Walton Colliery explosion, 1959

On 22 April 1959 firedamp seeping from the floor at a fault in Walton Colliery's Top Haigh Moor seam, near Wakefield, was fired by an arc from a damaged coal-cutter cable in the poorly ventilated 5's Unit. The overman Lawrence Coe and the four men with him died; eight rescuers were taken to hospital with carbon monoxide.

Cause

Firedamp from the Low Haigh Moor seam seven feet below, emitted through floor breaks at a fault, ignited by an electric arc from a damaged trailing cable of a coal-cutting machine; coal dust extended the explosion.

Contributing factors

Air leakage so great that too little air reached the face corner to dilute the gas; insufficient precautions against coal dust.

What happened

Walton, formerly Sharlston West, was an NCB safety-lamp pit employing about 1,600. The 5's Unit, a 40-yard face in the 10 East District about 460 yards down, had advanced some 97 yards through faulted ground, and heavy leakage meant only a fraction of the district's air reached it. At about 1.10 p.m. the power to the district failed; the undermanager found belts blown off the trunk conveyor and called out the Wakefield rescue station. Rescue men in breathing apparatus found four bodies from the intake side and a fifth in the return gate. Charles Ray died of injuries; the others, Lawrence Coe, William Hudson, Jack Rothery and Wilfred Wardle, of carbon monoxide.

Rescue & recovery

Bumps heard at 7.50 p.m. were feared to be further explosions; the teams withdrew and stoppings were begun to seal the unit, but falling readings of explosion products meant the seals were not completed, and they were removed after an inspection on 24 April. Eight men were taken to hospital with carbon monoxide during the rescue.

Investigation & inquiry

T. A. Rogers, Chief Inspector of Mines and Quarries, held an inquiry at Wakefield Town Hall in June-July and August 1959 and reported in September. He ruled out contraband, cap lamps, shotfiring, frictional sparking and static, and found the arc on the cutter cable, probably damaged by a stone thrown by shotfiring.

Legal & regulatory aftermath

Unknown.

Changes to practice & legislation

Unknown.

Memorials & commemoration

Unknown.

Recorded claims

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

• The overman in charge of a district and four men working with him were killed; eight men affected by carbon monoxide during rescue attempts were taken to hospital. ¹
• The inquiry found an explosion of firedamp from the Low Haigh Moor seam, initiated by an arc from a damaged coal-cutter trailing cable and propagated to some extent by coal dust; ventilation lacked a sufficient safety margin. ²
• Those killed were Lawrence Coe (overman), William Hudson, Jack Rothery, Charles Ray and Wilfred Wardle. ²

Related terminology

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

• Afterdamp (hazard involved)
  Carbon monoxide killed four of the five.
• Breathing Apparatus (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…conveyor and called out the Wakefield rescue station. Rescue men in breathing apparatus found four bodies from the intake side and a fifth in the return…”
• Coal Cutter (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s summary: “…Haigh Moor seam, near Wakefield, was fired by an arc from a damaged coal-cutter cable in the poorly ventilated 5's Unit. The overman Lawrence Coe…”
• Coe (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…cable in the poorly ventilated 5's Unit. The overman Lawrence Coe and the four men with him died; eight rescuers were taken to…”
• Return Airway (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…Rescue men in breathing apparatus found four bodies from the intake side and a fifth in the return gate. Charles Ray died of injuries;…”

Sources

1. (primary) Explosion, Walton Colliery (Hansard, 23 April 1959) — Hansard
2. (secondary) Walton Colliery Explosion, Wakefield, 1959 — Northern Mine Research Society

Record created: 21 September 2026 · Last researched: 21 September 2026