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Date:	23rd April 1864
Colliery:	Thornley
Company:	Thornley Coal Co.
Cause:	Explosion
Lives Lost:	1
Category:

On the 23rd of April, at Thornily Colliery, belonging to the Thornley Coal Company, a small quantity of fire-damp exploded and caused the death of James Laughren, a coal hewer, 30 years of age.

The evidence given at the inquest in this case appeared to indicate that a small quantity of gas had been observed in the face of the place where the explosion occurred, early in the morning of the day when it took place, and before the fore-shift hewer commenced to work in it ; and that the deputy overman, instead of clearing away the gas by bratticing the place, or refraining from employing a hewer in it, had resorted to the primitive and generally abandoned practice of dashing the atmosphere of the place, until the small quantity of gas was so diluted with air as to render it inexplosive, and so far harmless. After this the deputy had set the fore-shift hewer to work in the place with a safety lamp ; and, after a certain time, had taken the safety lamp from him and allowed him to work the place with a naked light. The fore-shift hewer had been out of the place where he was working for some time previous to the arrival of the back-shift hewer, who had to succeed him. On the back-shift hewer afterwards reaching the face of the place a small quantity of gas, which had accumulated during the previous temporary absence of his predecessor, exploded at his light, and burnt him.

The fore-shift deputy was censured by the jury and at my instance, both the fore-shift and the back-shift deputies were discharged from their offices ; the former on account of a want of due care, and the latter because of the incompetence betrayed by his statements at the inquest.

Since the accident, more strict orders have been given to all the deputy overmen of the colliery, that no places exhibiting indications of the presence of gas, when examined by them. Are to be set to work until after the gas has been removed by bratticing or other proper means ; and that in no case has the practice of dashing gas to be resorted to.

Source:

1864 Mines Inspectors Report, Southern District by John J. Atkinson, H.M. Inspector of Mines, Page: 18

	Laughren, James (died: 06 May 1864) , aged 30, Hewer, explosion of gas
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