Ryhope Colliery air receiver explosion, 1883

The receiver of the air-compressing engine at Ryhope Colliery's South Pit burst one night in 1883 with a report heard miles away; no one was seriously hurt, but the explosion was the subject of an official report.

Cause

The receiver of the air-compressing engine, which had become red-hot, burst; how it became red-hot was not known at the time.

What happened

At about half past ten one night the receiver of the air-compressing engine at the north end of the engine-house at the top of the South Pit burst with a loud report, and flames flashed out. The noise was heard some miles away at Seaham and Haswell, and the fire took about half an hour to put out. The engineman had just oiled the machinery and checked the gauges, which showed the pressure falling to 57 lb against the usual 60; he was walking away when the explosion threw him on his back. About nine feet of the receiver was torn off and flattened, the windows and north wall of the engine-house were badly damaged, and air-pipes and buntons were knocked out of the shaft. The compressed air worked the underground haulage, and the men of the colliery were laid idle.

Investigation & inquiry

The chief viewer, W. F. Hall of Haswell, was at the mine by one the next morning, and the government inspector Thomas Bell examined the engine-house and the burst receiver. An official report into the explosion was published as a parliamentary paper (C. 3690).

Recorded claims

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

• An official report into the 1883 air receiver explosion at Ryhope Colliery was published as command paper C.3690. ¹
• The receiver of the air-compressing engine at the top of the South Pit, Ryhope Colliery, burst with a loud report at about half past ten at night; flames flashed out and the noise was heard at Seaham and Haswell. ²
• The receiver had evidently been red-hot, though how it became so, or how it burst, was not known; about 9 feet of it was torn off. ²
• The engineman was thrown on his back but not seriously injured, and no one was seriously hurt; the inspector Thomas Bell examined the engine-house and receiver. ²

Related terminology

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

• Bunton (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…north wall of the engine-house were badly damaged, and air-pipes and buntons were knocked out of the shaft. The compressed air worked the…”
• Colliery (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “The receiver of the air-compressing engine at Ryhope Colliery's South Pit burst one night in 1883 with a report heard miles away;…”
• Engine House (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the narrative: “…the receiver of the air-compressing engine at the north end of the engine-house at the top of the South Pit burst with a loud report, and flames…”
• Haulage (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…buntons were knocked out of the shaft. The compressed air worked the underground haulage, and the men of the colliery were laid idle.”
• Viewer (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s investigation: “The chief viewer, W. F. Hall of Haswell, was at the mine by one the next morning, and…”

Photographs & further reading

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

Sources

1. (primary) Durham Mining Museum - Ryhope Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
2. (primary) Alarming boiler explosion - County Observer and Monmouthshire Central Advertiser, 10 March 1883 — Welsh Newspapers (National Library of Wales)

Record created: 29 September 2026 · Last researched: 2 October 2026