440 



Accident at Felling Colliery^ 



[June, 



after that became so saturated with atmospheric air, as to lose 

 that property. 



On the/th of July, the workmen pierced through the clay in 

 the William Pit into the drift ; and at 45 minutes past eleven in 

 the morning, the John Pit tube emitted a thick continued vo- 

 lume of vapour, alternately of a blackish and a grey colour ; at 

 five in the afternoon, it was of a light steam colour, and the 

 pext morning scarcely visible. 



The morning of Wednesday the 8th of July, being appointed 

 for entering the workings, the distress of the neighbourhood was 

 again renewed at an early hour. A great concourse of people 

 collected — some out of curiosity — to witness the commencement 

 of an undertaking full of sadness and danger — some to stir up 

 the revenge and aggravate the sorrows of the relatives of the 

 sufferers, by calumnies and reproaches, published for the sole 

 purpose of mischief; but the greater part came with broken 

 iiearts and streaming eyes, in expectation of seeing a father, a 

 husband, or son, ^' brought up out of the horrible pit 1" 



As the weather was warm, and it was desirable that as much 

 air might pass down the shaft as possible, constables were placed 

 at proper distances, to keep off the crowd. Two surgeons were 

 also in attendance, in case of accidents. 



At six o'clock in the morning, Mr. Straker, Mr. Anderson, 

 I the overman of the colliery, and six other persons, descended 

 the William Pit, and began to traverse the north drift towards 

 the plane board. As a current of water had been constantly 

 diverted down this shaft for the space of ten hours, the air was 

 found to be perfectly cool and wholesome. Light was procured 

 from steel-mills. As the explosion had occasioned several falls 

 of large masses of stone from the roof, their progress was consi- 

 derably delayed by removing them. After the plane-board was 

 leached, a stopping was put across it on the right hand, and one 

 across the wail opposite the drift. The air, therefore, passed to 

 the left, and number six was found. 



The shifts of men employed in this doleful and unwholesome 

 work, were generally about eight in number. They were four 

 hours in and eight hours out of the mine : each individual, 

 therefore, wrought two shifts every 24 hours. 



When the body of number six was to be lifted into a shell or 

 coffiq, the men for a while stood over it in speechless horror : 

 they imagined it was in so putrid a state, that it would fall 

 asunder by lifting. At length they began to encourage each 

 other " in the name of God-' to begin; and after several hesi- 

 tations and resolutions, and covering their hands with oakum to 

 avoid any unpleasant sensation from touching the body, they laid 

 it in a cQffin, which was conveyed to the shaft in a bier made fo^ 



