A Frightful Colliery Explosion.

Auckland Star, Volume XI, Issue 3195, 18 October 1880, Page 2

A Frightful Colliery Explosion.

ONE« HUNDRED. ANDi SIXTY^f W&>

LIVES LOST.-ANOTHEK FIRE IN THE PIT, .;. ....

1 , ; ' ~ ,; . London, Septembers. . An explosion occurred this morning at. the Senham colliery, near Durham. OoOi shafts of the mine are blocked, though Uicy are half a mile apart. It is believed that there were 180 men in the Scahamli coapit ■when the explosion occurred, and it is feared that most of them have perished. The explosion occurred at hj.lf-na.at two. this morning. MrStratton, the resident viewer, was soon on the spot, And it was ascertained that all the three shafts of the mine were blocked* the cages being fastened in then). Mr Slratlon, with a.rope around his body, descended to the main-seam and heard men talking— he thought about twenty. Xhey ate considered1 safe. There is no'reason :is yet to believe that the pit ia on lire, but it is feared that the bulk of the men have been killed. The-number in ■ the pit: is povr stated to be ISO, many haying remained over time during the night to attend the Sealmm flower show to-day. LATKU.—Seventeen men are safe. There are still 165 men unheard from, and it ia feared they have' perished. The agent of the Marquis of Londonderry, the owner of the Seaham mine, furnishes the following : "The worst fears arc for about 120 men. The men known to be alive have-not yet been reached, owiDg to the damage to the shafts by the explosion." A despatch from" the Scahanv Colliery this evening announces that forty meri, who wen* working 'in <£wo" upper scam? of coal, have been, found: safe and well. Some of them volunteered, and are helping to rescue their comrades, who are.spVenty fathoms lower. The bottom of both shafts is still blocked with debris.

, A later telegram reports, that up to 7 o'clock a total of fitty-seven nieu had been' rescjjed, the majority m an exhausted Condition. Many thousands of peoplo"are crowding around the mouth of the pit. The guiding marks in the pit vrere blown to ;pieces. The explorers, consequently, find th'ejr workjvery difficult. I ;They willykeep, at it all night, and hope to clear the way Jnto tho workings by morning. So far there ia no sigu of fire, but it is evident that there must be a large accumulation of gas. . A despatch just received from tlie Seal)am Colliery says s '' The rescued .now number 66 ; but it is now feared that there,were 230 men in the pit at the'time of the explosion. Two corpsesi were brought to the surface at midnight, one of which was burned to a cinder. Both 'Victims feave largo families." edIAM >i..m■ ;■;. ■<: i,<-.■..■ September 10. ; The explosion in the Seaham coal mine makes seventy-six widows anrl 284 orphans. A large proportion of the victims were single men. At 2 o'clock this morning the first ot the, victims of the disaster were brought up from the,mine, fcefore all the bodies could be removed a fire again broke out, and was not extinguished until seven o'clock. One hundred and thirty is tbe lowest estimate of the dead, and it is estimated that there were -400 horses and ponies in the mine. The bodies.^of twelve men, which have been brought up, are frightfully disfigured. There are eleven more bodies near the pit shatt. It will be some time before! the other .bodies

-Wtt-bCTßcu■ nuj,-o'pj— »»»i» i»»nj —nrra W found, as they. Jara buried under the debris of the explosion. Another fire has begun in No. 3 shaft at the ventilating surface. This will delay the explora-

A despatch from Sealiam to the " Evening Standard " compjlbs a liet fvom which it appears that 162 men and bbya are missing. The latest official places the number of killed at 147. A broken Davy eafty lamp has been brought up from the main Seam, and it is believed to throw some light on the origin of the disaster. '

