Hetton Colliery explosion, 1860

On the evening of 20 December 1860 gas that had gathered in a nearly level boiler flue exploded in the Minor Pit of the Hetton Coal Company's colliery at Hetton-le-Hole, killing 22 men and boys. Some 200 had just come up, and only the stonemen and shifters were below.

Cause

Firedamp accumulated in a nearly level flue heading from the boiler of Davidson's engine to the upcast shaft, not in the workings, and exploded.

Contributing factors

A boiler underground whose flue gave gas room to gather; no suspicion of gas in the pit beforehand.

What happened

Hetton was the centre of the Hetton Coal Company's three collieries, with Elemore to the south-west and Eppleton to the north-east, each ventilated separately. The pit worked the Main Coal at 109 fathoms and the Hutton seam at 148 fathoms. Gas given off by the coal had fired at the boiler doors before without harm, but this time it had collected in a long, nearly level flue leading from the boiler of Davidson's engine to the upcast shaft, and the explosion went through the workings like a cannon.

It came at about 8 p.m., after some 200 men and boys had ridden to bank, so the dead were mostly shifters, deputies and timber leaders: three by the furnace in the West Minor pit, others up the new incline, on the south wagonway and repairing timber in the South-east Drift. The master shifter Thomas Smith, blown over, found the ventilation running backwards and led a group of men out. Fire caught the hay in the stables and killed all the horses and ponies; the fire in the north stables was not out for about six weeks.

Rescue & recovery

Edward Wailes Hall, a master shifter, went down the Downs Pit but was stopped by falls and afterdamp. The overman George Lowden was with the party that found bodies in the return.

Investigation & inquiry

The inquest sat at the Colliery Hotel, Hetton-le-Hole, before the coroner Thomas Christopher Maynard.

Legal & regulatory aftermath

The jury found that John Greaves and 21 others died from an explosion of gas accumulated in the flue heading, not in the workings.

Changes to practice & legislation

At the close of the inquest it was suggested that such flues be built with a continuous rise.

Recorded claims

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

• The explosion on 20 December 1860 killed 22 men and boys. ^1,2,3
• The gas had accumulated in the flue heading from the boiler of Davidson's engine to the upcast shaft, not in the workings. ^1,2,3
• It happened in the evening soon after some 200 men and boys had ridden to bank, when only the stonemen were below. ³
• All the horses and ponies in the pit died when fire caught the hay in the stables. ^1,2

Related terminology

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

• Afterdamp (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s rescue and recovery: “…master shifter, went down the Downs Pit but was stopped by falls and afterdamp. The overman George Lowden was with the party that found bodies in…”
• Deputy (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…men and boys had ridden to bank, so the dead were mostly shifters, deputies and timber leaders: three by the furnace in the West Minor pit,…”
• Downcast Shaft and Upcast Shaft (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the cause: “…level flue heading from the boiler of Davidson's engine to the upcast shaft, not in the workings, and exploded.”
• Fathom (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the narrative: “…each ventilated separately. The pit worked the Main Coal at 109 fathoms and the Hutton seam at 148 fathoms. Gas given off by the coal had…”
• Overman (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s rescue and recovery: “…went down the Downs Pit but was stopped by falls and afterdamp. The overman George Lowden was with the party that found bodies in the return.”

Photographs & further reading

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

Sources

1. (secondary) Hetton Colliery Minor Pit Explosion - Hetton - 1860 — Northern Mine Research Society
2. (primary) Colliery Disaster: Minor Pit, Hetton, 20 December 1860 — Durham Mining Museum
3. (secondary) Hetton Colliery Explosion — Healey Hero

Record created: 3 October 2026 · Last researched: 3 October 2026