The ‘Thornhill Parish Magazine’ again-
“The first funerals were those of James Scargill and Rowland Garthfitt which took place on Thursday afternoon and these were followed by sixteen on Friday. The task of preparing the graves for so many was a serious one and we cannot speak too highly of the way this was carried out by our sexton with a large number of Mr. Ingham’s workmen and others engaged for the purpose.
The Churchyard was so densely crowded on the Friday afternoon that the work of grave digging became impossible. In view of the necessity of getting on with this work and of ensuring order and reverence in the Churchyard during the great number of funerals which would take place on Saturday it was decided to allow only the funeral parties to enter the Churchyard the following day.
For more than eight hours on Saturday the sad duty of solemnly and religiously committing the dead to their graves was performed. The Bishop of the diocese was present and took part in the services for a considerable time.
The expenses were borne by Mr. Ingham. By a quarter past eight the burial service had been said for the last time and the bodies of one hundred and ten of those who perished in the explosion were consigned to their quiet resting places in our Churchyard. Of the remaining twenty nine, one Mr. Hawksworth, was buried at Outwood, three in the Baptist Burial ground, six at Thornhill Lees, sixteen at Whiteley, one at Dewsbury and two the following day at Flockton.”
The Inquiry
The inquiry was held in the Local Board Offices, Thornhill on the 11th and 12th July.
After an inspection of the pit after the explosion it was thought that only a small quantity of gas had ignited near the landing in the downcast shaft at the Wheatley seam. The inquiry thought it very likely that the gas had been ignited by one of the naked lights hanging at the landing. As the shaft was driven through a fault gas did issue from it and Jesse Taylor, the former manager, had tried to use the gas by the insertion of a pipe for lighting the porches leading to the Wheatley seam in the downcast shaft.
About twelve months before the explosion, masons were called in to make apertures through the brick lining of the downcast shaft just under the landing in the shaft at the Wheatley seam. The masons worked with naked lights and one of these ignited the gas but with no fatal results or injury to anyone. It was thought that the gas had come from a feeder behind the brick walling of the shaft and had collected under and about the scaffold.
The door of the undermanager’s cabin, a few yards from the shaft was found closed after the explosion and the paint on the outside blistered by heat. There were three bodies in the cabin and an oil lamp on the wall had not had its glass broken.
After hearing the evidence, the jury delivered the following verdict:-
“We find that James Scargill and the 138 other persons whose bodies we have viewed were accidentally killed as the result of an explosion in Comb’s Pit on the 4th Juy 1883.
The jury further desire to record their opinion that great praise is due to the gentlemen which formed the rescue parties for their action in this matter. They are also of the opinion that this pit ought not to be worked in future with naked lights at the bottom of the shaft.”
Mr. Wardell concluded his report by saying:-
“We think it is important to draw attention to the fact that open lights were used at the mouthing of the Wheatley seam after gas had made its appearance there on more than one occasion and it was one of these naked lights which brought about the explosion.
We are also of the opinion that so far as possible, all wooden fittings should be avoided in colliery shafts and that the maintenance of efficient appliances for extinguishing fires should be made compulsory in all mines.”