Seaham, where the explosion occurred, lies six miles to the south of Sunderland, on the ooaßt, and about ten or twelve from the county seat of Durham. It forms an outlet for the immense coalfregiou o£ which Suuderland and Newcastle-on-Tyne are the great central depots. The locality is known as the central district, and may be said to form one vast coal-pit. It is owned principally if not altogether, by the wealthy house" of Londonderry. The coal produced is known in London as the Wallrcnd, and is the best class of house coal used in En|»laud. The pit,in which the appalling accident took place is probably one of the largest in the group,

EXTINCTION OF THE FIRE,

Accounts of tho number of men in the Seaham colliery vary, but 250 lamps were given out on Tuesday night. Tho pit consists of five seams, one below the other. The shallowest seam is 460 feet below the surface. The total depth of the colliery is about 600 yards. Nineteen men in the top scam merely felt a rush of air, but on proceeding to the shaft found it blocked up by debris. The air coming up in the shaft ie exceedingly foul. Communications with the top seam was opened at 1 o'clock yesterday afternoon, but became of the damage to the shaft the men- could only be hoisted out sing]" by chains and ropes. Nearly all of them, therefore, chose: to remain in the pit, bo as not to delay the explorers in clearing a way to the lower seams, -whence knocking and shouting were audible.1 About.7 o'clock in I

the evening tho upcast shafts nufficienlltf cleared to allow tho explorers to n&e it »nS enabled tho brining up of the victims tn proceed more rapidly. Several men nB »» tho furnace at the bottom of the udcmJ abaft were found to be shockingly burned * It is thought that the explosion oririnafcwi in tho lower seam, and that the Bag wm driven over the furnace. The explorers for a time had to_ suspend the work of bringing up the survivors, in consequence of «,« stables being on fire. A woman droimed 1 dead on hearing of tic death of h» brother in the pit. A store-room hag been cleared for the reception ot the corpses, '■' A telegram from tho inspector of the mines, dated from Seaham at nine o'clock ■ last evening, says : " Fifty-nide men h»v e I been rescued, nnd one hundred and tnirtv are yet to be accounted for. The cxplora. H tions have stopped in consequence of 4'fird in the two middle seam?. Great anxiotv i m felt for those still in the pits. There i, plenty of assistance, witb relay of worker! every four hours." It would appear from the above dispatch that there had been a later outbreak of lire in the mine. - Ad« patch from SeaUam dated 1.30 am .'uvir "A patty of explorers have just ascends the shaft. They report the fire tobbneif the engine-room in No. 3 shaft. This win I soon be extinguished. At present the relief party can get no further." A dispatch dated Seaham, 11.30 Java" that a party of mining engineers, jut ascended, report that the bodies of the lm,nace men at tho bottom of tho shaft *tei quite shrivelled up. Other bodies which; they saw were frightfully scorched, and Mr the clothes were burned off. The coal fa on* fire near the engine-house, but a hose wIP bo lowered, and the ilames will probably ha subdued promptly. Vague hopes are entertained that some of the men may have escaped to distant work : ings, but one of the agents of theDnrJunnMiners' Union, who has been down ■«■■ presses the opinion that not a man or horse in the lower pit survived the expJoaiwLt" Therf were 180 horses in the mine. The corpses collected at the bottom of tho shaft ; will bo raised to-night. ' ; ' A later dispatch from the Seaham collier? '* says that the lire has been subdued. SUMMING UP THE LOSS .OP.LIPff,': September 10. «| Thirty corpses had been recdverod froif the Seaham pit up to 9 o'clock thin cventoir when the aearch was suspended for the night in consequence of the accumulation ■of ew At 2 o'clock this morning the lirat of the victims of the.disaster were taken out of the mine. Before all the bodies, could be re*' moved, the fire again broke out and was not extinguished before 7 o,ciock. One' hha. drcd and thirty is the lowest estimate of the dead,; and it is estimated that therel were4o9 " ' horses and ponies in the mine. [ Tho bodies taken out are horribly disfigured. Tho latest bfh'cial statement places the number of killed New York, Septemberll. 'The Government Inspector has officially' announced that the number ol dead ut Sea- i 1 ham is close upon 165. . ' -