354 Explosion of Inflammable Air [Nov. 



Colliery. On Tuesday, the 28th of September, at half-past 

 twelve p. m. the inflammable air of the Hall Pit Colliery at 

 Fatfield, distant nine miles from Sunderland, exploded, by 

 which thirty-two pitmen were instantly killed, and four wounded. 

 The overman, Mr. Joseph Noble, reports to the writer of this 

 article, " that the same morning on which this accident hap- 

 pened, he considered himself as safe in this colliery, as he was 

 at that moment in his own house." At the same time it is 

 proper to remark, that three explosions of inflammable air had 

 taken place at different periods in this colliery, by which three 

 men were killed each time. 



This explosion is supposed to have been occasioned by the 

 falling of a stone from the roof of the mine, which carried the 

 inflammable air with it, so as to bring it into contact with the 

 pitmen's candles. All the men who were in the workings were 

 killed ; and of the four young men who were at the shaft, one 

 was killed upon the spot, and three escaped with life. George 

 Noble, son to Mr. Noble the overman, informs me that he 

 was one of the people employed at the shaft, and had the good 

 fortune to escape, with the exception of a considerable swelling 

 over the whole body, which continued for a few hours, and then 

 gradually subsided. This swelling was supposed by his friends 

 to be occasioned by the carbonic acid gas of the mine. This 

 young man also mentions that he heard three distinct reports, 

 which suddenly followed each other ; and that he was rapidly 

 driven to the distance of four yards by the violence of the ex- 

 plosion ; and about this time he was deprived of sensation, for 

 the first circumstance which he remembers was his difficulty of 

 breathing, and at the same time he was seized with pains in 

 different parts of the body. He is now (Sept. 30) perfectly 

 recovered, though still very weakly. All the unfortunate men 

 are now got out of the colliery, with the exception of an old 

 man, David Redley, who held the appointment of deputy over- 

 man. 



This coal-mine was understood to be as carefully worked, and 

 as free from danger, as any mine in the kingdom : so much so, 

 that many of the pitmen, who happened to be at their own 

 houses at the time when the explosion happened in the Hall Pit 

 Colliery, could not believe that such an accident had occurred ; 

 and all persons who knew the Hall Pit Coliiery were impressed 

 with the same favourable opinion. No blame whatever is 

 attachable to any person concerned in this colliery, as far as I 

 can ascertain. What person in his sober senses will believe that 

 the present mode of management of coal-mines is the best that 

 can be devised for the prevention of such accidents ? Against 

 such melancholy facts, what arguments can interested persons 

 bring ? How dreadful must be the situation of those honest 



