The Bedford Colliery Disaster occurred on Friday 13 August 1886 when an explosion of firedamp caused the death of 38 miners at Bedford Colliery No.2 pit, near Leigh in what then was Lancashire. The colliery which was sunk in 1884 was known to be a "fiery pit" was owned by John Speakman.[1][2]
On the day of the disaster 159 men and boys were underground working a shift that started at 6.00 a.m. and would have ended mid afternoon. The disaster took place at about 10.45a.m. in the Crombouke mine (seam) at a depth of about 530 yards and 700 yards from the pit-eye (shaft bottom). The miners in other areas of the pit were wound to the surface. One man, John Woolley a "dataller", (day wage man) survived from the seat of the explosion and though burned, managed to get to the bottom of the shaft. When the alarm was raised, pit manager W. Horrobin, underlooker James Calland and Speakman's son, Harry led a rescue party to investigate but were impeded by the presence of afterdamp. The Mines Inspector, Joseph Dickinson of Pendleton was contacted by telegraph.[1][2]
The explosion occurred before the formation of Mines rescue teams but assistance arrived from nearby collieries and an exploring party of men from Bickershaw Colliery, Astley and Tyldesley Collieries and the Wigan Iron and Coal Company went underground but considered there would be no survivors. The underground fires were eventually extinguished and bodies brought to the surface.[1]
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News of the explosion travelled quickly, by 11 a.m. a crowd of women had arrived at the pit and in the evening a crowd estimated to be between eight and ten thousand had gathered at the pit head. The burned and mutilated bodies were wrapped in tarpaulins and taken to the wheelwrights shop and the joiners shop was used as a mortuary. The youngest victim was 15 years old and the oldest 65. The average age of those who died was 32[3] and 48 children were left fatherless. Some families lost more than one member.[1][2]
The colliery subscribed to the Lancashire and Cheshire Miners' Permanent Relief Society whose officials attended at the colliery. A committee of local dignitaries was formed to raise monies for the "Relief of Widows, orphans and others placed in distress by the explosion" and an appeal advertised in The Times newspaper.
The Coroner's inquest was not heard until 23 September 1886 so that John Woolley who had survived the explosion could give evidence. Woolley was removing pit props and other miners were filling coal tubs. The flame in his Davy lamp turned blue indicating explosive gas. Instead of reporting the gas work continued. A few minutes later the flame in the lamp of a nearby miner "fired". The miner shook it and attempted to blow it out causing the explosion.
The verdict of the coroner's jury was Accidental death caused by an explosion of firedamp. The coroner commented that the fireman should spend more time examining the workings before the men went down the pit and that greater care should be taken examining the lamps. It was regretted that the gas was not reported by the prop-takers.