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February. — A miner at Down's pit, near Hetton, was showing a young woman, named Eliza Clark, how they let off a "kitty," (a straw filled with gunpowder to communicate with the powder used in blasting coal), he set fire to it at one end of table, over which it immediately passed, and communicated, by a hole in the table, with twelve pounds of gunpowder deposited in a drawer below. An instant explosion was the consequence ; and the shock split the window shutters and the doors into a thousand fragments, and the roof of the house was completely lifted off. Four persons were severely burnt, and the lives of two of them (the young woman above mentioned, and Thomas Shields), were despaired of. [LHTB]

February 19. — One of the largest engines ever yet constructed commenced working on this day, at Colonel Braddyll's new colliery at South Hetton, Durham. Its power is rated at 240 horses, and its labour was to pump water from the depth of 876 feet. [LHTB]

March 2. — A riot of a most brutal description, took place at the Downs, near Hetton-le-hole, Durham, between the old and new pitmen of that place, in which the Derbyshire (new) miners were eventually overpowered, and obliged to seek refuge in their houses in Down's lane. The old pitmen pursuing their advantage, commenced an attack upon the doors and windows of the houses of their antagonists; the consequence of which was, that the Derbyshire pitmen retaliated by firing several guns at their assailants, loaded with shot, ball, marbles and broken spoons, by which a pitman of the name of Dodds, was so dangerously wounded that his life was despaired of. Several pieces of broken pewter were extracted from his body by a surgeon. Two other men were wounded by marbles and slugs. They were subsequently extracted. After much difficulty the rioters were compelled to disperse. An outrage of a similar description took place at the Brick Garth, Easington lane, but was not attended with such disastrous circumstances. [LHTB]

May 2. — A sudden irruption of a large quantity of water occurred in Kingswood colliery, Northumberland, by which five youths were downed. [LRL]

May 9. — Thursday, a most lamentable occurrence took place at Springwell colliery, the property of the Right Hon. Lord Ravensworth and partners, near Wreckinton, in the County of Durham, and about five miles from Newcastle, owing to a dreadful explosion, in the B Pit in that colliery, by which forty-seven individuals were instantly deprived of life, besides many who received severe fractures and contusions. This colliery is on the most extensive scale, and from its complete ventilation in every part of the workings, was admired by all those engaged in the undertaking. On the morning of the day the accident happened, it had, as usual, been examined by the under viewer, and overmen and declared quite safe. About eight a.m. one of the overmen observed that a collier had pricked a blower, (a hole or crevice in the roof, from which a small quantity of inflammable gas issued;) he instantly ordered the person to leave that part of the mine. And on returning, two hours after, accompanied by the under viewer, he did not perceive any danger, but as a measure of precaution, ordered the safety lamp to be used instead of candles, with which the mine had been worked, owing to the extreme purity of the air. The colliery consists of two pits, A, and B, although containing but one shaft, which divides them by a strong and formidable piece of wood work, termed a brattice. About two o'clock on the above day the neighbourhood was alarmed by one of those dreadful explosions so peculiar to the coal mines in this district, and many posts were thrown out of the mouth of the shaft. As soon as the alarm subsided, parties of brave fellows descended the mine, and they fortunately succeeded in rescuing several who were severely injured, and also found three dead bodies, but such was the havoc created by the explosive matter, and the impure state of the mine owing to the after damp, that they could not penetrate any considerable way into the workings, and at seven o'clock on the night of the next day only eight of the bodies of the sufferers had been recovered, consequently thirty-nine remained in the mine, and with them the sad secret of the catastrophe; not one person having survived to dispel the cloud of mystery that hangs over this dismal affair. Great numbers of people visited the colliery on the next day, Friday; and at five o'clock a respectable jury was assembled, to hold an inquest on the body of James Oliver, a fine lad, who had been found dead in the pit, where his father at the same time lost his life. During the proceedings, the coroner said, as a garbled account of this lamentable affair had been printed and hawked about Newcastle and the neighbourhood, charging an unfortunate stranger, who was represented to be a Welshman, as the cause, by taking off the top of his safety lamp, he was desirous, for the exculpation of the individual thus foully charged with such a heinous offence, that he should be examined, for the satisfaction of the public, as well as the future safety of the poor fellow. Thomas Turner, from Staffordshire, was then called. He stated that he was at work in the A. pit on the preceding day; used the Davy lamp, but did not take the top off; nor ever did such a thing in his life; he was aware of the report, but it was unfounded. The jury then returned a verdict of accidental death. There were only nine or ten adults that fell victims to the terrific explosion, the remainder being boys; and nearly the whole of the sufferers were natives of this district, as only two of the strange workmen are supposed to have been lost. The accident occurred in the Hetton seam, at a depth of 120 fathoms. [LHTB]

May 28. — An explosion of inflammable gas took place in the Lumley Eight pit, Lambton colliery, by which two young men, named Gray and Atchison, unfortunately lost their lives. [LHTB]

