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William Robson
| Age: | 43 |
| Died: | 2nd Dec 1886 |
| Accident: | 2nd Dec 1886 2:50 AM |
| Year Born: | abt. 1843 |
| Colliery: | Elemore |
| Company: | Hetton Coal Co., Ltd. |
| Occupation: | Hewer |
| Notes: | killed in the 1886 explosion (ignition caused by shot firing) |
| Buried: | [not known] |
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| Description | |
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Perhaps one of the most extraordinary coal-dust explosions was that which occurred at the Elemore Colliery in Durham, in December, 1886. The evidence shows intake that the explosion originated in a main haulage road within 200 yards of the downcast shaft. It was an old colliery; the road had been made for many years, and there was a current of 37,000 cubic feet a minute of fresh air passing the place where it is said the explosion originated. On the night of the explosion some miners were at work enlarging the road at the place marked + on the plan (Fig. 339) and also on the section (Fig. 340). Several shots were fired by one shift of men, who were relieved by a second shift, who fired another shot, after which the mine exploded. The evidence seems to show that it was impossible for the explosion to have originated in any other part of the mine. The flame was seen to rush into the downcast shaft, and go down the shaft and enter a seam of coal on a lower level and pass along the intake haulage road, and go still further down the shaft and enter another seam on a still lower level. Everywhere the flame traversed intake haulage roads for a total length of 3500 yards. There was no explosion in the return air-roads; there was no explosion in the working places. The intake haulage roads were dry and dusty, and it is inconceivable that there could have been fire-damp in these intake roads and no fire-damp in the working places and returns. The conclusion is irresistible that this was an explosion of coal-dust.
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| Memorial: 1886 Elemore Colliery Disaster | |
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| Memorial | |
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This is a low resolution image for web display, if you would like to have a higher resolution image, then please
us quoting reference T-00291-00-0002 and we will make the image available on a temporary page for you to access.
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| Names in this memorial picture | |||
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| Name | Died | Age | Born |
| Robert Wilson APPLEBY | 2nd Dec 1886 | 53 | 1833 |
| James CARR | 2nd Dec 1886 | 65 | 1821 |
| Thomas CLARK | 2nd Dec 1886 | 51 | 1835 |
| Ralph FISHBURN | 2nd Dec 1886 | 60 | 1826 |
| Robert HILLS | 2nd Dec 1886 | 64 | 1822 |
| John JOHNSON | 2nd Dec 1886 | 58 | 1828 |
| Ralph LAWSON | 2nd Dec 1886 | 44 | 1842 |
| George PATERSON | 2nd Dec 1886 | 54 | 1832 |
| Robert PEARSON | 2nd Dec 1886 | 54 | 1832 |
| William ROBSON | 2nd Dec 1886 | 43 | 1843 |
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| Related Articles | |
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| Pub. Date | Article (Newspaper) |
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| 03 Dec 1886 | Fatal Colliery Explosion (The Times) |
| 04 Dec 1886 | The Fatal Colliery Explosion (The Times) |
| 06 Dec 1886 | The Elemore Colliery Explosion (The Times) |
| 07 Dec 1886 | The Elemore Colliery Explosion (The Times) |
| 21 Dec 1886 | The Elemore Colliery Explosion (The Times) |
| 22 Dec 1886 | The Elemore Colliery Explosion (The Times) |
| 23 Dec 1886 | The Elemore Colliery Explosion (The Times) |
| 16 Jun 1887 | The Elemore Colliery Explosion (The Times) |
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| Further Reading | |
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- Mines Inspectors Report into the 1886 Disaster (C. 5065)
- Durham Mining Disasters, c.1700 - 1950s by Maureen Anderson, Published by Wharncliffe Books, 2008, ISBN 1-845630-73-4
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| Sources | |
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- Headstone(s) and Memorial in St. Michael and All Angels Churchyard, Hetton Lyons
- Memorial in St. Michael and All Angels Churchyard, Hetton Lyons
- Memorial photograph (T-00291-00-0002) © Kev Duncan
- Mining - an elementary treatise on the getting of minerals by Arnold Lupton, M.I.C.E., F.G.S., published in 1893
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| Researchers | |
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| Researcher | Date | Interest | |
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| assixArinna | 30 Dec 2009 |
Political interests |
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| Kathleen Robson | 30 Oct 2010 |
William Robson was my great great grandfather |
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| Elizabeth Benham (nee Robson) | 02 Dec 2010 |
William was my great/grandfather & i have done some reaearch i.e family tree & would like to share any information & learn more about family & disaster. |
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| Louise Bell | 16 Apr 2012 |
Hi, In my research William Robson was my 5th great Grandfather but unsure. I was wondering if it was the one I had been told about.My nana, Constance Blairs mother was Elenor Robson 1885-1955, whos father was John Robson 1834-1914, whos father was also John Robson 1802-1890, whos father I have i think Lionel Robson or William Robson I think my dates are out though I have been told this is a relative. If you could be so kind to let me know if anything here sounds similar I would be really appreciative. Kind Regards, Louise Bell |
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| Elizabeth Bagshaw nee Hudson | 17 Sep 2015 |
My grandmother Ada Wales Robson was his grand daughter . |
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