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Leader (1850-1860), 27th December 1851, Edition Town of 2, Page 1230, DREADFUL COLLIERY EXPLOSION. One of thos...

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      The Parties In Italy. By Joseph Mazzini....

      by its oppression and taxes r Where could it find an intermedial body to put between itself and the rising tide of Democracy , in a land of divided property , of equality of manners , of farmed agricultultural association , which still contains some nobles , but which never had a united , a compact , and organized nobility , playing a role in and for the nation ? How could it emancipate the country , when it never had the unity of the country in its hand ? and how could it obtain unity before accomplishing the work of emancipation , from whence it only could derive a title for itself ? By what unforeseen combination , by ¦ what unknown power , could it break through that vicious circle , in which it incessantly lingers , decreasing and daily straitening its movements ? Perhaps by a of

      princely confederation , among kin ^ s foreign origin , placed under the oppressive influence of foreign bayonets , almost all of them hated and despised by the People , mutually hating and distrusting each other ; seeing , in the first instance , in the ascendancy of one the ruin of the rest , and in the second in the ascendancy of the only legitimate King of Italy , viz ., the nation , the same result ! Or would it perhaps be by a sudden rising of a man of devotion and genius , of a Napoleon of nationality , from the bosom of degenerated , effete royal races , condemned to receive an education between that of an Austrian corporal and a Jesuit ? But the Napoleon was engendered by the [ Revolution : he did not engender it .

      There is no possibility for royalty in Italy to take the initiative ; it is certainly not in the hands of that sordid and groping Piedmontese monarchy , which , before it moved In 1848 , ought to have awaited the triumph of the popular barricades in Lombardy—of that monarchy which , in taking the field , without any faith in success , merely purposed to gain on the ruins of Democracy a diplomatic precedent—without even understanding that , to attain the crown of Italy , it ousrht to have thrown into the tide of the national

      revolution of Italy , the diadem of Piedmont , and substituted Rome for Turin . It is beginning again its game of see-saw , in the face of the national movement it foresees ; it pursues more than ever its ambiguous tactics : viz ., the impeding , as much as possible , the Italian popular movement , and the being ever at hand to profit by it , the moment it breaks out . But it will never dare to strengthen itself , and never initiate the war of independence ; it will await the triumph of the popular insurrection ; it will be the dangerous and perfidious ally of the morrow , never of the eve . Now , what is a party , essentially deprived of initiative ?

      Monarchy , therefore , has ceased to have any believers in Italy ; it has only men assuming to themselves the appellation of opportunists ; Republicans by theory , Royalists on the ground of facts , they form for the present only—we speak without reservationthe party of four ; the party of men without faith , devotion , and courage , who recoil from the responsibility of an initiative , endeavouring to justify their inaction by saying that the initiative will proceed from the house of Savoy . But when once the popular initiative will gain ground and strength , they will rally . Federalism will never go beyond opinion ,

      repulsed , as it is , by the national sentiment , and condemning Italy , as it does , beforehand to impoteney , the instinct of the masses , the enthusiasm of the enlightened youth , the recollection of our quarrels of tlit ? middle ages , the wishes of all the provincial towns , the fear of the local aristocracies , the holy name of Rome , and the consciousness of the Italian mission , are opposed to it ; it only flatters the prejudice of three towns— -Turin , Naples , and Florence — the vanity of some intellectual mediocrities , and the hopes of some financial influences , fearing to disappear and vanish in the great assizes of the nation . It denies the country , without founding the commune .

      1 he commune may be as much enslaved in a small as in a large state ; and so much the more would it Hiiffer from the pressure of the centre , the nearer that centre ; lies to the extremities . The guaranties of the commune belong to the problem of centralisation , which has nothing in common with that of federation ; its administrative liberty will find its best nafeguard in the national political unity . Federation can do nothing for the commune ; it <; an only introduce between those two unique terms of the grirat Italian tradition , commune and nation , the factitious ,

      arbitrary , dangerous , and anti-economical element of the province-state . By it Italy is given up to foreign influences . It . effaces the thought of Dante , of Machiavelli , of N . ipoleon — in short , that of nil great thinkers , of all the holy martyrs of the Italian cause . The eonne <| uence . s of it are mo strongly felt in our country , that , two months ago , 1 . 1 k ; faint lijjht . of federalism , which , contrary to the intention of the subscribers , pierced through 'he manifesto of the l '' raneo-, Spanisli-ltalian committee , received < l universal , and in . some points even exaggerated reprobation .

      Moreover , an unhappy dilemma circumscribes federation , ; ui < l prevents it from becoming n parly . It must , either accept , the present , division of Italy , that hostile , arbitrary , and abhorred conception ol Vienna and of 1816 , the men : touch of which withers it , or it mutit improvi » o another ; and , l'cmiHciLuling

      the old rivalries of our towns , without any possible basis for tracing out any circumscriptions , it forcibly marches towards the exclusive enthronement of independent communal municipalities , i . e .., tyranny on the one hand , and anarchy on the other . Italy is essentially republican , essentially unitarian ; she is so by all her traditions and by all her instincts ; she is so by the consciousness of the important role she feels herself called upon to perform

      in the bosom of mankind , for the welfare of all ; she is so by her solidarity with Europe , who , consecrated by popular baptism , evidently marches on towards a reorganisation by great masses , almost equipotent , and associated , according to their special tendencies , for the common work—pacific development , progress in thought , and action of all for all . Such is her programme , and you may be assured she will never deviate from it .

