Jammage Colliery Explosion – Bignall Hill – 1876

JAMMAGE. Bignall Hill, Staffordshire. 5th. January, 1876.

The explosion took place at the Jammage Pits of the Bignall Hill Colliery in the Seven Feet Banbury Coal workings and claimed the lives of five men. Mr Enoch Gater was the underground manager at the colliery which was the property of the late John Wedgwood and was next to a colliery where there had been an explosion on the 24th December, 1874 in which seventeen lives were lost.

It was a new colliery and was connected to the old pit by an underground railway. There were two shafts 10 feet and 13 feet in diameter both sunk to a depth of 170 yards and underground operations had been going on for only about twelve months with workings in the Seven and Eight Foot Banbury seams. The men were provided with safety lamps and shots were allowed to be fired only under the close supervision of a fireman. Work was going on at the time to improve the ventilation of the colliery and a Waddle fan was in the process of being installed.

On the morning of the disaster, John Sharples of Talke, the fireman at the colliery for about five months, went down the pit at two o’clock and saw Edward Bury at the pit bottom who told him that everything was all right and told Sharples to go to the Banbury Eight Foot Seam. There was a temporary stopping at the and the men were in the habit of opening this to let stuff down from Darlington’s and Macpherson’s place. He was aware that when this was done, the ventilation flow would be reduced. The explosion occurred about 4.30 p.m. in the Seven Foot Banbury seam and the cage, which was standing at the pit head, was blown into the headgear and severely damaged. All the men who were working in the Eight Foot seam escaped by another shaft without injury.

An exploring party was soon organised and went down the old pit and along the new tunnel to the workings. The first body that they found was that of John Daniels who was near the shaft. Darlington’s body was found at the end of the level with the others. It was thought that he had fired the shot which caused the explosion.

The men who died were:

• Michael Rowley, collier who was employed Ridding Coal down Darlington’s Dip from No.2 Darlington’s and No.3 Macpherson’s heading,
• Daniel Darlington, collier in No.2 Heading,
• Alexander Macpherson, collier in No.3 Heading,
• Patrick Cogan, or Cadam, collier employed Ridding Coal and Darlington’s Dip from No.2. Darlington’s and No.3 Macpherson’s Headings and
• John Daniels, collier, in place driven from No.1 North Air Heading.

It was thought that if Daniels had stayed where he was, he would have lived but in going thought he door he was overcome by afterdamp.

The inquest took place at the Crown Inn, Red Street on the 19th January before Mr. J. Booth the Coroner for North Staffordshire. Michael Wood, butty colliery at the pit was called to give evidence and he told the court that he had never heard of any shot being fired in the pit by anyone but butty of a fireman. The day before the explosion he had fired a shot in Macpherson’s place and to the best of his knowledge the last shot was fired at ten minutes past seven on the morning of the explosion.

Mr. Gater, the underground manager of the pits, said that there had been no complaints from the men and he thought the ventilation of the mine was good. Evidence was given to the court by P.S. Stanton who examined the bodies of the men as they were brought out of the pit and he said he found a tobacco pouch, knife and lamp stuns in Darlington’s clothing. Macpherson and a lamp stud, Cogan, a lamp key, knife and tobacco box and on Daniels body a watch, knife and touch paper.

Mr. Wynne, the Inspector, said that he had been down the pit on the morning after the explosion and he was of the opinion that it took place in Darlington’s place. He thought that there had been gas at the far end of the working for some time, as long as twenty-four hours. Darlington’s place had been recently cut through and the traces of the blast in the place were very noticeable by a lot of charring.

The effect of a cloth being lifted at the bottom of the dip would have been to cut of the air from the north side. There was no evidence of professional examination between seven o’clock and the time of the explosion and there was, during this time, the opportunity for gas to accumulate.

From what he saw, Mr. Wynne concluded that the explosion was caused by a shot which was fired in Darlington’s place. he thought that the colliery had too steep dips and small air holes and expressed the opinion that he hoped to see an improvement in the future.

The Coroner summed up the evidence and after a deliberation which lasted for over an hour, the jury returned the following verdict:

Accidental death caused by the explosion of an accumulation of gas at the north end of the workings, such accumulation being occasioned by the opening of a stopping, and the gas being fired by a shot in Darlington’s place. The jury are of the opinion that were lamps are used gunpowder should be entirely prohibited. the jury are also of the opinion that the discipline of the pit has been very lax in the working and the management, and recommend that in future no one but the duly appointed firemen be allowed to fire shots.

REFERENCES
Mines Inspectors Report 1876. Mr. Thomas Wynne.
Colliery Guardian, 14th January 1876, p.66.

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