Pewfall Colliery explosion, 1867

Firedamp brushed out of a working place before a shot was fired in the Little Delf mine at Pewfall Colliery, near Ashton-in-Makerfield, was fired by the shot on 9 March 1867, fatally injuring two young drawers who were sheltering nearby.

Cause

Gas brushed out of a working place before shot-firing was ignited by the flame of the shot.

What happened

On 9 March 1867 two colliers, Williams and Standish, were getting coal in two upbrows off No. 4 level in the Little Delf mine at Richard Evans and Company's Pewfall Colliery, with two drawers, Joseph Clark and Samuel Saunders, drawing for them. Before firing his shot Standish brushed the gas out of his place. When the shot went off he looked round, saw flame, and found Clark and Saunders lying in afterdamp in the cut between the two places, where they had taken shelter while the shot was fired. The gas he had brushed out had drifted over them and was fired by the flame of the shot as it passed the brattice and the opening between the upbrows. The quantity was small: the explosion left no marks on the coal and very few on the two young men, and it burned no one else close by, although a local paper reported several injured. Both drawers died on 11 March. The local paper noted that, as at the Queen pit, the cause lay in shot-firing, though neither pit was counted fiery and shots were meant to be fired under strict supervision.

Investigation & inquiry

The brattice was said to end three yards from the face, rather too far as a rule, though the inspector considered the air there adequate to keep the place safe with ordinary care. He called brushing out gas an antiquated practice and a breach of the Special Rules, and found it hard to see how colliers could be stopped from breaking them.

Changes to practice & legislation

Colliers had been allowed to fire their own shots. Firemen were then appointed in sufficient numbers to fire them, and no other workman was allowed to fire a shot in the mine.

Recorded claims

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

• On 9 March 1867 an explosion of firedamp at Pewfall Colliery fatally injured two drawers, Joseph Clark, aged 18, and Samuel Saunders, aged 25, who died on 11 March. ^1,2,3
• The gas had been brushed out of an upbrow before a shot was fired, and was fired by the flame of the shot while the drawers sheltered in the cut between the two upbrows in No. 4 level, Little Delf mine. ²
• The inspector called brushing out gas an antiquated practice and a violation of the Special Rules. ²
• Colliers had been allowed to fire their own shots; firemen were afterwards appointed for the purpose and no other workman was allowed to fire a shot in the mine. ²
• The colliery was owned by Richard Evans and Company. ^1,3

Related terminology

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

• Afterdamp (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…he looked round, saw flame, and found Clark and Saunders lying in afterdamp in the cut between the two places, where they had taken shelter…”
• Brattice (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the narrative: “…over them and was fired by the flame of the shot as it passed the brattice and the opening between the upbrows. The quantity was small: the…”
• Putter (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “…was fired by the shot on 9 March 1867, fatally injuring two young drawers who were sheltering nearby.”
• Ripping (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s investigation: “…there adequate to keep the place safe with ordinary care. He called brushing out gas an antiquated practice and a breach of the Special Rules,…”
• Shot-firing (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the cause: “Gas brushed out of a working place before shot-firing was ignited by the flame of the shot.”

Sources

1. (primary) Durham Mining Museum: Pewfall Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
2. (secondary) Pewfall Colliery (accidents and incidents) — Northern Mine Research Society
3. (primary) Durham Mining Museum: Pewfall explosion, 9 March 1867 — Durham Mining Museum

Record created: 16 October 2026 · Last researched: 16 October 2026