TERRIBLE COLLIERY EXPLOSION.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 210, 3 September 1880, Page 4

TERRIBLE COLLIERY EXPLOSION.

Early on the morning of the 15th July, an explosion of fire damp ocoured in the colliery of the London and South Wales Company, near Newport, South Wales. The night force of 128 men were in the pit at the time, and it is certain that none of the workmen escaped. The force of the explosion was very great, but the mine did cot take fire. The scenes about the mouth of the pit are described as heartrending. A relief party was formed, and several bodies have been recovered. The pit was in the black vein seam, which has been the scene of several disastrous explosions. On the Ist December 1860, an explosion occurred in the same black vein seam, by which 145 lives were lost. The pit is 280 yards deep, and all the machinery was new. The disaster is attributed by mining experts to unskilful management. The coal field is supposed to have been sunk below the Bhaft, causing defective ventilation. The Government has sent the Chief Inspector of Mines to report on the cause of (lie accident, £ übj ined is a telegram that appeared in an American paper giving a striking picture of the calamity: — New Yoke, July 15.—The Star special has the following cable despatch concerning the oolliery explosion:—At present all is excitement, horror, and confusion, and it is almost impossible to procure a trustworthy acoount of the calamity. It has been learned, however, that 128 miners, men and boys, were in the pit at the time of the oalamity. The gas in the pit, which is very deep and winding, became ignited, causing an explosion, which jarred the earth, and was heard for miles around.. As soon as the dreadful tidings reached the cabins of the miners the whole above-ground population rushed pellmell to the mouth of the pit. Nothing could be seen, however, save a dull smoke, which issued slowly from the mine. The wives and relatives of the men known to be in the black vein rent the eir with lamentations, but no help could be offered them, stive the Byap»thy of the bystanders. Many denounced the owners of the mine for not providing better ventilation, and measures were at once set on foot to rescue the imprisoned miners. The explosion bad blown to atoms the ventilating-fan in the up cast air-blast, and there was little hope that any men had escaped, or, if not killed by the shock, that they could live till aid ioould reach them. By 8 o'clock the means of ventilation bad been partly 'restored, and arrangements were made for sending down an exploring party. This waß a most hazardous service, as ,it was feared that explosive gas might still exist in the workings in dangerous quantities; but'volunteers offered freely, and a party was was at once organized. 1 At about 8 o'clock the bodies of three lunfortunate miners were found near •the bottom of tho Bhaft. . Their faces bore evidence of the horrible death they had suffered. As the search progressed it became evident that few if. any of the miners bad-escaped. It is regarded as fortunate that the mine did not take fire, ac some of the men who may have escaped the explosion must have' perished in the flames. The search goes on slowly, and it is believed at this hour, 4t p.m., that all the 128; miners are lost. Nothing can be surely known respeciing their fate until the return of the exploring party. Old miners at the mouth of the pit "who are familiar iwith its markings, galleries and passages, say that the chances are all against the hope that any of the miners faillte found alive, and those who?wertfnot killed outright have probably | been imprisoned hopelessly 'by masses of fallen rock and coal, and suffocated by foul air. ! > The crowd around the mouth of the pit is very large, and the excitement throughout the neighborhood is intense. The authorities and constabulary are at hand to prevent .violent outbreaks, i If speculations aB to the number who have perished shall prove only approximately true, the black vein disaster must be set down as amongsYthe worst pat have recently darkened the annals 6f coal-mining in England. Newport, the scene of the casualty, is situated on the TTsk river^ and is a Parliamentary and municipal borough and river town of about 30 r OOO inhabitants on the-line, of the Monmoutfrand' Cardiff railways, 24 miles south-east of Monmouth, "Wales.