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| Date: | 1st May 1856 |
| Colliery: | West Auckland |
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| Cause: | Boiler explosion |
| Lives Lost: | 1 |
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| Description | |
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Two days after the Crowtrees boiler explosion, being the 1st of May, another cylindrical boiler, with hemispherical ends, exploded at the West Auckland colliery, whereby Martin Lambert lost his life.
At the inquest, in this case, John Jackson, a fireman, stated on oath, that he tried the floats on the boiler about seven o'clock on the morning of the explosion, and then found plenty of water in the boiler, which was being fed at the time. And that the colliery engine-wright, Henry Henderson, had been amongst the boilers three times that morning, before the explosion occurred. Witness also stated that the exploded boiler was not leaking at the time of the explosion.
Robert Bailes, a brakesman, being sworn, said that he examined the exploded boiler, and found plenty of water in it, only about half a minute before it exploded. The boiler had one of its floats contrived so as to sound an alarm by a whistle (one of Slater's self-acting danger signals-see diagram) in the event of the water getting too low; but it was not whistling at the time of the explosion. The working pressure on the boilers was 33lbs. per square inch.
Henry Henderson being sworn said: I am enginewright at the West Auckland colliery. I examined the boiler there about six o'clock on the morning of the explosion. I returned to the boilers again about seven o'clock, and staid amongst them about half an hour, and all appeared to be right then. Mr. Hopper, the resident viewer of the colliery, told me, about half-past eight o'clock, that he had examined the boilers, and expected all was right. The witness then said :—
"The explosion took place about half-past nine o clock, A.M. I had made a formal examination of the boiler which has exploded, on the Tuesday preceding the Thursday on which the explosion took place, without detecting any danger
I had also more thoroughly examined the boiler which has exploded, to see if it wanted repairs, by sounding or 'jowling' it six weeks ago."
Thomas Robinson, a fireman, being sworn, said: On the morning of the explosion I changed the feed off the exploded boiler, about eight o'clock, at which time there was plenty of water in it; and it might have been worked safely without feeding again, till about twelve o'clock. I saw the floats and valves about ten minutes before the explosion. I believe the boiler was not leaking at the time of the explosion; but it was seldom my duty to fire the boiler which has exploded.
John Greathead, master blacksmith, then proved that he had repaired the exploded boiler five years ago, by putting six plates into the bottom, over the fire, and had done no considerable repairs to it since that time.
John Thompson, engineer, at Black Boy colliery, stated it as his opinion that the explosion had not occurred from want of water, but that there must have been some greater pressure than the working pressure to have caused the explosion, as he considered that the boiler would have borne the working pressure.
Henry Snowball, engineer, being sworn, said that he did not think the explosion had been caused either by want of water or overheating.
The boiler is thin and weak, and he thought the thinness of the boiler had, in a great measure, been the cause of its exploding, it being too thin for the pressure.
The thinnest part of the boiler being along the plates next the brickwork at the top of the flues, could not easily be detected by an ordinary examination, and might be overlooked, unless the boiler had begun to leak.
He had had two boilers exploded under his care, from the plates becoming too thin.
He had known a low pressure boiler endure thirty years, with occasional repairs
The Jury, considering that an ordinary amount of skill and care had been shown by the parties whose duty it was to examine the boiler, found a verdict of accidental death.
The above boiler explosion is one amongst many others, which appear to render it very desirable that a book should be kept, in which to register the times when boilers are examined and repaired, with a view of periodically stripping the brickwork away from them, and carefully examining them by means of sounding the plates with a hammer, drilling holes through doubtful plates to ascertain their thickness, and by other means, to ascertain the want of any necessary repairs ; without, as it is to be feared is too often the case, depending upon the boiler indicating the want of repairs by leakage.
The boiler in this instance appears to have been remarkably free from leakage, although the plates had become too thin to sustain the working pressure, without such defect having been discovered by the ordinary examination of a man of many years' experience as an enginewright, bearing the character of being a careful man.
No alarm whistle can indicate undue weakness of a boiler ; and as the whistle did not sound in this case, it is probable that the water was not too low.
| Source: | 1856 Mines Inspectors Report |
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| Fatalities | |
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 | Lambert, Martin, Coke Burner, boiler exploded |
All names found | |
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| Newspaper Articles | |
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| 17 May 1856 | Boiler Explosion At West Auckland Colliery (Newcastle Guardian and Tyne Mercury) |
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