I'm the great-great grandson of the Peter Roberts mentioned in the following account (from James Vennings historical writings) of an explosives mishap in one of the South Caradon mine shafts in 1842. Do you have any further info/pics that might be related to this account?

"Referring to the names of Michael Verran and Peter Roberts who were associated with the old Chapel in Well Street, and at that time were both miners, a singular accident occurred in which they had

A REMARKABLE ESCAPE FROM PERIL.

In 1842, nine men were engaged to sink a shaft in South Caradon Mine ; when at a depth of about seven fathoms, three of them, Michad Verran, Peter Roberts, and Vial — all Methodists, the two former residing at Callington — were engaged in
preparing a hole for blasting, and when all was ready, the charge exploded, throwing its burden in one large rock up the shaft carrying before it the windlass and cutting the rope, and the rock was lodged on the surface. After the repairs were attended to, they went down the shaft again and prepared another hole ; this being done, Vial ascended and prepared powder, safety fuse
and tamping, and sent it down to Roberts, whose duty it was to clean the hole and charge it ; Verran had to send up the blunt tools, put others in the safest place, then go up himself, leaving Roberts to set fire to the safety fuse. Verran remained in
the shaft until Roberts had tamped the hole, when he called out "Fire!" to the man at the top. At this moment Verran was gathering up the tools, while Roberts watched the safety fuse,, which was longer than necessary, and to prevent an excess of smoke, he thoughtlessly took up a short borer and cut it off,, when it ignited. Roberts called out to the man above, " Wind up! Wind up!" Both Verran and Roberts took hold of the rope.
Vial tried bat could not wind up. Verran ran into the corner of the shaft; as he did so Roberts said to him, " Stop! let him try again," to which Verran replied, "No, we are sure to be killed^ we are sure to be killed. Now I shall see Jesus, praise the
Lord ! " Before these words were spoken, Roberts was ascending in the kibble. Verran turned round his head to tell Roberts to come there with him, believing it to be the safest place.
Seeing the kibble up a few feet he did not speak, but thought he could not escape, as, he afterwards said, he expected the shower of rocks to overtake him, and bring him to the bottom of the shaft again. Vial did his best in winding up Roberts, and he
soon put his foot on the brace, when that instant the hole exploded. Vial let go the windlass, and leaped off the shaft for safety. Roberts felt a prick in his forehead with a stone the size of a marble ; when going down the shaft he laid hold of the
rope and falling against the windlass stopped it. That moment Verran called out, "Don't be frightened! wind up!" Roberts took hold of the windlass, and winding up with all his might
called out, " Wind up! Wind up! Wind up!" Vial leaped back, took hold of the other end of the windlass and Verran was soon up. He showed a bruise on his leg that he had received, which
prevented him from working a few days, most likely caused by a stone falling upon him as the burden of the hole was thrown up the shaft.

This remarkable incident was published many years since in a London paper, but there were many misrepresentations in it that Mr. Peter Roberts had to correct. The above may be
relied on as authentic, as it was copied by the Publisher from the handwriting of the late Peter Roberts, one of the three.

Michael Verran lived some years after this event. Peter Roberts was many years before this a class leader and a local preacher, and also a total abstainer from the year 1838 to his death, which
occurred February 24tli, 1873, when he was 57 years of age.

As an example of his unwearied labours as a local preacher when Callington was in the Liskeard Circuit, his son relates, that on one occasion he walked to Dobwalls and back, from Callington, a distance of 22 miles, preached twice, and on his
return assisted in a special service at Callington.

Two grand old Methodists, who together have seen three centuries— 1792 to 1901."