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Jack Davison
| Age: | 52 |
| Died: | 24th Aug 1953 |
| Accident: | 24th Aug 1953 |
| Year Born: | abt. 1901 |
| Colliery: | Lingdale (Ironstone) |
| Company: | Pease and Partners Ltd. |
| Occupation: | |
| Notes: | address: 33 Tyreman Street, Lingdale ; explosion of an accumulation of gas in the South West Dips District |
| Buried: | [not known] |
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| Description | |
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The third and largest explosion occurred at Lingdale ironstone mine in the Cleveland District where fifteen persons sustained burns, eight of whom subsequently died.
In my last year’s Report I recorded that very extensive investigation as to the origin and occurrence of inflammable gas in the Cleveland ironstone mines had led to the discovery that the gas is not always pure methane but a mixture of methane and higher hydrocarbons having a density greater than that of air. Following this a number of measures designed to safeguard against the danger as it was understood were in the process of being adopted at all the ironstone mines when, most unfortunately, this latest explosion occurred.
It took place in a pillared district where, after the total extraction of some pillars of ironstone in the dip side of a district had been started, a general creep developed, culminating in a large fall at a wide junction where there was a span of unsupported roof, 30 feet wide in workings 10 feet high. The fall brought with it an appreciable volume of firedamp which, rolling outbye along the roof of the roadway, came within a short distance in contact with the open flame of an acetylene lamp and was thereupon ignited. The resultant flame shot straight along the roadway for some 200 yards and also penetrated into roadways to either side but, unfortunately, right in its path, in the straight portion of the road, were nine men, all but one of whom received fatal burns. The survivor, most remarkably, was the man nearest to the point of ignition where he was engaged in topping up a loaded tub of ironstone by the light of an acetylene lamp which had been hung at the side of the place. This man owed his subsequent escape undoubtedly to his presence of mind in dropping to the ground behind the tub as soon as he saw the gas take fire.
Emission of firedamp from a fall cavity apparently had never been known previously, nevertheless all concerned with the management of these ironstone mines rightly took the view that naked lights could no longer continue in use without risk and accordingly safety lamps were adopted.
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| Related Articles | |
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| Pub. Date | Article (Newspaper) |
|---|---|
| 25 Aug 1953 | Explosion In Mine, Two Dead, 13 Injured (The Times) |
| 26 Aug 1953 | Two More Deaths From Mine Explosion (The Times) |
| 28 Aug 1953 | Another Lingdale Death (Northern Daily Mail) |
| 29 Aug 1953 | News in Brief (The Times) |
| 31 Aug 1953 | News in Brief (The Times) |
| 01 Sep 1953 | News in Brief (The Times) |
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| Sources | |
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- 1953 Mines Inspectors Report
- Contributions by members of the Public
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| Researchers | |
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