Description

No. 21 on the list occurred at Haswell Colliery, belonging to the Haswell, Shotton, and Easington Coal and Coke Company, Limited, on the 24th of May last, about 11 o'clock a.m., causing the death of Thomas Race, and engineman. This accident was caused by an ordinary 3-inch cast iron shut off value bursting. It was placed about 21 yards away from a hauling engine in the Main Coal Seam, and a distance of 110 fathoms from the surface, to which it regulated the steam through a 5-inch branch steam pipe. A main steam pipe is brought over the boilers on the surface to the Hutton Seam, terminating in a receiver for water caused by condensation, and this is placed 46 fathoms below the valve in question.

Advantage was taken of it being a Sunday, and the pit consequently off work, to do some slight repairs to the engine and to make two joints good in the range of steam pipes, and when this was done deceased was sent to the value by the man in charge to turn on the steam to warm the pipes, but he had no sooner opened it than a report has heard like a pistol shot, and the rush of steam along the steam drift was evidence in the engine house that something had given way. The man in charge then endeavoured to get towards the value, but on account of the rush of steam was unable to do so. He went to bank and shut off the steam at the boilers and descended again, and eventually succeeded in reaching Race 15 minutes after the explosion took place, to find he was quite dead.

On examining the value it was found that a piece of metal, measuring about 8½ ins. by 10 ins. had been blown out of the side ; this piece was very much honeycombed. The metal was also thinner at this part of the value, it being ½ an inch, whereas at other parts of it it was ¾ of an inch in thickness, and this ½ in. for a length of 6 ins., along which the honeycombing extended, was made up as follows :— 1/8 of an inch of metal, ¼ of an inch of cavity, and then another 1/8 of an inch of metal.

An inquest was held before Mr. Crofton Maynard, the coroner, when the whole of the facts were ascertained. And yaking all the evidence into consideration, I do not think any blame could be attached to anyone.

It was impossible to detect the flaw in the metal by any means. The makers had tested the valve by hydraulic pressure up to 100 lbs. per square inch, and also by hammering, and were not able to detect any unsoundness.

The colliery officials had also from time to time examined the value, and though it was perfectly safe, and it was, comparatively speaking, a new value. During the time the steam was shut off the whole of the pressure, 55 lbs. per square inch, was acting on the part which gave way. Opening the value, if carefully done, and I have reason to think that it was done otherwise, would have relieved this pressure, and I am, therefore, of opinion that when the value was opened, the water lodged in the branch pipe was set in motion by the sudden rush of steam, and this caused a strain, which the defective part of the value was unable to sustain.

Mines Inspectors Report Entry

Sources

• 1891 Mines Inspectors Report (C 6625), Durham District (No. 4) by Thomas Bell, H.M. Inspector of Mines, Page: 28, Accident Number: 21 Where to find this report
• 1891 Mines Inspectors Report (C 6625), Durham District (No. 4) by Thomas Bell, H.M. Inspector of Mines, Page: 9 Where to find this report

Researchers

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