Preston Colliery

Miscellaneous Notes and Incidents

The explosion of fire-damp at Preston Colliery on the 12th October, although fortunately not accompanied by any loss of life, deserves more than a passing notice, as it was probably due to the ignition of the gas by sparks from an electric motor.

The North Shields Water Company have a pumping station about 500 yards north from Preston Colliery, and here a shaft is sunk to the Low Main seam at a depth of 32 fathoms. A pair of levels were driven in the seam in a south-easterly direction in search of water, and they communicated with the workings of an abandoned pit known as the Hawkey's Hall pit, and situated about 500 yards east from Preston Colliery, a branch pair of levels was at the same time driven from these levels to the west, and one of these levels approached close to Preston Colliery, intending to tap a bore hole which was being put down from the Bensham seam, then the lowest seam worked at Preston Colliery, so as to allow the Preston Colliery water to gravitate to the bottom of the Water Company's shaft and supplement the supply of water. This connection, however, was never made, owing to the levels going in the direction of Hawkey's Hall pit tapping old workings and being drowned: but within the last year or two a new shaft at the Preston Colliery was sunk from the surface to the Low Main seam, and its working commenced. a second outlet being provided by a staple to the Bensham, which also acted as upcast for the Low Main seam, the new pit being the downcast and drawing shaft.

Soon after the working of the Low Main seam was commenced one of the pair of the old branch levels was struck, and a communication opened to the Water Company's pit and to the old workings of the Hawkey's Hall pit. The road to the Water Company's pit had been travelled, but not the extension of the levels to the Hawkey's Hall pit workings.

The Water Company did not pump constantly. At the week ends there was a cessation, and then the water rose and sealed the bottom of their shaft, and a current of air which ordinarily flowed along the levels and into the Preston Colliery workings was cut off. On Monday mornings, when pumping at the Water Company's pit was resumed, this current set up again as soon as the sealing water was lowered, and on some occasions, as on the day of the accident, the current brought gas with it.

The workings in the Low Main seam at Preston Colliery were limited in area, and are shown on the plan accompanying this report. The seam was wet and free from coal dust. Nothing but safety lamps were used in the seam, except near the shafts, where incandescent electric lights were fixed. For pumping water two pumps actuated by electric motors were in use — one near the shaft pumped to the surface, and was not running at the time of the accident; the other, 70 yards inbye at the point marked M on the plan, pumped from dip workings to the shaft, and was running.

The ventilation was arranged as shown on the plan. There were two main splits from the bottom of the downcast shaft, and both these splits were regulated near the bottom of the upcast staple.

The manager found that when the air current from the old level resumed its flow on Monday, the 12th October, it was charged with gas ; he directed men working near the old level to go to the shaft, and gave directions for the men in the other districts to be warned, and instructed Ralph Bulmer, a deputy, to open the regulator at the bottom of the upcast staple, controlling the South Side split, so as to increase the quantity of air circulating in that split.

He himself remained in the old level in the dark, and held a loose door against the framework of a door to try and check the flow of gas and air from the old level. The deputy went past the inbye motor, which was working, through the two wood doors to the bottom of the upcast staple and opened the regulator as directed ; he then returned, came through the door next the staple and was coming through the door next the motor when the explosion occurred. His safety lamp was found lying in water at this point after the explosion.

The effect of the explosion as regards force was small, and the probable area of flame is shown on the plan by hatched lines.

As already stated, the seam was damp, and coal dust played no part in the explosion.

The manager at the door frame in the old level was not burnt, and he saw no flame. Men at the downcast shaft were slightly singed. The worst cases were the deputy and two putters and two drivers, whose position at the time of the explosion is indicated on the plan. One pony was so badly burned that it had to be destroyed. The driver, Coe, was in the act of bringing tubs past the canvas sheet near him, and at the moment of the explosion had a tub standing under the sheet, which would result in an increased leakage of air in the direction of the motor, and so allow the gas to reach it.

The motor was 3 HP. continuous current, the voltage was 500, and the consumption about 4 amperes. It was a 2-pole machine, semi-enclosed.

When I examined it while it was running after the explosion, I saw distinct and continuous sparking.

The safety lamps of the deputy and the two putters and two drivers were of the Marsaut type.

The lampman at the colliery was instructed to clean them for testing, but he went beyond his instructions and fitted them with new washers. They were then tested in a stationary mixture of lighting gas and air at the Durham College of Science, through the kindness of Professor Louis, and did not pass the flame. The old washers taken out of the lamps were forwarded to me for inspection, and appeared quite good.

There seems no doubt that sparks from the motor ignited the gas. In the emergency that had arisen, the fact that a semi-enclosed motor was running in the seam escaped the manager's attention, but it is clear that it should have been stopped at once, as it was practically as dangerous as a naked light.

Source: 1903 Mines Inspectors Report (Cd 2119), Newcastle District (No. 3) by J. B. Atkinson, H.M. Inspector of Mines, copy held in the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange, Midlothian.