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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 Matthias Dunn, Inspector of Mines for the Northern District.
Mr. Dunn to Sir G. Grey. — (Received 26 February.)
Newcastle-on-Tyne, 25 February 1862.
Sir,
I have the honour to transmit answers to the circular of the 28th January last, with remarks in explanation, viz.
Query 1. Regarding the falling in of insufficient shafts, I do not think a single’ instance has occurred within the last three years in my district. I have some fire-clay drifts, but no shafts or drifts for the purpose of working iron-stone. All the shafts in this district are circular, and well secured either by curbs and outside deals or walling.
2 and 3. I present the accompanying list of collieries having single shafts, with observations as to forming a communication with other existing shafts in the same proprietorship; but the period required for such intercommunication must necessarily be very difficult to pronounce.
4. As to the practicability and cost of providing double shafts.
To satisfactorily answer these questions would require much detail, and the necessary expenditure very difficult to appreciate, especially where the second shaft would be attended with feeders of water, requiring engine power, metal tubing, &c., such, for instance, as at North Seaton.
I therefore dispatch the above answers, awaiting further instructions, if necessary.
I have, &c.
(signed) Matts. Dunn, Inspector.
STATEMENT of the Number of SINGLE BRATTICED SHAFTS in the Northern District, with Particulars relating to them, 24 February 1862.
| Fathoms deep. | Diameter of Shaft. Feet. | |||
| 1. | Elswick | 70 | 10 | |
| 2. | Benton | — | — | Now suspended. |
| 3. | Hartley | 100 | 12 | ditto. |
| 4. | Heworth | 100 | 12 | Subdivided into three equal parts, two downcast, one upcast; engine pit agreed to be sunk down 50 fathoms as a consort, same depth. |
| 5. | Lintz Hall | 60 | 14 | Busy with an outlet to the surface. |
| 6. | Monkwearmouth | 300 | 12 | One pit sunk direct to Hutt seam 300 fathoms, the other 180 fathoms, with incline drift 6 inches per yard, and 1,500 yards long; ventilation in common; 180 fathom pit proposed to be sunk 100 fathoms further. |
| 7. | Montague Main | 40 | 9 | Double to Townley seam, 22 fathoms, and bratticed to lower seam, 18 fathoms further: ventilated by means of fan-blast and very small furnace. |
| 8. | Nuseum | 96 | 16 | New colliery. Single, but intended eventually to be connected with Cowpen Colliery, distant 800 yards; can be communicated with in three or four months. |
| 9. | North Seaton | 124 | 16 | Entirely a single shaft; 3-inch plank brattice; makes very little gas, but has a furnace, distant from shaft 80 yards; smoke delivered 10 fathoms up. |
| 10. | Seaton Delaval | 95 | 16 | New pit. Distant from old colliery — yards, and can be communicated with in — months; must have a furnace; meantime, plank brattice, |
| 11. | Spital Tongues | 70 | 11 | New pit sunk, but wants some work; communication suspended at present. |
| 12. | Togstone | 45 | 9 | Working two seams; bratticed shafts; small colliery. |
| 13. | Urpeth (new pit) | 50 | 10 | Must work for some time without any duplicate; cannot communicate with old colliery. |
| 14. | Acomb | 46 | 10 | Divided into two shafts; brattice and furnace; no other shaft. |
| 15. | Allerdean | 24 | 9 | Near Berwick; new colliery; bratticed shaft. |
| 16. | Burdon Main | 40 | 8 | Very imperfect division and ventilation; in connexion with old colliery. |
| 17. | Greenlaw Walls | 25 | 8 | Near Berwick; engine and coal pit; bratticed shaft. |
| 18. | Morpeth Banks | 22 | 7 | Air course very imperfect; with engine pit. |
| 19. | Preston, North Shields | 30 | 9 | Bratticed shaft. |
| 20. | Scremerston, Berwick | 58 | 10 | Engine and coal-pit with furnace; bratticed shaft. |
| Cumberland (Single Shafts) | ||||
| 21. | Cleaton Moor Hope Pit | 100 | 11 | Single bratticed shaft; distance from old colliery —; could be communicated in — months, or a new shaft in consideration. |
| 22. | St. Helen’s (new winning). | — | — | Two shafts sunk 40 fathoms each, 130 yards apart, and intended to be connected after sinking 10 fathoms further. |
| 23. | Rischorn | — | — | New winning. A second shaft in course of sinking, and nearly completed. |
| 24. | Gilcruise | 60 | 10 | A double shaft for 60 fathoms, and single to lower seam, 30 fathoms. |
| 25. | Aspatria (new winning) | 31 | 10 | A new shaft, and second shaft nearly completed. |
| 26. | Bolton | 25 | 9 | Will require a second shaft. |
SCHEDULE of COLLIERIES in the Northern District having Two or more Shafts.
