William Pit Disaster

If there is no menu above click HERE

William Pit Disaster

15th August 1947

The centerpiece of the Cumberland Miners' Association banner

The first intimation at the surface, that something untoward had happened underground, was the continuous ringing of the bell in the winding engine room showing that the lines had been crossed. Rescue operations were immediately organised and the news spread like wildfire through the town, causing relatives and friends to flock in scores to the pithead. Within an hour, 2000 people lined the narrow lane leading to the pit. Earlier on in the hot summer evening, a call went out for volunteers to carry timber and brattice cloth on the surface. The police opened the gates and 200 men and youths surged forward, eager to help. It was with the utmost difficulty that the Police managed to persuade the surplus volunteers to leave the yard. As the night drew on, the crowd outside the gate dwindled, but still some 400 people settled down for an all night vigil. These numbers included many of the wives and mothers who by now were dreading the worst.

Onlookers look down on William Pit from the cliffs above

At first rumour reigned supreme and there was no concrete news until the first bulletin was issued by Mr J.G.Helps, the National Coal Board Area General Manager, who was in charge of the operation. It read :-

At approximately 5.40 pm on Friday, an explosion occurred in William Pit. A hundred and Twenty-one men (a figure later altered to 117) were in the pit at the time. Of these, three men have come out of the pit and seven others are known to be safe and are assisting in the rescue work. The Agent, (Mr. MacPherson) and the Colliery Manager (Mr. W.McAllister) are in the pit with the rescue teams and are endeavouring to travel along the main roadway of the working. There are a number of large falls behind which the remainder of the men are trapped and it will be some time before they can be released. So far there is nothing to indicate the seat of the explosion or it's cause.

Skelly's Heading is marked B. This is where the three survivors waited for nearly twenty hours (see below)

A plan of the William Pit workings. Large falls blocked the main roadway (marked in blue) and return airway (red). 107 men were trapped behind these falls in No.2 South District. The explosion originated at point A, No.2 dip face.

The rescue parties moved slowly forward, digging through falls and restoring the ventilation. The rescue squads were being organised by Tom Charlton of the Brigham Rescue Station. The first squad who reported for duty were William Pit No.s 1 and 2, led by T.E.Nicholson and W.Skelly. Haig No.s 1 and 2, led by John McMillan and Tom Stewart, Lowca No.1 by W.Foster and G.Clifton, and Solway (Workington) No.1 by H.Turell, all followed quickly after.

At 7.20 am Saturday morning, the first body of a young miner was brought back to surface. The surface workers stood reverently bareheaded in the bright early morning sunshine, as the first of many bodies was carried to the temporary mortuary. By 2.55 pm on Saturday afternoon, Mr Helps released another statement :-

Rescue work is proceeding. The bodies of sixteen men have been located and every endeavour is being made to reach men further in-bye. There is now good ventilation up to where the rescuers are working and the haulage arrangements have been restarted. There is no sign of fire and there is no way of knowing whether any of the remaining men are alive or not.

These depressing facts were quickly transmitted through the waiting crowd who by now had been waiting over 20 hours for better news. Underground however, rescue workers were astounded as three men came scrambling over the falls towards them. At first they thought they were members of the rescue party who had worked their way around by the return airway, but once they realised that they were survivors, they gave a great cheer and assisted them out to the shaft. John Birkett (50) centre, Daniel Hinde (40) right, and James Weighman (23) left, had decided to make their way further in-bye shortly after the explosion instead of trying to make a dash to the shaft and safety. With Birkett's experience, he knew that the afterdamp would not circulate into a blind heading. They had asked several men to go with them, but all refused. After finding a pocket of fresh air in No.3 rise, known as Skelly's Heading (marked B on Fig 1.), they remained there for 18 hours before retracing their steps and clambering to safety. On the way out they passed 30 to 40 men huddled in little groups, most of them in a crouching position, but they were all found to be dead. They were within 130 yards of where the three men had waited, but had been overcome by Carbon Monoxide poisoning, as had 90 of the 104 victims.

