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On Wednesday, the adjourned inquest upon the bodies of the twenty-two persons who were killed by an explosion at Hebburn colliery on the 6th inst., was held before the deputy-coroner, Mr. Hudson, at the village of Hebburn. There were present Matthias Dunn, Esq., Government Inspector of Mines, several viewers from neighbouring collieries, and a large number of miners. The first witness examined was

James Easton, viewer at Hebburn colliery, who, after describing the general ventilation and plan of the colliery, said :— There are two shafts in Hebburn pit, an up-cast and a down-cast. I was not in the pit at the time of the accident, but I was down on the Monday preceding; not however in the district where the explosion took place. I was in the South Chapter district. On that day the ventilation was as good as I ever knew it to be. The advanced boards in the colliery are worked by Clanny tamps. The coal is occasionally blasted with gunpowder in particular localities. There are certain regulations for the guidance of the men with respect to these lamps; the regulations are not printed. There are locks upon the lamps, but they are not used. The men could take the top of their lamp off at any time, but they are constantly cautioned not to do so. One regulation is that a shot shall not be fired except in the presence of the deputy or overman. I heard of the explosion at a quarter to twelve o'clock on the 6th May. It happened about half-past nine. I immediately proceeded to the pit, and went down, accompanied by Mr. Liddell, Mr. John Taylor, Mr. Jobling, and Mr. Southern. I found the usual appearances after an explosion ; the brattice was blown out in the south west water level board. That was about 48 yards from where the nearest man was found I have no doubt the explosion took place there. No portion of the pit thereabouts was so obstructed after the explosion as to prevent the air getting to the men. The door of the brattice end of the south-east board was blown out eastward four or five yards, and close to it, the body of the boy Wardle, who kept it, was found. In passing north from where that board had stood we found indications of the fire having proceeded from the north. The two doors being blown down in the crossing would obstruct the air in passing to where the men were. The doors are 220 yards east from the face of the workings. In proceeding into the middle board, we found part of a brattice blown out, and a deal stopping was also blown out. This would obstruct the air so that if any of the men were not destroyed by the fire, they Would be suffocated by the after-damp. The middle board had gone down a deep hitch two foot, and arrived at a point nine yards beyond the hitch. In passing from the middle to the north board I found a boy's tin bottle; it showed from its position that it had been blown from the middle board or from the south, to the north. On arriving at the north board I found three coal tubs partially upset towards the north ; the brattices and door and part of the brattice of the north board were blown out. I proceeded west into the face of the north board, and found the greater portion of the brattice next the face uninjured. The fact of the tubs being partially upset, and the finding of the tin bottle, are the only evidence to convey any idea of any great force from the explosion. I then proceeded eastwards down the north board, and found the brattice partially blown out of the three working boards, until I reached a deal stopping, which was also blown out. I then passed northwards up to what is called a wide or working board, into a holing east, thence east across seven boards next the face of the whole coal, and on my examination passing eastward I found marks of fire in the shape of charred or coke dust adhering to the upper part of the props. At the end of the east holing, about 220 yards from where the explosion took place, I found a prop on fire, which was another proof of the extent to which the fire had reached. I went twenty yards north from the end of the east holing, and found no marks of fire there. I then returned southwards, through two crossings which were in progress of formation, and through the two doors which had been imperfectly restored into the main board. The main stoppings are invariably put up with 9-inch brickwork, and pillars of stone on both sides. I found ample air passing through the workings. The whole of the men had been got out. Judging from the effects produced by the explosion, I should say the ignition of the gas took place in the middle board. There was only one man working there at the time of the explosion. His name was George Hall, and he was represented to me as being most severely burnt. Three weeks before the explosion I was in his board, and he fired a shot. I told him then not to use the powder, as I thought he could do without it. Two or three days after the accident, I found that the quantity of air passing per minute in this district was 4900 feet, and I believe it would be the same at the time of the explosion. About 60 yards east from the face of the middle board, I sometime ago observed indications of pressure, from coal yielding on all sides. The size of the pillars in that quarter is about 15 x 32 yards between the winning drifts. In consequence of these indications, I directed a hole to be bored downward about twenty-seven feet to a seam of inferior coal, for the purpose of letting off any gas that might be causing that pressure; but that hole yielded no gas. A week before the explosion I surveyed this district, and found some gas in the face of the south-west board. The board had been improperly driven, and in consequence had risen considerably above its level; I made a chalk mark in the roof to bring it to a level. The board having risen above its proper level showed that there had been gas. On the Monday preceding; the explosion the two men who worked in that board complained to me that the board was not clean, and I told them that I had ordered the board to be stopped. The two men were named James Cole and James Ritson. Cole has been killed. George Scott was the overmen in charge at the time of the explosion. None of the men complained to me after the Monday. — By Mr. Dunn : Mr. Philips examined the colliery two years last Christmas. — By the Coroner: A proper barometer and thermometer are kept in the pit to indicate the peculiar changes of the atmosphere. Between three on the day preceding and nine on the morning of the explosion there was a fall of nine-hundredths parts of an inch. There are two readings during the day — at nine and three o'clock. — By Mr. Dunn: We have two furnaces at the C pit. We have now upwards of 70,000 cubic feet of air per minute passing regularly down the colliery. Professor Philips, when he examined the colliery, found 77,000 cubic feet of air.

