Seaham Colliery Explosion – Seaham – 1871

SEAHAM. Seaham, Durham. 21st. October, 1871.

The Seaham No.3 Pit was the property of Earl Vane and was on the coast near Seaham harbour and at the time was one of the largest collieries in the district. It had three shafts, Nos. 1, 2 and 3 which were sunk to the Hutton Seam at a depth of 254 fathoms. The Nos.1 and 2 was a large shaft divided to draw coal and was bratticed from top to bottom and was used as the downcast with the No.3 pit as the upcast shaft.

The explosion took place in the Hutton Seam of the No.3 pit workings and occurred at about 11.30 p.m. Exploring parties were organised and they continued working until noon the following day when it was discovered that a fire was raging in the stables and everyone withdrew from the pit.

Michael Kennedy, a stoneman, was in the pit at the time of the explosion. He said:

I heard an explosion and I said to my companions. “There is Hutchinson’s shot gone!” Shortly afterwards there was a great rush of wind and I was thrown down. After I came to I groped about and felt a tub. The rush of wind went in the opposite direction from the ventilation.

William Dakers was the resident viewer at the colliery but was not down the pit when the disaster occurred. He was called from his bed to the pit and was down about twenty minutes after the explosion. He saw old Hutchinson who had just been rescued and the body of Hutchinson jnr. was found lying 140 yards from the bottom of the shaft. He continued along the intake and when he came opposite the No.3 shaft he heard a man crying as though he was severely injured. He instructed two men to go and get him out. He found doors were blown away and when he came to the bottom of the staple on the south side he found that the doors were blown into the return.

He returned and went up the No.1 bank for a short distance but he was driven back by gas and he sent men to the surface to get brattice and materials to repair the doors and crossings. While he was waiting, Dakers went to the north headways opposite the No.3 shaft and found little damage. He then went back along the No.3 pit and found that the air doors had been blown out between the upcast and the intake and the tubs that had been standing in the shaft siding were all blown together. William Dakers continued:

I then returned into the main intake and went two pillars up the No.1 bank and there met with afterdamp I ordered the men to put up temporary stoppings with canvas and went up till we got to the head of the No.2 bank, where I found a very heavy fall of stones on the rollerway, stone coal and timbers and such like. I found some men who had been clearing the road sitting at the bank head. I asked them if they had tried to get over the fall they had not as they thought “she” had fallen close. There was a crossing blown out at the outbye end of the fall. I did not find one of the brick stoppings blown out. There was the most damage done at the very wide place where the timber was blown down. The body of Spence was found at the inbye end of the fall, or the top of the No.2 bank. There was a horse at the inbye end of the fall he had been coming outbye with a loaded set. When we saw this we suspected that the driver must be there. I sent men to rid, but they could not find the driver. They found Spence he was burnt his lamp was not found. There was one lamp, we think it was Hutchinson’s the top was blown off it no doubt it was blown to pieces by the force of the explosion. One of the men came with me and we got across the fall. Then we got away where we turn into the Silksworth headways. We found a pair of doors that went into the return brow blown out. There, the afterdamp was standing just on the inbye side of the Silksworth way. I put canvas stoppings in there, and then it cleared out to the crossing still further on, which was blown out. We repaired the crossing with canvas and then got up to the outbye end of the stables. The stables are ranged alongside the way, and beyond the stables, there is a very wide place so that with the little air we had we could not beat the afterdamp back. Then, leaving the men, I went away outbye to the shaft and tried to get more air in by setting a waterfall on. We worked on for a considerable time until we got nearly to the inbye end of the stables. At this time I was compelled to leave them and go to the bank to a consultation which was being held in the colliery offices. I had not seen any fire, but I had every reason to think there was fire from the warmth of the mine.

At the consultation, it was considered advisable to try more waterfall in the shaft in order to get better ventilation. I came away from the office and put more waterfall on.

