Durham Mining Museum - Newspaper Articles (original) (raw)

29th December 1866, Page: 410, Column: 3

The Colliery Calamities

The Inquiry into the causes of the recent shocking catastrophe at Barnsley stands adjourned until the 7th of January next. After the evidence of Mr. Mammath was concluded, Mr. Morton, the Government Inspector, made an application to that effect, in order that in the interim he might have the assistance of Mr. Kenyan Blackwell, another inspector of acknowledged ability and experience; and supported his application by a declaration of the great importance the Government attached to the investigation. Two witnesses, at the request of the owners, were examined as to points raised by Mr. Mammath, and the adjournment then took place. The Queen has subscribed £100 towards the relief of those bereaved by the North Staffordshire accident. The City subscription fund on behalf of the sufferers by both catastrophes is becoming larger and larger every day. At a recent meeting of the committee, the Lord Mayor explained that the total amount of subscriptions raised in reference to the memorable accident at Hartley Colliery in 1862 was £81,838 odd, which was further augmented by interest on investments and current account to £83,234. Of that sum upwards Of £20,000 was raised at the Mansion House. A local committee, of which the then Mayor of Newcastle was at the head, and in whom the sum was vested, propounded and adopted a scheme, with the assistance of a skilful actuary, for the relief, under certain conditions and for a time limited, of the widows and orphans and aged parents of the 204 men and boys who perished on that occasion. They first of all applied £7790 in the relief of the destitute chiefly, and in incidental expenses arising out of the calamity, leaving a balance in hand of £75,442, and to provide for the profuse allowances under their scheme, and which were spread over a number of years as to certain classes of the recipients, and for the remainder of life as to the aged, £55,000 in all was set apart; leaving an unappropriated balance of £20,440, being one fourth of the amount subscribed, and that surplus, in March, 1863, they divided among the coal-mining districts of the whole country, twelve in number, making the number of coal miners in each district the basis of the division. They also, agreed that in the event of any further surplus remaining after all claims on the Hartley Fund were fully satisfied, it was to be divided in the same way as the £20,440 had been. Of that sum, £2034 was set apart for the Yorkshire mining district, and £1106 for that of North Stafford, Shropshire, and Cheshire, in which two districts the recent colliery explosions had occurred; but it had so happened that the sum apportioned to the Yorkshire district remained unclaimed, no local committee having been organised in the district to receive the money. Under these circumstances, it is obvious that the sufferers by the recent calamities will be almost entirely dependent upon the amounts which may be now raised for their relief ; and it is calculated that not less than £50,000 will be required.