Durham Mining Museum - Local Records Extracts (original) (raw)

1796

February. — There was an explosion in New Washington colliery, by which six persons lost their lives. [_LRS_]

July 12. — About twelve o�clock at night, as the crew of the Dunn, and Ipswich trader, were returning on board their vessel in the river Tyne, at St. Anthony�s, near Newcastle, they were overtaken by a sudden and heavy shower of rain, which drove them for shelter to whatever presented an appearance of a covering. The coal pit there was the nearest, and thither they ran as quick as possible ; but, either not knowing the nature of their sanctuary, or from some other cause, the mate, Joseph Smith, fell into it, and was hurried in an instant to a depth of thirty-five fathoms. Providentially the pit rope had been left in its place by the workmen, and this he had the good fortune to seize in his fall, which, at thirty-five fathoms, was broken by the corf chain, otherwise he must have descended eighty fathoms, the depth of the pit. In this miserable situation he was suspended full half an hour, when his companions procuring proper assistance, he was drawn out. His hands were dreadfully mangled by the friction of the rope. [_LRS_]

September. — By the pricking of an old waste filled with water at Slatyford, in Northumberland, six persons unfortunately lost their lives. [_LRS_]

• LRS — Local Records or Historical Register of Remarkable Events by John Sykes, Published in 1833 in two volumes