HALL END. West Bromwich, Staffordshire. 6th. September, 1884.

The colliery was worked by two shifts, one during the day and one at night, in the New Mine Coal Seam. On the 28th August a fault was reached and it was thought safe for the men to work near the fault. On the afternoon of Saturday, 6th September, 17 men were working on the night shift, went down the shaft at 3 p.m. and went to work in various places pointed out to them by the deputy night overman. They all worked with naked candles until 4.30 a.m. when the working face suddenly became enveloped in flame. Twelve of the miners were burned and seven died later from their injuries in West Bromwich Hospital.

On Sunday September 7th, Mr. Scott, H.M. Inspector of Mines for the district with Mr. Pickering, Assistant Inspector and Mr. Edward Philips, certificated manager and part-owner of the colliery, made a detailed inspection of the explosion area. There had been a great volume of flame but the violence had been very slight.

The men who died were:

  • Charles Durnel, bandsman aged 42 years who died on the 9th September.
  • Edward Hughes, loader aged 31 years, died 11th September.
  • Edward Lawley, pikeman aged 30 years, died 18th September.
  • William Burkes, aged 54 years, bandsman died on the 13th September.
  • James Broom, pikeman, aged 44 years, died 16th September.
  • Ben Tranter, pikeman aged 42 years, died 17th September.
  • Charles Dancer aged 36 years, pikeman, died 17th September.

Those who were injured:

  • Thomas Page,
  • Will Percival,
  • George Adams,
  • Ben Green,
  • Samuel Jones.

The inquest in to the deaths of the seven men was held at the Town Hall, West Bromwich from the 1st to the 4th, October. It proved that the ventilation of the mine was satisfactory and no inflammable gas had been found in the seam since it was first worked in January 1884 up to the time of the accident. The mine had been inspected and the results of the inspections entered in the Report Book required by the Coal Mines Regulation Act, 1872 which proved the face.

Evidence was also given that the night overman or his deputy were in the habit of going around the workings with a safety lamp before the men started work although such inspections were not required by the Act. It was admitted that the New Coal Seam was the most fiery in the district and was liable to give off large quantities of gas but Mr. Scott had conducted experiments at the mine at various times during its eight months of working. On one occasion, the ventilation was closed down for three hours and no trace of gas was found.

There was insufficient evidence to say what exactly happened in the disaster since so many men who were at the scene died but there was an area where the signs of fire were greatest. It was difficult to determine how the gas accumulated in the workings but the barometer was falling on the day of the accident.

The jury brought in a verdict of “Accidental Death” but added that they thought the owners were culpable of not compelling the men to work with safety lamps and that the officials culpable for not using caution in the execution of their duties. The Inspector commented that there was no question of any person or persons connected with the mine being criminally responsible for the deaths of the miners and the accident was due to the use of naked lights.

Mr. Grosvenor said in his report:

I think I ought to say that, in my opinion, lamentable accidents of this nature are likely to continue unless the use of safety lamps is made compulsory by law in all seams which, in the opinion of the Inspector of Mines for each district, are likely to give off inflammable gas, and thereby cause danger to life if naked lights are used in them and I think that the existing Act should be amended so as to enable this to be done by an Order from the Secretary of State and the recommendation of the Inspector for the district, without going through the cumbrous formalities of arbitration, as is not required by section 54 of the Coal Mines Regulation Act, 1872, unless it should appear to the Secretary of State that an arbitration in any particular case desirable or necessary.

 

REFERENCES
The Mines Inspectors Report 1884. Mr Scott.
Report to the Right Hon. The Secretary of State for the Home Department of the circumstances attending an explosion which occurred at the Hall End Colliery, on the 6th September, 1884 by Hon. R.C. Grosvenor.
The Colliery Guardian, 17th October 1884, p.625, 10th April 1885, p.575.

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

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