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

30th September 1910

The Whitehaven Pit Disaster

Fifty Bodies Found

Yesterday the exploring party, consisting of the colliery officials, Messrs. Atkinson and Abbott, Government officials, Mr. Richards, M.P., and another representative of the Miners' Federation, two agents of the Whitehaven miners and three of their delegates, went down the Wellington Pit at 9 o'clock in the morning and did not return until 4 o'clock in the afternoon.

They brought important and unexpected news. They had been 800 yards up No. 6 North level, nearly to the face, and had gone about 200 yards up No. 5. No bodies were found in No. 5, but there were falls there, and a strong smell of bodies was noticed. Nearly opposite the junction with No. 5 with the main road, in a place used for storing water barrels, 25 bodies were found lying together. The bodies were uninjured, and were in a much better condition than were the two bodies found two days ago. The relatives of the men may possibly be able to recognize their features. The bodies were lying in attitudes which indicated that the men had died peacefully. Each man had his lamp between his knees, his water bottle full, and his food lying beside him. They had come out from No.6 some 1,500 or 1,600 yards, and evidently had been met by the smoke and after-damp and were unable to go further. Twelve more bodies were found similarly in No. 6 level, and 13 were found distributed along the main dip. One man had a scarf over his mouth, presumably placed there to aid him in resisting the smoke. His lamp was lying beside him. As each man's lamp was numbered it will be possible to identify the bodies by that means if their features cannot be recognized.

The only messages observed were chalked on a door, and were :— "All well, 6,30. — A. McAllister." "All right, 7.30. — William Robinson." The date was not added. Mr. Atkinson, H.M. Inspector of Mines, is of opinion that it may be inferred that the messages were written in the early morning of May 12, the day after the explosion took place. Behind another door was chalked "William Opray John Lucas can get no further." That was on the automatic doors in No. 5 North. In No. 6 there had been no fall, but there had been a large fall at the entrance of No. 5. It would appear that the men had received a warning and were coming out, and it is assumed that they were suffocated. They had left about 100 tubs filled with coal, representing about three hours' work, a circumstance which gives rise to the assumption that they had worked after the explosion took place at 8 o'clock until about 10 o'clock. They had only two sets of tubs standing empty.

Satisfaction is expressed with the proof afforded by the full water bottles and the untouched food that all the entombed men were overcome long before the intake of the pit was stooped at 9 p.m. on May 12.

The bodies will be brought out of the pit to-day, and the inquest will be formally opened this afternoon.