Now! Then! William Maddison goes into a burning Lundhill Colliery, Barnsley, to look for survivors of the firedamp explosion that killed 189 of the 200 men and boys underground

19 February 1857: William Maddison goes into a burning Lundhill Colliery, Barnsley, to look for survivors of the firedamp explosion that killed 189 of the 200 men and boys underground

Charles Morton. 1858. Explosion of Firedamp at Lundhill Colliery, Near Barnsley. Reports of the Inspectors of Coal Mines to Her Majesty’s Secretary of State to December 1857. London: HMSO. Get it:

Excerpt

We had great difficulty in keeping our lights in, because of the current of air: we had to scramble over a heap of broken slides and stays, and proceeded along the south-horse level about fifteen yards; saw an opening to the upcast pit; where there had been two doors, not a vestige of which remained. A fire was here raging furiously, the arching of the furnace was in ruins, and fire was also coming down the furnace boardgate towards the pit. We went further along the south-horse level, and turned up the next opening westward, in the hope of getting round to the other side of the fire, but the flames soon stopped us. On the rise, we found the corner of a solid pillar of coal on fire, but it was afterwards put out. Altogether we got about 70 yards to the rise of the horse level at this point. Mr Coe tried to go further up, but he was stopped by want of air. We then returned to the horse level, and travelled southward, turning up the several west boardgates as far as we could until gas fired in the safety-lamps. We went to the south, a distance of about 350 yards, found three dead bodies, and were again stopped by gas firing in the lamps. We then returned to the downcast pit, scrambled over the debris, went on the north levels, and a few yards from the pit bottom we saw a dead horse, and a train of loaded corves, on the top of which he had been blown by the explosion. We then turned up the boardgate leading into the stables, and found two horses lying dead. The stables were on fire, more particularly on the side next to the hay cribs; and the edges of the coal were also on fire. We then went along the north-horse level, turned up No. 1 boardgates, found the stables on fire there also, and a large body of smoke backing along the north level, which led us to suppose that there was fire still further to the north. Proceeding on the horse-level we found several dead men; went up No. 2 boardgates about 40 yards, until we could go no further because of firedamp; returned to the horse-level, examining the stoppings as we went northward, some of which were not blown out. Went up No. 3 boardgates about 40 yards, where gas fired in the safety-lamps; proceeded along the north horse-level to within 40 yards of the face; at the entrance of No, 4 boardgates we found a dead boy, burnt and blackened, then went into the water-level and brought out the dead body of a man. Just at this time John Warhurst came to tell us that if we did not at once return to the shaft, our means of escape would be lost; but we did not leave the levels and boardgates, even then, until we had examined every place that was approachable, or in which it was possible any person to be alive. We examined several places on the dip-side, but found no one, dead or living; those who had been working there had got out. We returned to the shaft, counting eight dead bodies on the way, and tried to enter the stables again, but we could not. The flames were then raging so furiously that it was impossible for us to go near; for more than 100 yards the solid coal, timber, etc. were a sheet of flame, and it was fearful to contemplate the increase of the fire during the time we had been in the pit. In the first instance we might have gone up to the fire, but afterwards we dare not go within many yards of it. Again we went to the bottom of the upcast shaft, and found the flames there burning at a white heat. We did not leave the mine until we believed beyond doubt that there could not be a living person in it, excepting ourselves.

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To facilitate reading, the spelling and punctuation of elderly excerpts have generally been modernised, and distracting excision scars concealed. My selections, translations, and editions are copyright.

Abbreviations

Comment

Via the Northern Mine Research Society’s entry for the Lundhill disaster. Their list is very useful. The report by the North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers looks more interesting than the mine inspector’s, but I haven’t read it.

There are monuments in the yard of All Saints Church, Darfield.

