APEDALE. Burley Pit. Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire. 20th. June, 1885.

The colliery was the property of Messrs. Stainer and Company and the explosion occurred in the 10-feet seam. The Apedale Colliery consisted of several pits which were all connected and 7 or 8 seams were worked at an inclination of about forty degrees. The Burley pit was 480 yards deep and was the deepest and from this the 8-Foot Banbury, the 7-foot Banbury and the 10-feet seams wee worked. The ventilation at the colliery was provided by a Guibal fan at the pit, 40 feet in diameter and 12 feet wide which ran at 33 to 36 revolutions per minute. The fan was in good order and was not damaged by the explosion. The air measured on the 23rd. March and 8,980 cubic feet of air per minute were passing down the level which was 1,229 yards long. The mine was being opened out and there were two headings. James Green was head butty at the colliery and acted as fireman. The workings at the colliery had been laid out under the direction of the certificated manager, Mr. Cadman.

On the morning of the explosion John Birkin, the lamp-cleaner gave out the lamps which were in good order, It was the custom for the men to light their lamps at the bottom of the shaft and then for the butty to lock them. Albert Rhodes a sixteen year old, horse-driver was in the 10-feet seam on the morning of the explosion, drawing coal from the place where the men were working and he was bringing some jummers from the far end when it occurred. He noticed a wind and some dust and made his way to the bottom of the pit.

James Green said that he acted as head fireman and Baker and Thomas Heath, two men who were killed, acted as his fireman. On the day of the explosion, these two reported that the South Mine was free from gas. At the inquiry Green admitted that they had filled in the report book under the date 20th June and the book had been signed Heath and blank left for the report to be written. A man named Rhodes brought the book and told him what was to be written. He was aware that a shothole had been drilled but he did not think a shot had been fired since a shot would have blown down about ten tons of coal and there were colliers tools opposite the place.

The Assistant Inspector, Mr. A.R. Sawyer gave an account of the state of the mine after the disaster. He stated:

I went round the 8-Feet Banbury workings in the Watermills pit on the 13th. May 1885 and found sufficient gas to produce a flash in my Belgian Mueseler lamp in the cutting end. The three months restricted blasting was at once enforced in that district. Two crossings which I advised to be put up in the 8-Feet Banbury seam had been put up.

I arrived at the colliery on the day of the explosion soon after 12.30 p.m. I went down the pit and found that it had occurred in the 10-Foot seam where I joined the explorers. On reaching the end of the lower levels, which contained gas, we found a fire in the return or upper level and extinguished it at once.

After ascertaining that there were no more fires by travelling along the return level and looking up the dips, I left the pit, being slightly affected by the afterdamp. I have made careful observations on subsequent days with a view to find the cause of the disaster. On the 4th July I found a hole 3 feet 5 inches deep from which a charge, had in my opinion, blown out, near the spot where for all appearances, the explosion originated. It was in the fast and had escaped my notice at first because of its peculiar position.

There were several observations that made Mr. Sawyer think of this as the source of the explosion. There was intense coking which indicated that dust had been subjected to heat, the portion of the coke on the timbers and the place where bodies were found. He continued:

Thomas Jones was found 7 yards on the inbye side of a full load which he was evidently pushing at the time. Isaac Jones appears to have been cutting in the thurling and to have fallen down to the level. Thomas Lear, who was shoving an empty tub towards the face, lay partly in to on the broken outbye end and his coal was down at the face. In the main dip, Kestevan’s was found some distance down it. He was blown violently from the main to the return dip; the brick stopping which separated these was blown clean out. At his working place at the face, it was evident that he had come out to have his breakfast. Thomas Heath was found with a powder can at his side as though he was expecting a shot.

Those who died were:

  • Samuel Hampton aged 27 years, loader,
  • Thomas Heath aged 41 years, butty,
  • Henry Heath aged 20 years, collier,
  • James Kestevan aged 44 years, collier,
  • Joseph Underwood aged 20 years, taker-off,
  • Thomas Jones aged 17 years, loader,
  • Isaac Jones aged 47 years, collier,
  • John Barker aged 34 years, butty.
  • Thomas Lear aged 36 years, collier.

James Green, chief butty and Albert Rhodes aged 13 years, a pony driver were injured as they had just entered the crut when the disaster occurred.

The inquiry was held by Mr. Booth the Coroner for North Staffordshire at the George and Dragon Inn at Chesterton. All interested parties were represented.

Mr. Cadman, the manager of the colliery, had last inspected the Burley pit three weeks before the explosion and found everything satisfactory. He thought the explosion was at the bottom of the level but he did not know what had caused it, either a shot or a heated lamp. All the evidence was heard and the coroner summed up.

After some deliberation the foreman of the jury, Mr. Brittain announced the following verdict:

After careful attention to the evidence which has been given, we cannot come to any positive conclusion as to how the explosion came about by which these unfortunate men lost their lives. Our only alternative will be to give as our verdict “died from an explosion of gas”.

Mr. Wynne commented:

This is the third explosion that has occurred in North Staffordshire during nearly two years and each one was, in my opinion, caused by a blown-out shot or a semi blown-out shot, where, had it not been for the use of gunpowder, none would have occurred.

 As long as powder is used in dry, dusty seams in which gas is produced, though it may not be found by ordinary means or in the way in which examinations are normally made, explosions are possible. even in the best ventilated collieries, whilst blasting is still allowed in such seams, the greatest precautionary measures should be taken, by entrusting this dangerous operation to thoroughly qualified persons, whose judgement is not likely to be influenced by pecuniary considerations and when all persons normally employed are out of the mine, whether gas had been “reported” during the preceding three months or not.

 

REFERENCES
The Mines Inspectors Report.
The Colliery Guardian, 26th June 1885, p.1023, 17th July 1885, p.104, 16th October 1885, p.785.

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

Return to previous page