The Coroner said that if any of the men belonging to the colliery wished to give evidence he should be happy to hear them.

Mr. Jude, who attended on behalf of the miners, asked Mr. Easton why the lamps were not locked. — Mr. Easton replied that he saw no accumulation of gas, and did not see any necessity to lock them, especially when he had found boxes of lucifer matches in the pit. He thought it was far from safe for any man to carry matches into the pit, and he felt that he was deprived of all advantages from the safety lamp whilst that was done.

Mr. Jude. — Are you not aware that all other colliery viewers order their lamps to be locked? — Mr. Easton : Some do, and some do not. — Mr. Jude: Are the lamps regularly examined every day before the men begin work? Mr. Easton : They are examined twice a week by the master wasteman. — Mr. Jude : Are you not aware that at all collieries where lamps are used, a deputy-overman examines them every morning before they are used? Mr. Easton : Different collieries have different customs ; there is no general rule on the subject.

George Scott said :— I am an overman at Hebburn colliery. On Thursday week I was in the pit. I had been in the workings where the explosion took place on the Tuesday previous, but observed nothing wrong. On the Wednesday the pit was not at work. On Thursday I went down soon after none o'clock, and the explosion occurred ten minutes afterwards. I was standing near the shaft, and finding the air coming in instead of going out, I knew that there had been an explosion. After that I went with a man named Robinson to a cabin to get my lamp, and hastened into the workings. I first came to a pony lying on the out-by side, near the crossing doors, which I found to be alive. That was about 250 yards from the place where the men were working. I found most of the men, who were all dead when I reached them. Hall was found in his own place in the middle board, very much burnt; Michael Wardle, the trapper boy, was lying near the door he attended. I found Hall's lamp in his board; the upper part of the lamp was within two yards of the face, and the lower part about seven yards from the face. There was a shot in the hole which had not been fired. The hole was drilled and stemmed. The body of the deputy, Silas Philips, whose duty it would be to see the shot fired, was found rather more than 100 yards off. From the position the deputy was in, I think he must have been at Hall's board shortly before the explosion. My opinion is that the explosion took place in Hall's board. On the Tuesday previous I was 27 yards up the straight-up board ; she was bratticed up to the face. On the Tuesday previous, I was in Hall's board, and found no gas. By a Juror: it would take Hall about ten minutes to make his shot ready for firing. On the Monday before the accident I received information from two men that the straight-up board was foul, and I sent them to Mr. Easton, who directed that the Board should stand, and that the men who had been working there should go to the north board. I received no direct information from Mr. Easton respecting the board being foul.

A pitman of the name of Ovington here came forward, and after asking permission to put a question to the last witness, said that he had never been told not to fire shots unless the deputy was present, and he was not aware that the men were not to fire shots without the presence of the deputy. — Scott replied that all the men in the colliery knew the rule.

