328 Mr. Buddle on Mining Records. 



blown up nearly to the top of the pit, and his body was found lying across 

 one of the pump collarings, but Soulsby and Frizzel fell to the bottom, and 

 their bodies were not got till March, 1786. This explosion caused great 

 consternation, as it was firmly believed, till this time, that the mine gas, or 

 foulness, as it was called, would not ignite at the steel mill. 



This shaft was still more injured by this explosion than by the former 

 one, but in a few days the repairing of it was resumed, and went on still 

 by the light of the steel mill. , 



During all this time the A Pit engine was constantly employed in draw- 

 ing the water, as no injury had yet been done to that shaft. But on the 

 11th of November, 1786, while Mace Smith, enginewright, and Henry 

 Maddison, hewer, were changing an engine bucket in the A Pit, by the 

 light of the steel mill, an explosion took place, which killed them both, 

 and caused a great panic, as it was imagined that it had arisen from some 

 fire in the workings under water, or some other mysterious cause, as the 

 steel mills were still thought safe, and were not suspected. 



The repairs of the B. Pit engine shaft were still continued by the light 

 of the steel mill, till the 21st Dec, when George Hickles, overman, and 

 Wm. Seymour, sinker, being at work, another explosion took place, which 

 killed them, and again caused the utmost consternation. Their bodies were 

 soon found, but those of Soulsby and Frizzel still remained in the pit. 



The safety of the steel mill now began to be doubted, still it was not 

 believed that the gas had fired at the spark of the mill, but that the men's 

 linen caps, or some other combustible substance about their persons must 

 have caught fire at the sparks, although on trial neither linen nor any other 

 substance which the men could be supposed to have about them, could be 

 made to fire at the sparks from flint and steel. 



This accident, however, shook the confidence of the colliers so much, 

 with respect to the safety of the steel mills, that they durst not venture to 

 take them into the pit again for some time, and the work proceeded very 

 slowly by day light, which was very dim and imperfect, owing to the great 

 quantity of gas and vapour which constantly filled the shaft. Various ex- 

 pedients were now resorted to to procure a safe light in this state of things, 

 but with little success. Fish in a phosphorescent state, and various prepa- 



