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| Date: | 21st September 1889 |
| Colliery: | Deaf Hill |
| Company: | Trimdon Coal Co. |
| Cause: | (See description below) |
| Lives Lost: | 1 |
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| Description | |
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No. 59 on the list. — An explosion of two steam boilers occurred, simultaneously, at the Trimdon Coal Company's Deaf Hill Pit, about 5.30 on the afternoon of the 21st of September last, by which a fireman, named James Prior, was killed, and considerable damage done to other boilers, machinery, and buildings in connexion with the colliery.
These two boilers were part of a group of four, all of the same type, build, and equipment, coupled together, and used for the generation of steam for winding, pumping, and fan engines, the daily working pressure being 35 lbs.; they were cylindrical, hemispherical-ended, and externally fired, and made by Messrs. Abbott, of Gateshead, in 1868. They were 45 ft. 3 ins. over all in length, and 5 ft. diameter, the original thickness of plates being 3/8 ins., single riveted throughout with 2-inch pitch of rivets.
The boilers were of peculiar construction, being composed of eight plates in circumference and eight plates in length, the longitudinal seams being lengthway of the plate and in line the full length of the boiler, the transverse seams breaking joint half a plate. It will thus be seen that the cylindrical parts of the boilers were composed of no less than 64 plates.
The equipment of each boiler was as follows :—
Two ordinary safety-valves, 4 ins. in diameter, ordinary lever, weighted with a range of 30 to 51 lbs.
One steam-gauge, Bourdon make, full range 100 lbs.
Two floats to register height of water.
One combined check and feed valve, with inside pipe passing to within 14 inches of the bottom of boiler.
One blow-out tap.
Bailey's fusible plugs, fitted on sides of shells at a point 2 ft. 4 ins. from the bottom of the boiler.
There were no glass water-gauges.
The boilers were not insured, nor were they under the inspection of any insurance company.
An inquiry was held on the 2nd of October, and the following is an extract from the depositions of the witnesses :—
William Lambton said: "I am a miner, but have lately been employed to take ashes away from the boilers for six shifts, and on the 21st of September last, about 5.40 in the afternoon, I was sitting between Nos. 1 and 2 boilers when I heard a report, and Nos. 3 and 4 boilers went away. There was only one report, one rush of steam and water. The deceased was firing No. 3 boiler and was killed. I knew him very well, but never heard him complain in any way. I do not know sufficient about boilers to say whether anything was wrong or not."
Henry Hann said: "I am a fireman, and was firing No. 1 boiler at the time of the explosion. There seemed to be two explosions, as I heard two reports a second or two after each other. I do not remember seeing any leakages about the boilers; they appeared to be in good working order in every way. The steam-gauge at No. 1 boiler registered 34 lbs. per square inch at the time. Joseph Hall the pumping engineman also acts as boiler minder and had charge of the feed. Hall cames across the boilers and said the pumping engine was standing and he required more steam, and in consequence I commenced to fire No. 1 boiler, and Nos. 3 and 4 exploded immediately afterwards. I never had cause to complain of the boilers priming nor have I heard of them doing so."
Joseph Hall said: "I am pumping engineman and boiler minder, and was on the boilers two or three minutes before the explosion took place with Layton the enginewright, who w examined the boilers externally and found, as far as I know, nothing wrong. The steam was not blowing off; it was standing at 34 lbs. It would be 15 minutes before the explosion happened when I asked for more steam; the gauge then showed 32 or 33 lbs., and my engine was standing. About a minute or two afterwards I started and stopped the engine twice, and the last time it stood 10 minutes, and on re-starting it had only gone half a stroke when the boilers exploded. We feed both with the donkey pump and a ram connected with the pumping engine, and the last time the boilers were fed was about 10 minutes before when the engine was going. The safety-valve weights were half-way along the levers, and when they are in that position steam blows off at 35 lbs; they are not pinned or fastened in any way, but were in their proper positions. I never put weights back on the levers or keep water low to get steam quickly. I clean Nos. 1 and 2 boilers and the other engineman cleans Nos. 3 and 4. I only heard one report, and was in the engine house at the throttle-valve at the time of the explosion."
George Hutton said : "I am pumping engineman and boiler minder, and left work at 1 o'clock on the afternoon of the 21st of September, and at that time all the valves, floats, and other mountings were all right. I cleaned No. 3 boiler on the 3rd of last month and No. 4 on the 16th, and did not find much scale; perhaps the thickness of a shilling in each. It required hammering off. The enginewright Layton examines all the boilers after they are cleaned. We feed with cold water; 3 ft. 6 ins. would be about the working depth of the water. Layton examined all the boilers during my shift. The floats always work properly. I never knew them stick, nor have I noticed any of the plates to be thin or any leakage during the last two months. Whenever I have reported anything as requiring attention it has always been attended to immediately. I sludge the boilers twice a day, and in doing so take out about 4 inches of water each time."
