DURHAM AND NORTHUMBERLAND.

43

shaft. The scene was dreadful; and for a timethe spectator beheld himself close to Etna orVesuvius. Darkness and misery reigned around,the roads and paths were covered, in all direc-tions with pieces of coal and coal dust; everyspecies of machinery about the shafts was,with little exception, blown to pieces or set onfire; and the Chapelry of Heworth, situatenear the mine, was enveloped in darkness.

No sooner was the explosion heard than thewives and children of the pitmen ran to theworking pit, where a scene of distress presenteditself which it is impossible for language todescribe ; and though a sympathetic heart willstrengthen its imagination upon an occurrenceso dreadful, still it must fall short of the ori-ginal picture. Wives crying for their husbands,children for their parents, and others for somefond relative or friend, form the scene before us.

Every apparatus from whence assistancecould before have been expected was renderedtotally useless by the convulsive eruption ; andit was not until some secondary means were ar-ranged that any steps could be taken for ascer-taining the extent of the calamity. When thiswas accomplished, out of onehundred and twentymen and boys employed in the mine, only thirty-two were rescued alive, three of whom afterwards