South Garesfield Colliery carbon monoxide accident, 1929

On 17 May 1929 the deputy and shotfirer Richard Lowes and two pony drivers, William Matthew Malcolm, 14, and Joseph Taylor, 16, died of carbon monoxide in the Victoria seam of South Garesfield Colliery after blasting in a district with almost no air. Rescue parties saved others and five men received the Edward Medal.

Cause

Carbon monoxide after shot firing in the 6th West District of the Victoria seam, about 1½ miles inbye the entrances. Lowes, who acted as shotfirer, was injured by flying debris from the shots and could not reach fresh air, and those who went to help him were overcome by the fumes.

Contributing factors

No artificial ventilation had been used for some considerable time: the intakes were drifts and the return the Lintz Anna shaft, and smoke tests showed the air nearly stagnant. The district's airways were crude, the intake and return separated by a single canvas sheet, the canvas door missing and the only intake airway 1 ft 6 in by 10 in, and the headways were dangerous to life for over two hours after blasting.

What happened

The Victoria seam at South Garesfield was about 1 ft 4 in thick with a blue metal roof and hard fireclay floor, worked bord and pillar, the coal hand-got with Arctic Gelignite No. 2. Open lights were used, firedamp being unknown. At about 1 p.m. on 17 May 1929 the deputy Richard Lowes took charge of the 6th West District, to see all persons out and fire the shots. With a lad, Herbert Bailey, he began firing at about 4 p.m. and reached the 2nd inside left headways, where four shots were ready. Bailey took shelter and heard the four shots; when Lowes did not come out he went in, found the atmosphere thick with fumes, and found Lowes injured with a stone on his chest. He ran for help.

The rolleywayman John Thomas Reay and the pony drivers William Malcolm, Joseph Taylor and Lawrence Aspinall went back with Bailey and began to lift Lowes onto a bogie; all collapsed except Reay, who crawled out. All subsequently revived except Lowes, Taylor and Malcolm, who were dead.

Rescue & recovery

A telephone message reached the colliery office at about 4.30 p.m. The overman Robert Glendenning, aged 55, went down with the pit-bottom lads James Sidney Purvis and John Thomas Baker, a tram and a stretcher, and was joined by the hewers John Kenny and Samuel Hughff. Meeting Reay a quarter of a mile from the scene, Glendenning realised how serious it was. With wet handkerchiefs over their mouths they brought out Bailey and Aspinall; Kenny, Hughff and Baker were in turn overcome; Glendenning, supported by Baker, found Malcolm face down in water and then Lowes and Taylor, who appeared dead, and went in again until he collapsed. The work was finished about 6 p.m. A fan was installed at the Lintz Anna shaft afterwards.

Investigation & inquiry

The inspector's report, reproduced by the Durham Mining Museum, found that the subsequent deaths were directly due to an inadequate supply of air reaching the headways and that the district's ventilation arrangements were extremely crude.

Legal & regulatory aftermath

Proceedings were taken against the Agent, Manager and Undermanager for alleged breaches of the Coal Mines Act and General Regulations, and convictions were recorded. The bravery of the rescue parties was acknowledged by the King: on 16 November 1929 the London Gazette announced an Edward Medal in silver to Robert Glendinning and Edward Medals in bronze to John Thomas Baker, Samuel Hughff, John Kenny and James Sidney Purvis.

Recorded claims

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

• On 17 May 1929 three men, the deputy Richard Lowes and the pony drivers William Matthew Malcolm, aged 14, and Joseph Taylor, aged 16, died of carbon monoxide poisoning after shot firing in the Victoria seam at South Garesfield Colliery. ^1,2
• Very little air was circulating in the district, the intakes were drifts and the return was the Lintz Anna shaft; the inspector found the headways dangerous to life for over two hours after blasting and the ventilation arrangements extremely crude. ¹
• The overman Robert Glendenning led repeated rescue efforts with Baker, Purvis, Kenny and Hughff, several of whom were overcome by the fumes, and brought out five gassed men of whom three were dead. ^1,2
• The London Gazette of 16 November 1929 announced the Edward Medal in silver to Robert Glendinning and Edward Medals in bronze to John Thomas Baker, Samuel Hughff, John Kenny and James Sidney Purvis. ^2,3
• Proceedings were taken against the Agent, Manager and Undermanager for alleged breaches of the Coal Mines Act and General Regulations, and convictions were recorded. ¹

Related terminology

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

• Deputy (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “On 17 May 1929 the deputy and shotfirer Richard Lowes and two pony drivers, William Matthew…”
• Hewer (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s rescue and recovery: “…and John Thomas Baker, a tram and a stretcher, and was joined by the hewers John Kenny and Samuel Hughff. Meeting Reay a quarter of a mile from…”
• Return Airway (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the contributing factors: “…artificial ventilation had been used for some considerable time: the intakes were drifts and the return the Lintz Anna shaft, and smoke tests…”
• Room and Pillar (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…ft 4 in thick with a blue metal roof and hard fireclay floor, worked bord and pillar, the coal hand-got with Arctic Gelignite No. 2. Open lights were…”
• Shot-firing (contextual relationship)
  Named 5 times in this record, first in the summary: “On 17 May 1929 the deputy and shotfirer Richard Lowes and two pony drivers, William Matthew Malcolm, 14, 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 - Colliery Accident 1929: South Garesfield — Durham Mining Museum
2. (secondary) Robert Glendinning EM (victoriacrossonline.co.uk) — victoriacrossonline.co.uk
3. (secondary) John Thomas 'Tom' Baker GC (EM exchanger) (victoriacrossonline.co.uk) — victoriacrossonline.co.uk

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