RAINTON. Plain Pit. Rainton, Durham. 3rd. November, 1823.

There was an explosion at colliery and Sykes records the number killed as fifty-nine, fifty-three men and six boys but the “York Courant” stated that 55 were killed in the explosion and two later died which made a total of fifty-seven men and boys. The safety lamp was used at the pit but there was some uncertainty whether lamps or candles were used in that part of the mine where the occurred.

Those who died were:

  • Charles Harburne, putter of Collier Row.
  • John Pudley, hewer of Houghton.
  • John Cowie, putter of Collier Row.
  • George Armstrong, putter of Collier Row.
  • Francis Lowrey, putter of Hetton
  • John Hull, hewer of Middle Rainton and his two sons, one a putter and one a waggon driver.
  • John Welsh, hewer of Collier Row.
  • Henry Dinning, hewer of Collier Row.
  • Edward Ramshaw, putter of Houghton.
  • John Mason’s boy, putter of Houghton.
  • William Short’s two boys one a putter and one a driver of Collier Row.
  • John Ord, hewer, of Middle Rainton.
  • Two Johnson boys, both putters of Houghton.
  • Thomas Hall, shifter of Collier Row.
  • Wardle Elliott, hewer of Middle Rainton.
  • John Hann and son, hewer and putter of MitchinsonÕs Farm.
  • Three named Golightly, brothers, all putters of Low-bud-mire.
  • Christopher Smith, hewer of Nicholson’s Pit.
  • Matthew Dial, hewer of The Knot.
  • Joseph Harrison’s two sons.
  • George Nealson, putter of Collier Row.
  • Cuthbert Pratt, putter of West Rainton.
  • John Anderson of West Rainton.
  • Robert Gibson and son, hewer and putter of Collier Row.
  • Robert and James Shield, hewers of Collier Row.
  • George Elliott and son, deputy overman of Collier Row.
  • Two others, unnamed.
  • William Dawson, overman, Overman’s Row.
  • Thomas Dawson, deputy overman, Middle Rainton.
  • George Thompson, putter.
  • Joseph Roddson, hewer.
  • Richard and Thomas Carr, hewer and putter.
  • Thomas Crake.
  • Another, unnamed.

Nine of the victims were interred at Houghton-le-Spring on Tuesday and on the following day a further 35 were buried. Eight were buried at Penshaw and three others at Chester-le-Street. Thomas Adamson and William Hutchinson, who was brought out of the pit alive, died on Wednesday and were buried on Thursday. Of the eighteen horses that were in the pit, twelve were killed and of the others, three were in the workings and three in the stables and they escaped unhurt.

The inquest into the disaster was held before Peter Bowley, Coroner of the Easington Ward and a jury on the body of Thomas Golightly and the others. Nicholas Dixon, collier, descended the pit on Sunday evening and remained there until two hours before the explosion and he told the court that the air was good all the time. he had examined the air course and found it all right and the doors were in proper order.

Richard Cole, on-setter, descended the pit about 3 o’clock on that Monday morning. He was employed to corves to the chain of the rope from the pit from that time until about 6 o’clock when the explosion took place. A short time before the accident, three boys named Johnson, Lowton and Robinson came to the shaft and told Cole that the Davy lamps were “standing on fire”. After about one minute, an explosion took place, followed immediately by a second blast and smoke and fire ascended the shaft. Cole told the court that he was stupefied by the blast. The first shock threw him down but he was back on his legs when the second came. He washed his moth which revived him and he and several other men and boys were able to ascend the pit by means of the rope which brought down the empty corves.

It was reported that one of the survivors made his way to the shaft and took hold of the rope which would take him to the safety of the surface. Just as he was about to go up, he saw a small boy within his reach and almost overcome by the afterdamp. He grabbed him by his collar and held on to him until they reached the surface.

It was supposed that the accident was caused by an overman going through a ventilation door into an explosive mixture and that he either dropped his heated lamp on some hay or had blown the flame through the gauze in trying to extinguish it.

After hearing all the evidence the Coroner summed up and the jury brought in a verdict of “Accidental Death”.

 

REFERENCES
Annals of Coal Mining. Galloway, Vol.1, p.495.
Sykes’ Local Records.
Sykes’ List.
Report from the Select Committee on Accidents in Mines. 4th September 1835. p.645.
The York Courant, 11th November 1823.

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

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