| Date: | 2nd April 1765 |
| Colliery: | Walker |
| Cause: | Explosion |
| Lives Lost: | 8 |
A terrible explosion took place at Walker colliery, near Newcastle. The workings of this mine were about 100 fathoms below the surface of the earth. The foul air fired in an instant, and the explosion, which immediately followed, made a report as loud as thunder. There were no lives lost, but the workmen were in a most miserable condition, being scorched and burnt to a frightful degree. As soon as it could be done, all possible assistance was given to the sufferers, who, on being drawn up, were sent to the infirmary. On the day following, several overmen and others descended to examine the state of the mine, when, dreadful to relate, it fired a second time, and killed eight persons and seventeen horses, who were all burnt in a most shocking manner.
| Source: | Local Records or Historical Register of Remarkable Events by John Sykes, Published in 1833 in two volumes |
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