ELEMORE. Hetton, Durham. 2nd. December, 1886.

The colliery was in the Parish of Pittington and was one of a large group of collieries owned by the Hetton Coal Company and was sunk between 1825 and 26. Since that date, it extensively worked the Main Coal, the Low Main and the Hutton Coal seams. The latter was almost exhausted and before the explosion, the workings were confined mainly to the Main Coal and the Low Main seams. Two pits had been sunk to the bottom of the Hutton Seam about 47 yards apart and 142 fathoms deep and the Isabella pit was 9 feet in diameter and 129 feet deep to the same seam. The difference in level was caused by two faults near the shafts one of which threw the seams about 8 fathoms to the west and the other, a little to the south of the George Pit ran almost at right angles to the other and threw the seam three and a half fathoms to the north. This caused a lot of complicated work to be done to enable the coal to be loaded in the shaft at different levels.

The George shaft was divided into two equal parts by a 3-inch wooden brattice which formed two drawing shafts one on the east side being called the Lady Pit and the one on the west side known as the George Pit, both of which were used as downcast shafts. The Isabella shaft was used solely as a furnace shaft and the seams were worked on three different levels, the High, the Middle and the Low. The High workings on the west side of the 8-fathoms fault were called the George pit workings, the Middle or the workings on the north and east of the faults were called the “Lyons” workings and those on the east or low side of the faults the Lady Pit workings. The Low or lady Hutton seam and the George Hutton seam were connected by a tortuous sloping stone drift called Allen’s Drift.

The ventilation was produced by a furnace ten feet long and seven and a half feet wide with side doors for firing. It was placed in the Lyons Low Main seam near to the Isabella pit. Three men were employed at the furnace, each working eight hours. They were supplied with small coal and the furnace burned 9 tons in 24 hours. The total quantity of the air passing over the furnace as measured the day before the explosion was found to be 100,078 cubic feet per minute. The return air from the three main coals and the pipe drift in the George Low Main districts passed into the upcast shaft without contact with the furnace.

The Company employed about 600 people underground and about 150 above ground and the annual output was about 200,000 tons. The official staff of the colliery consisted of a certificated and general manager, one underviewer and one assistant underviewer. There were one overman and one back overman for the Hutton and the Lady Low Main Seams and one overman and one back overman from the George Low Main and East Main Coal Seams. One master wasteman for the whole of the return air roads, one master shifter and one assistant master shifter for the whole of the wagonways and stonework. In the East Main Coal, there was one deputy for the fore shift and one for the back shift, in the George Low Main, six for the fore shift, two for the middle shift, six for the back shift and one for the night shift. The Lady Low Main had three deputies for the fore shift and two for the back shift, the Lady Hutton, one for the fore shift and one for the back shift and two for the night shift.

Coals were drawn 11 hours per day from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the fore shift deputies descended at 3 a.m. and ascended at 11 a.m., the fore shift hewers went down at 4 a.m. and came up at 11.30 a.m. The coal drawing men and boys started at 6 a.m. and came up at 5.30 p.m. the back shift deputies went down at 9.30 a.m. and came up at 5.30 p.m. the back shift hewers worked from 10 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. The night shift deputies went below at 3 p.m. and up at 11 p.m. The night shift hewers and 1st shift stonemen went down at 4 p.m. and came up 11.30 to 12 p.m. The stonemen and shifters worked from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m., the night shift and back shift hewers from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. and two shifts of stonemen, the second shift went down at 11 p.m. and came up at 7 a.m. The 4 a.m. was the regular shifts for the hewers and there were only a few employed on the night shift. No coals were hauled or drawn at night.

The coal was worked by pillar and stall with a little longwall working in some of the districts. The coal was inclined at 1 in 50 and the Main coal was 5 feet 9 inches thick including bands that were not worked, the George Low Main coal seam, 3 feet 6 inches thick and the Hutton Seam 4 feet 11 inches thick. The powder was used for blasting coal during the day but was allowed to be used only by the deputies or competent men who had authority in writing. The requirements of the Act were strictly carried out. All blasting in stonework was done at night.

