Lampton Colliery Explosion – Chester-le-Street – 1766

LAMPTON. Chester-le-Street, Durham. 22nd. August 1766.

A steam engine had been erected at the colliery and an explosion occurred which claimed six lives. It was thought it was caused by the “firedamp”, which was the furnace, that was used for ventilating the mine. The following account appeared in the Newcastle newspapers of the day:

A melancholy accident happened at Lampton Colliery, near Chester-le-Street, in the County of Durham. The workmen, to the number of one hundred, had just left their work and three masons and as many labourers, had been left down in order to secure the coals taking fire at the lamp, being let down at the request of the masons to rarefy the air, the latter in an instant, took fire with a terrible explosion, and its way out of the pits, destroying men, horses and all in its passage. The noise of the explosion was heard above three miles around and the flash was visible as a flash of lightning. The men below wee drove by the force up the shaft or great tube, like balls out of a cannon, and everything that resisted shared the same fate.

The neighbourhood, being alarmed, collected itself in order to give assistance but found only heads, arms, legs thrown put a great distance from the mouths of the pits. The ground for acres was covered with timber, coals etc. All partition, trap doors, corves, wood props, and linings were swept away, together with the engine for drawing up the coals, and all its apparatus.

REFERENCES
Annals of Coal Mining. Galloway, vol.1, p.271-2.
Brand Vol. ii, Appendix, p.683 note.
Great Pit Disasters Great Britain. 1700 to the present day. Helen and Baron Duckham.

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