Dangers Faced by Miners in 19th Century Mines

 
Safety
 
in
 
 
the
 
mines
What
 
were
 
the
 
main
 
dangers
 
faced
 
by
 
people
working
 
in
 
the
 
mines
 
in
 
the
 
19th
 
century?
 
Dangers
 
 
faced
 
by
 
miners
in
 
the
 
19th
 
 
century
 
In
 
the
 
19th
 
century
 
mines
 
were 
dangerous
places
 
to
 
work.
 
Some
 
of
 
the
 
main
 dangers
miners
 
faced
 were:
 
Flooding
Getting
 
trapped
Poor
 
ventilation
 
Explosions
Being
 
crushed
Falling
 
Flooding
 
was
 
a
 
common
 
problem
 
facing
 
people
working
 
in
 
the
 
mines.
 
In
 
1838,
 
there
 
was
 
terrible
 
disaster
 
at
 
Huskar
 pit,
near
 
Barnsley,
 
Yorkshire.
 
The
 
mine flooded,
 
resulting in
 
the death
 
of 
26
children.
 
Danger
 
1:
 
Flooding
 
Danger
 
2:
 
Getting
 
trapped
 
In
 
the
 
1900s,
 
it
 
was
 
not
 
uncommon
 
for
 
miners
to
 
lose
 
their
 
lives
 
as
 
a
 
result
 
of
 
becoming
trapped
 
below
 
ground.
 
In
 
January 1862, 204 men and boys got 
trapped
and
 
died
 
at
 
Hester
 
pit,
 
at
 
New
 
Hartley 
Colliery 
in
Northumberland
,
 when the beam of the 
pit’s
pumping
 
engine
 
(which
 
was
 
used
 
to
 
pump
water
 
out
 
of
 
the
 
pit)
 
broke,
 
and
 
half
 
of
 
it
 
fell
down
 
the mine-
shaft.
 
Danger
 
3:
 
Poor
 
ventilation
 
Poor
 
ventilation
 
was
 
big
 
problem
 
in
 
the
mines in
 
the
 
1900s.
 
The
 
air
 
underground
 
contained
 
high
levels
 
of
 coal-dust.
 
Many
 
miners
 
suffered
 
from
 
lung
problems
 
including
 
emphysema,
bronchitis
 
and
 
‘black
 
lung
 
disease’.
 
It
 
was
 
not
 
uncommon
 
for
 
miners
 
to
 
die
at
 
an
 
early
 
age
 
because
 
of
 
these
 
health
problems.
 
Danger
 
4:
 
Explosions
 
Dangerous
 
gases
 
known
 
as
 
fire-damp
 
built
 
up
in the
 
mines.
 
These
 
gases
 
could
 
be
 
ignited
 
by
 
candles,
causing big
 
explosions.
 
Explosions
 
were
 
a
 
common
 
cause
 
of
 
mining
accidents in
 
the 19th
 
century.
 
One
 
such
 
accident
 
happened
 
at
 
Wallsend
 
on
23rd
 
October,1821.
 
The
 
Wallsend
 
explosion
 
resulted
 
in
 
the
 
death
 
of
52
 
of
 
the
 
56
 
men
 
working
 
in
 
the
 
pit.
 
Danger
 
5:
 
Being
 
crushed
 
Many
 
mining
 
accidents
 
in
 
19th
 
century
 
were
 
the
 
result
 
of
 
the
 
roof
 
collapsing.
 
Children
 
working
 
in
 
the
 
mines
 
could
 
also
 
be
 
crushed
 
by
 
the
 
carts
 
or
 
rollies
which
 
were
 
used
 
to
 
transport
 
the
 
coal
 
along
 
rails
 
to
 
the
 
mine
 
shaft
 
where
 
it
would
 
be
 
raised
 
to
 
the
 
surface.
 
Danger
 
6:
 
Falling
 
Many
 
accidents
 
in
 
the
 
mines
 
happened 
as
the
 
miners
 
were
 
being
 
lowered
 
down
 
or
raised
 
up the
 
mine 
shaft.
 
It
 
was
 
not
 
uncommon
 
for
 
people
 
to
 
fall
down
 
the
 
mine
 
shaft
 
on
 
their
 
way
 
down
 
to
the
 
coal
 
face.
 
Some
 
deaths
 
were
 
caused
 
by
 
miners
 
falling
as
 
they
 
were
 
being
 
raised
 
back
 
up
 
the
 
mine
shaft at
 
the end
 
of their
 
shift.
 
Newcastle
 
University
 
Library
 
ncl.ac.uk/library
 
Explore
 
the
 
Possibilities
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Mines in the 19th century were perilous workplaces with dangers such as flooding, getting trapped, poor ventilation leading to health issues, explosions from fire-damp, and the risk of being crushed. Tragic incidents like the Huskar pit disaster in 1838 and the New Hartley Colliery disaster in 1862 underscore the high risks miners faced underground.

  • Mining
  • 19th Century
  • Miners
  • Workplace Safety
  • Historical Accidents

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  1. Safety in the mines What were the main dangers faced by people working in the mines in the 19th century?

  2. Dangers faced by miners in the 19th century In the 19th century mines were dangerous places to work. Some of the main dangers miners faced were: Flooding Getting trapped Poor ventilation Explosions Being crushed Falling

  3. Danger 1: Flooding Flooding was a common problem facing people working in the mines. In 1838, there was terrible disaster at Huskar pit, near Barnsley, Yorkshire. The mine flooded, resulting in the death of 26 children.

  4. Danger 2: Getting trapped In the 1900s, it was not uncommon for miners to lose their lives as a result of becoming trapped below ground. In January 1862, 204 men and boys got trapped and died at Hester pit, at New Hartley Colliery in Northumberland, when the beam of the pit s pumping engine (which was used to pump water out of the pit) broke, and half of it fell down the mine-shaft.

  5. Danger 3: Poor ventilation Poor ventilation was big problem in the mines in the 1900s. The air underground contained high levels of coal-dust. Many miners suffered from lung problems including emphysema, bronchitis and black lung disease . It was not uncommon for miners to die at an early age because of these health problems.

  6. Danger 4: Explosions Dangerous gases known as fire-damp built up in the mines. These gases could be ignited by candles, causing big explosions. Explosions were a common cause of mining accidents in the 19th century. One such accident happened at Wallsend on 23rd October,1821. The Wallsend explosion resulted in the death of 52 of the 56 men working in the pit.

  7. Danger 5: Being crushed Many mining accidents in 19th century were the result of the roof collapsing. Children working in the mines could also be crushed by the carts or rollies which were used to transport the coal along rails to the mine shaft where it would be raised to the surface.

  8. Danger 6: Falling Many accidents in the mines happened as the miners were being lowered down or raised up the mine shaft. It was not uncommon for people to fall down the mine shaft on their way down to the coal face. Some deaths were caused by miners falling as they were being raised back up the mine shaft at the end of their shift.

  9. Newcastle University Library Explore the Possibilities ncl.ac.uk/library

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