The explosion took place on the George Hutton Seam and Lady Low Main Level and it was seen to enter that level from the downcast shaft. There was no evidence that the explosion originated at the furnace and the separations doors were blown from the intake, past the furnace. The only level above the Lyons Low Main where there were men and lights was in the George Low Main. The point of origin of the explosion lay in this level at someplace between the downcast shaft and the Moorsley Way End and was most probably at the end of the arching. The only men working between the shaft and the Moorsley Way End were three stonemen, Johnson, Luke and Appleby who were enlarging the road arch about 200 yards from the shaft. They were blasting with gunpowder and the evidence pointed to this as the cause of the disaster. John Luke made a statement before his death that a shot was fired in the arch just before the explosion but this statement was contradicted by Johnson at the inquest.

There was a naked light at the dynamo engine close to the bottom of the pit in the George Low Main but it was thought this had little to do with the explosion as it was found undamaged. The other lights in the pit were either electric bulbs or Davy lamps.

There was evidence that the flame had passed through the workings from the arch workings and then returned burning Johnson Luke and Appleby and Lawson, who was the dynamo engineman. It entered the shaft and passed both up and down. The flame was seen coming from the top of the shaft and down and put of the shaft at the Lady Low Main Level. There was considerable damage to the fittings in the shaft. The explosion did not extend into the George Hutton Seam and two men and the rapperman who was in his cabin close to the shaft escaped but two men, Henry Buckingham and Frank Straughan, heard a loud report which was followed by a rush of flame. They were burned and later died from their injuries.

Those found in the Lady Hutton Seam:

  • R. Hills aged 64 years, deputy,
  • M. Tempest aged 38 years, hewer,
  • W. Hunter aged 40 years, hewer,
  • W. Seeds aged 41 years, hewer,
  • J. Carr aged 65 years, hewer,
  • G. Nicholson aged 21 years, putter,
  • G. Walton aged 17 years, putter,
  • R. Fishburn aged 60 years, horsekeeper.

Those from the Lady Low Main:

  • H. Buckingham aged 22 years, stoneman, rescued alive but died later.
  • Frank Strangham aged 32 years, stoneman, rescued alive but died later.

Those from the George Low Main:

  • Sam Grice aged 29 years, stoneman.
  • George Pattison aged 54 years, stoneman.
  • William Robson aged 43 years, hewer.
  • Joseph Williams aged 37 years, hewer.
  • S. Parkinson aged 27 years, hewer.
  • R. Pearson aged 54 years, hewer.
  • Thomas Robins aged 20 years, putter.
  • Thomas Clark aged 51 years, deputy.
  • J.G. Laverick aged 22 years, stoneman.
  • John Johnson aged 58 years, stoneman.
  • George Pattison aged 31 years, stoneman.
  • R. Appleby aged 53 years, stoneman.
  • John Luke aged 38 years, stoneman. Rescued alive but died later.
  • G. Thompson aged 43 years, hewer.
  • John Thompson aged 19 years, hewer.
  • G.J. Taylor aged 17 years, putter.
  • Ralph Lawson aged 44 years, electric engineman.

From the Lyons Low Main:

  • Thomas Spence aged 36 years, furnaceman.

Those rescued from the George Hutton Seam:

  • E. Eggleston, fitter,
  • H. Moss, horsekeeper.

Those rescued from the Lady Low Main:

  • H. Johnson, rapperman,
  • William Johnson, stoneman,
  • J. Gleghorn, stoneman,
  • William Johnson, driver,
  • R. Bousfield, shifter,
  • G. Gustard, shifter,
  • H. Johnson, jnr., stoneman.

Those rescued from the East Main Coal (Dale Way):

  • T. Hope, stoneman,
  • Ralph Corner, putter.

Those rescued from George Low Main:

  • Thomas Charlton, master wasteman and
  • Thomas Johnson, stoneman.

There were 25 found dead in the pit and 16 rescued. Of these three died later. There were also 74 horses and ponies in the pit at the time. Twenty of them escaped and fifty-four were killed.

The inquest was held by Mr. Crofton Maynard, H.M. Coroner for the Easington Division of the County of Durham at the Hetton Inn, Hetton-le-Hole from the 20th to the 22nd December 1886 and continued on the 18th and 19th January 1887.

