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Town Moor Explosion - 17th December 1867

From: Historical Register of Remarkable Events, Vol IV
by T. Fordyce (Newcastle, 1876)

A frightful and lamentable accident took place on the Town Moor, Newcastle-on-Tyne, whereby eight persons lost their lives, viz. Mr. John Mawson, Sheriff of the town; Mr Thomas Bryson, Town Surveyor; P.C. Donald Pain; James Shotton, employed by Mr. Turnbull, White Swan Yard; Thomas Appleby, son of Mr. Appleby, Carliol Street, employed at Mr. Mr. George Hudson's, provision merchant, Cloth Market; George Smith Stonehouse, a youth, son of Mr. Christopher Stonehouse, clock maker, Bath Row; Samuel Bell Wadley, son of Mr. Charles Wadley, hat manufacturer, Heywood's Court, and residing at 47 Villa Place; a man, aged about 40, and about 5 feet 6 inches in height, name unknown.

A coroner's inquest was held on the body of Mr. Mawson, the sheriff; he having had the principal directions in the proceedings. The following gentlemen were sworn on the jury by the coroner of the borough, J. T. Hoyle, Esq; Mr J. M Tilley (foreman), Mr. Owen, Mr. W. Guthrie, Mr. W, Brown, Mr. R. Charlton, Mr. J. Redshaw, Mr. J. O. Sturgeon, Mr. W. Hepple, Mr. P. Cuthbertson, Mr. J. Wheatley, Mr. T. McKay and Mr J. Robinson. The Mayor, the Town Clerk, the Under Sheriff (Mr S. Daglish), Dr. White, Mr. Cockroft (Coroner for South Northumberland), the Rev. H, W. Wright, Dr. Bolton, Mr. R. G. Green, Mr. Councillor Dickinson, Mr. Spark, Mr. Tennant, and others were present.

From the evidence brought out at the inquest, it appeared that a considerable quantity of a very dangerous material, which, on examination, proved to be nitro-glycerine (for blasting purposes in mines, &c.), was stored in a cellar at the White Swan Yard, Cloth Market. On examining the cellar, the police found eight tins. After conferring with the magistrates and Town Clerk, it was ordered to be removed out of the town or destroyed. Not being able to induce the Railway Company to carry it, it was decided to destroy it by removing it to the Town Moor, and emptying it into the earth at a part of the Moor where there was a subsidence in the ground, caused by the workings of the Spital Tongues Colliery.

The Sheriff and Mr. Bryson determined to accompany the material to its destination, and see it destroyed. When on their way to the Moor, Mr. Mawson thought it desirable to examine one or two of the cases, for the purpose of ascertaining what kind of instruments would be required for opening them. While this was being done a number of people congregated round the cart which was conveying the material, and afterwards accompanied it to the Moor. On arriving at the spot on the Moor, which is a little to the west of the Cholera Hospital, there were eight canisters in baskets, and one without a covering of that kind, taken from the cart and placed upon the turf; and, by direction of the Town Surveyor and the Sheriff, the cartman, the labourer, Sub Inspector Wallace, and P.C. 34 A. Donald Bain (who had also been sent on this duty), proceeded to draw the corks.

Mr. Bryson drew several of the corks, a pricker being used for the purpose. They emptied the liquid of the whole nine into the subsidence of the earth, and after this was done they found that three of the canisters still felt weighty. The Sheriff thereupon ordered the men to take off the ends, which was done by means of a shovel, when it was found that a portion of the contents had crystallised, and were adhering to the tin. The Sheriff expressed a desire to obtain a piece of the crystallised material, and asked for a piece of paper, but what followed is not known. He said, however, "Bring them away and we will bury them on the other hill," referring to a hill a little further from where they put the liquid material. He also gave directions to Sub-Inspector Wallace to place some soil over the spot into which they had poured the liquid.

Wallace immediately engaged himself in this occupation, and Bain, Shotton, Appleby, the Sheriff, and the Town Surveyor, went away to the hill with the three canisters containing the crystallised nitro-glycerine, for the purpose of burying it. What occurred here is unknown, and probably never will be. The Sub-Inspector had got his task completed, and was about leaving to join the others, when a dreadful explosion took place. Wallace felt the earth shake, and at the same time saw fragments f clothing and other articles flying high up in the air. Though so near to the scene of the explosion, he was happily uninjured himself, his escape being accounted for by the fact that the bank was between him and the explosion.

