Dudley Mine 1898

The Dudley Colliery Pit explosion occurred on 21 March 1898 and was caused by everyday materials: gas lamps and coal dust. The explosion killed 15 men. The Dudley colliery fans were shut off for the weekend. The discontinuous use of ventilation fans caused the build up of gases in mine shafts, which ignited along with the coal dust when gas lamps were lit at the start of shift. After the accident continuous ventilation and safety lamps were adopted