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March 16. — A little boy, named Taylor, employed at Spital Tongues Colliery, near Newcastle, escaped a dreadful death in a most remarkable way. Taylor was occupied at bank, pushing the corves of coals from the shaft to fill the wagons, and he occasionally steadied the corves over the mouth of the shaft to descend into the mine. While engaged in the later occupation a projecting rod from the corf caught in his waistcoat and dragged him into the shaft, down which he fell head foremost. The shaft is 60 fathoms deep, and his fellow workmen shuddered as they thought of his certain death. Judge their surprise when, a moment afterwards, a voice came up the shaft "I've got hold of the rope, pull me up" and, strange as it may seem, at a depth of upwards of 180 feet had this boy in his perilous descent seized the rope, which was connected with the corf about to descend, and sustained his weight until brought to the surface, having received no other injury than a slight graze on one arm and leg. [LRF]

May 7. — For about three month previous to this date, Burdon Main colliery, near North Shields, had been laid in, in consequence of the workings being filled with water, which rose to about fourteen feet up the shaft. This evening, however, the water entirely disappeared, and it was afterwards found that it had forced its way into Percy Main colliery, the working of which was suspended until the water was pumped up. [LRL]

October 4. — This morning, an alarming fire was discovered to be raging in the Alexandrina Pit, Rainton colliery. Immediate steps were taken to extinguish the flames, but it was not until the evening of the following day that these efforts were successful. A furnaceman was in the mine at the outbreak of the fire, and he, with sixteen valuable horses, was suffocated. The damage was estimated at about £2,000. [LRL]

December. — Marshall Green colliery, Durham, was won about the beginning of this month. Considerable rejoicing took place in consequence at Witton-le-Wear. [LRL]

 

 

 

• 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