      Such is also the programme of the national party of which I spoke at the beginning—a party , the Italian National Committee endeavours to represent . Its views ate those of all the active men of our country , associated and organised for the object , the attainment of which is to restore Italy to Europe , Rome to the world ; reunite the sympathetic bonds between her and France ; strike the decisive blow at the double tyranny , spiritual and temporal , of the Pope and the Emperor , and introduce for ever into the sphere of reality , the great principle of liberty of conscience , and the eternal progress of the human thought . * Joseph Mazzini .

      1230 ®F> * &*&%Et. , [Saturday ,

      1230 ® f > * &*& % et . , [ Saturday ,

      Dreadful Colliery Explosion. One Of Thos...

      DREADFUL COLLIERY EXPLOSION . One of those tremendous explosions which so frequently occur in the history of the .. coal districts took place on Saturday . The scene of the catastrophe was Rawmarsh , near Rotherham ; the time about ten minutes before six o ' clock in the morning ; at which time Mr . Silvester , the underground steward , went into the pit , as usual , to examine the state of the workings . One or two men went down with him , and he was followed shortly afterwards by the whole body of miners employed . In what state he found the pit is not known , for he has not been seen since , and it is believed he is among those who have perished . It appears , however , that he did not find the pit in such a condition as to induce him to stop the working , for the men and boys had generally gone down , and everything seemed to be proceeding in the usual mode . To outward appearance , everything went on as usual until a few minutes before seven o ' clock .

      At that time , not only those near the pit , but the whole neighbourhood , were astounded and horrified by an explosion like that of a volcano . Smoke and flame burst from the mouth of the pit in an appalling volume . Two corves which were being drawn out of the pit were projected upwards with volcanic force , and lodged in the gearing over the shaft . A great quantity of coals , stones , and other matter , which had b « en carried high into the air , fell in so dense a shower that the persons employed near the pit mouth were compelled to take shelter under the platform of the tipplers for loading the carts ; and it was

      only by this precaution that they escaped fatal injuries . The country all round the pit was blackened to a distance of three-quarters of a mile by the descent of the dust and smoke . The effect of the explosion in this respect may be judged of from the fact that the face of a man who was standing at his cottagedoor two fields' length from the pit was blackened as if he had been working in the pit itself . The report of the explosion was heard at a distance of three miles . Tlie whole country round was filled with consternation , and crowds of persons hastened to the place .

      The colliery consists of two pits near together . The deeper pit , of 127 yards , works the nine-foot seam . The other pit , 90 yards deep , works the fivefoot seam . These two pits are connected by a shaft through the five-foot seam down to the nine footan air-furnace being connected with the shaft of the live-foot pit , so as to create an up-draught . The explosion took place in the northern part of the workings of the deeper seam , hut communicated by the shaft , to the upper scam . The force of the explosion may be judged from the fact that the eorve ascending the deeper shaft , which was loaded with 1 (> cwt . of coal , was projected into the air , and the coal fell around on every side like the cinderH from a volcano .

      ( . nulually the dead and the living were extricated from the pit , l > y the energies and courage ; of their fellows above ground . . Forty-nine dead bodies were brought up by Sunday night , and some were still missing . From miles round came the relatives and friends of the dead and wounded : carrying away these , and weeping and raving over those . The scene was more terrible than a battle-field , for there were friends and relatives , wives and ( laughters , homh and Hires , gathered round the remains of all they held deiu- in life .

      On Monday morning a dreadful explosion of fire-dump occurred near Wigan , LiinciiHhire , by which thirteen Iivch were lost .. The colliery in that , of Mr . A . V . Halliburton , lit . Inee , nrarWigan ; and the exploHion took place in what , in called the " Deep Pit , " or " Arley Mine , " the shaft of which is upwards of 1 ) 00 feet d « cn . The work

      ings are very extensive , and run south-east a ^ west from the bottom of the shaft . HifhStn ?? 1 " been so free from the explosive gaf which t * h u scourge to people in this kind of employment tw \ coal-getters worked with naked candlJs Th L the not been an explosion of any consequence befn ™ ^ k , there have been what the ' colliers term " iShSW which men have been slightly burnt . Firemen I , ? ' by are employed to examinl the wwkinga wiffuiSjET *' the coal-getters are allowed to work I veryS e' ° 'e on Monday morning these men proceeded down © shaft as early as four to half-past four o ' clock in thVww . They reported all safe , and at five to half-past ITS one hundred men and boys proceeded to work 1 7 ing the shaft , and proceeding to their PC soVtS tion m the workings . Seventeen men proceeded to 5 .- *" destinations in the south-east levels , and the remiSf ' took the opposite direction , to a very remote ?? fr J te from

