These details were only found in January 2011
A most melancholy destruction of human life occurred at the Woodhead colliery, near Cheadle, the property of J. Leigh, Esq., on Saturday morning 23rd June 1838. About six o'clock on that morning, two of the miners, John Harrison and George Oliver, went down the pit with the intention of working. They had not been long down, when an alarm was given for the chain to be drawn up which was immediately done and the two men ascended in a corfe. On reaching the top Oliver called out for the wagons to be put over the pit’s mouth, which was no sooner done that Harrison, who had been held by the arm, by Oliver, fell senseless on the wagon. Oliver then gave the melancholy information that there was damp in the pit and he believed a number of the men were suffocated. Means were immediately used to remove the damp and some of the men went down shortly afterwards to rescue, if possible, the sufferers; but 11 men that were in the pit only 1 was found alive, the remaining 10 unfortunate persons being all suffocated.
The man, who had so narrow an escape, was named James Clarke, when found he was lying down insensible and it was not until several hours had elapsed, that he properly recovered his recollection. This man stated that about four o'clock in the morning of Saturday, he was working near to Samuel Salt, one of the men who perished, when they perceived themselves much affected by the damp; and they tried to get to the bottom of the pit, but they did not succeed. He (Clarke) lay himself down and fanned himself with his jacket, to which he attributed his preservation. He continued to do so as long as he could, and eventually became insensible. Samuel Salt was found about 15 yards from Clarke and quite dead.
An inquest was held to ascertain the cause of this catastrophe on Monday, at the Royal Oak Inn, Cheadle. Mr. Harding, Esq. sat as coroner. From the evidence adduced it appeared that it was only during the last two or three weeks that the men had perceived any symptoms of the destructive damp and that no harm had been apprehended from it, it not being supposed to exist to a degree involving danger. The verdict was in accordance with the facts now stated.
The names of the deceased men are;
Samuel Salt, James Barker, Richard Hood, Joseph Bentley, James Malbon, ? Malbon, William Fowell, George Clarke, Rupert Batkin, William Goodwin.