Minnie Pit Disaster
Encyclopedia
The Minnie Pit disaster was a coal mining accident in Halmer End
, Staffordshire
, UK in which 155 men died. The disaster took place on 12 January 1918, at the height of the Great War.
The disaster, which was caused by an explosion due to firedamp
, is the worst ever recorded in the North Staffordshire Coalfield
.
The Pit was the downcast shaft for the Podmore Hall Colliery, a wider industrial concern that mined coal at the Podmore Hall site in nearby Apedale
at the Burley Pit, and also included the ironworks, forge and coking ovens at Apedale. In 1890, the entire combine was formed into the Midland Coal, Coke and Iron Company, Ltd. and apart from mining and iron making, the combine company had its own mineral
railway, the Apedale and Podmore Hall Railway.
The Minnie Pit was 359 yards deep and had access to five seams of thick, good quality coal. Before the disaster it was an extremely profitable pit. Together with the wider operations of the business it was one of the biggest mining and iron making operations in North Staffordshire
.
The explosions caused such devastation underground that it took 12 months to recover all the bodies from the pit. Large sections of the mine had collapsed, methane
gas prevailed in the atmosphere underground and rescue operations were at all times aware that further roof falls or explosions could occur. In total 155 miners lost their lives.The main underground explosion killed 11 workers, while carbon monoxide poisoning
took the lives of 144 others. Among the dead were 44 boys who were sixteen years old or younger.
. The jury returned the following verdict, after hearing witness evidence from 40 persons, viz:
In summary, the jury concluded that no blame could be apportioned to any one individual but regulations should be issued for the treatment of coal dust. This was recommended because it was thought that the wholesale devastation of the mine was propagated by an abundance of dust.
, were now faced with this terrible loss of life at home. A relief fund was set up by the Miners Federation Of Great Britain and 6d and 3d a week were collected from miners and boys. There were other relief efforts and the company paid compensation to the families, but the effects on families losing their breadwinners meant many were forced into poverty and menial work to survive.
The Minnie Pit, and indeed the whole of the Podmore Hall Combine, never really recovered from the disaster and in April 1930, the entire operations of the company, from mining to iron making, were closed and thousands thrown out of work.
. The Bible belonged to a man called Samuel Richardson who was prominent in the local Methodist Chapel in the village. Samuel had the bible with him when he perished in the disaster and it was found next to his body. The bible was given to his best friend by Samuel's wife. However, in 1921 during the miners' strike, the bible was sold in London
to provide relief for striking miners. This came to the attention of Samuel's son, who bought it back for one Guinea
. The Bible is still believed to be in the care of the descendents of Samuel Richardson.
and the local council erected a memorial to the disaster. The inscription reads:
Halmer End
Halmer End is a village in the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme in Staffordshire, neighbouring the small hamlet of Alsagers Bank and not far from the larger village of Audley...
, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, UK in which 155 men died. The disaster took place on 12 January 1918, at the height of the Great War.
The disaster, which was caused by an explosion due to firedamp
Firedamp
Firedamp is a flammable gas found in coal mines. It is the name given to a number of flammable gases, especially methane. It is particularly commonly found in areas where the coal is bituminous...
, is the worst ever recorded in the North Staffordshire Coalfield
North Staffordshire Coalfield
- Introduction :The North Staffordshire Coalfield is an historic coalfield in the County of Staffordshire, England. The Coalfield emcompasses an area of nearly and that area is virtually wholly contained within the boundaries of the city of Stoke on Trent and the borough of Newcastle under Lyme...
.
The Colliery
The Minnie Pit was located in the small village of Halmer End, Newcastle under Lyme and was opened in 1881. It was named after Minnie Craig, the daughter of one of the owners, a Mr. W.Y. Craig.The Pit was the downcast shaft for the Podmore Hall Colliery, a wider industrial concern that mined coal at the Podmore Hall site in nearby Apedale
Apedale
Apedale is a village in Staffordshire, England. The village is home to the Apedale Community Country Park. The park is unusual for the area as it was previously as an opencast mine....
at the Burley Pit, and also included the ironworks, forge and coking ovens at Apedale. In 1890, the entire combine was formed into the Midland Coal, Coke and Iron Company, Ltd. and apart from mining and iron making, the combine company had its own mineral
Mineral
A mineral is a naturally occurring solid chemical substance formed through biogeochemical processes, having characteristic chemical composition, highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties. By comparison, a rock is an aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids and does not...
railway, the Apedale and Podmore Hall Railway.