James Ritson deposed: I am a coal hewer, and live at Hebburn colliery. On Thursday week, about twenty minutes to ten o'clock in the morning, the explosion occurred. I was in the pit at the time ; going to my work to relieve James Cole. When about 400 or 500 yards from the spot when the explosion took place, I met a heavy gust of air which was coming in a wrong direction, from which I concluded that there had been an explosion. After the wind ceased I made my way out, having in the mean time stooped down in a tub on some rolleys, which were being drawn in by a horse. Shortly afterwards I went back to look after the men, and found that two doors at the crossing had been blown down, and that a man named Robert Pattison was putting them up. I then proceeded further in, and came to Peel and Robinson, who had found the body of Michael Wardle, the trapper boy. Wardle had two doors to keep in the first and middle board. The next body we found was that of J. Orr, and the next Jas. Cole, whom I was going to succeed. I went no further in, but brought away the body of Cole. I worked in the south board until the previous Monday, when we complained to Scott, the overman, that gas was making. Scott could give us no satisfaction as regards working at another place, and Cole then said he would not work there, as it was impossible to clean the place. Cole at last said that the best thing Scott could do would be to light her up when no one was there but himself. Scott replied that he would not do that, and recommended us to go the Mr. Easton. We went to Mr. Easton on Monday night, and he said he had been in our place on the previous Thursday, and the brattice was not close enough. I said I thought the brattice was as good as it possible could be, only that it was not pointed with lime. Mr. Easton then said that if the brattice had been altered since he was in, and the place was not cleaned, he would give us a fresh place. He gave us a fresh place in the northernmost board. I had never complained before. — By Mr. Dunn: The trapper boy had two doors to attend to, and he propped the first door open whilst he went to the second. The brattice was within five yards of the face in the place where I was working on Monday. The men in the second and third boards used gunpowder. — By the Coroner: I have fired shots many times, and had no instructions not to fire them when the deputy was not present. I have often fired them when the deputy was present, and he never interfered. — By Mr. Dunn : I was in Hall's board a day or two before the explosion, but apprehended no danger. I knew that Hall was blasting. I think that the gas had lit in the board I had worked in on Monday, but leaked into Hall's board, and that on account of the doors kept by Wardle being neglected, it had ignited. The master wasteman examines the lamps once a week.

Several questions were put to this witness respecting the lamps, but a JUROR observed that it was useless arguing about the goodness of the lamps, it the men were allowed to take the tops of their lamps off. — The witness Ritson said that when the lamps were not locked, he had no fear of danger while at work in the whole ways, but he had some fear when at work in the broken.

Mr. Dunn said it was remarkable that the men, if they thought the lamps ought to be locked, did not as a body complain to Mr. Easton. — A Juror said he had heard that no single man liked to interfere for fear of being unshipped. — Mr. Dunn observed that if the men had come confidently to him, and made a complaint, he should have felt it his duty to enquire into it. He believed that the men were mistaken in supposing that they should lose anything by stating to the viewer that they apprehended danger, for they had it already in evidence that when a complaint had been made to Mr. Easton, it was attended to.

Frederick Barnfather said : I am a coal hewer, and live at Hebburn colliery. At the time the explosion happened, I was going into the workings in company with the witness Ritson and others. My working place was the middle board. When I found that the pit had fired, I returned home. On the Tuesday previous, I worked in Hall's board, and saw no appearance of gas. I blasted the coal there on that day, and took my lamp top off for that purpose. I never received any instructions requiring the deputy to be present when shots were fired. I had no dread of anything happening. — By a Juror: I received no orders not to use powder there.

Joseph Porter deposed :— I am a platelayer in Hebburn colliery. I had just left the flat when the explosion happened on Thursday week, and was coming towards the shaft. I knew from the wind coming strong, that an explosion had happened, and I went in for my clothes, and then proceeded home. At seven o'clock that morning I went into Hall's board with the deputy. Hall was then drilling the bottom hole. The place was making gas, and the deputy. Silas Philips, put up two lengths of brattice close to the face. The deputy then took off the top of Hall's lamp, and fired the bottom hole. He told Hall that if he was not back before he (Hall) fired the top hole he was to "dad" the place well. Philips and I then came away from that board. The last time I saw Philips, he was in the third board, when he told me to go out-by for a point for coal, and whilst I was away for it the pit fired. — By Mr. Dunn: I have often seen men fire shots when no deputy was present.

Thomas Clark, a deputy, was next examined, and he stated that there was a rule in the colliery that no shots should be fired unless some officer was present. He had never seen men fire shots of their own accord, but he had no doubt that they sometimes did. He thought that the explosion took place in Hall's board, whilst Hall was preparing to fire the shot, and that gas must have come off very suddenly, as it was made clean by the deputy Philips two hours before. It was his duty to tell the men not to fire shots, and he thought he had told them all. — In reply to Mr. Jude, this witness said that he thought it would be safer to have the lamps all locked. That regulation had been made since the explosion. Blasting was suspended for the present. When he ascertained on the morning of the explosion that the barometer had fallen, he took no special measures to prevent danger, as he found the ventilation to be very good.

