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Disaster Reports	Disaster Reports

In this section of the site we will provide text of the official reports of the Mines Inspectorate into disasters and major incidents that have occurred in the northern coalfields. This section will gradually grow as more reports are added over the coming months. If you have any of the reports we have not already made available and are willing to let us borrow the report to copy (and return!) then please let us know via email to the webmaster (see menu at left).

These reports are generally known as "Command Papers" as they are presented to Parliament by Command of His/Her Majesty. The specific Command Paper number is given in the left column of the following table - click on this and it will take you to the text of the report.

We have also provided an index to the names mentioned in the text of the reports, click on the menu on the left or here to access the index.

	Ref.		Incident Date				Colliery/Cause		Author
	Gov. Rpt.		21st	Aug	1845		Jarrow		Dr. Lyon Playfair
							Explosion
	Ann Rpt		8th	Dec	1856		Rainton, Nicholson Pit, Co. Durham		J. J. Atkinson
							Explosion of firedamp
	Ann Rpt		1st	Oct	1858		Page Bank, Co. Durham		J. J. Atkinson
							Shaft caught fire
	Ann Rpt		19th	Jan	1871		Wheatley Hill, Co. Durham		James Willis
							Inundation
	Ann Rpt		25th	Oct	1871		Seaham, Co. Durham		James Willis
							Explosion, firedamp, caused by outburst of gas from roof, probably ignited by naked light
	Ann Rpt		25th	Oct	1871		Seaham, Co. Durham		Joseph Dickinson
							Explosion, firedamp, caused by outburst of gas from roof, probably ignited by naked light
	Ann Rpt		26th	Sep	1876		Wheatley Hill, Co. Durham		Thomas Bell
							Explosion of firedamp
	Ann Rpt		28th	Nov	1876		Kibblesworth, Co. Durham		James Willis
							Boiler explosion
	C-2924		8th	Sep	1880		Seaham, Co. Durham		R. S. Wright
							Explosion, coal dust, ignition caused by safety lamp or shot firing
	C-3319		16th	Feb	1882		Trimdon Grange, Co. Durham		T. W. Snagge
							Explosion, firedamp, ignition probably caused by shot firing
	C-3327		18th	Apr	1882		Tudhoe, Co. Durham		Arnold Morley, M.P.
							Explosion, firedamp, ignition probably caused by naked light
	C-3331		19th	Apr	1882		West Stanley, Co. Durham		Arnold Morley, M.P.
							Explosion, firedamp, ignition caused by safety lamp
	C-3330		25th	Apr	1882		Whitehaven, Cumberland		Arnold Morley, M.P.
							Explosion, firedamp, ignition caused by defective safety lamp
	C-3690		1st	Mar	1883		Ryhope, Co. Durham		T. J. Richards
							Explosion of compressed air receiver caused by ignition of vapour of mineral oil lubricant
	C-4549		2nd	Mar	1885		Usworth, Co. Durham		Alfred Lyttelton
							Explosion, firedamp and coal dust, ignition caused by shot firing
	C-4497		3rd	Jun	1885		Margaret Pit, Co. Durham		Alexander Young
							Outburst of gas from old workings
	C-5065		2nd	Dec	1886		Elemore, Co. Durham		Haden Corser
							Explosion, coal dust, ignition caused by shot firing		Thomas Bell
	C-5449		19th	Apr	1888		St. Helen's, Cumberland		Robert Woodfall
							Explosion, firedamp, ignition probably caused by shot firing
	Ann Rpt		19th	Apr	1888		St. Helen's, Cumberland		James Willis
							Explosion, firedamp, ignition probably caused by shot firing
	Ann Rpt		11th	Apr	1891		Usworth, Co. Durham		John L. Hedley
							Boiler explosion
	C-8174		13th	Apr	1896		Brancepeth "A" Pit, Co. Durham		J. Edmondson Joel
							Explosion, coal dust, ignition caused by shot firing		R. Donald Bain
	Ann Rpt		6th	May	1897		East Hetton, Co. Durham		Donald Bain
							Inundation from old workings
	C-8880		10th	May	1897		Snaefell Lead Mine, Isle of Man		C. Le Neve Foster
							Underground fire
	Ann Rpt		15th	Aug	1899		Brandon, Co. Durham		R. D. Bain
							Explosion
	Cd 3379		14th	Oct	1906		Wingate Grange, Co. Durham		A. H. Ruegg
							Explosion, firedamp, ignition probably caused by shot firing		R. Bain J. B. Atkinson
	Cd 3494		17th	Dec	1906		Urpeth, Co. Durham		J. B. Atkinson
							Explosion, firedamp, ignition caused by shot firing
