St Helen's Colliery explosion, 1922

An explosion of firedamp in Ditchburn's Level in the Ten Quarters seam of No. 3 Pit, St Helen's Colliery, Workington, at about noon on 27 November 1922 killed six men. The inquiry found that a shot fired by the deputy James Johnstone, an unnecessary and overcharged top brushing shot, had emitted the flame that ignited gas.

Cause

Firedamp ignited by a shot in Dixon's road in Ditchburn's Level. The inquiry concluded that the primary cause was the firing of a top brushing shot by the deputy, Johnstone, when firedamp was present nearby: the last of three shots he fired, unnecessary and overcharged, it emitted flame. The jury found the explosion was caused by firedamp alone and by the firing of a shot, and that firing it was a negligent act, but that the evidence was not enough to fix any person with manslaughter.

Contributing factors

Deputies' report books for the preceding three months recorded gas on many occasions at 2 or 3 per cent, and men had been withdrawn for gas from the Ten Quarters No. 2 District on 17 October. The air passed round the whole district in one current with no splits, a point taken up at the inquiry; the face was under the sea just below low-water mark. Each deputy did the shotfiring in addition to his statutory duties.

What happened

St Helen's Collieries lay north of Workington, close to the shore, and had belonged since 1921 to the St. Helens Colliery and Brickworks Company, Limited. After the 1921 stoppage the lower seams of No. 2 Pit were left flooded and nearly all the men were moved to No. 3 Pit, mostly on a double shift. On 27 November 1922, 619 men and boys went down; 88 entered the Ten Quarters seam, including two deputies. The seam was reached by the Lickbank level and the Cannel Band and then four self-acting inclines, and Ditchburn's Level, 2,017 yards from the shaft, led to the section where the explosion occurred. No naked lights were used, flame safety lamps of the Prestwich type and Ceag electric lamps being carried, and no electric lamps were in use in the affected places.

All went well until about noon, when a stoneman, Farish, working with three others to hang a wooden door at the top of No. 4 Brake, heard a sound like a shot from Dixon's gateway in Ditchburn's Level and then saw dust and reek coming. The overman, Fell, who was at the top of No. 3 Brake, felt a gush of wind, took panic-stricken boys down the brake, and then met two injured men, Robert Nicholson and George Davidson, jun., who had come out of the level. He led parties into the affected area by Wilkinson's Level and Ditchburn's Level and found the deputy, Johnstone, alive, and then the three others dead.

Rescue & recovery

Fell organised two parties of four, found the remaining victims, and with William McMaster and another man placed the deputy, Johnstone, in fresh air. The jury recommended that the work of Fell, McMaster and Thwaites be recognised, and the Chief Inspector of Mines, Thomas H. Mottram, suggested that the efforts of Fell, McMaster, Thwaites, Richard Edwards and R. Thomason be brought to the notice of the Carnegie Hero Fund trustees.

Investigation & inquiry

Mr Thomas H. Mottram, H.M. Chief Inspector of Mines, arranged with the coroner, Colonel D. J. Mason, that the inquiry be held with the inquest, at St Michael's Parish Room, Workington, on 11 December 1922, continuing for two more days, with all interested parties represented. The jury found that the explosion was caused by firedamp alone, by the firing of a shot in Dixon's level, that firing the shot was a negligent act of the person who fired it, and that there was insufficient evidence to fix any person with manslaughter. The flame safety lamps recovered were tested and could not have caused the explosion, and no matches or cigarettes were found. The jury added that more care should be taken in filling in the reports by deputies and other officials.

What's uncertain

Points where sources disagree or the record could not be settled; both accounts are kept. All open questions in the archive.

• The Durham Mining Museum's disaster table records the ignition as caused by shot firing, while its entries for the dead describe an explosion of firedamp propagated by coal dust and caused by the opening of a flame safety lamp. (disputed) ¹

Recorded claims

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

• An explosion of firedamp in the Ten Quarters seam of No. 3 Pit, St Helen's Colliery, Workington, at about noon on 27 November 1922 killed six men. ^1,2
• The inquiry concluded that the primary cause was the firing of an unnecessary, overcharged top brushing shot by the deputy, James Johnstone, when firedamp was present near it. ^1,2
• The deputies' report books for the three months before the explosion recorded gas on many occasions, at 2 or 3 per cent, and men had been withdrawn for gas from the Ten Quarters No. 2 District on 17 October 1922. ²
• The flame safety lamps recovered were tested and could not have caused the explosion. ²
• The jury found that firing the shot was a negligent act by the person who fired it, but that the evidence was insufficient to fix any person with manslaughter. ²
• The Durham Mining Museum's disaster table records the ignition as caused by shot firing, while its entries for the dead describe an explosion of firedamp propagated by coal dust and caused by the opening of a flame safety lamp. (disputed) ¹

Related terminology

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

• Deputy (contextual relationship)
  Named 8 times in this record, first in the summary: “…1922 killed six men. The inquiry found that a shot fired by the deputy James Johnstone, an unnecessary and overcharged top brushing shot,…”
• Firedamp (contextual relationship)
  Named 5 times in this record, first in the summary: “An explosion of firedamp in Ditchburn's Level in the Ten Quarters seam of No. 3 Pit, St…”
• Overman (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…gateway in Ditchburn's Level and then saw dust and reek coming. The overman, Fell, who was at the top of No. 3 Brake, felt a gush of wind, took…”
• Ripping (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…by the deputy James Johnstone, an unnecessary and overcharged top brushing shot, had emitted the flame that ignited gas.”
• Stoneman (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…use in the affected places. All went well until about noon, when a stoneman, Farish, working with three others to hang a wooden door at the top…”

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 - St. Helen's Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
2. (secondary) St Helens Colliery No 3 Pit Explosion - Workington - 1922 (NMRS) — Northern Mine Research Society

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