MISCELLANIES. 
though the greatest endeavours 
were made to relieve those dis- 
tressed persons, only 15 survived, 
some of whom are in a very pre- 
carious state. The explosion was 
so great as to carry every thing 
before it, till it was impeded in 
its progress by a large waggon, 
which, with the driver and horse, 
were dashed to pieces. 
Several men in the colliery, af- 
ter they had eseaped this tornado 
of fire, endeavoured to reach the 
shaft; but death arrested them on 
their road: for breathing an at- 
mosphere surcharged with. car- 
bonic acid gas, their destruction 
now became inevitable. 
Some of the men survived till 
they were brought up the shaft 
into the atmosphere, when they 
died, perhaps unable to bear the 
stimulus of the atmospheric air 
after the state of exhaustion in 
which they had previously lived 
for some time. 
After a considerable explo- 
sion takes place in a coal-mine, 
the pitmen are often drenched 
with water, which is probably oc- 
casioned by the rapid combustion 
of hydrogen gas in such a confined 
situation, as may be readily under- 
stood by persons conversant with 
chemistry. At the same time all 
the partitions and divisions be- 
ing broken down, whilst the air- 
courses are converted into a com- 
plete wreck, and the whole at- 
mosphere of the mine so much 
agitated, it is to be expected that 
the carbonic acid gas will be dis- 
tributed through the bottom of 
the mine, and suffocation become 
the fate of those persons who 
escape the immediate effects of 
the explosion. Qut of 19 horses 
only six died. 
509 
It is melancholy to relate, that 
in the short space of a month, 132 
useful and laborious persons have 
been numbered with the dead at 
Heaton and the Success collieries, 
leaving nearly 300 widows and 
orphans to be subsisted by charity 
and parochial assistance. 
It is curious, and perhaps wor- 
thy of remark, that Robson and 
Miller, accomplices with Edward 
Smiles in the robbery at Mr. 
Cuthbert Pye’s, Scaffold Hill, 
some time ago, are amongst the 
killed in the late accidents at 
Heaton and Success collieries; 
and upon the 3rd inst. the day 
after the latter accident, Mr. 
Cuthbert Pye himself died at 
Scaffold Hill. 
The efforts. at Heaton colliery, 
though very considerable, have 
not yet been so far successful as 
to remove the water, and permit 
the interment of the unfortunates 
who were lost in that colliery. 
On Monday, June 5th, another 
explosion occurred at the Tyne 
Main colliery, by which one man 
was severely, though not fatally, 
scorched. 
As most of the explosions in 
coal-mines have taken place in the 
summer season, it appears desir- 
able that particular care be taken 
during the hot weather, which, 
perhaps, by expanding such an 
elastic fluid as hydrogen gas, may 
afford a facility to such dreadful 
accidents. 
Newcastle, June 12, 1815. 
ANOTHER ‘ACCIDENT AT A COAL 
MINE NEAR NEWCASTLE. 
(From the Same.) 
On Monday, the 3ist of July, 
