Show FROM OLD ENGLAND manchester december 26 1910 dear editor it is is quite a while sincie since I 1 penned you a few lines and as I 1 have got a little leisure time during the holidays I 1 will improve thie the opportunity christmas is over and the weather here is just like weather of 0 april in utah it is very pheasant no snow no frost but sonic rain as you know england is noted for that we elders in the manchester fan chester conference aric ane few in ili number just now more being released to return to their mountain home hoino than are arriving which makes it hard ford for us to leave tile the district because of out our sunday labors and cottage meetings book of mormon class and dible classes thru the weel week it seems that tills part or of england is receiving the judgments of god as perhaps you may have road read on dec at a great explosion took place in ili one of our nearby near by coal mines 10 miles from manchester where men lost their lives the cause of the explosion will never be known but it is thought it was caused by oue oae of the miners striking ilig a match which many deny as all employed are forbidden d en taking matches down antho in the mine myself and companion went to the scene as soon as we could get there but at first all people were refused admission so when matters got into a systematic working order and help began to arrive we returned to the scene of the disaster and offered our services the police informed us that he would see the sergeant returning in a few minutes and permitted us to enter but our services were not needed we were permitted to see tile the nine n ine however the shaft was blown to pieces bricks were thrown for some distance through the engine room windows and elsewhere the lifts were put of commission cables broke and rendered useless one cage being partly up at the time of explosion was blown up some distance and then crashed to the bottom where it buried itself night came on oil anti having ecclesiastical duties to perform we left for home the inspector in charge who was acquainted with us gave us a pass tut but owing to conditions he would rot r ot promise at that time just what hat liberty we would have but to call on him in tle grounds next day next day we ne walked up to the entrance and sho showed ned our pass and went oi 01 talou through thi ough 11 after visiting around for some time we went to the office and A caked aed for the government inspector and were privileged to visit every shop and work house on the grounds A wonderful sight indeed machinery structures of all kinds also visited the mine where at this time they had repaired the cage temporarily in the mine no 4 that blew up and had opened a way to mine no 3 where tho the rescuers had made an entrance of about 1000 feet the timber and roof being out of place and falling down with the strong gasses and afterdamp after damp made it very hard to enter up to this time some 60 bodies had been found feind and 36 had been brought up and placed in a spacious building set apart as a morgue where we had the opportunity to see them some were unrecognizable some with one limb blown off all hoNc however ver much darker than the colored race through the coal dust being blown right into them for sons eifes crying for husbands and sons and sisters for brothers somo some losing in husbands and three sons etc etc a very pitiful sight to see sec in one street 61 homes were bereft of father I 1 faust not tire lire you with this letter but suf suffice lIce it to say we saw over coffins ready for the dead there was one young man age 17 T years came out of the mine alive his name being jos the mine is 1350 feet deep and runs near 2 miles under the e earth arth they had 22 stretchers to bring or carry the lifeless forms on they are arc now being buried each day as they ai aie e recovered and identified the following day another sad accident occurred at a near by mine when the cable handling the cage broke and dropped killing the IS men who were in it so you see our christmas this year is a time of gloom nearly every family being called to part with loved ones each city is contributing to the bereaved and the king and queen gave a lare sum we elders ate aie endeavoring to assist in raising from among our selves and members of the church a sum to be turned over in the near tu fu ture As tor for myself I 1 am enjoying my labors fine being desirous to do what good I 1 can whilst permitted to remain in ilmy MY mission field as well as jini in i this stage stage of existence it is now some 21 months since I 1 left brigham city and from tile the news I 1 read from your valuable paper many changes that have taken place which will almost put me in a lost position when I 1 return I 1 have jut just been moved to another branch to take charge of it a place ft here chere many of our lancashire people use to live the town of oldham about people the work of the lord is progressing in thess these lands and we can see the hand dealings of god on every land hand I 1 wish you all in the news office gods blessings also your readers I 1 have not yet seen elders gidney reeder rc eder and watkins but heard of their safe and peaceful journey across the ocean sincerely yours A J MUNNS clarendon road C on af |