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Martin Greener
| Age: | 20 |
| Died: | 22nd Jun 1847 |
| Accident: | 22nd Jun 1847 9:30 PM |
| Year Born: | abt. 1827 |
| Colliery: | Felling, Tyne Main Pit |
| Company: | Messrs. Carr and Co. |
| Occupation: | Hewer |
| Notes: | young man ; killed in the 1847 explosion |
| Buried: | [not known] |
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| Description | |
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The accident occurred at about 9 p.m. "and was accompanied by a terrific report, while fragments of various description were blown up the shaft into the air a considerable height." Thomas Bales the under-viewer, accompanied by one of the banksmen, descended the shaft and, on arriving at the bottom, found one man unhurt. Going cautiously into the workings they discovered other men alive but badly burnt "four were dead and in a very mangled condition." During the night, all the survivors were taken to bank where they received medical help. The explorers found that only two horses had escaped the blast and when the rest were discovered "they were literally burnt to a blackened mass." The final death toll was four men, two boys, thirteen horses and two ponies.
At the inquest, viewer T. E. Foster said that in his opinion the explosion was caused "by kindling of one of the engine fires under the boiler of which gas had accumulated: the fire under the boiler was ‘smothered' by the engineman before leaving for the night, and the ‘damper' shut to prevent the draught : the ignition of the coals, therefore, originated the accident."
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| Related Articles | |
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| Pub. Date | Article (Newspaper) |
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| 26 Jun 1847 | The Colliery Accident at Felling (The Times) |
| 26 Jun 1847 | Dreadful Colliery Accident At Felling (Newcastle Guardian and Tyne Mercury) |
| 03 Jul 1847 | The Late Explosion At Felling Colliery (Newcastle Guardian and Tyne Mercury) |
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| Sources | |
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- Text kindly provided by Jim Grainger from his research into early newspapers (primarily the Durham Advertiser and Durham Chronicle).
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| Researchers | |
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| Researcher | Date | Interest | |
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| Anna Palmer | 13 Apr 2013 |
Family History |
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