On reaching the bottom of the pit I met the men I had left in, coming outbye as fast as they could come, and they told me she was on fire together with a little beyond the end of the stables ends. I think it was about twelve o’clock. There would be twenty or thirty men at that time. There was no means of getting inbye any other way. There is only one intake and two returns the intake is the likeliest place to get in. I went through into the returns which were full of afterdamp the same as the intake the afterdamp we were forced out of the intake was coming out of the returns the furnace was not injured at all. I had previously sent a man to put the furnace fire out after the accident. After I went the men we came to the bank again.

I took the men with me to the colliery office to make a statement as to seeing the fire. After it was proved that the fire was there it was considered better to seal up the mine. Dawson and Laws were the two men in charge at the time they are the back overmen. As to the extent of the fire, they told me it was on fire at three of four different places there was no water near to apply to the fire.

A consultation took place at the colliery offices and it was decided to seal the portion of the workings. Mr Willis the Inspector arrived at the colliery at 4 p.m. and agreed with the decision. The arrangements for the building of the stoppings were made and the work completed on the 27th. They remained in this condition until the 16th December when they were removed and the bodies of the men recovered and the mine examined.

In his report on the disaster, Joseph Dickinson, Inspector for the Manchester area, who had been asked to assist Mr. Willis, gave a description of the recovery of the bodies:

Of the 22 deceased who had been shut in the mine, one was found sadly mutilated under a large fall at 1,900 yards over which the explorers had passed before the pit was shut but the others were all found beyond the fire. Three of them had been coming out when the explosion occurred, were found slightly burnt at 2,300 yards, being a little beyond the burnt hay rack. The other 18 were all unburned and had survived the explosion. A memorandum written in chalk at 10 a.m. on the 26th and signed by David Ballantine, recorded that at that time one man (whose body was found outermost) had died. There was also a figure “6” close to what was supposed to be Ballantine’s hand. The deceased’s footsteps were plainly discernible on the newly settled dust and apparently, they had made unavailing efforts to escape.

The last to be found (an experience old miner who had survived one if not two similar dreadful emergencies) was found with a grease pot and a scuttle of grease behind the air door with the door closed and cervices greased up doubtless down by him to keep out smoke and afterdamp. He is supposed to be the last survivor. His drinking bottle was empty, but some food remained.

The men who died were:

• Thomas Hutchinson jnr. aged 25 years, stoneman.
• Robinson Hunter aged 45 years, shifter.
• Charles Lawson aged 28 years, furnaceman.
• Thomas Spence aged 39 years. master shifter.
• Matthew Brown aged 38 years, shifter.
• Thomas Jones aged 64 years, shifter.
• Ralph Hepplewhite aged 55 years, shifter.
• George Shipley aged 34 years, shifter.
• Thomas Bousfield aged 49 years a shifter.
• David Ballantine aged 69 years, shifter.
• Thomas Norris aged 60 years, shifter.
• Thomas Proud aged 58 years, shifter.
• William Coates aged 30 years, shifter.
• John Weddle aged 52 years, shifter.
• William Young aged 67 years, shifter.
• Robert Straughair aged 24 years, shifter.
• William Robins aged 28 years, shifter.
• John Richardson aged 50 years, shifter.
• Edward Laing aged 43 years, hewer.
• William Burdon aged 46 years, hewer.
• James Aspin aged 41 years, hewer.
• Edward Campbell aged 30 years, hewer.
• William Dunn aged 37 years, hewer.
• John Hay aged 60 years, deputy.
• George Parker aged 16 years a putter.
• Thomas Dobson aged 13 years, driver.

The inquest was held in the schoolroom of the Seaham Colliery on the 17th November 1871 before the Coroner, Mr. Maynard and a jury of fifteen. The Inspector of Mines for the Manchester District, Mr. Joseph Dickenson, H.M. Inspector, was present as well as Mr. Willis. Mr. R.P. Phillipson and Mr. Foulkard appeared for Earl Vane.

The pit had not been re-opened and the Coroner said that they would take the evidence that they had and reopen the inquiry in six weeks. The first witness was William Dakers, the resident viewer of the colliery who went down and inspected the working in the rescue operations after the disaster. He said that the greatest force of the explosion seemed to have been at the bottom of the Main Coal staple and there was timber that he been blown out lying at the bottom of the staple. He also gave the court a description of the ventilation readings from the book. The Coroner asked Dakers if Hutchinson was able to give evidence to the court but although he was out of danger, his throat was still badly affected.

