100
COAL MINES OF
Success Pit.
Although the dreadful accident at the Heatoncolliery happened at a period so little distantfrom the present, still it did not end the historyof distress ; for while the inhabitants of thetwo counties were yet intent upon the miseriesoccasioned by the inundation of the Heatonpit, they were roused into increased an-guish by the explosion of this pit on Friday,June 2.
The Success Pit is situate near Newbottle,on the left of the road leading from thence toCheny Row, about six miles from Sunderland,and exploded about half-past four in the morn-ing without leaving any possible means of as-certaining the cause, as every person on thespot where the explosion occurred was de-stroyed. It is supposed however, from recentexamination, to have been occasioned by theworkmen breaking into an old working froman ignorance of their proper boundary.
In an instant fifty-four human beings wereshattered to atoms, and the thundering of theearth tolled the dismal knell of despair to theirunfortunate wives and families; the explosionlaid all waste around, and the overwhelming