Adelaide Colliery cage accident, 1863

On 30 September 1863 both cages in the shaft at Joseph Pease and Co.'s Adelaide Colliery, near Bishop Auckland, came out of their guides while three men and a boy were being drawn up, and all four fell out and were killed.

Cause

Both cages left their guides in the shaft, for reasons that could not be established.

What happened

Three men and a boy were ascending when, by some unknown means, both the ascending and the descending cage got out of the guides. Swinging about and perhaps partly capsizing, the ascending cage threw them out part way down the shaft. The shaft's fittings were comparatively new and appeared to have been kept in proper order.

Investigation & inquiry

The coroner's jury found no one to blame and returned accidental death. The inspector, John J. Atkinson, recommended that cages be suspended and plumbed to hang truly vertical before being put into use, a practice he learned had already been adopted at Seaham, and that men be wound more slowly; both were then adopted at Adelaide. He also urged that men riding in a cage spread themselves evenly, since an unequal load made a cage bite into its guides.

Recorded claims

Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.

• Four were killed at Adelaide Colliery on 30 September 1863 when the cages came out of their guides. ^1,2
• The coroner's jury returned accidental death, no blame attaching to anyone. ²
• The inspector recommended suspending and plumbing cages before use and winding men more slowly; both were adopted at the colliery. ²
• The colliery belonged to Joseph Pease and Co. ¹

Related terminology

Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.

• Cage (contextual relationship)
  Named 7 times in this record, first in the summary: “On 30 September 1863 both cages in the shaft at Joseph Pease and Co.'s Adelaide Colliery, near…”
• Colliery (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s summary: “…1863 both cages in the shaft at Joseph Pease and Co.'s Adelaide Colliery, near Bishop Auckland, came out of their guides while three men and…”
• Shaft (contextual relationship)
  Named 4 times in this record, first in the summary: “On 30 September 1863 both cages in the shaft at Joseph Pease and Co.'s Adelaide Colliery, near Bishop Auckland,…”

Photographs & further reading

This page doesn't try to reproduce everything — these are the best original sources found for this disaster.

Sources

1. (secondary) Mining victims, 1860s, S (Shield) — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's list of mining victims)
2. (primary) Durham Mining Museum: Adelaide, 30 September 1863, cage accident — Durham Mining Museum

Record created: 6 October 2026 · Last researched: 10 October 2026