EXPLOSION BLOCKS THE EXITS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXIII, Issue 8689, 15 October 1913, Page 5

EXPLOSION BLOCKS THE EXITS.

FOUR HUNDRED,MEN MISSING

HEARTRENDING SCENES

'(Per Press Association— Copyright)

(Received October 15,.. 9-40 a.m.)

j LONDON, October 14. . By an explosion „ in the Universal Colliery at Senghenydd, Cardiff, the machinery'at the pit-mouth was destroyed and a man standing 20 yards away had his head blown off. Seven hundred men are entombed.

Later news states that 327 have been rescued and several- bodies recovered.

The explosion shook the neighbourhood and was heard a long distance away. It occurred.at 7in the morning, shortly after the day shift descend^ cd. '„•'; ■ " ■ ' '■,-■'.. "■■; '.'" - .

The rescue brigade,, doctors, and policemen hurried tor the scene, and a party with Mr Edward Shaw, the Manager, descended ..an adjoining shaft but was unable to get near the vicinity.of the explosion owing to the deadly fumes and many heavy falls that "had occurred. '

The rescuers discovered a number of terribly mutilated bodies.

Heartrending scenes were witnessed at the pit-head, especially among the women and children, when the officials exclaimed there was no hope and that the position couldn't be worse.

' Other rescue parties descended later and found hundreds of men huddled together where ,the ventilation was still good, and conducted them to the bottom of the shaft, . where the machinery was repaired and unwound so expeditiously that 827 of those entombed reached the surface by 11 o'clock. Some 511 men are now accounted for. The fire is raging in the West Pit. There, are thousands of spectators on the mountains watching the scenes.

Another explosion occurred in the Universal Colliery in 1901, by which 81 men were killed.