Part of the summary from the official Inquiry Report for “Blantyre Colliery Explosion” of 1877. Transcribed by myself word for word for the first time appearing online, this particular detailed section, summarises the firedamp and conditions leading to the explosion.
THE FIREDAMP
“Firedamp, or inflammable gas, was ordinarily given off in the working parts of the mine. The gas was a pure kind, seldom showing any blue cap until it elongated the flame, flattened or flashed off. In sinking the shafts, gas had been met with at overlaying coal seams. Where there was water it bubbled up, but in the splint seam, which was very dry, it issued silently without any of the singing or hissing usually to be heard.
“The door had burst up, and the roof had fallen at many parts of the workings, but on no occasion had any sudden outburst of firedamp occurred such as to overpower the ventilation. On beginning to drive out the south level from No. 2 shaft, when two shifts of men were at work, the ordinary issue of gas was such as to overpower the ventilation and apparently no means were taken to prevent this, either by lessening the speed of driving, or by widening the places so as to give more air at a velocity safe for the safety lamp.”
“Ordinary work in this level was carried out underneath a covering of gas from 10 to 12 inches in thickness at the face, the gas tailing off about 10 yards back. No drill holes were put into the roof coal to give vent to the gas there, and in course of time the roof gave way, and had to be supported on timber. In the landing places afterwards, where gas was first getting vent, the issues from the roof coal were often such as to get lighted, and small accumulations near the roof were common, and had at times to be batted or wafted out, called ‘dichting’.
“The miners usually worked with their open oil lamps stuck in the bonnets which they worse on their heads, but sometimes when amongst these blowers or feeders of gas, they put the lamps lower down. Notwithstanding this precaution, the gas kindled or flashed off at times and men had occasionally, if they could, to throw themselves down on the floor to allow the flame to pass over them, and to flap out any feeder that contained burning. Such appear to have been the ordinary accepted circumstances in workings advancing into solid coal, whilst the gas was being drained.
“In addition to the issues of gas ordinarily carried away by the ventilation, an accumulation of firedamp appeared on the 15th of August last, at the part of the colliery called the Stoopings, where stoops or pillars were being taken out in No 2 pit. It appeared again next day, and on the 20th of August when some roof fell, an explosion followed, and two persons named McInulty, who were working near with open lights, got burned, one of them fatally.”
“Gauze lamps were put in use there next day, and a special fireman or competent person appointed to take charge about the Stoopings. The Government Inspector of the district visited the place on the third day after that explosion and in his official report he states that there had been some laxity. On this visit it now appears that some deception was practiced, some men named McClusky having been removed from working at a place, which apparently was one thought not likely to be approved of by the Inspector. The further removal of these stoops progressed, and the goaf or fallen parts being increased. Firedamp was found at times in large volumes.
“At the time of the great explosion on 22nd of October about 2,000 tons of coal, extending over an area of about 500 square yards of the seam, had been stooped out. Tow entries of gas appear in the firemen’s books. The first by Black on the 29th August, and the other by Sharp, who was special fireman or competent person at the Stoopings, on those occasions. Three stoops were in process of being removed. Work at the rise stoop had been stopped in consequence of gas for a fortnight or three weeks before the general explosion. It was well known to the miners that there was gas about.
On one occasion, when Sharp was acting as special fireman, he kept the men out for some hours in consequence of gas and on another occasion, when Robert Eadie was in charge, he sent two, if not more miners home. Some of the falls of roof and coal hindered the air. Gilmour the oversman, was spoken to about gas. He said, ‘There was no danger; there will not be a man fallen in the pit’. It kept getting worse. On Friday, three days before the explosion, things seemed coming to a crisis. Black, the head fireman, spoke to Carlin, the contractor at the Stoopings as to the great danger of blasting there, and asked him to arrange with the oversman as to price of working the coal without blasting.
“Partial stagnation of the air ensued. A steam or mist is said to have set in. Sharp, who had returned temporarily during Eadie’s absence said it was powder smoke. The men said it was not. Sharp or Eadie, whichever was there fired the shots, opening their safety lamp to do so, watching a chance. Neither of them liked the job. Eadie absented himself from it on the Friday and Saturday before the explosion, in consequence as was stated by his son, of his apprehensions of danger which he had named to him, and which statement the son said could be confirmed if necessary by his mother and aunt.There was gas enough, he said, to blow the whirleys or pulleys off the pit-head frame. The head fireman, Black, called at Eadie’s house and saw him on the Saturday morning. Eadie returned to the work on the Monday, and he and Black were both amongst the 209 dead. The return air, after leaving these Stoopings, passed through several places where persons were at work with open lights.”
AI images the miners encountering firedamp in this exclusive illustration for Blantyre Project.
