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One of the survivors was 83-year old Mr. Elijah Myer from Audley, North Staffs. One of five sons, he was working in the Minnie pit with his father and his brother Joseph who was just 17. Joseph was killed but he and his father were among the 47 men and boys, led by deputy Charles Greatbatch of Wood Lane, on an almost vertical crawl to safety, with minutes to spare before they were overcome through the dark and steep grades of the “Rearers” to sunlight at the old shaft at Miles Green, known as the “Busted Onion.” Mr. Myer said, there was a gust of wind just like a gale and it sounded as though someone was rattling tambourines. It was pretty frightening at the time. My father and myself were working at the other end of the pit, were among who escaped through the “Bursted Onion”.
I was on loading with the main haulage at the Banbury Dip, 9 hours a day for 1/7. (About 8p these days) He also worked at Brymbo, Jamage and Rookery mines in the 48 years he was a collier.
Mrs. Gladys Myer age 68, his niece, remembers as a youngster the funerals and the general sadness of the village. She said her father was a banksman, looking after the cage and granddad, George Dean was a check weighman, and she also had 2 uncles in the pit.
Edward Medal
 In a report of the Minnie pit explosion, the Chief Inspector of Mines called attention to the outstanding bravery of Frank Halfpenny, to whom the King awarded the Edward Medal. When the explosion occurred, Frank Halfpenny was 500 yards from the pit bottom, at the top of the new haulage. He reported that there was a noise caused by reversing of the air current, followed by dust and smoke. He lay down on the floor and after the air current resumed its natural course got up again and attempted to telephone, but got no answer. Then without the slightest hesitation, and although there was smoke all around him, he went to the top of the Banbury dip, a distance of 800 yards and telephoned to the surface to inform the manager of the state of affairs below ground. He received instructions not to go into and not allow anyone else to go into the return airway.
His going in bye a distance of 800 yards in the circumstances, which existed, was a brave act. Most men, instead of doing so, would have made at once for the shaft, but Halfpenny proceeded in bye to see if he could render any aid, regardless of the risk he him self ran in doing so. On the way he found a body of a lad lying in the gutter, and lifted him out and put him on the side of the road, while he also found another lad lying unconscious, who ultimately recovered.
Rewarded
Three years after the tragedy, in a ceremony in the National Schools at Halmerend, the heroism displayed by many others, particularly in the rescue teams, were recognised with certificates a monetary grants were presented under the Carnegie Trust.
Awarded £25 each were; Dr William Megaw, Walter Farrington, Henry Summer, William Hancock, John holding, Frederick Perkin, James Farrington, Thomas Machin Edward Warren, Harry Stanier, William Stanyer, John Moores, Frank Halfpenny, Charles Greatbatch and Thomas Brockley.
Those awarded £10 were; Thomas Genders, William Kesteven, Charles Dean, Frederick Jones, Arthur Jones, William Jones, George Clarke, William Machin, Henry Machin, John Bailey, Arthur Roberts, Ernest Hankey, William Guest,
C.H. Weaver, and Joseph Smith.
Trust medallions, also awarded, bore the words; “He serves God best who most nobly serves humanity.”
Mr. James Machin was a member of Birchenwood rescue team, of which Hugh Doorbar; the only rescue worker to lose his life in the disaster was the Captain. A son, Thomas Machin still has in his possession the scroll of parchment presented to his father.
A 74 year old, John Swingewood holds the North Staffs Colliery Owners’ Association medal awarded to rescue team workers for their part after the Minnie pit explosion.
Mrs. Wardle, who is 72, was previously Miss Byatt and an uncle; Mr. Arnold Byatt was killed in the Minnie at the age of 18. A pair of new clogs he was wearing identified him. Another uncle of Mrs Wardle, Mr. S.V. Byatt who will be 81 in April 1980, he was the sole survivor of 8 brothers and 7 sisters of whom 6 brothers were miners. He worked at Leycett colliery and got his brother a job there, but he didn’t like it and left after one day. He was taken on at the Minnie, without realising that he wouldn’t complete a full week there. S.V. byatt said he was at work when news of the disaster came through and “when I went home, I just went to bed and wept”.
Times have changed and the march of progress has made its presence felt in Halmerend. It is well groomed and more modern. The grandchildren of those who lost their lives in the Minnie pit have more and better opportunities. Nevertheless every January 12 th is sure to remind someone of that fateful Saturday January 12 th 1918 when 155 men and boys and one rescuer died. |
