Leycett Colliery Explosion – Newcastle-under-Lyme – 1871

LEYCETT. Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire. 3rd. January, 1871.

The colliery was the property of the Crewe Iron and Coal Company and was called the Independent Pit. Fifty-nine men and seven boys had descended the pit out of the two hundred that worked there. The mine was 270 yards deep and the explosion occurred 160 yards from the shaft, due to the firing of a shot.

In the morning, Bagnall, the fireman had reported the workings clear from gas and told William Leather, the underlooker. Leather went to the cabin at the bottom of the shaft and immediately afterwards there was an explosion which put out his light. He went to the surface to get a lamp and immediately went down the pit. He went along the south level where he met Crookes coming out who told him, “I fired it.”  He went on and found the body of George Longmore.

Edward Thompson, the underground bailiff, went into the pit soon after the explosion and found Samuel Mason at the far end of the No.1, alive but he soon died and John Johnson who was dead. Thomas Bagnall, the fireman went into the pit and he had seen the hole that was drilled for the fatal shot.

Those who died were:

• John Johnson.
• Samuel Mason.
• George Longmore.
• George Powers.
• Thomas Roberts.
• George Allman.
• Andrew Jones.
• Andrew Wilkinson.
• John Hailwood.

The inquest was held at the Swan Inn, Madeley and had to be adjourned for some time until Crookes could give evidence and when he gave evidence he denied firing the shot, but the Coroner had no doubt that he did so.

The jury brought in the verdict that the explosion was caused by a shot fired by Crookes but he was not to blame because of the rules. They recommended that greater care should be taken when pushing the thirlings forward and the manager said that the recommendations would be acted on.

Mr. Thomas Wynne, the Inspector said in his report of the explosion in which eight men lost their lives:

The most severe explosion happened at the Leycett Colliery, the most unfortunate colliery in the district, accident following accident in quick succession that a change in the underground management became inevitable, and with it the change in the frequency and severity of the accidents, but still it is one of these collieries with a large capital, requiring a large output of coal to make it pay, and must necessarily cause great anxiety to an inspector unless he is satisfied that first-rate talent is engaged in the management.

 The seams of coal at the colliery lie on an inclination of about 22 inches to the yard, and this explosion was entirely owing to the system of having a great number of levels being driven out at the same time, some 20 and others 30 yards beyond the main air with nothing but pipe or brattice ventilation, and sometimes many yards back from the face.

 This is a point that I fear escapes the attention of many of the colliery managers, for it will be seen examining the plans of mines where explosions have occurred in straight work, that all the air utilised as brattice air, as in this case at Leycett and how it is possible for air to circulate freely when the only space open to it behind a brattice or through pipes?

REFERENCES
Mines Inspectors Report 1871. Mr. Thomas Wynne.
Colliery Guardian, 13th January 1871, p.41, 20th January 1871, 9.71, 27th January, p.94, 24th March, p.317.

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