Lillydale Colliery Explosion 1881 Researched by John Lumsdon

Lillydale colliery Explosion 1881 Researched by John Lumsdon

An accident of serious nature happened at 11.30 am on Tuesday 3rd May 1881 at the Lillydale colliery, Bucknall, North Staffordshire. This colliery, which was opened about 25 years ago by Mersses Forrester, Gerrard and Hawkes, is not a very extensive one. But judging from the number of times it has changed hands the working of it does not seem to have been a very lucrative business. Mr. Enoch Perrins, the present proprietor, has been in possession for up to a year and latterly only a small number of hands have been employed.

On the day in question only 16 men were engaged in the pit and they were working with naked lights, according to the custom of this place. Some of them were driving a thirling on the north side of the south dip at a depth of about 160 yards. The possible influx of water from old workings seems to have been anticipated and two bore holes nine feet long and an inch in diameter had been kept ahead all through the driving. However, as a precautionary measure, this was insufficient to guard against the danger.

The water was tapped and it began rushing into the thirling. The force of the air current thus disturbed some gas hanging about to be driven into the naked lights and a violent explosion was the result. The water raised so rapidly that within half an hour it had filled most of the workings. As soon after the accident as possible, help arrived at the pit and several volunteers, at great personal risk, ventured down the shaft in the hopes of being able to rescue the work people.

Valuable aid was rendered by men from neighbouring collieries that first descended succeeded in bringing out alive Thomas Plant, Anthony Barlow, and William Tabbinor of drowning. Attention to him was attracted by a hand moving above the water and a noise like gurgling in the water and he was got out with great difficulty. George Philips was found near the edge of the water, just in time to be saved. He was unconscious from the effects of after damp. Plant, Barlow and Philipps were removed to the North Staffs Infirmary, where Plant died the following day. A boy named Henry Johnson was got out alive.

The only dead body found was that of Edward Clewlow. Owing to the rapidly rising water, the explorers were unable to go through the workings and it was thought when they retired from the mine they were obliged to leave behind them, Alfred Wood, Enoch Barlow, Samuel, Biddulph, Elijah Gratton, and William Eaton, so that altogether seven lives have been sacrificed. Whether they were drowned or killed by the explosion cannot of course be ascertained, four of the deceased were married men and had families. 2

On Wednesday Mr. Wynne, Government Inspector, and Mr. Sawyer, Assistant Inspector, visited the colliery. They, and others descended the shaft on Tuesday evening with a view of endeavouring to ascertain the best course to be adopted, at a distance of about 8 or 10 yards from the pit bottom they were surprised to find the pit on fire on the opposite side to which the explosion occurred, it was in the Coxhead coal and the imminent danger compelled them to beat a hasty retreat. The fire seems to have been burning for some time and to avoid an almost certain risk of a further explosion, it was considered advisable that the workings should be completely flooded. Mr. Sawyer advised the owner of the colliery to allow the water to continue to rise in order that the fire may be extinguished. This will involve the delay of several weeks before any attempt can be made to re-enter the mine and recover the bodies of the men lying in it.

The Inquest

Mr. John Booth, Coroner, opened an inquest concerning the death of Edward Clewlow age 46 and Thomas Plant age 28, at the Red Lion Inn, Bucknall, on Thursday. The jury having been sworn, the coroner said the deceased met their deaths by an explosion on the 3rd of May. He understood there were several other men in the pit at the time, five of whom have not been recovered. He took evidence of identification then adjourned to give an opportunity for the injured men at the infirmary to attend and give evidence and also to enable efforts to be made to recover the bodies still in the pit.

George Deville, a Waggoner, said he was on his way to the pit bottom with a load from where Eaton, Gratton and Wood were getting the coal. He was only 15 yards from the pit bottom when the explosion occurred and felt the wind and saw dust and smoke, but only a spark or two of fire. The place where he was waggoning from was about 70 yards from the pit bottom. He came out of the pit with Biddulph the butty, he also said he had been using naked lights and had seen no gas in the pit nor had he heard anyone say he has seen gas.

