3-011-708 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

The fatal explosion at St. Edmund's Main Colliery, Barnsley: trench cut to the Dearne and the Dove Canal for the purpose of flooding the pit, 1862. 'The last of the seventeen rescued persons was brought up from the Edmond's Main Colliery on the afternoon of Tuesday fortnight, and the proprietors, seeing the hopelessness of saving any more, took counsel of several mining engineers, and by their advice a number of men were set to work to cut a trench...This was an arduous task, as the cutting was required to be fourteen feet deep, and much of it through rock; besides which it implied the loss of all hope, and, consequently, gave great dissatisfaction to the friends of the missing men. A deputation of colliers waited upon the managers to request a further search to be made, but, as it was deemed both useless and dangerous, a negative answer was returned, which at one time it was feared would lead to a riot, a large crowd collecting round the office, one or whom threw a stone through the window... No doubt was entertained that that portion of the pit where the explosion commenced was completely inundated; but there were evidences of fire yet existing in. a portion of the upper workings, and the water was turned in on Friday'. From "Illustrated London News", 1862.