Orrell Colliery explosion, 1901

On Wednesday 10 April 1901 four men salvaging machinery from the just-abandoned Orrell Four Feet at Walthew House, Orrell, were caught when the fireman fired a roburite charge to break an iron cog-wheel. The shot set off a coal-dust explosion that ran along the main roads. Two died at once and two about a week later.

Cause

A roburite charge fired on an iron cog-wheel in a dusty level ignited the coal dust, and the explosion travelled along the main roads.

Contributing factors

The shot was fired by the fireman without the managers' knowledge and contrary to the rules, in a dusty part of a newly abandoned seam.

What happened

The Orrell Four Feet had been worked out about five weeks earlier, and four men had since been recovering its machinery, rails and tackle: the fitter George Halliwell, the datallers William Farrimond and John Sharrock, and the fireman Henry Parkinson. That morning Parkinson and Sharrock could not move a large cog-wheel in a level near the main haulage brow. Parkinson prepared a roburite shot to break it, in a dusty part of the mine, without the managers' knowledge and against the rules.

The shot ignited the surrounding dust, and the explosion travelled through the main roads, killing Halliwell and Farrimond. The certificated manager organised a rescue party and brought the men out. Sharrock and Parkinson died of their injuries about a week later.

Investigation & inquiry

The inspector made an inspection and attended the inquest.

Recorded claims

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

• An explosion on 10 April 1901 killed two men outright, and two more died of their injuries about a week later. ^1,2
• The fireman fired a roburite charge on an iron cog-wheel in a dusty level, causing a coal-dust explosion. ^1,2
• The four were removing machinery from the Orrell Four Feet, worked out about five weeks earlier. ^1,2
• The shot was fired without the managers' knowledge and contrary to the rules. ¹

Related terminology

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

• Coal (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s cause: “…charge fired on an iron cog-wheel in a dusty level ignited the coal dust, and the explosion travelled along the main roads.”
• Dataller (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…its machinery, rails and tackle: the fitter George Halliwell, the datallers William Farrimond and John Sharrock, and the fireman Henry…”
• Fireman (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “…Orrell Four Feet at Walthew House, Orrell, were caught when the fireman fired a roburite charge to break an iron cog-wheel. The shot set off…”
• Haulage (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…Sharrock could not move a large cog-wheel in a level near the main haulage brow. Parkinson prepared a roburite shot to break it, in a dusty…”
• Level (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the cause: “A roburite charge fired on an iron cog-wheel in a dusty level ignited the coal dust, and the explosion travelled along the main…”

Photographs & further reading

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

Sources

1. (primary) Disasters - Names: Orrell, 10th April 1901 — Durham Mining Museum
2. (primary) Fatal colliery explosion (The North Wales Times, 13 April 1901) — Welsh Newspapers (National Library of Wales)

Record created: 2 October 2026 · Last researched: 2 October 2026