At this point, the inquiry was adjourned and resumed at the Station Hotel, Seaham on 18th January 1872 before Mr. Maynard. Mr. Willis and Mr. Dickenson, Inspectors of Mines were present as were Mr. Phillipson of Newcastle, a solicitor who was acing for the owners and Mr. Folkard for the Durham Miner’s Mutual Confident Association. Mr. Crawford, President and Mr. Patterson, Agent of the Durham Miners’ Association were present a large number of miners from the Seaham Colliery.

William Dakers was recalled and he gave an account of the re-opening of the mine:

The stoppings were sealed up on Friday night the 27th of October, and they were kept in until the 16th December. We commenced on the 16th December when we commenced to open out the sealed portion of the mine. I was down the pit in company with Mr. Thompson, underviewer and several miners. There were also Mr. Gustard, Mr. Laverick and Mr. John Dakers. We went to the south stopping first. At two o’clock we drew the 4-inch plug when the gas at once came through. We allowed it to run for some time and then we took the plug out of the intake stopping. After the running of the gas had somewhat abated, we commenced to take down the brickwork. On Monday morning, after the gas had cleared away, I got to the staple. On Wednesday morning following we made an examination of the portion of the pit up to the edge of the fall on the No.2 bank head. The returns were filled with gas. By the time we got to the North station the bodies of the men had all been found. After the last body had been taken away I examined the place where the fire had been.

Mr. Dakers went on to say that the coal had been burnt two feet deep for about thirteen yards inbye from the stable. He was of the opinion that only one explosion took place but he thought it was possible that there could have been one at the pipe which took gas from the surface to light the pit bottom. This passed the place where Hutchinson was working and fired his shot. Dakers said he did not notice what state the pipe was in when he first went down the pit after the explosion.

Mr. Willis and Mr. Dickinson thought that the men had been alive for some time after the explosion as writing was found on some boards which said that they were alive at 10 o’clock. In answer to Mr. Folkard, the witness said that Dawson, Laws Strong and Murrays saw the fire and the decision to put in the stoppings was unanimous.

Thomas Hutchinson, a stoneman who had worked at the colliery for six years. He was the only survivor of the disaster was sufficiently recovered to give his account of the events in the pit. He said:

At the time of the explosion, I and my son were widening the drift to No.3 workings. Harrison sent me to work that night. There was no slackness in the ventilation. We were blasting the side down. We commenced drilling between eight and nine o’clock. In order to prevent the gas pipe being broken by the shot, we stayed it up so as to keep it out of the way and just before lighting the shot I looked up the bank for the purpose of seeing if I could observe any person coming. I saw the usual gas light near the engine house. My son lighted a piece of touch. I went outbye for the purpose of preventing any person from coming, and my son walked away. I went to the mouth of the new drift; about 30 yards out of the way of the shot, and the shot and fire both came together. After the explosion when I was lying I shouted out for my son but could not hear him, so I made my way to the shaft. After a short time at the shaft I met with Mr. Thompson and one of my marrows, and I told them that I believed that the explosion had taken place from our shot, but I really believe that it did not. The gas pipe sometimes leaked and then we lighted the leaks; we used to report to Harrison when leakage was observed. We considered it much better to light the leak that let it escape into the pure air. The fire came outbye. I heard only one report. I cannot say that I was insensible. I felt stupid like. If there was an explosion after my shot I did not hear it. I think the report of my shot met the report of the explosion.

The next witness was Joseph Thompson, an underviewer at the colliery. He as with Dakers on the first exploration of the mine and after the mine was re-opened he found Bowman’s 600 yards from the shaft and Laing’s 2,100 yards further on. Further on he found a group of six bodies and a group of eight further on. He thought the disaster was caused by gas forcing down the stone down and ignited at Spence’s Lamp. The writing that had been mentioned read, “Nine o’clock, all alive, but Hay died at 7. D. Ballantine.”

