MARKHAM No.1 Blackshale Pit. Chesterfield, Derbyshire. 10th. May, 1938.

The colliery was owned by the Staveley Coal and Iron Company, Limited and was about four miles to the east of Chesterfield in the village of Duckmanton. Mining had commenced at the site about 1882 but the Blackshale Seam was not reached until 1925 or 29. The seam was 690 yards deep and it was the third to be developed at the colliery. The two others were the Top Hard seam at 307 yards and the Deep Hard seam at 565 yards. The Blackshale had been worked regularly since 1927 and was ventilated by two shafts, the No.1 being the downcast and the No.4 the upcast. Since 1934 coal getting had not taken place in any district near these shafts and at the time of the explosion was being carried on the the more easterly sections of the mine.

Going inbye to the Blackshale workings to the north along the main road which was known as the North Plane, the haulage engine was reached at about 550 yards. The return airway and travelling road ran parallel to the North Plane about 55 yards to the south of it. After the haulage engine the road went as the East Plane east-north-east with the return still parallel to a turn known as the Roller Turn about 730 yards from the engine house. It then ran slightly to the east about 1,090 yards passing a transformer house at 260 yards fro the Roller Turn. On the north side of the East Plane the units were known as the 5’s, 7’s 9’s, 11’s and 2’s and on the south side as the 4’s and 6’s. At the time of the explosion there was no coal being worked in the 4’s or 5’s units and the night of the 9th May, 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. on the 10th May had no coal cutting machines operating anywhere in the seam.

There had been incident in the Blackshale seam before the disaster. There had been an explosion on the 21st. January 1937 which had been investigated by Mr. J.R. Felton, Divisional Inspector of Mines. It was found that firedamp came from a break in the roof and accumulated at the face due to a fall in the return airway obstructing the ventilation and this was ignited by an electrical spark set up inside a coalcutter. Coal dust played little part in the disaster. There had been an underground fire on the 24th. November 1937 which was investigated by Mr. George Cook, H.M. Divisional Inspector and this was thought to have been caused by a breach of the provisions of Section 35 of the Coal Mines Act by the use of a spark or light producing object used by workmen. In the view if the inquiry these events had little  bearing on the disaster that was to follow since there was no coal cutting being carried on at the time and contraband could safely be eliminated as a an agent.

The mine had a consultant and general adviser, Mr. John Hunter with Mr. R. Ringham as the agent for all the Staveley Coal and Iron Companies collieries. The agent for the pit was Mr. Kirk and it was managed by William Fry who had previously been with the same Company a undermanager of the Worsop Main Colliery. The undermanger was Arthur Wilde and on the day shift there was one overman and five deputies and on each of the afternoon and night shifts one overman and four deputies. There was common agreement that the mine was well managed and very well equipped with safety devices. The survivors of the disaster praised the working conditions at the colliery. Every month the Company inspected a part of the mine and recorded their results in a written document. Meetings were frequently held to discuss questions that might affect safety.

Nothing unusual had happened in the mine for some time before 9th. May 1938. at 10 p.m. on that day, as the afternoon shift ended, every road, airway and working place was reported as being safe and in good order and there was not a single point that required the attention of the overmen or deputies. On the night shift of the 9th May, the first unit inbye where any work was being done was the 7’s unit and this was at the time being turned over slowly and not on the 48-hour cycle. Nothing but repair work was being done and all was in order in this district. In the other units, all work was done on a 48-hour cycle and by this system the coal face moved forward one turn over in that time or two sets of shifts. One half of the face was turned over o the first day and the second half on the second day.

In the 6’s Unit main gate some new steel arches were being set to support the roof and sides of the roadway. This was called rigging. Some shots were fired before midnight, some re-packing done and general clearing up and stonedusting of the roads took place. Apart from this, nothing happened in the 6’s main gate. On both sides of the face, men were timber drawing while others were working on the conveyor belt to get it in proper order and ready for the next shift.

Proceeding along the East Plane the 9’s main gate was the next Unit and here tubs were used to take coal and other material brought from the face by the conveyor belts to the main haulage road on the East Plane. In the main gate on the night shift of the 9th May, ripping was being carried out in the early part of the shift. Shots were fired well before 1.30 a.m. and some rigging took place and various adjustments made to the conveyor belts. Another shot had been fired shortly after 5 a.m. There were signs that the shotfirer had returned to the ripping and was making preparations for another shot firing but this was never fired as the explosion took place before the preparations were completed.

