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Fatal mining accident at Elsecar, Barnsley, 1852

On 22nd December, 1852, at Elsecar Low Colliery, the property of Earl Fitzwilliam, an explosion resulted in loss of life.

Those who Died

The Injured

The Inquest

Thomas Badger opened the inquiry at the house of George Naylor, Watermans Arms, Reform Row, Elsecar. The Coroner proceeded to address the jury of fourteen on the circumstances leading to the death of 10 miners.

The Following witnesses were examined:

Joseph Hodgson stated he was a coal miner, and was acting under Mr. Biram and James Uttley. James Uttley is underground steward. I am fire trier in the Low Elsecar Coal Pit, where the explosion took place. It was about a quarter past 1 o'clock. My duty is, along with W. Ford, to examine the pits to see that they are free from fire. It is our duty to go together, to assist each other to ascertain whether the pits are fit to work in or not.

By the Coroner:- There are 200 men at work in that pit when all at work. On the day of the accident there would be 150, including men and boys. The bed of coal is 9 feet thick. This is the first loss of life in this pit. I and Ford went down at 4 o'clock, and examined all the works carefully, and found all perfectly safe. We were engaged about 2 hours. I came out about 6 o'clock, and left Ford in the pit to give the men their orders. We visited the workings again at 8 o'clock. William Ford took the south side and I the north, and found all safe. We went about 11 o'clock and did not return again to the pit until after the explosion, which took place at a quarter past 1 o'clock.

By the Coroner:- We have no stated time for returning, nor have any particular rules. As soon as the explosion took place, I took J. Cooking, the engine tenter; and we turned a great deal of water into the workings to cause ventilation. Then Willam Ford, I, Charles Haigh, and J. Cooking, went and got some men from the side of the workings who were not burnt, and we found 2 of the stopping’s blown out. We got sheets and put them in. Then we went to the far south end, and found nothing amiss. We then went between the 2nd and 3rd board gate. We got sheets and tarpaulins to put into the places where the doors were blown out in the stopping’s. There are 10 doors blown out in different places. William Ford, Charles Haigh, and C. Cawthorne, found the bodies. I did not find any of them. I have been round with the Jury. There are 8 persons who have lost their lives in the pit on Wednesday last. I knew them all very well. I have been 4 years in this pit. The men are well supplied with safety lamps. Part of Davy's and part of Mr. Biram's. On the following day we made a more particular search for the lamps. We found No. 921 in 2 pieces. Also, No. 1,007 near to Joseph Stenton, the top was off. We found his lamp bottom about 2 yards from the bottom. We then went into William Dickenson's bench, and found the lamps all right. The top of the 821 belonged to John Swift's lamp. J. Hurst's and Jonathan Walker's lamps were all alright. In my opinion the explosion was caused by George Lindley, a trammer, who had left his door open which stands between 1st and 2nd broad gates. This caused to gas to accumulate, and as soon as that door was shut by J. Swift, it brought the sulphur to to J. Stenton, who was working on the north side of 2nd south broad gate, where we found Stenton's lamp top off. About 12 men were injured, beside those killed.

By Mr. Morton, Colliery Inspector :- The men go down about 6 o'clock, we go down at 4. There is a naked light allowed at the pit bottom. The drawing pit is the up cast. The air does not pass over the furnace. The pit is ventilated by a fan of Mr. Biram's invention. I keep charge of the safety lamps, neither I nor Ford examine them every day. I stop on the pit hill to change lamps with any of the men who want them, we lock the lamps up a tonight. We have a man named Jas. Denton who cleans and fills the lamps with oil at nights, and if they want repairing he brings them to me or William Ford, and we change them. We have some lamps with locks on, but the colliers have taken the screws out. The locks are not in use. They are taken off by the men who don't like to use them. I have found fault with the men for taking the lamp tops off, and I and Ford have given positive orders against them doing so. If their lamps want trimming during the day, the men are to come to the bottom of the pit to have them trimmed or lighted. We have no orders positively laid down that Ford or I should be in the pit.

By Mr. Newman:- The men go down at 12. I went down at a quarter past 1, it is the duty of both myself and Ford to be down in the pit when all the men are at work. We came out at half past 11, and did not go back till after the explosion.

By a Juror:- I attribute the accident to Lindley opening the door and Swift shutting it.

By the Coroner:- The explosion took place where Stenton was at work, I found his lamp top off. I think it had been taken off. I think the door had been propped open, and that if the men had had their lamp tops on the accident would not have happened.

