Haydock mine explosion killed 189 men and boys underground

The Wood Pit explosion happened shortly after 11am on June 7, 1878, at Haydock Colliery.

An explosion of gas ripped through the underground workings, killing almost everyone caught in its path.

The official death toll was 189 - making it one of the deadliest mining disasters in Lancashire's history.

But for those waiting above ground, the horror was only just beginning.

As news spread through the village, families rushed to the colliery in the hope their loved ones might have survived.

Rescuers descended into the mine, but conditions were so dangerous they could work underground for only around ten minutes at a time before having to return to the surface.

The threat from poisonous gases remained so severe that even those trying to save lives were putting themselves in danger.

One survivor, Edward Edwards, later described the desperate prayers of the men caught underground.

“All the men prayed to God to help them and we prayed to. You never heard such praying in all your life,” he recalled.

As the rescue operation continued, the scale of the tragedy became clear.

Bodies were brought to the surface and taken to a stable yard near the colliery offices, which had been turned into an emergency mortuary.

Women from the village volunteered to clean the bodies and lay them out on tables, while men made coffins in a workshop across the yard.

Families then faced the agonising task of identifying their relatives.

Some victims were so badly injured that recognition was difficult, with loved ones sometimes having to rely on personal belongings.

One of the most heart-breaking cases involved 16-year-old William McGlynn.

His father identified him through a clog he had repaired just two days earlier, using a piece of leather and several nails.

Another victim, 20-year-old William Cunnah, was identified through a shilling and half an ounce of tobacco given to him that morning by the woman he lodged with.

The disaster tore families apart, with several households losing more than one member.

The Boon family lost five relatives, with reports suggesting the final toll may have been six.

And the tragedy did not end with the recovery of the victims.

James Callaghan, one of the men involved in the rescue operation, was buried beneath a sudden roof fall underground.

He was pulled free with two broken legs and severe injuries to his body, but died later that night.

His 10-year-old son had been waiting at the pit head when his injured father was brought to the surface.

An investigation later found that faulty ventilation had allowed gas to accumulate in the workings.

A fall of the roof released the gas, but the inquiry could not establish exactly what ignited it.

The disaster prompted a major investigation and a parliamentary debate about safety in the mines.

The Wood Pit explosion remains one of the darkest chapters in Haydock's industrial history.

On June 7, 1878, 189 men and boys went to work underground.

Their families would never see them again.