St Helen's Colliery sinking explosion, 1898

Two sinkers were killed at St Helen's Colliery, near Bishop Auckland, on 21 August 1898 when gas lying under the walling scaffold in a shaft being deepened was fired by the sparks of a fuze, as they were drawn up in the kibble after lighting the shots.

Cause

Sparks from a lit fuze hanging over the grid in the scaffold ignited gas that had gathered beneath the scaffold.

Contributing factors

The canvas length joining the air pipe had been disconnected, probably for at least five minutes, before the shots were fired, cutting off ventilation below the scaffold. Stones from earlier shots covered the usual gap at the side of the scaffold, so gas could not pass away there, and the kibble being drawn away probably sucked gas up through the grid.

What happened

Pease and Partners were deepening a shaft at St Helen's Colliery, near Bishop Auckland, in August 1898. It had been sunk about 10 fathoms below the old bottom at the Brockwell seam, and the sinkers were putting in the walling from a scaffold some 24 feet below that level. A fan forced air down an 18-inch pipe, about 1,100 cubic feet a minute, which returned up through a grid in the scaffold; a small blower of gas had been met near the bottom, but the ventilation had kept it harmless.

At about 5 p.m. on 21 August four shots had been charged round the sides to square back the shaft. The place was examined with a safety lamp and no gas found, and two men lit the fuzes with a naked light and got into the kibble, which was drawn up a few feet. A man named John Arthur, watching from the Brockwell level, saw the sparks from the last fuze, which hung over the grid, fire gas that had come from under the scaffold. The two men were thrown out of the kibble; gas in the shaft burned for a few seconds until the concussion of the shots put it out.

Rescue & recovery

The scaffold and the shaft timbering were badly damaged and the bodies were hard to recover: one had fallen into water at the bottom of the shaft and was not brought out until 24 August, three days later.

Investigation & inquiry

The inquest was opened on 24 August by J. T. Proud and adjourned to 21 September so that the injured men could recover and the pit be examined. The company, the miners (Mr Wilson MP and Mr Johnson) and the inspector, R. D. Bain, attended. The jury found that the two men were accidentally killed by an explosion of gas while following their ordinary employment, and added that greater precautions might have been exercised; asked to be more definite, the foreman said they wished to say no more. Bain's account is in the Mines Inspector's report for the Durham district for 1898.

Recorded claims

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

• Two sinkers, John Atkinson and John Harrison Richardson, were killed on 21 August 1898. ^1,2,3,4
• Gas exploded as soon as the fuzes for shots in a sinking pit were lit. ^1,3,4
• The canvas tube joining the air pipe had been disconnected for probably at least five minutes before the shots were fired. ³
• The colliery belonged to Pease and Partners Ltd. ^1,3
• The inquest jury returned accidental death and suggested greater precautions might have been exercised. ³

Related terminology

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

• Blower (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…a minute, which returned up through a grid in the scaffold; a small blower of gas had been met near the bottom, but the ventilation had kept it…”
• Kibble (contextual relationship)
  Named 4 times in this record, first in the summary: “…was fired by the sparks of a fuze, as they were drawn up in the kibble after lighting the shots.”
• Naked Light (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…a safety lamp and no gas found, and two men lit the fuzes with a naked light and got into the kibble, which was drawn up a few feet. A man named…”
• Safety Lamp (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…the sides to square back the shaft. The place was examined with a safety lamp and no gas found, and two men lit the fuzes with a naked light and…”
• Shaft Sinking (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “Two sinkers were killed at St Helen's Colliery, near Bishop Auckland, on 21…”

Sources

1. (secondary) Alphabetical list of mining victims 1890-1899: A (Ian Winstanley) — Healey Hero
2. (primary) Durham Mining Museum: St. Helen's Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
3. (primary) Durham Mining Museum: Colliery Accident 1898 (Auckland, St. Helens) — Durham Mining Museum
4. (secondary) 1890s R3: Ian Winstanley's alphabetical list of mining victims — Healey Hero

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