The Daily Dispatch: December 21, 1860., [Electronic resource]

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The colliery explosion in Wales.

--One Hundred and Seventy Lives Lost.--On Saturday, December 1st, a mine explosion happened at the Black Vein Pit, Risca, about six miles from Newport, Wales, and the property of the Risca Coal Company. The colliery has been in work some years in the production of steam coal; and as gas is in such pits, more or less generated, the usual preventive measures were adopted. The pit was examined, according to custom, on Saturday morning, after which between five and six o'clock, some two hundred men descended. About 9 o'clock a terrific explosion occurred, which was heard far above the surface, and upon inspection, it was found that at some distance from the bottom of the pit the gas had fired. The London News says:

‘ "Instead of 120 persons having fallen victims, the probability is, that at least fifty more are dead, and that the fearful roll will swell to at least 170 names. During yesterday and the last two nights (says the News) the search in the workings was continued, and corpses found and brought to the surface, numbering, with those brought up on Saturday about 100. One portion of the workings is now discovered to have fallen in, cutting off all communication with 60 or 70 persons beyond. To reach them, will, it is feared, occupy a considerable time; but little or no expectation is entertained that one of the party will be discovered alive. When the explosion occurred, about two hundred men and boys were in the pit, of whom only about thirty have escaped."

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