DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70266#0052
38 kirby’s wonderful museum.
On the 3d of July, the stoppings in the tube drift of the
John Pit were taken down, and the William Pit completely
opened, through which the air passed briskly into the mine,
and ascended by the John Pit tube.
The morning of Wednesday the 8th of July, being the day
appointed for entering the workings, the distress of the
neighbourhood was again renewed at an early hour. A great
concourse of people collected—As the weather was warm,
and it was desirable that as much air might pass down the
shaft as possible, constables were placed at proper distances
to keep off the crowd. Two Surgeons were also in atten-
dance, in case of accidents.
At six o’clock in the morning, Mr. Straker, Mr. Anderson,
the overman of the colliery, and six other persons , descended
the William Pit, and began to traverse the north drift, to-
wards the plane-board. As a current of water had been
constantly diverted down this shaft for the space of ten
hours, the air was felt to be perfectly cool and wholesome.
Light was procured from steel-mills. As the explosion
had occasioned several falls of large masses of stone from
the roof, their progress was considerably delayed by remov-
ing them.
The first body was found near the John Pit.—It is worthy "
of remark, that this person was found within two or three
yards of the place where the atmospheric current concen-
trated, as it passed from the one pit to the other; but that
he was lying on his face, with his head downwards, apparent-
ly in the position into which he had been thrown by the
blast. The air visited him in vain.
When the first shift of men came up, at ten o’clock, a
message was sent for a number of coffins to be in readiness
at the pit. These being at the joiner’s shop, piled up in a
heap, to the number of 92, (a most gloomy sight), had to
pass by the village of Low Felling. As soon as a cart load
On the 3d of July, the stoppings in the tube drift of the
John Pit were taken down, and the William Pit completely
opened, through which the air passed briskly into the mine,
and ascended by the John Pit tube.
The morning of Wednesday the 8th of July, being the day
appointed for entering the workings, the distress of the
neighbourhood was again renewed at an early hour. A great
concourse of people collected—As the weather was warm,
and it was desirable that as much air might pass down the
shaft as possible, constables were placed at proper distances
to keep off the crowd. Two Surgeons were also in atten-
dance, in case of accidents.
At six o’clock in the morning, Mr. Straker, Mr. Anderson,
the overman of the colliery, and six other persons , descended
the William Pit, and began to traverse the north drift, to-
wards the plane-board. As a current of water had been
constantly diverted down this shaft for the space of ten
hours, the air was felt to be perfectly cool and wholesome.
Light was procured from steel-mills. As the explosion
had occasioned several falls of large masses of stone from
the roof, their progress was considerably delayed by remov-
ing them.
The first body was found near the John Pit.—It is worthy "
of remark, that this person was found within two or three
yards of the place where the atmospheric current concen-
trated, as it passed from the one pit to the other; but that
he was lying on his face, with his head downwards, apparent-
ly in the position into which he had been thrown by the
blast. The air visited him in vain.
When the first shift of men came up, at ten o’clock, a
message was sent for a number of coffins to be in readiness
at the pit. These being at the joiner’s shop, piled up in a
heap, to the number of 92, (a most gloomy sight), had to
pass by the village of Low Felling. As soon as a cart load