Work went on all through the night and when Sunday arrived there were reports that good progress had been made and it was hoped that the men in 29 district would be reached by 3.30 p.m., prospects appeared brighter and it was reported that the rescue workers had progressed three quarters of a mile and that the road to the dip had been cleared to allow a pony to work clearing debris. The body of George Roberts of Glanavon, Maesydre was recovered and brought to the surface but soon afterwards, cage loads of sand were seen to be carried down the pit. It was thought it was just a change of shift but the news came that a door had been reached, the fire was getting worse and more explosions had occurred and conditions had become so dangerous that it had been decided to withdraw all the men from the mine.
The last men to leave the pit were Edward Williams, E. Povah, A. Alderman, Cyril O. Jones and Edward Jones, miners' agent for North Wales, Sir Henry Walker, T. Boydell, P.G. Doniny, Percy Heyes and John McGurk. At this time only ten bodies, including two of the rescue men, had been recovered. This meant that 258 men remained entombed and all hope of their rescue had to be abandoned.
Mr. John McGurk, President of the Lancashire and Cheshire Miners' Association described the scene underground: -
"It is hell let loose and it is not at all safe for anyone to be near where the fire is raging. There were three explosions when I was down there this afternoon. They may become more frequent because of the fire and fumes. That is the risk, and therefore all safetymen must be withdrawn from the mine. There is no chance of any man in the pit being left alive.
I have been at about ten explosions in different parts of the country, but I have never seen anything like this. There is a point where the fire is raging for twenty yards and the stones are red hot."
A conference was held between H.M. Inspectors and representatives of the colliery management and at 8 a.m. came the fateful official statement signed by Mr. H. Dyke Dennis, managing director, Edward Jones, miners' agent for North Wales and Sir Henry Walker: -
The attempts to overcome the fire in the main road has gone on continuously since yesterday. In spite of very strenuous efforts and although some progress had been made in the road, the fire has got a further hold in a road to the right, through which it was hoped at first to reach any possible survivors.
Today several explosions inbye of the fire on the main road have occurred, this afternoon they became more frequent and closer to where the men were working on the fire. The return airway in both the main returns is carrying carbon monoxide in dangerous quantities, and it is with great reluctance that all parties, the management, representatives of the miners and H.M. Inspectors, have come to the conclusion that no person can possibly be alive in the workings.
In these circumstances, and in view of the increasingly grave risk to the men engaged in combating the fire on the main road, it had been decided that it would not be right to continue to expose these workers to such serious risk, and all persons have been withdrawn from the mine.
The number of dead and missing was put at about 260 and hope gave way to despair. In the darkness of the night weeping women and mourning men left the scene of the disaster with sad hearts and bodies weary from the long hours of waiting.
No further statements were issued and on Monday morning work on sealing the pit was commenced, iron girders and timber were placed over the downcast shaft and tons of sand and cement were used to seal the upcast shaft. Work was suspended at the neighbouring Bersham and Hafod Collieries as a mark of sympathy and to assist in any work that was required at the stricken colliery.
Dramatic stories came from eyewitnesses to the explosion who had got out of the mine alive. Cyril Challoner of Windsor Road, New Broughton told the local press: -
"There were about six of us having our 'snapping' on the wicket road at about five past two. We were about 300 yards from the clutch and we were laughing and talking. Suddenly there was a gust of wind. It scattered our snapping tins and our clothes and covered our bread with dirt.
We thought it was a burst air pipe. Suddenly an elderly fellow came running up and said. "You had better get your clothes and get out of here. Try the wind road." (This was the return road where the bad air passes).
We knew something was up now, we did not bother with our clothes, and about twenty other fellows joined us. We started making our way to the pit bottom in just our shirts and working knickers. Taking off our shirts, we began fanning to keep the air clear, we got to the end of the wind road and then we began to meet the gas. All of us fanned hard, the gas was getting in our eyes and we could taste it. We took turns in leading so that everyone could have the same risk. We now began to meet falls and had to scramble over them. I thought the other fellows who had joined us where we were having our snapping, were following us. I looked round but could not see them. I don't know what happened to them. The gas was getting thicker but we kept fanning with our shirts and we got through to the pit bottom where we met the rescue party. They brought the six of us to the pit top, we wanted to go back when we learned there had been an explosion but they would not let us and they sent the six of us home."
Challoner came from a mining family and his three brothers were among those who volunteered for work with the rescue teams.
