Douglas Bank Colliery sinking accident, 1888

On 6 April 1888, while the shafts of Douglas Bank Colliery near Wigan were being deepened, the hoppet carrying the contractor and two sinkers swayed, struck the side and overturned. The three fell some 200 yards and killed two men at the bottom: five died.

Cause

The sinking hoppet swayed and overturned in the shaft, throwing out the men riding in it.

Contributing factors

The inspector thought the hoppet's hooks had caught in the signal wire, which was found broken; why it began to sway could not be explained.

What happened

Douglas Bank, near Bickershaw, belonged to the Rose Bridge and Douglas Bank company, and from May 1887 its shafts were being deepened from the Cannel Mine towards the Arley. On 6 April 1888 the contractor, Thomas Morris, and two sinkers were being lowered in the hoppet when it began to sway, struck the side of the pit and turned over.

The three men were thrown out and fell about 200 yards to the bottom of the shaft, where they struck and killed two men at work there. The dead were Thomas Morris, 45, the contractor, and the sinkers William Baines, 52, Bernard Haigh, 36, Patrick Keef, 36, and Edward Watkin, 36.

Investigation & inquiry

H.M. Inspector Hall, who reached the pit soon after the accident, examined the winding engine and rope and rode the shaft several times: the hoppet ran steadily, with about four feet of clearance from the walling, and showed no mark of striking the tank or pipe. He concluded that through some cause impossible to explain the hoppet began to sway and its hooks caught in the signal wire. An inquest was held.

Recorded claims

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

• On 6 April 1888 five sinkers died in an accident while the shaft at Douglas Bank Colliery was being deepened. ^1,2
• The hoppet carrying the contractor and two sinkers down the shaft swayed, struck the side and overturned; the three fell some 200 yards and killed two men working at the bottom. ^1,2
• The inspector, Mr Hall, found the engine, rope and walling satisfactory and concluded that the swaying hoppet's hooks had caught in the signal wire, though he could not say how it began to sway. ²

Related terminology

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

• Colliery (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s summary: “On 6 April 1888, while the shafts of Douglas Bank Colliery near Wigan were being deepened, the hoppet carrying the contractor…”
• Shaft (contextual relationship)
  Named 5 times in this record, first in the summary: “On 6 April 1888, while the shafts of Douglas Bank Colliery near Wigan were being deepened, the hoppet…”
• Shaft Sinking (contextual relationship)
  Named 4 times in this record, first in the summary: “…were being deepened, the hoppet carrying the contractor and two sinkers swayed, struck the side and overturned. The three fell some 200…”
• Winding Engine (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s investigation: “…Hall, who reached the pit soon after the accident, examined the winding engine and rope and rode the shaft several times: the hoppet ran steadily,…”

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 Disaster: Douglas Bank, 6 April 1888 — Durham Mining Museum
2. (secondary) Douglas Bank Colliery Shaft Accident - Wigan - 1888 — Northern Mine Research Society

Record created: 4 October 2026 · Last researched: 4 October 2026