TERRIBLE COLLIERY EXPISTON —LOSS OF EIGHT LIVES.

Inangahua Times, Volume II, Issue II, 11 February 1881, Page 2

TERRIBLE COLLIERY EXPISTON —LOSS OF EIGHT LIVES.

The Rhondda Valley long unenviably notorious for its ca trophes, bas once more been the w of a terrible explosion by whic large number of lives have b sacrificed. The disaster occurre< the Penygraig Collieries, the prop* of Messrs. Morgan and Rowlai who reside in the neighbourly The collieries were only openel tw months ago, and consuquently workings were comparatively new, in good condition. There are shafts about 1,300 yards apart, seam coal is worked from both j The one pit is 413 yards deep, the other 415. The space betw the two pits has been bored throu and a connection made between tl and the ventilating fan is at the up pifc. The 4-ft. seam has not b reached very long. Prior to its b< gauged the upper measures w worked, ventilation being stcurec means of a huge brattice several t in weight. This brattice (and i important to bear this fact in mi was not removed when the lo measures were opened. About o'clock on 9th December over nin men descended to work the ni shift and about half-past 1 o'cl next morning the people in the vill of Dmas, which stands on the Bid a hill in the proximity of the pit, w startled from their beds by a trem dons report, and the houses, which strongly built of stone, were eha as though by an earthquake. Fr the position in which the colliers w afterwards found (in masses cl together) it is conjectured that at time of tbe explosion the men stopped work to partake of f( Proprietors, managers, and crowd people were soon on the spot, an was discovered that a fearful exploa of gas had taken place below, ' gear, trams, and various machin incidental to colliery workiu* w found to have been dashed about every directiou, indicating bey doubt that the force of the eiplos

hnd been terrjfic in the extreme.* The volumes of smoke which ascended prevented anyone from de acending for several btura. About 7 o'clock a party of six, composed principally of colliery proprietors in the neighbonrhooJ, succeeded in descending, and explored the workings for about two hours when, they returned to tbe aurfuce very much exhausted. They discovered seven dead bodies', but they did not despair of some men in the pita being found alive. A descent was presently effected into the lower pit. Four men climbed up to where tbey heard the roncuer* 1 voices echoing, and there TPere brought up to the surface Thomas Morris. David Jenkins, John H. Evans and David Maroney. All are colliery and had been working just at the bottom of the lower pit, when the explosion happened. They said that tbey heard the ominous report, and saw the brattice fall. •■They-^gieii^^t.-oiice'wlmt.-had-viiap^.'. pened, but did not run n*ny. They perceived that they were favourably situated for rescue, and remained were they were. In addition to the four men mentioned above a fif'tb, named Morgan, an old man of sixty -nine year* has be*»n discovered, and from statements made by members of the search party, he could not have been conscious of all that transpired during his terrible entombment. Morgan wis found in a heading to the right of the main gangway, and between two falls. He must have been in the pit thirty-six hours. After big rescue he narrated how he had only ten yards of space ; how he ran backwards, and forwards, shouting continuously for help; how he left the form of a dead man whose body was turning cold; how be searched long and laboriously for his jug of water and his bag of victuals ; how he gave up all hope and was prepared to die, and how at last he saw tbe welcome lights of tbe explorers, hailed them, and was rescued. But tbe explorers think Morgan slept o portion of the time ; they state that they must have passed the place of bis confinement dozens of times, and when discovered Morgan quietly aaid, ' Halld, let's have some of that light here. 1 ' Well bow long have you been here ? ' be was asked, and he replied/ Since 7 o'clock last night, 'he baring lost the consciousHess of an entire night r mmmmmmmm—mmmmmmmm