Site of disaster (Pretoria Pit) Traditional Cache
colincis: too many times this has been muggled
Site of disaster (Pretoria Pit)
Related Web Page
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
Site of the pretoria pit
Pretoria Pit disaster was a Mining accident that occurred on 21 December 1910, when there was a massive underground explosion in Pretoria Pit, (The Hulton Colliery), formally No. 3 Bank Pit, in Westhoughton, Lancashire, between Wigan and Bolton, in North West England. the colliery was known locally as the Pretoria Pit. There were approximately 2500 men and boys employed by the Hulton Colliery Company in 1910
On the morning of the 21st December 1910, approximately 900 men and boys clocked on for the day shift. Here they would be working the 5 seams of the pit. These being the Trencherbone, Plodder, Yard, Three-Quarters and Arley Mines (in Lancashire the word mine means a coal seam).
It was in the Plodder Mine at 7:50am that there was an explosion, which was thought to have been caused by a build up of gas, from a roof collapse, the previous day.
In all 345 men and boys had descended the No 3 pit shaft to work in the Plodder, Yard and Three Quarters seam. Of those only 4 survived to be brought to the surface. One died immediately and one next day. In additon one man died in the Arley Mine of No. 4 Pit and one rescuer died in No. 3 pit, giving a total of 344 deaths.
The men who were in the other seams in the pit worked from No.4 shaft were luckily still alive. All but one were brought up to the surface to be re-united with loved ones.
This was the worst accident in the Lancashire coal field, and the third worst in Britain. Many of those killed were from the same family. Perhaps the worst affected was the Tyldesley family in which Mrs Miram Tyldesley lost her husband, 4 sons and 2 brothers in the disaster.
A relief fund was set up for the families and dependents. In which a total of £145,000 was raised.
The two survivors from the Yard Mine workings were Joseph Staveley, William Davenport.
A memorial to the victims is located in Westhoughton, where many of them were from, four miles southwest of Bolton. A memorial service is held there each year and a selection of artifacts from the disaster are on show in Westhoughton Central Library.
PLEASE REPLACE CARFULLY
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
va ebbgf bs n ynetr snyyra gerr
Treasures
You'll collect a digital Treasure from one of these collections when you find and log this geocache:
Loading Treasures