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Leycett Colliery Explosion 1871
Research by John Lumsdon
Extract from HMI of Mines Annual Report
Mr. T. Wynne. Explosions of firedamp have been fewer in number and not nearly so disastrous as in the previous year, but still there is much to complain of in the way mines that are liable to give off explosive gases are carried on, and there dose not appear to be any chance of improvement until the managers of both large and small concerns are brought to feel the heavy responsibility that rests upon them. There are several managers in my district who are quite alive to the danger of allowing even the smallest quantity of gas to accumulate in the workings and who never rest until it is removed whenever symptoms make it appear that gas is being given off in ever so small a quantity. There are others who simply turn men into a pit as a farmer would turn sheep into a pasture, and expect the collier to take the same care of himself as a sheep dose, forgetting the unforeseen dangers that surround a collier from the time he leaves the surface until he reaches it again, and who, instead of being expected to take care of himself, should be cared for, as it is the duty of the workmen to do a fair day’s work, for a fair day’s wage, and not to spend his time looking through all the holes and corners of the pit to see if there be any gas or other danger lurking in those holes and corners.
It is clearly the duty of the manager and his subordinates to do this, and see that every place in the pit is made as safe as human foresight can make it. Then, and not until then, will mining become a far less dangerous occupation than it is at present, for experience clearly demonstrates that where the manager exerts all his energies to keep up discipline and to ensure that the safety of his men very few accidents happen.
The most distressing explosions are those that arise from preventable causes and it is a melancholy fact that the majority of explosions that occur are preventable, and it is my firm opinion, based on twenty years experience as an inspector, that whenever an explosion takes place in a colliery from any cause whatever, except a sudden outburst of gas, there are some persons in authority who are well aware of the possible if not probable consequences long before it really happens, for it often comes out at an inquest that the underlooker or the fireman knew there was gas in the place or in the immediate neighbourhood of the workings for some days. But for want of firmness and from the great desire to send out the full quantity of coal, neglected to send the men out until the working places were made safe, preferring to let all the daily operations to go on until a more favourable opportunity turned up to remedy the defect, when an explosion is the consequence, and the blameable and blameless are together hurried into eternity.
The most severe explosion happened early in the year at Leycett colliery, near Newcastle under Lyme, North Staffs, and the most unfortunate colliery in my district. Accident following accident in such succession that a change in the underground management became inevitable, and with it a change in the frequency and severity of the accidents, but still it is one of those 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 be satisfied that first rate talent is engaged in the management. The seams of coal lie at an inclination of about 22 inches to the yard, and the explosion was entirely owing to the vicious 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, and nothing but pipe or brattice ventilation, and that sometimes many yards back from the face.
Fearful Colliery Explosion 1871
An explosion that has been attended with very serious consequences, occurred on Thursday 12th January 1871 at the Crewe Coal and Iron Company Collieries at Leycett about 5 miles from Newcastle under Lyme. The “New pit” at the same colliery has been closed for about nine months in consequence of a fire in it, which caused great loss of property and in the course of being got in readiness for working again. The explosion we have now to record, though not causing much damage to the property, has unfortunately destroyed four lives, while fourteen men and one boy have been more or less seriously injured. The pit in which the explosion occurred is near the “New” pit, but not connected with it. It is called the “Independent” (No. 1 pit) and is 270 yards in depth. On Thursday morning at six o’ clock, 66 men and boys descended the shaft for the purpose of going to their daily work. The firemen preceded the others in order to examine the workings and having done this without discovering the presence of any gas, they reported the pit to be safe.
Thomas Bagnall was the fireman who examined the South level of the Ten-Foot mine, and he reported to Wm. Leather, the underlooker, upon whose directions the majority of the men went into that mine. About twenty minutes past six o’ clock, one of the workmen, named John Crooks, fired a shot. The hole had been previously drilled, and Crooks, without obtaining the permission of the fireman and procuring a light from him, as he should have done acted independently and too hastily in firing the shot. It would be too much to say that the explosion was entirely attributable to his undue haste; but as soon as he applied the light to the powder, it blew out of the hole. It was ineffectual so far as the coal was concerned, none of it being removed by the powder. Probably if the object of firing the shot, the displacement of a large body of coal, had been accomplished, it would have scattered what gas there was in the workings, and the explosion would have been avoided. Instead of this, however, as already stated, the powder blew out the hole, and an explosion of gas was the consequence. Immediately on this taken place, such as the work people who could run, hurried from the spot to seek safety, but 4 of them were killed and 15 were injured.
