Clifton Colliery explosion, 1914

About 8 a.m. on Tuesday 4 August 1914, with the pit off work, an explosion of firedamp in the Lickbank seam of the William Pit killed the deputy Isaac Smith, the examiner James Wright, who were repairing a gateroad, and the pumpman John Wilkinson at his electric pump, and injured a fourth man. No one had inspected the district since the Friday, the fan had stood for twelve hours on the Saturday, and a leaking pump motor sat in a badly placed pump-house through which the return air could circulate. The manager could not say what fired the gas; the agent, manager and under-manager pleaded guilty at Workington on 28 October 1914 to the breach of section 64 of the Coal Mines Act.

Cause

An accumulation of firedamp in a district left uninspected for at least three days while the ventilating fan stood for twelve hours; the point of ignition was never established.

Contributing factors

The pump-house was badly sited, so that with the separation door shut the return air circulated round it and its motor, which was leaking to earth; no definite arrangement existed for inspecting places temporarily stopped in a working district.

What happened

Smith and Wright were engaged doing repairs in a gateroad and Wilkinson was attending an electrically driven pump when the gas fired. The inspector recorded that no one had gone into the face to inspect after the Friday, a serious breach of section 64 (1) of the Coal Mines Act 1911, that the fan had been stopped from 6.30 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. on the Saturday, when a great deal of gas no doubt accumulated, and that the assistant electrician had found the pump motor's stator leaking to earth that day. At the inquest the manager said he thought the explosion had started in the gateway where Wright and Smith were working, probably from a damaged lamp or sparks from rails being moved.

Rescue & recovery

Not recorded in the sources read.

Investigation & inquiry

The inspector for the Northern Division reported the explosion in his 1914 report, finding the breach of section 64 and minor irregularities in the electrical plant, and the inquest heard the manager's evidence.

Legal & regulatory aftermath

On the Home Secretary's order proceedings were taken against the agent, manager and under-manager; the case was heard at Workington on 28 October 1914 and the defendants pleaded guilty.

Changes to practice & legislation

None recorded in the sources read.

Memorials & commemoration

None known.

Recorded claims

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

• Firedamp accumulated in a district uninspected for three days while the fan stood twelve hours; the point of ignition was not established. ¹
• Isaac Smith, James Wright and John Wilkinson killed; one man injured. ¹
• The agent, manager and under-manager pleaded guilty at Workington on 28 October 1914 to the breach of section 64 (1) of the Coal Mines Act 1911. ¹

Related terminology

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

• Coal Mines Act 1911 (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…inspect after the Friday, a serious breach of section 64 (1) of the Coal Mines Act 1911, that the fan had been stopped from 6.30 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. on the…”
• Deputy (contextual relationship)
• Firedamp (direct cause)
  Accumulated while the fan stood.

Sources

1. (primary) Clifton Colliery explosion, 4 August 1914 — Durham Mining Museum (inspector's report extract) — Durham Mining Museum
2. (primary) Clifton Colliery — Durham Mining Museum — Durham Mining Museum

Record created: 12 September 2026 · Last researched: 12 September 2026