Hartley Colliery disaster
The Hartley Colliery disaster (also known as the Hartley Pit disaster or Hester Pit disaster) was a coal mining accident in Northumberland, England, that occurred on 16 January 1862 and resulted in the deaths of 204 men and children. The beam of the pit's pumping engine broke and fell down the shaft, trapping the men below. The disaster prompted a change in British law that required all collieries to have at least two independent means of escape.
Drawing of the fractured cast iron beam, from the Illustrated London News, 1 February 1862 | |
| Date | 16 January 1862 |
|---|---|
| Time | 10:30 |
| Location | New Hartley, Northumberland, England |
| Coordinates | 55°05′02″N 01°30′51″W |
| Also known as | Hester Pit |
| Type | Coal mine disaster |
| Cause | Fracture of pumping engine beam |
| Deaths | 204 |
| Property damage | Pit closed |
| Burial | St Alban's Church, Earsdon |
| Inquest | 21 January 1862, 4–6 February 1862 |
| Coroner | S Reed |
| OS grid reference | NZ 31107 76720 |
| Led to a legal requirement for all mines to have at least two shafts | |
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