The main road was arched with brick and it was found necessary to add two yards to the end and widen it. Three men on Charlton’s shift were sent in to take some stone off the side at 6 p.m. They worked on the right-hand side going inbye and left the pit when their shift ended at 2 a.m. They were succeeded by Johnson, Luke and Appleby who went down at 11 p.m. and it was during this shift that the explosion took place. Johnson and Luke were severely burnt and Appleby killed but it was thought the Luke had some evidence to give on the use of the gunpowder they were using. The manager, a colliery doctor, the Inspector and a magistrate went to question Luke that same night and he made the following statement:

Johnson, Appleby and I were working at the end of the arch in the George Low Main Seam, about 200 yards inbye, south of the shaft, between 40 and 50 yards on the inbye side of the Dale Way end. We went in at 11 o’clock on the 1st. instant and relieved William Charlton, R. Bousfield and Henderson. Charlton’s shift was the first for some time to go into that place. Charlton fired one shot on the right hand going inbye. It was a high place where we were working. One of the men in Charlton’s shift had been up to the place to see it was all right. The baulks were notched on the right side, the place was all right, and baulks were propped at the left side. We started to drill a hole on the right side near the bottom the hole slanted inbye (it was a machine hole). We fired the first shot at about two o’clock. Fired another shot after that (the second hole was a double hand-hole) on the left side it was nearly straight down over the hole at the inbye nook of the caunch. Hole drilled about 20 inches deep, fired with a straw and kitty, by taking the lamp out of the case, and heating a piece of wire through the gauze. Appleby and I came outbye over when the shot was ready. Appleby went into the Dale Way end and I went into the “chest” hole, just beside the boy’s rapper. Johnson lighted the shot, and then went inbye over. Johnson had got away inbye after lighting the shot, into his proper position. I thought I saw a flash of flame before I heard the report proper of the shot. The flame that passed me appeared red and filled the whole place. Did not hear any extra report other than what might be due to firing the shot. When sitting in the refuge hole looking towards the shaft, the flame seemed to come past me towards the shaft. I was knocked down, and then, although I cannot be sure, I think there was a return of flame from the shaft again. Did not hear any report as the flame passed and went towards the shaft as I was partly stunned but did not lose consciousness. I left the hole and went to the shaft as soon as I could. I had Johnson’s lamp in the hole which was previously put out, and Johnson had my lamp to light the shot. I never saw my lamp any more but made for the shaft. I heard one or both of my mates shouting. Men went to the shaft. The other men told me that they had been up to examine the top of the place so we did not examine the top. The stone seemed solid at the side and there were no crevices. We did not water the place before we started working. The previous shift also had not watered it and I did not notice much dust. There was the usual current of air at the place. I have passed it frequently.

I declare this to be a true account to the best of my knowledge.

Each paragraph of the statement was taken down in writing and read to him and he gave his assent and was reported to have thoroughly understood the position. The doctor certified that he was conscious and knew what he was asking. He died from shock and burns on the 18th.

Johnson had recovered from his injuries to appear at the inquiry and his evidence contradicted that of Luke. He said he fired one shot and never touched the left-hand side. He admitted that before firing the shot he did not examine the top of the place for gas, but examined only the arch. John Daglish, a mining engineer for over forty years and former chief engineer at the Hetton Collieries gave evidence that the explosion did not occur in any of the working places but all the evidence pointed to the source of ignition at the spot where the shot was fired.

The jury deliberated for two hours and came back with the following verdict:

That Ralph Fishburn and others met their death by an explosion in the George Low Main Seam, Elemore Colliery, on the morning of 2nd December 1886 that the said explosion occurred between the Dale Way end and the “greaser” but what caused the ignition there is not sufficient evidence to show.

The Coroner asked if they and anything to say about shot firing and they replied that they did not.

The manger of the colliery, Mr. T. Lishman, later informed the Inspector that the use of gunpowder at the colliery had been discontinued at all the collieries of the Hetton Coal Company and where blasting was required, they were using gelatine dynamite in water cartridges and firing the charges with electricity.

 

REFERENCES
Mines Inspectors Report 1886.
The Colliery Guardian, 10th December 1886, p.937, 24th December 1886, p.1020.

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

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