Body in the Burley Pit 1880
The body of one of the men killed by the explosion in the Burley pit, Apedale, two years ago, has been identified as that of Benjamin Riley, in whose name another body was claimed and buried. The one just found has been lying covered up in a part of the mine not much used, which will account for its escaping observation for so long. It is stated to be in a good state of preservation, considering the time it has been lying in the mine. It will not be necessary to hold an inquest upon it.
It is a startling fact that a poor collier, should be allowed to remain in the mine, in which he lost his life, for the long space of nearly two years and some are disposed to blame the authorities of the pit for the apparently negligent manner in which the debris had been allowed to remain uncovered, after such an occurrence, by which so many men lost their lives.
It would seem that a man was in the mine who was not known to be there, or that some relatives were indifferent to the claiming of the dead: or that possible the man had come from some distant place, but even than he must have had some place of abode, and it might be that someone would have been humane enough to enquire of his whereabouts.
The shaft was re-opened, and the material removed, there were found at the bottom of the shaft, the remains of a number of unfortunate colliers, supposed to have made their was there in an endeavour to escape, who had been cut and dismembered by the debris that had been cast down the shaft. It was then supposed that among this mass of mangled human remains was the body of Benjimin Riley and what they thought to be parts of his body were put in a coffin and duly sent home and buried as in the other cases.
However, this proves to have been a mistake, for when the body was found on Monday morning, the features were intact. It may seem strange that the body was in such good condition, but this is attributed to the amount of gas the body contained, as when found it could be rolled about.
The man it seems had been engaged in the air-ways and his clothing of flannels was complete, together with his watch and chain. The man, it was said, bore a very good character, and was well respected having been a long resident of the little village of Wood Lane. It is also now said that his wife was not satisfied with the remains which had been represented as those of her husband and had a kind of presentiment that he was still in the mine, and had repeated dreams of him.
This moved her to speak to the general manager of the company’s collieries, who promised to do all he could to satisfy her. It seems, however, that all the debris caused by the explosion had not been cleared away, owing perhaps to the bad state of the coal trade, and that particular part of the workings not been required to be entered until just recently, when the work of clearing was begun, and resulted in the finding of the body, much to the surprise of the workmen.