MARGARET. Newbottle, Durham. 3rd. June, 1885.

The colliery was the property of the Earl of Durham and the colliery worked the Maudlin Seam in which the accident took place. The Margaret Pit was close to the Elizabeth Pit which was abandoned in 1830. The officials at the colliery were well aware that the workings went towards those of the Elizabeth pit and had plans made from the old plans of the Elizabeth Pit.

The accident took place at the end of the sixth gateway in the Maudlin Seam when men were holing and broke into the disused workings of the Elizabeth Pit. The result was that noxious gas was released which caused the deaths of the men The pit was flooded but it was the gas that was the killer.

The exploration proceeded to a place about 20 yards beyond the 6th gateway or branch working. Here the explorers found the clothes and drills of the men but no bodies. They then cur through about four feet of coal and gained entrance to the crossways between the 6th and 7th gateways. They had not gone far when they came across the body of James Gray lying in the middle of the way. A short distance away they found the bodies of Thomas Sanderson and Joseph Rosen lying in the crossway. At the 8th gateway, they discovered the body of Jacob Robson. At the time, all the men were thought to have had some warning about the impending disaster and were making their way to the bottom of the shaft but had been overcome by the noxious gasses. The bodies that had been recovered were removed to the bottom of the shaft.

Proceeding further, under the direction of Mr. Smailes, the overman, the party completed the exploration of the 6th gateway. There was a new place at the furthest extent of the coal where two juds or small workings branched off about twelve yards to the left. The party discovered the bodies of John Bailes, John Calligan, both hewers and John House, the back overman. They were lying a short distance from each other. Bailes was partly buried under a fall and they apparently had not time to save themselves and died instantaneously.

About midnight, an exploring party under the direction of Mr. Stokoe and Mr. Gilchrist found Joseph Carr, William Davies, George Lowrey, all hewers. Later the party found George Kirtley lying in the water at the landing with the Maudin seam. Pipes were sent down the pit to drain away the water and the body of Joseph Laidler was recovered buried under the rubbish.

Those who died were:

  • Jacob Robson,
  • James Gray,
  • Thomas Sanderson,
  • Joseph Rosen,
  • John Bailes, hewer,
  • John Calligan, hewer,
  • John House, back overman,
  • Joseph Carr, hewer,
  • William Davies, hewer,
  • George Lowrey, hewer,
  • George Kirtley,
  • Joseph Laidler.

The inquest into the men’s deaths was held on the 24th June 1885. The officials of the mine had every confidence in the accuracy of the old working plan of the Maudlin Seam in the Elizabeth Pit, not only because all the working plans of old collieries in the district had always been accurate in the past but because the plan for the working of the Hutton Seam below the Maudlin at the Elizabeth Pit was used for the workings in that seam at the Margaret Pit and had proved to be completely accurate. The face of the holing had been repeatedly examined, the last examination being less than an hour before the accident.

The colliery who worked the shift immediately before the accident gave evidence that the coal face was bright and free from damp and showed no signs of the approaching danger. It was proved by examination from the surface that the old workings had been taken past the point shown by the plans.

Mr. Young commented:

The spot was 376 yards from the point of holing and the management of the Margaret Colliery believed that there was this distance of virgin ground between them and the Elizabeth Pit workings. In my opinion, no human being knew or could have known, except by boring, that the old Elizabeth Pit plan was inaccurate.

The jury brought in the following verdict:

We find that George Jarvis and other met their deaths by certain noxious gas arising from the old workings from the Elizabeth pit, by holing into such workings at No.6 gateway which caused an outburst of gas and water. Such holing was due to the inaccuracy of the old workings plan of the Elizabeth pit. We attach no blame to anyone engaged in working the Margaret Pit.

 

REFERENCES
The Mines Inspectors Report.
Report by Alexander Young Esq., on the circumstances attending the accident which occurred at the Newbottle Colliery on 12th June 1885.
The Colliery Guardian, 12th June 1885, p.947.

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

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