LOSS OF FIFTY LIVES.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 5, Issue 279, 6 May 1862, Page 4

LOSS OF FIFTY LIVES.

An awful explosion occurred on Wednesday 19th Feb., at about 12 o'clock, at the Cethin Coal-pit, Merthyr-Tydvil, by which fifty lives have been sacrificed. Cethin, or Gethin pit, the property of Mr. Crawshay, the extensive iron -master of Cyfarth3, is the largest in the district, employing upwards of 200 men, and is about equidistant between Merthyr-Tydvil and Troedyrbiw. \At ; noon on Wednesday, the overlooker . at the pit's mouth had noticed that something unusual had occurred in the pit, Vwbich was soon followed by information that an explosion of gas had taken place. Means were at once adopted to render assistance and to ascertain the extent of the calamity., which, unfortunately, has prox ed to be the most direful that ever' happened ■..-in; that valley. Up to Thursday morning forty-four persons were brought up/dead, * and -three alive, but so severely burnt that since expired, and the other two not to survive. About half of the '■io^^o^tejs&ypr.e\y.:b\ant,\ but the rest l"il^|^®|w.?ingedy:; haying been suffo--^at^d|byf|:l^^okevdampr';-v,- -:■■.-.■ -\ '■ ■■■ : ;

The * explosion must have been most sudden, for five men were found as if at their dinner, and one of the number had actually a piece of bread in his mouth when brought up to the upper earth. Some had evidently received warning of the coming storm of fire, for one was found with his little dog under his arm— both dead — and he was no doubt endeavoring to escape. The recognition scene was most agonising. The young wife kneeling in speechless anguish beside the corpse of him she so fondly loved ; the daughter, on beholding all that was mortal of a beloved father, setting up a wail that would arouse the sympathy of a misanthrope. At Troedyrbiw was seen, as if in placid sleep, the body of a young man who was the sole support of his aged mother. We witnessed her agony, and heard her mournful cry as she uttered in the sonorous vernacular of the country, " My son, my son, would to God I had died for thee." This i poor bereaved woman was called upon to 1 play the part of chief mourner — but not for the first time — she had acted that part before, for she was a widow. As to the origin of the accident it is as yet a mystery ; none have lived to tell the awful tale, and two more have to be brought out who are known to have perished, and for whom active search is being made. The explosion took place in the four-foot seam, and those engaged in the three-foot vein escaped unhurt, that Seam branching off in a contrary direction to the one in which the casualty occurred. The scene of the catastrophe has been visited by thousands, and all day on Thursday there were hundreds at the pit's mouth awaiting the recovery of the last two bodies. The gloom pervading the place is of the deepest ; the countenances of the men, women, and even children, wear an aspect of woe. Merthyr-Tydvil, Thursday evening, Feb. 16. Forty-nine bodies have already been brought up. One is still missing. The cause of the accident is still a mystery. , Intense excitement prevails.