1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:03,040 Speaker 1: Hey, history fans, if you want a double dose of history, 2 00:00:03,080 --> 00:00:06,280 Speaker 1: here's a rerun for today, brought to you by Tracy V. Wilson. 3 00:00:07,840 --> 00:00:10,320 Speaker 1: Welcome to This Day in History Class from how Stuff 4 00:00:10,320 --> 00:00:12,520 Speaker 1: Works dot com and from the desk of Stuff you 5 00:00:12,520 --> 00:00:14,960 Speaker 1: missed in History Class. It's the show where we explore 6 00:00:15,000 --> 00:00:17,160 Speaker 1: the past, one day at a time with a quick 7 00:00:17,160 --> 00:00:23,759 Speaker 1: look at what happened today in history. Hi there, and 8 00:00:23,760 --> 00:00:27,160 Speaker 1: welcome to the podcast. I'm Christopher Haciotas, subbing in this 9 00:00:27,160 --> 00:00:30,080 Speaker 1: week for your host Tracy V. Wilson. Today it's December 10 00:00:30,120 --> 00:00:33,360 Speaker 1: twelve and the Oaks Colliery exploded on this day in 11 00:00:33,440 --> 00:00:37,400 Speaker 1: eighteen sixty six. So we're in Great Britain and the 12 00:00:37,400 --> 00:00:42,280 Speaker 1: Industrial Revolution has well revolutionized industry. Coal is fueling the boom. 13 00:00:42,320 --> 00:00:44,199 Speaker 1: But to keep the machine of progress going, we've got 14 00:00:44,240 --> 00:00:46,320 Speaker 1: to get that coal out of the ground. So that 15 00:00:46,360 --> 00:00:49,519 Speaker 1: brings us to the town of Barnsley, that's located in Yorkshire, 16 00:00:49,560 --> 00:00:53,200 Speaker 1: Northern England, of halfway between Sheffield and Leeds. That's where 17 00:00:53,200 --> 00:00:56,400 Speaker 1: we find the Oaks Colliery. Now, a colliery is a 18 00:00:56,480 --> 00:00:59,639 Speaker 1: term used to describe both a coal mine itself and 19 00:00:59,760 --> 00:01:03,680 Speaker 1: the uh the agglomeration of buildings, offices and infrastructure around 20 00:01:03,680 --> 00:01:07,640 Speaker 1: the mine, basically the whole complex now. Prior to the 21 00:01:07,720 --> 00:01:10,080 Speaker 1: arrival of the coal industry, Barnsley was known for its 22 00:01:10,160 --> 00:01:12,880 Speaker 1: linen manufacturing, but the land was rich in coal and 23 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:16,600 Speaker 1: industrialists were keen to exploit the land's riches. The Barnesley 24 00:01:16,640 --> 00:01:18,680 Speaker 1: coal scene ran deep below the surface of the ground. 25 00:01:18,959 --> 00:01:22,160 Speaker 1: It was particularly prized because it contained numerous types of coal, 26 00:01:22,200 --> 00:01:25,200 Speaker 1: which all formed way back in the Carboniferous period, so 27 00:01:25,280 --> 00:01:29,119 Speaker 1: we're talking about three hundred sixty million years ago now. 28 00:01:29,120 --> 00:01:31,600 Speaker 1: Miners sank the first shaft at the Oaks Colliery in 29 00:01:31,720 --> 00:01:35,200 Speaker 1: eighteen thirty and were able to extract hard coals, which 30 00:01:35,200 --> 00:01:37,720 Speaker 1: are used in train engines and steamships, as well as 31 00:01:37,720 --> 00:01:40,560 Speaker 1: soft coals that were mixed with other minerals to make coke, 32 00:01:40,920 --> 00:01:44,360 Speaker 1: a fuel similar to charcoal. The three shafts at the 33 00:01:44,360 --> 00:01:48,000 Speaker 1: Oaks Colliery were nearly three hundred meters deep each, but 34 00:01:48,160 --> 00:01:51,640 Speaker 1: over the decades the colliery experienced several explosions and disasters. 35 00:01:52,080 --> 00:01:55,120 Speaker 1: In the eighteen thirties, for instance, dozens of boys working 36 00:01:55,120 --> 00:01:58,040 Speaker 1: in the mine drowned when it flooded during a thunderstorm. 