In the 11’s and 2’s Units, which worked together, for all the coal and other material from the 2’s face were brought to a conveyor belt driven by compressed air to a gate conveyor at 11’s main gate which transported the coal from both faces down that gate to the junction with the 2’s main gate where it was loaded into tubs. These tubs were set on rails inclined at 1 in 15 in 2’s maingate and on their way out descended the East Plane which was the main haulage road which a short distance dipped 1 in 9 for about 13 yards. In the 11’s Unit on the night shift of the 9th May there was some work on the sides of the roads called “cheeking”, being carried out and cleaning up work and stonedusting generally in the main gate. On the left of the face there was also some timber drawing in progress.

At 2’s junction and in the slit passage that continued as 11’s main gate to the south of 2’s junction, some men were cutting the side for a road as an engine house was in the course of construction. In 2’s main gate some men were ripping the roof, while at the face others were drawing timber and turning the belt over to bring it nearer the face. Late in the shift, at the ripping lip at the inbye end of 2’s right hand airway, one shot had been fired and the work of charging a second appeared to be in progress just before the time of the explosion for an unexploded cartridge with detonator leads projecting from the mouth of the hole was found lying half way along the hole, with the firing cable stretched out on the roadway.

On this shift some signs of firedamp were found to be coming from a small break in a pothole in the roof at the junction of 11’s right hand face and 2’s left hand face and at the extreme north-east corner of the district. This was discovered about 1.30 a.m. by Carter, a deputy. He ordered that a brattice cloth be erected to direct the air into the pothole and found that the gas quickly cleared. Carter was killed in the explosion but his scorched note book survived and there was evidence from two workmen who survived, George Lowe, tested the pothole with a lamp and L. Gee who could smell the gas gave evidence that this had happened. An overman on the nightshift, A.W. Fitz, visited the break about 45 minutes before the explosion and found it to be clear of gas. After the explosion, when there was very little ventilation, very little gas was found to accumulate in this pothole and it quickly dispersed when the full ventilation was restored.

No other gas was found towards the end of the shift stonedusting was done at all the loader gates and gearheads. Tubs of material from the roof and sides, cleaning up of coal dust and spillage on the roads from the conveyors, gearheads and gate-end loaders, were standing in 2’s junction and in various places along the East Plane. There appears to have been some delay in getting the tubs away that night. One of those in charge of the haulage was heard by a survivor, F. Tompkinson, to say that the movement of the tubs was usually completed about 5.45 or 6 a.m. but it was not completed that night shift until 7 a.m. The practice in the pit was to start moving the tubs from the outbye end of the haulage road and then to move those inbye, finishing with those that were furthest inbye. From the evidence of survivors is seemed that fairly late in the shift many of tubs that were filled with coal dust were standing on the incline in 2’s gate or in the East Plane somewhere about 2’s junction. They would ordinarily have been secured with the wooden sprags between the wheels and when the time came they would have been lowered down the East Plane where they would have again been secured.

About 5 a.m. most of the men prepared to leave and by 5.30 all who were not firing shots, ripping or engaged in the haulage were on their way to the pit bottom. At about 5.32 or 33, those who survived heard a noise like a heavy bump and saw a cloud of dust, which one described as s blue wave, while others felt a rush of air and dust which was so strong in many cases as to knock them over. Many of the men were rendered unconscious. Of the men who were inbye of the junction of 4’s main gate at the time, only two survived, J.A. Smith and T.C. Watkinson. Both were overcome by carbon monoxide and rescued by the rescue parties. They recovered in hospital. All the others who were inbye from them died as did some who were outbye from them. Many of the victims died from carbon monoxide poisoning and some sustained injuries of violence. Dr. Fisher, H.M. Medical Inspector of Mines thought that the injuries occurred at the moment of death.

In the office at the bottom of the pit the overman, Fitz, noticed no more than a slight banging of the separation doors and a hissing noise as if wind were escaping through the partly opened doors into the return airway. Prompt steps were taken to mount a rescue operation. By 6.05 a.m. a rescue party was formed from officials and mineworkers of the colliery and they went down the pit. The overman and others who had already gone inbye to see what could be done before the rescue parties arrived. By 6.25 a.m. The Chesterfield Rescue Corps arrived at the pit from their station six miles away, by 6.32 the Mansfield Rescue Corps arrived after a journey of 10 miles and the Ilkeston Rescue Corps, who had been asked to stand by, were not called until 7.07 a.m. and arrived at 7.50 a.m. having travelled 28 miles in 43 minutes.

Before the teams arrived the men who were suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning had been removed to a position where the air was good and were given carbogen treatment under the supervision of the Chief Agent Mr. Ringham, Mr. Fry, Mr. Fitz and the assistant Safety Engineer, Mr. Hibberd. As a result 40 men were revived. The Rescue Brigades assisted in putting out fires in various parts of the mine and observed danger points and in the sad job of locating and removing the bodies.