William Biddulph, butty at Ladydale colliery, where he had worked for four months, said that Joseph Biddulph, his brother was his partner. Biddulph went down the pit at 6 am on Tuesday. The men were working and Alfred Wood, the fireman, was in the north level. At 8.30 am. Wood called Biddulph to him and said there was as much water as they could do with and there were a few droppers on the head side. He ordered the work to be stopped. Biddulph told the men to leave and came out of the pit and saw Mr. Perrins, who was on the bank. Biddulph told Mr. Perrins there was a sup of water, that had stopped the men working and he wanted to know what must be done. The explosion happened while they were talking. Mr. Perrins gave instructions as to what had to be done from time to time; there being no certificated manager. 3

They kept the boreholes a yard or four feet in front of them. Biddulph knew he was approaching old workings but was not aware that they were so near them. Mr. Perrins left it to them to say how far ahead they should keep the boreholes. They were driving a roadway to tap the water and get the coal. Mr. Perrins had the plans and told us how far we were off the water. Biddulph added that the men always worked with naked lights. There was report books kept, Alfred Wood, the fireman, making the entries.

From the 17th March till the day of the explosion, according to the report book, everything was “safe”. Biddulph took the reports to be correct and always found it so. He had been in the pit every day since the 17th March but had seen neither gas, nor anything else except a bit of a fire on the north side of the pit bottom, not near the workings. The fire had been burning for five months.

They were working in the Coxhead seam, which at this colliery gave off a little gas in some places. He saw no danger in working the colliery with a fire 10 or 15 yards from the upcast shaft, he could not say that the word safe applied to a pit in that state, although he did not think the pit was un-safe, with the fire where it was.

The explosion was a heavy one and he thought the gas came out of the old workings where there had been a fall. They intended to get the water out and get further to the coal. In reply to questions from Mr. Wynne (Inspector) and Mr. Sawyer (assistant inspector) William Biddulph replied; when he saw the droppings, he did not bring the men out of the pit, because he did not think the water was so near. He wanted to tap the upper level before, seeing it was wet and the lower level dry; but Mr. Perrins would not let him. He said they were far enough from the water and he would not allow it to be done. The witness could not read the rules, and the coroner said he ought not to be a butty collier. The inquiry was adjourned.

Adjourned Inquest

Henry Hales, miner, living at Milton said he was working at the Lilly Dale colliery at the time of the explosion. He went to work at six o’ clock in the bottom level. He was driving along with Samuel Dawson and William Eaton, who had been killed, was behind him. He stopped there until nine o’ clock, He punched a hole in the bottom level, about a yard and 2 inches deep, in the direction in which they were driving. He left at 9 o’ clock telling William Biddulph that it was bleeding faster from the head side. He noticed it when getting a bit of coal. William Biddulph told the foreman and they ordered the witness to go out and help Joseph Biddulph to put the fire out at the pit bottom. 4

He got to the top of the dip when the explosion occurred. They had no bore hole until the morning of the explosion as far as he knew. During the whole time he worked in that heading there was no bore hole and nothing was done to show that they were approaching the heading.

William Tabbenor, engine tender, said he was in the pit at the time of the explosion, he went with Philips to connect some pipes to the Tangy pump that was being put down, and he had been there for about half an hour, when he heard a report and there was a big flame that came from down below. Tabbenor was badly burnt and Philips had since died from the effects of being burnt on the occasion. William Biddle, a pit fettler, gave evidence of the finding the dead body of Edward Clewlow, about sixty yards down the dip after the explosion.

Peter Kirk, colliery manager, stated that he had been the certificated manager at Lillydale, but left on the 9th March. The top level was driven and the bottom one was just started when he left. They had 12-foot boreholes in the heading. When they noticed dampness in the boring they stopped working in the top level. They did not have side boreholes, because they thought they were far enough away from the old workings. The top level had been standing since he left.

Hargreaves was in the level above till the explosion took place. When the water broke in he started up the dip and when he was halfway up, the explosion took place. That would be a few minutes after the water coming in. He could not move after the explosion and remained in the dip till he was brought out. The flame came out of the thirling, up the dip and met him. Before the water came in he had seen very little gas in the pit.

Mr. Sawyer, Assistant Inspector, said the heading had been driven with entire disregard of the general rule of the Mines regulation act of 1872 which enacted, that where a place was likely to contain a dangerous accumulation of water, the workings approaching such place should not exceed eight feet in width, with a bore hole not being less than five yards in advance and sufficient bore holes on each side.

