188 Mr. Buddle's Account of the Explosion in Jarrow Colliery. 



The late accident at Jarrow, of which I am presently to speak, was 

 occasioned by the bursting out of a "bag of foulness" from a cavity in 

 the Coal. 



On the day preceding, a similar burst of gas from the thill, or pave- 

 ment, of the Beaumont seam, in the Fenham division of Benwell col- 

 liery, occurred. This took place very near to where the Whin Dyke, 

 described in afoi'mer paper (read before a meeting of this Society on the 

 19th January)* was set through. But, happily, an explosion was pre- 

 vented by the vigilance and activity of the overman and his deputy. 



I shall now describe the locality of the Drewitt District in Jarrow 

 Colliery, in which the accident occurred, on the 3d of August, in doing 

 which 1 shall be aided by the Sections, Plate XVII., and Plan, Plate 

 XVIII. 



Jarrow Pit is sunk to the Bensham Seam, which is found at the depth 

 of 175 fathoms from the surface, and lies l65 fathoms below the high- 

 water mark of the river Tyne. The pit is only 360 yards distant from 

 the river, on its southern bank. 



The seam lies in nearly a horizontal position for I76 yards to the 

 south of the shaft, where it is dislocated by a succession of Slip Dykes 

 — some throwing it down, and some up, till it is ultimately settled at a de- 

 depression of 12 fathoms, below the level of the bottom of the pit — making 

 the full depth of the seam from the surface in this part 187? fathoms. 

 A sloping stone drift, in which the rail or roUy-way is laid, forms the 

 principal communication between the pit, and the workings on the dip, 

 or south, side of the Slip Dykes. The Coals are drawn up this inclined 

 plane by a steam engine, as represented in the section, Plate XVII. 



These Slip Dykes having been previously set over in the Main Coal 

 seam, which lies 45 fathoms above the Bensham — the extent to which 

 they depressed the latter was pretty well known, and as the seam was 

 very fiery on the north, or rise side, of the Dykes, we concluded that it 

 would be at least equally fiery, if not more so, on the south, or dip side, 

 of them — especially as no workings had ever been made beyond them 

 in that direction. 



* See Page 9. 



