Markham Colliery shaft explosion, 1912

Gas exploded in the north sinking shaft at Markham Colliery on the afternoon of Saturday 18 May 1912, killing five sinkers and surface men and throwing the two-ton shaft bowk fifty yards.

Cause

Firedamp from a blower in the shaft, ignited by an unknown source; smoking was suspected but not proved.

What happened

By May 1912 the sinkers at Markham had reached the Meadow Vein. Early on the Saturday afternoon of 18 May firedamp exploded in the north shaft with such force that the bowk at the top, nearly two tons, was thrown more than fifty yards. Two men were working down the shaft and seven on the surface, several of them still at work fitting new leather valves to a water barrel when they would usually have gone home.

Five men died: the chargeman George Jones, the fitters Michael Carrol and Albert Leggett, the assistant banksman Thomas Patrick and the sinker George Guntripp, who was thought to have fallen thirty yards into the water at the pit bottom. A rescue brigade from Crumlin, wearing breathing apparatus, went down with the manager in the evening and found the sinker James Snashall alive and badly burned in the lodge room near the 300-yard landing.

The shaft had been tested for gas every twelve hours and nothing had been found, though safety lamps had been carried for six months. Spent matches were found and smoking in the shaft was suspected, but it could not be proved, and the inquest returned an open verdict.

Rescue & recovery

A Crumlin rescue brigade in breathing apparatus reached the 300-yard landing and brought up James Snashall alive at about 7.30 p.m.

What's uncertain

Points where sources disagree or the record could not be settled; both accounts are kept. All open questions in the archive.

• The explosion happened at about 1.40 p.m. (uncertain) ²
• The explosion happened at 1.50 p.m. (uncertain) ¹

Recorded claims

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

• On 18 May 1912 firedamp exploded in the north sinking shaft at Markham Colliery and killed five men. ^1,2
• Four of the dead were on the surface; two men were in the shaft. ^1,2
• A rescue brigade from Crumlin wearing breathing apparatus reached the landing stage at 300 yards and brought up the sinker James Snashall alive. ¹
• The inquest returned an open verdict; smoking in the shaft was suspected but not proved. ¹
• The explosion happened at about 1.40 p.m. (uncertain) ²
• The explosion happened at 1.50 p.m. (uncertain) ¹

Related terminology

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

• Banksman (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…Jones, the fitters Michael Carrol and Albert Leggett, the assistant banksman Thomas Patrick and the sinker George Guntripp, who was thought to…”
• Blower (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s cause: “Firedamp from a blower in the shaft, ignited by an unknown source; smoking was suspected…”
• Breathing Apparatus (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the narrative: “…the water at the pit bottom. A rescue brigade from Crumlin, wearing breathing apparatus, went down with the manager in the evening and found the sinker…”
• Kibble (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…killing five sinkers and surface men and throwing the two-ton shaft bowk fifty yards.”
• Shaft Sinking (contextual relationship)
  Named 5 times in this record, first in the summary: “Gas exploded in the north sinking shaft at Markham Colliery on the afternoon of Saturday 18 May 1912,…”

Sources

1. (secondary) 1912 (fatalities by date) — Welsh Coal Mines
2. (secondary) Markham Colliery — Northern Mine Research Society

Record created: 8 October 2026 · Last researched: 8 October 2026