The Minnie Pit was 359 yards deep and had access to five seams of thick, good quality coal. Before the disaster it was an extremely profitable pit. Together with the wider operations of the business it was one of the biggest mining and iron making operations in North Staffordshire
North Staffordshire
North Staffordshire describes an area of Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It contains the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire Moorlands and the City of Stoke-on-Trent. The Stoke and Newcastle areas make up The Potteries Urban Area, whilst the Moorlands are largely...
.
Previous accidents at the pit
Before the main disaster in 1918, there were two other explosions recorded at the pit. In 1898, on 6 February, a huge explosion killed all the pit ponies but fortunately no miners. On 17 January 1915, nine miners were killed by an explosion. Both these explosions happened on a Sunday, hence the relatively low loss of life. Among the dead was the colliery engineer, a Mr. John White.Accidents within the Podmore Hall Combine
Along with the explosions at the Minnie Pit, there were a number of accidents at the Burley Pit, the principal coal winding pit for the Podmore Hall operations. On 23 March 1878, 23 miners were killed; in June 1878, 9 men were killed; and, on 2 April 1891, 10 men were killed. All were explosions resulting from firedamp.Main disaster
On Saturday, 12 January 1918, 248 men were working underground when a huge explosion tore apart the Bullhurst and Banbury Seams. Within minutes 155 men died from the effects of the explosion, from roof falls or from inhaling poisonous gas. Rescue teams all across the North Staffordshire Coalfield were mobilised to search for survivors. However, Hugh Doorbar, Captain of the Birchenwood Colliery No. 1 rescue team, also lost his life two days later, bringing the final death toll to 156.The explosions caused such devastation underground that it took 12 months to recover all the bodies from the pit. Large sections of the mine had collapsed, methane
Methane
Methane is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . It is the simplest alkane, the principal component of natural gas, and probably the most abundant organic compound on earth. The relative abundance of methane makes it an attractive fuel...
gas prevailed in the atmosphere underground and rescue operations were at all times aware that further roof falls or explosions could occur. In total 155 miners lost their lives.The main underground explosion killed 11 workers, while carbon monoxide poisoning
Carbon monoxide poisoning
Carbon monoxide poisoning occurs after enough inhalation of carbon monoxide . Carbon monoxide is a toxic gas, but, being colorless, odorless, tasteless, and initially non-irritating, it is very difficult for people to detect...
took the lives of 144 others. Among the dead were 44 boys who were sixteen years old or younger.
Investigation
Under section 83 of the Coal Mines Act 1911, a formal investigation of the causes and circumstances of the disaster took place. The investigation was headed by William Walker CBE, acting inspector of Mines, and the inquiry took place in December 1919 at Kings Hall, StokeStoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent , also called The Potteries is a city in Staffordshire, England, which forms a linear conurbation almost 12 miles long, with an area of . Together with the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme Stoke forms The Potteries Urban Area...
. The jury returned the following verdict, after hearing witness evidence from 40 persons, viz:
In summary, the jury concluded that no blame could be apportioned to any one individual but regulations should be issued for the treatment of coal dust. This was recommended because it was thought that the wholesale devastation of the mine was propagated by an abundance of dust.
Aftermath
The effects of the disaster were huge on Halmerend and the neighbouring villages, which depended on the pit for survival. This was also at a time when the Great War was in its fourth bloody year and many families, faced with the loss of its men on the Western FrontWestern Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
, were now faced with this terrible loss of life at home. A relief fund was set up by the Miners Federation Of Great Britain and 6d and 3d a week were collected from miners and boys. There were other relief efforts and the company paid compensation to the families, but the effects on families losing their breadwinners meant many were forced into poverty and menial work to survive.
The Minnie Pit, and indeed the whole of the Podmore Hall Combine, never really recovered from the disaster and in April 1930, the entire operations of the company, from mining to iron making, were closed and thousands thrown out of work.
Minnie Pit Bible
A footnote to the terrible disaster is the story of the Minnie Pit BibleBible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
. The Bible belonged to a man called Samuel Richardson who was prominent in the local Methodist Chapel in the village. Samuel had the bible with him when he perished in the disaster and it was found next to his body. The bible was given to his best friend by Samuel's wife. However, in 1921 during the miners' strike, the bible was sold in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to provide relief for striking miners. This came to the attention of Samuel's son, who bought it back for one Guinea
Guinea (British coin)
The guinea is a coin that was minted in the Kingdom of England and later in the Kingdom of Great Britain and the United Kingdom between 1663 and 1813...
. The Bible is still believed to be in the care of the descendents of Samuel Richardson.
The site today
In the early 1980s the National Coal BoardNational Coal Board
The National Coal Board was the statutory corporation created to run the nationalised coal mining industry in the United Kingdom. Set up under the Coal Industry Nationalisation Act 1946, it took over the mines on "vesting day", 1 January 1947...
and the local council erected a memorial to the disaster. The inscription reads: