Explosion at Fallowfield lead mine

[Geordie Mag]

The Newcastle Courant article does indeed seem to refer to the same incident, so many thanks for that, but in much greater detail. It says William Little was severely injured and that John Maddison of Hexham, George Davison of Acomb, W. Eddy of Fallowfield and George Hall of Fallowfield were "much burnt". Several others were "slightly burnt". The men were taken home and 2 doctors from Hexham came out to see to them.
Having found the cutting with my grandfather's papers, I had assumed that the explosion must have taken place around the turn of the century, so I had been looking in the wrong places. Unless he was extremely precocious  (he was 2 years old in 1877!) he must have found it in old family papers as well.
Anyway, William did survive, since he is recorded in the 1881 census. He can't have been in very good shape though.

[JenB]

It is possible that the article you originally referred to came from the Hexham Courant.
Now that there is a more precise date I'll have a look at the microfilm at the library.

Jennifer

[Geordie Mag]

That would be very kind. Thank you. The article says that the explosion took place on the preceeding Monday. I feel, however, that the Hexham Courant would give more details not fewer. You would think it would be in their interests to name as many names as possible to increase local sales. Usually that's the policy with local papers now, and it can't have been that different then.
I have been wondering whether my grandfather had some very early memory/sense of the turmoil caused by the explosion and that's why he kept the cutting. His parents also lived in Acomb, but at a very early age he was sent off to live with his grandparents in Hexham, where they had The Bush Inn. Were they getting him out of the way? No knowing;  just speculation brought on by the early date!

[JenB]

Hexham Courant, Saturday 2nd June, 1877

EXPLOSION OF GAS AT FALLOWFIELD MINES, NEAR HEXHAM
SEVERAL MEN SERIOUSLY HURT

On Monday morning, an explosion of gas occurred at Fallowfield Lead Mines near Hexham, by which five men were seriously injured and several others slightly burnt. The men had resumed work between six and seven o’clock, and there were about twelve men in the Windy Hill shaft at the time the accident took place. One of the men named William Little, who lives at Lantern House, near Acomb, was very seriously hurt about the head, face and legs, his face being almost literally covered with blood. John Maddison, a married man living in Gilesgate, Hexham, was seriously burnt, as was also George Davison of Acomb; Wm. Eddy, Fallowfield, was burnt about the face and back of the head, and one of the hands, also slightly on the legs. Geo. Hall of Low Engine House, Fallowfield, was also seriously burnt. Other five men in the shaft at the time were only slightly burnt. One of the injured men stated that the explosion took place soon after they entered the shaft. He says Maddison went forward with a lamp which “brought the gas onto the candles”, and the explosion followed. Some of the men not so far forward as Maddison, when they heard the report of the explosion, flung themselves on the ground, and thus partly escaped being burnt. The injured men were quickly removed to their respective homes, and were promptly attended by Dr Stewart (Hexham), Mr Rowlands (Humshaugh), Dr Kendall, Dr Fox and Dr Farmer of Hexham. The names of the five men most seriously hurt are:-
Wm. Little of Lantern House, married
John Maddison of Gilesgate, Hexham, married
George Davison, Acomb, married
Wm. Eddy, Fallowfield, married
Geo. Hall, Low Engine House, Fallowfield, married
The names of the men slightly burnt are:-
Wm. Telford, Wall, single
Daniel Waldon, Cockshaw, Hexham, single
Thos. Brown, Acomb, single
Edward Eddy, Fallowfield, single
Other two men, named Jos. Brown and T. Little were just in the act of entering the shaft when the explosion took place, and so escaped unhurt.

[Bilge]

Nice detective work JenB.

[peter brownlee]

Although Fallowfield was mainly a lead and witherite producer there were also seams of coal cut by the workings, which coal was used to fire the boiler of the pumping engine. That might account for the presence of gas.
Peter

[Geordie Mag]

Wow - that is wonderful. Thank you very much.JenB,  a problem well solved. It also brings in another member of the family, as the T Little, who was just entering the mine, would be the youngest member of the family, Thomas. By the 1881 census, he was living in York and working as a night watchman, so I guess he made the very sensible decision after the explosion to get away and find safer work. The information about the coal seams does make more sense of the story, Peter, because drowning and rockfalls were the usual hazards in lead mines, not gas explosions. Since my g grandfather was a coal miner, I wonder if he was working there as well. I always assumed he was working in one of the coal mines further up the N. Tyne. The detailed description does bring home the danger that all miners faced as they entered new sections of workings. There must have been a constant sense of fear.

[JenB]

The only thing left to solve (although irrelevant  ) is which newspaper the original cutting came from.

[Geordie Mag]

Well - yes. I must admit that the identity of the original newspaper has been slightly exercising my mind. (However, the word 'slightly' is an important qualifier here! ) I have in fact an impressive collection of other  newspaper cuttings about a variety of topics, all carefully saved by my father, but I never have to worry about their provenance as my father was a journalist and newspaper librarian and therefore most careful in dating all cuttings as well as naming the source. That is what intrigued me about the cutting in question - it obviously pre-dated my father (he lived through the 20th century almost in its entirety).