Description

An explosion of firedamp occurred in the Low Low Main Seam at Cowpen "Mill" Colliery, Blyth, at 7.15 p.m. on the 5th July. The workings are underneath the sea at a depth of about 180 yards, and the seam is from 3 feet 8 inches to 4 feet in thickness with a roof stratum of blue metal extending 8 fathoms up to the Low Main Seam goaf. The measures have an inclination of 1 in 30 in a northerly direction, and, about 1 mile from the "Mill" pit, a whin dyke runs across the royalty, without vertical dislocation of the strata, from north-west to south-east. This dyke has been proved to be 7 yards in thickness in the rolleyway, and the coal is coked on both sides, usually for a distance of 7 yards. This coked coal is locally termed cinder coal, and is not extracted. The explosion occurred in the workings adjoining the cinder coal and on the inbye side of the whin dyke. The Low Low Main Seam is worked on the double stall system. The boards are driven from the main headways 5 yards in width and 100 yards apart, and stalls are set out from them 12 yards in width and at 50 yards centres. The pillars are worked back from both sides of the stalls by bordways lifts 12 yards wide, leaving solid coal pillars also 12 yards wide to support the bord above. Stentons are driven through these pillars for ventilation, and an airway is maintained along the goaf edge as shown upon the plan.

The officials made their inspections with safety lamps, but open lights were used by the workmen, with the exception of the leading or charge stonemen, who claimed safety lamps in addition to open lights. At 6 o'clock on Sunday evening, the 5th July, John George Irving, chargeman, descended the mine with James Chandler, leading stoneman, and James Henry Onwyn, intending to fire a shot and take some canch down at H on the plan, in the 2nd Right Stall, 2nd Bord, No. 4 South Flat of the Welcome District. Irving travelled inbye in advance of the stonemen and examined the broken workings on the narrow bord A, B. He then returned to the meeting station at A, and directed the two men to take their drilling gear on a tram up the headways to E, and on the narrow bord to the second stall to prepare for a canch shot at H. lie then went along the old narrow bord to B, and up the stall to C; he examined the first stall and then sat at the bottom of the second stall at D, waiting for the men. No inspection was made of the stenton D, F, or of the road F, G, on the goaf edge. While Chandler and Onwyn were bringing the tram containing the drilling gear, candle box, and a canister containing 15 cartridges of compressed powder, Irving noticed that Chandler's safety lamp went out somewhere between the first and second stalls; he had some difficulty in keeping a light in his own lamp, and stated that he had nearly half an inch of wick up as the ventilation was very slack. The two men approached a few feet nearer to Irving when an accumulation of firedamp was ignited by Onwyn's candle, and the three men were badly burned. They travelled outbye in the dark for a distance of 500 yards before they obtained lights. As it was Sunday there were no officials at the surface when they ascended, and Onwyn and Chandler walked home without the application of dressings to their burns. These men died on the 7th and 9th July respectively, from the effects of shock following burns. There were no signs of violence, resulting from the explosion, and the compressed powder in the canister on the tram was untouched. Signs of flame were observed on the timber in the second stall, also outbye on the bord and within the area shown by the cross-hatching on the plan. Onwyn's midgy was found near Irving's safety lamp at D, and Chandler's safety lamp was at the outbye end of the tram 8 yards away.

Prior to the explosion, the ventilation of the flat had apparently been neglected, and immediately afterwards brattice sheets were fixed or repaired in order to course the air through the working places. A feeder of firedamp was found to be issuing from a cavity at G, on the goaf edge, and near the cinder coal. Brattice was carried along the goaf edge from F to G to ventilate the cavity, but the firedamp was coming off freely, and even under these improved conditions, air samples taken nine days afterwards showed 16.51 per cent. of firedamp in the cavity at G, 1.03 per cent. in the second stall at H, the place where the shot was to be fired, and .71 per cent. in the first stall at M. It was detected for a further period of one month when the feeder became exhausted. The feeder G occurred at the highest point in an area of goaf, some 7 acres in extent, and this, with probably the proximity of the cinder coal and whin dyke may be sufficient explanation for the considerable volume of firedamp discharged. Before the explosion occurred no unusual movements had been noticed in this goaf area.

The meeting station required to be appointed by Section 63 of the Coal Mines Act, 1911, was at A marked on the plan, but proper arrangements for the chargeman to make the inspection before commencing work do not appear to have been made. The workmen descended with the chargeman, and the former travelled inbye from the meeting station on a road which had not been examined, and before the report required by Section 64 (3) could be recorded. The chargeman was evidently unable to detect firedamp even when the air was in an explosive state, and probably inspections had been made by other officials under similar conditions, as it was stated at the inquest held upon the bodies of the two men that the ventilation was as bad on the previous Thursday and Friday nights. There can be little doubt that Chandler's safety lamp was extinguished by firedamp between the first and second stalls immediately before the explosion occurred. Explosives were used extensively by the coal hewers and stonemen, and although firedamp had not been reported for many years, it became evident at the enquiry that it must have been detected occasionally. It was a fortunate circumstance that the workings in this seam were naturally damp, and that very little coal dust was made in the mine.

Related Articles

Sources

• 1914 Mines Inspectors Report (Cd 8023) Where to find this report
• 1914 Mines Inspectors Report (Cd 8023), Northern Division (No. 2) by J. R. R. Wilson, H.M. Inspector of Mines, Page: 46, Accident Number: 1 Where to find this report

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