Preston Colliery explosion, 1900

Gas exploded in the new shaft being sunk at Preston Colliery, North Shields, shortly before noon on 16 November 1900, throwing the sinkers from their platform into the flooded sump; four or five men died.

Cause

Gas from old workings crossed by the shaft, ignited while the men were walling.

What happened

In 1900 a new shaft was being sunk at Preston Colliery by the contractor William Alder of Whitley. Shortly before noon on Friday 16 November, with the sinking nearly finished, men were walling the shaft at about 33 fathoms where it crossed old workings when gas exploded and blew their platform to pieces. The report was heard as far as Chirton, where most of the men lived.

Frank Martin's body was recovered from the shaft with his skull fractured. The master sinker Frank Dunn and James Cole fell into the sump, eleven fathoms deep and rising, and their bodies were not brought out until the Sunday. Eight men at the bottom were badly burned; five, among them the bricklayer Samuel Mordue and John Gallagher, were taken to the Tynemouth Infirmary, and Alder himself was among the injured. Mordue died on the Sunday morning.

Rescue & recovery

One body was recovered from the shaft at once; two more had to be brought out of the flooded sump two days later.

Investigation & inquiry

The inspector of mines examined the scene 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.

• Shortly before noon on 16 November 1900 gas exploded in the new shaft being sunk at Preston Colliery, killing the sinkers Frank Martin, James Cole and Frank Dunn. ^1,2,3
• The bricklayer Samuel Mordue died of his injuries on 18 November, bringing the deaths reported in the press to five. ⁴
• The Durham Mining Museum lists four dead: Cole, Dunn, Martin and the bricklayer Mordue. ¹
• The men were walling the shaft at about 33 fathoms, where it crossed old workings, when the gas blew the working platform apart and several fell into the flooded sump. ^2,3
• The inspector examined the scene and attended the inquest. ¹

Related terminology

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

• Fathom (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the narrative: “…the sinking nearly finished, men were walling the shaft at about 33 fathoms where it crossed old workings when gas exploded and blew their…”
• HM Chief Inspector of Mines (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s investigation: “The inspector of mines examined the scene and attended the inquest.”
• Shaft (contextual relationship)
  Named 6 times in this record, first in the summary: “Gas exploded in the new shaft being sunk at Preston Colliery, North Shields, shortly before noon…”
• Shaft Sinking (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “…North Shields, shortly before noon on 16 November 1900, throwing the sinkers from their platform into the flooded sump; four or five men died.”
• Sump (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “…1900, throwing the sinkers from their platform into the flooded sump; four or five men died.”

Sources

1. (primary) Preston Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
2. (primary) Colliery explosion: four killed, several injured (South Wales Daily News, 17 November 1900) — Welsh Newspapers (National Library of Wales)
3. (primary) Fatal colliery explosion (Flintshire Observer, 22 November 1900) — Welsh Newspapers (National Library of Wales)
4. (primary) Preston Pit disaster (South Wales Daily News, 19 November 1900) — Welsh Newspapers (National Library of Wales)
5. (primary) Explosion in a northern colliery (South Wales Daily Post, 17 November 1900) — Welsh Newspapers (National Library of Wales)

Record created: 6 October 2026 · Last researched: 8 October 2026