326 Mr. Bubble on Mining Records. 



seam on the dip side of the dyke. The G Pit engine pumped the water 

 from this low level also. 



The next largest slip dyke is also a dipper to the south, 13 feet directly 

 south from the C Pit, but it lessens as it approaches Walker boundary to 

 the west, and runs quite out to the eastward near the lane from the Shields 

 road to the village. 



Midway between these two dykes is a large worm hitch, which runs out 

 both to the east and west. At one place it is a down-cast of 10 feet to the 

 north. To the north and north-west of the B Pit there are two or three 

 small hitches. There is also a down-cast hitch to the north, which runs 

 from the east past the north side of the F Pit. It is about seam height at 

 the F pit, but runs out before it reaches the E Pit. These are all the 

 dykes and hitches which ran in an east and west direction. 



The A and B Pits are sunk between two 5-feet hitches, running in a 

 north and south direction, but they only extend between the two east and 

 west dykes already described. 



There is a rise hitch of 9 feet to the east, to the south-east of the D Pit ; 

 and a dipper of 9 feet to the east, to the west of the E Pit. The former 

 tails out to the north, and the latter to the south. There is reason to 

 think that these are the same hitch, changed from a riser to a dipper. 



8. — Accidents by Explosion of Inflammable Air. 



As has already been observed, this colliery, abounded in inflammable 

 air, particularly in the Main Post, or Sand Stone Roof of the Main Coal 

 Seam. 



The first accident which occurred, took place on the 21st October, 1783, 

 when a blower of inflammable air broke out from a thread in the roof, in 

 the B Pit, East Mothergait Drifts, at about 400 yards from the shaft, and 

 fired at the candle of the hewer who was working in the place. He was 

 not hurt, but being alarmed, ran away, without attempting to dash out the 

 fire, and left it burning. He alarmed the rest of the people, who being 

 panic struck, all ran away, except John Johnson, the Overman, who, not 

 being able to prevail on any one to accompany him, went alone, to endea- 

 vour to extinguish the fire. It was supposed, however, that he had never 



