Haswell Colliery Explosion – Haswell – 1844

HASWELL. Haswell, Durham. 28th. September, 1844.

This was the most destructive explosion in the Durham Coalfield up to that time. The colliery was the property of Messrs. Plummer, Taylor and Company. Ninety-five men and boys lost their lives and only four got out of the pit alive. The colliery was one of the largest in the county and employed over 300 men and boys who produced a very high-quality coal. The mine was divided into two separate workings, the Big Pit and the Little Pit. The explosion occurred in the Little Pit, Hutton Seam, which employed one hundred men. The survivors were saved by waggons in the rollerway and four escaped near the shaft. They saw flame smoke forked lightening down the tunnels that hit boxes and threw a horse over on it’s back.

The intake and the return were separated by brick stoppings which were all blown out by the explosion along the line of the rollerway in the northeastern districts where the explosion took place. This destruction left the pit without ventilation. Most of the victims were suffocated. There were 14 killed by the explosion and 81 suffocated.

Mr. Mather gave an eyewitness of the disaster. He said:

At the time of the explosion, there were four men in the pit whose lives were saved. They were John Thompson, John Smith, William Chisholme and John Davidson. They happened to be near the upcast shaft and the flames did not reach them having been stopped on it’s destructive passage by a waggon and horse and a number of empty tubs, which, by the force of the explosion, were jammed together in the rollerway. Two boys were also saved by the same protective agency. All felt that something had happened but could not tell what. The candles of the boys were blown out and they saw a flash. The furnacemen, Chisholme, observed that the air was stopped. Thompson went towards the workings, Smith first having given the alarm to the men in the engine pit, ascended by the downcast shaft and communicated his fears to Mr. Scott, the underviewer, who was then at the colliery office. Mr. Scott then descended the shaft and others joined him but shortly after going 500 yards, they were unable to proceed any further in consequence of the choak-damp. The first body that was found was that of John Willis, a boy of 13. It was brought to the bank at 9 o’clock and others followed.

The delay in getting the bodies out was occasioned by the pit being filled with choak-damp the stopping have all been blown down by the blast and it being necessary to replace them in order to obtain a current of air. Till this was done no effectual progress could be made. The boy, Willis was much burned and as he was washed, the skin and parts of the flesh peeled off one thigh was broken in two with the bone from the upper part protruding. Others were much more burnt, the features being quite black and drawn up as in agony whilst in many cases the head was broken as if it had been dashed against a wall. These above referred to were killed by flame but those killed by choke-damp were not disfigured at all and for the most part had no expressions of pain on their features. Some had placed their caps in their mouths, no doubt with a view to preventing the inhalation of choke-damp. At one part of the mine at the Brockley Flat, there were about 20 putters found who had been in the act of getting their clothes. Some were dressed, others nearly so. I the pit it must be understood, the men worked nearly naked, their only dress being a small shirt and short trousers half down the thighs. These poor fellows were lying huddled together As if they had felt what was coming, and had so clasped each other to die. Death from choke-damp is not instantaneous, and probably most of them lived for a quarter of an hour or more, and some much longer with the certainty of quick coming death.

On Monday afternoon the funerals of the bodies recovered began and by Wednesday, all who had thus lost their lives in this violent manner were interred. Some were buried at Easington, the Parish Church, Haswell, some at South Hetton and some at Hall Garth. the love of kindred was so strong with the miner and one was brought to Long Bretton, 25 miles off where all his family were while three live at Gateshead, 18 miles from Haswell.

Those who lost their lives were:

