COLLIERY EXPLOSION
DOUBLE DISASTER. RESCUERS OVERWHELMED. OVERCOME BY GAS. (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) , Received July 3, 10 a.rn. LONDON, July 2. Fire caused an explosion at the -working face ot the Holditch main colliery at Chesterton, North Staffordshire, killing three and injuring 13, one of whom died in hospital. During the rescue operations and the sealing up of the affected area a seeouu explosion occurred, involving IS men, who included mine officials and inspectors.
Four members of the rescue team were overcome by gas. All these are trapped in the pit and their recovery alive is believed to be hopeless. There were 200 men underground when a sheet of flame from the neighbourhood of the coal-cutting machinery caused a stampede. A count disclosed that two men had been left behind and cut off by fire. The overseer, although lacking a respirator, tried vainly to reach them but they perished. Three were killed in the first explosion. The second explosion occurred three hours later while rescue work was in full swing. The flames desperately hampered the work and lorries rushed tons of sand to the pit to seal off the burning area.
Ten rescue teams worked until midnight, but, though it is understood that the fire has been smothered, the heat prevented access to the actual scene of the disaster.
Following is a list of the most serious colliery disasters since 1910:
1910— Wellington Pit, Whitehaven, 140
killed. 1910—Pretoria Pit, Bolton, 344 killed. 1913 —Senghenydd, South Wales, 420
killed. 1922—Cadeby, Rotherham, 8G killed. 1922 Ploan Pit, Staffordshire, 12
killed. 1922—Haig Pit, Whitehaven, 39 killed. 1925 —View Pit, Newcastle, 38 killed. 1927 — Own Pit, Wales, 51 killed. 1928 Haig Pit, Whitehaven, 13 killed. 1929 Blaenavon, Wales, 9 killed. 1930 Grove Pit, Staffordshire, 14 killed. 1931—n aig Pit, Whitehaven, 35
killed. 1931—Bowhill Pit, Fifeshire. 10 killed. 1931—Bentley Colliery, Yorkshire, 40
killed. 1932—Plank Lane Pit, Lancashire, 19
killed. 1933—Grassmoor Colliery, Chesterfield,
15 killed. 193-I—Greslord Colliery, Wrexham, 261
killed. 1935 Alapple'vell, Yorkshire, 16 killed. 1936 Loveston Pit, Pembrokeshire, 7 killed.
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Bibliographic details
Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 182, 3 July 1937, Page 9
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336COLLIERY EXPLOSION Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 182, 3 July 1937, Page 9
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