Whitwood Colliery explosion, 1889

Gas burst from a fault in the new Drift district of Whitwood Colliery, near Normanton, on 21 August 1889 and fired at a driver boy's candle; the blast killed one man, fatally burned another and blew down doors 300 yards away.

Cause

A sudden irruption of gas from a fissure along a fault, fired at a candle.

What happened

In the summer of 1889 H. Briggs, Son and Company were opening a new Drift district in the Haigh Moor Mine at Whitwood, near Normanton. A fault had been met in the main road two months before, and the coal between it and another fault was being worked. No gas had ever been found there.

At about nine on the morning of 21 August a miner heard the place weighting and saw water coming out near the fault with a noise, and told the others to go out. As they came into the main gate a driver boy was bringing three full corves up it, and the gas rushing from the fissure along the fault fired at his candle. The boy and two others were burned and his pony killed. William Saxton, 68, cleaning a sump on the main road, was thrown down and killed. A door 300 yards away was blown down and all the brattice in the main road destroyed. George Smith, 29, one of the burned men, died a week later.

The inquests returned accidental death. Safety lamps were brought into the district at once.

Investigation & inquiry

Described by the inspector of mines in his report for 1889; inquests returned accidental death.

Changes to practice & legislation

Safety lamps were introduced into the district immediately afterwards.

Recorded claims

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

• At about 9 a.m. on 21 August 1889 an explosion of gas in the Haigh Moor Mine at Whitwood Colliery, near Normanton, killed the byeworker William Saxton, 68, and fatally burned the collier George Smith, 29, who died on 29 August. ^1,2,3,4
• The explosion was in the newly opened Drift district, where no gas had been found before, beside a fault met two months earlier. ³
• A sudden irruption of gas from a fissure along the fault ran into the main gate and was fired at a driver boy's candle. ³
• Saxton was thrown down and killed while cleaning a sump on the main road; a door 300 yards away was blown down and an air crossing 400 yards away disturbed. ³
• Safety lamps were introduced into the district at once. ³
• The colliery belonged to H. Briggs, Son and Co. ^3,4

Related terminology

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

• Brattice (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…down and killed. A door 300 yards away was blown down and all the brattice in the main road destroyed. George Smith, 29, one of the burned men,…”
• Gate Road (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…with a noise, and told the others to go out. As they came into the main gate a driver boy was bringing three full corves up it, and the gas…”
• HM Chief Inspector of Mines (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s investigation: “Described by the inspector of mines in his report for 1889; inquests returned accidental death.”
• Safety Lamp (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the narrative: “…men, died a week later. The inquests returned accidental death. Safety lamps were brought into the district at once.”
• Sump (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…were burned and his pony killed. William Saxton, 68, cleaning a sump on the main road, was thrown down and killed. A door 300 yards away…”

Sources

1. (primary) Whitwood Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
2. (secondary) Mining deaths 1880-1889, surnames S, part 3 (Ian Winstanley) — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's mining deaths lists)
3. (primary) Colliery accident, Whitwood, 21 August 1889 — Durham Mining Museum
4. (secondary) Mining deaths 1880-1889, surnames S, part 1 (Ian Winstanley) — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's mining deaths lists)

Record created: 8 October 2026 · Last researched: 8 October 2026