Show PE m IN WELSH WEL'S WELS COAL COALMINE MINE E BLAST Fire Follows Explosion Victims Victims Vic Vie tims tinis T Trapped Two Miles Miles' in fn Depth of Shaft Associated ll dP Press WREXHAM Wales Vales Sept Hope 22 Hope 22 Hope was a abandoned at for far coal miners caught in an explosion and fire in Gresford colliery Rescuers Res Re- cuers w worked al all all day to enter the pl pit bl but t were were unable to reach the lost miners They were trapped nearly two miles from roni the mouth of the thc pit in which they were were working Rescuers ers desp despite te heroic efforts were were unable to to penetrate the wall o of fla flame e and the tha floods of of p poisonous gases which barred their path Two men of ot a r rescue e party were carried out unconscious and d died ed attile at atthe t tHie tile the surface Sixteen bodies of miners miners who rho were overcome hear the pit it entrance entrance en en- trance were Many Escape Ne Nearly three quarters of the miners below the surface at the time of the explosion escape escaped The explosion o occurred in a section sec tion known as the Dennis m main in deep ranging from 1200 yards below the surface Five of the men who escaped from the he blast spent nearly an hour climb climb- ing ng a narrow the feet leet to the surface from the level on which they had been working Stand In 10 Pouring Rain Bain At the pit mouth stood the miners' miners women in a pouring rain Now and then hen one would faint collapsing into the he pools poets of waler in which they stood Clergymen assisted In filling the Continued on Pare Pace Two 10 HUNDRED PERISH IN MINE MINE- BLAST Flames Sear Colliery Two Miles From Maine Entrance Continued from Pee Pare One sand bags which w were re being carried down to fight the fire ire One of ot the clergymen was crying crying- quietly as he worked worked two two of his choir boys were trapped b below low in iri the mine Despite the dangers of ot the rescue work work dozens of hands were raised into the air signifying willingness to togo togo go when a call was made for volunteers volun to penetrate into the fire and gas inI inferno rno It was feared the captain o of the rescue rescue rescue res res- res- res cue team had perished He did not come out with the rescue party which retreated to the surface carrying two dead companions The chief chief of of the Wrexham fire brigade bri brigade bri- bri gade said there was little hope hop of ol rescuing the men His brigade was unable to pour water on n the flames far from the mine entrance Doctors Doctor Nurses Gather Physicians and nurses from the surrounding countryside hopeful of ol rescues gathered at the pithead and I established headquarters in a repair shed I Ia As a further barrier a against the efforts of the rescue workers huge rocks crashed into the mine after the explosion Several rescue workers suffered from gas poisoning and were removed to tle the repair shed for lor treatment treatment treat treat- 1 ment As time passed with volunteers unable to combat the flames lames with wa water ter chemicals sand and stone dust fear was expressed that the trapped miners would succumb to to coal damp if it they escaped the flames There were nearly men in the workings at the time of ot the early morning blast More than half hall of them were in a part of ot the mine far from rom the fire and made their way out of the pits unharmed The others were working more than a mile and anda a half hail from Irom the mouth n of the pit pitStone pitStone Stone Dust Used ire Fire extinguishers and showers of stone tone dust and sand were used in inan inan inan an attempt to smother the flames llames Those engaged in rescue work vork were forced to erect barriers to screen themselves from the searing flames Th The repair shed at the pithead was converted into a temporary mortuary and dressing room where a large staff of physicians and nurses and ambulance drivers established their headquarters There was more than the usual number of ot men in the mine during the night shift because of a football game scheduled at Wrexham this afternoon afternoon aft aft- miners preferring to work the night shift in order to be free freeto freeto freeto to attend the game |