Those who lost their lives were:

  • Henry Alberry aged 46 years, contractor of 6, Clowne Road, Staveley.
  • James Allen aged 25 years, contractor of 151 Arkwright Town, Duckmanton.
  • Leonard Atkin aged 53 years, contractor of The High Street, Barlborough.
  • David Bann aged 54 years, contractor of 8, Shuttleworth Road, Bolsover.
  • Albert Bell aged 33 years, road layer of 4, Victoria avenue, Staveley.
  • Walter Bluer aged 41 years, ripper of 63, Poolsbrook Road, Duckmanton.
  • Charles Bown aged 27 years, contractor of Romiley Cottages, Barlborough.
  • John Henry Bradford aged 46 years, ripper of 16, North Crescent, Duckmanton.
  • Arnold Bray aged 34 years, ripper of The View, Poolsbrook.
  • Samuel Bray aged 20 years, haulage hand of 8, Harrington Cottages, Staveley.
  • Herbert Brough aged 63 years, shotfirer of 41, South Crescent Duckmanton.
  • Arthur Brown aged 18 years, pony driver of 56, Poolsbrook Road, Duckmanton who died in hospital.
  • John Thomas Brown aged 26 years, timber drawer of 29, Orchard Row, Carr Vale.
  • Cyril Buckley aged 40 years, a contractor of 20, Welbeck Road, Bolsover.
  • Arthur Carter aged 40 years, deputy of 7, North Crescent, Duckmanton.
  • John William Commons aged 33 years, contractor of 91, Circular Road, Staveley.
  • George Cowley aged 38 years, contractor of Pretoria Street, Shuttlewood
  • George Davidson aged 51 years, contractor of 26, Council Houses, Barlborough.
  • James Walter Frost aged 47 years, contractor of 1, The View, Poolsbrook.
  • Alfred Furness aged 39 years, road man of 6, Cavendish Street, Staveley.
  • Alfred Garland aged 52 years, timber drawer of 32, Foljambe Road, Brimington.
  • Joseph Geary aged 55 years, of 58, Lime Avenue, Staveley, dataller.
  • Ambrose Grainer aged 41 years, road repairer of 9, Mansfield Road, Clowne.
  • William John Grainger aged 49 years, road repairer of 27, Crown Street, Clowne.
  • Robert Henry Grainer aged 21 years, road repairer of 27, Crown Street, Clowne.
  • Bernard Gregory aged 34 years, timber drawer of High Common, Barlborough.
  • Robert Gregson aged 36 years, contactor of 27a, Chesterfield Road, Shuttleworth.
  • John William Hadley aged 32 years, contractor of 18, Apple Tree Road, Stanfree.
  • Joe Hardy aged 37 years, contractor of 239, Chesterfield Road, Staveley.
  • Herbert Hargreaves snr. aged 48 years, contractor of 5, North Crescent, Duckmanton.
  • Herbert Hargreaves jnr. aged 27 year, contractor of 5, North Crescent, Duckmanton.
  • Leslie Hargreaves aged 23 years contractor of 5, North Crescent, Duckmanton.
  • Wilfred Haywood aged 36 years, ripper of 16, Poolsbrook Cottages, Poolsbrook.
  • Arthur Henson aged 45 years, ripper of 45, Hartington Road, Spital.
  • Joseph Hibberd aged 51 years timber drawer of California, Balborough.
  • Clarence Hill aged 29 years, belt hand of Carlow Green.
  • Henry Hudson aged 26 years, gate-end loader of 6, Grove Lane, Birmington Common.
  • Lawrence Jacklin aged 28 years, contractor of 2, West Crescent, Duckmanton.
  • Henry George Jackson aged 43 years, a contractor of Mansfield Road, Clowne.
  • Enoch Jones aged 21 years, contractor of South Crescent, Duckmanton.
  • Frank Jones aged 33 years, haulage hand of 39, Cavendish Street, Staveley.
  • Thomas Jones aged 49 years, contractor of 14, South Crescent, Duckamnton.
  • Leonard Keller aged 26 years of 15, South Street, New Wittington, belt turner.
  • Samuel Kerry aged 28 years, haulage worker of 134, Speedwell Terrace, Staveley.
  • Rowe Kirk aged 60 years, contractor of 2, West Crescent, Duckmanton.
  • Alfred Lamb aged 26 years road layer of 18, Pipe Lane Staveley.
  • Harry Lavender aged 39 years ripper of 67, Poolsbrook Road, Duckmanton.
  • John William Leivesley aged 46 years, deputy of 4, North Cresent, Duckamnton.
  • Joseph Lilley aged 30 years, road repairer of 63, Lowgates, Staveley.
  • Felix Linathan aged 48 years, contractor of 58, Poolsbrook Road, Duckmanton.
  • Stanley Lodge aged 40 years belt erector, of Low Common, Renishaw.
  • Arthur May aged 59 years, contractor of 45, North Crescent, Duckmanton.
  • Fred Monks aged 60 years timber drawer of 9, Elm Street, Hollingwood.
  • John McConnon aged 32 years rope greaser of 14, Cross London Street, Nr. Whittington.
  • Cyril Clarence Palmer aged 39 years, contractor of 23, Myrtle Green, Hillingwood.
  • Colin Gee Pemberton aged 30 years, belt hand of 13, Barbers Row, Renishaw.
  • Edward George Pether aged 30 years, ripper of 133, Selwyn Street, Hillstown.
  • Wiliam Pickering aged 24 years, haulage hand of 67, Speedwell Terrace, Staveley.
  • Mark Richards aged 31 years, ripper of 9, Moor Lane Bolsover.
  • Ernest Albert Rodgers aged 19 years, of College Avenue, Duckmanton, haulage hand.
  • Arthur Roper aged 61 years, contractor, Rectory Road, Duckmanton.
  • James Stanley Rowland aged 34 years, contractor of 16, Robertson Avenue, Duckmanton
  • Samuel Edward Salt aged 41 years, deputy of 27, North Crescent, Duckmanton.
  • William Sherwin aged 64 years, engine driver of 11, Duckmanton Road, Duckmanton.
  • Clarence Silcock aged 42 years, ripper of Sherwood Street, Carr Vale.
  • Robert Simms aged 57 years, contractor, 21, The Square Poolsbrook.
  • Frank Smith aged 26 years, belt trimmer, New Bungalows, Barlborough.
  • Fred Taylor aged 53 years, contractor, 33, Staveley Road, Poolsbrook.
  • Harry Taylor aged 32 years, belt erector, Westfield Cottages, Barlborough.
  • Herbert Wale aged 40 years, face timber drawer, 14, Worksop Road, Marston Moor.
  • Benjamin Wallace aged 29 years road layer of 42, Speedwell Terrace, Staveley.
  • William Wilkinson Watson aged 58 years, contractor, of 36, South Crescent, Duckmanton.
  • Denton Whelpdale aged 39 years contractor of 87, Clowne Road, Staveley.
  • William Edrard Whelpton aged 32 years rope greaser, of 48, Hill Top Road.
  • Redvers Baden Whitehead aged 37 years, shotfirer, of 59 North Crescent, Duckmanton.
  • George Whitley aged 36 years, contractor of 2, Markham Road, Duckmanton.
  • Robert Henry Wood aged 22 years, haulage hand of 8, New Bridge Street, Old Whitt.
  • Thomas George Yates aged 38 years, timber drawer of 5, Poolsbrook Cottages, Pollsbrook.

