SIXTY MINERS KILLED. A TERRIBLE EXPLOSION AT THE LONGTON COLLIERY. EXPLORATION STOPPED BY POISONOUS GAS.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 426, 7 December 1889, Page 4

SIXTY MINERS KILLED. A TERRIBLE EXPLOSION AT THE LONGTON COLLIERY. EXPLORATION STOPPED BY POISONOUS GAS.

An explosion, which has resulted in the loss of at least GO lives, occurred at Hanley on October 16th, shortly befoic four o'clock in the morning,in the Bentillo Colliery, otherwise known locally at the Old Sail Pit, at Longton, a few miles from the town. The pit, which belongs to Messrs Ifawley and Bridgwood, is about 160 yards. deep, and there are three seams of coal, named respectively tho Hard Mine, the Cockshead, and tho Ban bury. Ordinal ily about two hundred men are employed ab tho pit, but tho nighb bhifo was of course comparatively small in nmn ber. Strange to say, the list of the mon who descended last night cannot be found, but as far as can bo ascertained about seventy-lhe miners went down to work at tho usual hour, in charge of Mr Alfred Fletcher, underground manager. They were divided into four gangs, and worked all through the night. The explosion, which was due to unusual accumulation of tircdamp, and probably to some extent to the sudden atmospheric change which took place during the night, occurred in the Cockshead seam, and it is thought extended to the Banbuiy seam. The men at work at the Hard Mine seam heard the report of the explosion, and immediately rushed to the bottom of the shaft in momentary expectation that they them selves would be ovei whelmed. They found that the hoisting gear and other works had been considerably damaged by the forco of the explosion, but the flame did not reach their level, and for tho moment they were in no danger. At the pit's mouth and in the neighbourhood generally tho explosion, occurring in the still hours of the morning, was distinctly heard, and the whole district was immediately aroused. Crowds of excited men and women ilocked to tho pit's mouth only to find that it was at that moment impossible to state the extent of tho calamity. Among the earliest arrivals was Mr Potts, the manager of the colliery, who called for volunteers to descend into tho pit. Scores of men cheerfully offered to take part in the dangerous work, and having selected a small party Mr Potts descended as far as the Hard Mine level, where he found 11 men who had been engaged in that part of the workings, huddled together at the bottom of the shaft, but all safe and sound. A hurried examination revealed tho fact that the abaft leading to the lower woi kings was \ery seriously damaged, and it was some timo before tho gallant volunteers were able to get anywheic near tho scene of tho explosion. The work of exploration was extremely diflicult and dangerous owing to the aftei -damp, which rendered it almost impossible to breathe. The gas dislodged from tho remotest workings had accumulated in dangerous volume, and experts declared that another explosion was poasible, and even probable at any moment. Mr Potts and h»s men, however, took the risk with cheerful fortitude, and made their way for a considerable distance along the workings. It was not long before it became evident to them that the disaster was of appalling magnitude. Here and there they came across groups of dead men. Most of tho victims had evidently died from the actual forco of the explosion and the concurrent fiie, their bodies being terribly mutilated, or so scorched and burned as to render their features in many cases unrecognisable. At ono spot no fewer than 18 corpses were lying close together ; but here and there single bodies were found, apparently the remains of men who, not having been killed in the explosion itself, had endeavoured to reach the abaft, andhad been overcome as. they fled by the deadly chokedamp. Everywhere the explorers found traces of tho tremendous force of the explosion, and all the air crossings had been blown down. The work was so fearfully exhaustive that it was found necessary to relieve the explorers at short intervals, but this arrangement was carried out without difficulty, owing to the large number of men who eagerly proffered their services, in the hope of boing instrumental in saving their unfortunate comrades. Meanwhile THE CROWD AT THE PITS MOUTH had grown larger and larger, and there were hundieds of men, women, and even children gathered in the cold grey of the morning. Most of them were strangely silent, but many women whose husbands or bi others or sons were in the workings sobbed bitterly, while a few gave vent to loud lamentations. After the first party of explorers had descended at hnlf-pa&t four, oi within three - ! quarters of an hour of the explosion, several mon were sent up alive, and their arrival was hailed with a faint cheer, it being hoped that they had escaped from I tho lower workings. It soon became known, however, that the men had been working on the Hard Mine seam, and that their safety aflorded no ciiterion by which to judge of the prospects of the poor fellows in the Banbury and Cockshead workings. The reaction from the momentary hope proved too much for the watchers, arrd there was a general and most touching outbuist of grief. That there was only too much causo for their sorrow was soon abundantly proved, for several corpses w ere brought to bank, and roverontly placed under cover to await inspection by the coroner's jury. In several instances identification was difficult, owing to the mutilated or scorched condition of the bodies, but in all cases it was finally achieved. The explorors worked with a zeal and courage beyond praise, but tho state of tho mine iendere r l some degree of caution absolutely necessary, and very few bodies were sent up in the earlier part of the day. Towards noon a man was sent to bank who had been found in the second level still breathing, but unconscious. Ho had been wounded and biuised in a dreadful manner, and although he was at once taken to the Cottage Hospital and troated with the greatest care, he died soon after admission without having been able to give any account of the disaster. He was tho only living man found of all those who descended into the lower leveb last nighb. Most of the men whose bodies were found had ovidently beeu killed outright, and in no case could the victim's sufferings have been of long duration. One of the men who took several turns with the explorers stated that the devastated workingspresentedan awful appearance. The charred remains of his comrades were to be seen in every direction, some almost covered with coal-dust. Some were strangely mutilated, while the faces of others wore a comparatively peaceful appearance, showing that they had met the wore merciful end of death' by suffocation, The lasb body sent to bank was that of an old man named Isaac Derricot, aged sixty yean?. He must have met his death under horrible circumstances, for according to the statement of one of the surgeons the body was " completely mummified." As the morning wore on the state of tho workings became hourly more dangrerous,