      ar «« tW nthoro Ah /> ., < - ~ : _ «» -i i . ^ part the others . About six o'clock the reportVa terriS explosion was heard , and the greatest consternation was created among the top-men and people about the surface of the pit , who , not knowing the extent of injS in flicted , became anxious as to the best course to be nuiBiiwi under the circumstances The signal , however 12 soon received . by the engine-tenter to draw up some ^ r the workmen , and the greatest haste was used in extri eating them . It was ultimately ascertained that the ex plosion had occurred in the south-east workings , and that the whole of the people in the other portions of the mine had escaped all injury except what was likely to result from the sulphur or choke-damp which succeeds these terrible catastrophes . From the south-east levels onlv

      four persons escaped , and these were so exhausted with choke-damp that it was with difficulty they could eive any idea of what had occurred . From the account Riven by a boy employed as a drawer , it is probable that the explosion occurred in a bay at the face of the coal about 1650 feet under ground , to the south-east of the shaft This youth says he descended , with a coaler named Robert Davies , at a quarter-past five o ' clock , and soon after getting to the far end of the level , where Davies worked , he was despatched towards the shaft with a tub of coals that he had filled . He and his little brother had

      reached a shunt about 450 feet from where they left Davies and some other colliers and drawers , when they stopped to rest , and two other drawers joined them . They had sat talking about ten minutes when an explosion was heard , and terrible gusts of air came past them with such force that the rails on which the carriages ran were torn up , and driven past them with great violence . A piece of iron went so close to him that it struck the edge of his ear and wounded it . Small pieces of coal were carried along by these blasts , and great numbers of these small particles struck his back with such force as to

      enter the skin . He started immediately after for the shaft ; but , recollecting his little brother , he turned back , and , as well as the sulphur would permit , shouted for him . His brother was suffocating almost from the sulphur , and could not reply , but laid hold of him as he was passing , and he raised the boy up and assisted him to the shaft , which they reached much exhausted . After these boys were rescued , search was made for the other workpeople , but it was near eleven o ' clock before they were found , thirteen of them dead .

      The Arctic Expedition. The Avon, With Th...

      THE ARCTIC EXPEDITION . The Avon , with the West Indian and South American mails , arrived at Southampton on Thursday . With reference to the Behring Straits Arctic searching expedition , we learn that her Majesty ' s ship Daedalus , Captain Wellesley , had returned from Behring ' s Straits as far as San Francisco , on the 22 nd ^ of October , after a passage of twenty-one days , on her way to join Admiral Moresby . By that ship information has been received that the Plover , Commander Moore , had passed the winter in Grantley Harbour , and was rejoined by the Enterprise , Captain Collinson , C . B ., from ' Hong-Kong , on July 3 , who , on the 10 th , proceeded northward . The Daulalus and Plover met at Port Clarence towards the end

      of J uly , the former deeply laden with provisions and stores , and prepared to pass the winter in the ice , should that prove necessary from any accident having happened to the Plover . The crew of the Plover had suffered a Rood deal from scurvy during the winter , but no lives were lost , and a great number of the crew were removed , and replaced by volunteers from the Dasdalus . We regret to state that the Enterprise has been lest fortunate , having lost two officers . These are Lieutenant J . Barnard and Mr . Whitehead , clerk in charge . Lieutenant Barnard and Mr . K . Adams , assistant-surgeon of the Enterprise , had been left at Michaclowski , the Russian trading post in Norton Hayin October last , for the purpose of collecting in-Kuhhibii

      , formation of the missing expedition , from the posts and from the natives inland . Jn pursuance of this object , Lieutenant Barnard , with an interpreter , had gone , early in January , to a distant post , intending to communicate , if possible , with some of the neig hbouring chiefs . During the night the post was surrounded by a large body of Ko-yu-Kuk Indians , several of / !" J at daybreak entered the principal dwelling and kjlle < j the Russian governor . Lieutenant Barnard nn < i the interpreter , who were in the name house , made such reHititiiiice- as drove the Indiana out of the lioune . They then laid siege to the post , sheltering thcmm'Ivcfl behind wooden Hhicldn . stuck upright i" the snow ; but oik

      of them being noon after wards shot , the whole party tired to an Esquimaux village at ; some distance , whore they committed grout cruelties , killing upwards of Hixty natives , including women and children . Lieutni . u » liiirnard died of Iun wounds on the afternoon of Ul < I' "J , following the attack . Mr . Adnmn , on hearing ot Ul event at MiehaelowHki . proceeded with a number of H' »» - . siiuiH to the diHtiint post , where he Haw the body ot in » lute companion , in which were numerouB wounds , tn principal one being in the abdomen , mid of such an extent a « to have proved inevitably fatal . Mr . WIVV . " head ' B death took pluce on board the Enterprise , wn « °

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Dec. 27, 1851, page 1230, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/ldr_27121851/page/10/