Robert Edward Andrews was also one of those who got out of the mine. He told the press: -
"We heard an explosion at 1.55 a.m. it deafened us. There were about 30 to 40 of us working on the coalface in No. 22 district. The bang was followed by a white dust, then a young fellow, a haulage man named John E. Jones, exclaimed. "Good God, something terrible has happened."
Our faces were covered with dust, a fireman named David Jones came up and cried. "Hurry from here."
We all rushed out into the road, I heard some groaning. We picked him up and got him out. His name was Wally.
We were one-half miles from the shaft. Six of us decided to make a dash for it. David Jones, Bert Samuels and Jack Samuels, brothers, a man named Fisher, Cyril Jones and myself. We got hold of pieces of cloth and waved them to make air, then we fought our way through the bad air, afterdamp, to where the air was good.
It took half an hour to fight our way through. There was fire in the main road. We saw a man lying in the road. We turned him over and found he was dead. Then we came to the main road, the girders were twisted and the rails turned over. It sounded to me as if there was some machinery going, but I don't know what it was. We crawled over the top of the falls. We had three lights between us. We came to a dead end but there was a small hole to get through. We got through one at a time, afraid that something would drop on us. Two hundred yards further on we met the undermanager, Mr. Andrew Williams, he was the first of the rescuers. He and others helped us out. Fisher had a slight injury to his leg.
The other 30 who had been with us at the coalface could, I think, have got away had they come with us as soon as we did."
Two members of the Llay Main rescue parties, Mr. Parry Davies of Llay Green and Mr. H. Povah of Second Avenue, Llay spoke to the local press. Parry Davies said: -
"As a rescue team we were called to Gresford at 5 a.m. on Saturday. We stood by until 9.30. No.1 team in charge of the captain, Mr. John Charles Williams, having gone down at 7.45 a.m. In response to a call for two more rescue men, T.P. Jones and R. Harrison went down. Ten minutes later another call came through for all available rescue men and four of us went down, myself, Povah, Emlyn Jones and Peter Hughes. When we got to the pit bottom, we heard that three of the first rescue team had gone under so we went through the return airway. I, T.P. Jones, Price Beard and Dick Harrison helped to get J.C. Williams, the captain of the first team and Dan Hughes to safety after being gassed. Hughes was dead at the time, but there was a doctor at the pit bottom in the fresh air, waiting to receive the men out.
We went for another rescue member, W. Hughes of Rhosrobin, a member of the Gresford rescue team who had gone down with the Llay Main party. On reaching him we dragged him to safety but after artificial respiration had been applied he was found to be dead.
We volunteered to fetch John Lewis of Cefynbedd. We could see his lamp burning 100 yards ahead but he was certainly dead because he was further in than the other rescuers' bodies we had recovered. The heat was terrific and some of our men were feeling the effects of it and Mr. Boydell, the Mines Inspector, refused to allow us to go for Lewis.
Out team was called down at 5 o'clock on Sunday morning and we went through the intake way. After encountering several falls, on which voluntary workers were engaged, we got to the doors behind which some men were supposed to be; but the doors were all burnt away. The fire was still raging and we went in relays one every five minutes, but after getting through a fall we found fire, everything was burning, props, coal-dust, brattice and all, and the more fresh air released on it made the fire a great deal worse. It was like hell. That is all you can call it."
There was another explosion on Tuesday afternoon about 1 o'clock when people near the shaft heard a dull thud. Upon investigation it was found that the upcast was not damaged but the sides of the fan drift had caught fire and the Wrexham and Chester Fire Brigade were summoned to fight the fire.
George Brown of Birkett Street, Rohostyllen was at work on the surface near the downcast shaft and was injured by flying material. He was attended on the spot by Dr. Harrison of Gresford and taken to hospital where he died from his injuries.
Several men had near escapes when the second explosion took place. Mr. Baird, the engineer and other members of the technical staff of the colliery were on duty, they escaped just before the blast having been warned by Dr. T. David Jones, of Birmingham University, who was making analytical tests and was able to give the alarm.
A third explosion took place at 1.45 a.m. on Wednesday when the fan drift was blown out and considerable damage done at the pithead. There were no injuries due to this explosion and afterwards men worked under the direction of Mr. Bonsall, the manager, emptying lorry loads of sand and other material into the space between the walls of the fan drift. Smoke and fumes continued to come from the shaft during Wednesday. The pithead was roped off and notices were posted warning everyone not to enter the pit yards because of the very great danger.
Continued.
Information obtained from Coal Mining History & Resource Centre. Ian Winstanley's web site (and Picks Publishing).
|