This drawing appeared in the Whitehaven News on Thursday 21st August 1947

The dramatic meeting was described by Bob Brannon, the Secretary-Treasurer of the William Pit Miners Lodge :-

I saw a light and thought it was the rescue men who had worked round the return airway and I shouted "Is that Jack, are there any bodies down there", A voice shouted "Is that Bob Brannon ? Thank god, there is a god in heaven". It was Birkett who shouted. With him were Hinde and Weightman. My brother, Tom Brannon, is among those trapped and lost. I had worked continuously with the rescue teams right up to this district but I am now feeling the effects. I don't want to be with the party that finds Tom, so I'm leaving it to the others to have a go".

The news of the three survivors reaching surface caused wild excitement throughout the town. A second rush of hundreds of relatives made their way to the pit. These new hopes continued for several hours during which rumours spread that first four and then another six men had been rescued. However, they lacked any foundation and as the darkness of a second night gradually set in, the wave of optimism gradually receded. By late Sunday night, when 90 bodies had been located, and 64 had been brought to surface, all hope was abandoned.

The rescuers workers toiled all day Monday and by nightfall, a further eight bodies had been found. The rescue teams told harrowing stories of finding miners with their arms clasped around each other. Some of them had obviously been crying, as their coal-stained faces had been partially washed by their tears.

The squads had been joined by teams from Durham, Northumberland, Scotland, and Lancashire. At about midnight the RAF School for Police Dogs from Gloucestershire arrived. Three alsatians were in the care of Flight-Lieut Cooper, Cpl B.Marshall and Cpl W.Jenkins. The dogs were Jet, whose exploits in saving the lives of 50 people buried under debris during the London Blitz, gained him the Dickens award (the "dogs" V.C), Prince and Rex. Jet had retired two years early and had been living with new owners as a pet, but was picked up on the trip North as the most experienced dog available. The dogs were taken underground at 2 am to search for the remaining four bodies. Although unsettled by the surroundings, the dogs showed interest in one of the falls.

It was not until Saturday 23^rd August that the last of the bodies was brought to the surface. A final call went out for volunteers to dig graves when it was realised that the grave diggers at the local cemeteries could not possibly cope. This call was again met with hundreds of people coming forward to help.

The seat of the explosion. Shots 1,2 and 5 appear to have been normal. Shots 3 and 4 however, were suspected of igniting an accumulation of gas

The official enquiry heard evidence from forty-six witnesses, including the "three living miracles". The expert witnesses were unanimous in finding that the explosion had started on No.2 Dip Longwall Face, when the firing of a cuckoo shot ignited an accumulation of inflammable gas. A cuckoo shot was often used in the roof of the worked out areas (goaf) to bring down the roof. The practice was banned due to this accident. The explosion then ripped through over 2000 yards of roadway, leaving a trail of destruction.

The final report said "So far as explosions are concerned, the group (of Whitehaven mines) has probably the blackest record in the annals of coal mining. It then goes on to list six disasters at Wellington, Haig, and William Pits that had caused the death of 331 miners in the previous thirty-seven years. William itself, had been openly called the "Most Dangerous Pit in the Kingdom" in 1816, when it was selected to test the newly invented Sir Humphrey Davy's Safety Lamp.

