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

1873 Mines Inspectors Reports

Article from the 1873 Mines Inspectors Reports, 1873, Page: 280

Mines Inspectors Report

Mr. Thomas Bell

Fire at Norley Hall Colliery.

A fire broke out in the engine house at bottom of No. 3 pit at the above colliery on the 11th December 1872, suffocating four men who were at work in the pit at the time; the fire was not discovered until it had got such hold of the wood work and surrounding debris, that it was found impossible to cope with it. When all hope was given up of recovering the men alive it was determined to seal up the pit; this was done by two strong stoppings in the up and down cast shafts, and it was not until August 1873, that it was deemed prudent to re-open the pit.

This accident happening previous to my appointment, and the deaths of the men being included in the late Mr. Higson's Schedule for 1872. I beg herewith to annex extracts of the evidence given at the inquest held on the bodies before C. E. Driffield, Esq. county coroner on the 3rd September last.

John Worthington said "he was underlooker at the Norley Colliery, having charge of the Orrell Four Feet Mine and the Five Feet workings in connection. The seat of the fire seemed to be the engine-house or thereabouts, near to the downcast pit in the Five Feet workings. Upon word being brought to him of the accident on Wednesday morning at half-past one, he proceeded to the downcast pit and went down with the fireman,John Hewitt, who was the one who discovered the fire. They landed in the Five Feet and found that the engine-house had fallen. They then returned to "bank," and sent for Mr. Thompson the manager, under whose directions operations were carried on. After several fruitless attempts to reach the men, being overpowered by the smoke, the coal being thoroughly on fire, it was decided to suspend the work of overcoming the fire by means of water, and to build a stopping within the "mouthing" in order to exclude the air, but as it could not be made tight on account of the top and sides being shaken, it was decided to seal the shaft itself, which was accordingly done. The first attempt at re-opening was made about five weeks prior to the inquest, and after a fortnight's stoppage the pit was re-opened. Two of the deceased were found in an old stable at the bottom end of the engine brow, about 300 yards from the shaft. The remains were those of Michael O'Loughlon and Isaac Whaley, The body of Sharrockwas found in an opening between two doors down in the four feet workings. Atherton's body being found in a back brow. They were about 100 yards from their working places. It was evident that the whole four men had died from suffocation by smoke, which would pass where they were found. The bodies being 40 yards away from the engine-house, he could only attribute the fire to carelessness or wilful negligence. They kept two lights in the engine-house, one a paraffin lamp with a glass chimney, which was suspended from the top by a wire, and at a distance of two or three yards from the side boards; and the other an open torch lamp, which was similarly suspended. He was told by William Ashurst the engineman, that he had extinguished the lamps before leaving the engine-house. The engine would not be used after Ashurst left until next day, and no one had any business to go in the engine-house after he left. If any smoke had been issuing from the engine-house as the deceased passed on their way to work, they would have perceived it at once."

William Ashurst said "he had charge of the engine in the Five Feet workings, No. 3 pit, Norley Hall Colliery, and was there as usual on Tuesday on December 10th. He came up from the engine-house at five minutes to three on the afternoon of that day, after extinguishing the lamps and leaving everything right in the engine-house. He left a two-gallon can containing about two quarts of paraffin in the engine-house. There was also some engine oil, all of which was locked up. The floor was not very greasy."

By Mr. Bell. "He had not used a torch lamp at all while he had charge of the engine-house."

John Hewitt said "he was fireman for this mine. On Tuesday December 10th he went on at 8 p.m. and went down the pit, where there were seven men working, the four deceased in the top tunnel, and three others in the bottom tunnel. The only time he saw the deceased that night was on the pit brow on going down. Witness went into the bottom tunnel, and about ten minutes to one on the Wednesday morning, as he passed the stables on his way to the other tunnel he observed smoke. Finding he could not get further on account of the smoke, he made back for the pit shaft by the bottom tunnel, and knocked for the cage and went up to the Five Feet mine. On reaching the mouthing he found everything on fire on the engine-house side. He afterwards went to the top and called up the underlooker, after which he went down again and brought up the three men who he had left in the bottom tunnel. The bottom tunnel had a supply of air independent of the upper tunnel. Witness was not down at the engine-house at all that night and could not say how the accident happened."

Thomas Brown, underlooker at Nos. 2 and 5 pits, Norley Hall Colliery, corroboratedMr. Worthington's statements.

Robert Wilding said "that on the day of the accident he was engaged as hooker-on at the bottom tunnel at the Norley Hall Colliery. He came up about 8 p.m. He did not go near the engine-house that day, and had no torch light nor any matches or pipe with him."

William Preston said "that he examined the shaft on the evening of Tuesday 10th December, and effected some repairs on the engine-house side of the Five Feet mouthing, but had finished at that part before seven o'clock; did not go near the engine-house that night.

Mr. Joseph Thompson, mining engineer, said "he was certificated manager of the Norley Hall Collieries, and had been there for 15 years. Had heard the statement ofWorthington the underlooker, and had no correction or addition to make. The extent of the fire had been from the engine-house, only 5 yards within the mouthing, to 180 yards from the "piteye," everything being destroyed. Thought that the fire had originated in the engine-house, but was baffled as to the cause of it."

The jury returned a verdict "that the deceased died from being suffocated through a fire which commenced in the engine-house adjoining the pit shaft, but that how the said fire originated or was caused they were not able to discover from the evidence before them."

	Accident/Disaster Page