704 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



[No. II 



thing serious had occurred, and that the river ha.] 

 broken into the coal-mines which surrounded the 

 place on which they stood. They immediately 

 hastened to the nearest pit-mouth, and stated their 

 suspicions; which the pit head-man at first was 

 slow to believe — and it was only after Mr. Mont- 

 gomery had strongly remonstrated with him that 

 he at length prepared to avert the danger. By 

 this time, however, the men below hail heard the 

 rushing forward of the water, and were making 

 the best of their way to the bottom of the shaft; 

 but before they had reached it several were up to 

 their necks in water — and in two minutes more, it 

 was believed, every one of them would have been 

 drowned. Immediately on the whole of the men 

 being got out of the pits, Mr. Dodds, the active 

 manager of the works, assembled all his men at 

 the cavity in the bed of the river, over which they 

 placed a coal-lighter, laden with such things as 

 they thought calculated to stop the rush of the 

 water, as straw, whins, clay, &c; all their 

 efforts, however, proved unavailing, for the 

 water continued to pour into the mines without 

 obstruction, producing comparatively very Utile 

 agitation on the surface of the river until the fol- 

 lowing afternoon, when a tremendous lar<?e space 

 broke down, which in a short time engulfed the 

 whole body of the stream, leaving the bed of ihe 

 river quite dry tor more than a mile on each side 

 of the aperture, where there had previously been 

 a depth of fully six feet. At this time the fishes 

 in the channel were seen leaping about in every 

 direction. On the flowing of ihe tide, the depth 

 of the water betwixt the chasm and the sea in- 

 creased to about, nine feet — then the desolation 

 was awful ! The long sweep and prodigious 

 quantity of water rushing into the chasm at this 

 time, made the sight impressive beyond descrip- 

 tion. Three men who were in a boat near the 

 spot, had a very narrow escape from being sucked 

 into the vortex; for no sooner had the men got out 

 than the boat was drawn down with fearful rapidity. 

 The great body of water continued to pour down 

 the chasm, until the whole workings of the pits, 

 which extend for many miles, were completely 

 filled; after which the river gradually assumed its 

 natural appearance, and the water attained its or- 

 dinary level. At this time the pressure in the 

 pits became so great, from the immense weight of 

 water impelled into them, that the confined air, 

 which had been forced back into the high work- 

 ings, burst through the surface of the earth in a 

 thousand places, and many acres of ground were 

 to be seen all at once bubbling up like the boiling 

 of a cauldron. In some places the current 

 was so impetuous as to form cavities four or five 

 feet in diameter, and produced a roaring noise, like 

 the escape of steam from an overcharged boiler. 

 Immense quantities of sand and water were 

 thrown up like showers of rain during five hours; 

 and in the course of a short time the whole of 

 Bartonholme, Longford, Snodgrass, and Nether- 

 mains, were laid under water; by which calamity 

 from five to six hundred persons, men, women, and 

 children, were entirely deprived of employment. 

 By this unfortunate occurrence Ihe extensive col- 

 liery works in question were injured to an extent 

 which almost precludes the hope of their ever be- 

 ing restored to their former state. — History of Fos- 

 sil Fuel, 



For the Farmers' Register. 

 COMMERCIAL REPORT. 



An advance in the prices of the most important 

 articles of domestic produce has marked the ope- 

 rations of the present month. Cotton commands 

 in the southern markets on the sea board, 13 to 

 16| cents— and this is the present quotation in 

 Petersburg. The planters continue to hold back 

 supplies to a greater extent than in previous years 

 — but the quantity exported rather exceeds that of 

 last year. 



Tobacco continues to maintain high prices — 

 embracing all rates, from 5^ to $12. The crop in 

 Virginia and North Carolina is neither as good in 

 quality or as great in quantity as the last, one; 

 but that of Kentucky is expected to make up the 

 deficiency. 



Flour has slightly improved in price, and may 

 be quoted at 6f to $7. 



Several parcels of wheat and oafs have been 

 imported into New York, from England and Hol- 

 land. 



Corn and pork are higher than usual in every 

 market. 



A great addition to the banking capital of al- 

 most every state has recently been created, or ia 

 now under consideration. The United States 

 Bank, whose original charter will expire the 4th 

 of March, has been re-chartered by the state of 

 Pennsylvania, in consideration of a large bonus to 

 be paid, besides giving aid to numerous works of 

 internal improvement. Capitals of five, ten, and 

 twenty millions are granted to, or applied for in 

 several commercial cities — and the legislature of 

 Virginia is considering the subject of increasing 

 the banking capital of this stale. An additional 

 stimulus will no doubt be given to internal im- 

 provements and manufactures, by the facility of 

 raising money. It is to be hoped that the facility 

 may not lead to imprudence. 



SEASON AND CROPS. 



So far, the winter has been very unfavorable to 

 farming labors. The early part was very mild — but 

 the latter, until past the middle of February, remark- 

 ably cold. Throughout, there has been much rain, 

 and snow, but not enough continuance of the latter to 

 be of service to the wheat crop. The earth has 

 been generally too wet, when not frozen, so that but 

 little ploughing has been done since Christmas, and 

 the preparation for the spring crops will be generally 

 very late, if not executed improperly. 



The wheat left by the great autumnal ravages of 

 the Hessian fly, is said to have promised well, before 

 the late and long freezing of the earth. 



The unusual dampness of the last corn crop, as has 

 been several times stated in this journal, caused much 

 to be injured, by being shocked in the field, or when 

 gathered, at the usual times for those operations. 

 Without care, the danger of farther loss is not yet 

 past. The grain is not yet perfectly dry, and will not 

 bear being shipped, or otherwise kept in bulk after 

 being shelled, as early as in most years. 



We have received from correspondents but very few 

 and meager notices of the season and crops. 



