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	Disasters - Names		Disasters - Names

Date:	29th December 1869
Colliery:	Bewicke Main
Company:	Hunt, Perkins, and Co.
Cause:	Boiler explosion
Lives Lost:	2
Category:

Boilers Bursting.

I regret to have to report three fatal cases of boiler explosions, one causing one death, and each of the others two deaths, and in all a large destruction of property.

The boiler explosion, accident No. 72 in the list, happened at Bewicke Main Colliery, on the 29th December last, and caused the death of George Irwin and George Ranson. The evidence at the inquest went to show that Frederick Green, a fireman who had charge of the boilers at the time, had only a few minutes before the explosion turned the feed off the No. 2 boiler, the one that exploded, in consequence of its being full enough, and had turned it on to No. 3, the adjoining boiler. His attention being at this time directed to a locomotive engine on the branch railway, about 100 yards distant, it is possible that he might have committed a mistake in what he was doing. The boiler was a comparatively new one, having been built at the Birtley Iron Works and set to work at this colliery on the 1st March 1867.

John Swinney, engine wright for this and other collieries belonging to Messrs. Hunt, Perkins, & Co., said the boiler, a longitudinally built one, was 47 feet in length over the egg ends, and 6 feet in diameter, was fitted up with all the appliances of the present day, such as safety valves, floats, &c, and was pressed at 31 lbs. to the square inch.

There were several scientific witnesses examined at this inquest, and the general conclusion arrived at seemed to be that the repairs made to the boiler had been injudiciously executed, and that there had been excessive caulking, and that the way in which the recent repairs had been done had caused a rent at the rivets in the old plates joined to the new ones put in, and which had doubtless been overlooked. The verdict of the jury was:

"That the men George Irwin and George Ranson were killed by the explosion of a boiler at Bewicke Main Colliery on the 29th December last, and that the boiler exploded at the place where the new repairs had been made over the fire, consequent on bad workmanship, and we recommend a more careful inspection of boilers in future."

Source:

1869 Mines Inspectors Report (C 124), Northumberland, North Durham and Cumberland District by George William Southern, H.M. Inspector of Mines, Page: 141 Where to find this report

	Irwin, George, aged 36, Weighman, explosion of a boiler
	Ranson, George, aged 18, Engineman, explosion of a boiler
	All names found
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