The 7th general rule was also ignored which stated, the use of locked safety lamps in every working approaching any place where there was likely to be an accumulation of explosive gas. For it was well known among mining engineers that the workings often contain both water and gas. The disturbance produced by the sudden inrush of water displaced the gas and it was ignited at the lights of the men who were trying to escape from the water. 5

In reply to a question from Mr. Sawyer, (assistant inspector) William Biddulph, (butty) replied, he wanted to tap the upper level before, seeing it was wet, and the lower level dry; but Mr. Perrins (manager) would not let him. He said they were far enough from the water and, he would not allow it to be done. (William Biddulph could not read the rules) The coroner said he ought not to be a butty collier.

More people were interviewed and in answer to the coroner, Mr. Perrins said it would be 3 months before the bodies now in the pit could be recovered. Peter Kirk was then called and he said he was a colliery manager now living at Brookhouse Green. He was certificated manager at the Lilly Dale Colliery but left on the 9th March. At that time the dip was down about 140 yards and no 7 heading was driven about 24 yards. He had the superintending of driving it. They had kept a12 feet boring, but no flank bore-holes. His orders were that when any damp was perceived they were to stop. He could not give any further information, as after that time he left the colliery. This was the whole of the evidence taken and the coroner adjourned the inquiry until the 21st of June to enable Barlow, one of the injured men and who is now in the infirmary, to give evidence.

House of Commons

In the House of Commons (May 13th) Mr. McDonald, Sec M.P. asked the Secretary of State if his attention had been called to the statements that the mine was carried on without a certificated manager and was on fire for a considerable time, and where at least seven persons had lost their lives. Also the owner had been fined £30 in the past for negligence. And further, he would direct someone to attend the inquest on 24th May.

Sir W. Harcourt (Secretary of State) replied: It is a fact the mine was carried on without a certificated manager. It is a small mine in which only 12 men are usually employed and under these circumstances, the owner being a mining engineer, he was allowed to manage it himself. It is also true that the owner was subjected to fines and costs to the extent of £30 for negligence, some little time ago and I need not say that if repeated acts of negligence are proved he will be held legally responsible. The Inspector’s report was so clear that he did not think it would be necessary for anybody to attend the inquest on behalf of the Home Office, except an experienced Inspector.

A meeting convened by the Mayor of Hanley (Mr, J. Bromley) , was held in the Council Chamber Town Hall, was held on Tuesday evening for the purpose of taking steps for opening a relief fund for the dependant widows, children, and friends of the men killed by the recent explosion of gas at the Lilly Dale colliery, Bucknal. 6

The Mayor presided. It was stated that 4 widows and 21 children had been left by the catastrophe, 1 widow and 5 children being partially provided for by the North Staffordshire Permanent Relief Society. Up to present £63 had been collected from various sources, and of this sum, £6-5s had been expended. A letter was read from Messers. Josiah Wedgwood and Son to the effect that they thought that while the North Staffordshire Permanent Miners’ Relief Society was so poorly supported by miners, it would be doing them no kindness, but the reverse to help them.

Mr. Hampton (ex-Mayor) said that there was a great deal of improvidence among miners’ and the fact that their wives and children, were always provided for in cases of great accidents, no doubt led many of them to become improvident. It did not seem to him the true spirit of charity to get up these extra efforts to meet the necessities of extensive calamities, as more men were killed in small numbers, by ones and twos in a year, than in large numbers, and for the former, no provision whatever was made by the public. He considered it a disgrace that miners’ did not more generally join the Permanent Relief Society.

Mr. J. L. Hamshaw that what Mr. Hampton said was quite true, but, unfortunately, the wives and children suffered and not the miners’ themselves, for their negligence not to join the Society. He should like to see it made compulsory for men to join the Society at the various collieries in the district. Mr. Hamshaw further explained that from £200 to 300 would be sufficient to meet the present case, and that it was not intended, ultimately, to make differences between those for whom provision was made by the Relief Society and those totally dependent, but at first the latter would need the most urgent attention.

On the motion of Mr. Hamshaw, seconded by Mr. Alfieri, a committee was appointed, consisting of the clergy, Nonconformist ministers and a number of principal residents in the district, to carry out the object of a Public Relief Fund, which was resolved to establish. A unanimous vote of thanks to the Mayor closed the proceedings.

