Robert Gardner
A melancholy and dreadful explosion of inflammable gas took place at Thornley Colliery, belonging to Sir W. Chaytor and Co., situate about seven miles east of Durham, and close adjoining the collieries of Haswell, South Hetton, and other extensive and important mines connected with the trade of the Wear ; which, since its commencement, about six years previous, up to the above date, had been worked with the greatest safety and satisfaction, having always been considered one of the best ventilated pits in the neighbourhood; and in this instance the unfortunate accident by which eight boys and one man met with an untimely end, could be, with too great certainty, traced to the negligence of one of the boys (a sufferer) by the leaving of his trap-door open. Thornley pit contains three seams, the first of which is called the five-quarter seam, and is worked at a depth of 85 fathoms; the second the Hutton seam, of 145 fathoms; and the third (the place where the explosion took place) is at the depth of 166 fathoms, and is called the Harvey seam, and up to a few minutes of her taking fire, there was not the smallest reason whatever to anticipate such a lamentable result, and not the slightest danger was apprehended by any one connected with the works. On Thursday afternoon a little before four o'clock the men at the bank were alarmed by a fierce blast of wind coming suddenly up the shaft, carrying with it thick volumes of smoke and dust, and soon after, the workmen employed at the bottom ascended and gave the alarm that the pit had fired; upon this the most praiseworthy and humane efforts were immediately used by Mr. Heckles, the resident viewer, Mr. Cairns, and other individuals, who disregarding consequences, descended the shaft, in order if possible, to render every assistance to those who had fortunately escaped with life, and endeavour to bring to bank those who had perished under the devastating power of the explosion. In the mean time, the news of the disaster spread through the village (which is very populous), and the pit was soon surrounded by relatives, friends, and others, who were waiting in anxious suspense, to know the extent of the injury. Mr. Heckles and his brave comrades, on descending, soon ascertained the quarter from which the fire originated, viz. the Harvey seam, and in about a quarter of an hour after, such workmen as were found unhurt, along with three others who had been severely burnt, were all brought to bank; but one of the latter (a boy named Jonathan Gardner) died a few hours afterwards. On further examination, it was discovered that the explosion was confined to about 200 yards in the north-west part of the seam, and, as they proceeded, they found in the workings, nine dead bodies, eight of whom were boys, and one man, two of whom had been burnt to death, and the rest had died from the effects of the after-damp. There were also found two horses dead. At the time of the accident there were between 30 and 40 men down in different parts of the mine; and in the particular district of the fire, between 70 and 80 hewers had just left off working and returned to bank a few minutes before it occurred, and the only man who suffered was Thomas Haswell, a hewer, who on account of being lame, did not go away with his comrades, but while waiting to ride upon the wagons, the explosion took place, by which he unfortunately lost his life, A boy named Pile, also was thrown down by the violence of the blast, but escaped with only his arm broken ; and a man, a driver, was fortunately within the tub on the empty wagon, which was thrown over upon him, and his escape was attributed to this singular circumstance, as the horse he was driving was killed. Saturday the 7th, an inquest was held on the bodies, before Richard Maynard, esq. coroner for that division of the county of Durham, and a respectable jury, at the Thornton Colliery inn, and after a long and careful investigation of the circumstances connected with the melancholy event, it appeared from the evidence brought before them that the pit generally at all times was considered in a very safe state, being thoroughly ventilated by an up-cast and down-cast shaft; that the Harvey seam was a new one, and had been worked only since April preceding; that a trapper boy, named R. Gardner (one of the sufferers), was observed during the day with his trap-door open, and was at the time cautioned; but that ultimately it is supposed he had fallen asleep with his door propped, by which means a portion of the ventilation of the mine was stopped, and in consequence a quantity of foul air gradually accumulating, had fired at his candle, and caused the explosion. The jury, under these circumstances, after consulting some time, returned the following verdict :— "Accidental death — caused by an explosion of fire-damp, but by what means it was caused could not be discovered." The following is a list of the unfortunate sufferers Thomas Haswell, hewer, aged 42, leaving a wife and seven children; John Armstrong, putter, aged 15; John Gardner and Robert Gardner, two brothers, aged 17 and 9, one a putter and the other a trapper; John Graham and George Graham, two brothers, aged 16 and 11, both putters; Peter Gradon, driver, aged 11; George Ord, flatman, aged 17; and Thomas Hall, putter, aged 17. The coroner having signed the warrants for the interment of the deceased, the whole were buried at Kelloe, the same afternoon. Nearly all the population of Thornley turned out to accompany the funeral procession — a melancholy and heart-rending spectacle which it was impossible to behold without the deepest emotions. The damage sustained in the workings of the pit were very inconsiderable, there being only a few board-end stoppings knocked down, and some other trifling things, all of which were soon replaced, and the mine again restored to a proper state of ventilation.
Extracts from the Inquest into this death.
Pub.
Date | Article (Newspaper) |
|---|
| 06 Aug 1841 | News (Durham County Advertiser) |
| 06 Aug 1841 | News (Annual Register for 1841) |
| 10 Aug 1841 | Dreadful Explosion at Thornley Colliery (The Times) |
| 14 Aug 1841 | Dreadful Colliery Explosion (Newcastle Journal) |
| 30 May 1951 | Wearside Echoes, Thornley Had Pit Disaster 110 Years Ago (Sunderland Echo and Shipping Gazette) |
- Durham Mining Disasters, c.1700 - 1950s by Maureen Anderson, Published by Wharncliffe Books, 2008, ISBN 1-845630-73-4
- Local Historian's Table Book of Remarkable Occurrences Connected with the Counties of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, Northumberland and Durham by M.A. Richardson. Published in five volumes in 1844.
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