Those that were injured were:

  • Joseph Bagshaw aged 27 years, belt turner.
  • Henry Banner aged 40 years, timber drawer.
  • George Bluff aged 50 years, timber drawer.
  • Jesse Bowden aged 29 years, belt turner.
  • Sam Bray aged 41 years, timber drawer.
  • John Brown aged 56 years, timber drawer.
  • Thomas Bullock aged 44 years, timber drawer.
  • Alec Clarke aged 43 years, timber drawer
  • Henry Clarke aged 26 years, stall man.
  • Oliver Clarke aged 39 years, timber drawer.
  • Tom Clarke aged 57 years, timber drawer.
  • Desmond College aged 28 years, rope man.
  • William Cuttle aged 36 years, timber drawer.
  • Ron Davis aged 45 years, timber drawer.
  • Tom Edwards aged 34 years, shotfirer.
  • William Edwards aged 23 years, haulage.
  • William Evans aged 61 years, timber drawer.
  • Thomas Fox aged 61 years, timber drawer.
  • Thomas Grainger aged 34 years, contractor.
  • James Greaves aged 43 years, timber drawer.
  • Sam Hartsthorn aged 20 years, haulage.
  • Arthur Hodkinson aged 43 years, contractor.
  • Joseph Kirk aged 35 years, road layer.
  • Don Linathon aged 38 years, timber drawer.
  • Joseph Marsden aged 47 years, contractor.
  • Kenneth Monks aged 29 years, belt turner.
  • Walter Oakden aged 43 years,  deputy.
  • Horace Poyser aged 42 years, timber drawer.
  • Charles Quail aged 24 years, stallman.
  • Robert Roberts aged 23 years, belt turner.
  • Fred Singleton aged 35 years, belt turner.
  • George Slack aged 49 years, contractor.
  • Albert Smith aged 56 years, contractor.
  • Tom Smith aged 49 years, timber drawer.
  • William Stevenson aged 27 years, contractor.
  • Arthur Waterfield aged 62 years, timber drawer.
  • Tom Watkinson aged 38 years, belt turner.
  • Tom Williams aged 57 years, timber drawer.
  • Philip Yarnold aged 42 years, timber drawer.

