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From: "Becky Horne" <>
Subject: [ZA-EC] Newspaper cuttings from the Eastern Cape - Glencoe Collierydisaster - Part II
Date: Wed, 26 Mar 2008 00:58:41 +0200


72 lives lost in Glencoe Colliery disaster
The week ending February 22, 1908.
by Ivor Markman.

Continued from Part I

"The circumstances and locality of the explosion were fully discussed with
them, and I regret that the unanimous opinion was that it was impossible
that anyone is alive in the mine. It is not improbable that the small fire
which caused the explosion following the first is still smouldering and
there may, therefore, be further explosions at any time. That being the case
and there being no possibility of saving life, it was decided that no
attempt at re-entering the mine be made at present."

"The first serious explosion at 7pm on the 13th occurred while an attempt
was being made to build off a small fire originating in the first (small)
explosion."

"A search party, consisting of HESLOP, PEASDALE, JASPER and others went down
on the night of the 13th and rescued four natives alive, finding many
natives dead, but were unable to find the five Europeans, who are stated by
the rescued natives to have been together in the stope. They advanced to the
heading where the fire was. The search party couldn't enter that heading
where the fire was. The search party couldn't enter that heading owing to
after damp, and in the morning returned to the surface.

"Mr. HESLOP states he thought it probable that the fire in the heading was
extinguished, but it must have been smouldering. MUIR went down again with a
fresh party to endeavour to restore the brattices on the road approaching
the heading and very shortly afterwards, at 9am, a most violent explosion
extended to the surface, damaging the shaft fittings.

"After that explosion signals were heard from the pit bottom, and temporary
winding arrangements being fitted, eight natives who had been at the pit
bottom to receive materials from the cage, were brought up alive but
seriously injured.
"These are supposed to have escaped the full blast of the explosion owing to
being in an opening on one side of the main roadway to the shaft."

"Muir's party would be in the roadway traversed by the blast, and even if
they escaped the blast alive, they would be overcome by the after-damp from
the length of road between them and the shaft." (February 17, 1908).

Conclusion of Glencoe colliery disaster.

Best wishes
Becky

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