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had already freed themselves from the water pressing upon them from the west; but that accumulated towards the north-west was still to be let off. For this purpose, a drift was driven in a direction to perforate the old workings; near Heaton Burn, a little to the north, and by east of the hall, where the remains of numerous pit-heaps are to be seen. An up-cast dike of eight fathoms had just been passed through: this should have served to point out the spot where the miners of former times were, from necessity, likely to suspend their labours; and now all due precaution should have been used to guard against impending danger.
This drift in the stone had been driven in a sloping direction upwards, to regain the seam, and two feet of coal already formed its roof. At four o’clock on the fatal morning, Mr Miller, the resident or under-viewer, visited the men engaged in this operation; and, a dripping of water from the roof being pointed out to them, he gave directions that the work should be squared up; and said, he would send in the borers at nine o’clock, with the next shift, to ascertain whether the water proceeded from the wastes or no. In less than a quarter of an hour after this conversation took place, the water began to run more freely through the chink, and the two drifters becoming rather alarmed, sent the boy to apprize two other men, who were working near them, of the state of the mine; also directed him to go to the crane, where the corves of coal are delivered from the boardways