A JUROR asked why the lamps were unlocked, if the men might not fire their own shots. — The witness replied that if they had been locked, the men certainly would not have fired them.

Mr. Dunn said that he was recently in one of the most dangerous collieries in Cumberland, and the men showed him that they fired their shots with touch paper. The lamps were locked, but they crammed a piece of wire through the gauze, and when it was heated they drew it out, and touched the touch paper. So that these men fired their shots without opening their lamps.

James Mouter, a master shifter, was next examined, and his opinion also was that the explosion occurred in the middle board.

Mr. Matthias Dunn was then called to present his report, but previous to doing so he complained that there were two falsehoods respecting him in the Newcastle Journal of the 8th inst. It was stated that he had not once been through the workings of Hebburn colliery, whereas he had made an inspection on the 7th February, 1851. The second falsehood was that he had 2000 mines in his district, and when that statement was made the writer had in his possession a copy of his (Mr. Dunn's) printed report, in which it was stated that he had 185 collieries and 345 pits. Mr. Dunn then read the following report :—

"I examined the chief parts of this colliery on the 7th of February, 1851, at which period the air was divided into four columns, the total quantity as ascertained by Mr. Philips in 1851 being about 70,000 cubic feet per minute. The downcast shaft is 13 feet in diameter, and the upcast 12 feet, furnished with two ventilating furnaces. At that period all the workings were carried on with Clanny safety lamps, the whole coal places being all bratticed, and some extensive drifts had been driven in the yard coal nineteen fathoms above and five staples sunk down, whereby to discharge the return air from the goaves in the Bensham seam. The face of the coal was making a good deal of gas, but no fear was entertained of danger, as the air was conducted through all the places by brattices and doors, the same as it naked lights were employed. At that period the south-western district was not so far advanced as at present by 1000 yards, and was only laying open, but the colliery appeared to be very well arranged, and no sort of complaint was made by the people. A barometer at the bottom of the shaft shows the state of the atmosphere, the changes of which are regularly registered. Upon the 12th inst., in consequence of the explosion which occurred on the 6th, I examined that part of the colliery where the catastrophe had occurred. The ventilation is now arranged in six split airs, the quantity allowed to the south-west workings where the explosion has happened being from 4000 to 45000 cubic feet per minute ; the workings are situate 2070 yards distant from the shaft. The leading board A was driven 37 yards from the holing, and having met with some bad coal and hitches, was making so much gas upon the Monday night that the men were afraid to work, and having spoken to Mr. Easton, he agreed to stop her, the two neighbouring boards being kept going. The men who worked in the middle board had the Clanny lamp, but the men were allowed to privilege of blasting the coal, and the top of the lamps must needs be taken off to light the shot. It is clear that the explosion had taken place in the face of this board, for the hole was charged, and the lamp top taken off from the bottom, evidently with a view of firing, when the gas must have come in contact with his light. The manner in which the gas has been accumulated is clear to me from the evidence I obtained in the pit, especially from Ritson, who had left the fore place on the Monday night. The doors A and B were kept by one trapper, as there were not many coals working in that quarter, and whilst the men were working in that board they kept a watchful eye over the boy and his door ; but his custom was to prop open that door till he opened B for the empty trams, and then return to shut A. The safety of the places depended upon that door being well kept. But since the stoppage of that board, no one being there to keep him to his duties, and as the board was standing, it might not occur to him to be very needful ; therefore, it is quite within the pale of probability that instead to returning to shut the outer door he had gone in-bye with the three trams, and remained till they were getting filled, during which time the door A would be standing open, and the place filling with gas. From the position in which he was found, he appears to have then closed his door, which would cause the air to circulate in the fore board, and remove the has from thence in to the middle board, at the very time that man had opened his lamp for the purpose above-named. The violence of the explosion having blown out the stopping C, and also the bearing doors at a distance of 220 yards, these workings were entirely deprived of ventilation, consequently those who were not burnt were killed by after damp in attempting to escape. From the extent of the fire as depicted by the charred dust and the burning of props, I am opinion that some additional gas might have been brought into combustion in some of the back pillars, although it does not appear that such was known to be the case.