Verdict of Manslaughter

The adjourned inquest concerning the deaths which resulted in the Lilly dale explosion in May 1881 took place at Bucknall on Wednesday June 28th Anthony Hargreaves said he was at work at the Lilly Dale colliery on the 3rd of May and he took the stuff from Elijah Graton. There were 2 bore holes, one in the heading and the other in the side in the level above where the accident took place. He went into the lower level to see the place where the water was leaking on the morning of the explosion. 7

He did not notice any bore holes, he did not think there was one there and he believed if there had been one there, he should have seen it, though he was only there 2 or 3 minutes

Mr. John Marshall Holiday, certified colliery manager, said he had nothing to do with the Lilly Dale Colliery but he went there soon after the explosion and descended the pit and found the last witness in the water 60 yards from the shaft. He and two others sent Hargreaves out. Between the time of sending them out and returning to the place he found the water had risen 3 yards. He also gave evidence of the finding of other men.

Mr. A. R. Sawyer, assistant inspector of mines, said since Mr. Perrins had been in procession of Lilly Dale Colliery, he had been there 11 times previous to this accident he entered note on the 22nd of January that he made an inspection and inquired into the cause of the fire. The Coxhead was worked with naked lights. He did not find any gas. In explanation, he might state that information had reached him of the existence of a fire in the pit. On careful examination he could not detect any. He was told that it had broken out once or twice, but had been easily mastered. He was assured that as it occurred within 10 yards of the pit bottom it could and would be watched.

The Coxhead seam had an inclination of 34 degrees at this colliery. The position of the workings on that day was as follows: Levels had been driven south of the pit to a 99 yard drop fault, a distance of about 120 yards. From these levels a drift about 30 yards wide and skirting the fault had been driven some distance up.

Seventy yards from the pit there were a pair of dips which had been driven about 160 yards. The coal lying between the dips and the fault was being worked by driving headings at intervals of 10 yards and drifting back. The air went down the main dip and, after, after ventilating the working places, returned over the gob into the main travelling road, along which, as well as in the workings, naked lights were used.

The ventilation was good. His last inspection previous to the accident was on the 17th of March when the ventilation was good for the small extent of workings and could not find fault with what was being done in the Banbury seam. There were several broken bars in the Coxhead level. So far as he could go he found no gas. The number of men employed at that time was under 20.

On arriving at the top of the dips on the 17th of March he sent for Joseph Biddulph, who was in the dip workings, and went with him as far as it was possible to get into the abandoned drift above the levels, which he contended the most likely places to contain gas. 8

As on former occasions, so on that, he could not find any gas there. The ventilation was good and the air pure. As the men were working with naked lights at the bottom of the dips there could not have been any gas in the headings; neither could gas have lodged in the gob in a seam of that inclination with an ordinary and fall of roof as this seam generally had, as on being disengaged it would ascend and come to the highest part point which he found clear. He did not go down the dips. Knowing, however, the Coxhead seam to be as a rule a gas-yielding seam, he did not feel quite satisfied about working with naked lights being used and made remarks to Biddulph to that effect enjoining upon him the immediate use of lamps at the intimation of danger.

He was quite aware that headings were being driven north of the dips, and the boundary was near. Irrespective of that, the headings were driven with entire disregard of the 9th general rule of the Mines Regulations Act, 1872 which enacted where a place was likely to contain a dangerous accumulation of water the workings approaching such place should not exceed 8 feet in width, and these should be constantly kept at a sufficient distance, not being less than 5 yards in advance at least 1 bore-hole near the centre of the working and sufficient bore holes on each side.

The 7th general rule was also ignored, which enjoined the use of locked safety lamps of every working approaching any place there was likely to be an accumulation of explosive gas, for it was well know among mining engineers that workings often contained both water and gas. They were told that water had been issuing from several places.

There was no doubt that the water broke in at the bottom north heading. The water in the old workings appeared to be within 7 or 8 yards of the Coxhead pit level. That would make a head of water of 80 yards, and the pressure per square inch of surface at the bottom of the dip of 104 lbs. That pressure would undoubtedly make itself perceptible by forcing water through the strata some distance, as they were told it did and should be sufficient to break through a small thickness of coal and drowned the men at the bottom of the dips.

It appeared that the roof in the bottom dip on the south side had fallen in more than usual, leaving cavities in which not-withstanding the great dip of the seam, a small quantity of gas might accumulate, as the air would pass underneath them. If, as he believed, these cavities contained the gas which exploded, its presence previous to the explosion ought to have been known. The disturbance produced by the sudden inrush of water displaced this gas, and it ignited at the lights of the men who were trying to escape from the water. 9

On the afternoon of the explosion he descended the up-cast shaft with the purpose of going in as far as he could, but on finding that the gob was on fire close to the shaft, he came up again, not knowing how much more gas might be disengaged, and by his advice the water had been allowed to rise so as to put the fire out.