The long casualty list was as follows :-

Andrew Agnew	36	17, Todhunters Building, Queen Street	Brusher	Married	2 Children
Thomas Allan	33	26, Buttermere Avenue, Seacliffe	Stoneworker	Married	2 Children
Harry Trohear Allan	39	45, Hill Top road, Arrowthwaite, Kells	Brusher	Married	2 Children
John Douglas Allan	59	5, Buttermere Avenue, Seacliffe	Contractor	Married	1 Child
John Anderson	50	28, Buttermere Avenue, Seacliffe	Pan-Puller	Married	6 Children
James Atkinson	45	4, Gameriggs Road, Greenbank	Brusher	Married	4 Children
Richard Atkinson	28	Lady Pit Cottages, Whitehaven	Pipe-Fitter	Married
Henry Barker	34	4, Ehen Road, Cleator Moor	Hewer	Married	5 Children
James R Barwise	49	5, Low Harras Moor, Whitehaven	Brusher	Married	2 Children
James M Bowes	34	5, Garfield Place, Parton	Coal-Cutter	Married	3 Children
Thomas Brannon	57	55, Haig Avenue, Bransty	Chocker	Married	4 Children
Joseph Brannon	45	21, Greenbank Avenue, Greenbank	Coal-Cutter	Married	3 Children
Jacob E Bridges	37	85, Grasmere Avenue, Woodhouse	Coal-Cutter	Married	3 Children
Hartley Byers	35	15, James Street, Frizington	Brusher	Married	4 Children
Herbert Calvin	40	67, Peter Street, Whitehaven	Brusher	Married	3 Children
James Cambell	40	81, Woodhouse Road, Woodhouse	Machine-Man	Married	1 Child
Harold John Carr	22	9, Jane Street, Frizington	Shifthand	Single
Richard Cartmell	25	59, Valley View Road, Greenbank	Pan-Puller	Single
William Clark	46	15, The Square, Parton	Brusher	Married	1 Child
James Clifford	26	72, Frizington Road, Frizington	Brusher	Married	2 Children
Robert Conkey	43	29, Smithfield, Egremont	Brusher	Married	2 Children
William H Crofts	42	111, Queen Street, Whitehaven	Brusher	Married	4 Children
Samuel Devlin	27	9, Union Buildings, Low Road	Shifthand	Married	2 Children
Joseph G Diamond	33	8, Grasmere Avenue, Woodhouse	Brusher	Married	4 Children
Thomas G Dixon	55	25, Yeathouse Road, Frizington	Brusher	Married	3 Children
John Henry Doran	50	8, Low Harras Moor, Whitehaven	Brusher	Married	8 Children
Wilfred Farrer	34	66, Windermere Road, Woodhouse	Pan-Puller	Married	2 Children
William Fisher	39	12, Gores Buildings, Whitehaven	Brusher	Married	4 Children
Thomas Fox	24	29, Bowness Road, Greenbank	Pan-Puller	Single
Joseph Fox	37	11, Woodhouse Road, Woodhouse	Airways Man	Single
John N Garner	37	41, Frizington Road, Frizington	Brusher	Married	2 Children
James Gibbons	47	60, Seven Acres, Parton	Brusher	Single
Henry Gibson	36	17, Foundry Road, Parton	Brusher	Married	3 Children
Edward Glaister	48	14, Windermere Road, Woodhouse	Brusher	Married	9 Children
Robert M Glosson	39	67, Windermere Road, Woodhouse	Pan-Puller	Married	5 Children
Richard E Grearson	46	173, Main Street, Parton	Brusher	Married	6 Children
William F Grearson	38	96, Main Street, Parton	Brusher	Married	5 Children
Joseph W Hewer	40	18A, Seven Acres, Parton	Deputy Ovrmn	Married
Ronald W Hewer	38	110, Main Street, Parton	Brusher	Married	4 Children
Ronald Hughes	20	Hospital House, Bransty	Shifthand	Single
George Hutchinson	44	7, James Pit, Whitehaven	Face Worker	Married	1 Child
William Johnston	27	43, Trumpet Road, Cleator Moor	Trainee	Married	2 Children
George Johnstone	41	38, Lakeland Avenue, Woodhouse	Brusher	Married	3 Children
James W Lambert	36	1, Plumblands Lane, Whitehaven	Brusher	Married	2 Children
Thomas Lancaster	27	33, Basket Road, Arrowthwaite, Kells	Brusher	Single
William H Lee	27	29, Aldby Street, Cleator Moor	Brusher	Married
James Leeson	48	10, Dyke Street, Frizington	Brusher	Single
Dennis Lyons	31	4, Lakeland Avenue, Seacliffe	Pan-Puller	Single
John H Maddison	22	72, Fell View Avenue, Woodhouse	Hewer	Married	2 Children
Joseph B Marshall	47	70, George Street, Whitehaven	Shifthand	Widowr	2 Children
William Martin	32	3, Wellington Row, Whitehaven	Coal-Cutter	Married	2 Children
