Disasters - Names		Disasters - Names

Date:	10th February 1891
Colliery:	Beamish, Second Pit
Cause:	Explosion of gas
Lives Lost:	2

The next explosion, No. 9 on the list, occurred on the 10th February at the Second Pit, Beamish Colliery, the property of Messrs. James Joicey & Co. Limited, and was of a much more serious nature, inasmuch as there was a loss of two valuable lives. The pit was not considered to be a fiery one, and candles were generally used. Three men, John Gowland, master stoneman, John Dick, and John Hogarth, were sent by the overman, William Pattinson, into the south way district of the Hutton Seam to make a waterway and to lay rails. After working for some time the supply of rails ran short, and Gowland and Dick, for former with a safety lamp and the latter with a naked light, went to some old workings, which had been laid off for some years, for the purpose of getting some rails which Gowland knew to be there. After they had proceeded about 350 yards, Gowland leading the way with the safety lamp and Dick following close on his heels with the naked light, and explosion occurred ; the two men being so severely burned that they succumbed to their injuries, the former on the 16th and the latter on the 12th February.

It was stated at the inquest that the men were not expected to go to this particular place for rails, and probably had their instructions on the point been more definite they would not have done so, but if left to their own discretion it is natural that they would attempt to procure a supply of any material they required form the nearest available and most accessible place.

It was further stated that no gas had been reported in this old district previously, but even if that were so, and bearing in mind that a daily examination was not made of this part of the mine, common prudence should have suggested the folly of taking a naked light into a place where it was considered advisable for the chargeman to use a safety lamp. Safety lamps are of use or not (and in this case, as in that at Cowpen Colliery, they evidently come under the latter category) according to the way they are handled, but when a man is presumably examining a place with a safety lamp, and is at the same time accompanied by a man with a naked light, it is evident that the safety lamp is a very useless article. Wherever safety lamps are used, more especially in the vicinity of old workings, naked lights should be avoided, and so the temptation, from a feeling of over-security, to run any risk will not be placed in the hands of the men.

The jury at the inquest returned an open verdict.

Source:

1891 Mines Inspectors Report (C 6625)

	Dick, John, aged 29, Stoneman, Both men went into some old workings to seek from rails, Gowland carrying a safety lamp and Dick a candle. When near the place they wanted to be at, Gowland went in first to see if there was any gas, but Dick following in too soon ignited some gas, which was lying in the rood, at his candle [Inspection made & Inquest attended]
	Gowland, John, aged 56, Master Stoneman, Both men went into some old workings to seek from rails, Gowland carrying a safety lamp and Dick a candle. When near the place they wanted to be at, Gowland went in first to see if there was any gas, but Dick following in too soon ignited some gas, which was lying in the rood, at his candle [Inspection made & inquest attended]
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