Hamstead Colliery. 1908. 26 Killed (including 1 rescue man).
Many thanks to Joe Stocks for the information and photo's used here.
On the 4th. March 1908, a fire occurred at approximately 5.00a.m. in the inset near the bottom of the downcast shaft. The source of the ignition was believed to be some candles that were stored in a wooden box.
When the fire broke out there were 31 miners in the pit, 6 escaped before poisonous fumes built up in the roadways.
Rescue teams from Hamstead, Tankersley and Altofts in Yorkshire, made many attempts to reach the entombed men.
John Welsby a member of Altofts rescue team died on the 5th. March while endeavouring to penetrate further into the mine than his strength would allow. The heat of the mine, and the fact that he had recently been in indifferent health, played a part in his death.
It took a week after the fire for the mine to clear of the fumes. On the 11th March 14 bodies were recovered, 6 more bodies were recovered the following day.
John Welsby was posthumously awarded the EDWARD VII Medal. Medals were also awarded to James Hopwood, James Whittingham, James Cranswick
Names of those killed.
Richard Ashton, 33, Haulage Man.Photo.
James Bradley, 45, Haulage Man.
Enoch Burton, 39, Loader.Photo.
Thomas Cole, 34, Loader.
Alfred (Arthur)Thomas Curtis, 34, Loader.Photo.
John Guest, 27, Deputy.Photo.
James Hancock, ?, Driver.Photo.
John Hodgkins, 17, Timekeeper.Photo.
John Hodson, 29, Minding Dams.Photo.
Thomas Hollyoak, 39, Haulage Man.Photo.
Joseph Howell, 35, Deputy.
Edwin Johnson, 30, Loader.Photo.
Ernest Jones, 31, Loader.Photo.
William Lawley, 27, Minding Dams.Photo.
Arthur Merrick, 23, Driver.Photo.
Samuel Mitchell, 44, Stallman.Photo.
Charles Summerfield, 34, Stallman.Photo.
John Summerfield, 26, Driver.Photo.
Walter Summerfield, 21, Haulage Man.Photo.
Joseph Titley, 25, Loader.
Samuel Turner, 40, Loader.
Henry Underhill, 17, Driver.
William Underhill, 48, Stallman.
Henry (Harry) Watts, 47, Loader.Photo.
A. Williamson, 44, Pikeman.
John Welsby, Rescue Man, on 5th March.
Contents
Members of Altofts Colliery Rescue Team.
W.D. Lloyd.
B. Harrison.
S.N. Jackson.
J. Berry.
W. Clegg.
A. Jackson.
J. Hopwood.*
J. Sykes.
U. Holland.
A. Whittingham.
J. Jackson.
T. Tredgold.
B. Kellett.
T. Wright.
S. Berry.
W. Newman.
J. Whittle.
A. Tilson.
S. Lucas.
J. Brown.
J. Toon.
A. Bubb.
S. Kitchener.
Jas. Whittingham.*
W. Webster.
W. Allbrighton.
W. Burr.
M. Watson.
T. Newman.
J. Clamp.
W. Hartley.
I. Shackleton.
S. Plimmer.
A. Firth.
W.W. Lunn.
J. Cranswick.*
C. Haslop.
* King Edward VII. Silver Medalists.
Contents
Note: -
Exhaustive experiments on the danger of coal dust in mines, which begun in May, 1908, and which have cost £13,000, have focused the attention of the whole mining world on the village of Altofts.
This in itself is not necessarily a matter for congratulation, but the results achieved are indeed a matter for gratification.
Although it was admitted that coal dust was inflammable, it was not generally recognised that it could give rise by itself to actual explosions. The controversy on this subject, which has existed for 30 years, has now been definitely settled by these experiments. Equal in importance to demonstrating the danger of coal dust without the presence of inflammable gas is the finding of a remedy in stone dust, the efficacy of which has been proved at Altofts.
Note 2: -
The establishment at Messrs. Pope and Pearson's Collieries of a station for the training of men in the use of portable breathing apparatus in 1901, which was admitted to be the first erected in this country or abroad, attracted further attention to Altofts, and men trained in the use of the "Weg" apparatus have distinguished themselves at Hamstead, and at various trials of such apparatus at Wath, Mansfield, Felling and Cowdenbeath, etc.
Note 3: -
The "WEG" breathing apparatus was invented by William Edward Garforth (WEG) and named after him, following the Coal Dust Explosion at Pope & Pearsons, Silkstone Pit, at Altofts,Yorkshire,on the 2nd of October 1886. William Garforth was at that time the Manager of Pope & Pearsons Colliery at Altofts.
He was later Knighted for his experiments and finding the use of stone dust for preventing coal dust explosions in coal mines. Thus becoming "Sir William Edward Garforth". He also wrote and had published two books "Rules For Recovering Coal Mines After Explosions" and "Application Of Coal-Cutting Machines To Deep Mining".
The Tankersely brigade used DRAEGER breathing sets.
Contents
Photo's Courtesy Joe Stocks.
Hamstead Colliery.
Hamstead Colliery.
J. Hughes. Undermanager.
Hamstead, Constructing an Air Passage.
Hamstead, Constructing an Air Passage.
Pope and Pearson Rescue Team.
Tankersley Rescue Brigade.
Tankersley Draeger Breathing Equipment.
Hamstead Miners. 1900.
Hamstead Disaster.
Last Message.
Hamstead Pit Bottom.
Crowd waiting for news.
John Welsby.
John Welsby's Funeral 14th March 1908.
John Welsby's Funeral 14th March 1908.
John Welsby's Funeral 14th March 1908.
John Welsby's Funeral 14th March 1908.
John Welsby's Funeral 14th March 1908.
John Welsby's Funeral 14th March 1908.
Memory of John Welsby.
Hamstead Colliery check.
Photo's Courtesy Jean French.(ggranddaughter of John Taylor.)
John Taylor.1908.
Medal awarded to John Taylor for conspicuous bravery in attempting to rescue entombed miners. March 1908.
John Taylor Medal.1908.
John Taylor Medal.1908.
Bugle newspaper.
Copyright: all rights reserved.
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