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Old 17-01-2013, 05:31 PM
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Default Broomhill Colliery Fire. Heapstead Destroyed. 1899

Another fire from the newspaper archives. From reports after this one it looks like they managed to quickly bring another shaft in to operation for transport of coal and men, so the effects weren't as dire as suggested here.

date is Saturday 25th November 1899, Shields Daily Gazette.


SERIOUS PIT FIRE NEAR AMBLE.

HEAPSTEAD DESTROYED.


2,000 HANDS LAID IDLE.

Our Amble correspondent wires-
About 2 o’clock this morning a fire was observed near the shaft of the colliery at Broomhill.
The alarm was immediately given, and a large crowd hurried to the scene of the conflagration.
Owing to the inflammable nature of the heapstead, the whole structure was within 30 minutes
one sheet of flame. Nothing could be done to stop the fire, and the whole structure was raised
to the ground in a short time. The cage ropes were also burned, and the cages fell into the bottom
of the shaft. No coals will be drawn for some time, and the fire will cause nearly 2,000 men and
boys to be laid idle for a considerable time. How the fire originated is unknown.





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