	Cd 4182		19th	Mar	1907		Benwell, Charlotte Pit, Northumberland		J. B. Atkinson
							Explosion, firedamp and coal dust, ignition caused by safety lamp
	Cd 4182		26th	Nov	1907		Whitehaven, William Pit, Cumberland		J. B. Atkinson
							Explosion, firedamp, ignition caused by shot firing
	Cd 4155		28th	Jan	1908		Roachburn, Cumberland		J. B. Atkinson
							Inrush of clay, sand, moss and water
	Cd 4183		20th	Feb	1908		Washington Glebe, Co. Durham		J. B. Atkinson
							Explosion, firedamp and coal dust, ignition caused by shot firing
	Cd 4788		16th	Feb	1909		West Stanley, Co. Durham		R.A.S. Redmayne,
							Explosion, firedamp propagated by coal dust, cause of ignition uncertain		R. Bain
	Cd 5524		11th	May	1910		Whitehaven, Wellington Pit, Cumberland		R.A.S. Redmayne,
							Underground fire and explosion of firedamp propagated by coal dust, ignition caused by safety lamp		Samuel Pope
	Cd 7087		27th	Oct	1912		Auckland Park, Co. Durham		R.A.S. Redmayne,
							Explosion, firedamp and coal dust, ignition probably caused by spontaneous combustion		A.D. Nicholson
	Ann Rpt		6th	Dec	1920		Wellington Pit, Cumberland
							Explosion
	Cmd 1796		5th	Sep	1922		Whitehaven, Haig Pit, Cumberland		Thomas H. Mottram
							Explosion, firedamp propagated by coal dust, ignition caused by shot firing
	Cmd 1828		27th	Nov	1922		St. Helens, No. 3, Cumberland		Thomas H. Mottram
							Explosion, firedamp, ignition caused by shot firing
	Cmd 1965		24th	Feb	1923		Medomsley, Busty Shaft, Co. Durham		Henry Walker
							Shaft accident, cage tipped after breakage of shoes
	Cmd 2607		30th	Mar	1925		Montagu, View Pit, Northumberland		Hugh Pattinson MacMillan
							Inrush of water from old Paradise Pit
	Ann Rpt		9th	Aug	1925		Wallsend, Edward Pit, Northumberland
							Explosion
	Ann Rpt		14th	Oct	1925		Marley Hill, Co. Durham
							Explosion
	Ann Rpt		12th	Feb	1928		Haig Pit, Cumberland		T. Greenland Davies
							Explosion
	Ann Rpt		23rd	Nov	1928		Backworth, Northumberland		T. Greenland Davies
							Explosion of firedamp
	Cmd 3858		29th	Jan	1931		Whitehaven, Haig Pit, Cumberland		Sir Henry Walker
							Explosion, firedamp, ignition caused by shot firing
	Cmd 6367		3rd	Jun	1941		Whitehaven, William Pit, Cumberland		F. H. Wynne
							Explosion of gas produced by chemical action between water and burning carbon
	Cmd 6413		26th	Jun	1942		Murton Colliery, Co. Durham		R. Yates
							Explosion, accident propagated by coal dust, ignition caused by incendive spark created by exploder while shots were fired
	Cmd 7222		9th	Dec	1946		Harrington No. 10, Cumberland		Sir John Felton
							Explosion of firedamp propagated by coal dust, caused by opening of flame safety lamp
	Cmd 7236		15th	Aug	1947		Whitehaven, William Pit, Cumberland		A. M. Bryan
							Interim Report: Explosion, firedamp propagated by coal dust, ignition caused by shot firing in waste
	Cmd 7410		15th	Aug	1947		Whitehaven, William Pit, Cumberland		A. M. Bryan
							Final Report: Explosion, firedamp propagated by coal dust, ignition caused by shot firing in waste
	Cmd 7347		22nd	Aug	1947		Louisa (including Morrison Old) Colliery, Co. Durham		R. Yates
							Explosion, firedamp propagated by coal dust, ignition caused by matches
	Cmd 8646		29th	May	1951		Easington Colliery, Co. Durham		H.C.W. Roberts
							Explosion, firedamp propagated by coal dust, ignition caused by sparks from cutter picks striking pyrites
	Cmd 8503		6th	Jul	1951		Eppleton Colliery, Co. Durham		R. Yates
							Explosion, firedamp propagated by coal dust, ignition caused by defective master control box of Joy loader
	Cmd 9614		1st	Oct	1951		Weetslade Colliery, Northumberland		W. Brown
							Explosion, firedamp, ignition caused by fusion on the shuttle car battery
	Cmd 9399		23rd	Mar	1953		Horden Colliery, Co. Durham		W. Brown
							Explosion, firedamp propagated by coal dust, ignition caused by incendive sparks resulting from impact or sliding friction caused by either displacement of supports or falling rock
	Cmnd 396		26th	Nov	1957		Risehow Colliery, Cumberland		H. Hyde
							Explosion, firedamp, ignition caused by shot firing