Ludworth Colliery

Miscellaneous Notes and Incidents

There were no fatal accidents under this head [Boilers Bursting], but two men were injured by two non-fatal accidents.

One occurred at Ludworth Colliery on the 3rd of July, and caused a winding engineman to be scalded about his arms and legs. The winding engine had been standing for 16 hours, and he was blowing steam through to remove any condensed steam that might have accumulated when the cover of the bottom valve chest was partly blown off, by water-hammer action, and the man was injured. An extra drain cock has since been put on.

The other happened at West Thornley Colliery, on the 14th of April, and a mason was scalded about the hands and face by it. He was engaged pointing round the flues of a boiler, which was heated by the gases from the coke ovens, when the sludge pipe broke and allowed some steam to escape and injure him. The pipe had become deteriorated, or had not been a good casting when it was first made — one side of it was ¾-inch thick and the other ½-inch. The pipe was 3½ inches diameter, and it broke off close to the flange, which was bolted to the boiler.

Both these cases were the subject of enquiry, under the Boiler Explosions Act, by the Board of Trade.

Source: 1903 Mines Inspectors Report (Cd 2119), Durham District (No. 4) by R. D. Bain, H.M. Inspector of Mines, from a copy held in the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange, Midlothian.