Durham Mining Museum

On the 16th January 1862 204 miners lost their lives when they were entombed at Hartley Colliery when the shaft was blocked after the engine beam broke and fell down the shaft — there was no other means of escape from the pit other than the blocked shaft. Following this the prevailing thought in the mining community was that each colliery should have a second means of egress in case of emergency. The Secretary of State wrote to all the Mines Inspectors requesting information on those collieries that only had a single means of escape. This is the reply from John J. Atkinson, Inspector of Mines for the South Durham District.

Mr. Atkinson to Sir G. Grey. — (Received February 26).

Bowburn, near Durham, 24 February 1862.

Sir,

I have the honour to forward you enclosed a return as to the shafts in the South Durham inspection district, as required by letters dated 24 January, 28 January, and 7 February, 1862, respectively.

I have, &c.

(signed) John J. Atkinson,

Inspector of Mines.

RETURN of PARTICULARS relative to the Single Bratticed and other Shafts in the South Durham Inspection District, called for by Her Majesty’s Secretary of State for the Home Department, in Letters dated 24th January, 28th January, and 7th February, 1862.

1. Particulars as to Single Bratticed Shafts in the South Durham Inspection District.

No.	Name of the Colliery.	Name of Seam in which Workings are carried on, that are accessible only through a Single Shaft, or other Single Communication.	Depth or Distance over which such Single Shaft, or other Single Communication prevails.	Nature of the Partition dividing such Single Shaft, or other Single Communication into Compartments.	Area of the Compartments into which such Single Shaft or other Single Communication is divided and the purposes in Ventilation to which they are applied.			Nature of Fires from which the Smoke and Heated Air ascend through the Upcast Compartment of such Single Shaft, or other Single Communication.	Whether it is practicable to effect an Underground Communication with Adjacent Shafts so as to obtain the benefit of such Adjacent Shaft or other Communincation and if so, the probable Time and Cost of doing so.			Whether it is practicahle to sink an additional Shaft; and if so, in what Time, and at what Cost.
No.	Name of the Colliery.				Downcast	Upcast	Dumb or Dormant		Reply	Time	Cost	Reply	Time	Cost
			Yards		Superficial Feet	Superficial Feet	Superficial Feet			Months	£		Months	£
1	Witton	Hutton	50	Timber Brattice	68½	7½	None	None	Not at present	-	-	Yes	4	300
2	Framwellgate	Busty Bank	88	Ditto	14½	56	Ditto	Furnace	No	-	-	,,	6	440
3	Nettlesworth	Hutton	60	Ditto	71	15	Ditto	None	Not at present	-	-	,,	4	1,000
4	Belmont	Low Main	80	Ditto	59	51	Ditto	None as yet	Ditto	-	-	,,	6	1,000
5	Rainton Plain Pit	Hutton	30	Ditto	24	24	Ditto	None	Not before working will be finished.	-	-
6	Ryhope	Hutton and Maudlin	440	Ditto	90	80	Ditto	Furnace and engine	Yes	30	2,500	,,	36	25,000
7	Adelaide’s	Brockwell	344	Ditto	93	62	Ditto	Furnace	Yes	5	200	,,	26	8,000
8	Black Boy	Ditto	224	Ditto	95½	34½	Ditto	Ditto	Yes	5	200	,,	18	12,000
9	New Brancepeth	Not known	63	Ditto	28	56	Ditto	None	No	-	-	,,	12	3,300
10	Cassop Vale Pit	Main Coal and Five Quarter	108	Ditto	84	27	Ditto	Furnace	Yes	4	200	,,	24	8,000
11	Castle Eden	Low Main	204	Ditto	113	58	Ditto	Furnace and boilers	No	-	-	,,	36	8,000
12	Little Chilton	Five Quarter	80	Ditto	77	30	Ditto	Furnace	Yes	18	1,500	,,	4	250
13	Coxhoe	Harvey	161	Ditto	63	70	70	None	No	-	-	,,	21	9,000
14	Elm Park	Little	36	Ditto	76	27	None	Ditto	Not at present	-	-	,,	2	180
15	Ludworth	Main Coal	210	Ditto	46	46	40	Furnace	Yes	30	2,500	,,	18	5,000
16	Stanley, Pease’s	Ditto	74	Ditto	66	34	None	Ditto	Not at present	-	-	,,	1	50
17	Tursdale	Brockwell	118	Ditto	99	27	Ditto	None	No	-	-	,,	18	6,500
18	Shildon Lodge	Ditto	160	Ditto	75	35	Ditto	None as yet	Yes	24	2,500	,,	18	5,000
19	Howden	Main Coal	27	Ditto	65		Ditto	Ditto	No	-	-	,,	2	50

Number of Collieries in the South Durham Inspection District, where workings are carried on, that are accessible only by means of a single bratticed shaft, or other single communication, as stated in the preceding List	19
Number of Collieries at which underground furnaces or other fires are used, but at which inure than one shaft is in existence	104
Number of Collieres at which underground furnaces or other fires are not used, and at which there are more than one shaft or other single communication between the surface of the earth and the working	18
Total Number of Collieries in the South Durham District	141

During the past three years no accidents have arisen from the falling in or obstruction of shafts in the South Durham Inspection District.

I think it is practicable and desirable to require that all workings in collieries and iron-stone mines, to which the general provisions of the Mines Regulation and Inspection Act apply, should be accessible by means of more than one shaft or other communication between them and the surface of the earth ; provided that workings being prosecuted at the time of such requirement being made he allowed to continue to be prosecuted on condition of’ active measures being constantly in operation to provide a second shaft or other second communication between such workings and the surface of the earth ; and, further, provided that, for the purpose of proving a mine, a single bratticed shaft may be used on condition of no more than twenty persons being employed in such mine at one and the same time,

24 February 1862.

John J. Atkinson, Inspector of Mines.

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