TERRIBLE COLLIERY EXPLOSION.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2185, 19 March 1880, Page 3

TERRIBLE COLLIERY EXPLOSION.

From Worth Staffordshire comes the news of a terrible colliery explosion. It occurred shortly after eight [o'clock on Wednesday morning in the Fair Lady pit of the Crewe Coal and iron Company at Lycctt, a small village situated between Crewe and Hanley. Seventy six lamps were given out, and the day-shiftmen were below, when the people for miles around were startled bvthe sound of a terrible report. They hurried at once to the scene of the disaster, the pit having a fatal reputation. Only a few months ago an explosion of lesser magnitude than the present one occurred in the same pit, and the manager, accused of neglecting to provide ’sufficient ventilation, was replaced by Mr Greener, who, with his son, a mere lad, is now among the killed. The number of those working in the pit at the time of the explosion is not precisely known, but it cannot be far short of eighty, as already seventy-three bodies lie awaiting the last sad offices. Crowds gathered ,round the.pit, but the volumes of : smoke that rose from the awful fire raging below were so dense that it was twelve o’clock before a body of volunteers was able to descend. When the -volunteers reached the workings they saw the dead bodies of men tying in every direction. Ten of the miners were found to have some life in them, and they were brought to the surface as quickly as possible. Their injuries, however, were so frightful that but hope was entertained of any of them recovering. The details are heart rending.