SEATON. Seaham, Durham. 16th. June, 1852.
The colliery was known as the “Nicky Nack Colliery” which was a short distance from Seaham Harbour. Six lives were lost and several others were reported injured. There had been two previous explosions at the colliery that years but this was the first that caused the loss of life.
Shortly after the explosion, several men volunteered to go down the pit where they found the men and boys nearest the shaft quite safe. The exploring party went down but the afterdamp was so strong that they had to withdraw as some of them were suffering badly from the effects of the gas. They worked the brattice forward and the first body discovered was that of Charles Halliday. A horse was found dead with the body of William Simpson who was burnt but the bodies of the other, who were miners were not in the least burnt.
The “Durham Advertiser” reported that:
All the bodies were brought to the pit bank in the course of the afternoon and the scene at the pit mouth was heart-rending in the extreme.
The men who died were:
- John Defty aged 53 years,
- Charles Halliday aged 10 years,
- John Pratt aged 20 years,
- John Simpson aged 36 years,
- William Simpson aged 27 years,
- Andrew Simpson aged 18 years.
John Defty left a widow and nine children and Charles Halliday had a brother in the pit who ran past Charles immediately after the explosion and managed to get 30 yards through the afterdamp to safety. Charles was smashed against a wall by the force of the blast.
The inquest was held at the Mill Inn, Seaham, before Coroner Mr. T.C. Maynard. Mathias Dunn, the Mines Inspector, attended the proceedings and the cause of the explosion was put down to the naked lights used by the men.
REFERENCES
Durham Advertiser.
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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