202 Mr. Bvddle's Account of the Explosion in Jarrow Colliery. 



The people working in the second west district, consisting of about 

 fifteen individuals, on finding the shock of the explosion, collected 

 themselves together in the face of the drifts, and proceeded down the 

 fore drift to the crane i, but meeting with the smoke and after-damp 

 there, they durst not venture through, and returned by the face of the 

 drifts, and down the back drift to the crane stenting i. Meeting with 

 the smoke and after-damp here again, they felt much embarrassed and 

 alarmed, and held a consultation as to what they should do to save 

 their lives. It was at length resolved to endeavour to force their way 

 down the back drift and through the openings s and t into the head ■ 

 ways at the in-bie end of the horizontal stone drift, and thence out-bie 

 along the railway. Their strength however failed them, and they fell 

 at th*e point F, where they were taken up as already noticed ; they all 

 survived except Holland and Shaw — who were both stout robust men. 



Robert Fairley, the master wasteman,* with Coxon's son, a boy of 

 fourteen years of age, were in the inclined stone drift when the explo- 

 sion happened. They were thrown down with great violence by a 

 sudden gust of wind from the interior of the mine ; part of Fairley's 

 clothes were torn off, and he, as well as the boy, were thrown about 

 and contused. This gust of wind continued for a few seconds, when it 

 was succeeded by a sudden and strong in-draught of air. This always 

 takes place on such occasions — the cause is obvious. 



Although the concussion was distinctly felt in the most distant parts 

 of the workings, the injury done to the mine was by no means so seri- 

 ous as might have been expected — only two horses were killed. 



It will be observed that the immediate cause of this explosion was the 

 ignition of the gas at the flame of some of the candles used by the 

 workmen, as candles were generally used in this part of the colliery. 



Here the question, why were candles used at all, and why was not 

 the safety lamp exclusively adopted ? suggests itself. The reason why 



* Wastemen, a set of men who are constantly employed in travelling the air courses, 

 keeping them in repair, and attending to the ventilation. Their duty is an arduous and 

 important one, they are always promoted from the body of colliers for their superior intel- 

 ligence and good character. 



