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January 12. — An accident happened at Tanfield colliery, by one of those fires, which, being ordered to be put out by the boys after the workmen had left, they spread it abroad carelessly among some straw, which immediately took fire, the flame of which instantly catched hold of two casks of oil standing very near the place, which, setting fire to the coal, burnt with such violence and rarefied the air to such a degree, that a plentiful supply of fresh air from the adjacent pits, that pit was changed into a terrible bellowing volcano, thundering out eruptions of hot cinders of considerable weight into the open air, to an incredible height and distance. This accident happened about two o’clock in the morning, and continued increasing for about seven hours, when the pits were all ordered to be closed in, which extinguished the flames. Several who attempted to put a stop to the fire very narrowly escaped with their lives. [LRS]

February 11. — The Tyne still being frozen over, the principal coal-fitters under Sir Henry Liddell, bart., Edward Wortley, and George Bowes, esqrs., set to work about 200 men to cut away the ice and open the channel from below Newcastle to their staiths above bridge, being nearly a mile and a half in length, in which hazardous undertaking no fatal accident happened. In about a week, a passage was opened and keels loaded, by which means, ships, which had been waiting for coals, were despatched to London and other places. The success attending the clearing away of the ice from the staiths of Sir Henry Liddell, bart., &c., induced an attempt to open the river to other staiths, but two men being unfortunately drowned, stopped the proceedings. The gentlemen of the coal-trade on the river Wear commenced opening a passage to their staiths, in the same manner as had been performed with success at Newcastle. Towards the close of the month of February, the rivers which had been blocked up since December, were cleared of their ice by a gentle thaw without damage, and trade was again resumed. [LRS]

September 8. — Arose a most terrible storm of wind at S.W., which did great damage on the river Tyne, by sinking keels, and driving ships and boats from their moorings. At Shields, the Prince Frederick, of Guernsey, was driven from her anchor, and ran foul of several ships, some of which shared the same fate ; and by the impetuosity of the wind on her larboard, she heeled gunwale in. The starboard midship port being open to take in coals (having at that time four keels on board) the water filled her so quickly that she sank in the middle of the river. A custom house officer, named Harbottle, two men, and a boy perished, two of them in the cabin, the swell being so great that none could venture to give them any assistance. [LRS]

December 21. — Died, at his house, at Flatts, Thomas Allan, esq., one of the principal coal-owners on the Rivert Wear. He was a gentleman whose integrity and worth placed him in the highest estimation, and whose good nature and generosity endeared him to all his acquaintance. He was ernest in promoting the good of his country, and particularly that great support of it, its trade, in the cause of which he embarked his fortune, and applied a most lauable industry, manifesting in his affairs an uncommon degree of elegance and propriety, and as his life was adorned with every virtue that dignified human nature, so his death was universally a most melancholy occasion of sorrow. Mr. Allan was son of Thomas Allan, esq., of Newcastle : a branch of the Allans of Grange. Nov. 19th, 1752, died, Mrs. Allan, relict of Thomas Allan, of Flatts, esq. [LRS]

 

 

 

• LRS — Local Records or Historical Register of Remarkable Events by John Sykes, published in 1833 in two volumes