FATAL COLLIERY DISASTER.

Inangahua Times, Volume IV, Issue 10, 2 May 1877, Page 3

FATAL COLLIERY DISASTER.

(From the Home News.) On January 23 a dreadful catastrophe occurred at the Stonehill Colliery, belong ing to Messrs Roscow and Lord, anc situated at Far n worth, about four milei from Bolton. The pit is 300 yards deep and the workings extend from the shaft tc a distance of about a mile. On tbe daj of the accident 300 men and boys were a< work in the pit, when they were alarmed by a report that tbe Cannon mine was on fire, and a rush was immediately made tc tbe pit's month. It was afterwards discovered that about 1200 yards from the shaft a wall of cannel, over 100 yards in length, was in flames, and that dense volumes of smoke were being carried bj the air further into tbe workings, where it was known a number of men were em« ployed. Nothing is known as to the origin of the fire. The mine was remark' ably free from gas, and naked lights were used in it. The fire is not believed to have been caused by any explosion, but is rather attributed to the careless act oi a lad who is supposed to have ignited the brattice cloih with his lamp. At the time of the outbreak some forty men and boy a were at work beyond the seat of b. 3 fire, and tbe first indication they had of their danger was an advancing column of smoke. Those who were nearest to tbe spot zpaniged to escape through the flames before they were overpowered by the Bujphurou3 fumes. Some fif een men And boya who were working 300 or 400 yards beyond the fire bave, it is feared, all pet't he l. As soon as tbe fire was reported, an exploring party descended the pit, and proceeded to lay pipes from the pit eye to the scene of conflagration. Every exertion is being mnde to extinguish the fire, and to reach the bodies of (hose who are now considered to have perished in the mine. This accident proves to be more disastrous than was at first anticipated. The number of missing is 18. Two of the saddest cases are those of two men Banned Walker and Shorrocks. The former wgs fireman at the pit, and he met with his death while bravely endeavouring to save i he lives of his fellow workmen. Heedless of the smoke which filled the workings in the locality of the fire, he nr-hed forward to warn those who were still unconscious of their danger, when he was overcome by the fumes and fell to tbe ground, where his body was subsequently discovered, Bhor< rooks also died in an heroic attempt to save the life of his son, By the aid of a wet handkerchief tied over his mouth he had managed to pass through tbe fiery eannai, when he suddenly missed his eon, a boy of fifteen, and turning back to look for him, be perished. They were afterwards seen clasped in each other's arms. Another man, after battling manfully with the smoke for some distance, foil to the ground helpless ; he- had given all up for lost, when he heard voices. By extraordinary effort be managed to crawl twenty yards further and was saved, but a companion who was with him when he fell, succumbed. All night long water was poured into the pit, and along the workings towards the seat of the fire. The water was ejected from the pipes at a pressure of 3001bs to the square inch, and once daring the night the hose burst by the force of the water, So intense, however, was the heat of the burning cannel that no one could approach within eighty yards of the fire, and consequently the extinguishing apparatus was almost useless. An attempt was then made to flood that part of the workings which was in flames ; but after pumping the water into tbe pit for some hoars it was discovered that there was an outlet somewhere by which it escaped. After a tedious and difficult search tbs leakage was stopped up, and the flooding of the mine was proceeded with, but some time must yet elapse before the smoke from the fire car be so diminished as to vomit of an exploration of the workings. Eventually twenty bodies were recovered from the pit,