Edward McAllister	24	Sun Inn, Parton	Brusher	Married	2 Children
Isaac McAllister	55	15, Benticks Row, Back Ginns	Shifthand	Married	8 Children
James McMullen	27	16A, Sandhills Lane, Whitehaven	Deputy	Married	2 Children
William McMullen	22	20A, Roper Street, Whitehaven	Hewer	Married	1 Child
Vincent McSherry	37	2, Crumnock Avenue, Woodhouse	Brusher	Married	2 Children
John Milburn	40	94, Grasmere Avenue, Woodhouse	Brusher	Married	3 Children
John E Moore	37	3, John Square, Peter Street	Pan-Puller	Married	3 Children
Joseph Moore	39	64, Seven Acres, Parton	Brusher	Married	3 Children
James Moore	62	96B, George Street, Whitehaven	Shifthand	Married
John R Mowat	26	3, Lowther Street, Whitehaven	Brusher	Married	1 Child
Francis Murdock	38	11, Todhunters Buildings, Queen St	Shifthand	Married	3 Children
James Murray	35	22, Crumnock Avenue, Woodhouse	Pan-Puller	Married	4 Children
William Murray	39	4, Ladypit Terrace, Sunny Hill	Pan-Puller	Married	3 Children
Lawrence HP Murtagh	41	73, Buttermere Avenue, Seacliffe	Deputy	Married	3 Children
Patrick Murtagh	28	Old Woodhouse, Whitehaven	Pan-Puller	Married	2 Children
William R Musson	22	The Rose & Thistle, West Strand	Brusher	Married
Richard Musson	36	Brisco Crescent, Parton	Trainee	Single
Thomas A Nelson	36	Summergrove Cottages, Hensingham	Brusher	Married	3 Children
William Nicholson	33	1, Temple Terrace, Catherine Street	Deputy	Married	1 Child
Joseph Norman	41	1, The Close, Bransty	Borer	Married	3 Children
Sydney O'Fee	34	68, Windermere Road, Woodhouse	Hewer	Married	3 Children
John A Paragreen	30	9, Bransty Row, Bransty	Engine Fitter	Married
William L Pickering	24	28, Haig Avenue, Bransty	Pan-Puller	Married	1 Child
John Pilkington	32	5, Longmires Court, Queen Street	Brusher	Married	4 Children
William Pilkington	66	60, Windermere Road, Woodhouse	Brusher	Married	5 Children
William Pilkington	51	21, Woodhouse Road, Greenbank	Face Worker	Married
Thomas Pilkington	27	60, Windermere Road, Woodhouse	Brusher	Single
George Porthouse	58	16, North Road, Bransty	Brusher	Married
John Quirk	38	23, Victoria Road, Whitehaven	Brusher	Married	1 Child
Adam Raby	25	45, Fleswick Avenue, Woodhouse	Brusher	Married
Edward Reuben Ray	32	1, Front Row, North Side, Workington	Shifthand	Married	1 Child
John J Renwick	39	12, Gameriggs Road, Greenbank	Coal-Cutter	Married	2 Children
Thomas Richardson	42	150, Queen Street Whitehaven	Brusher	Married
James Rigg	28	12, Malborough Street, Whitehaven	Brusher	Married	1 Child
John Robbs	56	6, Brayton Road, Bransty	Brusher	Married	9 Children
Albert E Saulters	40	12, Meadow View, Castle Cft, Egremont	Hewer	Married	1 Child
Leonard Seward	36	7, Pasture Road, Rowrah	Brusher	Married	2 Children
Thomas J Shackley	40	75, Low Church Street, Whitehaven	Pan-Puller	Single
Mark J Shaw	45	30, North Road, Bransty	Shifthand	Married	7 Children
Henry Shilton	44	23, Main Street, Parton	Brusher	Married
Thomas B Smith	62	2, Torentines Buildings, Tangier St	Brusher	Married	3 Children
Thomas T Smith	36	7, South Row, Kells	Brusher	Married	3 Children
Harold Smith	41	31, Solway Road, Moresby Parks	Brusher	Married
Thomas Turner	46	17, George Street, Whitehaven	Shifthand	Married	1 Child
Albert Tweddle	41	6, Fleswick Avenue, Woodhouse	Brusher	Married
William A Walby	46	The Lodge, Ewanrigg Hall, Maryport	Shifthand	Married
Ralph Walker	34	15, Valley View Road, Greenbank	Shifthand	Married	2 Children
William Williamson	27	14, Hilton Terrace, Whitehaven	Brusher	Married	1 Child
George H Wilson	29	Douglas Burn, Market Place	Shifthand	Married	1 Child
Matthew Wilson	45	27, South Row, Kells	Deputy	Single
Joseph Wilson	37	72, Valley View Road, Greenbank	Brusher	Married	2 Children
Thomas Woodend	64	11, South View Road, Bransty	Shifthand	Married
Walter Wylie	36	36, Fell View Avenue, Woodhouse	Brusher	Married	2 Children

Museum@Haig1.Freeserve.Co.UK