The following is a list of those killed. John Johnson, Halmerend, married no children.
Samuel Mason, Halmerend, age 23 married one child. George Longmore, Newcastle, married no family.
George Bower, Halmerend married 3 children.
The following is a list of those injured.
George Allman, of Madeley Heath, single, seriously burnt.
Andrew Wilkinson, of Leycett, single, seriously burnt.
Eli Simcox, of Silverdale, seriously burnt.
James Guest, of Leycett, single, seriously burnt.
John Crooks, of Leycett married, 2 children, seriously burnt.
John Heywood, married, has a family, seriously burnt.
Thomas Roberts, of Leycett, married 5 children, seriously burnt.
Samuel Whalley, of Audley, married 4 children seriously injured.
John Smith, of Audley, married, slightly hurt.
Thomas Trickett, of Onneley, single, suffered from choke damp.
Andrew Jones, of Leycett, and his son George, slightly injured.
George Smith, married, 2 children, slightly injured.
William Scott, married, 4 children, burnt about face.
Ben Hulse, of Halmerend, married 2 children, slightly contused.
Mason was very little burnt but was suffocated by the chokedamp. Longmore had made a great effort to escape, and ran about 100 yards from where the explosion happened. He was evidently overtaken and suffocated by the chokedamp and was found with his face in some water.
Johnson was very much bruised. He was found dead in a dip, down which he had fallen in his effort to escape. Bowers was also found in a dip, on the north side of the workings, with his skull broken. He must have fallen a distance of 50 yards. Andrew Jones and his son George a boy also had a very narrow escape. They fell down the same dip as Johnson and were injured by the fall, but were not otherwise affected. Johnson and another person named Smith were working at the dip at the time. Thomas Roberts was taken up insensible from the effects of the chokedamp. Late yesterday afternoon he remained in very critical state and it is scarcely possible that he can recover.
Samuel Whalley was a great sufferer from the chokedamp, he was taken up insensible and remained in that state for a considerable time, but yesterday he was a bit better. John Heywood, who was badly burnt, was in a very dangerous state yesterday afternoon and it is feared his name will have to be added to the list of the dead. He was burnt in an explosion at another colliery some years ago. Both Heywood and Roberts received severe injuries besides being burnt. John Smith, William Scott and Benjamin Hulse were not seriously hurt as shown by the fact that Smith walked about on Thursday afternoon and the latter two were on the bank yesterday.
As soon as the explosion occurred, Mr. Cross, the general manager of the colliery, Mr, Thompson, underground bailiff, and others assisted in raising the men and boys from the pit and rescuing those who were injured. The latter had every attention paid to them. Mr. R. Goodall, surgeon quickly responded to the summons to attend the sufferers as they were brought up. As soon as they could be removed, they were taken or went to their homes.
The Rev. J.W. Daltry of Madeley who did his best to administer spiritual consolation to them also visited the injured men. As usual on such occasions there are strange tales of wonderful escapes. It is said two or three of the workmen were kept from their work on Thursday through a premonition that something unusual was going to happen in the pit. It is also said that some of the men who formally worked at the colliery have left and gone to neighbouring collieries on account of the dangerous character of the Independent pit.
We mention this for the purpose of saying that we are assured, on the best authority, that there has been nothing seen in connection with the workings of the pit to indicate that there was any danger in working there. Yesterday Mr. T. Wynne, government inspector of mines, accompanied by Mr. R.H. Wynne, mining engineer and Mr Cross the manager of the colliery, spent two hours examining the workings and could not find any gas.
Inquest
On Saturday afternoon at the Swan Inn, Madeley, Mr. J. Booth, coroner, opened an inquest on the bodies of the 4 men killed at the Leycett colliery on the previous Thursday. Mr. T. Wynne, government inspector of mines, and Mr. Cross, the manager of the colliery were present at the enquiry. Wm. Leather, underlooker at the Independent (No 1 pit) in which the explosion occurred, was the first witness. He said he went down the pit about five minutes past six o’clock. When he got there he met Thomas Bagnall, the fireman and asked him if all the places were free from gas. Bagnall said they were. He then went to the cabin at the bottom of the pit. All at once there was much smoke and the lights were blown out. He went up to the pit bank but returned in the next cage. He went along the south side of the workings and met John Crooks and asked him whatever has been done. Crooks who was badly burnt and appeared as if he were senseless said, “I fired a shot and it was the shot that did it.” Mr. Leather asked him if there was any gas in the mine, and he said he did not know what it was.
