Ian,
No doubt you have seen this before, probably in a local rather than National Newspaper:
The Times, Tuesday, Jul 20, 1920; pg. 20; Issue 42467; col F
Safety In Mines. Rules To Prevent Explosions.
Category: Business and Finance
The report of Mr. W. Walker, Chief Inspector of Mines on the disaster at the Minnie Pit of the Podmore Hall Colliery near Halmerend, North Staffordshire-which took place as far back as January 12, 1918 was issued yesterday by the Home Office. It is accompanied by seven large and elaborate plans of the colliery workings. It is explained that the elapse of so long a period between the accident, in which 155 lives were lost and the holding of a Coroner’s inquest (In October 1919), and the formal enquiry was due to the fact that the Bullhurst seam gives off firedamp freely and is also liable to spontaneous combustion. Hence persons carrying out exploration work after the accident were forced to wear breathing apparatus, and progress was necessarily very slow.
The Inspector states that he had come to the conclusion that the explosion originated in or near the goaf at the top end of No. 4 district in the Bullhurst Seam, and that the cause was an explosion of coal dust which traversed roads reached by Banbury Dip Crut in the Bullhurst and Banbury Seven Feet Seams to which the force and flame of the explosion were confined. The igniting cause of the explosion of gas in or near the goaf was, in his opinion, either a defective safety lamp or sparks produced when the Bull-dog stone over the goaf fell. Of the two, he thought the former was the more probable cause.
What's a goaf?
Tom
