Lowca Colliery explosion, 1946

An explosion of firedamp in the mechanised Main Band workings under the Solway Firth killed fifteen men in No. 2 District; the official inquiry found the district's ventilation inadequate and concluded that an overman had opened a flame safety lamp in an inflammable mixture.

Cause

Firedamp in No. 2 District of the Main Band Seam was ignited when, in the inquiry's judgement, overman William Hoodless unscrewed a flame safety lamp and tried its re-lighter. Coal dust may have caused a second explosion.

Contributing factors

The fans that ventilated the two headings were not moving enough air, the seam was regarded as gassy and firedamp had been detected in the district on several occasions in the previous six months, the statutory reports were incomplete, and the account of the inquiry attributes the lapses to wartime shortages of skilled labour and inspectors.

What happened

At 8.30 a.m. on Monday 9 December 1946 an explosion tore through No. 2 District of the Main Band Seam at Harrington No. 10 Pit, Lowca, some three and three-quarter miles from the shaft, out under the Solway Firth. The district, driven by five headings from 1944 on American-style mechanised room-and-pillar lines, was still being cleared of gas that the night deputy, Alan Hannah, had found and fenced off. The morning shift had gone down at 5.30 a.m., with the deputy Thomas Millar and the overman William Hoodless directing the work of clearing the gas and restoring the ventilation before coal-getting resumed. Everyone who had entered the district was killed except John McMullen, cleaning spillage from a belt at the transfer point, who was found unconscious and burned. A searing flame raced down No. 5 right thirling and severely burned Thomas Addison, John Hill and Daniel Largue; witnesses heard two bangs.

The dead included Hoodless and Millar, faceworkers, two timber-drawing brothers, two bricklayers, a demonstrator and a service engineer; William Ennis left twelve children. They came from Lowca, Harrington, Whitehaven, Workington, Dearham and Distington.

Rescue & recovery

The first trained team arrived from the Brigham rescue station by 9.45 a.m., under superintendent J. Charlton, and twelve brigades in all took part, with volunteers from the No. 10 pit and from St Helens, Solway, William and Haig pits working behind the breathing-apparatus men to clear two roof falls each about 30 yards long. By the time the district could be reached all the men in it were dead. Eight bodies were brought up within 24 hours; the last, that of Tom Millar, was found under the largest fall and was recovered on Saturday night. The mayor of Workington went down in working clothes to help with timbering.

Investigation & inquiry

The inquiry into the explosion was conducted by Sir John Felton, H.M. Chief Inspector of Mines, with the coroner for West Cumberland, and held concurrently with the inquest at the Congregational Church Schoolrooms, Whitehaven, from 25 February to 1 March 1947. The coroner's verdict was death by explosion of gas, by misadventure. The inquiry ruled out electrical apparatus and shot-firing, found Miller's flame safety lamp in pieces with undamaged screw threads and concluded that Hoodless had unscrewed his own lamp in the best-ventilated part of the district and ignited the firedamp with its re-lighter. It also found the ventilation inadequate. Felton's report (Cmd. 7222) was presented to the Minister of Fuel and Power on 9 September 1947.

Legal & regulatory aftermath

The coroner returned a verdict of misadventure. A joint appeal opened a Lowca Pit Fund for the dependants, which received donations from across the country and reached several thousand pounds.

Changes to practice & legislation

Felton recommended that adequate ventilation, planned ahead of the pace of mechanised advance, be provided and checked by trained officials; that electrical apparatus be kept flameproof and maintained, with more electricians trained; and that cables and switchgear near the face be made live after a stoppage only once a deputy had examined and certified the area safe. He warned that switching fans off to save electricity could let gas accumulate.

Recorded claims

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

• An explosion at 8.30 a.m. on 9 December 1946 in No. 2 District, Main Band Seam, Harrington No. 10 Colliery, killed fifteen men. ^1,2
• The inquiry concluded that firedamp was ignited when an overman opened a flame safety lamp. ^1,2
• Sir John Felton's inquiry sat with the inquest at Whitehaven from 25 February to 1 March 1947, and the coroner's verdict was misadventure. ¹
• Twelve rescue brigades took part in the rescue and recovery, the first arriving from Brigham by 9.45 a.m. ¹

Related terminology

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

• Breathing Apparatus (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s rescue and recovery: “…and from St Helens, Solway, William and Haig pits working behind the breathing-apparatus men to clear two roof falls each about 30 yards long. By the time…”
• Deputy (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the narrative: “…room-and-pillar lines, was still being cleared of gas that the night deputy, Alan Hannah, had found and fenced off. The morning shift had gone…”
• Overman (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “…found the district's ventilation inadequate and concluded that an overman had opened a flame safety lamp in an inflammable mixture.”
• Relighter Lamp (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the cause: “…overman William Hoodless unscrewed a flame safety lamp and tried its re-lighter. Coal dust may have caused a second explosion.”
• Thirling (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…found unconscious and burned. A searing flame raced down No. 5 right thirling and severely burned Thomas Addison, John Hill and Daniel Largue;…”

Photographs & further reading

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

Sources

1. (secondary) Harrington Pit Explosion, Lowca, 1946 - Northern Mine Research Society — Northern Mine Research Society
2. (primary) Durham Mining Museum - Harrington Colliery — Durham Mining Museum

Record created: 29 September 2026 · Last researched: 29 September 2026