LOFTHOUSE
Wakefield, Yorkshire. 21st March 1973

The Disaster

At approximately 2.35 a.m. K. Furniss the night overman who was at the pit bottom, was told from the surface control room that water had broken in. He gave instructions for the manger, the assistant manager and Wakefield Rescue Station to be contacted.

Furniss was later instructed by T. Mapplebeck, the manager, to return to the surface to check on the number of missing men. It was established that the following were missing

• Frederick Armitage
• Colin Barnaby
• Frank Billingham
• Sidney Brown
• Charles Cotton
• Alan Haigh
• Edward Finnegan

All, with the exception of Charles Cotton and Colin Barnaby, were known to be last working on the South 9B face line. Barnaby was in the advance heading when the inrush occurred and Cotton was last seen making his way outbye down the main gate.

The emergency procedure was instituted by the manager shortly after 2.35 a.m. and the call was received by the Wakefield Rescue Station at 2.45 a.m. led by W. Cave of the permanent rescue brigade, the first team went below to the South 4 gate and then to the 1 in 6 drift where at 4.35 a.m. the water was seen blocking the roadway 60 yards from the drift top. The team travelled towards the South 9B district by means of the return airway where, at the junction with South 9A return the roadway was also blocked by water. The inspection proved that South 9B district was completely sealed off.

T. Wright, the acting Area Director and his senior officials were soon at the colliery and they were quickly joined by A. Harley, H.M. Senior District Inspector of Mines and Quarries and a member of his staff.

Shortly afterwards N, Siddal of the National Coal Board’s Member for Mining arrived. After an assessment of the situation it was decided to install pumps in the 1 in 6 drift to lower the water level and regain access to the district.

It was also decided to install a submersible pump in the Silkstone shaft at Wrenthorpe as it was apparent that the water would drain to this point. Other methods of rescue were discussed and a decision was made to bore from the surface to contact South 9B tail gate. The borehole was intended to be about 6 inches in diameter when it reached the roadway. Boring was commenced at 11.15 p.m. about 21 hours after the inrush had occurred. This considerable operation which involved the dismantling, transporting and re-building of a large drilling rig, was carried out with great speed.

In the meantime a surface visit had been made to the Old Low Laithes Colliery where it was found that the Bye Pit was exposed and water could be heard falling from it.

Before mid-day it was reported that the Engine pit and Bull Pit were exposed and that water could also be heard falling down them. There was little doubt that there was a direct relationship between the inrush into the Lofthouse workings and this water pouring down the old shafts. A decision was made to fill and seal them.

Hardcore, baled straw and clay were used to get a water tight seal near the bottom and the filling from the surface was completed by hardcore. This required great care to avoid further loss of life and was finished by 11.30 p.m. on 23rd March as was the filling of a large depression between the Engine Pit and the Bull Pit. It was later calculated that the depth of the shaft was approximately 660 feet.

Late in the afternoon of the 21st March, the pumping of water at Lofthouse was making very little progress and it was decided that the mines rescue team from Hednesford, Staffordshire, the members of which were trained frogmen, should make a trial dive for 25 yards. That evening the men went in but they found the water too fouled and opaque and so full of material that it was too dangerous to dive. On 23rd March, after the level of the sludge had been lowered, frogmen were then used in the 1 in 6 drift, near the entrance to the air crossing while they were trying to locate the slit between the intake and the return, conditions were too dangerous and the attempts were abandoned although several pumps coupled in various pipe ranges were in use but difficulties arose and progress was slow due to the high proportion of solid material that was coming through the pumps.

The underwater rescue team