Yew Tree Colliery Explosion – Tyldesley – 1858

YEW TREE. Tyldesley, Lancashire. 11th. December, 1858.

The explosion took place in the Crombuke mine at the Yew Tree pit of the colliery killed 25 men and boys and was the property of Green Holland and Company. On the day before the explosion, the fireman for the part of the workings where the disaster took place, had, in the words of the Inspector, “having the night before been celebrating an advance of wages” failed to arrive at the pit in time to make his examination and the men were allowed down the pit. A few hours afterwards firedamp was detected coming from the goaves by one of the workmen who went for the assistant underlooker. They and the fireman, who had then arrived at work, went to the place and had almost got there when the gas ignited.

Several of the bodies were found without the slightest burn on them indicating that not much gas had fired but they died from suffocation.

The assistant underlooker died, the fireman and 23 colliers and drawers.

• TYRER James 11/12/1858  35. Of Common Lane Burial: 15 Dec 1858 St George’s, Tyldesley,
• BESWICK Thomas. Of Well Street. Burial: 15 Dec 1858 St George’s, TyldesleyÊ
• STOTT Thomas 23. Of Parr Brow. Died from wounds received in explosion Burial: 18 Dec 1858 St George’s, Tyldesley,
• ASPINALL Hugh 30. Of Shuttle Street. Burial: 15/12/858 St George’s, Tyldesley.
• LEE John 18. Of  Moss Lane Burial: 15 Dec 1858 St George’s, Tyldesley.
• BARLOW James 31. Of Bridge Street. Burial: 15 Dec 1858 St George’s, Tyldesley.
• GRUNDY Lawrence 32. Of Common Lane. Burial: 15 Dec 1858 St George’s, Tyldesley.
• FOULDS Benjamin 16. Of Common Lane. Burial: 15 Dec 1858 St George’s, Tyldesley.
• COOP William 35. Of  Fray Lane. Burial: 15 Dec 1858 St George’s, Tyldesley.
• ECKERSLEY John 26. Of Common Lane. Burial: 15 Dec 1858 St George’s, Tyldesley.
• HINDLEY Thomas 18. Of Common Lane. Burial: 15 Dec 1858 St George’s, Tyldesley.
• HOPE Henry. Of  24. Of Elliott Street. Burial: 15 Dec 1858 St George’s, Tyldesley.
• LOMAX William 33. Of Lemon Street.  Burial: 15 Dec 1858 St George’s, Tyldesley.
• BESWICK William 11. Of Well Street. Burial: 15 Dec 1858 St George’s, Tyldesley.
• BESWICK Michael 13. Of Well Street. Burial: 15 Dec 1858 St George’s, Tyldesley.

Mr. Dickinson, in his report on the explosion, commented that:

The intake air was unskilfully through some goaves before it entered the narrow works although these goaves might readily have been ventilated into the return air. The main airway, which ventilated the whole of the workings, was allowed to fall until at places it was only six feet in area. One of the two doors separating the intake form the return air was damaged and removed and this was not replaced.

The safety lamps used in the mine were all unlocked and due to neglect, the screws to keep them closed were worn and the pricker holes were too large for safety in the opinion of the Inspector. It was not known what had fired the gas. There were no shots fired but the state of the lamps point to it being ignited by a defective safety lamp. The mine gave out large quantities of gas after the explosion.

REFERENCES
Mines Inspectors Report, 1858 Mr. Joseph Dickenson.
The Leigh Chronicle.

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