Fatal Colliery Explosion

St. Helen's Colliery, at Workington, which was the scene of a disastrous explosion in 1887, took fire last night as the result of a man's firing a shot in face of the main band. Shortly afterwards an explosion occurred by which Joseph Atkinson, married, and living at Siddick, was killed ; and George Scoular, managing director of the colliery, John Morrison, manager, T. P. Martin, coal owner's secretary, and Joseph Peacock, Joshua Mulcaster, William McTrusty, John Underwood, Joshua Underwood, James Lumsden, and J. Holliday were seriously injured. At the time of the explosion, which occurred at 8 o'clock, these officials and workmen were engaged in walling up the fire in the pit. A large number of colliers who were working in adjacent roadways fell on their faces to escape the gas and crawled towards the shaft. Those men who were uninjured helped to rescue and bear along with them those who were injured. Relief parties were formed to search for men who might be missing and, after arduous and dangerous work near to the burning portion of the pit, all were rescued with the exception of a miner named Hoodless. Several doctors from Workington and district arrived and attended to the injured before their removal to the Workington Infirmary. The officials and gangs of workmen remained throughout the night at the pit as the fire was still burning in the seam, and there were further volunteer search parties to find Hoodless.