508 
by the old workings. Consider- 
able difficulties, however, pre- 
sented themselves. The rubbish 
which covered and choaked up the 
mouths of two old shafts, when 
deprived of the support of the 
water, fell in, dragging along 
with it some trees which had been 
planted round the spot. An old 
shaft, in front of Heaton Hall, 
has not, however, presented a like 
impediment, and consequently 
every exertion is using to open a 
communication by that way.— 
They had uncovered the pit, and 
reached the scaffolding on Satur- 
day the 6th, which was five fa- 
thoms from the surface; and we 
understand their efforts are likely 
to be successful, if not prevented 
by an accumulation of inflamma- 
ble air, with which the old work- 
ings appear to be filled. Ever 
since the accident, three large en- 
gines (one of 130 horse power) 
have been constantly employed in 
drawing the water from the pit, 
at the rate of about 1200 gallons 
per minute, yet on Friday morn- 
ing it was found to have attained 
the height of 31 fathoms up the 
shaft. In the evening, however, 
the water had decreased about 
three feet, and we understand has 
continued to decrease since that 
time: so that no doubt is now 
entertained of the colliery being, 
at some future period, again set to 
work. Wenow come to state the 
extent of the calamity. Mr. Mil- 
ler (the underviewer, who has 
left a wife and eight children), 
32 workmen, 42 boys, and 37 
horses, have perished; and 25 wi- 
dows, with about 80 children, 
are left to bemoan the sudden 
death of their husbands and 
fathers. 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1815. 
ANOTHER ACCIDENT AT THE SUC~ 
CESS COAL-PIT, &C. 
(From the Same.) 
Another dreadful and destruc- 
tive explosion of carburetted hy- 
drogen gas took place in the Suc- 
cess coal-pit, near’ Newbottle, in 
the county of Durham, the pro- 
perty of Messrs. Nesham and Co. 
on Friday, June 2, at half-past 
four o’clock, p. m. by which 57 
persons were killed upon the spot, 
besides several wounded. 
The immediate cause of this 
shocking catastropheisnot clearly 
ascertained; though it is generally 
believed that the pitmen had in- 
advertently worked into the old 
workings, or some place where 
there had been a large collection 
of inflammable air. 
As all the unfortunate labour- 
ers were instantly killed, and the 
explosionand consequent very ra- 
pid return of the atmospheric air 
afler the explosion destroyed the 
headings andair courses, the whole 
of the colliery became socomplete- 
ly altered, that no correct idea 
of the cause from appearances 
could be formed. It is also the 
opinion of well-informed persons, 
who were present at the time of 
the accident, that from some un- 
accountable circumstance the at- 
mospheric air could not be sent 
down in sufficient quantity, and 
in a proper direction, after the ex- 
plosion, to those persons who 
might have escaped the destructive 
ower of the explosion, _who 
might live till their scanty supply 
of atmospheric air became ex- 
hausted. 
When the explosion took place, 
72 men and boys were at work, at 
the depth of 108 fathoms; and 
Se 
fe Se ee 
