MineArchiveBold Colliery shaft accident, 1905
A cage carrying men down the shaft at Bold Colliery, St Helens, descended too rapidly on 20 January 1905, overshooting the Yard Mine level and crashing onto a sinking platform thirty yards below, killing five miners and seriously injuring fourteen more.
| Date | 20 January 1905 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Bold Colliery |
| Region | Merseyside |
| Type | Winding / Shaft Accident |
| Fatalities | 5 (5 dead is the figure given directly by the Northern Mine Research Society's colliery history page; no fuller victim list was found.) |
| Injuries | Fourteen men were seriously injured in the same accident. |
| Context | During active mining |
Cause
The winding cage carrying men down the shaft descended too rapidly, overshooting the Yard Mine level and crashing onto a sinking platform thirty yards further down.
Contributing factors
The accident occurred while No. 3 shaft was still being sunk to its full depth, meaning a sinking platform was in place below the Yard Mine level for the descending cage to crash onto — a hazard specific to a shaft still under construction rather than a hazard of everyday winding once the shaft was complete.
What happened
Five miners were killed and fourteen more seriously injured when the cage that was carrying them down the shaft failed to check its descent at the Yard Mine level and continued down onto a sinking platform still in place thirty yards below, as the shaft's final sinking to full depth was not yet complete.
Rescue & recovery
Specific rescue/recovery operation detail was not established.
Investigation & inquiry
Specific inquiry findings and any named cause of the cage's failure to check its descent were not established.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- On 20 January 1905, a cage descending the shaft overshot the Yard Mine level and crashed onto a sinking platform thirty yards below, killing five miners and seriously injuring fourteen more. 1
- The accident occurred while the shaft was still being sunk to its full depth, meaning a sinking platform was present below the Yard Mine level for the cage to crash onto. 1
Related terminology
Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.
- Cage (contextual relationship)
Named 5 times in this record, first in the summary: “A cage carrying men down the shaft at Bold Colliery, St Helens, descended…” - Colliery (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s summary: “A cage carrying men down the shaft at Bold Colliery, St Helens, descended too rapidly on 20 January 1905, overshooting…” - Level (contextual relationship)
Named 4 times in this record, first in the summary: “…descended too rapidly on 20 January 1905, overshooting the Yard Mine level and crashing onto a sinking platform thirty yards below, killing…” - Shaft (contextual relationship)
Named 7 times in this record, first in the summary: “A cage carrying men down the shaft at Bold Colliery, St Helens, descended too rapidly on 20 January…” - Shaft Sinking (contextual relationship)
Named 5 times in this record, first in the summary: “…January 1905, overshooting the Yard Mine level and crashing onto a sinking platform thirty yards below, killing five miners and seriously…”
Sources
- (secondary) Bold Colliery (1875-1985) — Northern Mine Research Society
- (secondary) Bold Colliery Part 2 — Sutton Beauty & Heritage
Record created: 28 August 2026 · Last researched: 28 August 2026