Robert Todd, the overman in the No.3 Seaham pit, said he came out of the pit before the explosion and had not seen any gas. He could not get to the top of the lofting in the roof with his lamp but came to within three feet of it when he was standing on the top of a loaded tub. William Laws, the back overman, joined the exploring parties and helped make a canvas brattice which Strong and Murray carried before them to direct the air. They retreated when they found the fire across the main road. They reported the fire to Mr. Hepplewhite who they met as they were returning. Edward Dawson, an overman who had also seen the fire, offered to show it to Hepplewhite, Turnbull and Thompson but after they had gone a few yards, Turnbull wisely thought it rash to go on.

Mr. Phillipson thought the lofting protected the roof and there was gas in the goaves but he did not think this gas went into the returns and William Taylor, who had worked in the mine, but now mended wagons, said that he had tested for gas there and had never found any. The place was cool and the air circulated freely. A stoneman, Matthew Ranson, had worked in the lofting when there had been a fall in January 1871. During the subsequent repairs, naked lights were used and no gas had been detected.

William Armstrong, a mining engineer who lived at Pelaw House, examined the mine when it was reopened, particularly the break in the gas pipe which was 20 yards from where the shot was fired. He thought that gas had collected in the lofting and that the explosion was fired by Hutchinson’s shot. As to the fire, he had personal experience of meeting the danger in similar circumstances and said that they were out of the place in three minutes. He went on:

I do not think that in the absence of water it was possible to put it out. By carrying the air past the fire they would only have driven in the gas and killed the men sooner. The whole pit was saturated with gas. They did right to turn back from the fire. It would be a case of extreme hazard and the witness who has said he had no fear, in my opinion, does not possess a man’s feelings.

A miner whose father was killed, John Dunn, asked Thompson if he could go down the pit after the explosion to look for his father but had said that they could not remain underground because of the “stythe”. William Hepplewhite, a gamekeeper, also went down to look for his father. He found the body behind a ventilation door with a tin of grease close to him. He had been a survivor of the Downs explosion and his watch had stopped at 10 minutes to 6. He found a figure “6” close to the hands of one of the bodies and believed that the men had lived for a considerable time after the explosion. The place where they were found was trodden down and there were seats in the sidewall where they had been sitting. He was asked if he was satisfied that everything had been done to save his father and he replied that he would have liked to see another attempt to rescue the men but they knew that the rescuers were frightened. Robert Straughair, a miner at the pit who lost his son in the explosion, thought that the fire could have been put out with a little perseverance and the men rescued.

Mr. E.F. Boyd, a viewer, thought the explosion had been caused by a gas liberated by a fall and had ignited at an open lamp and Mr. R.F. Matthews, another viewer agreed with this view and continued:

As one of the viewers at the consultation, we came to the conclusion that it would be a waste of life to make further efforts to get past the fore from all that they knew now I think that we would have killed the men sooner by forcing the smoke and afterdamp upon them. They had not died of starvation but would be suffocated by the afterdamp.

Mr. Willis, the Inspector, was then called to give his evidence. He thought that gas had accumulated in the lofting and had fired at Hutchinson’s shot. He did not think the gas from the broken pipe had enough time to make a significant addition to the explosion. He had been at the meeting and heard about the fire and thought nothing could have been done to save the men’s lives.

The Coroner summed up the evidence and the jury considered their verdict for half an hour. The foreman Mr. Smith read the verdict on their return:

The jury is unanimous of the opinion that the deceased met their deaths accidentally from an explosion caused by an outburst of gas from the roof of No.2 bank head on the No.3 pit. We are of opinion that there was no negligence in the examination of the lofting or timbered cavity where the fall of stone occurred, inasmuch as there never had been the slightest appearance of the presence of gas in that place and the ventilation was found to be perfect. After hearing the evidence of so many eminent and experienced mining engineers as to the propriety of closing up the pit, we are of opinion that it was the only safe means to pursue.

 

REFERENCES
Mines Inspectors Report, 1871. Mr. Joseph Dickinson.
Colliery Guardian, 27th October, p.441, 3rd November, p.462, 26th January 1872, p.97.
”Troubled Seams” – A Durham County Mining Narrative of the 19th Century by John McCutcheon.

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

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