Saturday 30 Aug 1845 (p. 4, col. 4) FATAL COLLIERY EXPLOSION AT JARROW, NEAR SOUTH SHIELDS.- Another of those calamitous colliery explosions, for which the North of England is notorious, has occurred in this district, hurling two-score pitmen to instant death. It was about half-past one o'clock on Thursday afternoon, when a tremendous report, accompanied by a shower of coals, was heard at BROWN's Wallsend pit, Jarrow, near the mouth of the Tyne, in the county of Durham. Then followed a loud and awful roaring noise, created by the rush of air into the pit, to supply tho [sic] vacuum occasioned by the explosion. A second explosion, of much greater violence than the first, now ensued, threatening destruction to the whole of the standing gear of the colliery. The men of the "bank," and all within hearing, were terror-stricken by the deafening noise. Mr. Thomas JOPLING, the viewer, and Mr. Jacob DEFTY, overman, descended the pit as soon as was practicable, to ascertain the fate of the men below, and, assisted by several of their subordinates, and Mr. DEFTY's son, they rescued forty-eight from the Bensham seam, and also brought up three who had perished. These are all who have perished in the Bensham seam. Of those in the Low Main seam we have yet to speak. Mr. DEFTY twice came to the surface, in a state of great exhaustion. He was warned to be cautious how he periled his own life, but he persisted in once more going down on his errand of humanity, in company with his son. The father was afterwards brought up dead! He had missed his way, it is supposed, in the workings, and got too far. His son, who was also brought up, seemed, at first, little affected by what he had undergone in the foul atmosphere of the mine; but he had hardly walked a few yards in the upper air, before he fell down in strong convulsions, and five men could with difficulty hold him. Subsequently, however, he recovered. The death of Mr. DEFTY, senior, is much deplored. He was forty-six years of age. His hapless widow lost her first husband in the same pit; and one of her sons by the former marriage, there is now reason to believe, has fallen a victim to the present explosion. It is in the Low Main (not the Bensham) seam, that the pit is believed to have fired; and there were from thirty-six to forty men and boys working therein, none of whom are likely to be saved.-Gateshead Observer.-An inquest has been held on the bodies, and the jury have returned the following verdict:-"We have considered the evidence brought before us, touching the death of James STEWARD and others, and we find that they came to their death by after-damp, caused by a fire in Jarrow pit, on the 21st inst., but where or from what cause it originated we are not able to show, and our verdict is Accidental death."