Wyken Colliery haulage accident, 1889

A hook coupling three tubs of men to the haulage rope at Wyken Colliery, near Coventry, broke on 16 September 1889; the train ran away down an 800-yard incline and was wrecked, killing three of the seven riders.

Cause

A flawed haulage hook broke and the tubs carrying the men ran away down the engine plane.

Contributing factors

Men allowed to ride with an official against the rule; a flaw in the hook missed at the daily examination; poor-quality iron; no overchain.

What happened

At Wyken Colliery, near Coventry, the miners had to travel a steep incline of over 800 yards from the shaft bottom to the workings. The rule was that they walked both ways, but officials were allowed to ride and to take men with them. On Monday 16 September 1889 an official let six waiting men ride down with him in three tubs hooked to the rope of the hauling engine.

A few yards down, the hook joining the tubs to the wire rope broke. The train ran away down the plane at increasing speed until the tubs left the rails 407 yards from the top and were wrecked. Three men were killed outright, John Hollis, 29, Charles Smith, 54, and Jonathan Whitehall, 34, and the rest were badly hurt.

The hook had drawn up a loaded train only twenty minutes earlier. It had a slight flaw that had escaped the daily examination, and the iron it was made from was of poor quality. The inspector drew two lessons: care over the material of chains and hooks, and an overchain on every descending train to hold it if the coupling failed.

Investigation & inquiry

Described by the inspector of mines, A. H. Stokes, in his report for 1889, as the year's worst single accident in his district.

Recorded claims

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

• On Monday 16 September 1889 a train of three tubs carrying an official and six men down the engine plane at Wyken Colliery, near Coventry, ran away when the hook coupling it to the rope broke; three men were killed and the others seriously injured. ^1,2
• The dead were the colliers John Hollis, 29, Charles Smith, 54, and Jonathan Whitehall, 34. ^3,1
• The rule was for men to walk the 800-yard incline, but officials were allowed to ride and to take men with them. ¹
• The tubs left the rails and were wrecked 407 yards from the top of the plane. ¹
• The hook had a slight flaw missed at its daily examination, and was made of iron of poor quality. ¹
• The inspector urged an overchain on all descending trains to stop a runaway if the coupling failed. ¹
• The colliery belonged to the Wyken Colliery Co. ^1,2

Related terminology

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

• Colliery (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “A hook coupling three tubs of men to the haulage rope at Wyken Colliery, near Coventry, broke on 16 September 1889; the train ran away down…”
• HM Chief Inspector of Mines (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s investigation: “Described by the inspector of mines, A. H. Stokes, in his report for 1889, as the year's worst single…”
• Haulage (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “A hook coupling three tubs of men to the haulage rope at Wyken Colliery, near Coventry, broke on 16 September 1889;…”
• Incline (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…broke on 16 September 1889; the train ran away down an 800-yard incline and was wrecked, killing three of the seven riders.”
• Tub (contextual relationship)
  Named 5 times in this record, first in the summary: “A hook coupling three tubs of men to the haulage rope at Wyken Colliery, near Coventry, broke…”

Sources

1. (primary) Colliery accident, Wyken, 16 September 1889 — 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) Wyken Colliery — Durham Mining Museum

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