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Post by dazbt on Apr 26, 2016 4:01:58 GMT -5
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Clive
Shotfirer.
Posts: 168
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Post by Clive on May 1, 2016 10:45:59 GMT -5
I found a book in a second hand shop about a month ago; 'Marvellous escapes from peril'. As told by survivors
in it is a chapter on the oaks by the bloke who claimed to be the last remaining survivor of those who were underground on the day of the explosion,; William Henry hart. he is in the presence of some of the rescuers; John Shore, John Riley and John Midgley.
he was just a lad at the time..and to qualify a previous thread, he was a Donkey Driver, his was called Tom, and it was the Donkey that saved his life. The Donkey pulled trains of ten tubs from the workings to pit bottom. During the 'rest times' William would sit in a little arch with his legs under Tom's body. He didn't remember the explosion as he was knocked unconscious for 3 weeks and awoke to find himself very badly burned, The donkey had taken the blast and flames, shielding him. He was off work 12 months
As his mother was a widow, he sought work in a paper mill but almost immediately lost part of his thumb in a grinder, so returned to the oaks. He states that for over 5 years or more they kept coming across body parts and sending them out. Coffins were taken underground and this put off quite a few new starters, getting out of the cage to see coffins at the pit bottom. One day he had been on first shift and saw an empty coffin outbye, so he got in it for a kip. It was shift change for the colliers and some on the incoming shift on seing a full coffin decided to start taking it outbye. After about 200 yards he sat up and asked them the time. The coffin was dropped and four colliers scarped, try as he might he couldn't get them to come back.
when he retired (so to speak) early due to the injuries sustained in the explosion, he tried to claim from the fund that had been set up at the time of the explosion, of which there was about £27,000 left..He was told he had no chance of a claim. later on a new board of trustees recognised his claim.
His final words (must be before 1913 as it is stated to be greatest explosion in GB) He states that for 5 years off and on bodys or bits of them were found and sent up, but even now, there are a great many left below. So there were many burials not recorded as there were those who never got a berial. He states that many casual navvy types were employed so there were probably no records that they even existed
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