(formerly Swallow’s) Colliery that was inadequately ventilated. A government Inspector of Collieries Oak,13. attended his inquest at the British On 13 March 1854, a young man named George Gregory of there14and Mosborough, aged 19, was killed by a fall of coal in September 1856, Henry Oates (1841- 1856), aged 15, the son of Francis and Harriet Oates of Mosborough Green, was killed in a gas explosion15. Three weeks later, he was buried at St. Peter and St. Paul parish church, Eckington. Richard senior’s wife, Mary Ann, died at Mosborough Hill House on 26 March 1858 and was buried two days later at St. Peter and St. Paul parish church, Eckington. She was 51 and much respected in the neighbourhood. Little is known of what happened to Richard after that, but he appears to have 8016. moved away. He died at Acomb, near York, on 19 January 1877, aged There were also accidents at the Swallows’ Brampton (Inkerman) Colliery. In July 1859, James ironstone,17and Briddon of Lower Brampton was fatally crushed by a fall of three men were seriously injured at the ironstone pit when a cage carrying the men became caught up and fell to the bottom of shaft18. the The Accident of September 1859 However, the most dreadful accident of all occurred between three and four o’clock in the afternoon on Thursday, 8 September 1859. An explosion and fire at the Silkstone Main Colliery trapped 34 men accident.19. underground, six of whom were killed. Local newspapers widely reported the The colliery comprised two shafts about 20 yards apart and 160 yards deep, one used for the pumping of water, otherwise known as the ‘downcast’ shaft, and the other for drawing out the coal; the ‘upcast’ shaft. Miners entered and left the workings through the upcast or drawing shaft. Ventilation was provided by air from the downcast shaft, carried through the workings by a coke-fired engine situated mid-way between the shafts and around 120 yards distant from the bottom of both of them, returning to the surface through the upcast shaft. A broad tramway ran in contrary directions to the northeast and southwest from the bottom of the shafts. Other tramways from the main one then led off to the coal faces. One of these cross tramways commenced about 130 yards from the drawing shaft, following the decline of the coal. An engine was fixed at the head of this cross tramway to draw coal up the incline from the workings below to the main tramway, along which horses conveyed it to the drawing shaft. Attached to the pumping engine were furnace boilers having a barrel-arched brick flue of some two and a half yards wide and 55 yards in length to carry off the smoke to the foot of the upcast. The flue, supported by brick pillars, passed through ungot coal running parallel to the main tramway, with vacant spaces on either side and above it to prevent contact with the coal and possible overheating of the brickwork. It was concluded that the accident arose due to roof coal falling onto the overheated flue. The first intimation of a problem occurred between half-past two and three o’clock in the afternoon of Thursday, 8 September, when dense smoke was seen to be issuing from the drawing shaft. It was clear that a fire had broken out below ground. The density of smoke in the drawing shaft rendered it incapable of use as a means of escape, so attention was turned to the use of the pumping or 'downcast'