Holytown Colliery explosion, 1900

On 12 April 1900 a sudden break in the roof of a new longwall face in the Lower Drumgray seam at James Nimmo and Company's Holytown Colliery released firedamp, which a miner fired at his naked light as he ran for the road-head. Two brothers, sons of the fireman, were killed and two men injured; a second explosion followed when the gas reached burning timber.

Cause

An outburst of firedamp from a sudden break in the roof, ignited at an open light; a second explosion followed at timbering set alight by the first.

What happened

The Lower Drumgray seam was being opened up by longwall working in the pit returned as No. 2 (No. 12 in the inspector's report). A sudden break in the roof let out a body of gas, and one of the miners, rushing out to the road-head, ignited it at his naked light. Gilbert and Peter Cassells were killed and two other men injured. When their father, the fireman, came back about half an hour later he saw timbering burning about forty yards from where the gas had fired, and got to safety just before the gas, which had gone on accumulating, exploded again at the burning timber.

Investigation & inquiry

The inspector of mines described the explosion in his report for 1900. After it the owners were persuaded to introduce safety lamps, but within six months they wished to go back to open lights, and seemed to think it a hardship when he told them he would oppose any attempt to withdraw the safety lamps for the present.

Recorded claims

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

• On 12 April 1900 an explosion of firedamp in the Lower Drumgray seam of Holytown Colliery killed two miners, Gilbert and Peter Cassells, sons of the fireman, and injured two others. ^1,2
• A sudden break in the roof released gas, and a miner rushing out to the road-head ignited it at his naked light. ^1,2
• The fireman, returning about half an hour later, found timbering on fire forty yards away and got clear before a second explosion of gas that had gathered and fired at the burning timber. ²
• Safety lamps were then introduced, but within six months the owners wished to go back to open lights, and the inspector said he would oppose it. ²

Related terminology

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

• Fireman (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…naked light as he ran for the road-head. Two brothers, sons of the fireman, were killed and two men injured; a second explosion followed when…”
• Longwall (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “On 12 April 1900 a sudden break in the roof of a new longwall face in the Lower Drumgray seam at James Nimmo and Company's…”
• Naked Light (contextual relationship)
  Named 4 times in this record, first in the summary: “…Holytown Colliery released firedamp, which a miner fired at his naked light as he ran for the road-head. Two brothers, sons of the fireman, were…”
• Outburst (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s cause: “An outburst of firedamp from a sudden break in the roof, ignited at an open…”
• Safety Lamp (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the investigation: “…his report for 1900. After it the owners were persuaded to introduce safety lamps, but within six months they wished to go back to open lights, and…”

Sources

1. (primary) Holytown Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
2. (secondary) Scottish Mining Website: fatal accidents 1900 — Scottish Mining Website

Record created: 21 October 2026 · Last researched: 21 October 2026