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

21st December 1886

The Elemore Colliery Explosion

The inquest upon the bodies of the men killed at the Elemore Colliery explosion, adjourned from the 2d inst., was again resumed yesterday morning before Mr. Crofton Maynard, Coroner for the Easington Ward, county of Durham, at the Colliery Hotel, Hetton-le-Hole. There were present, to represent the Home Office, Mr. H. Corser, Mr. Thomas Bell (for Durham) and Mr. Willis, Government Inspectors of Mines, Mr. W. N. Atkinson, and Mr. John Plummer. Mr. William Crawford, M.P., with Mr. William Foreman, Mr. John Wilson, and Mr. William Patterson were present as representatives of the Durham Miners' Association to represent the Miners' National Union ; Mr. Atherley Jones, M.P., was present, and with him Mr. Edward Cowie (Barnsley) and Mr. Robert Rowland (Cleveland). Mr. William Lambton represented the Durham Enginemen's Association. Mr. R. W. Cooper of Newcastle-on-Tyne, appeared on behalf of the owners of the colliery, and Mr. Lindsay Wood, managing director of the Hetton Coal Company, to whom Elemore belongs, was present, as were also Mr. W. Lishman, Mr. John Dalgleish, Mr. George Baker, Mr. William Hall, and several other colliery officials and miners belonging to the district.

Evidence of identification was first given, and nearly all the witnesses examined having been employed in the pit before the explosion occurred were able to speak of the ventilation of the pit. All said they were fully satisfied with the safe condition of the mine up to the time of the explosion. While this part of the proceedings was going on Mr. Corser repaired to Elemore Colliery, and descended the mine for the purpose of having the workings fully explained to him, and examining as far as possible the damage done by the explosion.

On his return Mr. Thomas Lishman, certified manager of the pit, was called. He produced plans and diagrams of the workings. Examined by Mr. Cooper, witness explained the several seams and other parts of the pit, detailing also the intakes and returns, with the volume of air passing through the same and the outputs of each seam, and the kinds and condition of the roofs. All the seams below the main seam were affected by the explosion. The colliery was not gassy, neither was it a dusty pit. The lighting of the pit up to a certain point was by the incandescent electric lamps ; and the only naked lights in the pit at the time of the explosion was that used by the rapper man, whose place was a few yards from the shaft. The tin can Davy lamp was used. Printed precautions of a stringent character were exposed about the pit with reference to shot-firing. Up to the time of the explosion there had been no unusual appearances observed in the pit to cause comment. At 1 o'clock in the morning of the explosion the barometrical readings at the pit were 29�55.

At this part of the inquiry Mr. Lishman's further examination was adjourned to another day. Mr. Jones remarking that he did not question the general management of the pit.

Mr. George Johnson, underviewer, was next called, and this witness detailed the appearance of the pit the night before the explosion. He had not heard any complaints as to the ventilation. Witness was one of the explorers after the calamity, but he became ill with after-damp on the first day and had to be taken out of the pit.

At this stage of the inquiry an adjournment until to-day took place.