Black Park Colliery scalding, 1896

Two men hosing hot ashes at the foot of Black Park Colliery's boiler-chimney shaft, near Chirk, were scalded to death on 27 January 1896 when falling debris turned the steam back on them.

Cause

Debris falling down the boiler-chimney shaft drove steam from hosed ashes back onto the men.

What happened

Black Park Colliery, near Chirk, raised steam from boilers underground, and one of its shafts served as their chimney. On 27 January 1896 a quantity of surface debris fell down that shaft onto the hot ashes from the boilers. Two datallers, James Francis, 33, and Benjamin Jones, 28, were playing a hose on the ashes when more debris evidently fell and drove the steam back on them, scalding them so badly that both died.

Recorded claims

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

• On 27 January 1896 two datallers, James Francis, 33, and Benjamin Jones, 28, were fatally scalded underground at Black Park Colliery, Chirk. ^1,2,3
• A shaft at the colliery served as the chimney for the underground steam boilers. ^1,2,3
• Surface debris fell down the shaft onto hot ashes from the boilers; the men were hosing the ashes when more debris fell and turned the steam back on them. ^1,2,3

Related terminology

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

• Colliery (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “Two men hosing hot ashes at the foot of Black Park Colliery's boiler-chimney shaft, near Chirk, were scalded to death on 27…”
• Dataller (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…debris fell down that shaft onto the hot ashes from the boilers. Two datallers, James Francis, 33, and Benjamin Jones, 28, were playing a hose on…”
• Shaft (contextual relationship)
  Named 4 times in this record, first in the summary: “…hosing hot ashes at the foot of Black Park Colliery's boiler-chimney shaft, near Chirk, were scalded to death on 27 January 1896 when falling…”

Sources

1. (secondary) Mining victims, 1890s, F (Fulthorpe) — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's list of mining victims)
2. (primary) Black Park Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
3. (secondary) Mining deaths 1890-1899, surnames J part 3 (Ian Winstanley) — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's mining deaths lists)

Record created: 8 October 2026 · Last researched: 8 October 2026