356 Mr. Bubble's Narrative of the Explosion 



chain at the end of it was broken, which shewed that the corves were 

 jambed and entangled at the bottom of the pit. 



In the mean time Patterson sent in all haste for Mr. Atkinson, who 

 happened to be at my house at the moment, with Mr. John Reay, the 

 colliery agent. Mr. Atkinson lost no time in getting to the pit, the dis- 

 tance being three-quarters of a mile' but before he got there Mr. George 

 Johnson, of Willington, had arrived. Mr. Johnson happened to be driving 

 his gig up the Shields Road, at the time, near Wall's End Bridge, but al- 

 though within less than a quarter of a mile from the pit, from being in the 

 Dean, he neither heard nor saw any thing of the accident. Some of the 

 Willington people on the high ground, on the opposite side of the Dean, 

 heard the rumble, although much further from the pit than Mr. Johnson. 

 On arriving at the School-house, at the top of the bank, which is within 

 two hundred yards of the pit, the school-master told him he was afraid an 

 accident had happened, on which Mr. Johnson made the best of his way to 

 the pit, when Patterson told him what had happened. Mr Johnson then 

 had the ropes chased*, but found the shaft was inaccessible, although it ap- 

 peared as clear and tranquil at the top as if nothing had happened. 

 Finding that nothing could be done there, Mr. Johnson drove off to the 

 C Pit without delay, where nothing was disturbed ; he merely observed 

 that the chain on the end of the rope at bank was dusty on one side, as if 

 the dust had been blown against it by a gust of wind. Just at this moment 

 John Moor, a deputy overman, and George Watkin, came to the pit, and 

 went down as soon as they got a Davy lighted. Mr. Johnson then returned 

 to the G pit, where he met Mr. Atkinson, and Edw. Comby, overman, 

 who had arrived at the pit in the meantime, and were just returning from 

 an attempt to go down the south shaft, but in which they were frustrated,. 

 by its being choked up by the wreck of the fractured brattice, which had 

 been blown out for 30 fathoms above the Main-coal Seam, and had scaf- 

 folded the top of the two Bensham pits there. — See Diagram, page 351. 



Mr. Atkinson, Jun., the principal overman of the pit, had arrived by this 

 time, and finding it impracticable to get down the G pit, they proceeded to 

 the C pit, to endeavour to gain access there. 



* Chasing the ropes is letting them down and drawing them up the pit again alternately. 