• Thomas Briggs who left a wife.
• John Briggs, his son.
• John Whitfield and his son.
• William and George Elsden, brothers.
• Henry Mather, a young man.
• Joseph Gibson and his three sons.
• William Favish who left a wife.
• William Joblen who left a wife.
• Ralph Surtees, a young man.
• John and William Surtees, cousins of the above.
• Robert Williamson, a young man.
• John Williamson, deputy, brother to Robert who left six children and a pregnant wife.
• Wanless Thompson who left a wife and a large family.
• John Noble who left a wife and four children.
• George Hall who left a son and a wife.
• A boy named Hall.
• William Routledge, a young man whose father was burnt to death in the colliery a short time before.
• Daniel Lenman cousin to William Routledge who left a wife and child.
• Henry Weightman who left a wife and child.
• William Weightman, related to the above.
• John Currie who left a wife and family.
• John Pettley, a young man.
• William and John Dixon, brothers, both young men.
• John Curley who left a wife and child.
• Eliott Richardson and his son who left a wife and family.
• Michael Thurwell, a young man.
• Christopher, John and Stephen Teesdale, brothers, whose father fell down the pit.
• Robert Carr who left a wife and child.
• Robert Rosecamp who left a wife and four children.
• William Rosecamp, brother to the above and left a wife.
• James Maughan, a young man.
• Thomas Bottoms, a boy.
• Joseph Wolfe who left a wife and child.
• Peter Wolfe, Joseph’s brother.
• Four brothers named Dryden.
• Edward Nicholson, brought up with the Dryden family.
• R. Douglas who left a wife and four children.
• John Brown, a young man.
• Mark Dawson, a young man.
• George Dawson who left a wife and six children.
• Thomas Moody.
• Hans Ward who left five children and a pregnant wife.
• William Barras who left a wife and four children.
• Son of William Barras who had been taken down the pit by his father to look at it for the first time.
• George Bell who left a wife.
• Johnathan Bell, brother to George.
• William Taylor.
• William Davidson who left a wife and three children.
• Michael, Matthew and Henry Clough, brothers all under 16 years old.
• James Sanderson who left a wife and two children.
• William and John Harrison, brothers.
• John Sanderson, who left a wife.
• James and Thomas Turnbull, brothers.
• John and Thomas Willis, brothers and both young men.
• John Wilis, a boy.
• Peter Robinson, a young man.
• George Richardson, who left a wife and child.
• Joseph Moffit who left a wife. Richardson and Moffit married two sisters.
• John Ferry who left a wife and five children.
• George Ferry, son of John.
• George Heslop, a young man.
• John Parkinson, a young man.
• Robert and Thomas Nicholson, both young lads and brothers.
• Two bys named Gilroy, brothers.
• William Nichol, a young man.
• William Dobson, who left a wife.
• James Richardson who left a wife and four children.
• James Leyland who left a wife and two children.
• James Robson, a boy.
• Robert Hogg, a young man.

Mr. Mather’s account continues with an account of the inquest into the disaster:

The inquest was appointed the following Monday at the Railway Inn Haswell, at 10 o’clock Mr. T.C. Maynard and the jury composed of farmers and shopkeepers at the district proceeded to view the five of those who had been killed, Thomas Robert, George and James Dryden and Edward Wilkinson. All were lying at one cottage and it was arranged that the inquest should be held on them only, the evidence as to one, of course applying to the others that were killed. The inquiry lasted through Monday and the following days and was adjourned for the jury and the Coroner for a week until Wednesday 9th October.

Mr. Marshall attended on behalf of the owners Mr. Roberts for the relatives as well as on behalf of the other pitmen at the colliery. He was ably assisted by Mr. Jude and Mr. Clough. On the first day of the inquest, Mr. Roberts made an application that Mr. Mathias Dunn, a viewer, bearing a high character for the candour and integrity as well as of the great practical skill should examine the pit on behalf of those whom Mr. Roberts represented. The Coroner declined to enforce it and Mr. Roberts made an application for an adjournment of two days in order in order that he might obtain the attendance of some persons who might watch the proceedings on the part of the Government but this was also refused

On the adjournment of the proceedings, Mr. Roberts took advantage of the time afforded for securing this object and after consulting with Mr. Mather, and one or two friends of the pitmen, he went to London and thence to Brighton where he obtained an interview with Sir Robert Peel. The result was that professors Leyell and Faraday were appointed to attend and assist at the adjournment of the inquest.

On Wednesday 9th October, the inquiry was resumed and after continuing until late the following Friday. On the Thursday in the intervening, the pit was examined by Messrs. Leyell and Faraday and by Mr. Stutchbury from Bristol who had also been deputised for service by the Government.

On the Friday the inquest terminated with the verdict of “Accidental Death” and on the suggestion of the Coroner the jury added, “no blame be attached to anyone.”

Leyell and Faraday undertook their task with reluctance and looked only at the ventilation of the goaves. They proposed that as should be carried to the upcast shaft by cast-iron pipes, twelve inches in diameter. Their views provoked much adverse criticism and the plan was by a Committee of the Coal Trades as impracticable, too costly and criticised its efficiency to prevent explosions.

This sudden end to the inquiry was not acceptable to many of those present and for the mining community in general and brought the matter to the attention of Sir Robert Peel who informed the gentlemen that “The Government had determined to bring the whole subject before Parliament early in the session.”

A Fund was established for the relief of the victim’s relatives which in January 1854 amounted to £4, 403 – 2s. – 6d.

REFERENCES
Report of the Special Committee of the House of Lords appointed to inquire into the best means of preventing dangerous occurrences in coal mines. 1st August 1849.
Fynes’ History of the Northumberland and Durham Miners. p.164.
Annals of Coal Mining. Galloway. Vol.2, p.49
A History of Coal Mining in Great Britain. Galloway.
Mining Journal. Vol. xv, p.23.
Latimers Local Records.
The Illustrated London News, 5th October 1844.

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