The witness then found George Longmore in the No. 7 south level about 20 yards from the main dip. He lay with his face in some water, quite dead. He then found George Bowers on the north side No. 2 level in the dip. He was not burnt, but quite dead. They were removed out of the pit and taken home. Mr. Leather went through the workings on Wednesday afternoon to see how the men were going on, he saw good ventilation and examined the pit for gas and found none.
On being questioned by Mr. Wynne, John Ellis said he went to work at two o’ clock on Wednesday afternoon and stayed till ten. One or two new pipes had been put in since the explosion but he could not say how many. The explosion had crushed several pipes. The witness was asked if he reported to Mr. Thompson that he was aware that the “Jack hole” was not being driven with all speed. He replied that a man, who should have worked there, was off work. Daniel Salt was on the night before the explosion to attend to the “Jack hole” but he could not stop, Salt said he would not work there.
Then Mr. Wynne said, “Then it was not forced on with all possible speed”. The witness went on to say in answer to further questions, that it was not usual for each man to fire his own shot, except where he worked with naked candles, and where the men worked with lamps, they were not allowed to fire shot at all. The day shift fireman (Wm. Scott) went on duty as the night fireman (Bagnall) was going off. If Bagnall had examined that part of the workings where the explosion occurred, he must have seen there was a hole drilled for firing a shot. It was not Bagnall’s duty to fire the shot. The man who worked at night got the shot-hole ready, but he had no powder left.
Crooks went into the pit, saw the hole, charged it with powder and fired it without obtaining a light from the fireman. Crooks must have unfastened his lamp, or got a light somewhere else. The witness was asked whether he was not aware that it had been customary for men to fire their own shots. He gave evasive answers, and was cautioned by the coroner. He said the men were not allowed to fire shots where they worked with lamps. They worked with candles where it was safe to do so. They had naked lights in the Ten feet on Wednesday. They must not work where there is gas.
Mr. Wynne asked who was there to decide whether Crooks should or should not fire the shot. Witness replied no one; he had not patience to wait till the fireman came to him, as he ought to have done according to the rule. The witness upon being pressed further admitted that nearly all the men worked with naked lights and he could not give an instance in which a man working with a naked light sent for a fireman before firing a shot. The witness had been connected with mining for 30 years. He did not know of a case in which a man had been allowed to fire a shot, the first thing in the morning without the fireman being consulted, until the day fireman had been in the workings.
A day man could not tell whether he was to work with a lamp, a candle, or whether he was to work at all. Edward Thomson, the ground bailiff, proved finding the bodies of Mason and Johnson. Mason was not quite dead when found, but died as he was being brought out of the pit. Johnson was not burnt at all. He had one broken leg, and his head and face were cut.
Thomas Bagnall, night fireman, said he went to work on Wednesday evening about half past five. He examined all the lamps that were to be used on the night shift and found them right. He went through the works and tried No. 2 level where the explosion occurred, as well as other places and found no gas. He examined the workings again later in the morning of Thursday with the same results. George Viggars went in No. 2 level about 3 o’clock with blazing candles. The rule was, if the ventilation was all right and no gas was found in the pit, to give men candles. He had been at the pit nearly 3 weeks and had never seen any gas there. Replying to a question put by Mr. Wynne, the witness said, if Crooks had told him he was going to fire a shot, he would have gone with him. He knew the hole was drilled before he left. He told Crooks that the mine was safe. In answer to Cross the witness said if he thought the pit was short of air, he put up more pipes.
The coroner said he proposed to adjourn the inquiry so that some of the injured men might be produced to give evidence, and it was desirable that Crooks should be present. The inquest then adjourned.
After the inquest on Saturday, George Allman died and on Sunday John Heywood and Thomas Robert also died. George Heywood, the father of John said his son was very much burnt about the body and head. Mr. Godall, surgeon, said when he attended John, he said before he got his jacket off, the explosion occurred and he was blown down the Jack hole. The coroner said he understood Crooks was lightly to die, Andrew Wilkinson and George Guest were in a critical state.