Chell Colliery Explosion 17th Aug. 1889.Researched by John Lumsdon

This explosion occurred about 7.30 p.m. on the 17th August 1889, and caused the death of three men. It was caused by the removal of an accumulation of firedamp from some temporarily abandoned workings in the Twist seam, at a depth of 265 yards, and its ignition in the upcast shaft at a fire-lamp hanging there.The ventilation of the colliery had been effected by the means of steam jets and exhaust steam from a pumping engine. Sometime before the explosion it was found necessary to augment the ventilation, and for this purpose a fire-lamp, called a “Rodney lamp”, a kind of brazier, was hung in the upcast shaft about a hundred yards from the surface..

About three weeks before the explosion the manager, Mr. R. Beswick, decided to re-open the workings of the Twist seam. He visited them, and found in them an accumulation of firedamp. He also found that a door, place to direct the air round the abandoned workings, was propped open about 9 inches. The opening of this door would divert the ventilation from the rise workings of the Twist seam, and so account for the presence of firedamp there. It was not known who had opened this door, or for how long it had been open. It was probably opened by the under-manager, William Sambrook, for the purpose of increasing the ventilation near to the top of “slant crut” to the Twist coal, where men had been working; and if so, the inference is that the quantity of air then circulating was inadequate for the proper ventilation of that part of the colliery.

The manager decided that the gas should be removed by bratticing up the dip on the south side of the door. He gave instructions to the under-manager to do this and sent brattice downs the pit for the purpose. The under-manager began the erection of the brattice on the 13th of August, from the level road on the West Side of the workings. The manager visited the place on the 14th, and saw some of the gas removed by bratticing. He was not at the place again before the explosion, but left the work in the hands of the under-manager. On the night of the 16th the under-manager reported that he was proceeding with it.

On Saturday, the 17th August, the under-manager and three firemen remained in the pit after the workmen had gone, for the purpose of completing the removal of the gas. The under-manager told the firemen that he was going to force the gas out without bratticing. He began by putting a stopping in the return airway from other parts of the mine (near the air crossing in the Burnwood seam, see plan), so as to force all of the air into the Twist coal and remove the gas bodily. He then stationed himself and the firemen at the separation doors in the crut leading to the Rowhurst seam (see plan), His intention being to dilute the gas,

and render it in explosive, by opening these doors and admitting fresh air into the return air-way. He failed in this, and the gas reached the upcast shaft in an explosive state, and fired at the ventilating lamp hanging there. A youth named Hall was in the cage in the upcast shaft, at that time about 50 yards above the lamp; he was carrying a naked light, but the gas fired at the fire lamp below him and he was burnt.

The following is the account of Thomas Miles, one of the firemen, who escaped, as to what took place immediately before the explosion;The deceased and I remained in the pit by arrangement. Sambrook told us the work of clearing out the gas would have to be done. The gas, which we were to try to remove, was in the North Twist; it was in workings, which had been standing.

After all the men were out of the pit, Sambrook ordered me and Johnson to go and put some brattice cloth in the Burnwood return near the overcast. Having done this, we met Sambrook, and afterwards went into the outlet of the North Twist. There we found a small show of gas coming from the disused working. Then we came back, returning through the doors. Johnson and Adams went up the pit into the intake, about 25 yards along the pit. Their object was to see if the gas was being moved from the workings. I should think they had been away half-an-hour before they returned, when they said that the gas had driven them out again.

We then went through the doors and into the outlet, where traces of gas were found. On coming out again Sambrook asked Johnson to go into the intake again and asked Adams to knock him up, telling me not to go through the doors. On the second occasion Sambrook and Johnson were away about twenty minutes. When they once more came back no remark was made, and no question asked. Sambrook, however, said they had better go through the doors and see how matters were there. They consequently went through, and found gas up to the second door, coming from the outlet of the North Twist.