William Ford said I am the fire trier in the Low Elsecar Coal Pit. I and Hodgson went down into the pit on Wednesday morning; I examined the workings on the north, and Joseph Hodgson all on the south side. I found all the north right and safe. We met at the bottom at a quarter before 6, and at 10 minutes to, Hodgson went out of the pit, and said all was all right, and the men came down to work. We went down again after breakfast to inspect the workings. I found all right except go up between the 1st and 2nd board gate. I found a little fire. I told William Dickinson and Mallinson they must be careful, there was a little fire. Dickinson said is there? I have never seen any. I said come here I will show you there is gas. I told them not to go into it. They said they would not. I next went to Joseph Stenton and told him to be careful, then towards the south, where James Moulson, J. Battison, and William Foster were, between 2nd and 3rd board gate. It was then near 11 o'clock. I visited every man on that side. I then came to the bottom of the pit, and so did Joseph Hodgson, and we went out at half past 11. We each dined at our own house, we did not return till the explosion took place, at a quarter past 1 o'clock. We have been out at mealtimes together.

By the Coroner:- Ought not one of you to have been in the pit at all times when the men were at work?

Ford:- We have not had orders to that effect.

By Mr. Morton:- It was not agreed that one of us should be in the pit when the men were at work. I considered the pit quite safe on Wednesday. That door having been opened and shut, driving the foul air onto Joseph Stenton's lamp, would cause the accident. John Swift shut the door after the explosion. I went down with John Cusworth and Charles Sellars. We found the air in the Horse Gate bad. We went on about 40 yards, and found a trap door open. I then went to the engine house and tried to work the engine, but could not. The foul air was so bad we could not stay. We then went up 2nd and 3rd board gate, and found Stenton's body. We went a little further and, and got tarpaulins and sheets to make up the stopping’s. Where the doors were blown out we found Benjamin Fletcher, J. Moulson, and Henry Addy.

John Beardshall, Samuel Hough, and John Swift were also examined, and proved, and proved the finding of the remainder of the bodies.

The Inquest was adjourned.

Inquest Resumed

At the adjourned inquest by the Coroner, several of the workmen were examined, and their evidence disclosed a lax of discipline and disobedience of orders, in the management, which should be immediately remedied.

Every precaution seems to have been taken by Mr. Biram, Earl Fitzwilliams' manager in providing for the safe working of the pit, but for want of some official supervision of those entrusted with the execution of those orders and regulations, many of the most important had become a dead letter.

This was the cause with respect to safety lamps, which the men were required to use, and tampering with which was visited with immediate discharge.

All the men knew this, but as the pit was frequently left without overlookers, some of the men would remove the tops from their lamps, and worked with the naked flame.

To this cause the explosion was attributable.

Mr. Charles Morton, one of her Majesty's Inspectors of Mines, having on Thursday gone through the workings in company with Mr. Biram and other colliery managers, stated in his evidence before the Coroner his opinion that the explosion was caused by the leaving open of the trap door in the long south board gate, by which a quantity of gas was allowed to accumulate; and when was afterwards closed this gas was carried forward along the north side of the board gate into a bank where a man named Stenton, who was killed by the explosion, was improperly working with his lamp top off, and at the flame of whose lamp the gas fired. The ventilation of the mine has been judiciously arranged by Mr. Biram. If the arrangement of the in-courses had been otherwise, a great loss of life would in all probability have arisen from suffocation in the northern part of the mine, where it appears the workmen remained safe. The practical amount of air on Thursday in the southern side of the pit was rather more than 8,000 cubic feet per minute, and in the northern levels the practical amount of ventilation was about 12,000 cubic feet per minute. This amount of air ought to have been doubled. If not, the continued working with safety lamps must be strictly adhered to with respect to the goafs. I did not observe gas to a dangerous extent. I noticed many working places from 20 to 25 yards out of the air course, which were not furnished with brattice boards. The deprivation of air thus suffered by the collier is at all times very inconvenient, and sometimes positively dangerous. It is also my conviction that the number of traps in this mine is greater than need be, and a diminution of their number would be highly desirable, and I think practicable, and would tend to increased safety. The trap doors generally are not fixed in such a manner as to insure shutting of themselves, and accidents may arise from this circumstance. It is satisfactory to observe that a morning inspection of these works has been instituted by 2 fire triers prior to the descent of the workmen. I strongly recommend that a similar watchfulness should be continued without interruption during the whole day, and that the pit should never be left during working hours without a bottom steward in it. I have also to remark on the impropriety and risk of allowing the ventilating fan to remain unattended to during the night, and in my judgement the omission of such attention may be accompanied by serious results at any future time.