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Original

[Abridged shorthand from the inquest]

About twenty minutes to one o’clock on the afternoon of the explosion I arrived at Lundhill pit, and found the men had just completed fastening the broken chain on the head-gear; they were also reversing the rope and adjusting it on to the drum. Every exertion was made, no time was lost, and the rope was got to work about a quarter to three. Mr. Coe, and two of his men went down the shaft, but their descent was much impeded by pieces of loose timber, which were removed; and after some time they reached the bottom. Shortly afterwards Mr. Coe returned to the surface, and then he and I and Mr. Webster went down the pit together. We had great difficulty in keeping our lights in, because of the current of air: we had to scramble over a heap of broken slides and stays, and proceeded along the south-horse level about fifteen yards; saw an opening to the upcast pit; where there had been two doors, not a vestige of which remained. A fire was here raging furiously, the arching of the furnace was in ruins, and fire was also coming down the furnace boardgate towards the pit. We went further along the south-horse level, and turned up the next opening westward, in the hope of getting round to the other side of the fire, but the flames soon stopped us. On the rise, we found the corner of a solid pillar of coal on fire, but it was afterwards put out. Altogether we got about 70 yards to the rise of the horse level at this point. Mr. Coe tried to go further up, but he was stopped by want of air. We then returned to the horse level, and travelled southward, turning up the several west boardgates as far as we could until gas fired in the safety-lamps. We went to the south, a distance of about 350 yards, found three dead bodies, and were again stopped by gas firing in the lamps. We then returned to the downcast pit, scrambled over the debris, went on the north levels, and a few yards from the pit bottom we saw a dead horse, and a train of loaded corves, on the top of which he had been blown by the explosion. We then turned up the boardgate leading into the stables, and found two horses lying dead. The stables were on fire, more particularly on the side next to the hay cribs; and the edges of the coal were also on fire. We then went along the north-horse level, turned up No. 1 boardgates, found the stables on fire there also, and a large body of smoke backing along the north level, which led us to suppose that there was fire still further to the north. Proceeding on the horse-level we found several dead men; went up No. 2 boardgates about 40 yards, until we could go no further because of fire-damp; returned to the horse-level, examining the stoppings as we went northward, some of which were not blown out. Went up No. 3 boardgates about 40 yards, where gas fired in the safety-lamps; proceeded along the north horse-level to within 40 yards of the face; at the entrance of No, 4 boardgates we found a dead boy, burnt and blackened, then went into the water-level and brought out the dead body of a man. Just at this time John Warhurst came to tell us that if we did not at once return to the shaft, our means of escape would be lost; but we did not leave the levels and boardgates, even then, until we had examined every place that was approachable, or in which it was possible any person to be alive. We examined several places on the dip-side, but found no one, dead or living; those who had been working there had got out. We returned to the shaft, counting eight dead bodies on the way, and tried to enter the stables again, but we could not. The flames were then raging so furiously that it was impossible for us to go near; for more than 100 yards the solid coal, timber, &c. were a sheet of flame, and it was fearful to contemplate the increase of the fire during the time we had been in the pit. In the first instance we might have gone up to the fire, but afterwards we dare not go within many yards of it. Again we went to the bottom of the upcast shaft, and found the flames there burning at a white heat.

We did not leave the mine until we believed beyond doubt that there could not be a living person in it, excepting ourselves. About half past seven o’clock at night we ascended the pit, and consulted with the proprietors, and others, as to what was best to be done in this emergency. Robert Charles Webster, Joseph Coe, William Uttley, John Hoyland, William Duckworth, James Cookson, Benjamin Hoyland, John James, and Ellis Wilcock (persons connected with collieries) were present; and all of them had been down the pit. The unanimous opinion was that there could not be a living person in the mine at that hour (7.10 p.m.); that it would be dangerous and unsafe for any man to descend the pit for any purpose whatever; and that the only remedy, seeing that the fire was now so strong, was instantly to close the downcast shafts; and they were closed accordingly, leaving the furnace pit open. At 7.40 the flames rose upwards of 100 feet above the top of the furnace pit, and the sparks rose at least 300 feet into the air.

The closing of the pits was completed about ten o’clock. No person objected to the closing of the pits; and as much expedition was used as possible to get into the mine (after the explosion) to rescue the victims. There was no water at hand by which the underground fire could have been extinguished when we first descended. Before the shafts were closed, the fire must have extended from the pit bottom towards the west at least 70 or 80 yards. Wheresoever we went underground our progress was stopped by inflammable gas firing in the safety lamps, and there was also a good deal of afterdamp. I have not been able to form an opinion as to the cause of the explosion.

1071 words.