Durham Mining Museum - Newspaper Articles (original) (raw)

On Friday se'night, about noon, an explosion of fire-damp took place in William Pit, near Whitehaven, which unfortunately caused the death of five men, employed as haggers, and six boys and girls, employed as horse-drivers and door-openers; and four others of the latter description are also very severely injured. We are informed it was an unexpected occurrence, no indication of fire-damp having been observed there; and one of the overmen had been with the people employed about fifteen minutes before the accident happened, and saw no appearance of danger. This sudden and extraordinary accumulation of fire-damp is ascertained to have burst from the pavement of the mine, with such an unusual and excessive discharge, as in a few minutes rendered the air inflammable where the men were, and coming in contact with their lights, before they were aware of the danger, an explosion was the consequence. The discharge of fire-damp continued, and in a short period a large portion of the workings was in the same dangerous state, notwithstanding the regular current of atmospheric air constantly introduced by the excellent mode of ventilation adopted in this colliery. The fire-damp increased, and strange as it may appear, on examining the place next morning, not a vestige of the noxious element was to be found; and even at the fractured pavement, from whence the fire-damp issued, a burning candle might have been applied with safety.

Every hagger in the colliery is supplied with a safety-lamp, and compelled to have it with him while at work; but as it affords only an obscure light, the men, forgetful of danger, consider their convenience more than security, and to obtain an increased light, remove the safety gauze off the lamp (as had been the case on the present melancholy occasion) and often causes, as now to be lamented, disastrous consequences.

Newspaper transcript kindly provided by
West Cumbria Mines Research.