A Full Account of the Dreadful Explosion of Wallsend Colliery by which 101 Human Beings Perished! E-Book

Various

• Herausgeber: Pushkin Press
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2016

Seitenzahl: 59

Beschreibung

An account of a devastating mining disaster, celebrating the 175th anniversary of The London Library A colliery explosion, more disastrous than any that can be remembered, took place on Thursday afternoon, the 18th June, 1835 101 people were killed in the Wallsend Colliery disaster, of whom 76 were young boys. The death of nearly half the workforce was devastating; almost every family in the community was affected. And yet this explosion was just one of 11 serious explosions at the colliery in 53 years. Mining has always been a notoriously dangerous industry: since the opening of the first coal mine in the UK in 1575, thousands of miners have died in gas explosions, roof cave-ins and flooding. Sir Humphry Davy's invention of the safety lamp in 1815 did reduce the numbers of underground explosions and gassings, but even as recently as 2011, four miners were killed in a mine in Wales. The last pit at Wallsend Colliery was closed in 1935, and the last deep pit mine in the UK closed in 2015. A Full Account of the Dreadful Explosion of Wallsend Colliery by which 101 Human Beings Perished! is part of "Found on the Shelves", published with The London Library. The books in this series have been chosen to give a fascinating insight into the treasures that can be found while browsing in The London Library. Now celebrating its 175th anniversary, with over seventeen miles of shelving and more than a million books, The London Library has become an unrivalled archive of the modes, manners and thoughts of each generation which has helped to form it.

Leseprobe

A FULL ACCOUNT OF THE DREADFUL EXPLOSION OF WALLSEND COLLIERY, BY WHICH 101 HUMAN BEINGS PERISHED!

Contents

Title PageExplosion, &c. About this BookAbout the PublisherCopyright

EXPLOSION, &C.

A colliery explosion, more disastrous than any that can be remembered by the oldest inhabitant of this district, or probably that ever before occurred, took place on Thursday afternoon, the 18th June, 1835, at one of Mr. Russell’s coal mines, situated at Wallsend, about four miles east of Newcastle. By this dreadful accident one hundred and one of our fellow creatures were suddenly hurried into eternity, and four others severely injured. Every particular connected with so melancholy an accident must be interesting to hundreds in this district; and though this has been given most minutely in the public papers at the time, yet it is thought the same will be more acceptable to many in a pamphlet form, and without further observation we will proceed to a full and minute detail of the whole affair.

Sketch of a Wallsend Colliery, 1840. A: funnel over upcast shaft; B: smoke dispenser; C: platform for repairs; D: head gear; E: engine house; F: counterpoise

In working a coal mine it is necessary to sink pits or shafts, and in the above mine three are sunk; they are at considerable distances from each other, but have internal communications. One of them is situated near to Wallsend Church, not far from the banks of the river Tyne. It is known as the “Church Pit,” or “Russell’s Old Wallsend.” It is the practice at this, as at other collieries, for the “hewers” of the coal to commence working early in the morning, and having finished their labours for the day, the “putters” remain for some time longer, for the purpose of bringing or “putting” the coal to the bottom of the shaft or pit, that it may be raised from the mine to the bank. Altogether about 250 people are employed at this colliery, and on Thursday afternoon the hewers of the coal, with the exception of four, had left the mine, under an impression of its perfect safety. About 100 putters, consisting for the most part of young men and boys remained at work. While the operation of “putting” the coals was going on, the banksmen were suddenly alarmed by a loud report in the Church Pit, which they describe as being similar to an earthquake. The rushing of the foul air to the mouth of the shaft, bringing up with it some of the pitmen’s clothes and other light articles from the bottom, left no room for conjecture as to what had occurred in the mine.

Old North of England Colliery

To those unacquainted with the arrangements of Northern coal mines, it may be necessary to state that the workmen of each colliery form, with their families, a distinct colony. They are provided with cottages, forming long streets, near the works. Amongst the community resident near the mine in question, intelligence of the explosion spread with the utmost rapidity. The distressing scene that ensued no pen can describe. Parents, wives, and children rushed to the pit, eager to ascertain the extent of the calamity, and the fate of those who were near and dear to them. Eight brave men, notwithstanding the imminent risk and danger of such an experiment, volunteered to descend the pit, in the desperate hope of being able to save and bring up some of their companions. On reaching the bottom, and endeavouring to penetrate the works, they were nearly suffocated by the foul air. With the greatest difficulty they regained the ropes, and when drawn up were nearly insensible and in a state of extreme exhaustion. Thus perished all hopes of saving any of the unfortunate people in the mine, and of the large assemblage collected, there was scarcely an individual but had to mourn the sudden bereavement of some beloved relative. During the following day (Friday) 21 of the bodies were brought up—they were obtained by descending one of the other shafts of the mine, it being yet impossible to enter Church Pit. The bodies were removed to the houses of their respective friends, and the entire community of the colliery was in a state of the most dreadful agitation and distress. Several of the bodies were black, shrivelled, and burnt; one or two were mutilated, but the greater portion, having been suffocated by the after damp, had the appearance of being in a tranquil sleep.

Air Shaft, Wallsend.

On Friday evening at 8 o’clock, a jury was summoned to attend the office of John Buddle, Esq. the head-viewer, or professional conductor of the mine. The following gentlemen were then sworn—A. Easterby, Esq. foreman; Rev. J. Armstrong, vicar of Wallsend; Messrs. J. Wright, W. Potts, J. Falcus, P. Pye, W. Jamieson, R. H. Coward, M. Elliott, J. Mordue, G. Brough, G. Shanks, and C. Weatherley. [Three other gentlemen were also on the jury, but being connected by relationship with parties interested in the inquiry, it was thought prudent, at the adjourned inquest, to withdraw their names.] Stephen Reed, Esq. the coroner, then addressed them. The cause of the accident, he observed, would not probably be ascertained, for it most unfortunately happened that in this, as well as in most other similar calamities, the individuals who were nearest the explosion were the first to suffer. They would, however, hear the testimony of witnesses, whose scientific and practical knowledge would probably enable them to draw correct and proper conclusions. Their first duty, and a most painful one it was, would be to view the bodies of John Robson, and 20 other individuals, who had lost their lives by this distressing accident. This would enable him at once to issue his warrant for the interment of the unfortunate sufferers, and thus leave the survivors at liberty to perform the last melancholy offices of humanity. The inquest could then be adjourned to some convenient day, when evidence, more satisfactory than could be at present obtained, would probably be adduced. A rigid and sifting inquiry would be necessary; for the frequency of accidents in mines, and the awful loss of life consequent thereon, had at length attracted the attention of the legislature, and a committee of the House of Commons was now sitting, with a view to investigate their cause, and if possible to provide a remedy.

The jury then went to the houses of the deceased to view the bodies. In one instance two brothers were laid on the same bed, and in another house lay, stretched side by side, the father and son. These scenes, accompanied as they were by mental agony and domestic sorrow, were truly heart rending. In almost every case the body was strewed with evergreens and flowers, and the parents, sisters, or brothers, weeping around the bed of death. The jury having performed the melancholy duty of viewing the bodies, the inquest was adjourned to Monday week, the 29th inst.

The Church Pit, Wallsend