and it became evident that the search parties must sooner or later abandon, or at least suspend, their heroic labours. Mr Atkinson, Her Majesty's Inspector of Mines, and Mr Sawyer, his assistant, who arrived on the scene soon after the explosion, finally declared that the occumulation of the gas rendered it unsafe to proceed further. The explorers had then been working in relays for over seven hours, and they would willingly ha\e continued had they been permittee], although of the 50 odd men still mining it was virtually impossible that any of them could be alive. The ad vie 3 of the inspectors, however, could not well be ignored, and shortly before noon, when 11 bodies had been sent to bank, operations were suspended. One of the survivors has made the following statement : — " 1 went down last night about half-past eight. Things went well tillshoitly before four o'clock we heard a loud explosion, and I was thrown to the ground, my lamp being blown out. I got up at once, and made the best of my way tow aids the bottom of- the shaft, which was about 500 or 600 yards distant. My fellow woikmen also rushed off to the pit bottom, which we reached with safety. There was a very strong smell of gas. On the way wo came across Jesse Smith, about 60 yards from the bottom. He was injured, and we as-aisted him along. We saw a horse that had been killed by the explosion. Although the gaa affected me, I recovered, and went down with the exploring party." It is said now that for some time pa=>t there have been many little explosions in the Cockshead workings. It is alleged that Fletcher, who had control ot the workings, had vaiiously commented on the circumstances, and that men had been engaged in building off the second of the workings in which the explosion occurred. A telegram from Stoke on-Trent, dated October 17bh says : — " Notwithstanding the efforts of the rescue parties, who began work before daybreak this morning, 19 bodies yet remain bencaMi the surface. Operations were suspended on account of the probability cf another explosion. The pit was discovered to be on fire, and there is little hope that the relief party will be able to resume operations for somedays, although after a consultation of the managers, a formal postponement for 24 hours was de cided on.