He immediately proceeded to the spot, and, on the west side of the hill, where the explosion took place, found a portion of the body of P.C. Bain dreadfully mutilated and shattered - the other portions of the body, horrible to relate, being blown away. On the south side of the hill was also a body frightfully mutilated: this was the body of Thomas Appleby (he was thought to be  a 'carter's boy'); and, near at hand, was the body of Shotton, the labourer, also mutilated. In a hole of the ground, immediately above, was a boy alive, but greatly injured: this was the son of Mr. Wadley, living in Villa Place, The body of another man, unknown, was also found. Mr, Bryson, severely injured, was lying on the side of the bank to the eastward; and immediately on the top of the bank was Mr. Mawson, who was also much injured. Wallace raised Mr. Bryson, but he was unable to speak. Mr. Mawson was able to raise himself up, and sat upon the grass. Wallace, seeing nothing could be done by himself to aid the unfortunate sufferers, promptly got into the cab which had brought Mr. Mawson and Mr. Bryson up, and which was waiting some distance off, and drove into the town in order to procure medical aid.

Roxburgh, the cabman, when left by Mr. Mawson and Mr. Bryson, was told to remain a few minutes. After waiting for a time, his horses began to get cold and weary, and he got upon the box and drove them about a little. His attention was thus drawn away from what was going on amongst the others. In a short time, however, the explosion took place. The force of it blew him off his seat on to the horses, and also broke the windows of the cab, though he was at least one hundred yards from the spot. On looking round, he saw clothes and one of the canisters flying in the air. He drove Sub-Inspector Wallace rapidly down into the town, and Wallace gave information of the occurrence to Mr. Joseph Fife and Dr. Heath, who immediately proceeded to the scene of the disaster.

It was singularly fortunate that, at the moment of the catastrophe, Mr. Walpole, one of the resident surgeons at the Infirmary, was walking upon the Moor, at no great distance from where the explosion took place. Dust, stones, fragments of clothing, and other things suddenly surrounded him. Three hundred yards or so from the spot where the proceedings had been going on, he found the foot of a human being - presumably that of poor Bain; and shreds of clothing, human flesh, and other matter lay scattered about. Mr. Walpole hurried forward, and discovered Mr. Bryson - a ghastly spectacle - lying in one of the excavations.

After those about had recovered their senses, it was proposed that, as Mr. Bryson to all appearance was dead, it would be as well to leave him in the adjoining hospital. Mr. Walpole, however, persevered, administered stimulants, and upon his suggestion, the cart which had brought the destructive material to the ground was made a means of conveying those injured to the Infirmary. They were Mr. Bryson, Town Surveyor; Mr. Mawson, the Sheriff of Newcastle; and Samuel Wadley, a boy who had been a spectator. The boy Wadley died about two hours after being admitted into the Infirmary. Mr. Mawson and Mr. Bryson both died the following night.

The jury returned the following verdict:- "That death has been caused by the explosion of nitro-glycerine accidentally; and the jury are unanimously of opinion that the law in reference to the storing of nitro-glycerine has been grossly violated in this case."

 





 

