The Hartley Colliery Disaster 16th January 1862 over 150 Years Ago

Presentation to the Midland Institute of Mining Engineers on behalf of The North of Institute Of Mining and Mechanical Engineers

Eur Ing Norman W Jackson CEng FIMMM FNEIMME Past President

1 My Approach

 Historic Setting  Hartley Colliery  The Accident  The Recovery  The Funeral  The Inquiry  Change to Legislation  150 Years Later

2 History of Coal Mining

Hester Shaft 3 Seaton Sluice Actual Workings From Single Shaft Bedlington

River Blyth Bebside Old Bord and Pillar From Single Shaft

Spine Road

Richards House 4 Typical Bord and Pillar

Pillars Pillars Pillars

Roadways/Bords

5 Hartley Mine Shafts

Hester Shaft 800m

Seaton Delaval Hall

Shafts

6 Hester Pit, Hartley Colliery Shaft Details.

 Sinking Commenced January 1st 1845  Low Main Seam Reached May 29th 1846  Sinking Rate 8.35 Ft per week

Seam Depth In Depth in Depth in Thickness Fathoms Feet Metres High Main 37 223 68 4ft 6in Yard 69 418 127 3ft 0in Low Main 97 583 178 3ft 4in Sump 100 601 183

7 Plan View of Shaft and Staple

Ventilation Partition

Hester Shaft 12 Foot Diameter Yard Seam Pump

Cage Staple to High Main

Signal Ropes Cage High Main Pump

Low Main Pump

Intake Return 8 1852 Inrush

 In the period following the Shaft sinking working was difficult with water proving a major problem  14th February 1852 an immense feeder of water inundated the mine.  Similar to the recent incident in Wales the mine had intersected some old waterlogged workings.  The existing pumping system was overcome.  Men and horses were managed to be rescued.  A very close shave .

9 The New Pumping System

Main Pumping Beam

Counterweight Pumping Spears

Main Shaft Staple to High Main

Pumping Column 10 Pump Mechanism

Spears/Pump Rods

Transfer Point

Non Return Valves

Low Main – Yard Pump

11 16th January 1862 The Broken Beam

12 Pictorial View of Hester Shaft

Shaft Plan

High Main High Main Staple Furnace Drift

Yard Seam

Low Main

Pump Sump 13 The Cage Before After

14 Descending the Shaft

15 Mr. Coulson, Superintendent Of The Exploring Party

16 Rescue Team

17 Waiting for News

18 Section Depicting the Accident

19 Shaft on Monday 20th

Surface

Ventilation began to reverse

High Main Not Working 4ft 6in Thick

Furnace Men Working Here Drift when gas began to appear Yard Seam Furnace Yard Seam Not Working 3Ft Thick

Staple Low Main to Yard with ladder

Low Main Seam Working 3ft 4in Thick

Sump

20 View Of Hartley Pit

Pump House

Winder

Boilers

21 The Accident Plan

Hartley Colliery Yard Seam Furnace

2

2

25 2

117

40

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Men Killed in Shaft 5 Men Killed in Pit 199 Total 204 22 Thursday and Friday

Unstable Shaft and Pumps

Staple that victims climbed

23 Recovery of the bodies

24 The Funeral Procession

25 The Burial at Earsdon

26 The Shaft Victims Inquest

•Monday 20th January Hastings Arms •Stephen Reed Coroner •Mathias Dunn HMI

•Breaking of engine beam falling into Shaft 27 The Main Inquest / Inquiry

 3rd February – 6th February 1862  United Methodist Chapel  Stephen Reed Coroner  J Kenyon Blackman – Home Office  Mathias Dunn – HMI  T E Forster Mining Engineer/Viewer  G B Forster Mining Engineer/Viewer

28 Verdict and Comments

 Cause of death – Inhalation of Gas  Jury Opinion – imperative that all mines should have at least a second shaft or out let  All beams should be made of malleable not cast metal  The heroism of the rescuers should be acknowledged

29 The Heroes

 Tom Watson  James Amour  The Men and Boys  William Coulson  The Medics  Volunteers  The Viewers

30 The Medics

 at the scene were  Dr Anthony Davison Hartley Colliery Surgeon  Mr. T. Dawson and Mr. White of Newcastle,  Dr. Pyle and his son of Earsdon,  Mr. Ambrose, surgeon of the Discovery ship Endeavour,  Mr. Nichol, Mr. McAllister, and Mr. H. Ward,  the last four men volunteered to go into the furnace drift if their services were required

31 The Aftermath

 The Press and Public  The Campaign of Miners  Mines Inspectors Reports  The Debate of The Mining Engineers

32 An Act to Amend the Law Relating to Coal Mines passed 7th August 1862 It is unlawful for the mine owner to employ persons in such mine unless there are at least two shafts or outlets separated by natural strata not less than 10 feet in breadth. After 1st January 1865 no mine could operate without satisfying the criteria

Shaft Shaft 10feet Minimum

33 150 Years Later Walk Down Memory Lane

 Seaton Sluice   New Harley Memorial Garden  St Albans Church Earsdon  Visit the Monument  Look at the Grave Site  Visit the Institute

34 Seaton Sluice

35 Seaton Delaval Hall

36 The Memorial Garden,

37 The Memorial Garden, New Hartley

38 St. Albans Church Earsdon

39 The monument to those who lost their lives in the Hartley Disaster.

40 The Liddle Family 7 From one home 2 Cousins

41 The North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers

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