

iSH.l Explosion at Helium Colliery. 293 



rely upon as authentic. This dreadful accident happened at half 

 past tour o'clock, p. m. on Friday, the 12th of August, at the 

 mine, when Mr. Klias Mole, the under-viewer, and ten pit- 

 men, had completed a new air-course in apart of the mine, which 

 is locally termed " shifting the air." By this explosion the whole 

 of the above-mentioned persons were instantly killed. 



I am informed that this dismal catastrophe was occasioned by the 

 lighted candles of the pitmen coming into contact with the carbu- 

 reted hydrogen gas, or inflammable air, which abounds in the old 

 workings or waste of the mine, from the ineffectual method of 

 ventilation which had formerly been adopted in this colliery. I 

 believe that great efforts have recently been made to secure this 

 mine from such accidents, by the adoption of a better method of 

 ventilation, and greater attention to the state of the wastes. ^ 



It is the opinion of some persons, that the roof of the mine had 

 fallen down and obstructed the air drift, or current, so as to sur- 

 round the unfortunate men with inflammable air. Others are of 

 opinion that the sufferers had ventured into a part of the mine 

 where the new current of air wa* not property established, and that 

 they should not have ventured so far without steel mills which 

 would have insured a comparative state of safety; or, what would 

 have rendered them completely secure, the lamp of which you gave 

 so full an account in the former numbers of the Annals of Philo- 

 sophy. One individual, Robert Halliday, who was at a distant part 

 of the mine at the time the explosion took place, reports that the 

 concussion of the air was so great as to drive him and another young 

 person several yards along the gallery of the mine, and that every 

 thing was blown down around them, though they were at least three 

 quarters of a mile from the place where the explosion happened. 

 It is considered extraordinary that the explosion did not communi- 

 cate to all parts of the mine where the inflammable air was accu- 

 mulated, and at one " fell swoop" destroy every living creature in 

 the colliery ; for at other parts of the mine about twenty people 

 were at work, besides the unfortunates. It is to be regretted that 

 the men who were killed were considered the best in the whole 

 colliery ; all in the prime of life, and all married men or widowers. 

 And nine widows and 2J children are left to bewail the loss of their 

 valued fathers, who by their hard labour procured them a sub- 

 sistence. 



Permit me, Sir, to mention another explosion, which happened 

 upon the Wear, in Leefield colliery, distant about ten miles from 

 Sunderland, on Friday, the 9th of this month (September), by 

 which four pitmen wen- killed. The last mentioned accident also 

 arose from a communication having been formed with an old 

 working, win re a considerable quantity of carbureted hydrogen gas 

 was accumulated. 



Sept. 12, 1814. 