June 8. — The Eppleton colliery, belonging to the Hetton coal company, was won. The Hutton seam is seven feet seven inches thick — pure coal, five feet six inches — depth one hundred and fifty-five fathoms. The winning had been several years in progress. [LHTB]

July 12. — Great rejoicings took place at Monkwearmouth, in consequence of a seam of coal, 2 feet 10 inches thick, and of excellent quality, having been won at the new colliery at that place. The shaft of the pit was 180 fathoms deep, and had been seven years in sinking, at an immense cost to the proprietors, Messrs. Pemberton and Thompson. The Bensham seam, 5 feet 8 inches thick, was come to, Feb 15th, 1834, at a depth of 267 fathoms ; and on April 4th, 1846, the Hutton seam, 4 feet 8 inches thick was won, at a total depth from the surface of 287 fathoms, or 1,720 feet! This is the deepest mine in the world. [LRL]

July 20. — As John Kelly was descending the shaft of Hetton pit a large piece of deal fell from the top upon him. The shock threw him out of the loop, but his foot catching a chain in his descent, he was suspended with his head downwards until he reached the bottom of the shaft. He was seriously injured. [LRF]

July 20. — As a man named Kelly was descending the Hetton Colliery he was accidentally thrown out of the tub, his foot catching the chain, he was suspended, head downwards, till he reached the bottom of the shaft, where he was extricated, much hurt. [LRL]

August 5. — Monday, South Hetton colliery was opened, and a fat bullock was roasted, and distributed among the inhabitants of the neighbourhood. A great concourse of people assembled at Seaham, to witness the first shipping of the first coals. W. Green, of Durham, Esq., as one of the owners, addressed the people, amidst the most deafening cheers. A band of music attended, and in other respects the day was one of great rejoicing. The workmen belonging to the company and to Lord Londonderry, were regaled at the several public houses in the village. [LHTB]

August 7. — Wednesday, the neighbourhood of Newcastle, was enlivened by the firing of guns, and other tokens of joy, at the loading of the first vessel from the low main seam at St. Lawrence colliery, near Newcastle, called Picton Main. The pit was begun from the surface on the 3rd December preceding, and was completed to the low main, a depth of 94 fathoms, in the short period of eight months. The seam is in great perfection, is six feet thick, and, as a proof of the spirit of the parties, notwithstanding the coal work was only commenced on Monday, they raised on the following day upwards of 120 tons of coal. A party of gentlemen dined on the occasion, and spent a convivial day. [LHTB]

September 5. — The new colliery at South End, near Cockfield, was opened to the public, on which occasion the proprietors entertained a large party of their friends with a cold collation in a commodious tent erected on the spot ; and afterwards regaled the workmen and others to the number of about 200. [LHTB]

October 28. — Mr. H. L. Pattison obtained a patent for "an improved method of separating silver from lead." Mr. Pattison's process was first introduced at the Langley smelt mills, near Haydon Bridge, Northumberland, and has since been brought into extensive operation in the various lead districts of the kingdom. [LRF]

October 29. — Coals shipped at the Clarence Staiths, Stockton, for the first time. [LRSN]

November 1. — An explosion of fire-damp occurred at Black Fell colliery, near Chester-le-Street, by which three wastemen lost their lives, namely Robert Forster, W. Lamb, and Stephen Campbell. [LHTB]

November 23. — Friday, an explosion of fire-damp took place at the Low Moorsley pit, near Houghton-le-Spring, in the County of Durham. Mr. Appleby, viewer, Mr. Dawson, overman, and four men were dreadfully burnt. [LHTB]

November 27. — John Gibson, engineman at Wideopen colliery, about five miles from Newcastle, lost his life by the bursting of a boiler, about nine o'clock at night. There were two other boilers alongside the one which burst, neither of which were much injured. The boiler which exploded, weighing six to seven tons, was blown to some distance. [LRF]

November 27. — Tuesday, John Gibson, engine man at Wideopen colliery, about 4 miles N.E. from Newcastle, lost his life by the bursting of one of the boilers of the main pumping engine, about nine o'clock at night. No person being there but himself, and the boiler being in a good state of repair, the cause of this melancholy occurrence is left entirely to conjecture. There were two other boilers alongside the one which burst, neither of which were much injured. The boiler which exploded, weighing six or seven tons, was blown to some distance, razing the boiler house to its foundations, The engine house being detached, little injury was sustained in that part of the premises. [LRL]

 

 

 

• LHTB — Local Historian's Table Book of Remarkable Occurrences Connected with the Counties of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, Northumberland and Durham by M.A. Richardson. Published in five volumes in 1844.
• LRF — Local Records or Historical Register of Remarkable Events by T. Fordyce, Published in 1867
• LRL — Local Records or Historical Register of Remarkable Events by John Latimer, Published in 1857
• LRSN — Local Records of Stockton and the Neighbourhood by Thomas Richmond. Published in one volume in 1868.