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	Individual Details		Individual Details

Age:	23
Died:	7th Aug 1868
Accident:	7th Aug 1868
Year Born:	abt. 1845
Colliery:	Thrislington
Company:	West Hetton Coal Co.
Occupation:	Onsetter
Notes:	explosion at the shaft
Buried:	[not known]
Category:

Fatal Explosion of Fire-damp.

As happened in 1867, and as was mentioned in my report of last year, I may here repeat with respect to the year 1868, that only one explosion of fire-damp in the mines of the district during the past year has proved fatal to life, and even in this solitary case no other person than the unfortunate victim, Joseph Palmer, an onsetter, twenty-three years of age, was injured by it.

It occurred on the 7th August 1868, at the new pit at Thrislington Colliery, the shaft of which had only a short time previously been sunk from the surface down to the Harvey seam of coal. A furnace had been placed on the surface, close to the top of the shaft, for the purpose of ventilation, while the shaft holings and other preliminary operations were being carried out before commencing the ordinary working of coal. The surface furnace was surmounted by a chimney. In one direction in the mine a considerable amount of fire-damp had been given off (south-westwards from the shaft), where the rising of the seam of coal was at the rate of about six inches in the yard, and of necessity had to be ventilated by means of brattice ; but this had been driven so as to open a communication between the two compartments (downcast and upcast) of the shaft, about three weeks before the explosion took place.

After the completion of this communication between the down-cast and the up-cast divisions of the shaft the sinkers had been employed in putting guides into the shaft, and raising the water from the sump at the shaft bottom.

About ten o'clock on the night of the 6th August some permanent brattice was substituted for the temporary brattice near the bottom of the shaft, which would naturally have the effect of lessening the leakage of air at that part, and of causing a stronger current to pass through the few workings in the seam of coal.

The onsetter Palmer went, as usual, to guide the water tub, near the sump, at the bottom of the shaft, and he was the only man in the mine at the time when the explosion took place.

A deputy overman examined the workings at ten p. m., and reported to the master sinker, in the presence of Palmer (but not to the overman), that he had observed fire damp resting in a wedge shape up the south-west holing. About 1.15. a.m. on the following morning (the 7th August) the banksman observed a flash of flame come out of the furnace chimney, and a few seconds afterwards he heard an explosion in the up-cast shaft, which proved to have blown out a considerable quantity of the brattice separating the down-cast from the up-cast compartments of the shaft. The onsetter was employed at the bottom of the down-cast division of the shaft, and had no naked light, but only a safety lamp ; so that the explosion almost certainly originated at the ventilating furnace on the surface.

I may here mention that I had previously obtained a promise from Mr. Wood the manager that he would open out the seam of coal with safety lamps only, notwithstanding his stating to me at the time that the seam was, so far, very free from fire-damp, and that I was not aware of a furnace having been adopted to ventilate the mine until I received notice of the explosion having occurred.

When the top of the fallen brattice and of other materials was reached at the lower part of the shaft, on the 8th August after the explosion, the onsetter was found sitting upon it, not burnt but quite dead, probably from suffocation by the after-damp resulting from the explosion.

At the inquest Mr. Wood the manager stated that he had adopted the furnace as a temporary means of producing ventilation, thinking it safe to do so as no fire-damp had then been observed.

That a feeder of fire-damp was, however, encountered after driving about 50 yards to the rise of the seam.

That the workings of the mine might become foul during the time the workmen were replacing the temporary brattice by the permanent brattice near the bottom of the shaft, and that the extra pressure of air laid upon the workings after substituting the permanent for the temporary brattice might have the effect of bringing off any previous accumulation of fire-damp, and that this might be ignited at the furnace at the top of the shaft and so cause the explosion.

Under the circumstances he stated that he thought that Raisbeck, the overman, who resides at the colliery and had charge of it in his absence, ought to have watched with a safety lamp the state of the return air near the shaft; and that if he had found it to be explosive he ought to have had it diluted with fresh air, by opening a door separating it from the intake fresh air, so as to have prevented an explosive current from ascending the shaft and reaching the furnace there.

Mr. Wood did not reside at the place and was not aware of the hourly changes and operations going on at this particular colliery, he having the charge of several others.

Similar views to the above were given by Mr. Armstrong of Wingate, and by Mr. Joseph Smith, in their evidence, both being managers of neighbouring collieries.

John Scarth, a chargeman over sinkers, Richard Brown, a banksman, and Matthew Raisbeck, an overman, were each examined at the inquest.

In this case I think that Matthew Raisbeck showed a want of judgment in not watching, or sending some one to watch, the state of the return air near the bottom of the shaft, while the replacing of the temporary brattice by permanent brattice at the shaft bottom was in progress ; and, if I mistake not, the deceased onsetter, Joseph Palmer, was his son-in-law. I also consider that it was imprudent, under the circumstances to have employed a furnace, even on the surface, to produce ventilation ; and that a water fall in the downcast shaft, or, in its absence, a small ventilating fan or air pump, ought to have been employed for the purpose of opening out the mine.

The jury after hearing all the evidence returned a verdict of accidental death.

• 1868 Mines Inspectors Report, South Durham District by John J. Atkinson, H.M. Inspector of Mines, Page: 11
• 1868 Mines Inspectors Report, South Durham District by John J. Atkinson, H.M. Inspector of Mines, Page: 23, Accident Number: 52

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