THE LATE MR. JOHN MAWSON.  from The British Journal of Photography. 1867
IT is our painful duty to record the untimely death of one whose name has been held in honour among photographers for a great number of  years. We allude to Mr. John Mawson, of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
The newspapers will probably have acquainted our readers with the melancholy circumstances of his death. A quantity of Nobel's blasting oil — a preparation of nitro-glycerine — was discovered in the town, and was seized and ordered to be destroyed by the authorities. Mr. Mawson's advice was asked as to the manner in which this order should be carried out. Various means of disposing of the explosive material safely and easily were discussed— emptying into the river, sinking in the sea, blasting it off in small quantities, &c. After consultation with the Town Surveyor, it was ascertained that a place existed at a little distance from the town where the oil might oe emptied out with safety. The spot selected was an old pit-working, situated about the centre of the Town Moor. Mr. Mawson went himself in order to see that his instructions were carefully carried out and the material safely disposed of. The oil was emptied in this place, and in the ordinary course of things that should have ended the matter. The programme had, to all appearance, been safely carried out, when, unfortunately, a question was raised by the undue weight of one or two of the cans as to whether they were quite empty. To settle this some of the cases were cautiously
opened, and found to contain a considerable portion of solid nitro-glycerine. It was, therefore, necessary to dispose of the cases in some safe way. Three or four of these were taken to a deep crater-like hollow,'
with the view of their being buried, when, from some unexplained accident a terrific explosion occurred, killing four men on the spot and fatally and wounding three others. Among these was Mr. Mawson. He was frightfully injured in the face, and died after lingering thirty-six hours, Mr. Mawson was a native of Lowther, in Westmoreland. He was born in 1815. He served an apprenticeship as a chemist in the neighbouring town of Penrith. At twenty-one he took up his residence in Sunderland, and during a short time carried on a business there as chemist. In 1840 he removed to Newcastle. From that period until now he has been in business in that town. At the commencement of Mr. Mawson's career in Newcastle, his business was that of an ordinary druggist ; but, as time went on, the business assumed more and more of a scientific character. This arose out of his relationship to Mr. Swan (whose sister he married), who has been with him in the business almost from its commencement. Mr. Swan was an ardent lover of science, and brought his tastes to bear upon the business. Mr. Mawson's connection with photography may be said to date from 18ol, when the manufacture of the well-known collodion was commenced. Since that time his name has become almost a "household word" amongst photographers, being constantly associated with that of hie relative and partner, Mr. Swan, in numerous discoveries and improve, mcnts in various branches of photography. Our readers will not now need to be reminded of these. Mr. Mawson himself was not a practical photographer. He was more a simple man of business, and in that capacity was very successful. The high principles on which the deceased gentleman acted in his business, his complete unselfishness and unusual amiability of character, elicited not merely the respect of all with whom he came even slightly into contact, but produced a f eeh'ng of regard almost amounting to affection. Those who were privileged to know him more intimately entertained for him feelings of the very strongest attachment. Mr. Mawson was a member of the Town Council of Newcastle for a number of years, and at the time of his sad and sudden death filled the office of Sheriff of that borough. Newcastle has enjoyed municipal privileges over 400 years, and Mr. Mawson is the first Sheriff who has died during his term of office. Although a man holding decided views on some subjects, and unwavering in nis fidelity to his principles, he never made an enemy, or even caused any to feel the very smallest offence in the advocacy of his opinions. He was all his life a firm teetotaller, an active man in the cause of anti-slavery, and the bosom friend of William Lloyd Garrison and Elihn Burritt, of America, and of George Thompson and other leading English slavery abolitionists. He was an active member of the Peace Society ; a worker for ragged schools, reformatories, and every form of benevolent institution. "He was singularly alive to the domestic affections, and those who saw him in his family circle can never forget the overflowing joyousness of Ilia spirit. His home was pervaded by his love as by the sun's light, and yet with the strongest domestic affections he joined a love of ftis race far more rare. His heart beat in unison with the heart of humanity." It will not, therefore, be wondered at that he was a man of great popularity in the towns of Newcastle and Gateshead, and that his untimely death produced such an expression of public sorrow as has rarely been witnessed in the North. Our deceased friend was interred on the 23rd inst., amid manifestations of universal mourning. The Mayor and Corporation of Newcastle, and some thousands of his townsmen, together with great numbers of his friends from a distance, sorrowfully followed his remains to the grave.

Mawson & Swan

Joseph Wilson Swan was born in 1828. He served six years as an apprentice to a Sunderland firm of druggists, Hudson and Osbaldiston. However, both partners died, and Swan joined John Mawson, who had founded a pharmaceutical John Mawsonbusiness in Newcastle upon Tyne in the year that Swan was born. From an early age, Swan was keen to learn about new inventions. He used Sunderland library to read about Starr's electric lamp, patented in 1845, but unsuccessful because it blackened too quickly. He also learned about new photographic processes such as electrotyping and daguerreotypes. Mawson encouraged Swan to pursue his scientific investigations, and introduced him to local chemical manufacturers. They built a small laboratory at the top of the house above the shop. As Swan was gaining interest in photography, he began to make collodion, which became a speciality of the company. "Mawson's Collodion" was launched in 1854. Mawson (pictured left) took Swan into partnership in 1846.
In July 1867, Mawson, then sheriff of Newcastle, was killed while supervising the disposal of a quantity of dumped nitroglycerin. Swan's wife died shortly after. Swan therefore had sole responsibility for the business and his three small children. He made Mawson's widow, his sister Elizabeth, a partner in the business, which continued as Mawson and Swan. He later remarried, even though a law to legalise second marriages had not yet been passed by Parliament. His second wife was his deceased wife's sister. In 1883, they moved to Bromley, Kent. He later lived in Kensington in London, but moved back to the country because of heart trouble, settling in Warlingham, Surrey.

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