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	Individual Details		Individual Details

Age:	32
Died:	12th Feb 1928
Accident:	12th Feb 1928
Year Born:	abt. 1896
Colliery:	Haig Pit
Company:
Occupation:	Deputy
Notes:	married, address: 1, Ladypit Cottages ; killed in the 1928 explosion
Buried:	[not known]
Category:

In my last report I briefly described an explosion which occurred on December 13th, 1927, at the Haig Pit, Cumberland, causing the deaths of two deputies and two workmen. As a result of a fire caused by that explosion the two inbye districts, viz., Nos. 2 and 3, had to be sealed off before the fourth body had been recovered.

The whole pit remained idle for nearly two months, and as all indications pointed to the fire being extinguished it was decided to attempt to recover the sealed area, and notices were given by the Colliery Company to interested parties that the seals would be broken at 1 p.m. on Saturday, 11th February, 1928.

It was decided to explore the inbye district (No. 3) first, and after opening the return stopping and partly isolating the middle district (No. 2) the main intake stopping was opened and the gas gradually cleared until a point was reached when it was possible to send rescue men forward to the place where a fire was known to have broken out in December. The rescue team returned and reported the fire out and the place cool, and brought back pieces of coke and charred timber. This work had taken from 1 p.m. to about 11 p.m.

Further progress was made up to a little after midnight, when a series of explosions took place (some say three and others four), one of which was extremely violent, blowing outbye for about 100 yards the brick and cement stopping walls on the main intake. The rescue team and other persons stationed on the outbye side of the district managed to escape, but the 13 explorers actually in the No, 3 District at the time perished. A gallant attempt was shortly afterwards made by a rescue party to penetrate the district, but owing to the main intake being completely blocked by falls, and the grave risk of a further explosion, it had to be abandoned and the area temporarily stopped off again.

After consultations the following day, when I was fortunate in having the assistance of the Chief Inspector of Mines, and as a result of a joint inspection of the pit on the 14th February, it was decided again to seal off the two districts, and up to the time of writing this report the seals have not been broken.

Mr. (now Sir) Henry Walker, C.B.E., H.M. Chief Inspector of Mines, held an inquiry at Whitehaven on March 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th last, at which he took all available evidence up to the time of resealing the areas after the February explosion.

Work was resumed in the No. 1 District on April 23rd, 1928, and has continued without interruption up to date.

The list of persons whose bodies are still in the sealed area is as follows :—

Burdess, Peter	H.M. Sub-Inspector of Mines.
Cresswell, Jesse	Deputy.
Fell, Robert	Colliery Under Manager.
Graham, William	Deputy.
Hanlon, Henry C.	Agent, Cumberland Miners' Association.
Hodgson, George	Deputy.
Horricks, Harold J. G.	Timberman (entombed since December, 1927).
Loudon, Wm.	H.M. Junior Inspector of Mines.
McKenzie, Hugh	Deputy.
Rothery, James	Deputy.
Steel, Robert	Colliery Agent.
Tyson, John	Secretary, Cumberland Colliery Officials' Association.
Walker, John T.	Overman.
Wilkinson, Frank	Deputy.

Pub. Date	Article (Newspaper)
04 Apr 1926	History Of Whitehaven Pits, When Coal Was Two Shillings A Ton, 18 Houses Demolished By Subsidences (Whitehaven News)
13 Feb 1928	Pit Disaster, Search Party's Fate, 13 Killed At Whitehaven (The Times)
14 Feb 1928	Whitehaven Pit Disaster, The King's Sympathy (The Times)
17 Feb 1928	The Whitehaven Pit Disaster, Relief Fund Opened (The Times)
23 Feb 1928	Haig Pit Inquiry (The Times)
25 Feb 1928	Haig Pit Disaster (The Science and Art of Mining)
08 Mar 1928	The Whitehaven Explosions, Evidence At Inquiry (The Times)
10 Mar 1928	The Haig Pit Explosions, Colliery Manager's Evidence (The Times)

• Northumberland & Cumberland Mining Disasters by Maureen Anderson, Published by Wharncliffe Books, 2009, ISBN 1-845630-81-5

• 1928 Mines Inspectors Report

Email	Researcher	Date	Interest
	Amy Vallance	11 May 2023	I am researching my family history, Frank is my great grandfather.
	Louise Vallance	20 Nov 2023	I am interested in Frank Wilkinson who is also my Great Grandfather.

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