Extracted from the Gateshead Observer, 24 Apr 1841

At half past two o'clock on Wednesday, the coroner, Stephen Reed, Esq., and a respectable jury, met at the house of Mr. Henry Wardale, sign of the Engine, Willington. After the jury had been sworn, having previously viewed a number of the bodies, the coroner briefly addressed them on the nature of their duties, and said that as there were yet three bodies in the pit, and other circumstances which would prevent them from entering properly into the investigation that day, he would not trouble them further, but adjourn the inquest until Thursday, as 12 o'clock ; and in the mean time made out orders of burial for those who wished to have their friends interred immediately. — Northern Advertiser.

Previous to reporting the proceedings of the adjourned inquest, held on Thursday last, we give a correct list of the sufferers by this impressive calamity :—

Thomas Wood, 39, wood-leader, has left a wife and six children. Michael Martin, 38, hewer, has left a wife and four children. William Martin, 10, trapper, son of the above. John Campbell, 34, hewer, unmarried. George Campbell, 18, putter, nephew of the above. [The last four were all united by near ties of relationship. George Campbell's mother was Michael Martin's sister.] Thomas Dodgson, 27, hewer, recently married. William Dodgson, 25, hewer, brother of the above. Jonathan Crosier, 20, putter, unmarried. John Joyce, 23, putter, unmarried. William Howey, 24, putter, has left a wife and two children. Robert Brown, 19, putter, unmarried. George Martin, 17, putter. — [The family of this young man has suffered severely from coal pit accidents. He had a brother killed about fourteen months ago by a fall of a portion of the roofing in Bell and Brown's Wallsend pit ; his father, some years ago, met his death by a rush of water ; and, at a later period, his grandfather, by an explosion — both at the same colliery.] William Coxon, 36, hewer, a widower, has left one child. Joseph Johnson, 27, hewer, unmarried. Thomas Bainbridge, 18, putter. William Bainbridge, 11, trapper, brother of the above. Simpson Mason, 10, trapper. Thomas Bolton, 9, trapper. James Liddell, 14, putter. Thomas Pearson, 15, driver. Robert Pearson, 9, trapper, brother of the above. James Pearson, 18, putter. John Reed, 28, deputy, unmarried. Robert Black, 15, driver. John Crawford, 22, onsetter, unmarried. Richard Cooper, 9, trapper, [supposed to have been the cause of the explosion, by leaving his trap-door open, and going to play with some of the other trappers.] Matthew Ranson, 15, onsetter. John Hall, 16, driver. John Brown, 13, trapper. Robert Campbell, 14, driver. Joseph Crosby, 17, craneman. George Scott, 9, trapper. — John Crawford, Robert Black, and James Pearson, were alive when taken out of the pit, but expired very shortly after.

The first witness called on the inquest was —

Thomas Campbell (a deputy, and the father of one of the sufferers). Is a pitman and has been three months employed in this pit, which is the Bigge Pit. Went down into the pit every day, and remained there seven hours. His duty was, to examine it, and see the men, and what was going on ; and particularly to the ventilation of the pit. The air in general was very good ; on the morning of the accident was quite cool — so much so, that the men complained of being cold. When the air is cool, it is an indication of being pure — when hot and oppressive, of its impurity. No "blowers" of gas had ever been known in this pit — the little gas generated being always carried off by the current of fresh air circulating throughout the workings : this current was caused by the furnace at the upcast of the pit.

[A plan of Willington Colliery was here shown by Mr. Johnson, one of the proprietors, from which it appeared that the workings were as yet but little extended. In his (Mr. J's) opinion, the ventilation has perfect. He had been down into the pit that morning to examine it ; and from that examination, he was inclined to think that the explosion had been caused by one of the boys leaving his "trapdoor" to go and play with some of the other lads : and he was strengthened in his opinion by the fact, that the body of this lad (Cooper) was found in a very different position from that in which it would have been had he been at his door. The door being thus neglected, he thought the gas had escaped from the workings ; and one of the men coming with a candle, the gas had exploded, and thus caused this dreadful loss of life.]

Thomas Campbell (resumed):— The pitmen used candles, not Davy lamps, the pit being considered so safe as not to require the latter. He had himself been down the pit with a candle since the accident ; was there when his son's body was found. There were four boys who had charge of these trap-doors. Their duty was to open and shut them as the men passed through with coals. His son was a "putter." From his examination of the pit, he thought Mr. Johnson correct in his opinion as to the cause of the explosion. His son was 18 years of age.

The Coroner :— Should not the door (being, as you say, constructed so as to close with the force of the current of air circulating in the workings,) have shut of itself when left? unless, indeed, it had been propped open by the boy in charge, when he went away.

