DISASTROUS COLLIERY EXPLOSION.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1839, 14 January 1880, Page 3

DISASTROUS COLLIERY EXPLOSION.

An alarming explosion of fire-damp occurred at a colliery at Short Heath, near Wolverhampton, belonging to Messrs Bloomer and Sons. Five workmen, some of them married and with families, and the ohief engineer were in the pit, and they were all killed. The workings were at first believed to be on fire, and, as the shaft was completely blocked, it was proposed that exploration parties should open up a road in another shaft. During the afternoon all the deceased were got out. They had all died from the effects of the after damp. The colliery belongs to the Pelsall Coal and Iron Company. At about one hundred yards from the surface four colliers were engaged driving a new heading in the fireclay coal, and Joseph Frost, who was the butty, and Mr John Slagg, the head engineer, wont down to inspect the work, and in five minutes there was a great explosion, hurling the banksman from the top. As soon as he could approach the mouth of the pit he called down to ask what had happened, and heard a voice reply, "Fetch help." He at once obtained assistance from a neighbouring colliery, and some men attempted to descend, but were obliged to relinquish the attempt for a time, owing to the shaft being filled with sulphur. By throwing down buckets of water the foul air was cleared, and two men descended. On arriving at the bottom they found the whole six men dead. Meantime some hundreds of people had collected on the bank, and much excitement prevailed. As quickly as possible the bodies were brought up, and, medical assistance being at hand, efforts at resuscitation were mado, but without avail. The accident is supposed to have been caused by one of the men incautiously lifting up a portion of a temporary scaffolding under which gas had accumulated, and this escaping caught one of the candles and caused the explosion. Five widows and more than twenty orphans are left.