| 1. | Allerdean (near Berwick). | 23. | Friar’s Goose. | 42. | Radcliffe. | ||
| 2. | Andrew’s House. | 24. | Garesfield. | 43. | Seaton Burn. | ||
| 3. | Ashington. | 25. | Gateshead (Shipcote). | 44. | Seaton Delaval. | ||
| 4. | Backworth. | 26. | Gosforth. | 45. | Seghill. | ||
| 5. | Barrington. | 27. | Haltwhistle, South Tyne (surface drifts). | 46. | Sheriff Hill. | ||
| 6. | Bedlington. | 28. | Harraton. | 47. | Shield Row. | ||
| 7. | Bebside. | 29. | Harton. | 48. | Springwell. | ||
| 8. | Berry Edge. | Hebburn (suspended). | 49. | Stella. | |||
| 9. | Blaydon Burn. | 30. | Holywell, East. | 50. | Tanfield Moor. | ||
| 10. | Blaydon Main. | 31. | Kibblesworth. | 51. | East Tanfield. | ||
| 11. | Blenkinsop (suspended). | 32. | Killingworth. | 52. | Tanfield Lea. | ||
| 12. | Broom Hill. | 33. | Manor Wallsend (Hilda). | 53. | Throckley. | ||
| 13. | Burnopfield. | 34. | Marley Hill. | Tyne Main (suspended). | |||
| 14. | Burradon. | 35. | Mickley. | 56. | Townley. | ||
| 15. | Bushblades. | 36. | Mount Moor. | 57. | Urpeth. | ||
| 16. | Coxlodge. | 37. | Monkwearmouth (qy.) | 58. | Usworth. | ||
| 17. | Cramlington, E. | 38. | Netherton. | 59. | Walbottle. | ||
| 18. | Cramlington, W. | North Sunderland (suspended). | 60. | Walker. | |||
| 19. | Cowpen. | Oakwell Gate (suspended). | Wallsend (suspended). | ||||
| 20. | Eden. | 39. | Oxclose. | 61. | Washington. | ||
| 21. | Eighton Moor (Team). | 40. | Ouston. | 62. | Wylam. | ||
| 22. | Felling. | 41. | Pontop. |
SMALL LANDSALE COLLIERIES, not enumerated above (Two Shafts).
| 1. | Barcombe. | 12. | Eshott. | Kyoe (suspended). | |||
| Bar Moor (suspended). | Etal (suspended). | 26. | Lickar. | ||||
| 2. | Benwell (Thompson & Co.) | 13. | Ford Moss. | 27. | Mickley Banks. | ||
| 3. | Benwell (Cochran Carr). | 14. | Fallowfield. | 28. | Newton-on-the-Moor. | ||
| 4. | Birkheads. | Farwick (suspended). | 29. | Prestwick. | |||
| 5. | Bog Hall. | 15. | Four Stones. | 30. | Prudhoe. | ||
| Bowes Hill (suspended). | 16. | Framlington. | 31. | Shilbottle. | |||
| Brinkburn (suspended). | 17. | Gathrick (suspended). | 32. | Shoreswood. | |||
| 6. | Callerton. | 18. | Grey Mare. | 33. | South Tyne. | ||
| 7. | Chipchase. | 19. | Greenlaw Walls. | 34. | Townhill, Berwick. | ||
| 8. | Chirton. | 20. | Gunnerton. | 35. | Throckley. | ||
| 9. | Churn. | 21. | Harerhaw Head. | Toppett (suspended). | |||
| Dockendale (suspended). | 22. | Hedley. | 36. | Wark. | |||
| Doddington (suspended). | 23. | Heddon. | 37. | Whickham. | |||
| 10. | Elsdon. | 24. | High Green. | 38. | Widdrington. | ||
| 11. | Eltringham. | 25. | Ingo. | 39. | Winlaton. |
CUMBERLAND, not enumerated.
| 1. | Broughton Moor. | Crummock (Bolton). | Weary Hall (suspended). | ||||
| 2. | Camerton. | 6. | Dearham. | 9. | Seaton Moor. | ||
| 3. | Clifton. | Dovonby (suspended). | 10. | Reary Pit. | |||
| 4. | Croglin (Deen Moor). | Flimby (sinking). | 11. | Threepthwaite. | |||
| 5. | Cross Barrow. | 7. | Harrington. | ||||
| Cross Budgefoot (suspended). | 8. | Priest Croft. |
COLLECTED. Northern Districts.
| 1. | Single bratticed shafts | 20 | |
| 2. | Single bratticed shafts - Cumberland | 6 | |
| — | 26 | ||
| 3. | Collieries having two or more shafts | 62 | |
| 4. | Collieries having two or more shafts - Cumberland | 12 | |
| 5. | Small Landsale Collieries | 39 | |
| — | 113 | ||
| TOTAL | 139 |
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