Sambrook then opened the furthermost door, the door nearest to the outlet, where he tried the gas again. It was not found this time to be so strong. All four of us sat ourselves down inside of the doors in order to see what effect the open door had upon the gas. After a time Sambrook sent Adams to open the other door some 6 inches. It was allowed to remain open for a quarter of an hour, when Sambrook ordered it to be closed again for the reason that he found the gas was not coming out so freely. Adams having shut the door came to sit beside

us, and having sat there for about 20 minutes longer.

Sambrook told me to go and open the door about an inch, telling me to put something between the doors and frame to keep it open. I then went and sat down beside the other men. Sambrook again tried the gas, and still found it coming out. I asked him to allow matters to remain as they were; to let us leave the place and return at 12 o’clock the same night, and then see how matters were. He said he did not wish to leave it - he wished to see it clear before he went out. Someone here asked the time. Johnson replied, ‘it is half past seven’. A few minutes after this, there were suction at the door. My knowledge of suctions led me to say ‘It is all over with us’. A second suction came, and I repeated the remark.

The three got up; I remained standing. The other three went to the door, thinking someone was tampering with it. I followed the men and went through the door; double doors they were, and found one open, and made for the inlet of the Burnwood level. Sambrook, seeing where I was going, called out ‘come towards the pit’ I replied, ‘it’s too late.’ Suction took place at the moment we were speaking. The report, which was a loud one, followed. I saw no fire, but I saw the reflection of a flash from the direction of the Rowhurst.

I perceived dirt trickling over my back on the ‘chock’ where I lay. I moved to another ‘chock’ some yards away, where I knew nothing could fall, and remained there with my shirt in my mouth until the explorers came from the surface. I heard them shouting ‘Stop’. I then heard them shout ‘Lower’ until they got to the bottom. I then shouted to them. They asked me where I was. I told them how to get to me, and met one of the relief party McNally, half-way. I took the lamp out of his hand, and told him I would show him where the other men were. I took them to the place where the men were when I last saw them; and then came to the surface.

After the explosion, the three men who were killed were found in the places marked, 1, 2, and 3, near the downcast shaft. They were not burnt, and had been killed by violence; they would probably be struck by debris from the doors, which were blown out. Miles escaped by turning into a side road out of line of the blast.

The effects of the explosion were as follows:The separation doors were blown towards the downcast shaft, and some timber was displaced between the doors and that shaft. The air crossing (see plan) was destroyed by force proceeding from the return airway towards the intake airway. There was a fall just within the return airway from the North Twist district,

where it enters the slant crut to the Rowhurst seam, but signs of force soon cease beyond the fall. All the timber in the crut to the Rowhurst seam was blown out, and that road was heavily fallen. In the road to the south at the top of the crut, 15 empty tubs showed signs of considerable force passing southward. In the road to the north from the top of the crut, leading to the upcast shaft, some timber was displaced, but all signs of force disappeared before the upcast shaft was reached.

This was entirely a gas explosion. The pit was wet or damp throughout, and there was no coal dust. All the effects of the explosion were confined to the road along which the gas was known to be passing, or to the immediate vicinity of that road. The explosion did not extend to other parts of the mine, or to the workings from which the gas had been dislodged. It would appear that at the time of the explosion the atmosphere was inflammable only, from the lamp hanging in the upcast shaft to some point between the top and bottom of the Rowhurst crut, and that it had not been highly explosive for some distance from the upcast shaft.

John Booth, Esq., coroner for North Staffordshire, held the inquest. The jury returned a verdict of “accidental death,” and added a rider “that great blame was due to Mr. Beswick, the manager, for his system of ventilation, and the careless way “in which the work had been carried out.”

The ventilation power was insufficient for the requirements of the colliery, considerable laxity in the discipline maintained and some breaches in the Mines act and Special Rules were disclosed.Proceedings were taken against the manager for breaches of the rules, and he was fined £23. The fines and costs amounting to £30/12s/0dA fan, which was formerly used, for ventilating the colliery, is now in the course of re-erection.