Murton Colliery Polka Pit explosion, 1848

An explosion in the Polka Pit, Murton Colliery, near South Hetton, at about half past twelve on 15 August 1848 killed fifteen men and boys, sixteen by another count, among about a hundred underground. Candles were used throughout the mine, and the toll would have been higher had one workman not had the presence of mind to hold the survivors to the shaft.

What happened

The Polka Pit, which Fordyce calls the West Pit of Murton Colliery, near South Hetton, belonged to the South Hetton Coal Company, in the Northern Mine Research Society's account, and to Messrs Braddyll and Co., in Fordyce's. About a hundred men and boys were at work when the explosion came. Candles were used throughout the mine. Immediately after the report, the overmen Henry Pace and one other went down the shaft and found that the explosion had been very violent though not extensive; they found the body of Henry Haddock, a boy who carried the compass for the back overman, Edward Noble. The survivors decided to try to get out by the return, and many were successful. The death toll would have been much higher, it was said, but for the presence of mind of one workman who led the others to a shaft.

The dead were buried in South Hetton churchyard. The inquest was held before Mr William Burgess at the Murton Inn, and the jurors went to the houses of Noble and Haddock to see the bodies, which were badly scorched.

Rescue & recovery

The overmen Henry Pace and another went down the shaft immediately after the report of the explosion, and found it very violent though not extensive; the survivors decided to get out by the return airway and many did.

What's uncertain

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

• An explosion in the Polka Pit of Murton Colliery at about 12.30 p.m. on 15 August 1848 killed fifteen men and boys, sixteen by another count. (disputed) ^1,2,3

Recorded claims

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

• An explosion in the Polka Pit of Murton Colliery at about 12.30 p.m. on 15 August 1848 killed fifteen men and boys, sixteen by another count. (disputed) ^1,2,3
• About a hundred men and boys were underground at the time of the explosion, and candles were used throughout the mine. ^1,2
• A workman's presence of mind in leading the survivors to a shaft prevented a much higher death toll. ^1,2
• The inquest was held before William Burgess at the Murton Inn, and the dead were buried in South Hetton churchyard. ¹

Related terminology

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

• Colliery (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “An explosion in the Polka Pit, Murton Colliery, near South Hetton, at about half past twelve on 15 August 1848…”
• Overman (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…body of Henry Haddock, a boy who carried the compass for the back overman, Edward Noble. The survivors decided to try to get out by the…”
• Return Airway (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s rescue and recovery: “…though not extensive; the survivors decided to get out by the return airway and many did.”
• Shaft (contextual relationship)
  Named 4 times in this record, first in the summary: “…workman not had the presence of mind to hold the survivors to the shaft.”

Photographs & further reading

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

Sources

1. (secondary) Polka Pit Colliery Explosion - Murton - 1848 (NMRS) — Northern Mine Research Society
2. (primary) Durham Mining Museum: Colliery Disaster, Murton, Polka Pit, 1848 — Durham Mining Museum
3. (primary) Durham Mining Museum: Murton Colliery — Durham Mining Museum

Record created: 30 September 2026 · Last researched: 30 September 2026