_ Fatal Boiler Explosion At Sleekburn Colliery
On Saturday, October 10th, 1874, at quarter to twelve in the morning, the miners and residents in the neighbourhood of Bedlington Station, on the Blyth and Tyne Railway, were alarmed by the sound of an explosion, and saw a large quantity of debris flying through the air at Sleekburn Colliery, about 50 yards off.
There were three cylinder boilers 9 feet by 30 feet, with which feed pipes were connected, which supplied steam to the engines pumping the water from the colliery. The engine had been standing a short time, and was about to be restarted when the boiler next to the engine-house, without any warning, suddenly exploded, and rising from its seat in a perpendicular position, was blown through the roof of the building, and fell in a flat and shapeless mass on the ash-heap, about ten yards off.
The whole of the roof and part of the stonework of the building were carried away, and the pipes connecting the three boilers with the engine were destroyed from Number 1 to Number 2.
There was an engineman, named William Thompson, in charge, and three firemen on the spot, and it was unbelievable that they escaped death. Thompson, in the engine-house, escaped with a slight scald to one of his arms.
Joseph Pamplett, a fireman, was walking along one of the fire holes for the purpose of letting some coals down from a coal wagon, within about five yards of the place where the exploded boiler was situated, and had his back seriously scalded. David Lewis, another fireman, was knocked down by a brick, and escaped with bruises, and the other fireman, William Evans, was able to get out of the way.
Outside the building, however, some men and boys were standing near the Sinkers Lodge. One of these, a lad six years of age, Fenwick Reid, son of Thomas Reid, a miner, was struck by a piece of the steam feed piping, about 5 feet long, and one of his legs was blown away, and severely crushed and broken above where his leg left his body. His other leg was bruised, and he was taken up and conveyed home in an unconscious state, where he died in the afternoon between four and five o’ clock.
On Monday, an inquiry was held into the boys death took place, before Mr. L. M. Cockcroft, coroner, and the jury returned a verdict of “Accidental Death,” the coroner stating that he thought there was no blame attached to anyone, no human foresight could have foretold such an occurrence.
On Saturday, October 10th, 1874, at quarter to twelve in the morning, the miners and residents in the neighbourhood of Bedlington Station, on the Blyth and Tyne Railway, were alarmed by the sound of an explosion, and saw a large quantity of debris flying through the air at Sleekburn Colliery, about 50 yards off.
There were three cylinder boilers 9 feet by 30 feet, with which feed pipes were connected, which supplied steam to the engines pumping the water from the colliery. The engine had been standing a short time, and was about to be restarted when the boiler next to the engine-house, without any warning, suddenly exploded, and rising from its seat in a perpendicular position, was blown through the roof of the building, and fell in a flat and shapeless mass on the ash-heap, about ten yards off.
The whole of the roof and part of the stonework of the building were carried away, and the pipes connecting the three boilers with the engine were destroyed from Number 1 to Number 2.
There was an engineman, named William Thompson, in charge, and three firemen on the spot, and it was unbelievable that they escaped death. Thompson, in the engine-house, escaped with a slight scald to one of his arms.
Joseph Pamplett, a fireman, was walking along one of the fire holes for the purpose of letting some coals down from a coal wagon, within about five yards of the place where the exploded boiler was situated, and had his back seriously scalded. David Lewis, another fireman, was knocked down by a brick, and escaped with bruises, and the other fireman, William Evans, was able to get out of the way.
Outside the building, however, some men and boys were standing near the Sinkers Lodge. One of these, a lad six years of age, Fenwick Reid, son of Thomas Reid, a miner, was struck by a piece of the steam feed piping, about 5 feet long, and one of his legs was blown away, and severely crushed and broken above where his leg left his body. His other leg was bruised, and he was taken up and conveyed home in an unconscious state, where he died in the afternoon between four and five o’ clock.
On Monday, an inquiry was held into the boys death took place, before Mr. L. M. Cockcroft, coroner, and the jury returned a verdict of “Accidental Death,” the coroner stating that he thought there was no blame attached to anyone, no human foresight could have foretold such an occurrence.
