Stank Mine rock fall, 1883

On 13 March 1883 the overhanging side of a wide haematite vein at the Stank mine, near Barrow-in-Furness, gave way and crushed the workings beneath it, killing three miners: Isaac Hartley, John Richards and Thomas Rosea.

Cause

The overhanging side of the vein gave way after the middlings between the levels had been robbed; witnesses blamed a small seam of shale running through the rock.

What happened

The Barrow Haematite Steel Company's Stank mine worked a haematite vein 10 to 15 feet wide. Drifts were driven along it at several levels, leaving 10 to 12 feet of solid ore, the 'middlings', between each, and the middlings were taken out afterwards as far as they could be. This left a large area of overhanging side exposed, and when such a side gave way it brought a crush on all the workings beneath it.

On 13 March 1883 that happened at Stank. Three miners were killed by the falling rock: Isaac Hartley, aged 31, John Richards, aged 36, and Thomas Rosea, aged 45. The inspector, James Willis, noted that a collapse of this kind usually gave warning for a considerable time, and that this one had not been altogether unexpected.

Investigation & inquiry

At the adjourned inquest before the coroner, Mr Poole, and the inspector, James Willis, the mining captains Lawn, Polkinghorn and Eastbrook described finding the bodies and the working of the mine, and they and the mining engineers Kendal, Daglish and Woodcock attributed the fall to a small seam of shale running through the rock. The verdict was accidental death.

Recorded claims

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

• On 13 March 1883 a fall of rock killed three miners, Isaac Hartley (31), John Richards (36) and Thomas Rosea (45), at the Barrow Haematite Steel Company's Stank mine. ^1,2,3,4
• The vein was 10 to 15 feet wide, worked by drifts at several levels with 10 to 12 feet of 'middlings' left between them and robbed afterwards, exposing a large overhanging side whose collapse crushed the workings beneath it. ¹
• The inspector judged that the collapse had not been altogether unexpected, since such a crush usually gave signs for some time beforehand. ¹
• Mining captains and engineers at the adjourned inquest blamed a small seam of shale running through the rock; the verdict was accidental death. ⁵

Related terminology

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

• Captain (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s investigation: “…the coroner, Mr Poole, and the inspector, James Willis, the mining captains Lawn, Polkinghorn and Eastbrook described finding the bodies and the…”
• Drift (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…Company's Stank mine worked a haematite vein 10 to 15 feet wide. Drifts were driven along it at several levels, leaving 10 to 12 feet of…”
• Haematite (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “On 13 March 1883 the overhanging side of a wide haematite vein at the Stank mine, near Barrow-in-Furness, gave way and crushed…”
• Level (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the cause: “…side of the vein gave way after the middlings between the levels had been robbed; witnesses blamed a small seam of shale running…”
• Vein (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “On 13 March 1883 the overhanging side of a wide haematite vein at the Stank mine, near Barrow-in-Furness, gave way and crushed the…”

Photographs & further reading

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

Sources

1. (primary) Mining Accident: Stank, 13 March 1883 — Durham Mining Museum
2. (secondary) 1880s H (3): Ian Winstanley's alphabetical list of mining victims — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's list of mining victims)
3. (secondary) 1880s R (2): Ian Winstanley's alphabetical list of mining victims — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's list of mining victims)
4. (secondary) 1880s R (4): Ian Winstanley's alphabetical list of mining victims — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's list of mining victims)
5. (primary) The Recent Mining Accident at Barrow (Whitehaven News, 5 April 1883) — Durham Mining Museum
6. (primary) Durham Mining Museum - Stank (Iron Ore) — Durham Mining Museum

Record created: 29 September 2026 · Last researched: 5 October 2026