March 27. — A terrible accident happened at a colliery near Fatfield, in the county of Durham. The colliery was 80 fathoms deep, and on the morning of the above day, when all the hands were at work, it went off with a tremendous explosion, by which 39 persons lost their lives. The bodies were found in a most mangled condition. In the Newcastle Journal of this time are the following remarks on coal mine explosions :– "As so many deplorable accidents have lately happened in collieries, it certainly claims the attention of coal owners to make a provision for the distressed widows and fatherless children occasioned by these mines, as these catastrophes from foul air become more common than ever ; yet, as we have been requested to take no particular notice of these things, which, in fact, could have very little good tendency, we drop the further mentioning of it ; but before we dismiss the subject, as a laudable example for their imitation, we recommend the provision made in the Trinity House for distressed seamen, seamen’s widows, &c, which, in every respect, is praiseworthy and confers honour on that brotherhood." It was from such injunctions laid upon the newspaper editors that these occurrences, for a great number of years, were kept as much as possible from the public. [LRS]

October 19. — As two boys, in order to descend a pit shaft, near Tanfield, were got on the hook, a third thoughtlessly leaped suddenly upon the rope after them, and set the gin amain, by which one was killed, and another dangerously hurt. [LHTB]

 

 

• LHTB — Local Historian's Table Book of Remarkable Occurrences Connected with the Counties of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, Northumberland and Durham by M.A. Richardson. Published in five volumes in 1844.
• LRS — Local Records or Historical Register of Remarkable Events by John Sykes, Published in 1833 in two volumes