George Layton said : "I am enginewright at Deaf Hill pit, and have charge of all the boilers and machinery. On the 21st of September last I examined the boilers four times, and entered the result in my report book at 3.30 in the afternoon. I left the engineman on the boiler seats at 5.25, and he told me all was right, but the engine was standing for want of steam. I examined at that time Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 4 boilers, as far as the mountings were concerned, and found them all right. The pressure of the steam was then 34 lbs. I went home, about 80 yards away, and had just got into the house when I heard a loud report, and on coming out met a part of one of the boilers in its flight. I cannot account for the explosion at all. I know of no thin or deteriorated plates. These boilers have been extensively repaired with Tudhoe plates, crown stamp, which indicates Weardale plates of the best brand, principally over the fires. I produce book showing nature and extent of repairs. Any repairs necessary have always been attended to at once. Except that these boilers were built with the plates longitudinally instead of hoopways, there is nothing exceptional about them. Two or three years ago they were worked up to 40 lbs. pressure, and this pressure was reduced on account of their being connected to another block of three working at a pressure of 35 lbs. The flues are common flash flues. We have no wheel flues on the colliery."
The coroner having requested Mr. John Waugh, of the Yorkshire Boiler Insurance Company, to examine the boilers and to give evidence if necessary, Mr. Waugh, on being sworn, said : "I am a civil engineer, residing at Bradford. The cause of the explosion primarily was the faulty construction of the boilers and their giving way at the weakest points. There is a seam rip in one of the plates of No. 4 boiler, which I take to be the starting point. It would not be visible to an ordinary inspection, as it would be covered with brickwork. I consider the repairs were fair and proper. I would not have worked the boilers at 35 lbs. pressure, nor would my Company have insured them at that pressure. In 1868, when these boilers were built, it was known beyond doubt which was the proper way to use the plates. This is the first boiler I have seen of this type. The corrosion along the water line is not serious. I am of opinion that the Colliery Company would have no reason to expect the boilers to explode. The tensile strain of best plates is 24 tons per square inch, and should never be less than 20. I have been told of what brands the plates were of which the boilers were originally built, but I do not know them. There is not the slightest evidence that low water existed at the time of the explosion, and it is highly improbable that the eight weights on the safety-valve levers had all been moved to the end of the levers."
Mr. Robert D. Munro, chief engineer of the Scottish Boiler Insurance Company, examined the boilers on behalf of the Trimdon Coal Company, and on being sworn said: "I agree with Mr. Waugh to a great extent, but disagree as to the point of explosion, as shown by my report. I do not think there was any negligence on the part of the Colliery Company. There is a very large number of these boilers in use in this district. 35 lbs. was a fair pressure, in my opinion, to work these boilers at. My Company would have insured them at this pressure if they were free from defects."
The jury returned the following verdict:—
"We find that the deceased, James Prior, was accidentally killed by the explosion of either Nos. 3 or 4 boilers, and that, according to the evidence, there was no blame attached to anyone, the colliery officials being very careful in the management of the colliery and boilers."
After reading the above evidence the only conclusion I can come to is, that the cause of the explosion was the faulty construction of the boilers. With the same number of plates in the circumference as the length, they would naturally be much weaker than boilers built on the proper principle, viz., one plate in the circumference, which is now generally adopted by all the best boilermakers. Mr. Waugh says he would not have worked them at the pressure at which they were working, but, on the other hand, Mr. Munro says his Company would have insured them at that pressure, being careful, at the same time, to say if they had been free from defects. It seems to me highly desirable that all boilers should be inspected periodically by practical boiler inspectors, whose duties alone place them in a position a colliery engineer cannot have, to detect any flaw or defect in any part of a boiler. At the same time it would be undesirable if the colliery companies and officials were under the impression that such inspection relieved them in any way of the responsibility resting on them in connexion with boilers and other machinery. It is important, too, that the inspection or insurance company should be of good standing, and one employing the very best men that can be got as inspectors.
Since this explosion took place all the boilers are being replaced by steel boilers of the latest design and construction, and it would be much better if all those who are using boilers of such an antiquated and dangerous type as these were, would take warning from this accident and do the same.
I consider the brickwork should be periodically removed from the sides of the boilers so as to allow of a proper external inspection of the plates at all parts of the boiler, which are necessarily covered with masonry.
I may state that the General and Special Rules, as far as the management of boilers is concerned, were properly carried out.
| Source: | 1889 Mines Inspectors Report (C 6015), Durham District (No. 4) by Thomas Bell, H.M. Inspector of Mines, Page: 8 Where to find this report |
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| Fatalities | |
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 | Pryor, James, aged 45, Fireman, killed by steam boiler explosion |
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