Haig Pit Disaster p2

Whitehaven News

Haig Pit Disaster - 5th September 1922

Thanks To John Lumsdon

Photo by Stuart Tomlins

The inquest was formally opened in the Power House (the room next to No.4 engine hall), with the bodies being kept in the cellars below. Eight were in handsome coffins with brass mountings, but the majority were covered up with the exception of their bandaged faces, which were exposed. The dead were then identified as :-

Thomas Parker Telford	19	Shifthand	7, Low Harras Moor	Violence of the Explosion	Identified by father John James Telford
Robert Routledge McCreadie	19	Hewer	4, Thwaite Ville, Kells	Violence of the Explosion	Identified by brother Joseph McCreadie
Gordon McCreadie	17	Hewer	4, Thwaite Ville, Kells	CO Poisoning	Identified by brother Joseph McCreadie
George McCreadie	47	Hewer	4, Thwaite Ville, Kells	CO Poisoning	Identified by son Joseph McCreadie
Robert Denwood	21	Hewer	13, Quay Street	Violence of the Explosion	Identified by mother Elizabeth Denwood
Joseph Moore	29	Shifthand	22, Thwaite Ville, Kells	Violence, CO Poisoning	Identified by father James Moore
Albert Powe	19	Shifthand	Low Harras Moor	Burns, Shock, CO poison	Identified by father Philip Powe
James Graves	46	Shifthand	Goosebutts	Burns, Shock, CO poison	Identified by son James Graves
Moses Huddleston Tyson	24	Hewer	3, Thwaite Ville, Kells	CO Poisoning	Identified by father Moses Huddleston Tyson
Thomas Corlett	58	Shifthand	Birley Court , Duke St	Burns, Shock, CO poison	Identified by nephew Thomas Corlett Robson ***
John Kirkpatrick	32	Hewer	1, Hill's Place, Church St	CO Poisoning	Identified by father Robert Kirkpatrick
William Hope	25	Hewer	10, School House Lane	CO Poisoning	Identified by brother Thomas Hope
John Moore	25	Hewer	10, Bransty Road	Burns, Shock, CO poison	Identified by father in law John High
Thomas Gilhooley	39	Hewer	40, Keekle Terrace	CO Poisoning	Identified by father Thomas Gilhooley
Leonard Ixon Hellon	27	Hewer	3, Thwaite Ville, Kells	Burns, Shock	Identified by Moses Huddleston Tyson
Bernard Murphy	24	Hewer	56, Bowthorn Road	Burns, Shock	Identified by father Bernard Murphy
Sylvester McAvoy	34	Hewer	29, Thwaite Ville, Kells	Burns, Shock, CO poison	Identified by uncle James Harvey
Thomas Haig	37	Hewer	2, Cook's Court, Scotch St	Burns, Shock	Identified by widow Mary Elizabeth Haig
Albert Shepard	39	Hewer	135, Main St, Parton	Burns, Shock, CO poison	Identified by Ernest Shepard
William Weightman	32	Deputy	16, Thwaite Ville, Kells	Burns, Shock	Identified by father in law Thomas McKenzie
Samuel Coulter	28	Hewer	52, Main St, Hensingham	CO Poisoning	Identified by brother John Robert Coulter
Thomas Robinson	29	Hewer	53, Main St, Hensingham	Burns, Shock, CO poison
George Stevenson Parkinson	26	Hewer	Low Harras Moor	Burns, Shock, CO poison	Identified by widow Mary Jane Parkinson
Thomas McDowell	19	Trailer	Streeton's Trc, Hensingham	Burns, Shock, CO poison	Identified by brother in law Robert Knox
Jackson Sparks	19	Hewer	4, Williamson's Lane	Burns, Shock, CO poison
William John Sparks	23	Hewer	4, Williamson's Lane	Burns, Shock, CO poison
John Casson	37	Hewer	Low Harras Moor	CO Poisoning
Henry Goulding	32	Hewer	2, Ravenhill	CO Poisoning
John Bennett	23	Hewer	28, Arrowthwaite	CO Poisoning
John Pattinson	36	Hewer	13, Williamson's Lane	Burns, Shock, CO poison
Thomas Henry Cooper	28	Hewer	28, Auction Yd, NewTown	CO Poisoning
Isaac Osbourne	26	Hewer	Crookdale, Brayton	CO Poisoning
George Watson	37	Hewer	5, Brookbank, Hensingham	Violence of the Explosion
John Carson Brewster	39	Shotfirer	17, Lonsdale Place	Violence of the Explosion
Richard Denvir	58	Shifthand	2, Low Road	Violence, CO Poisoning	(Spelt as Denver in the Whitehaven News)
Douglas James Michael Fell	21	Student	Holy Trinity Vicarage	CO Poisoning
William Carter	26	Hewer	30, Thwaite Ville, Kells	Violence, Burns, Shock
Thomas Moore	29	Hewer	3, Garden Villas, Hensinghm	Burns, Shock
Robert McDowell	44	Hewer	High Hensingham	CO Poisoning

The enquiry heard evidence regarding the strong feeder of firedamp (a release of methane from the coal strata) found discharging from the fissure at Moore's Place. Questions were raised about the safety procedures adopted by Weightman and Brewster, but it was thought most unlikely either would have fired shots into a face if there were any suspicion of a blower behind it.

A youth named Joyce was described as having a miraculous escape. He was on the telephone, in a manhole on the main road, when the explosion ripped past. This alone, saved him from certain death. A Mayors fund was opened to "place the relatives beyond the reach of poverty" and money poured in from around the country. A letter and 20 shillings was received from a mother in Scotland for Mrs McCreadie because her own two sons, who had been killed in the war, bore the same names as the McCreadie boys, Robert and Gordon.

Yesterday, our Reporter called on some of the men who were down the mine when the explosion occurred but escaped. In some instances, their re-collection of what occurred after the explosion was distinctly hazy. Our Reporter called up on Mr T. Travaskis, Rope Splicer, who resides in Catherine Street. Mr Tervaskis escaped with his life but is severely injured. He has three ribs broken, is suffering from internal injuries, has sustained severe wounds on the back of his head and forehead, and has been burned down the left side.

Rescue Man Haig Pit 1922

Our Reporter found Mr Trevaskis lying in a clean, comfortable, well-furnished bedroom, where he is being nursed by his devoted wife. He was much to ill to talk, but managed, speaking slowly, and with an effort, to tell our representative that the explosion sounded, at the place where he was working, "like a gun shot". After that he knew no more. From other sources, our representative gathered that Mr Trevaskis was found unconscious, his head lying over a tub".

Thanks to Whitehaven News and Volunteers and Staff of Haig Colliery Mining Museum.
Whitehaven News 7th September 1922

Glossary of Terms

Disasters

Haig Pit
Disaster 1927