LATE COLLIERY EXPLOSION IN NEW SOUTH WALES.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 7336, 1 April 1887, Page 2

LATE COLLIERY EXPLOSION IN NEW SOUTH WALES.

ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS. There is no cine to the cauße of the catastrophe, and though an inquiry will be held in due course, it is believed nothing will be elicited as to the origin, as " dead men tell no tales." It is press med that one of the lately employed " blackleg " miners engaged near old workings bad broken through, and with either a naked \ light or through lighting a match had caused an explosion on the hill end workings. The force of the concussion blew out the stoppings along the straight' r.un, und the foal air and black damp were, forced into the western drive, where aboat eight men were working at the time of the explosion. At 2 15 p.m. the day before it is estimated there were 51 old hands and 20 blacklegs at work in the western and hill end mines. Six horses were alsi entombed. The majority of the .old hands killed were married men with families." Tooo rrott) curled and. shrivelled. , up, limbs stiffened and crooked, and eyes in BOrne cases burnt cleun out. One woman was in extreme agony of grief, and went hopelessly mad, requiring restraint. She has hat two sons in tho mine. As the dead bodies were being brought oat, the scene was absolutely iadeuuribable. The rcmaiua wire in some cases burned 'to a cibder. Heads" were smashed io, un^ arms and legs broken, and fearful aushe's appeared on the bo.iies. The clothes in tnauy cases were burned to ashes. Th-3 hair was singed from the heads and laces, and the flesh roasted and shrivelled on crooked stiffened limbs. Identification was almost impossible, though it was attempted by examining the clothes of those brought to the mouth of the mine. FUe men-were known to be lyin* about a mile and a hulf from the pit's mouth, behind what is knowa ug the " Big fall." The whole of the hill end of the tunne! is damaged, and for a considerable part of its distance the lines is blocked, in some places being covered by 15 feet to 16 feet of fallen earth. The bodies as they were recovered were borne to the tunnels' month by bearers on stretchers, and taken to a blacksmith's shop through a crowd of women who were eagerly waiting for news of their relations buried under the ruins of the mine, or lying dead in the workings. There was absolutely no hope of any person, man or boy, being taken out alive, but the poor creatures at the mouth remained hoping against hope, nndpruyiag fervently that the iorrow o£ their neighbors might not come npon them. One distracted wife shrieked as she beat her breast and tore her hair out by handfuls, "He is not, he cannot be dead." They will not realise the terrible fact — they refused to believe it, and turned savagely on those who approached them with a view of offering consolation. The report waß heard at North Bulli, three miles away, bat few, except the old miners* and women who bad hvard that awful sound beforj, recognised the note of death. Tho terrible news spread like wildfire, and by 4 p m peoplo from far and near were gathered at the mouth of the pit. The town of Bulli to-day bears a funeral aspect. Men are wandering listlessly and aimlessly about waiting for news which cannot, unless by the interposition of a miracle, be good news. Women are rushing frantically about, praying, weeping, appealing to, God to pity them, and to men to aid them. What cun be done is being done, but the work of recovery of a few even of the bodies will extend over some days. All business is entirely suspended.

The attention of the public is directed to Mrs. Hood's advertisement, in which it will be seen that she is offering her large stock of Summer and Autumn Drapery *t aa enormous discount for cash. Th'» sale v/ill continue for twenty-one days. — Advt