The inquiry into the causes and circumstances attending the explosion which occurred at the Markham No.1 (Blackshale) Colliery, Duckmanton, Near Chesterfield, Derbyshire on the 10th May 1938, was conducted by Paul Ernest Sandlands, O.B.E., K.C. and presented to Captain Harry Crookshank, M.P., Secretary for Mines on the 19th. September 1938. The proceedings were held in the Chesterfield Miner’s Welfare Hall from the 27th June to the 23rd July 1938. Mr. Frederick Houghton Wynne, C.B.E., B.Sc., H.M. Chief Inspector of Mines was the assessor. All interested parties were represented and all possible causes of the disaster were considered and many of them investigated.

It was generally agreed that the explosion was mainly of coal dust and the following questions were examined:

1) Was there a firedamp explosion which produced a dangerous disturbance of coal dust and also ignited it, or was the explosion entirely confined to coal dust?

2). In what place did the explosion originate?

3). What was the agent that ignited the coal dust?

As to the first possibility the inquiry was satisfied that there was no explosion of firedamp. This being the case, evidence was sought that would indicate the centre of the explosion. Professor Statham and Mr. George Cook found signs of violence which could be traced back to the area of a tub collision and the inquiry thought that this was the point of origin of the explosion. The coal dust gave the inquiry a problem in a mine where that was stonedusted and Mr. Sandlands said:

It was a sequence of events each one almost fantastically improbable, that this explosion was brought about and developed as will later appear.

Samples were taken before the explosion and all samples from 1st November to 9th May 1938 showed only a fraction more than 15 per cent of combustible matter. Reference was made to the Wharncliffe Woodmoor explosion of August 1936 and of the frequent samples that were taken for analysis, all showed that the mine was well stonedusted and there was evidence to show that on the night shift of the 9th May, a great deal of stone dusting had been carried out so the question remained as to how the coal dust had become explosive.

Unless there is a cloud of coal dust in suitable surroundings and of suitable density, it is difficult or impossible for it to explode. After the explosion eleven tubs were found piled on to of each other and completely blocking the roadway outbye of 2’s junction and the investigators had to crawl over them with difficulty. They were full tubs that had been blown across the rails and some had hit the steel arches with terrific force, displaced them and caused a fall of roof which fell on an electric cable and joint-box. It looked as if the tubs had run away and it was deduced that the dust cloud would result when the tubs crashed.

As to how the ignition occurred, attention was turned to the electrical system. As the cable and joint box were damaged by the fall, it was possible for sparks to occur. A great deal of expert evidence was given as to the state of the electrical system and Mr. Sandlands commented:

I think the high voltage switch clearly came out by reason of the explosion and its effects on the transformer house. It is unnecessary to decide whether it was an earth leakage or the explosion violence that brought out the main low voltage switch while leaving the feeder switch on. I am satisfied that either cause might have brought out the former before the time lag on the latter had been overcome.

The inquiry came to the following conclusions and recommendations. That tubs containing coal dust and other debris were standing on an incline and ran away. An electrical cable and joint box was suspended from the roof clear of the road and tubs and believed to be in a safe position. The inquiry recommend that the use of electricity in mines should be examined and suggested that it may not be advantageous and might be prohibited within a period of ten years and that new Draft New Regulations which related to stonedusting needed modification in some respects and extension in others. The inquiry recommended that the place where tubs were loaded or assembled should not be on an incline and more strict attention should be paid to the tub catches. The question of the position of power cables and joint boxes should be examined as should the management of coal dust and stonedusting.

 

REFERENCES

MARKHAM No.1 Blackshale Pit. Chesterfield, Derbyshire. 10th May 1938.

The report on the causes and circumstances attending the explosion which occurred at the Markham No.1 (Blackshale) Colliery, Duckmanton, Near Chesterfield, Derbyshire on the 10th May 1938. CD 5849.

Information supplied by Ian Winstanley and the Coal Mining History Resource Centre.

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