A frightful accident occurred on Monday at the Blantyre coal-
Ote, near Glasgow, belonging to Messrs. William Dixon and Co. (Limited). There are three pits, in connection with each other, so free from fire-damp, that at 6 a.m. on Monday an overseer Wesst over the whole workings with a naked light. It is believed that the excellence of the ventilation encouraged some miners to disuse the safety-lamp, and at 9 a.m. a tremendous explosion rushed up one shaft, blowing off one poor lad's leg, and• it was seen that the whole of the men in the pits—from 229 to 219 in number, there being some doubt as to who were clown—must have been killed. So certain were the authorities of this, and so dangerous did they consider the condition of the mine, that they checked efforts to descend until the minors grew furious, and declared that the mines were sufficiently clear. A special inspector has been sent down by the Home Office, but up to Friday few bodies have been recovered, and only one man is reported saved. A horse, however, has been found alive. The excitement is the greater because accidents are very rare in Scotland.
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