Elswick Colliery

Miscellaneous Notes and Incidents

The accident occurred at the face of a stone drift rising 6 inches to the yard which was being driven from the Brockwell to the Beaumont Seam. Three gelignite shots were about to be fired, and on lighting the fuse of one of the shots by means of a Bickford lighter a small quantity of gas was ignited. The shots afterwards exploded. The chargeman had previously examined the place for gas and found no trace. The air-brattice was 3½ yards from the face. The chargeman is still off work, and the other man was off 40 days. Cause, shot firing.

Source: 1901 Mines Inspectors Report (Cd 1062), Newcastle District (No. 3) by J. L. Hedley, H.M. Inspector of Mines, copy held in the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange, Midlothian.