37 00:01:58,080 --> 00:02:00,800 Speaker 1: In the eighteen forties, nearly a hundred miners died in 38 00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:03,240 Speaker 1: several explosions, and the oaks became regarded as one of 39 00:02:03,280 --> 00:02:06,120 Speaker 1: the more dangerous places in the region to work. By 40 00:02:06,120 --> 00:02:08,880 Speaker 1: the eighteen fifties, workers were fed up and hundreds of 41 00:02:08,919 --> 00:02:12,519 Speaker 1: them went on strike for ten weeks, claiming management was incompetent. 42 00:02:13,040 --> 00:02:15,160 Speaker 1: But eventually the workers had to go back to work 43 00:02:15,280 --> 00:02:18,400 Speaker 1: as they were at risk of starvation. That brings us 44 00:02:18,400 --> 00:02:22,480 Speaker 1: to the morning of December twelve, eighteen sixty six. Hundreds 45 00:02:22,480 --> 00:02:25,080 Speaker 1: of people showed up to work that day. Christmas was 46 00:02:25,120 --> 00:02:28,119 Speaker 1: just around the corner, so very few people skipped work 47 00:02:28,120 --> 00:02:30,519 Speaker 1: and they were eager to make money for the upcoming holiday. 48 00:02:30,639 --> 00:02:33,520 Speaker 1: And in eighteen sixty six December the twelve fell on 49 00:02:33,560 --> 00:02:35,919 Speaker 1: a Wednesday, and Wednesdays at the mine where the day 50 00:02:35,919 --> 00:02:38,680 Speaker 1: workers could make up for past absentee is um. So 51 00:02:38,720 --> 00:02:40,720 Speaker 1: with hundreds of people at work that day, you had 52 00:02:40,760 --> 00:02:42,680 Speaker 1: hewers who had cut the coal out of the ground, 53 00:02:42,800 --> 00:02:44,840 Speaker 1: and you had harriers who moved the coal to the 54 00:02:44,840 --> 00:02:47,280 Speaker 1: shaft bottom to be lifted to the top. There were 55 00:02:47,280 --> 00:02:49,680 Speaker 1: men to drive the horses in the shaft and young 56 00:02:49,720 --> 00:02:52,239 Speaker 1: boys were called trappers. It was their job to open 57 00:02:52,360 --> 00:02:56,000 Speaker 1: ventilation doors to allow wagons to pass through but about 58 00:02:56,040 --> 00:02:58,359 Speaker 1: one fifteen that day, right near the end of the 59 00:02:58,440 --> 00:03:01,160 Speaker 1: day shift, a massive ex plosion tore through the mine 60 00:03:01,760 --> 00:03:04,440 Speaker 1: jets of fire damp had ignited. Now that's the name 61 00:03:04,480 --> 00:03:07,480 Speaker 1: given flammable gases, which could have included methane. At the time, 62 00:03:08,400 --> 00:03:10,880 Speaker 1: the noise could be heard three miles away, and dust 63 00:03:10,960 --> 00:03:14,880 Speaker 1: and traveled even further than that. Ventilation systems were damaged 64 00:03:14,919 --> 00:03:17,280 Speaker 1: and fresh air wasn't piped into the mine shafts for 65 00:03:17,320 --> 00:03:20,840 Speaker 1: several minutes. Within forty five minutes of the explosion, rescuers 66 00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:22,680 Speaker 1: were able to bring out nearly twenty men who had 67 00:03:22,720 --> 00:03:25,359 Speaker 1: been working near the surface. They were all badly burned 68 00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:29,400 Speaker 1: and only six survived. Later that evening, so many volunteers 69 00:03:29,400 --> 00:03:31,400 Speaker 1: had shown up to help with the rescue effort, people 70 00:03:31,440 --> 00:03:35,000 Speaker 1: had to be turned away. Sadly, all the other workers 71 00:03:35,040 --> 00:03:38,080 Speaker 1: deeper under the earth were killed would be. Rescuers found 72 00:03:38,080 --> 00:03:40,640 Speaker 1: the bodies of fathers and sons locked in a final embrace, 73 00:03:40,960 --> 00:03:43,920 Speaker 1: and of horse cart drivers draped dead over their ponies. 