Disasters - Names		Disasters - Names

Date:	26th April 1915
Colliery:	Brayton Domain
Cause:	Explosion
Lives Lost:	7

Explosions of firedamp. — In last year's report I recorded that seven persons had lost their lives by explosions of firedamp, and I had to add that these lives were lost as the result of negligence or incompetence on the part of the responsible officials. From this cause the same number of lives were lost during the year 1915, but as the result of one accident; and, had the two officials concerned, one a deputy and the other a shotfirer, possessed abilities equal to their responsibilities, the accident would not have happened.

The explosion referred to occurred about 11 a.m., on the 26th April, in a district of the Yard Band Seam of the Brayton Domain (No. 4) Colliery, Cumberland.

The seam in the district concerned is 4 feet thick, and it has a strong blue shale roof. The method of working was bord and pillar. The pillars were being extracted alongside a 10-feet downthrow fault against which the goaf had been laid for some years.

This goaf was left to the rise so that any gas which was given off would rise into the goaf. The roof was so strong that no falls occurred in some cases for three months after the timber had been withdrawn. Adjoining the pillar in the course of being extracted there was an open area of at least 700 square yards. No gas had ever been reported in the district, but it had been found in other districts of the same seam. No naked lights were used in the mine.

On the day of the accident the district had been inspected twice by the deputy. Fortunately only eight men were at work — six hewers, a putter and a shot-firer.

A 4-yard lift was being taken off a pillar, and the coal at the face of the lift was undercut on the loose side right through to an old bord, and on the fast side to within 6 inches of the old bord. Into this thin rib a slightly rising shot-hole was drilled until it penetrated the roof, and this at a point where a break extended vertically through the coal and into the roof for 20 inches to a horizontal parting in the stone which communicated with an open space above a fall in the old bord. This was a most likely place for gas to accumulate. It was gathered from the only survivor that a charge of gelignite explosive was fired in this shot-hole, and immediately there was an explosion in the old bord which communicated with the goaf adjoining it. All the seven men died within the next few weeks as the result of severe burns.

It was alleged that the back of the rib in the old bord could not be examined on account of danger from a possible fall of roof, and therefore the state of the adjoining goaf was unknown. I was satisfied that no attempt had been made to make an examination, as I found no difficulty after the explosion in penetrating to where the shot had blown through.

There was practically no indications of violence resulting from the explosion, but there was evidence of flame and heat for a distance of some 180 yards from the point of origin. Coal dust apparently played a very subsidiary part, as fortunately, the mine was quite damp; otherwise the consequences would have been much more disastrous.

The points to be specially noted in connection with this accident are (1) that the attempt to blast down a rib of coal which was almost entirely undermined should not have been allowed; (2) that a powerful explosive like gelignite was most unsuitable for the purpose; (3) the discipline of the mine should have prevented a shot being fired next to a goaf the condition of which was unknown.

At the Coroner's inquiry concerning the cause of death of these men, the jury returned a verdict that "the death of the seven men was caused by burns following an explosion," and they recommended that "no shot should be fired in a rib next to a goaf unless the rib could be examined from the goaf side."

Names provided by the Brayton Domain Colliery web site created by Graeme Rumney, see the site for newspaper extracts about the disaster.

	Birney, Thomas, aged 64, died Sunday, 2 May 1915, address: 16 Harriston, Aspatria
	Lightfoot, Robert, aged 20, died Wednesday, 28 April 1915, address: 36 Harriston, Aspatria
	Little, Thomas Herbert, aged 29, died Monday, 3 April 1915, address: 8 Spingkell, Aspatria
	Rayson, Paul, aged 25, died Monday, 3 May 1915, address: 36 Harriston, Aspatria
	Rumney, Joseph, aged 51, Deputy and Shot Firer, died 5 June 1915, address: 108 Harriston, Aspatria
	Wilkinson, Henry, aged 32, died Thursday, 29 April 1915, son of James, address: 71 Lawson Street, Aspatria
	Wilkinson, James, aged 59, died Friday, 21 May 1915, father of Henry, address: 71 Lawson Street, Aspatria
	All names found
	Youngest: 20 years old ; Oldest: 64 ; Average: 40

 

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