Mr. Morton further remarked on the general arrangements of the pit, and the management of the the Davy lamps. The gauze in the lamps had less holes in than recommended by the late Sir H. Davy, and any diminution of that number in a fiery mine may lead to fatal results. It is also desirable, and in my opinion needful, that every Davy lamp gauze in this mine should be furnished with a tin shield to protect the flame from the action of rapid currents of air. With regard to the removal of the safety lamp gauzes in the works, there has been too much laxity of discipline. The lamps, not being furnished with wire pickers, cannot be properly trimmed by the workmen; and as there is no lamp cabin or lamp keeper underground, the workmen prefer to run the risk of removing the gauze in the mine rather than subject themselves tot he loss of time which they would incur in going to the surface, where the lamp cabin is improperly fixed. Where the smoking of tobacco underground is permitted, and where the blasting of coal with powder is indiscriminately practiced by the workmen in general, it is not surprising that they (the workmen) should presume to remove the top of their safety lamps. The practices I have just referred to are incompatible and inconsistent with the use of the Davy lamp in a fiery mine. The blasting of coal with powder, if continued, ought to be placed under the superintendence of a careful and competent person appointed for the purpose by the viewer. I recommend that the Davy lamp, with the improvement I have suggested, should be persevered in here, and that the works should be conducted on those strict and workmanlike principles which prevail in the well regulated collieries of the North of England. In conclusion, I feel it my duty to point out the absence of the rules and regulations, either written or printed, at this or other collieries of Earl Fitzwilliam; and I also beg to recommend for the adoption of Mr. Biram, a printed set of rules such as prevail at extensive collieries in the Midland counties and in the counties of Durham and Northumberland. A copy of such rules and regulations should be placed in the hands of every man and boy employed at this colliery, and a much more strict discipline ought here to be established.

By Mr. Newman, Solicitor.

Having heard the evidence as to the cause of this accident, might it not have arisen with all the precautions which you have suggested?

Mr. Morton.

I think it might; but it is very improbable that to would.

Mr. Newman.

I asked that question because all the concurrent circumstances happened within half an hour, and I consider it impossible for the whole of the pit to be visited in such short a time.

Mr. Morton.

I think it not only possible, but indispensably necessary in a fiery mine; and one steward ought to be always in the pit during working hours, and the presence of both these stewards is very desirable where 140 persons are employed working with safety lamps. I do not think it absolutely necessary, but very desirable, to have 2 fire triers in the pit during all working hours. Emergencies frequently arise in a fiery pit which would render the presence of both these fire triers needful as long as the pits were at work.

By the Coroner.

I think that Lindley, in omitting to shut the trap door, which had been propped open for getting the corve through, was guilty of a want of ordinary and reasonable precaution, and highly blameable.

By Mr. Newman.

I do not think it likely that one, or even two men could see every part of the mine every half hour.

Mr. Newman.

Is it possible for one, or even two fire triers to see all the works in the pit in question every half hour, so as be sure that all the trap doors are shut, and lamp tops on?

Mr. Morton.

It is barely possible for two stewards to do this; but I think they would be unreasonably hurried in attempting it.

Mr. Newman.

Then unless they were unreasonably hurried, all that happened in the half hour during which the trap door was open, might have occurred without two fire triers finding it in time to prevent it.

Mr. Morton.

That is possible, but I think unlikely.

The Coroner.

If there were two fire triers continually perambulating the pit, do you think that miners would leave trap doors propped open, or that workmen would take the tops off their Davy lamps, on pain of loss of work if detected?

Mr. Morton.

Certainly not.

Mr. John T. Woodhouse, of Overseal, Leicestershire; Mr. T. C. Jeffcock, of Sheffield and Mr. R. C. Webster, of Hoyland, colliery viewers, who accompanied Mr. Morton in the examination of the pit, concurred with him as to the cause of the explosion, and the suggestions he had made in respect to the management.

As the boy Lindley, on whom the blame rests of having left open the trap door, was stated by the surgeon to be unfit to be brought before the jury for examination, the inquest was further adjourned until Thursday.

January 6th

This morning the adjourned inquiry into the cause of the recent colliery explosion at Elsecar was resumed before Thomas Badger, Esq., Coroner, at the Ship Inn, Elsecar. Another of the injured men named Thomas Hutchinson, aged 25, died on Saturday from severe burns he had received from the blast. He has left a young widow and one child to mourn his hapless fate. This makes the 10th life sacrificed by this awful calamity. On Monday Mr. Badger held an inquest on the body of Hutchinson, and summoned a special jury, which was adjourned until today. Both juries attended this morning, and were duly sworn.

Mr. Newman, Solicitor, of Barnsley, attended to watch the proceedings on behalf of the Right Hon. Earl Fitzwilliam. Benjamin Biram, Esq., engineer to his Lordship, (who is the inventor of several improvements in the working of coal mines), and several other eminent coal mining engineers, were present. The Coroner read the evidence previously taken to the new jury.

George Linley, a trammer, having being examined, Mr. Biram gave some evidence:

I have not the slightest hesitation in saying that it occurred from the combined efforts of leaving open a trap door in the 2nd south board gate, by which the circulation of air was diverted from its proper course in ventilating these boardings, and by the manner in which that door was shut, whereby the stagnated air which had accumulated in the board gates was brought upon the exposed light which belonged to Joseph Stenton, one of the men killed, and the gas ignited.

With regard to the lamp discipline, I regret it was not stricter.

The evidence being concluded, the Coroner summed up.

The Verdict

The jury returned a verdict of 'Accidently Killed', with a recommendation relative to the more efficient ventilation of the pit in the future. Mr. Nowman, on behalf of Earl Fitzwilliam said that all the recommendations would be attended to by his Lordships' agents.

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