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	Individual Details		Individual Details

Age:	18
Died:	26th Jan 1852
Accident:	26th Jan 1852
Year Born:	abt. 1834
Colliery:	Trimdon
Company:
Occupation:	Putter
Notes:	explosion of gas. [The Durham Chronicle - 30/01/1852]
Buried:	[not known]
Category:

At 2a.m. on 26 January, an explosion of gas at Trimdon Colliery killed three young lads and severely injured two men. About six weeks before the accident, a passage had been made from the Main Coal seam to the Five Quarter seam to extract coal there, and workings in the new seam had just begun. The drift, which was an inclined plane about 130 yards long, had a brick partition up the middle for ventilation until another drift (the return air drift) could be completed; it was also a self-acting incline, with one tub going up as another came down. To help the plane work better at the bottom end, it became necessary to take out a few yards of the brick partition and, as this would suspend ventilation, no one was allowed to go up the plane. Overman Benjamin Hardy remained with the workmen until the partition was restored at 1 o’clock on Monday morning.

An hour later, the deputy-overman, John Farrow, went down the mine and on reaching Hardy he was told that the drift was ‘foul’ and no one was to go up it. Hardy estimated that it would take an hour to clear the gas. He then left to go to another area of the Main Coal, and ten minutes later he was thrown down by the concussion of the explosion, which also extinguished all the lights. On obtaining a fresh light, Hardy went towards the drift and found Farrow and William Dunn lying about 20 yards from the top both were severely burnt. Close by were the bodies of Nicholas Hindmarch and George Dixon; both lads had been killed on the spot. Another young man, George Dobson, had been working at the foot of the plane when the blast occurred; he was badly bruised and had two broken arms. It appeared that Farrow had gone up the plane using a candle to light his way, taking three lads with him. He said he had just placed his candle in some clay when the gas ignited. The noise was said to resemble the ‘explosion of a magazine.’

An inquest into the deaths of the three lads — Dunn had died of his injuries on Wednesday morning — was held on 29 January. Matthias Dunn, the Government Inspector of Mines, was present. Benjamin Hardy was called to give evidence :

I heard a loud explosion, which appeared to me to proceed from the drift. The lights were all blown out, and I felt a strong gust of wind accompanied by coal dust. I ran out to the bottom of the pit followed by all the men in the main-coal seam, except two, who were injured.

Then, after getting a light, he went into the south end of the drift. He continued :

I met Farrow about fourteen yards up the drift. I asked “Is that Farrow“, he said “Yes, I’m bad.” I called to the men and two came who took him out.

Hardy then put in some bratticing to help the ventilation, but the rescuers were still unable to recover the other two bodies until 12 o’clock.

Arthur Smith testified that he heard Hardy say to Farrow “John, she’s foul up the bank, I doubt you will not be able to get up to work this morning.”

At the resumed inquest on 20 February, the Coroner asked the jury if they were satisfied that there was an accumulation of gas at the top of the drift and, if so, was Farrow to be considered culpable for proceeding there with a naked candle. The jury retired and after an hour’s deliberation brought in a verdict of accidental death but added :

John Farrow was highly censurable in going up the drift with a naked candle. They also concurred in a recommendation to the owners of the colliery to enforce more stringently the use of the Davy lamp.

A warrant was made out for Farrow’s committal for manslaughter, but the Coroner told the policeman that he need not put it in immediate execution because of Farrow’s condition. The Durham Advertiser commented :

Very great sympathy was manifested on Farrow’s account by all the workmen: many appearing to think that he had suffered enough already; some saying that he was a “decent fellow”; and everyone seeming to feel for his unfortunate position.

Pub. Date	Article (Newspaper)
31 Jan 1852	Explosion at Trimdon Colliery, Three Lives Lost (Newcastle Guardian and Tyne Mercury)
31 Jan 1852	Fatal Colliery Explosion (Newcastle Journal)
28 Feb 1852	The Trimdon Explosion, Verdict Of Manslaughter (Newcastle Guardian and Tyne Mercury)

• Text kindly provided by Jim Grainger from his research into early newspapers (primarily the Durham Advertiser and Durham Chronicle).

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