THE SCENE AT THE PIT HEAD During the small hours of the morning was very teriible. Men and women held the bank hour after hour in the hope that some of their relatives would be brought forth alive, but the teniblo nabuie of the calamity was forced upon them by the report of the relief band, who brought the news that no living thing existed in the working?. The operations were carried on with great difficulty. The 'Gap' fire still smoulders, and at any moment a recurrence of the explosion might have taken place. Still, men stepped forward cheerfully to descend the mine in search of their missing comiades. Coffee and bread and cheese were served out by two clergymen, and, prior to the descent, tho miners bared their heads in prajer for their safe return. A procession of the bodies to the improvised mortuary was a touching spectacle, but the men stuck to their work with v. geim determination until the fire, which had been rapidly getting worse, rose to a pitch that threatened certain destruction to those in tho workings."

STATEMENT BY A SURVIVOR. One of the survivors made the following interesting statement : — "I woiked at the pit bottom, and my business was to look after all the lamps. About four o'clock (I had looked at my watch a minute before the explosion occurred) I was at the pit bottom. I had immediately before heard thecage coming down, and I pulled thegates up. When the report came I was blown right across the pit, a di&tance of at least ceven yards. A man named George Jem mis was with me. He was hurt \ery badly indeed. I tried to raise him, but could not. I felt very weak. 1 had put my scarf in my mouth to save me from taking in the afterdamp The explosion was extremely loud. I was rescued not long after it occurred. I shouted when I was able for the cage to be sent down for me. 1 was brought up, and reached home at twenty minutes past five. There has been a ' gob ' in the mine, and this place heated of its own accord, so much so that the men were frightened of the gas taking fire. The pit, however, has been a good pit, and not liable to accidents of that sort previously. They shut some old workings off a few weeks ago wheie the 'gob ' lire was ; you couM not see the fire, bub smelt it. 1 saw no fire last night, but tho smell was very strong-. It is nob true that men came out on that night because the lamp 3 went very low through gas."

THE VILLAGE OF ALDERNEY G KEEN is full of woe. In one street 26 houses have their blinds drawn, and all day the streets have been traversed with carts bearing the bodies of the dead to their different homes. The work of identification was dono with despatch, and only in one case did the friends of the deceased fail to pro ire identity. The fire occurred in what is knoVn as ''The Gob." In tunnelling tho workings a large amount of small' slack is unearthed, and as it costs more to get it to the surface than it would fetch in money, the slack is walled up in the tunnels. This refuse becoming heated ignites and smoulders for weeks. The policy of the miners is to smother the fiie, and this they endeavoured to do, but their efforts were ineffectual. The /no caught the gas as it travelled through the workings, and the explosion followed. The management offer no explanation one way or tho other.

"I hope you will pardon my late arrival," said the young man, as ho seated himself in the easiest chair. " T forgot my umbrella and had to stand in a stairway until the shower was over.' " That's one on you, Jennie," shouted Tommy, in great glee. " I told you so. Of course he had sense enough to go in when ib rained." And the &ilence, like the soft hat, was plainly felt. A man with a heavy bundle on his shoulder was riding on a car. He refused to put it down, saying, «« The horses have enough to do to drag me, I'll carry the bundle," The " Broad Arrow," the Home naval and military organ, referring to the measures recently adopted at the principal ports of these colonies, defining an anchorage ground for foreign men-of-war and laying down conditions under which men may be landed, says that they are usual in many foreign countries, but have hitherto not been adopted in English ports. "The colonies in question are putting restrictions on foreign mon-of-war, and compelling them to remain at outer anchorages. We should consider this sort of thing ill-advised, and denoting either a certain ofHciousness and bimorousness, which have a spice of anti-English in them, We may bo right or wrong in the freedom wo aocord to foreigners of all sorbs to know all about our strength and to make free use of our port?, but we ought not to change our policy by a side wind."