Mr. Johnson and the witness Campbell answered in the affirmative to this interrogative of the Coroner : and the latter also stated that all employed in the pit had been warned of the danger of leaving the doors open ; so that if his son — who had to come through this (as he supposed) neglected door to "put" the coals from the "board" where the explosion took place — found it open, he would conclude it had just been opened, and that the "trapper" was close at hand to shut it.

The Coroner :— Did the "putters" carry candles on their tubs? Yes, to give light while filling their coals, and putting them into the tubs on the inclined plane — from whence they are taken on the railway, and afterwards to bank. He (Campbell) did not think his son (finding the "trapper" absent) could have propped the door open, to save himself trouble, he was always so steady. Mr. Johnson also stated that there would have been no time, had such been the case, for the accumulation of a sufficient quantity of gas to cause the explosion — since not more than two or three minutes could elapse between his going and returning. Campbell said he considered this pit as safe as any. (The age of the boys having charge of these trap doors was found upon inquiry to vary from nine to thirteen years.)

The Coroner then asked Campbell several questions respecting the state of the atmosphere on the day of the explosion, he having heard, he said, that the state of the external atmosphere (particularly when the wind was from the south) had a great affect upon the atmosphere in the pit ; to which Campbell replied that that was the case — but on that Monday, the wind was from the north west, a quarter which made no difference to the air in the pit. The diameter of the shaft (which is circular, and has no division) is 9 feet 4 inches ; and so far from the "cages" filling up the passage in going up and down, there is an area of five feet between them ; or taking every side (it was stated by one of the jury), 20 feet. The time of passing, too, was so momentary, that no interruption could take place — as was proved by the rate of the current (never less than 4 feet to 5 feet per second) of air in the shaft.

William Hornsby (a pitman) was then examined — Was in the Bigge Pit on Monday last — left at none o'clock, when the other men came down. The pit was perfectly well ventilated when he was there — considers it quite safe. Cannot state anything certain as to the cause of the explosion. The deputy had been in his "board" at half pas eight. Never knew the ventilation better than on Monday. The trap-doors were all right when he left. Has often heard the deputy charge the "trappers" to look well after the doors. Works with a candle, and is not afraid to do so, thinking it quite safe. Can think of no other cause of explosion than neglect on some of the "trappers" parts.

Mr. Johnson wished every inquiry to be made ; but the Coroner and Jury both thought there was no necessity to examine all the witnesses : only two more witnesses were therefore called — the first of whom,

Michael Ranson, stated he was down in the eastern extremity of the pit when the explosion occurred, about 500 yards from the shaft : the explosion occurred nearly 700 yards from where he was. Knew something had happened by the sudden rush of wind, and the dust brought along by it : their candles were blown out. He and his two companions made the best of their way towards the foot of the shaft, on reaching which they found the stone-work fallen, and the timber gearing supporting it lying about ; they found the "cage" at the bottom fastened, but they loosed the hook, and were drawn up by the other tub, which was sent down for them.

Robert Wilkinson (a hewer) was in the "shift" that was down just before that in which the men were lost. He worked in the middle board. The air was very good where he was when he left, which was about nine o'clock in the morning. The boy Cooper kept the trap-door of the board where he worked, and was, so far as he had seen of him, a steady lad ; he had never known him neglect his door. He believed the trap-doors were in a sound condition. The youth Campbell "put" for him. When the pitmen have hewn their quantity of coals, they leave the pit — the putters and trappers remaining behind, till the putters had got all the coal taken to the top of the inclined plane. These boys are sometimes four or five hours in the pit after the hewers — but always under the superintendence of the deputies and other overlookers, who continue in the pit all the time the others are there. — [While this witness was under examination, work was brought that the missing corpse has just been found.] — There was quite sufficient supply of air to render the use of candles safe.

Mr. Johnson then explained to the Coroner and Jury that the "back-deputy," who succeeded Campbell (the first witness) in the pit, has the control of all the men and boys — that he sees the doors are kept in order, that the ventilation is preserved, that all in the "workings" leave before him, and that all the lights are extinguished before he leaves.

The Coroner then addressed the Jury, saying, that after hearing the evidence of the witnesses already examined — and after the perspicuous explanations given by Mr. Johnson of the construction of the colliery — he conceived there could be no necessity for calling more witnesses, as they could only state surmises. It appeared to him most probable, that the accident had originated in the neglect of some of the "trappers," as before mentioned — they could arrive at no certainty. There could be no hesitation, in his opinion, as to the verdict which they must return — "Accidental death" — but it was for them to decide. Every attention appeared to have been paid, both by the proprietors and superintendents, to the proper ventilation of the colliery. — The Jury, without retiring, immediately returned a verdict of "Accidental Death, resulting from the Explosion of Hydrogen Gas."