They found Moor and Watkin at the bottom of the C pit, who had been down the east Mothergait, as far as the entrance at D, into the 3d south-east district, marked A on the plan, where it was known that 21 men and boys were working, but they could not proceed any further for want of air.
Mr. Atkinson, with his party, found a powerful current of air, as usual, passing down the east Mothergait, and felt little difficulty in travelling with it as far as the crossing F, between the second and third south-east districts. This crossing, which at the time merely answered the purpose of a stopping was damaged, and the greater part of the current of air was leaking through it into the A Pit furnace return drift[1]. They, nevertheless, persevered as far as the entrance into the third south-east district, D.
At this point they found all the air stoppings blown out, and the after-damp so strong, that they became exhausted, and could not proceed any further. They found the atmosphere at this place explosive, filling the Davys with flame, which showed that the workings had been rapidly recharged with gas after the explosion. In consequence of this Mr. Atkinson decided to extinguish the furnaces at the A and B Pit, lest the gas, which was accumulating so rapidly in the workings, should reach and explode at them.
A party of eight men, under the charge of Alexander Haxon, the masterwasteman, was now sent down the A Pit for this purpose, but they found the after-damp so strong that they could not effect their object, and escaped to bank again with the utmost difficulty. Further operations were now suspended to allow time for the furnaces to burn out, as all hope of saving life was given up.
When the explosion took place, William Elliott and Thomas Kennedy were at the furnaces in the A and B Pits, which are only 70 yards asunder. They were alarmed by the shaking of the door, near the A Pit furnace, although they did not feel any concussion in the air.
They went immediately to the frame doors which separated the two pits to see if they were disturbed, but found all right, and then went to the B
- ↑ All drifts or passages, through which the current of air travels to the up-cast shaft, after having ventilated any division of the works, are called Return Drifts, Return Headways, &c.
VOL. II. 3 U
