Axwell Park Colliery explosion, 1896

On 10 February 1896 firedamp, never before seen at Axwell Park Colliery, was fired at a hewer's naked light in the Five Quarter seam, burning three men; the deputy and a hewer died.

Cause

Firedamp gathered at troubled ground on the main cross-cut was fired at a hewer's naked light.

What happened

Axwell Park Colliery, at Swalwell west of Gateshead, had always been considered one of the safest mines in the district: no firedamp had ever been seen in it, and until October 1895 not even the deputies used safety lamps. That autumn the main cross-cut in the Five Quarter seam reached troubled ground, and the manager had the morning examination made with safety lamps; none had found gas by the Saturday before the accident. On Monday 10 February 1896 the deputy, Jacob Handy, carrying a safety lamp, went in with two hewers carrying naked lights to fetch tools left there on the Saturday. Gas had gathered at the hitch. One of the hewers was evidently on top of the canch ahead of the deputy, and his light fired it. All three were seriously burned; Handy, 49, and the hewer William Wilson, 34, soon died. The inspector, J. L. Hedley, put it down to over-confidence: because gas had never been seen, the men thought it absurd that it could be there, though the manager's precautions should have warned them. The seam was wet, or the explosion might have been worse.

Investigation & inquiry

H.M. Inspector J. L. Hedley inspected the place and attended the inquest; his report blamed over-confidence on the part of the men.

Recorded claims

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

• On Monday 10 February 1896 an explosion of firedamp in the Five Quarter seam at Hannington and Co.'s Axwell Park Colliery, Swalwell, seriously burned three men, two of whom soon died. ^1,2
• The dead were Jacob Handy, 49, deputy, and William Wilson, 34, hewer. ^1,2
• The mine had always been thought one of the safest in the district: no firedamp had ever been seen in it, and until October 1895 safety lamps were not used even by the deputies, when the main cross-cut reached troubled ground and the manager had the morning examination made with them. ¹
• The deputy, with a safety lamp, went with two hewers carrying naked lights to fetch tools left in the place on the Saturday; one hewer was evidently on top of the canch ahead of the deputy, and the gas was fired at his naked light. ¹
• The inspector put the explosion down to over-confidence, or ignorance: because gas had never been seen, it was thought absurd that it could be there. ¹

Related terminology

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

• Deputy (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “…hewer's naked light in the Five Quarter seam, burning three men; the deputy and a hewer died.”
• Firedamp (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “On 10 February 1896 firedamp, never before seen at Axwell Park Colliery, was fired at a hewer's…”
• Hewer (contextual relationship)
  Named 6 times in this record, first in the summary: “…firedamp, never before seen at Axwell Park Colliery, was fired at a hewer's naked light in the Five Quarter seam, burning three men; the…”
• Naked Light (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “…never before seen at Axwell Park Colliery, was fired at a hewer's naked light in the Five Quarter seam, burning three men; the deputy and a hewer…”
• Safety Lamp (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the narrative: “…been seen in it, and until October 1895 not even the deputies used safety lamps. That autumn the main cross-cut in the Five Quarter seam reached…”

Photographs & further reading

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

Sources

1. (primary) Colliery Accident 1896: Axwell Park, 10 February 1896 — Durham Mining Museum
2. (secondary) Alphabetical list of mining victims 1890-1899: H (Ian Winstanley) — Healey Hero

Record created: 5 October 2026 · Last researched: 5 October 2026