In reply to a question from Mr. Keary, who represented the manager, Mr. Sawyer replied; he should work bore-holes if there was a rib of 40 to50 feet, especially where a colliery had been worked by several different owners, and some of the plans could not be met with. He should think that there should be bore-holes for a distance of at least 50 yards from the boundary of old workings. In this case of the working places must have been nearer to the old gob than was supposed. In reply to a question from the coroner, Mr. Sawyer said; placing bore-holes in the heading in this case would have avoided an inundation. He attributed the explosion, to the inrush of water.

Mr. Wynne (Government Inspector of Mines) said he had not visited the colliery himself since Mr. Perrins had been manager. By special arrangements he consented had Mr. Perrins should be the manager. He had heard the evidence as to the driving of the headings and the bleeding from the face of the coal, and at the time of the water bursting in there would be a very narrow with of coal.

They had driven very nearly into the old workings, which fact would have been disclosed if they had kept bore-holes in accordance with the Act of Parliament. The Coxhead seam was a seam that the water would go through some short distance; but with only a small heading there would not be the same pressure against a few yards of rib as against a large one. He believed the rib must have been less than was proscribed by Act of Parliament. Letters which had passed between Mr. Wynne and Mr. Perrins were read giving Mr. Perrins permission for working the colliery. In reply to a question from Mr. Keary (on behalf of Mr. Perrins) Mr. Whynne said the bleeding might have commenced some distance from the water, perhaps 20 yards from it. There was no danger if bore-holes had been keeping in advance.

Mr. Perrins, examined by Mr. Keary, said he was the lessee and had been working the Lilly Dale colliery about 2 years. After speaking to the correctness of some plans produced he said according to the plan of the working the nearest part of the lower level was 15 yards from the old workings. When he became lessee he tried to get Hawke’s plans of the old workings, which he was unable to do so. He had reason to believe that the Coxhead coal was worked out of Hawke’s property. He expected that there would be some water there, but not a very great quantity because it had been worked 15 or 20 years, so the roof would have been swollen and the place closed up to a certain extent. 10

He purchased a Tangye pump and had it fixed, and was prepared to have bored when he got what he thought Biddulph considered near enough to require them to drive the 5 yards bore-hole. When they were 15 yards from the boundary they thought they were entirely free from danger; so did Wood, the fireman, who worked in Hawke’s level, from which the coal had been got previously. The last time he was down the pit there was a sudden fall of roof to a great extent, and the water might have come in there.

As to the fire in the pit, it was noticed in January the first time. He took immediate steps and considered that it had been entirely mastered. Two days before the explosion he heard of it again. He directed Joseph Biddulph to cut off the communication and try to get at the seat of the fire. He (Mr. Perrins) was in the lower level the Thursday before the explosion. It was at that time as dry as possible. On the Saturday before the explosion they said when they came up that the heading was perfectly dry. About a quarter past eleven on the morning of the explosion William Biddulph came to him and said he must start the Tangye engine at once for there was as much water in the lower level as he could manage, he mentioned that it was spurting out of the heading. Then Biddulph’s brother came out of the pit and said there had been an explosion.

Kirk the manager, left on the 9th march since which time there has never been 30 men employed the number at one time usually about 10. In reply to a question from Mr. Wynne, he said he did not consider they were approaching the boundary of the old workings so near as to require bore-holes of 5 yards. He thought it would be safe to drive without 5 yards’ boring, though not without some boring. He tried 5 feet boring as a precaution. He had known of some encroachments having been made in the old workings.

Mr. Wynne, in answer to Mr. Keary, said he had heard Mr. Perrin’s evidence and assuming there to have been a fall of roof it was possible to have brought the water from over the Coxhead seam. He could not give an instance of anything like it having occurred. According to the evidence of a previous witness, it appeared as if some water had come through the thirling. It was not safe to trust absolutely without boring on approaching old workings. This being the whole of the evidence, the coroner summed up at great length and the jury after deliberating upwards of half an hour returned a verdict of manslaughter against the Mr Perrins as manager of the colliery. Mr. Perrins was admitted to bail.