Howe Bridge Mines Rescue Station
Encyclopedia
Howe Bridge Mines Rescue Station was the first Mines rescue station on the Lancashire Coalfield
opened
in 1908 in Howe Bridge
, Atherton
, then in the historic county of Lancashire, England.
Before the opening of Britain's first mines rescue station at Tankersley
in Yorkshire in 1902, pit managers and volunteers
were the first untrained mines rescuers. They fought fires, rescued victims and recovered bodies in the mines in which they worked. Rescue stations were recommended in a Royal Commission
in 1886 but were not compulsory until after the 1911 Coal Mines Act. In 1906 the Lancashire and Cheshire Coal Owners Association formed a committee which decided to provide a mines rescue station in Lovers Lane Atherton.
The rescuers were provided with Siebe Gorman Proto
breathing apparatus which was selected by competition. A team from the rescue station was tasked with training rescue teams from each pit, and provided emergency assistance to collieries throughout the Lancashire Coalfield
.
Teams from the rescue station attended disasters at the Maypole Colliery in Abram
in 1908 and the Pretoria Pit Disaster
in 1910.
The station closed in 1934 when Boothstown Mines Rescue Station
, the central rescue station for the coalfield, became operative.
Lancashire Coalfield
The Lancashire Coalfield in north-west England was one of the most important British coalfields.-Geography and geology:The geology of the coalfield consists of the coal seams of the Upper, Middle and Lower Coal Measures, layers of sandstones, shales and coal of varying thickness, which were laid...
opened
in 1908 in Howe Bridge
Howe Bridge
Howe Bridge is a suburb of Atherton in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. It is situated to the south west of Atherton town centre on the B5215, the old turnpike road from Bolton to Leigh...
, Atherton
Atherton, Greater Manchester
Atherton is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England, historically a part of Lancashire. It is east of Wigan, north-northeast of Leigh, and northwest of Manchester...
, then in the historic county of Lancashire, England.
Before the opening of Britain's first mines rescue station at Tankersley
Tankersley
-People:* Dennis Tankersley , American baseball pitcher for the Washington Nationals*Paul Tankersley, fictional character in the Honorverse* Richie Tankersley Cusick , American author...
in Yorkshire in 1902, pit managers and volunteers
were the first untrained mines rescuers. They fought fires, rescued victims and recovered bodies in the mines in which they worked. Rescue stations were recommended in a Royal Commission
Royal Commission
In Commonwealth realms and other monarchies a Royal Commission is a major ad-hoc formal public inquiry into a defined issue. They have been held in various countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Saudi Arabia...
in 1886 but were not compulsory until after the 1911 Coal Mines Act. In 1906 the Lancashire and Cheshire Coal Owners Association formed a committee which decided to provide a mines rescue station in Lovers Lane Atherton.
The rescuers were provided with Siebe Gorman Proto
Siebe Gorman Proto
The Proto is a type of rebreather that was made by Siebe Gorman. It was an industrial breathing set and not suitable for diving. It was made from 1914 or earlier to the 1960s or later. .Its breathing bag was worn on the chest...
breathing apparatus which was selected by competition. A team from the rescue station was tasked with training rescue teams from each pit, and provided emergency assistance to collieries throughout the Lancashire Coalfield
Lancashire Coalfield
The Lancashire Coalfield in north-west England was one of the most important British coalfields.-Geography and geology:The geology of the coalfield consists of the coal seams of the Upper, Middle and Lower Coal Measures, layers of sandstones, shales and coal of varying thickness, which were laid...
.
Teams from the rescue station attended disasters at the Maypole Colliery in Abram
Abram, Greater Manchester
Abram is a village and electoral ward within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on flat land on the northeast bank of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, west of Leigh, southeast of Wigan, and west of Manchester...
in 1908 and the Pretoria Pit Disaster
Pretoria Pit Disaster
The Pretoria Pit disaster was a mining accident that occurred on 21 December 1910, when there was an underground explosion at the Hulton Bank Colliery No. 3 Pit, known as the Pretoria Pit, in Over Hulton, Westhoughton, then in the historic county of Lancashire, in North West...
in 1910.
The station closed in 1934 when Boothstown Mines Rescue Station
Boothstown Mines Rescue Station
Boothstown Mines Rescue Station which served the collieries of the Lancashire and Cheshire Coal Owners on the Lancashire Coalfield opened in November 1933 on a site in Boothstown, close to the East Lancashire Road...
, the central rescue station for the coalfield, became operative.