Suggestions as to the future

1st. That a greater quantity of air be allotted to the south workings, which are laying open in the whole coal.

2nd. That the firing of shots be discontinued in workings where lamps only can be used.

3rd. That all lamps be locked, and only opened by authorised persons in the fresh air.

4th. That the furnaces be overhauled, and a trial made to produced an accession of air by more active firing.

5th. That the doors and brattices be strictly looked after, both in the construction and the keeping.

6th. That printed regulations be circulated through the colliery, as to using lamps, &c."

Mr. Dunn said that in consequence of the oft-repeated remarks that notwithstanding the investigations of the parliamentary committees and the reports of Inspectors, yet the common miners had not required that knowledge which enables them to guard against those awful events, he had determined to print and circulate in a cheap form a full explanation of the modern system of ventilation, the arrangement of collieries, and the dangers incident to their carrying on, with a view of enabling the colliers to communicate with their employers, and to posses themselves of that knowledge which may tend not only to the prevention of accidents, but also to the more ready and effectual means of gaining access to sufferers and affording them relief.

Mr. Boyd, viewer at Urpeth colliery, said that from his own knowledge and observation he knew that Hebburn pit was well arranged and well conducted — Mr. Liddell, viewer at Gosforth colliery, concurred in the remarks of Mr. Boyd. He was in the pit in February last, and found the ventilation exceedingly good.

Mr. Jude said the names of three workmen had been handed to him, who were prepared to come forward and state that they never received instructions not to fire shots when no deputy was present. — The Coroner and jury thought it was not necessary to call them.

The CORONER then briefly summed up the evidence, after which the jury retired, and returned in about three-quarters of an hour with the following verdict — "That John Gaskin and twenty-one others were accidentally killed by an explosion when at work in Hebburn Colliery on the 6th May, and that the said explosion took place in the middle board of A pit, and the jury cannot separate without expressing their opinion that there has been a great want of due caution in working that part of the colliery, and recommending that there be an additional trapper employed in that district, and the whole of the lamps be locked, and that no firing of shots takes place where the colliery is wrought with lamps."

The enquiry lasted from eleven o'clock in the morning to seven in the evening.

 

Name	Age	Occupation	Notes
Barnfather, Frederick		Hewer
Clark, Thomas		Deputy
Cole, James	36	Miner	Deceased, Individual Page
Dunn, Matthias		H.M. Inspector of Mines	Whos Who Page
Easton, James		Viewer	Whos Who Page
Gascoigne, John	31	Miner	Deceased, Individual Page
Hall, George	27	Miner	Deceased, Individual Page
Hudson, —		Coroner
Jobling, —		Viewer
Jude, Martin			Whos Who Page
Liddell, —		Viewer
Mouter, James		Master Shifter
Ovington, —		Miner
Pattison, Robert		Miner
Peel, —		Miner
Philips, —, Professor
Phillips, Silas	23	Deputy	Deceased, Individual Page
Porter, Joseph		Platelayer
Ritson, James		Hewer
Robinson, —		Miner
Scott, George		Overman
Southern, —		Viewer
Taylor, John		Viewer	Whos Who Page
Wardle, Michael	10	Trapper	Deceased, Individual Page

 

	Gosforth Colliery
	Hebburn Colliery
	Urpeth Colliery

Pub. Date	Article (Newspaper)
07 May 1852	Colliery Explosion (The Times)
08 May 1852	Dreadful Colliery Explosion, Twenty-two Lives Lost (Newcastle Guardian and Tyne Mercury)
08 May 1852	Colliery Explosion At Hebburn (Newcastle Journal)
10 May 1852	Fearful Colliery Explosions (Annual Register for 1852)
15 May 1852	The Hebburn Pit Catastrophe (Newcastle Guardian and Tyne Mercury)
15 May 1852	The Hebburn Colliery Explosion, Inquest On The Bodies (The Star of Freedom)
22 May 1852	The Hebburn Colliery Explosion, Adjourned Inquest (Newcastle Guardian and Tyne Mercury)
22 May 1852	The Late Explosion At Hebburn Colliery (Newcastle Journal)
05 Jun 1852	The late explosion at Hebburn (Newcastle Guardian and Tyne Mercury)

 

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