The rescuers narrowly escaped with their lives as they were pursued along the tunnels to the cage at Wigan Junction by an oily cloud of black smoke. After this it was clear that a large part of the mine was on fire, thick acrid fumes belching up out of the once downcast shaft. This put an end to rescue attempts and a roll call showed that sixty-eight men remained half a mile below the surface of the earth and without question were already dead.

It soon became apparent that there was no hope of dealing with the fire except by flooding the pit. Representatives of the workmen, the owners and the Home Office agreed that this course should be adopted. Over 100 million gallons of water were poured down the shafts during the succeeding weeks. During this time violent explosions, some almost as great as the original one, were experienced.

The Inquest

The inquest on the seven bodies recovered opened on the evening of August 20th. Formal identification was made by a procession of widows, sons and mothers. The bodies had been laid out in the Abram Smallpox Hospital and relatives identified features of some, and clogs, clothes, watches of the ones whose features had been badly burned. Mr. Samuel Brighouse, the coroner, a man with much experience of the frequent smaller accidents in the area, let it be known that all responsible persons would have the opportunity to question and cross-examine the witnesses. He was very much in command of his court and showed concern for the relatives. "As the bodies are recovered,” he said, “I shall convene the court and summon the jury at once, so that burial orders can be made without delay of any sort.”

The Relief Fund

A fund was opened and an immediate donation of £100 arrived from His Majesty the King. Contributions came from near and far - the coppers of the unemployed and the gifts from the wealthy and from industrial concerns.