Minnie Pit Disaster

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 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,^[1] 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.^[2]

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.

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.^[3]

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.^[4]

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.^[5] 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.^[6]

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.^[5]

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, Stoke. The jury returned the following verdict, after hearing witness evidence from 40 persons, viz:

“

We consider that the deceased persons met their death from a medical point of view as follows, 144 from carbon monoxide poisoning 11 from violence plus carbon monoxide poisoning The cause of death was an explosion of gas and coal dust in the Bullhurst and Banbury seams of the Minnie pit. That there is not sufficient evidence to show what caused the initial flame. We consider that the pit has been carried on in accordance with the Coal Mines Act 1911, and general regulations as far as they have been issued, but, we are of the opinion that, if the dust had been systematically removed, the explosion would not have been so extensive. We do not consider that any particular person is to blame for the explosion. As a result of the inquiry, we consider that further regulations should be issued at once for the treatment of coal dust. But we agree with the miners representatives, that nothing what so ever should be introduced, which will injure the miners, or young life in the mine and that there is great scope for inquiry by government experts on this point, particularly making coal dust itself inert. The jury consider that any shot-lighter should report in writing anything he considers unsafe in the mine. It appears that the workmen have not taken advantage of Section 16 of the Coal Mines Act, relative to the periodic inspection of the mines by workmen and we consider that they do so.

”

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.^[7]

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 Front, 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.^[8]

Minnie Pit Bible

A footnote to the terrible disaster is the story of the Minnie Pit Bible. 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.^[9]

The site today

In the early 1980s the National Coal Board and the local council erected a memorial to the disaster. The inscription reads:^[10]

“

To the memory of those who lost their lives in the fight to extract coal from this mine, Minnie Pit, Halmerend, 1890-1931.

”

References

1. ^ Baker, Allan C (2002). The Iron,Steel and Coal Industry of North Staffordshire. Irwell Press. ISBN 1 903266 35 1. 
2. ^ Baker, Allan C (2002). The Iron,Steel and Coal Industry in North Staffordshire. Irwell Press. ISBN 1 903266 35 1. 
3. ^ Leigh, Fred (1992). Mining Memories,A Portrait Of The Collieries Of North Staffordshire. S.B.Publications. ISBN 1 85770 031 7. 
4. ^ Leigh, Fred (1992). Mining Memories,A Portrait Of The Collieries Of North Staffordshire. S.B.Publications. ISBN 1 85770 031 7. 
5. ^ ^{a b} The Minnie Pit Disaster,extracts from a book by Mrs C Lamb retrieval date:01-02-09
6. ^ Baker, Allen C (2002). The Iron,Steel and Coal Industry In North Staffordshire. Irwell Press. ISBN 1 903266 35 1. 
7. ^ North Staffordshire Coalfield Site,Minnie Pit Disaster retrieved:01-02-09
8. ^ Baker, Allan C (2003). The Iron,,Steel and Coal Industry in North Staffordshire. Irwell Press. ISBN 1 903266-35 1. 
9. ^ The Story of the Minnnie Pit Bible retrieval date:01-02-09
10. ^ Coal Mining In North Staffordshire,Staffordshire Multimedia Archive retrieval date:01-02-09

See also

• North Staffordshire Coalfield
• Halmer End
• Newcastle Under Lyme

External links

• The Durham Mining Museum Site. List of all the dead miners from the Minnie Pit Disaster
• Coal Mining In North Staffordshire. Staffs Past Track Exhibition

Coordinates: 53°02′14″N 2°18′36″W / 53.0373°N 2.3099°W / 53.0373; -2.3099