Today, July 28, is 188 years since 27 men and boys were killed while working in the Isabella Mine in Workington.
They have no marker or memorial – perhaps this might be a fitting time to remember all our community’s mining dead and heritage and erect a suitable memorial, writes Patrick Robertson.
During the evening of July 28 1837, Workington Colliery, on the coast of Cumberland, was inundated by the sea, and the Isabella, Union, and Lady pits submerged.
The Main Band workings had been carried to 1,500 yards under the sea, and rising rapidly towards it, until only 7.3m of the cover to the sea floor thought to be strata, the rest being shale. A considerable robbing or removal of the coal pillars under the sea was carried on; proceeding the inundation, the danger of which was a matter of common talk about the town.
Disaster was foretold by many. Several of the colliers left the work, correspondence on the subject took place between those on the spot and the mine overseer Mr Dunn, who, on account of the imminence of the danger, submitted the matter to a north of England coal-owner, and induced him to write to Mr Curwen, the owner of Workington Colliery, drawing his attention to the risk that was being run. But no steps were taken, till eventually a crush ensued, and the sea burst in.
Twenty-eight horses also perished but it was fortunate that the disaster took place when it did, at the hour of changing the shift when there were comparatively few in the pit.
Several of the survivors were within 300 yards of the place where the water broke in and it had the effect of changing the air and going suddenly very cold and many of them took the warning and started to try to get out of the pit.
The air current was so great as they ascended the inclined plane that they had great difficulty in keeping their footing. The force was so great that a man named Bland who tried to get down to help found he could not get an air door open as he was returning. He persevered and at last removed the board. The rush of air was so great that it carried him out of the pit.
The place where the water broke in was nearly a mile-and-a-half from the shaft between Salterbeck and Harrington and about 40 or 50 yards below the low water mark.
The three pits were filled with water by 10.30pm, about an hour-and-a-half from the time the roof gave way. The hole was very large. A vessel sailed over the opening on Saturday and the captain supposes the aperture to be little short of an acre in extent from the discoloration there was in the water.
Those who lost their lives were:
- Thomas Green, wife and family.
- Robert Green, son of Thomas, who left a wife and four children.
- Thomas Green, grandson of the first.
- John Magree left a wife and two children.
- John Mulligan left a wife and family.
- Robert Mulligan, a young man.
- Richard Craney left a wife and family.
- Daniel Frill left a wife and family.
- George M’Kitte, unmarried.
- Thomas Ditchburn, unmarried.
- Joseph Sharp, unmarried.
- Hugh Cain, unmarried.
- William Hayton, unmarried.
- Jeremiah Murrow, unmarried.
- William Wilkinson left a wife and eight children.
- James Gambles left a wife and family.
- Thomas Allison left a wife and family.
- Thomas Johnstone a wife and family.
- Philip Dobson left three children.
- Thomas Huids left a wife and family.
- John Sides left a wife and a large family.
- Jonathan Brough left three orphan children.
- John Brough left a wife and family.
- William Stubbs left a wife and family.
- John Young left a wife and family.
- Robert Mountjoy, boy.
- Martin Darling, boy.
Cumbria Crack reader Davy Mac said the shafts were uncovered in 1984.
He said they were drilled, tested, sealed and covered over.
Davy said: “I found these shafts by accident when they were uncovered, I went back the next day with a camera, two days later it was all gone.
“Looking down the shafts, about 10ft down was a bed of gravel. I visited a few times and noticed the shaft would flood at high tide.
“There were two shafts an what struck me was they were much smaller in diameter than I would have expected. They were made of perfectly shaped sandstone blocks fitted together with no mortar.
“Position of the shafts? Best way to explain walk from Army Reserve Centre towards Barrow Carlisle main line. As you cross the bridge look straight ahead towards the slagbanks and part way up the banks, look slightly right to just behind where the concrete depot was.”
