediately, and, aided by the officials at the colliery, he proceeded to organise an exploring party. The news spread with marvellous rapidity, and there were proffered offers of help from those who assembled. About forty men prepared to enter the workings, frum the state of which it was evideni that a frightful catastrophe had oc cured. Stoppings a very short distance from the shaft had been blown down, the roadways in many instan ces were partly blocked up, and the ventilation was entirely disorganised. The first lot of the exploring party had scarcely reached the bottom before a number of men arrived at the shafts km various parts of the workings, nearly every portion of which appeared to have been affected by the casualty. MaDy of them had with the greatest difficulty struggled through the fire-damp, and were almost powerless. As speedily as possible they were sent home in carts. Twentythree vehicles of all kinds were brought into service, and in these about sixty persons were conveyed. All of them had either been slightly burnt or were suffering from the effects of after-damp, and one died on his way home. The explosion had been of so violent a character that it was with great difficulty the explorers carried on their operations. Along the roadways many bodies were found, the majority having evidently succumbed to the after-damp. In many instances, however, there were marks of severe burning, and some of the remains were fearfully mangled. At half-past ten o'clock the whole of the working had been explored, and the total number of bodies was then found to be fifty-six. The winding-up the shaft was then commenced, and it was after midnight before the cage had made its last dismal journey down the shaft and the carts had conveyed the burnt and mutilated remains of the victims from the pit bank to the shed which had been prepared for their reception. Here during the remainder of the night the bodies were washed and decently laid out preparatory to corameuciug the work of identification —a task on this occasion of no ordinary difficulty, for comparatively few of the dead had escaped burns more or less severe, many were horribly mutilated, and some had their heads literally blown to pieces. In fact, the condition of the corpses leads to the belief that the force of the explosion, though not apparent at the pit mouth, has been more severe than in any of the many similar catastrophes which have lately occurred in the district. All the dead had not been claimed when our parcel was despatched, though a constant stream of the relatives and friends of deceased had visited the shed, work-

ing their way through a crowd of (idlers, who peered through the chinks 'of the boarding or glanced through the door when it was opened. One man visited the place four times to find his ; son, who was known to be dead, but, he never was able to identify him. The flocr of the shed was covered with sawdust, and disinfectants were plenti fully used —very necessary precautions considering the stale of some of the bodies and the heat of the weather,.

BISHOP COLENSG. The Judgment of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in the appeal, " The Bishop of Cape Town v. the Bishop of Natal," was delivered on July 20 by Lord Justice Giffard. The appeal was in reference to the cathedral at Pieter Maritzburg, in the colony, which Dr. Gray claimed as Bishop of Cape Town, but which Dr. Colenso alleged vested in the see of Natal, when the Bishop of Cape Town had resigned bis see, and other letters pa tent were granted. Lord Justice Gif fard decided that Dr. Colemo had the sole and exclusive right to the land in question, on the ground that Dr Gray ceased to be trustee on the resignation of his original see, and disallowed the appeal, but without costs.

MR. PEABODY'S STATUE. The statue erected in honor of Mr Peabody, at the east end of the Royal Exchange, was formally unveiled by the Prince of Wales on the 23rd July, in the presence of a large and distinguished assemblage. Mr Motley was among those who were present, and at the luncheon which was given by the Lord Mayor, his Excellency vouched for the likeness of the statue to the original. He said—"l saw it grow day by day beneath the plastic fingers of the artist, and I had the privilege on one occasion, which I shall never forget, of seeing Mr Peabody and his statue seated side by side, and oi de bating within myself, without cominp to a satisfactory conclusion—if I may be allowed so confused an expression —which was the more like, —-the statue to Mr Peabody or Mr Peabody to the statue." The Prince of Wales, at the conclusion of his speech, thanked Mr Motley for his presence, and expressed his " earnest wish and hope that England and America may go hand in hand in peace and prosperity."

The Antiquarian Society of Scotland have just received an interesting donation to their museum. The relics consist of the sea-chest and a carved cocoa-nut cup, which were the property of Alexander Selkirk, the prototype of Robinson Crusoe. These were with him iu his solitary residence on Juan Fernandez.

Two thousand five hundred ladies have taken the early shopping pledge, i.e , not to shop after two o'clock p.m. on Saturday's. A street preacher named Thomson was on Sunday, the 18th, July, preach ing to a large crowd, and had just concluded his sermon with the word " Amen," when he staggered and fell to the ground dead. Death had arisen from heart disease, accelerated by the effort of preaching to a great crowd during the intense heat. On the 11th July a Fenian flag was found floating from the tower of Sligo abbey, where it had been placed during the night. Two persons have died in Sunderland from the excessive heat.

It may not perhaps be known to everybody that the City of London possesses large funds which were originally intended for the relief of debtors. Debtors do not require so much relief as they did in former times, and the result is that there is a yearly excess of receipts over expenditure to the average amount of about .£11,000.. With these accumulations it is now proposed to build industrial schools.

The Newcastle Journal states that a young woman has died in that town from a leprous disease communicated by the chignon she wore, which is supposed to have contained some of the hair known to be supplied to chignon makers from the cemetries and hospitals of the East.

Pleasure trains are being organised in Paris for visiting Egypt and being present at the inauguration of the Suez Canal.

A published return gives the expense of the Irish Constabulary chargeable upon the Consolidated Fund for the year ending 31st December, 1868, at £870,512.