74 00:03:44,800 --> 00:03:47,680 Speaker 1: They had all died of suffocation breathing the carbon dioxide 75 00:03:47,760 --> 00:03:51,320 Speaker 1: of the mine. Rescue work continued throughout the night, with 76 00:03:51,320 --> 00:03:54,120 Speaker 1: a search for survivors ending up a search only for bodies. 77 00:03:54,600 --> 00:03:57,760 Speaker 1: The next morning, many rescuers evacuated for fear of another explosion. 78 00:03:58,240 --> 00:04:00,880 Speaker 1: One man, Matthew Haig, who were as a night deputy 79 00:04:00,880 --> 00:04:03,600 Speaker 1: of the colliery, had survived an explosion there two decades 80 00:04:03,640 --> 00:04:07,080 Speaker 1: prior and recognized the warning signs. By nine am, the 81 00:04:07,080 --> 00:04:09,800 Speaker 1: pit exploded again, though nearly thirty men were still below. 82 00:04:10,400 --> 00:04:13,800 Speaker 1: A third explosion followed later that evening, and on day three, 83 00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:17,640 Speaker 1: rescuers found a man named Samuel Brown still alive. Brown 84 00:04:17,720 --> 00:04:19,640 Speaker 1: wasn't one of the original workers, though he was a 85 00:04:19,680 --> 00:04:22,240 Speaker 1: rescuer who had gone down the day before. He was 86 00:04:22,279 --> 00:04:24,400 Speaker 1: removed from the pit, and he was the last man 87 00:04:24,480 --> 00:04:28,560 Speaker 1: found alive. The next several days saw fourteen more minor explosions, 88 00:04:28,600 --> 00:04:31,120 Speaker 1: and the decision was made to abandon rescue efforts and 89 00:04:31,160 --> 00:04:34,760 Speaker 1: to fill the pits. All in all, the tally was 90 00:04:34,880 --> 00:04:38,040 Speaker 1: estimated at over three and sixty people dead. It was 91 00:04:38,080 --> 00:04:39,960 Speaker 1: the worst mining disaster in the world at the time, 92 00:04:40,279 --> 00:04:42,680 Speaker 1: and remains the worst in an English coal field history. 93 00:04:43,400 --> 00:04:46,440 Speaker 1: An official in question to the explosion was opened almost immediately, 94 00:04:47,240 --> 00:04:50,760 Speaker 1: though the cause was never identified. The disaster helped spur 95 00:04:50,880 --> 00:04:54,279 Speaker 1: some reforms in safety regulation. The mining remained dangerous for years. 96 00:04:55,200 --> 00:04:57,800 Speaker 1: New research conducted in two thousand and sixteen by volunteers 97 00:04:57,839 --> 00:05:00,720 Speaker 1: with the Durn Valley Landscape Partnership puts the final tally 98 00:05:00,760 --> 00:05:03,800 Speaker 1: of death at eighty three. Among the dead were boys 99 00:05:03,800 --> 00:05:06,800 Speaker 1: as young as ten years old. Today, in the region, 100 00:05:07,040 --> 00:05:09,360 Speaker 1: monuments exist to both those who were killed and the 101 00:05:09,440 --> 00:05:13,120 Speaker 1: volunteer rescuers who lost their lives. Thanks to Casey Pegrum 102 00:05:13,120 --> 00:05:14,800 Speaker 1: and Chandler Mays for their audio work on this show, 103 00:05:15,160 --> 00:05:17,000 Speaker 1: you can subscribe to This Day in History Class on 104 00:05:17,040 --> 00:05:20,000 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, the I Heart Radio app, or wherever else 105 00:05:20,040 --> 00:05:22,480 Speaker 1: you like to find your podcasts. Come back tomorrow when 106 00:05:22,480 --> 00:05:24,080 Speaker 1: we get to know one of the most famous world 107 00:05:24,080 --> 00:05:31,960 Speaker 1: travelers in history.